[sacw] Sabrang Alert on UP (8/8/99)

[Harsh Kapoor]

September 9, 1999
FYI
(South Asia Citizens Web)
------------------------------
Uttar Pradesh - Sabrang Alert

September 8, 1999

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY IN UTTAR PRADESH

TIPS:

The campaign strategy in Uttar Pradesh, should while focussing on issues
like the Kargil goof-up and the Telecom and sugar scams, also focus on the
performance of the two year-old Kalyan Singh government.

It is a sorry and pathetic tale. A tale of an ideological sell-out to the
soul of the sangh parivar, the RSS; of the complete breakdown of law and
order; of a criminalisation of politics; of economic bloomers.

This must be part of the UP campaign.

The pathetic performance of the Kalyan Singh government has led the BJP to
decide that it would use Kargil as a major issue there.

KARGIL IN UP

The Uttar Pradesh BJP has been asked to highlight the Kargil victory as the
party's USP in the elections, and play down local issues, indicating that
the high command lacks confidence in the performance cjart of the Kalyan
Singh government (Telegraph, August 11, 1999)
The BJP, the same report says, can afford to hardsell the Kargil victory in
Uttar Pradesh as it does not have to worry about its allies, which, being
regional powers, would have had to focus on issues concerning the state.
The Kargil hardsell:
· "Time to change both the history and geography of the region," stormed UP
chief mninister, Kalyan Singh as he flagged off the 'Kakori to Kargil
yatra'.
· Each time a Rs. 5 lakh cheque was given to the family of a Kargil jawan
who had lost his life, much fanfare and publicity for the UP govt and CM was
sought to be drummed up. This caused an open revulsion among ordinary people
who care and value the privacy of the moment of grief.
· The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Ashok Singhal announced plans to
conduct 1,600 "Kargil yagnas' across the country; 600 would be in Uttar
Pradesh.
TIPS: If these are being held they are an offence violating EC regulations.

· The Vishwa Samvad Kendra, described by The Telegraph report, as the RSS'
publicity wing has published a 52 page booklet entitled Kargil Apradhi
Kaun. (Who are the criminals in Kargil). This booklet contains a foreword by
joint general secretary K.C.Sudershan and traces the history of the Kargil
conflict, heaping praise on the Vajpayee government for scoring victories on
all counts.

PRAGMATIC TIPS
1. Massive Infighting in the BJP in UP:
Between the faction led by Kalyan Singhand ministers Lalji Tandon and Kalraj
Mishra is threatening to slip out of hand. All four leaders were summoned to
Delhi by the party high command on July 12 when even L.K. Advani's reported
intervention did not resolve the crisis.

This infighting has also been refelcted in the resentment over distribution
of tickets for the forthcoming elections.

2. Decentralisation counterproductive ?
"Decentralisation is the only election weapon we had.. But the negative
effect it has had on our vote-banks has raised doubts," a BJP general
secretary said.
Govindacharya, the BJP leader in charge of Uttar Pradesh has gone on record
in the media saying that government employees and teachers were unhappy with
the manner in which powers of appointment were conferred on gram pradhans.
District-level teachers have been threatened not to support the party in the
elections.

3. Economic failures of the kalyan singh government
· Farmers:
The UP govt is facing the flak of farmers especially in eastern Uttar
Pradesh where the issue of arrears of sugar cane farmers has been a ticklish
issue; the destruction of the paddy crop in the same region by a rare pest
called the brown paddy hopper and the non-availibility of fertilizers and
pesticides.
All three factors have severely alienated farmers from the ruling BJP.
· State government debt
With the State Govt.'s overdraft from the RBI reaching all time high of
RS.300 Crore and debts from other outside agencies doubled in last 5 years
being nearly Rs.51,000 crores resulted in almost bankruptcy of the Govt.
there was hue and cry in even disbursement of salaries to Govt. employees
and a virtual ban on withdrawal of money from Provident Fund.
· Non-payment of salaries to Government Employees:
The Govt., which was already paying Rs.11,000 crores on annual salaries of
employees in annual budget of Rs.31,000 crores increased its burden by
Rs.4,000 crore by recruiting 3000 employees in Class III and IV.

