Jayaprakash Narayan's Blog

Lack-luster budget: Dr. JP

2009-07-06T17:31:00.001+05:30

The Lok Satta Party today described the Union budget as lack luster. There is little to write home about it barring the Government’s outlay crossing the Rs.10 lakh crore mark.

Talking to the media, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said that Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had formulated the budget with an eye on the elections in a few States in the next few months. He allowed the golden opportunity to craft a historic budget in the context of a global recession and a stable government and steady growth in the Indian economy in the country to slip through his fingers.

Dr. JP pointed out that no bold attempt had been made to create either employment opportunities or boost agricultural growth since the focus was on winning the upcoming elections in States. Since 70 percent of farmers are outside the institutional fold, they are not going to benefit from the increase in agricultural loans.

Dr. JP said: “Even now, the allocation for healthcare in the country remained where it was for decades – only one percent of the GDP. Educational allocations still remain at 3.5 percent of the GDP. There is no concerted attempt to eliminate poverty. Instead, there is a conscious attempt to give short-term sops to the poor to use them as vote banks, while perpetuating poverty.

“The revenue deficit also has reached 4.8 percent of the GDP or about Rs.215,000 crore. That means, the Government is spending only for day-to-day expenditure about Rs.600 crore more than its income every single day. The interest burden has exceeded Rs.300,000 crore, and this year’s additional debt alone is Rs.400,000 crore. If the States’ deficits are added, the combined fiscal deficit will probably reach 12 pre percent of the GDP. There is no road map to reduce the fiscal deficit. As a result, the younger generation is going to inherit a crushing burden of debt on account of the Governments’ profligacy.”

Cooperative farming will end up In disaster, warns Dr. JP

2009-06-29T21:23:00.000+05:30

The cooperative or collective farming envisaged by the Andhra Pradesh Government to step up both productivity and production will end up in a disaster, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan warned today. “The remedy proposed is worse than the disease.”

Dr. JP, who took part in an all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister on cooperative farming earlier in the day, said farming in Andhra Pradesh suffered from a host of ailments all of which had little to do with the size of farms. “Productivity and production in the farm sector have been low not because the land holdings are small but because farmers do not have access to technology.”

He pointed out that “technology is scale neutral.” Farmers irrespective of the size of their holdings embrace new technologies if they are available as is evident from the fact that 80 percent of cotton farmers have taken to the pest resistant BT cotton variety all over the country. The farmers are helpless either when modern technology is not available or they have no access. Although there are cane harvesters all over the world, they are not available in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. JP highlighted that only eight percent of seeds used by farmers are certified and four percent of their soils tested. On both counts, the farmer is a loser. The problem, therefore, lay with the Government and not the farmer in making new technologies accessible to him.

Dr. JP told a media meeting that the Government’s advocacy of large, consolidated holdings in the name of cooperative or collective farming for precision farming is untenable. Precision farming involves control of temperature, moisture etc in green houses as in the raising of tulips in the Netherlands. The holdings involved are all small and not at all large.

Dr. JP pointed out that all over the country productivity in small farms is higher than in large farms because the small farmer invests his labor of love, besides other inputs, to reap higher harvests. He does not include his labor in costing. If cooperative farming is introduced, the small farmer becomes a wage earner and loses his dignity. As he charges for his labor, the cost of production in cooperative farming is bound to be higher.

Dr. JP said the real problem lay in the absence of breakthroughs in technologies after the Green Revolution of the 1960s. The Government could address some of the problems like absence of dryers and threshing platforms.

“Nowhere in the world large-scale farming has been a success. In India itself, we have 14 Central State Farms spread over tens of thousands of acres. But all the farms run by the Government of India are bankrupt. The erstwhile Soviet Union paid a very high price for promoting collective farming. In India, cooperatives have succeeded where they are engaged in processing and marketing and not in primary production. Milk cooperatives are a good example. Even in dairy cooperatives whenever the Government controlled them as in Kadapa and Chittoor, the dairies went bankrupt whereas farmer-controlled processing cooperatives are doing well.”

Dr. JP did not rest with rubbishing the Government proposal. He suggested alternatives for stepping up productivity and production. He wanted the Government to enact a law as in Punjab to promote consolidation of fragmented holdings. The present monstrous tenancy law has to be liberalized. Although two-thirds of land holdings in the State are in the hands of tenants, owners do not register them for fear of losing ownership.

Once tenancy is brought on record, the tenant can access bank credit and other inputs. A liberalized tenancy law will also facilitate contract farming which is in the interest of the farmer as also the country. For instance, sugarcane and oil palm are raised as a contract between processing mills and farmers. In a similar fashion, paper producers enter into an understanding with farmers for supply of softwood in Andhra Pradesh, and vegetable producers for supply of raw material to processing industry in Punjab.

Dr. JP wanted the Government to focus on value addition, warehousing and marketing. The marketing societies should be under the control of farmers, and all restrictions on marketing should be removed.

2014 belongs to the Lok Satta, Asserts Dr. JP

2009-06-18T20:58:00.000+05:30

If the Lok Satta Party sticks to its values without any compromise, the year 2014 definitely belongs to it, asserted party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today. “And the political calendar too favors the fledgling party”.

Addressing party people who contested the 2009 elections, Dr. JP said the Lok Satta is here to stay and determined to fight for transformation in people’s lives, however arduous struggle is going to be. “People are ready for real change and it will happen in 2014 (when the Assembly elections are due again) going by the winds of change blowing across the State.

Party spokesmen V. Laxman Balaji and Mohd. Ishaq Khan gave this information to the media today.

Although vast numbers of people admired the party in the 2009 elections, they stopped short of endorsing it. “The months and years to come are a testing time for us. People will keenly watch whether the Lok Satta sticks to its values or compromises on them to garner a few seats in elections, like other parties.”

He recalled that a survey conducted by a TV channel immediately after the 2009 elections were out showed that 96 percent of the respondents viewed the Lok Satta Party as an alternative to both the Congress and the TDP, mirroring the high hopes the people had of the Lok Satta.

Dr. JP pointed out that the political calendar too favored the Lok Satta in that elections scheduled for various local bodies would provide a golden opportunity to mobilize public support. After elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, elections to municipal councils will take place in 135 towns accounting for almost 150 Assembly constituencies. Thereafter, elections to panchayati raj bodies would take place. If the party made good use of the local body elections, facing the 2014 elections would be an easy task, said Dr. JP.

Dr. JP reiterated that none need to make great sacrifices to build up the party. It was enough if they devoted a little part of their time, increased party membership and invited and encouraged competent people to take up leadership. He wished politicians in Andhra Pradesh had emulated Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and leader of the Opposition L. K. Advani who apologized to each other for election-eve bitter exchanges and agreed to let bygones be bygones.

Resource constraints stymied Lok Satta In elections: Dr. JP

2009-06-13T21:22:00.000+05:30

Had the Lok Satta had Rs.40 crore as its election fund, it would have emerged as a significant player in Andhra Pradesh politics today, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today.

Addressing a media meet, at which he released a statement of donations received and expenditure incurred by his party during the elections to the Assembly and the Lok Satta, Dr. JP said the party was handicapped by paucity of resources in engendering confidence about its fighting mettle. Although the party succeeded in taking its message to the public, it could not whip up a wind in its favor because of its low-key campaign.

Dr. JP pointed out that a political party cannot function without resources. “Honest politics needs honest money. The party accepted donations only by cheque, accounted for every rupee it spent and placed the facts before the public.”

Dr. JP called upon leaders of competence and integrity from all walks of life to make the Lok Satta their forum for bettering people’s lives.

The party was introducing executive membership with a view to making the party self-sustaining in its day-to-day operations. An executive member has to pay Rs.1000 as fees per year or Rs.100 per month as a token of his owning the party.

On the occasion of 2009 elections, the party received contributions amounting to Rs.3,23,73.900. It incurred a total expenditure of Rs.3,16,01,095 including Rs.2,25,83,670 on electronic and print media. The contributions included those from NRIs. Dr. JP spent a total of Rs.4,92,326 on contesting from Kukatpally to the Assembly.

In reply to a question, Dr. JP said the three traditional parties in Andhra Pradesh would have spent Rs.4000 crore, most of it on inducing voters with cash and liquor, during the elections.

Dr. JP said the Lok Satta would contest the GHMC elections with a clear-cut and practicable agenda. The five promises the party is making are:

Supply of safe drinking water in all colonies and bastis which do not have the facility now with the installation of reverse osmosis plants
Implementing a citizen’s charter under which failure to attend to a public grievance in a specified period invites penalty on the GHMC
Identification and resolution of problems basti-colony wise and implementation of a division agenda in three phases – 100 days, one year and five years respectively.
Devolution of GHMC funds at the rate of Rs.2 crore for each division every year, so that an elected divisional committee could spend it on attending to pressing local problems
Integration of the functioning of the GHMC, Metrowater and Urban Development Authority

“We have the clarity of purpose, determination, competence and integrity to deliver on our promises. We can make Hyderabad a truly get city worthy of our heritage. Right now, the city is on the verge of paralysis with poor water supply, inadequate drainage and sewerage, and nightmarish traffic. This election should serve as a wake up call, and all youth, women, middle classes and the poor should join hands to transform our city”, said Dr. JP.

