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| << June02, 2006 - [India Thinkers Net]Digest (1-11) June 1st 2006 |
June02, 2006 - [India Thinkers Net]Aligarh riots,ways to,protest etc >> |
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[12] Dr. Udit Raj (Ram Raj) Member, National Integration Council (Govt. of India) National President, Indian Justice Party National Chairman, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations B-113, Sarvodaya Enclave, New Delhi-110017 Tel: 26960022, 26534559 --------------------------------------------------------------- Press Release For the well being of AIIMS Patients, Dr. Udit Raj seeks permission for Dharna New Delhi, 29th May, 2006. Dr. Udit Raj, President of Indian Justice Party and Convenor of Arakshan Samarthak Mocha, has asked the director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences to grant permission to sit on Dharna with suffering AIIMS patients from 5th June, 06. Dr. Udit Raj said that responsible citizens, students and social-political activists feel that the striking doctors are doing great injustice to the patients of AIIMS. The patients are being denied their fundamental rights, i.e., right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of Indian Constitution. Delhi High Court specifically in case of AIIMS and Supreme Court in other matters held that doctors can't go on strike. In addition Medical Council of India's instructions say, "No physician shall arbitrarily refuse treatment of a patient." This misconduct attracts disciplinary action against striking doctors. He said that the action of doctors sitting on the lawns of AIIMS against reservation for last so many weeks is illegal for various reasons; strikes by doctors have been held to be illegal by the High Court of Delhi. Strikes by employees of AIIMS and demonstrations in and around the vicinity of AIIMS have been totally banned by the High Court. Hence such a strike amounts to contempt of the Court Order; denial of medical treatment has been held to be denial of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, by the Supreme Court; strikes by government employees have been held to be illegal by the Supreme Court. Government employees have no right to strike; the act of coercion of medical practitioners to join the strike is illegal because it constitutes inciting others to strike and is also a criminal act and striking work by doctors and neglecting patients by not extending medical services to them amounts to professional misconduct under the Code of Ethics Regulations, MCI. Dr. Udit Raj said to his knowledge, in director's department, Dr. Venugopal, the Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS), doctors had never gone on strike because of his fear but this time they are leading the agitation. Isn't it because of his tacit support? When employees for their genuine sufferings in the past, went on strike, they were suspended. Why that yardstick is not applicable to these doctors? The director is frequently leading the striking doctors to the Prime Minister Office. It means that he is encouraging them and confusing PM Office to give new assurances that the matter will be reviewed and that further enthuses striking doctors to linger on the strike whereas the matter has been settled on the part of the govt.. AIIMS Doctors have met the Health Minister to end the strike but he did not show any inclination to sit with them and solve the problems. A written complaint has been also given to him by the doctors that they were not being allowed by striking doctors to carry out the duties but no action was initiated. There are very few doctors from AIIMS sitting on Dharna, it is outsiders who are giving life to this Dharna. Without AIIMS director's permission amenities like electricity, water and sweeping could have not been provided to striking doctors. Dr. Udit Raj further said that the High Court in the AIIMS matter in 2001 directed all authorities - the Civil, Police, Delhi Administration and Health - in case it came to their notice that it was a matter warranting action for resolving any dispute - to take immediate action on an utmost priority basis so as to give no occasion for any dispute or any disruption or prejudice to the smooth functioning of the hospital. He said that the responsible citizens seek director's permission to sit on Dharna along with suffering patients. This action is not only in conformity with article 21 of Indian Constitution but also strengthening the directions of the courts. When the director can allow illegal action on the AIIMS premise, why can't a Dharna for rightful cause be allowed? (Sanjay Kumar), Media In-charge ---------------------------- [13] From: Venkat A <venkat_hpu@yahoo.com> Date: Wed May 31, 2006 Subject: Suicidal despair of Kerala's farmers - BBC News Suicidal despair of Kerala's farmers By Renu Agal BBC News, Wayanad, Kerala Shaija's husband committed suicide last summer because he was being hounded by a bank for repayment of a loan. She now lives with her three-year-old son trying to eke out a living. But Shaija's sad story is