· Industrial Growth Static
State's industrial growth remained static much below 5% as against the
target of 12%. Financial institutions including nationalised banks have been
shying from investments in the State and credit deposit ratio of the banks
declined below 30%.
· Government Apathy towards the Public Sector. Sham Swadeshi ?
State owned corporations are drifting closer towards closure because of
mismanagement. The cases of Dala, Churk, Chunar Cement Corporation and
UPTRON are examples of Govt.'s apathy towards public sector. Govt.'s move to
privatise electricity will no doubt hit the consumers most but banking on
ignorance of public, govt. succeeded in crushing the movement of electricity
against privatisation.
· Curtailment of Rights of Cooperatives
Though the Govt.'s move to grab power in cooperatives, by arbitrarily
suspending the elected managing committees of PCF, Land Development Bank, UP
Cooperative Bank and other cooperatives was stayed by the High court, the
government has tried to subvert the Court's order.
The UP government came out with the legislation in July 1998 for reducing 5
years terms of Managing Committee to 3 years and thus facilitated the
appointments of Govt. officials and BJP's own men as administrators.
Ironically despite High Court's order for early elections in all the
cooperatives till 31st march 1999, the same are still pending in various
cooperative institutions. Examples: Avadh Sahakari Bank, Lucknow based
Urban Cooperative Bank, initiated, promoted and controlled by RSS/BJP
stalwarts like Raju Bhaiya, Ram Prakash Gupta, Ex. Deputy Chief Minster
presently Vice chairman of Planning Commission UP, Ex. BJP MLA Basant Lal
Gupta, present local BJP MLA, Vidhya Sagar Gupta, Ex. MP Rajendra Agnihotri
stands liquidated with the charges of squandering the Bank's money worth
more than Rs.1 crore.

BACKGROUND

The two-year's of Kalyan Singh's rule in Uttar Pradesh, more than anything
else, has seen step after step towards the legtimisation of the ideological
backbone of the BJP and the rest of the sangh parivar: the RSS.

In separate segments, a factsheet on Uttar Pradesh is being provided. This
will include inputs on
· saffronisation of state governmental and cultural institutions,
· break down of law and order/ human rights' violations
· other failures of the BJP's Kalyan Singh's government.

· SAFFRONISATION
(The RSS ideology is being legitimised with the bureaucracy and
educational institutions)

· Breakdown of Law and Order and criminalisation/ poor record of human
rights
A vast majority of Kalyan Singh's 90-strong cabinet ministers have
criminal records. (details to follow)
Policemen who have been inducted into service also have criminal
backgrounds.

Uttar Pradesh under two year's of Kalyan Singh's rule is on the verge of
complete breakdown on the law and order front and a poor record of human
rights' violations -- indiscriminate orders by the CM to 'shoot at sight'
have resulted in largescale deaths of Dalits and Muslims.

· ECONOMIC FRONT : DISENCHANTED AMONG FARMERS AND OTHER SEGMENTS
On the economic front, too, the record of this government has been poor.

· NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION HAVE BEEN THE HALLMARK OF THE SECOND REGIME OF
KALYAN SINGH IN UP.
The entire episode of preferential treatment meted out to Kusum Rai, a
corporator from Azamgarh has caused huge reserntments. Kalyan Singh's son
too has made a big play with builders and landsharks in Lucknow, Aligarh and
Allahabad taking over properties.

SAFFRONISATION OF INSTITUTIONS IN UTTAR PRADESH

HOW DOES THE RSS GET RESPECTABILITY IN KALYAN SINGH'S UP?

1. RSS TALKS DIRECTLY TO THE BUREAUCRACY
In the 1960s, Rajendra Singh, sarsanghchalak of the RSS, ptofessor of
physics at the Allahabad University would often turn up for his lecture clad
in the RSS uniform, khakhi shorts and white shirt, straight from the morning
shakha.
Four decades later, on July 25, 1998, the same professor stirred up a
controversy by formally meeting some of the top bureaucrats of UP in Lucknow
and giving them sermons on "nationalism and honesty." This meeting was
organised by state minister for higher education, Narendra Kumar Singh Gaur,
a former RSS pracharak and IAS officer, Akhand Pratap Singh. The presence of
UP chief secretary, Yogendra Narayan and DGP, K.L. Gupta among the 60-odd
officers created ripples across the establishment.