In reply to a question, Dr. JP said his party would consider an alliance with other parties in the GHMC elections provided there is total agreement on the agenda for the city, and there is willingness to practice ethical politics.

Mr. V. Vijayender Reddy, Lok Satta Secretary and Mr. Nandipeta Ravinder, President, Greater Hyderabad Lok Satta unit, flanked Dr. JP.

Amend anti corruption law, Dr. JP suggests to CM

2009-06-12T20:39:00.000+05:30

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan has in a letter asked Chief Minister Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to translate his intent to put an end to corruption by amending the Prevention of Corruption Act, which suffered from many lacunae.

Releasing copies of Dr. JP’s letter, party spokesmen Dr. P. Bhaskara Rao and G. Raja Reddy told the media that Dr. JP had sent copies of a draft Bill to amend the Act to the Speaker of the Assembly, Chairman of the Legislative Council, Chief Minister, Ministers for Law and Legislative Affairs, and leaders of the TDP, PRP, TRS, MIM, CPI, BJP and CPM in the legislature.

Pointing out that there are now six agencies dealing with public servants’ acts of corruption, Dr. JP said all of their functions should be integrated so that the guilty cannot go unscathed. He suggested that the Anti Corruption Bureau should be made autonomous and brought under the supervision of the Lok Ayukta. He wanted legislators and other elected public representatives to be brought under the ambit of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Dr. JP requested the Chief Minister to convene an all-party conference to discuss measures to eradicate corruption.

Referring to the Intermediate Board’s suspension of principals for low percentage of passes, the party spokesmen said such actions would not serve the purpose. A solution lay in creation of basic amenities in colleges, appointment of more teaching staff and improvement in teaching methods.

Let us restore dignity in politics: Dr. JP

2009-05-25T11:13:00.000+05:30

“Now that the elections are over and a government is firmly in place, political parties should return to the path of civility in public discourse, rise above partisan considerations, and work collectively to fulfill people’s aspirations.”

Making this appeal at a media conference, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said that perhaps in the heat of the no-holds-barred and bitter electioneering, most political parties and politicians indulged in character assassination in mutual mud-slinging unbecoming of their stature. “Genuine differences among political parties are natural in a democracy. One should learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Politics is all about reconciling conflicting interests.”

The Lok Satta President, who attended the swearing in of Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy as Chief Minister, regretted that top leaders of the Opposition parties chose to keep away from the function. “Whether we like it or not, Dr. YSR is the Chief Minister for the entire State and not merely for Congress people who elected his party to power.” The Government too did not cover itself with glory by allowing over-enthusiastic ruling party people to turn the solemn swearing-in ceremony into a party affair. The ruling party must realize that the government belongs to all people, and must treat all sections equally without favour or malice. The healthy tradition of opposition leaders participating in all state functions and swearing-in ceremonies at the national level should be followed in the state.

Commenting on the election results, Dr. JP said that the Lok Satta had failed to convert the unparalleled support it enjoyed into votes. “We accept the verdict in all humility and refuse to look for alibis or blame others for our performance. We pledge ourselves to strengthen the party and engender confidence among the public that together we can transform society.”

He added, “The perception is widespread that the year 2014 belongs to the Lok Satta, not because it is powerful but because it is articulating people’s aspirations, and emerged as on authentic platform for citizen’s Political parties participation”.

Dr. JP said the 2009 elections were marked by unprecedented vote buying, liquor distribution on a large scale, intense caste polarization and the vicious propaganda that a vote to an ethical party like the Lok Satta would be a wasted vote.” Yet the people by and large displayed extraordinary maturity by not succumbing to caste Talibans, lucrative and irresistible freebies and money and liquor.

Listing out the challenges before the Government, Dr. JP said it had to focus on providing basic amenities to citizens on a war footing. They included supply of safe drinking water, drainage and uninterrupted power supply, road and public transport facilities to every habitation. The Government had to focus on providing livelihood skills and jobs to lakhs of educated and semi-educated young people. Instead of coming up with short-term palliatives, the Government had to work out a comprehensive medium and long-term strategy to eradicate poverty.

Pointing out that the innovative solutions were available to mitigate poverty, he instanced how with the introduction of solar LED lamps to light up homes, the Government could save over Rs.20,000 crore annually on kerosene subsidy all over the country. The country could save precious foreign exchange, save people from health hazards and prevent environmental pollution if LED lamps were distributed free of cost to every BPL family.

Dr. JP underlined the need for eliminating waste and corruption at a time the State is going through an economic slowdown. The conditions will worsen in the months to go as the Government’s expenditure commitments grossly exceed the State Government’s anticipated tax and non-tax receipts and devolution of resources from the Government of India. “High cost and low impact projects like the Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation scheme have to give way to low cost and high impact projects. People of Telangana can be served far better at a lower cost, by taking up alternative, low cost projects”.

On corruption, Dr. JP said the ruling party and its captains should set an example by pursuing a path of rectitude. “The Ganga cannot remain pure and sacred if the Gangotri itself is polluted, to quote Mr. A. B. Vajpayee.” He commented that Andhra Pradesh had some of the finest officers and employees if political leaders inspired them by example, the State could turn a new leaf in its history.”

Dr. JP wanted the Government to empower people without further delay through decentralization of powers, resources and personnel. In addition, the Government should make available a per capita grant of Rs.1000 to every panchayat and municipality/corporation since they alone are competent to identify and fulfill people’s compelling needs. “Citizens cannot be treated as mere vote banks. People’s participation between elections is the essence of democracy. Only when citizens are empowered and all governance institutions revolve around people can fulfill our potential”, Dr. JP asserted.

Referring to a proposal to collect a higher cess on liquor to partly fund ‘Arogyasri’, Dr. JP regretted that the Government was oblivious to the apparent contradiction. The Government was solely responsible for the impairment of livelihood and health of lakhs of people poor in that it encouraged unbridled liquor consumption to maximize State revenue. “As if to salve its conscience, it promotes ‘Agogyasri’ in the name of going to the rescue of the same poor people.” The Lok Satta would like the Government to abandon its policy of auctioning liquor shops to the highest bidder. A liquor dealer who obtains the liquor outlet license at astronomical cost will try to boost his sales by promoting belt shops. Instead, the Government itself should run a limited number of liquor shops as in Delhi with a view to curbing burgeoning liquor consumption. “Andhra Pradesh has the dubious distinction of being among the top liquor consuming States in the country.”

Lok Satta Party Launching 'Surajya' Movement

2008-03-17T11:54:00.000+05:30

The Lok Satta Party is spearheading a citizens' movement for Surajya beginning from Andhra Pradesh on March 23, 2008 (77th death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh).

Announcing this here today, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) said that while the Swaraj movement sought freedom from colonial rule, Surajya movement aims to free citizens from the chains of corrupt and distorted rule. While Swaraj movement achieved its objectives through non-violence and non-cooperation, Surajya movement will be based on the power of the vote.

Dr. JP said the Swaraj movement has yielded us self-governance and since independence, significant progress has undoubtedly been made across several fields. "However, the present political and governance culture has reduced this hard-earned Swaraj to Swaha-raj where public good has become merely incidental to the fulfillment of vested interests of a distorted political culture."

Dr. JP said that the nation today faced several critical challenges. They include:

Eliminating the pervasive and monumental corruption from our society and replacing the notoriously kleptocratic governance culture with a truly citizen-centric one
Establishing a political culture that is free from criminals and political dynasties
Ensuring equitable access to quality education, healthcare, and employment opportunities to every citizen irrespective of his or her position at birth
Eliminating societal discrimination based on caste and creed, and providing genuine opportunities for vertical growth to all sections of society
Ensuring true devolution of power to local governments, and empowerment of citizens
Ensuring access to speedy and affordable justice to all sections of society and restoring the rule of law

Dr. JP said: "There is a pressing need to build a credible, just, and equitable society that provides dignity, justice, and opportunities for all."

A number of renowned social activists, including Magasasy Award winners, are taking part in the Surajya movement. They include:

:: Anna Hazare
:: Ramesh Raamanathan (Janagraha)
:: Madhu Kishwar (Editor, Manushi)
:: Desikan (Catalyst Trust)
:: Sandeep Pandey
:: M. V. Devasahayam
:: T. N. Seshan
:: Shiv Khera
:: Julius Rebero
:: Arvind Khejriwal

Dr. JP Calls Upon the Brightest to Enter Politics

2008-03-14T11:25:00.000+05:30

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) has underlined the need for ensuring that the best of people enter politics since never before in India’s history the opportunities for resolving people’s problems are as many as they are today. “There are no problems, which are really intractable any longer, except old age and death, and perhaps taxes. In fact, most problems are amenable to simple, practical solutions, if only we leverage our strengths”.

Paraphrasing Charles Dickens, Dr. JP has said it is the best of times since we have the means and technology at our disposal to resolve people’s problems and it is the worst of times since we do not have many people who enter public office with competence, commitment, and integrity and with a passion for public service.