not by any means unique. In fact hers is the kind of tragedy which farmers of Wayanad - a town in the southern Indian state of Kerala - regularly hear about. In the last five years, more than 500 farmers have committed suicide in the region. The latest bout of suicides is taking place in the land famed for the Malabar pepper - the best of its kind in the world. Kerala looks prosperous but life is tough for farmers It was this pepper that was taken back by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, and which made the Malabar coast a place to fight for among the colonial powers. Now the same pepper is killing the Kerala farmers. As you travel down the winding hilly roads of Wayanad to reach Sultan Bathery all you see are lush green hills, tea and coffee plantations. The area is dotted with rubber and areca nut trees and pepper vines. In no sense does the traveller feel there is a farming crisis here. The kind of extreme poverty which drives farmers in other parts of India to take their lives does not seem to exist here. But the small farmers and contract labourers who work on other farms seem to have been hit hard. Four years ago, black pepper sold for $6 per kg, but today it sells at just about $1.50. Price crash The reason for the decline is because pepper is grown cheaper in other areas of India at the same time as less expensive pepper is being imported from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and other South Asian countries. The crash in prices has left many farmers severely poverty-stricken. The area is dotted with rubber and areca nut trees and pepper vines They have not been able to repay the loans they have taken from banks and local money lenders. But this is also not the first crisis to hit Kerala's farmers. They used to grow vanilla when international prices were high, and at one point managed to sell it for $89 per kg, but then international prices crashed, and the farmers lost out in a big way. And, now the term "karshika pratisandhi" or agrarian crisis is oft-repeated in Kerala. The phrase has now become a rallying point for politicians in the state. Krishna Prasad of the farmers' organisation "Karshaka Sangham" says that unrestrained imports and liberal economic reforms have led to a drastic drop in agricultural prices over the last few years. "The crops grown by Wayanad farmers have been the worst hit," he said, "and the peasants are finding it difficult to recover their production expenses.'' Puttanparamvil Joi used to own five acres of land, and was a well-off farmer. Then the crisis hit, and he could not repay the bank loan. Pursued by debtors, he committed suicide two years ago. His 80-year old mother weeps when discussing her son. "My daughter-in-law finds it difficult to run the household and pay the fees of the four children," she said. Now farmers in the region are having to diversify in order to survive. They are growing rubber and nut crops which still fetch a better price in the market. Farming crisis But not everyone is able to do that. Anu was a second year nursing student before she hung herself in her room. Her brother and parents still look baffled by her step. "The college asked her to pay dues of 8,500 Rupees ($190)," her father said. "I tried to get the money from my neighbours but none of them could help because they were also poor farmers. But she could not take the strain and took her life," he said. Her father used to have a small amount of land which he used to grow crops to provide for his family - around $880 annually. But now he is not even able to get work on other peoples' land and can barely make ends meet. The fact that this farming crisis is pushing pupils out of colleges and technical institutions is hard to bear for a state which prides itself in being 100% literate, and where parents often send their children to expensive private institutes in neighbouring states to further their education. The people of Wayanad are painfully realising that the process known as globalisation can be as ruthless as it is generous. -------------- [14] From: <pjvraj@yahoo.com> Date: Tue May 30, 2006 Subject: Article from The Telegraph: Calcutta You have been sent this article from The Telegraph, Calcutta <http://www.telegraphindia.com> by PJVictorRaj. Aligarh relapses into violence, 3 dead <http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060530/asp/nation/story_6287391.asp>; Lucknow, May 29: Aligarh has lapsed into clashes and curfew, just over a month after Ram Navami preparations sparked communal riots. | Read <http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060530/asp/nation/story_6287391.asp>; Page url: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060530/asp/nation/story_6287391.asp ------------------ [15] From: Shiva Shankar <sshankar@cmi.ac.in> Date: Wed May 31, 2006 4:57pm Subject: Re: [india-unity] Merits of Reservation: efficient health system and social equity emerging evidence from south India sshankar@cmi.ac.in Many thanks for this superb article by S.Venkatesan. Shiva Shankar. ------------------------- [16] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Date: Wed May 31, 2006 Subject: 'Reservation': Which Way to Go? THE TIMES OF INDIA May 31 2006 LEADER ARTICLE: Wrong Route, Right Direction Yogendra Yadav and Satish Deshpande A decision wrongly arrived at need not always be a wrong decision. We need to remember this as we begin to understand the long-term consequences of the government's decision to implement 27 per cent reservations for OBCs in higher educational institutions. The way in which this decision was taken exemplifies what is wrong with the policy-making process in our country. A major decision affecting the career prospects of lakhs of students every year was taken without careful deliberation and transparent procedures that could have inspired some confidence. Larger political consi-derations were outweighed by short-term political games that are routinely played in Delhi. Thus a major opportunity to fine-tune the policy instruments of social justice was lost by default as a nervous government fell back on a tested, tried and tired formula of reservation based on a simple caste-bloc approach. We may have to wait for another decade or so for another opportunity to present itself. This is clearly not how big decisions should be taken. Yet it does not mean that the decision is a disaster for the country, as critics of the policy would have us believe. Viewed in a long-term historical perspective, Mandal II is a logical corollary of Mandal I. It takes forward the process of transfer of social and political power to majority commu-nities. The government's decision will help reduce the extreme inequalities in edu-cational and job opportunities for different caste-communities in our country. The data of the 55th round of the National Sample Survey shows that in urban India, out of 1,000 upper caste Hindus, 253 were graduates. Among Hindu OBCs, this figure was only 86 per 1,000. We do not have reliable information on the caste-wise distribution of well-paid jobs in the organised sector. But it is quite obvious that upper caste Hindus, who constitute anything between a quarter to one-third of our population, have cornered around twice as many jobs as their share in population might justify. Notwithstanding all its problems, the government's decision is likely to reduce this kind of skewed distribution. It is likely to improve the access of OBCs to higher education and to middle-class jobs. It should also help expand the pool from within OBCs that can take advantage of the existing scheme of reservation in government jobs. In that sense this decision is a step in the right direction. Even a crude caste-bloc based quota is better than no provision at all. An appreciation of the positives of this decision should not lead us to close our eyes to some of the long-term costs. The government's decision to use a one-dimensional policy of caste-bloc based quota cannot but result in an inefficient targeting of this scheme. The relatively better off families, that too from 'upper' OBCs, will be able to corner most of the benefits. In regional terms, students from south India and other states with long history of affirmative action and backward caste movement are much better placed to take advantage of this scheme. Needless to say, most of these opportunities will be cornered by OBC men, for the gender gap in education is higher among OBC communities as compared to upper caste Hindus. The inability to target the scheme very efficiently is bound to give rise to deep resentment. Many non-OBC students and their families would feel, and rightly so, that they are more disadvantaged than those OBC students who are getting admissions based on the new reservations. Can the government still do something to remedy the situation and reduce some of these costs? The government's policy declaration closes one of these possibilities, namely that of attending to disadvantaged groups other than OBCs. But it can still do something to ensure that reservation for OBCs is targeted more efficiently. First, it can declare that the 'creamy layer' within OBCs will be excluded from the benefits of the new reservation. The exclusion of 'creamy layer' is already in operation for job reservations and the government has to simply apply it to education. Second, the 27 per cent quota should be sub-divided among 'upper' and 'lower' OBCs. Such sub-divisions already exist in many states and the government can request the National Commission for Backward Classes, a statutory body, to prepare lists of upper and lower OBC for each state. Third, the government can make some provision to ensure that OBC women have a special opportunity to access this quota. Finally, for taking a final decision on all these and related matters to target the OBC quota more effectively, the government can constitute an independent expert committee to work out the modalities. Besides these immediate and short-term measures, the government must think of two long-term measures. First, it must get NSSO or some independent organisation to carry out a comprehensive nationwide survey of the social profile of students of higher educational