2. RSS AND THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT/DEFENCE FORCES
The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal of the RSS that held its meeting
at Sarnath on July 3, 1999, passed a defence-related resolution outlining
some some suggestions to the central government on the Kargil issue.
The attitude of the organisation was reflected in the leaflet circulated by
the Varanasi city unit of the RSs which states (TOI,Lucknow, July 2) that
the country is passing through a phase of crisis as the enemy has tried to
hurt the motherland. 'When the soldiers are fighting hard to send back the
Pakistani intruders, some anti-national forces in the country are trying to
create a disturbance.'

3. 'RSS calls Hindus to fight back'
(The Times of India, Lucknow, march 13, 1999)
The RSS gave a strident call to Hindus to fight back the conspiracy to
malign and marginalise them. Adopting a resolution on the second day of the
three-day meeting of its national executive, the RSS exhorted Hindus to take
a pledge to 'expose the dangerous, dubious and unethical tactics of the
Church.'

The resolution talked about the alleged rapes of nuns in Jhabua(MP), and
Baripada (Orissa), tearing up of the bible in Rajkot, violent incidents in
Dang (Gujarat) and the murder of the Australian missionary and his sons in
Orissa and commented that these incidents "were fake, concocted and blown
out of all proportion."

4. RSS AND EDUCATION
· UP GOVERNMENT'S KULP YOJANA : INVOLVING THE RSS IN MORAL EDUCATION
The education ministry in Uttar Pradesh (March -Sept 1998) instituted a
series of measures towards the saffronisation of education in the state.
March 1998: Directive from the state's education minister, N.K.Gaur, to
make the recitation of Saraswati Vandana and Vande Mataram in place of Saare
Jahan se Accha compulsory.
September 1998: Yet another brainchild of UP state education minister, N.K.
Gaur : the Kulp Yojana, the scheme was made compulsory for all primary
schools in the state. It was aimed at the 'moral and physical development of
the child.'
IMP: Through it, schools have been directed, especially in rural areas, to
involve the RSS pracharak in 'naitik shiksha' (moral education.
Aim of the scheme:
To orient all state-run schools in UP along the lines of the RSS-run
Saraswati Shishu and Bal Vidya mandirs.
While announcing the scheme in Uttar Pradesh the minister said that kulp was
being introduced to 'enhance the qualitative standard of education' in
schools and to ensure that 'teachers are an intermediary between school,
family and society.'
Contents of the scheme:
Hinduising education and educational institutions.

· RSS MEN AND WOMEN AT HIGH POSTS IN UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER CULTURAL BODIES
· Persons known for their RSS background have already been put as Vice
Chancellors for Kumaun, Purvanchal, Lucknow Universities, Kashi Vidhyapeeth
and as Chairman of other educational bodies like SCERT and Higher Education
Commission.
· The Govt. is also looking for completion of the tenures of other Vice
Chancellors appointed earlier. The non-RSS chancellors are facing various
administrative problems including undue political interference in day to day
affairs.
Example : Dr. Rooprekha Verma, who remained officiating Vice Chancellor in
Lucknow for a brief spell from February 1998t to December 1998 recalls how
she was repeatedly gheraoed and subjected to unprecedented hooliganism on
flimsy grounds by ABVP, the student wing of the BJP and the Police and
administration used to be silent spectators.
Not only this she was openly crticised by Student's Union General Secretary
of ABVP not for her conduct but for her views on academics, culture and
politics in front of CM Mr. Kalyan Singh during Oath taking ceremony of
Office bearers of Students Union.