Addressing a gathering of software professionals and others on ‘Leadership in 21st Century India – Opportunities and Challenges’, Dr. JP today bemoaned that the conditions in India are so rotten that an eminent person like Dr. Manmohan Singh, roundly defeated in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, had to go to distant Assam to become a Member of the Rajya Sabha by a false declaration of residence.

Dr. JP said: “We, as a society, have enormous strengths. But as a society, building, nurturing, and developing leadership is certainly not one of them”.

Dr. JP said large sections of people feel that everybody in government -- politicians, bureaucrats, judges -- is a scoundrel -- and generalize that all rotten people in the country go into politics and all good people stay back. “Shunning politics and public office with such notions is, however, unwarranted and irrational. There are some very fine people in government just as there are very fine people in other walks of life. It is, therefore, absurd to conclude that scoundrels enter government and saints stay away”.

“Politics is perhaps the noblest of all endeavors because it is about reconciling the limited resources with unlimited wants, and reconciling seemingly irreconcilable conflicts among various groups in society, particularly in a very diverse and complex society. Without governments many things that are vital cannot be done.

“But unfortunately, politics has become the playfield of people who do not deserve to be there. Some are there because of their pedigree while many are there because of their money power or caste or muscle power. Strange circumstances catapult some others into high office.
“Such leaders rule the roost not because Indian people are stupid or irrational but because the problem is systemic. In the past 25 or 30 years, we have created disincentives for the right kind of people, and huge incentives for the wrong kind people, to enter politics”.

Dr. JP pointed out that there are answers to most problems. “Leadership is about identifying those answers, leveraging our strengths, and dramatically transforming the situation in the shortest possible time”. Dr. JP added that great changes in history all over the world had been wrought only when middle classes, the elite and the media joined hands, built appropriate platforms and launched concerted movements. “Do not expect the masses to be at the forefront of historical changes.”
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Dr. JP specifically dwelt on certain sectors, which call for transformational leadership.

Electoral system: While most of the countries, including Britain, are giving up “first-past-the-post” electoral system, we stick to it validating Macaulay’s observation, “Indians are the last living Englishmen”. It is time we switched to proportional representation.

Healthcare: We have one of the most disgraceful systems where public health expenditure is 17% and out of pocket expenditure, mostly by the poor, 83%. We rank with Cambodia, Burma, Afghanistan, and the Republic of Georgia all of which are at the nadir. We can introduce National Health Service as in Britain to provide access to quality health care to every citizen. In China, doctors in hospitals are paid their salaries from a county-level health fund. The people have the choice of going to any one of the 20 or 30 hospitals in the county. You have to attract patients and provide services to earn your salary. Money follows the patient.

Education: The failure of higher education has now hurt school education very badly. We have people with degrees like B.Ed’s and M.Ed’s but they cannot teach. Although we have one or two per cent of degree holders who are a match to the best in the world, the average university degree holder does not hold a candle to an average graduate in most of the civilized countries. We allowed this decline because of lack of leadership. We choose vice-chancellors based on their caste or region.

Dr. JP concluded by saying that we have to build incentives and institutions to change people’s attitudes. “Leadership is about creating institutions, identifying solutions institutionally and finding those things that work in the circumstances in which we are placed. We are not doing too badly despite all these impediments. But we can do much more.”

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Why there is a demand for criminals

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today there is a market demand for criminals in our society because justice is so inaccessible. "People have to create criminals to get rough and ready justice through devious means. Or else, they have to swallow injustice and suffer silently".

Addressing a gathering of IT professionals, Dr. JP said, "Criminals are legitimized and seen as Robin hoods by many because they render privatized justice. For a price, of course. And from there, they graduate into politics."

Dr. JP said: "Our judiciary is in shambles. We are all being very polite, partly because we do not want to destroy the one remaining institution with some semblance of authority and credibility and partly because we are afraid of the contempt of court law. But the reality is, the judiciary is as appalling as other institutions of the State".

Dr. JP said: "Nobody in India dares to go to a court of law unless one wants to stall some decision by way of a stay order or to harass someone. If you have the misfortune of going to a civil court and if you have the good fortune of getting a verdict delivered during your lifetime, you must be lucky, goes the folklore in Andhra Pradesh. If you lose the case, you lament in public and if you win the case, you cry in private. It is a tragedy for both."

Dr. JP said that building a quality justice system, accessible to ordinary people costs Rs.500 to 600 crore a year. "Such a system is necessary for small cases because it fosters a culture of law, a rule of law".

The three unwholesome traits

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan in his address to IT professionals dwelt on three peculiar traits of Indians, which need to be corrected. The first is that we have no sense of equality. We accept inequality by birth as a natural condition of human life. There is no moral outrage at this inequality. It is not an issue of morality. We cannot live in a modern democracy, in a market society, without respecting labor, and human beings for what they are.

The second is lack of trust. Trust is required in dealing with people and across groups. It is there inn a caste or religious group. In a profession, it is there as a trade union. But across groups, it breaks down. We cannot afford that because it ultimately undermines all of us. We require leadership to build bridges and institutions for trust.

Finally, we lack a sense of common fate. Nothing can be better illustrated than by our practice of keeping our homes clean and dumping the rubbish on the road. What you give comes back. There is no choice and that is why we have spotlessly clean homes and filthy streets. We fail to recognize that injustice anywhere will affect us in some form or the other everywhere. There is no escape from that.

Dr. JP Meets his Orkut Friends

2008-03-09T10:47:00.000+05:30

Orkut is a social networking site popular amongst youth in India. Youth discovered it is a great way of being connected. One can find long lost friends, stay connected with current friends, and make new friends. One can create communities of their own on any topic of their liking or join existing ones.

Many communities have been created by earnest Orkutters on political topics. The communities have become hotbeds for emerging trends in political thought amongst Indian youth. Youth discuss here wide-ranging political ideas and thoughts. Youth discuss the state of the existing political culture and the need for a change and how we can bring about the change. They discuss the pressing need to combat the menace of corruption in our governance and politics.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Lok Satta Party are popular among young Orkutters. There are more than 110 communities in Orkut dedicated to Lok Satta Party and Dr. JP. Thousands of youth are members of these communities.

They drum up support for Lok Satta Party and discuss the importance of ensuring to all equal opportunities for growth and ending any discrimination based on birth. They discuss the novel measures introduced by Lok Satta Party that stand testimonial to the party’s commitment to transparency and democracy. Many earnest, erudite youth desiring change participate in these discussions. They have been advocating the need for a New Political Culture in the cyber world.

LSP provided the virtual world Lok Satta Party activists a chance to get involved in the activities of LSP in real.

Dr. JP met his Orkut friends at the party head office at 1:30 pm on Sunday, 9th March and had an interaction with them. There was a lively discussion on the current political scenario in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. JP emphasized the need for youth to take an active part in politics. The youth expressed their support to Lok Satta Party and wished to participate in its activities.

The active members of the party then guided them on how they can get involved in the activities of LSP in their locality.

The meet concluded with the youth taking a pledge for a corruption-free, developed India.

Short-Term Sops Won’t Resolve Farm Sector Crisis: Dr. JP

2008-02-29T17:48:00.000+05:30

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today pointed out that bank loan waiver for small and marginal farmers and one-time settlement for other farmers will provide only temporal relief to a small section of farmers. An overwhelming majority of farmers are outside the institutional framework and borrow from private moneylenders. The waiver is also iniquitous in that it rewards only defaulters and lets down borrowers who have repaid their loans.

Reacting to the Union budget, Dr. JP recalled that farmers continue to commit suicide although Governments have written off farmers’ loans off and on. Instead, the Government could have constituted a Rs.100,000-crore agricultural fund to resolve farmers’ problems once and for all by taking steps for increasing productivity and ensuring remunerative prices. “We need to ensure credit to every farmer, small trader and labourer, improve marketing infrastructure, provide direct access to consumer, and add value to agricultural produce. A one-time loan waiver will temporarily improve banks’ balance sheets, but the plight of farmers and rural poor will remain unchanged. There is a real danger of rural credit system getting paralysed as it happened in 1990s. The loan waiver, decided upon with an eye on elections, provides temporary relief for a microscopic section of farmers at the cost of long-term gains.”

Dr. JP said that the central allocations to both education and health constitute 0.7% and 0.3% of the GDP in a country with a billion-plus population. Promotion of corporate hospitals and private educational institutions will not scratch even the surface of the crisis in the education and health sectors. The Government ought to have made free and quality education and healthcare as the fundamental rights of the people. Although many small schemes have been announced to benefit women, minorities and disadvantaged sections, the allocations are meager. Instead of squandering away precious resources on hundreds of schemes that have potential for large-scale leakages, the Government could have come up with a single social welfare scheme to make a direct attack on poverty.

Dr. JP, however, welcomed the raising of income tax exemption limits and reshuffling of the tax slabs. This will pass more money into the pockets of middle classes and salaried employees. The Government should also be complimented for meeting fiscal management targets.