institutions and job holders in the organised sector, public as well as private. Lack of such data is the biggest hurdle blocking the transition to a more transparent, robust and fine-tuned policy-making process in future. Second, it is time the government constituted a Diversity and Disadvantage Commission, a statutory body to regularly monitor the diversity profile of all public institutions and to advise the government on improving it. Yadav is senior fellow at CSDS; Deshpande is professor of sociology at Delhi School of Economics. --------------------- [17] May 29, 2006 To, The Director All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi Subject: Permission to sit on Dharna for the well being of patients on the lawn of AIIMS from 5th June, 2006. Sir, The responsible citizens, students and social-political activists feel that patients are being denied their fundamental rights, i.e., right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of Indian Constitution. Delhi High Court specifically in case of AIIMS and Supreme Court in other matters held that doctors can't go on strike. In addition Medical Council of India's instructions say, "No physician shall arbitrarily refuse treatment of a patient." This misconduct attracts disciplinary action against striking doctors. The action of doctors sitting on the lawns of AIIMS against reservation for last so many weeks is illegal for various reasons; strikes by doctors have been held to be illegal by the High Court of Delhi. Strikes by employees of AIIMS and demonstrations in and around the vicinity of AIIMS have been totally banned by the High Court. Hence such a strike amounts to contempt of the Court Order; denial of medical treatment has been held to be denial of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, by the Supreme Court; strikes by government employees have been held to be illegal by the Supreme Court. Government employees have no right to strike; the act of coercion of medical practitioners to join the strike is illegal because it constitutes inciting others to strike and is also a criminal act and striking work by doctors and neglecting patients by not extending medical services to them amounts to professional misconduct under the Code of Ethics Regulations, MCI. To my knowledge, in your department, the Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS), doctors had never gone on strike because of your fear but this time they are leading the agitation. Isn't it because of your tacit support? When employees for their genuine sufferings in the past, went on strike, they were suspended. Why that yardstick is not applicable to these doctors? You are frequently leading the striking doctors to the Prime Minister Office. It means that you are encouraging them and confusing PM Office to give new assurances that the matter will be reviewed and that further enthuses striking doctors to linger on the strike whereas the matter has been settled on the part of the govt.. AIIMS Doctors have met the Health Minister to end the strike but you did not show any inclination to sit with them and solve the problems. A written complaint has been also given to you by the doctors that they were not being allowed by striking doctors to carry out the duties. There are very few doctors from AIIMS sitting on Dharna, it is outsiders who are giving life to this Dharna. Without your permission amenities like electricity, water and sweeping could have not been provided to striking doctors. The High Court in the AIIMS matter in 2001 directed all authorities - the Civil, Police, Delhi Administration and Health - in case it came to their notice that it was a matter warranting action for resolving any dispute - to take immediate action on an utmost priority basis so as to give no occasion for any dispute or any disruption or prejudice to the smooth functioning of the hospital. We, the responsible citizens, seek your permission to sit on Dharna along with suffering patients. This action is not only in conformity with article 21 of Indian Constitution but also strengthening the directions of the courts. When you can allow illegal action on the AIIMS premise, I am hopeful that you will allow my dharna without any hesitation. Thanking you, Yours faithfully, (Udit Raj) Cc. 1. The Prime Minister House, New Delhi, with request to take appropriate action. 2. The Health Minister, Govt. of India, New Delhi, with request to take appropriate action. 3. The Police Commissioner, Delhi Police, New Delhi, with request to take appropriate action as Delhi High Court direction is clear that police can take suomotto action. 4. The DCP, South Delhi, with request to take appropriate action, as Delhi High Court direction is clear that police can take suomotto action. 5. The SHO, Defence Colony, New Delhi, with request to take appropriate action, as Delhi High Court direction is clear that police can take suomotto action. (Udit Raj) -- |
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| << June02, 2006 - [India Thinkers Net]Digest (1-11) June 1st 2006 |
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