The CM siding with the ABVP in the public function boosted their morale. She
observes bitterly that in old Indian traditions professed by the BJP seat
used to be higher than the King but in today's BJP rule the institution of
VC has been made subservient to bureaucrats and ministers.
The height of non-cooperation was that even DM and SSP were never available
for problems of law and order in the campus.
· The Govt. spent Rs.12 lacs in building a "Deoras Dwar" in the campus but
despite its pronouncements, did not release funds for academic purposes.
· Lawlessness in Lucknow University : ABVP, the BJP's student wing is
responsible for a series of questionable incidents on the campus.
Example: The morale of anti-social elements went so high that recently a
girl student of Kailash Hostel was molested in broad daylight in a campus
bus and the university authorities took exceptionally concessional and weak
steps following the episode. The Professor Incharge (an RSS ideologue) went
public excusing such acts saying " teenagers do indulge in such acts and it
is not serious enough to invite strong action."
· HINDI SANSTHAN: A post of Vice Chairman f Hindi Sansthan once held by
eminent writers like Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Amrit Lal Nagar and Shiv Mangal
Singhsuman is currently occupied by some Saran Behari Goswami whose literary
contributions are known only to RSS and BJP. Same is the position of the
Executive and General body of the Sansthan. The Sansthan by awarding PN Oak,
a person known for his writing of communal hatred earned the distinction of
being mouthpiece of RSS. Its hostility to creative literary work was evident
from the fact that in 1998 it refused to give financial assistance to
"Kathakram" an annual literary event of a national level, organised by
writers themselves.
· SANGEET NATAK ACADEMY
The position of Sangeet Natak Academy is no different. The post of
Chairman of Sangeet Natak Academy once held by cultural stalwarts like
Jaidev Singh, Amrit Lal Nagar, Birjoo Maharaj is currently occupied by DP
Sinha, retired IAS who of late has sponsored cultural organisation. Same is
the case with the Urdu Academy, Lalit Kala Academy and Bhartendu Natya
Academy.

LAW AND ORDER

· 1997 was marked as year for spate of murders and organised crimes,
· 1998 emerged as year of encounters. Though one police succeeded in
liquidating various criminal gangs including that of dreaded Shri Prakash
Shukla. There was hardly any respite in organised crimes. Ridiculing the
slogan of "Fearless Society" the state has been witnessing on an average 2
dozen murders every day, 1 dozen cases of loots and dacoities and abduction
of one person every day apart from hundreds of unlisted crimes of thefts,
atrocities on dalits and women.
· More serious issue than the ever increasing rate of crimes has been
criminal political nexus which was exposed by various criminals as well as
by a senior police officer who in a media interview named Kalyan Singh's
minister from Pratapgarh having closer links with Mafia like Dawood Ibrahim
and others. The issue was always side tracked by Mr. Kalyan Singh. Similar
reports of crime around BJP leaders appeared in the press but all such cases
were suppressed. Few of these are:-
1. A decomposed body of a young man was found from BJP MLA OCR flat, said to
be the result of Tantrik Kriya. No action followed.

2. A minister's son after beating his servant threw him from the VIth floor
of Dalibagh residence. The matter was suppressed.

3. One local BJP MLC drew his pistol and put it at the chest of an IAS in
his chamber. No action followed.

4. A criminal caught by Kaiserbagh Police was forcefully rescued by youth
wing of BJP. The matter however resulted in the transfer of the CO himself
within couple of hours.

5. The police case of charge of murder against ABVP President nominee Shri
Daya Shanker Singh was dropped and he was administered oath of
Presidentship.

6. The case of the son of a senior cabinet Minster in which he was fo8nd
guilty of molesting a girl and trying to kidnap was also suppressed.

· Politician -Criminal Nexus :One of the several instances of open support
to the criminals in the Universities is the case of Hindu Hostel of
Allahabad University where the VC (not appointed by the BJP) wanted to flush
out criminals but was vehemently opposed by the Education Minister, who is
also a teacher in Allahabad University.

HUMAN RIGHTS

'Encounters to liquidate criminals? Do it'

UP chief minister Kalyan Singh's directive to eliminate criminals at all
costs sends the police on a killing spree, and human rights groups
petitioning to the courts for the BJP government's dismissal

I want performance, results. I want you to take a vow that you will create
a dhamaka (impact) in the state. If noted criminals can be liquidated in
Encounters do it. If you take the life of one person who has taken the
Lives of 10 others, then people will praise you. And I am here to protect
You.
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh to the state police, at a law
and order review meeting in Lucknow on April 30, 1998
On November 2, 1997 at a public meeting at Kaushambi (Manj-hanpur), chief
Minister Kalyan Singh openly declared that whenever the police apprehends a
Criminal, he should be disabled by hurting the lower half of his body by
any means whatsoever so that he may not thereafter be able to have a normal
life.
(Quoted in the PUCL 's petition for the dismissal of the U.P. government).