However, there are signs of growth slackening in recent months. Infrastructure bottlenecks remain, and our cities are getting paralysed. An all-out effort is needed to improve roads, coal and power sectors and urban infrastructure. A massive effort to provide education of good quality for 12 years to all children, and free and quality healthcare to all are vital to enhance productivity, sustain growth and reduce poverty. Rule of law and elimination of corruption are vital for high growth. None of these problems has been seriously addressed in the budget. Dr. JP appealed to all sections to find ways of confronting these growing challenges before economic growth slackens and the promise of a bright future gives way to despair.

India Faces Threat of Falling Apart If Issues are Not Addressed: Dr. JP

2008-02-24T16:45:00.000+05:30

India faces the threat of balkanization unless systemic changes are carried out to provide political space to every group, said Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today. “Mere protestations of ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’, without addressing the basic fissures, will not rescue India from falling apart”, he added.

Addressing a “One India – One People” forum organized by the Lok Satta Party in the context of attacks against non-Marathis in Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra, Dr. JP pointed that political India has already been decimated since national parties, elbowed out of most of the States, are forced to join hands with regional parties. The first-past-the-post electoral system enables parties based on region and religion, language and caste to whip up narrow sentiments and ride to power. The so-called national verdict is nothing but an aggregation of State verdicts. Widespread illiteracy and universal adult franchise are an explosive combination ,which narrow-minded parties are shrewdly exploiting.

Dr. JP identified caste-based reservations as another issue that is tearing part the country. Instead of dissipating the anger of neglected sections through innovative solutions, political parties merely stoked the flames in pursuance of their vote bank politics. He feared the break-out of a conflagration in the hinterland of New Delhi where Gujjars and Meenas are fighting each other over reservations.

Dr. JP clarified that reservations are indeed necessary for sections neglected for centuries as an interim measure. They, however, do not provide a permanent solution. That, however, does not mean that the son of a Collector or the daughter of a Minister too should enjoy reservations simply based on their caste. A solution lies in ensuring that every one born in this country irrespective of his caste or religion has a right to free and quality education for 12 years and every one, willing and eligible, is enabled to purse higher education at Government cost.

The economically backward, who are not eligible for reservations in jobs and education can be given a weightage of say 10 per cent marks in the qualifying examinations considering their income and rural upbringing. Politicians, instead of forging such win-win situations, are deliberately and crudely provoking anger and hatred among sections of people.

On the recent developments in Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal where some politicians have tried to fan parochial feelings, Dr. JP said that the sons of the soil thesis should be dismissed categorically if India were to remain one. The right of every Indian citizen to pursue education or employment or business or profession or simply anywhere in the country is non-negotiable. Every Indian should condemn parochial tendencies, recalling Martin Luther King’s quote, “The silence of good men is more dangerous than the brutality of bad men”.

No Attempt to Arrest Leakages: Dr. JP on Budget

2008-02-22T16:28:00.002+05:30

Hyderabad, Feb.15 - Mrs. D. Saroja, Mahila Satta Secretary, pointed out in a statement that liquor sales would shoot up to Rs.25000 crore in the coming financial year, if the Budget presented to the State Legislature is any indication. The Budget provided for an increase in excise revenue by Rs.866 crore during 2008-09. The Government would be earning Rs.11000 crore by way of excise and sales tax on liquor sales against Rs.8000 crore now.

Dr. JP said today that mere allocation of funds without a radical restructuring of systems was a futile exercise. There has been no substantial decline in poverty over the past two decades despite huge budgetary allocations. On the contrary, there has been an increase in the incidence of distress among vulnerable sections of the population.

Referring to the proposal to supply rice at Rs.2 a kg, he pointed out that going by the number of white cards already issued, the number of the poor exceeded the State’s population. On top of it, the Government now proposed to issue more and more white cards. On construction of houses for the poor, Dr. JP said the scheme was commendable but the Government turned a Nelson’s eye to the huge irregularities. Everybody knew about corruption in the execution of irrigation schemes but there was no word in the budget about curbing it.

Dr. JP said that the budget “does not address critical problems in education and health care or in tackling unemployment or making agriculture remunerative. For instance, Borabanda locality in Hyderabad with a population of over 10000 does not have a single Government school as a result of which even the poor are forced to send their children to costly private schools. Reposing its faith in ‘Aarogyasri’, which caters to a miniscule of people needing surgeries, the Government continues to neglect the public health sector. The Government fails to address the problem of the unemployed. Even if all the special economic zones materialize, they provide jobs only to less than 3 lakhs of people whereas there are 15 lakhs of educated unemployed. There is no attempt at making them employable by imparting the requisite skills or making farming remunerative with provision of credit, extension work and value addition. The so-called debt relief benefited only one-third of the farming community covered by official channels of credit while the remainder, dependent on private moneylenders, are pushed deeper into debt.

Dr. JP said that extension of quality education and health care free of cost to one and all, imparting of skills to the jobless and ensuring higher incomes to farmers alone will eradicate poverty.

Dr. JP complimented Finance Minister K. Rosaiah for abiding by the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act targets and for extending scholarships and fee reimbursement to all backward class students on par with those of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

However, the huge debt burden of the State exceeding over Rs.100,000 crore exposed a serious structural problem. Most of the revenue the State realized on sale of Government lands and liquor went towards the repayment of loans along with interest.

Dr. JP Calls for Greater Participation of Women in Politics

2008-02-02T11:47:00.000+05:30

Women should look at politics as a means of achieving self-respect and self-reliance for themselves as well as the people at large said Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan. He spoke at the self-employment training programme organized by Mahila Satta, the women wing of Lok Satta Party at the party State office. Representatives from Mahoobnagar Ideal Women’s Association provided training to women in making chocolate, surf, pain balm, liquid soap, shampoo. The women who acquired training will in turn train other women in their localities.

He said women should not get disheartened with the immediate problems they grapple with, but step forward with confidence and take an active part in politics. He said moving away of women from politics because it has got corrupt and criminalized will only aggravate the problem.

Dr. JP explained the women present the importance of their participation in local governance proposed by Lok Satta Party at the ward and district levels. He said women have developed an aversion to politics because bandhs, rastarokos, slander, and fighting have become an indispensable part of the prevailing political culture. He said the life of the common man will deteriorate further if the political culture remains the same. He said Lok Satta Party came into being to usher in a New Political Culture.

He said instead of becoming a private affair of a few as with other political parties, provisions have been made to enable genuine people’s participation in Lok Satta Party. He said LSP is built to be the property of the people and steps are taken to not cause any inconvenience to people during party events and maintain dignity even while criticizing someone. He said in a democracy the common man is king. He said empowering local governments and providing quality education, effective healthcare, and employment opportunities to all constitute the main agenda of LSP.

He said Lok Satta Party has reserved space for women in the organizational structure and party tickets like no other party has. He exhorted women to utilize this opportunity. He said greater women’s participation will expedite the process of ushering in the New Political culture.

He said setting up division-level governments to take governance to the door step of citizens ranks high on the agenda of Lok Satta Party for the coming GHMC elections and greater women’s participation in local governance will ensure 100% results. He exhorted the women who undertook training to in turn train women in their localities and help them stand on their own feet.

Mahila Satta State general secretary, Ms. D. Saroja, treasurer Ms. D. Manorama and Dr. Shoib, Mrs. K. Geetamurthy, Ms. Rama Devi, Ms. Subhashini, Ms. Gajanani, Ms. Umabala, Mudhosid, and Ms. Fatima have participated in the programme.

Competitive Populism Only Perpetuates Poverty: Dr. JP

2008-01-25T14:40:00.000+05:30

In their unabashed quest to get into power at any cost, traditional political parties are indulging in competitive populism, charged Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today.
Pretending to be benefactors, politicians treated people as mendicants and doled out sops and handouts as if they owned the money. Unfortunately, Governments and the media conveniently glossed over the fact that politicians lorded over money collected from people themselves. They remained silent even as politicians exploited people's poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.

Dr. JP said that that no one would dispute that the State should protect the poor and the dispossessed in an underdeveloped country like ours. But it should not be at the cost of the Government's fundamental and primary duty of eliminating poverty and enabling people to stand on their own feet with dignity. "But in India politicians have developed a vested interest in perpetuating poverty and lost sight of the country's future".

Dr. JP was reacting to the sops being showered on people by both the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party with an eye on the elections to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha in the near future. If one party promises loans at 'pavala vaddi', the other rivals it with '10 paise vaddi'. If one offers to write off interest, the other promises to write off loans plus interest. If one promises subsidies on a product or service, the other offers to provide it free of cost. If one arranges free marriages, the other offers a golden 'tali'.

"What the nation needs today is a comprehensive social security scheme and not piecemeal and ad hoc relief".

Dr. JP said "doles and handouts will not mitigate the suffering of the poor or enable them to live with dignity unless Governments address people's basic problems". The Lok Satta Party, he said, firmly believes that people can live with dignity and partake in wealth creation only when all forms of discrimination based on birth are eradicated.

It is possible when:
:: Quality education is made free and accessible to all
:: Free and comprehensive healthcare is guaranteed to all
:: Youth are empowered to participate in wealth creation through acquisition
of skills.
:: Incomes of people in traditional occupations like farming and weaving are enhanced

Dr. JP said it was a shame that a visiting British Prime Minister has to remind the Indian Prime Minister on the importance of universal and free primary education. "It is time that the politics of competitive populism and plunder gave way to politics of promoting human dignity." There should be a national debate on the appropriate anti-poverty schemes and the methods of their implementation.

Dr. JP pointed out how inefficiencies and corruption prevented even targeted people from availing of Government sops. For instance, the people covered by white cards in Andhra Pradesh exceeded the State's population. According to the Planning Commission and the National Sample Survey, only 16 per cent of people in Andhra Pradesh with a population of 80 million are below the poverty line. But Andhra Pradesh has more than 18 million families with white cards, accounting for a population of more than 80 million, assuming that each family has four and half members. "Yet, we hear that thousands of genuinely poor do not have white cards. Similarly, we hear pensions meant for widows, the aged and the handicapped as also houses under the INDIRAMMA scheme are cornered by the rich."

Even when the schemes reach deserving families, there is corruption every step of the way. Typically, Rs. 3000 is the bribe demanded for releasing money under housing programme for the poor. As Mr. Rajiv Gandhi once said, only 16 paisa is reaching the people on every rupee spent.

Dr JP called for a national debate on education and healthcare for all, and on ways of eradicating poverty and helping people stand on their own feet with dignity. "Political parties must shed self serving hypocricy and cynicism, and treat people as soverigns and citizens with self respect, not as vote banks and mendicants".

Reply to questions on blogs

2008-01-17T10:24:00.000+05:30

Please leave your mail IDs while posting a comment so that we can send you the response.

You can also write in your queries to info@loksattaparty.com.

Amarendra Reddy Sagila
(Research and Advocacy - Lok Satta Party)

Comment on LSP's Position on Weightage and Dr. JP's Reply

2008-01-03T16:15:00.000+05:30

Dear JP,

I appreciate your concern for the rural poor, and thank you for bringup some ideas (either good or bad).

I loathe YSR's true intentions of granting 4% reservation to muslims, and kcr braggings of 12% reservations to muslims. I absolutely agree with you that tinkering the reservation system for political gains trigger "kula kurukshetra" without a scientific study.

I see your commitment of adding 100 marks on a 1000 marks scale is hypocritical. You on one hand calls for a scientific study and on the other hand brings a random figure of 100 without any scientific study. Without stopping at that You are also suggesting the 100 marks idea as a panacea (gaurantees justice to all communities).

I see the other way. This 100 marks idea, further degrades/dilutes the amount of talent available in the country. Ambedkar has good intentions about the reservations, but failed to see in the long run it not good for any community (even to those who enjoy the reservations).

I think your idea is not a better one than Dr Ambedkar has envisioned.I think we have to address the issue at the cause not at the outcome. If rural poor is not getting good grades due to insufficient money provide them with scholarships. If the rural poor do not have access to the schools expand the education system and provide the access to schools. If the rural poor do not have good teachers recruit good teachers. If the teachers in rural area are not working well, then think of the ways how to make them accountable and think of ways to how to create competition among the schools, expand the private education system and create competing system that try to attract its customers (students).

I think 100 marks idea brings identical results of the ambedkar idea.Sincerely,Venkateswara Chowdary Penumuchu.

Sincerely,
Venkateswara Chowdary Penumuchu.

Dr. JP's Reply

Dear Sri Venkateswara Chowdary garu,

Thank you for the email. I agree with you on the need for quality education; but I disagree on the merits of a Weightage system as opposed to quotas.

1. Lok Satta Party is strongly and irrevocably committed to quality education upto 12th grade to all children, and higher education to all deserving students irrespective of means. Ultimately that is the solution to backwardness.

2. In the interim, there is a problem we need to address. Among groups included in affirmative action, only the better off are benefited. The result is caste wars: Gujjars vs Meenas; Malas vs Madigas etc. We need a policy framework to address this. A promise of eventual improvement of school education cannot put out these fires today. Equally, the rural and poor children from OCs are both angry and disillusioned. They need Weightage today.

3. Weightage, as opposed to quotas, encourages people to meet certain benchmarks. It is indeed hypocritical not to acknowledge that a rural or poor kid who may be brighter than a rich urban kid gets poor scores on account of poor schooling. And many such kids bloom later, if given a chance. They need both opportunity and hope. They cannot wait indefinitely in the hope that the next generation will have greater access to good schooling.

The 10% Weightage is arbitrary. Any number is bound to be arbitrary, and it needs to be decided on the basis of scientific surveys, and periodically revised. But Lok Satta is a political party; and in political communication you need tangible solutions for debate. The issue is not nitpicking on detail, but radically altering public and political attitudes on affirmative action.

With warm regards,

Jayaprakash Narayan
President

Reply to a Question on Dr. JP's comment about Modi Victory

2008-01-02T16:00:00.000+05:30

Dear Lok Satta,

Being a staunch supporter of Lok Satta, I am very disappointed and disheartened reading Dr JP's statement today in Eenadu Internet edition regarding the election results in Gujarat. It says that Dr JP said people voted Modi for his 'honest governance'(nijayithi paalana).

After the recent Tehelka's tapes, some evidence of Modi's involvement by commission or omission in 2002 genocide is out. Rapists and murderers are still out free even after their own confessions (actually boasting) in front of the camera. Let alone apologising, Modi actually stuck to his hard core Hindutva campaign and directly or indirectly supported the 2002 genocide.

Modi is not corrupted, Modi is very efficient, Modi has developed his state, Modi has got enormous public support, Modi was elected democratically with a great majority and SO WAS HITLER. Should I say further?

I would rather prefer my country being poor and corrupted rather than being a rich but lawless state divided by religion or caste.

Honest governance is not simply a governance without scams. It also means not denying justice to any person in the name of religion or caste. It also means rulers speaking the truth.

Is Lok Satta aiming for Modi's governance?
I hope and I know that it is not. I would be very grateful if it is made clear.

Yours Sincerely
Siva

Dr. JP's Reply

Dear Siva,

Thank you for the email. Lok Satta has no intention to support communal agenda. The 2007 Gujarat verdict bucking the usual anti-incumbency trend and several local adverse factors needs to be interpreted in a citizen-friendly manner.

There can be two possible inferences of the verdict. First, hardcore Hindutva has won again. Second, it is unrelated to religious sentiments, and people responded to better delivery of services and reduced corruption. Clearly, the latter interpretation is both accurate, and is more likely to encourage parties to improve performance rather than polarize people on caste and communal lines. Such an interpretation in no way lets a government off the hook elsewhere. It merely emphasizes the importance of delivery to gain public support. The net result is a shift from communal agenda to development agenda. Clearly, genuine democratic governance and rule of law involve dignity, opportunity and justice. Lok Satta aims at all these. In today’s India, all three are at a premium and Gujarat reflects that deficit. Happily, there is no trade off between development and justice, and both need to go together. That we value development does not mean we value justice any less. Nor does it mean that poor development guarantees justice. We have to strive for both. That is our goal.

With warm regards,

Jayaprakash Narayan

Aarogyasri: Lok Satta challenges Botsa for a debate

2007-12-26T13:11:00.000+05:30

The Lok Satta Party today charged the Government with enriching private and corporate hospitals by aggressively promoting “Rajiv Aarogyasri” and by quietly withdrawing from the health care sector in its bid to privatize it.

In a strong rejoinder to Housing Minister Botsa Satyanarayana taking exception to Lok Satta Party’s criticism of “Aarogyasri”, party spokesman Karthik Chandra challenged the Minister for a public debate. Of the 7600 surgeries performed under “Aarogyasri” until December 1, 2007, 95 per cent had been done in private and corporate hospitals and that three hospitals groups cornered the lion’s share of the insurance amounts.

Mr. Karthik Chandra said it was a matter of shame that the Government advertised the scheme as a boon to the poor by arranging for 7600 surgeries till now, ignoring the grim reality that every year six million people were sliding below the poverty line, most of them unable to pay for their medical care. “Aarogyasri” covers only a few rare ailments but not ailments like gastroenteritis, diarrhea, malaria, encephalitis and dengue and dog and snake bites that plague the common man most.

Mr. Karthik Chandra said “Aarogyasri” was nothing but “corporatesri” in that it was meant to benefit them and not the poor people.

"Is Government fuelling caste wars?" Asks Lok Satta

2007-12-20T12:45:00.000+05:30

Dr. JP Advocates 10% Weightage to Poor

Hyderabad, Dec. 20 - Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) today came down heavily on the Andhra Pradesh Government's "insincere and cynical" decision to constitute a commission to go into the inclusion of Kapus and 17 other castes among backward castes.

Addressing a media conference, Dr. JP said "the manipulative decision is meant to drive a wedge between Kapus and other backward castes to derive short-term political gains."

There is indeed backwardness and deprivation among Kapus and for long they have demanded that they be included among backward castes. But the timing and manner of the decision makes it amply clear that the Government is motivated not by a genuine desire to help those suffering from deprivation and discrimination, it has all of a sudden resurrected the long ignored demand apparently in the light of the changing political firmament in Andhra Pradesh.