· The reign of terror unleashed in this north Indian state following the
directives of its chief political executive to the police for unrestrained
Conduct, has, official figures reveal, already targeted over 200
"criminals."
· The majority of victims in these encounter killings, ironically, are
either Dalits or Muslims. Human Rights' groups put the toll at over 400.
· Kalyan Singh's Govt. refused to constitute the commission on human rights
and he even went to the extent of terming Human Rights activists as
supporters of criminals.

TIPS:

The callousness of the BJP government towards life and property has manifest
itself in the gruesome and indiscriminate killings of innocents; in a vast
majority of the cases the victims have been Dalit and Muslim labourers.

The issue of a RETURN TO LAW AND ORDER, a society that values life and each
individual; a government that believes in cracking the police-criminal nexus
is a must especially vis a vis UP.

HYPOCRISY OF THE BJP GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED :
· The CM, Mr. Kalyan Singh said, in different fora that his govt. was fully
committed to protecting the poorest sections of the society and thus build a
"free and fearless society."

· Half-a-dozen cases of atrocities on Harijans reported this month in the
district.

· A senior police official said, "equal number of cases, or even more, go
unreported and, therefore, there was no record available."

· Cases, which have been reported with the police, are related to inhuman
behavior, torture and victimisation and molestation.

· Effective action against the accused not taken as all of them belongs to
upper caste and exercise considerable influence.

· At Sarojininagar police station on February 6, a class IV employee, Anil
Kumar, brutally beaten up by Captain Manjit Kumar in a room at Amausi
airport. An FIR has been lodged by the victim in this regard.

· Badri Prasad of Indralok Colony under the Krishnagar police station in an
FIR on February 15, allegedly tortured and threatened by Kanshiram, Saurabh
and Shailendra. No breakthrough has been made.

· On Februray 17, the Dalit family of Ramshankar, under Madiyaon police
station, allegedly attacked by an advocate CL Dixit and his associate with
sticks and sharp edged weapons. Eight people injured. The Police have
registered the crime.

· In the Kakori police station jurisdiction Shakil, Farooq, Shairf and Lala
attempted to molest Chote Lal of Bajangar's daughter. When offered
resistance, they brutally beat up his daughter causing severe injuries. The
accused are still roaming scot free.

· In the Gosainganj police station jurisdiction, Phool Chand Yadav from the
same village attempted to molest Sunita, wife of Kishen, a resident of Newaz
Khera. Progress - nil.

· The callous attitude of the police has created a sense of insecurity,
particularly among the members of the lower class.

SABRANG ALERT NO. 2

Sabrang Alert September 8, 1999

Soft Saffron of the Congress?

There is a report in today's Indian Express announcing the decision of the
VHP State chief, Badri Modi's joining the Congress with much fanfare.
The announcement did not make any reference to the VHP leader expressing a
regret or remorse as regards the VHP's aggressive hate-mongering and
exclusivist politics.

How then did the Congress, that is projecting itself on the secular plank
before voters, simply just admit him?
Were pure electoral calculations and vote bank politics at work?

If we believe in genuine secularism, such actions by parties, avowed to
principles of secularism need to be exposed and debated the instant they
take place. Or else the rot will run even deeper than it does today.

'Rajasthan Congress admits former VHP State chief'
(The Indian Express, September 8)
Jaipur: The Rajasthan Congress found itself in an embarrassing position here
today when the media grilled party leaders for having roped in a former
state president of the VHP Badri Modi.
The congress had called a media conference at the state headquarters to
present Modi, said to be a prize-catch, to the media. State congress
spokesperson Rajiv Arora and general secretary Pankaj Pancholi presided with
Modi sitting next to them. Arora was in for a surprise when he announced
with great pleasure that Modi had joined the Congress but when the
microphone was extended to Modi he said that he had not joined the Congress,
but had merely extended his support to Raghu Sharma party nominee from
Jaipur.
The reason according to Modi for this step was the "gap between what the BJP
professed and practiced "
The Parishad on the other hand, refused to comment on Modi's action