The decision will merely spark another 'kula kurusketra' (caste war of epic proportion) like the ones between Malas and Madigas in Andhra Pradesh and Gujjars and Meenas in Rajasthan.

Need for scientific study

Dr. JP said that several disadvantaged communities have genuine grievances about their non-inclusion in reservations, or wrong classification of BCs, SCs or STs. He demanded that all such communities should be carefully considered and included among categories eligible for various reservations only after a scientific, independent, objective and credible analysis of their economic, social, cultural and anthropological background. Without such a study, the Mandal Commission had included Kamma, Reddy and Telaga castes among other backward castes. Any unscientific effort will merely trigger irresistible demands for inclusion of every community as in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

But pending a scientific study, the Lok Satta Party believes, that justice can be rendered by awarding 10 per cent weightage in marks to children from poor families and with rural background irrespective of their community in both admissions to educational institutions and Government jobs. If a qualifying exam has total marks of 1000, children from poor and rural backgrounds shall be added 100 marks to their score. Then they too will be in a position to compete with their wealthy, urban counterparts.

"The Lok Satta Party is irrevocably committed to such a weightage in all competitive examinations for higher education including in MBBS, engineering and other professional courses and for Government jobs for all poor and rural children. Dr. JP said such a formula will once and for all guarantee justice to all communities and ensure that the Government does not exceed the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations mandated by the Supreme Court". Existing reservations can thus be continued that yet justice can be done to all deserving, underprivileged children irrespective of caste.

Free quality education to all

Dr. JP demanded that the Government provide at its cost quality education in English medium up to the 12th class to all children and higher education to all deserving and desirous students irrespective of their means. "The Lok Satta Party has, therefore, made quality school education to all children and free higher education to deserving students of all castes the centerpiece of its political and social agenda. Eventually caste should be abolished over a generation and our children should grow up with their heads held high, untainted by caste and parochialism, Only then will the dream of Dr. Ambedkar be realized".

At present only seven per cent of all children pursue higher education while 93 per cent do not go to school or pursue higher education. Even the seven per cent in the 11-14 age group that attend school are victims of poor quality education. Thirty per cent of them cannot read a single passage in any language while 70 per cent cannot answer even a simple arithmetic problem like division.

Dr. JP also called for the establishment of schools and hostels and provision of scholarships to children of EBCs (economically backward castes). Government apathy towards education of SC and ST children was evident from its failure to spend Rs.342 crore, as pointed out by CAG in its latest report.

Lok Satta's "Grama Nyayalaya" Initiative Gets the Cabinet Nod

2007-12-14T13:58:00.000+05:30

After a stiff resistance within the government, the cabinet finally approved the "Grama Nyayalaya" bill after seven long years.

Lok Satta, pioneer of political and governance reforms in the country had spearheaded this cause and submitted a report with the aforesaid "Grama Nyayala" initiative to "The National Advisory Council" 2003 in order to facilitate speedy justice at the grass root levels in the country.

According to Dr Jayaprakash Narayan, "it definitely is a satisfying moment not only for us but also for the cause of democracy and rule of law.

Commenting further, he stated "It is the most important step towards implementation of speedy justice. We at Loksatta movement had been fighting for this since its inception. Loksatta party painstakingly drafted this bill and pursued it at every level right from the beginning" he added.

He further stated" There is a market to demand for criminals to provide rough and ready justice through brutal means. This lead to criminalization of the society and politics as well. Without rule of law, due process and speady justice, democracy becomes illusory to the bulk of the people.

"Once this bill is implemented, it will be a great step towards a more efficient and accessible justice system. But for local justice to be effective, the police must be reformed. The crime investigation process should be made independent of partisan politics and at the same time made accountable", he said.

He further emphasised that "These local courts should conduct trials in local language and there is a dire need for "mobile courts" where in the courts will go to the location or crime or dispute and record evidence. This will substancially eliminate perjury. These courts would be an integral part of the independent justice sytem with a provision for appearance of lawyers to represent the clients"

Dr JP summed up by saying "A free society cannot exist without accessible systems of justice. Indian judiciary and legal profession have set high standards of excellence. But the bulk of the people are beyond the pale of our justice system. We need to restore public confidence in our legal system, and ensure peace, order and harmony in society. Many reforms are required to provide speedy, accessible and efficient justice. One simple, low-cost, effective, painless solution is the institution of local courts following summary procedures. This measure is not sufficient to address the monumental crisis facing our judiciary, but is a necessary first step in that direction".

If local courts are appointed at the rate of one per 50,000 in rural areas, and one per 1,00,000 in urban areas, we will have about 15,000 new mobile magistrates accessible to people at the local level, providing justice at the door-step, following simple, easy and citizen-friendly procedures, and ensuring all these at a very low cost, which can be recovered in multiples by imposition of even a small court fee. The presence of lawyers, effective mechanisms for monitoring and accountability, and provision for appeal, guarantee fairness in the process and real justice to the poor. The whole Local Courts system will be an integral part of the independent judiciary, and fully controlled by the judiciary. This ensures strict separation of powers as envisaged in the Constitution, and effective supervision and control by the judiciary.

Rescue Gulf Workers, Pleads Dr. JP

2007-12-01T16:53:00.000+05:30

Lok Satta Party’s National Coordinator Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) today asked the State Government to go to the rescue of Nizamabad district workers who had reportedly been sentenced to death or various terms of jail. The State Government, through the Indian Embassy in the UAE, should provide legal assistance and enable the sentenced to go in appeal.

Dr. JP said the incident once again highlighted the troubles the illiterate and gullible migrant workers faced because of the unscrupulous methods employed by brokers with political backing. Those who had returned on their own or with Government assistance are facing extreme hardship and some of them have reportedly ended their lives.

Dr. JP said the Government should immediately arrange to bring back Telugu-speaking people who are without proper job visas by sea route, if necessary. The Government should declare a three-year moratorium on their debts and provide them employment skills.

The Government of India, he said, should take up with the International Labor Organization the grievance of Indian workers that they were being thrown out of Gulf countries without being paid wages for the days they had worked. Simultaneously, the State Government should take stringent action against brokers with political backing who were taking innocent people for a ride.

Media and People Power

2007-11-23T16:54:00.001+05:30

We, Indians are among the truly privileged people enjoying all liberties including freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution. The pleasure of being able to write or say what you please, subject to laws of libel and reasonable restrictions imposed to protect the larger public interest, is indeed a rare one even in the post-war world. Not too long ago thousands were jailed in East Europe for merely saying what they believed in, or worse still for speaking the truth. Even today, the citizens of the world's most populous nation have no right to freedom of speech and expression. Sometimes it is clear that we take our blessings for granted, and do not have adequate appreciation of liberty.

Over the past 60 years after independence, the three constitutional organs of state have fallen far short of our hopes and expectations. Legislatures have become battle fields, and no serious public policy is evolved, nor accountability of the executive enforced by our elected representatives. Most legislators are content to be disguised executive, seeking and obtaining state patronage, privilege and pelf. A vicious cycle of unaccounted money power, illegitimate election expenditure, polling irregularities, abuse of public office, corruption and perpetuation of feudal oligarchies is operating, making citizens somewhat helpless. Executive office has become a private estate, and legal plunder has become the norm. Both the elected executive, and appointed public servants have become the modern-day monarchs, and the notion of public service is all but forgotten. Honesty and survival in elective public office are increasingly incompatible. The judiciary has become very much a part of the problem. Law's delay and the breakdown of rule of law have nudged our society into near anarchy. With 25 million cases pending in courts, many of them for several years and decades, a well-developed market has developed for criminals and musclemen to provide rough and ready justice.

In the face of the colossal failure of the three constitutional organs of state, the citizen is reduced to a state of abject helplessness. Cynicism and despair have become all too pervasive; very often in far greater proportion than the situation warrants. Many of our travails are but an inevitable part of the maturing process of an emerging democracy. However, as our democratic evolution coincides with the age of technology, instant communication and rapid transformation, there is a revolution of rising expectations. As reality is well-short of expectation, there is perpetual disappointment and frustration, further worsening the already complicated situation.

Thanks to free press, India remained a democracy against all odds. In this complex environment, the one institution which nurtured, sustained and strengthened our democracy is the press. The role of media during freedom struggle and after independence has been an extraordinary and inspiring saga. Gandhiji and his colleagues always relied on the print media to propagate their message, and inspired the educated middle classes to form the bulwark of the freedom struggle. Once the message was spread, and a solid phalanx of middle classes was formed to lead the movement, mobilizing the masses for freedom was relatively easy. After independence, the early excitement and enthusiasm abated, and as institutions of state became moribund and dysfunctional, the media played an extraordinary role, with few parallels in the world. It is this fierce independence, unflinching courage and undiminished idealism exhibited by the press which broadened and deepened our democracy.

The greatest moment for the media was during the epochal period of the 70's, marked by people's movement against corruption and mis-governance, increasing state oppression culminating in suppression of liberty in the name of emergency, and the eventual resurgence of freedom with the glorious verdict of 1977 unseating the establishment and restoring the lost freedoms to people. Rarely have the people spoken so unequivocally and courageously, conquering fear and prejudice, breaking traditional barriers and resisting inducements. At a time when the electronic media were completely state controlled, the role print media played in safeguarding democracy and restoring liberty was an outstanding one. There are many less dramatic, but equally potent illustrations of the media's heroic role in confronting the establishment, humbling the mighty, defending the citizen, and acting as the sentinel of freedom. The quality, courage, catholicity, and concern for human values exhibited by Indian media is second to none.

Post-emergency period saw a breathtaking expansion of the media. The 90's saw the rapid spread of electronic media, as the march of technology with the advent of satellite television made state control irrelevant. It is ironic that the state, which controlled all facets of electronic media for decades, is now a helpless bystander as the private channels became the authentic sources of news and views. It is also a sign of times that this is not a result of any deliberate policy or soul searching by the state, but a product of communications revolution which could not be blocked by the political class. This, more than any other event, presages the future of the media. For about 40 years after independence, the state was the dominant player in generating and propagating news, and in determining the fate of the media by its policies (newsprint), laws (emergency), control (electronic media), and patronage (advertisements). But now all that has changed. The dismantling of the license-permit-quota raj on the one hand, and the communications revolution disregarding national boundaries and state controls on the other, have created breathtaking opportunities for the media. The future role of the media is in their own hands, and is no longer dictated by external agencies.

That even in India, which still is home to the largest number of illiterates and the poor and malnourished on earth, there has been a breathtaking proliferation of mass media is evident. The facts speak for themselves: over 62,483 newspapers of all kinds, of which about 24,927 are in Hindi, over 18 crore combined circulation of newspapers and periodicals, over 800 films annually with unbelievable number of audiences, 120 million radio sets with 24.6% of (rural) population regularly listening, 79.4 million television sets (2001) with half the population of India regularly watching the terrestrial TV channels, over 267 million Indians with regular access to cable television, 21% of the population covered by FM radio, nearly 248 million telephones and rapidly expanding, over 209 million mobile phones, over 5 million personal computers and internet users projected to be 100 million by end of 2007….. the list is quite impressive. The last decade has seen a remarkable expansion of media and communications network and coverage. With literacy levels increasing rapidly over the past decade, and more and more people having disposable incomes after meeting the basic needs, media's reach and influence are only going to grow over the next decade and more.

Have this expansion and power of media been translated into greater public good? Is our democracy more mature now? Is there more informed public discourse on account of the media? Are media still a part of the solution as perceived for decades, or have they become a part of the problem? Are there signs of self-correction and growing public-spiritedness, or is there more decay and crass consumerism at the cost of rational discourse and public good? These are troubling questions which haunt all lovers of liberty and democracy. Obviously, when we are dealing with a vast country and innumerable newspapers and television channels, there cannot be any sweeping generalizations. There is much that is good and healthy, and there are parts which are perverse and sickening. But we can safely say that the bulk of the media today represents a moral force for the rejuvenation of republic and transformation of democracy. By its very nature, the press is an empowering, ennobling, invigorating and liberating force. In an open and competitive system the media act as moral instruments to hod those in authority in check, and promote public good. Healthy skepticism, irreverence of authority, a capacity for self-deprecation, fierce independence of spirit, moral outrage at egregious discrimination and injustice, and tolerance of heterodoxy and respect for diversity are the hallmarks of our media. These are also the vital ingredients of a democratic society. Happily, given our past, the maturing of our institutions, the power of the media, and the spirit of liberty pervading our people, there is no likelihood of our freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression, ever being extinguished again. There is no external threat to the media in future.

But there are certain danger signals emanating from within. A potent instrument of freedom is increasingly becoming a private tool for profit or perverse pleasure. Let us examine some of the less savoury aspects of the media today.

First, there is an ever-increasing obsession with power games. Politics, a noble endeavour to promote public good and happiness, has become a fiercely competitive exercise for personal aggrandizement and private gain. There is intense excitement in media's coverage of politics. Power games are analysed endlessly, and endless space is devoted not to issues which effect people's lives, but on who is winning and who is losing, who is rising and who is falling, who is teaming up with whom, and splitting from whom. This approach to politics as a spectator sport, often a bloody, no-holds barred fight to the finish, has severely undermined our democracy, and retarded its evolution. Politics has now become an alternative to medieval blood sports, appealing to the worst gambling instincts, completely divorced from the lives and well-being of citizens. While the nature of political recruitment and the compulsions of a flawed process of power are largely responsible for this decline, the media have contributed heavily to this unhappy state of affairs. As a result, we have only change of players on our political scene, but the rules of the game remain unchanged. This had bred enormous cynicism about our political process.

Second, in many cases the morbid curiosity in the game of power and the natural instinct for political voyeurism have progressed further. The media, instead of playing the role of an impartial, and critical umpire, have been sucked into the vortex of partisan politics, and started taking sides. These political preferences are often not based on ideologies and policies, but are an expression of personal bonds and mutual gain. Public interest has taken the back seat and truth has become the casualty. Diametrically opposite conclusions are drawn from similar facts by the same newspaper depending on the players involved. While invocation of Article 356 in one case is strongly justified in the backdrop of certain facts, such a course is stoutly resisted in another identical case because the players happen to be different! This playing of favourites, and twisting facts and logic to suit convenience, have distorted public discourse and made sections of the media very suspect in the eyes of the people. This undermining of the legitimacy of the media, and increasing suspicion that media groups have their own private agendas, have diminished their credibility and persuasive power, even as their reach and power are growing.

Third, media business is seen increasingly as any other profit-making business. Undoubtedly financial viability is the key to sustainability, and no paper can run for long if there are constant losses. However, while bottom-line has to be kept in mind, treating newspaper as a commodity like any other is a gross perversion of the freedom of expression. There are countless other business where you can peddle consumer products and make a tidy profit. By its very nature, newspaper cannot be a very profitable business. Printing and exhibiting whatever appeals to the lurid tastes and base impulse of the readers and viewers regardless of consequences to the society is nothing short of abdication of the sacred responsibility to promote rational and enlightened public discourse. This commodification is growing rapidly with corresponding decline in the obligations to the community.

Fourth, even when the intentions are honourable, there is decline in professionalism. The more competent and conscientious journalists are doing an outstanding job. But the bulk of the correspondents are both uninformed and casual about their profession. The rank incompetence and shoddiness have been repelling many discerning citizens. Journalism has become just another job in many cases. Worse still, in many cases, particularly in regional and local newspapers, the potential nuisance value of a correspondent has its own pecuniary rewards! The bonhomie with which powerful politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen deal with pressmen is converted as a source of patronage and private gain. These unhappy tendencies are blunting the moral sharpness of media, and reducing their efficacy as guardians of public interest. If these tendencies of corruption and degradation are not checked soon, there is a real danger of this vital institution too falling by the wayside.

Fifth, the power of the media is exercised by some of the media flippantly. Reckless hedonism and unchecked narcissism have become quite common in the name of giving the readers what they want. To cite one instance, several newspapers and television channels have treated an ageing star's birthday festivities are far more important than the centenary celebrations of Lok Nayak JP! This pandering to the whims of the glitterati, and treating the general public as a source of amusement and enrichment of the privileged few is both undemocratic in principle and immoral practice. Harmony can be preserved in an inequitous society only when the privileged exercise restraint and act with deep sense of responsibility. If the media ignore the plight of the poor and underprivileged, and indulge in theatrics and circuses as in Roman amphitheaters, the broad consensus in society for democracy can easily evaporate. Democracy is the art of elevating morally unacceptable status quo to a level of dynamic tension, and resolving potentially violent conflicts by social transformation. If hope and faith in the future are extinguished, and if a modern democracy is merely a cosmetic substitute to a feudal oligarchy, then ordinary people have no longer a stake in the preservation of democratic order. The media will ignore this at their own peril, because democracy and liberty are the basis of a free press.

Sixth, increasingly what is most noisy is regarded as news. Substance is ignored for style, and image is given precedence to reality. Decibel levels and not the weight of the issue, local arguments and not evidence, slogans and not rational logic are dominating our political and social scene. The media, in the mistaken notion that what is most strident is news, are inadvertently encouraging such tendencies. As Mark Twain said, often a hen which only laid an egg cackles as if she has laid an asteroid! If we confuse the egg for an asteroid because of the cackling, it does not speak highly of our judgment and discerning ability. A casual glance at the newspapers reveals this lack of judgment which is the luxury the lazy and incompetent enjoy. A noisy walk out in the legislature on a trumped up issue, feigned emotion for a self-serving cause, and dramatic pronouncements divorced from truth are given far too much visibility impairing rational discourse.

Finally, there is far too much cynicism and despair in our society. The press, instead of offering sensible and practical answers, is adding to these dark emotions and feelings. It cannot be anybody's case that things in India have deteriorated over the past 55 years. We are better off than ever before, and there is overwhelming evidence that things are improving steadily. However, there is increasing gulf between our potential and its fulfilment on the one hand, and expectation and reality on the other. There is moral indignation and justifiable anger an account of this increasing gap. Such anger is the moral force which can accelerate progress and improve the human condition. If, however a sense of balance is not preserved while condemning what is wrong, there is a danger of throwing the baby with the bath water. The only antidote to the ills of a democracy is more and better democracy. There are no knights in shining armour on white horses who can resolve our dilemmas. The media owe it to the country and themselves to promote a sense of optimism by focusing on a clear destination and showing a direction. Otherwise, there is a danger of media becoming a part of the problem, instead of being the solution.

Today our democracy is in a curious phase. For all appearances, we are a robust democracy with competitive elections, political freedoms, peaceful transfer of power and real authority vested in elected governments. But deeper analysis reveals several troubling features corroding our liberties, perpetuating inequities and discrimination by birth, sustaining self-serving oligarchies and political dynasties, and delegitimizing the political process. This prismatic political culture coexists with a rapidly growing economy and a self-confident entrepreneurial and professional class. But the fruits of growth are shared only by about 40% of the population, and the bulk of the people are not given the opportunity in wealth creation. Their potential remains unfulfilled and avoidable suffering continues unaddressed because the Indian political system never addressed the fundamental issues of equity and opportunity. Quality education accessible to every single child irrespective of circumstances of birth, reasonable healthcare free of cost to every citizen, productive skills to participate in wealth creation, and income enhancement in agricultural and rural sector are the four greatest challenges in today’s India. Only when we accomplish these goals will all Indians partake in the feast of economic growth and share the dreams of a great power fulfilling its destiny. Such a transformation is the function of politics.

True politics is a noble endeavour to reconcile conflicts in society and to fulfil the potential of every child. Our current political culture based on pelf, privilege, patronage, muscle power, dynastic succession, feudal fiefdoms, arbitrary use of power, private gain at public cost and perversion of the most elementary principles of democracy is at the root of the crisis of governance and perpetuating inequities in India. We need a new political culture based on genuinely democratic political parties, transparent funding, constitutional methods of mobilizing public opinion, rational debate, and genuine agenda to empower people and release their energies.

The only powerful instrument people have at their disposal in creating such new politics for a new generation of Indians is free and vibrant media. Our glorious tradition of free and fearless media gives us a great headstart in this endeavour. The young Indians constitute 73% of our population, and are hungry for change. The rapid spread of telecommunications offers us a great platform to communicate to the vast multitudes of India effectively and mobilize public opinion. Economic growth gives us the cushion to withstand the tremors of transformation. The people are ready for change, as their experience taught them that mere periodic elections and change of governments do not fulfil their aspirations. The media should play a critical role in this second freedom struggle, just as they played a vital role in galvanizing the middle classes in the national movement against the colonial power.

There is much that is wrong with our society and polity today. There is also much that we can be proud of. There is a lot more we can accomplish. Most of our problems are not intractable – we do not have to rediscover fire or reinvent the wheel. We are fortunate to line in an era of spectacular scientific progress and human advancement. Avoidable suffering can be prevented better than ever before, and human potential can be fulfilled in its fullest measure in today's world. Many pioneers, thinkers, scholars, activists and practitioners showed the way we can make life more glorious and society more harmonious. The media need to focus on these solutions. Mere description of what is wrong, if overdone, reduces us to being masochists. We need strong willed, optimistic, determined, sensible pursuit of those collective goals which make life worthy. The media, print and electronic, have done a lot to make life tolerable, to keep hope alive, and to sustain human spirit in the face of monumental problems our society has faced over the decades. A reasonable level of prosperity, human dignity, realistic opportunities for vertical mobility, and confidence in the fairness and justice of our political and social institutions are well within reach of all of us. Once lives and work in the next few decades will be judged by one single yardstick – have we fulfilled this promise? The media have a pivotal role in this gigantic, exhilarating and eventually rewarding task. The anticipation and excitement with which we wait for the morning newspapers, and the pleasure with which we tune in our favorite channel are testimonies to this great potential of the media in our society. There is every reason to hope, and believe that our media will play an even more glorious role in fulfilling our potential as a nation, and promoting human happiness.

Lok Satta Party pioneers intra-party democratic process in India (will conduct organizational elections by secret ballot)

2007-11-22T11:40:00.000+05:30

Lok Satta party is all set to create history on the Indian political scenario.

For the first time in India, a political party, i.e. Lok Satta party is organizing intra party organizational elections by secret ballot and preferential voting for over 50 divisions as per the constitutional norms laid down by the party.

Addressing the media at a press conference held today at the party head quarters, Dr Jayaprakash Narayan- National coordinator, said "The Party's Constitution reflects the values of internal democracy, total transparency, and member-control. Apart from the Party's agenda and vision, there are critical measures institutionalized in the party's structure and functioning, which make it the harbinger of 'new politics for the new generation", he added

Speaking on the subject of a new political culture, Dr JP Narayan elucidated," All Party candidates for organization office will be chosen by the members of the party through a secret ballot. There will be affirmative action policies to promote leadership of women, youth, backward classes and minorities and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Elucidating further on the internal electoral structure, he further said," Article XXI of Lok Satta Party constitution mandates the creation of an autonomous Electoral Authority to oversee all internal party elections in the precincts of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

The party spokesperson chipped in further and said" The Election Authority for the city of Hyderabad will have the flexibility to constitute lower level election authorities at the level of Division to assist in the conduct of the organizational elections.

Don't enter into MOUs on Rural Public Schools

2007-10-31T11:58:00.000+05:30

The Lok Satta Party today dubbed the State Government's scheme to promote Rural Public Residential Schools with private partnership as a populist scheme meant to benefit managements rather than rural students.

Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma, Lok Satta Party Secretary, in a statement asked the Government not to go ahead with the signing of MoUs with private managements but review the scheme.

Mr. Varma pointed out that that of the 31 lakh students in the 9000 odd high schools in the State, only 3.50 lakh students will get admissions in the 294 schools to be started at the rate of one per Assembly constituency. If the students admitted under management (25 per cent) and merit (25 per cent) quotas are excluded, only 1.75 lakh students or a mere four per cent of high school students benefit.

The Government was publicizing the scheme that benefits a paltry percentage of students with great gusto to gain political mileage. The proposed schools will not reform high school education. And the Government had totally ignored primary education in its bid to promote rural public residential schools. According to surveys made by Asar and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, primary education is in a parlous state with 62 per cent of students not able to write even the names of their teachers, 50 per cent their parents' names and 8 per cent their own names.

Mr. Varma demanded that 20 per cent of seats in primary and upper primary schools under private managements be reserved for the free education of poor students. He wanted Government schools to be strengthened on par with private schools.

The Lok Satta, if voted to power, will provide free and quality education to all irrespective of their caste or economic status.

Dr JP's Padayatra from 23rd October 2007

2007-10-20T13:27:00.000+05:30

Dr JP's Padayatra from 23rd October 2007

LSP demands closure of all liquor shops in localities where Dalits and poor people predominate

If women demand, even the licensed liquor shops should be closed

Interacting with media today, Lok Satta Party's Secretary Sri DVVS Verma stated that his party is moving forward to ensure ?liquor-free villages/towns. He stated that Lok Satta party will be adopting a multi-pronged strategy to combat the menace of liquor problem. In this direction, the Party's National Coordinator, Dr Jayaprakash Narayan will be leading a Padayatra on 23rd October 2007 from Peddagotipadu in Guntur district. The three-day Padayatra will conclude on 25th October 2007 evening in Guntur with a public meeting.

Sri DVVS Verma pointed out that over 200 Dalit women in Peddagotipadu have resorted to indefinite hunger strike against the presence of a licensed liquor shop in their village and one of them even attempted to commit suicide. In spite of District Collector's report to Excise Commissioner to relocate the licensed liquor shop, no action has been taken thus far. DVVS Verma stated that the Padayatra, based on principles of Satayagraha, is being carried out to demonstrate Lok Satta Party's complete support to the legitimate demands of the Dalit women in Peddagotipadu. Mr. Verma demanded closure of the licensed shop in all in localities where Dalits and poor people predominate.

Apart from immediate closure of belt-shops, Mr Verma demanded that if large numbers of women in a locality demand the closure of licensed liquor shops, then their demands should be heeded. He also demanded that all political parties should take a vow in front of people stating that they will not distribute liquor during elections.

Mr Verma also stated that LSP is aiming to ensure a few pre-selected mandals as liquor free mandals. He stated his party will be using multiple means such as Padayatra's, citizen's arrest under Section 43 of CRPC and other constitutional means to give impetus to the on-going liquor control agitation.

Speaking on the occasion Mahila Satta State Convener D. Lakshmi, stated that they are operationalisng liquor control committees in various villages to ensure that closed belt shops are not re-opened. She called on various civil society organizations and media to join hands in this noble endeavor to find a lasting solution to the liquor problem in the state.

Lok Satta Party's spokesperson Y. Ramadevi referred to the recent incident where a mother killed her drunkard son in Namligonda village in Warangal district. She pointed out that such tragic incidents could have been avoided had the successive governments taken a proactive stand on removing the belt shops in the state.

On this occasion, Mahila Satta State convener D. Lakshmi, and Lok Satta Party's spokesperson Y. Ramadevi unveiled posters for Padayatra.