Thursday 25 July 2013

Hitelr, Stalin, Osama and Dawood become honourable!

Hitler, Stalin, Osama Bin Laden, Dawood Ibrahim should all be honourable gentlemen when compared to those controlling the reins of power in India, whether at the Centre or in the states, at the moment.

In Kerala, the Chief Minister , Oommen Chandy, who has been fooling the public with a much touted (at tax payer's cost, of course!) public contact programs even managed an award from the UN for the farce! To anybody viewing the event(s) objectively every case that came up during the program should have had heads rolling in the mazes that are government offices in this state. Three of my complaints (all in public interest, something like class action suit in the US!) submitted for his program in Palakkad, against Kerala State Information Commission (constituted under the Right to Information Act), District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (constituted under the Consumer Protection Act) and the District Collector's office, are published respectively at
http://raviforjustice.blogspot.com/2011/11/chief-ministers-public-contact-program.html
http://raviforjustice.blogspot.com/2011/11/chief-ministers-contact-program.html and http://raviforjustice.blogspot.com/2011/11/chief-ministers-public-contact-program_22.html




Needless to say I got totally unsatisfactory responses from the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and the District Collector's office but none whatsoever from the Kerala State Information Commission and Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission!

Forget about doing nothing what they are supposed to do these criminals in public offices are also guilty of doing everything they are not supposed to do! In one case that I know of an activist got the Prime Minister's office to send a letter to the Govt of Kerala suggesting investigation of corruption in delay in implementing a bus cum lorry stand project in Palakkad. But the Govt headed by Oommen Chandy has not acted on it and forced the activist and a friend of his to protest by waving black flags at a function attended by Oommen Chandy. Now the police has been framing him in cases after false cases!

I too have been charged by the police in three cases illegally. The details are given below.

1. On 13 Nov 2012 I was arrested illegally and detained in the police station for almost 5 hours. I had gone to distribute a leaflet 'For whom the soldiers are making sacrifices' to those going into a hotel to participate ina function where the chief guest was to be A K Antony! The case, for which summons was delivered on 18 Jun,  came up on 19 Jun and has been adjourned to 20 Dec 2013! (The leaflet, in Malayalam, can be viewed at http://www.slideshare.net/raviforjustice/soldiers-against-traitors)

2. On 19 Jan 2013 Anti Corruption Movement Kerala had organised a function near the Martyrs' Column, Fort Maidan. For this, its Gen Secy had applied for mike permission in the 1st week of Jan. (No ack/receipt given!) On 15th Jan when he went to collect the sanction letter he was told that it was misplaced! He applied again on 16th and went to collect the sanction letter on 18th but was told that the file was with the DySP. On 19th he was told verbally to carry on with the function.

As the preparations for the function was going on both the SI and CI were there and to my query why they were there the SI answered that they expected trouble from the Congress party workers who had a score to settle with the Gen Secy who had on an earlier occasion showed black flag at the CM!

After the function was over police personnel in plain clothes came and sought the sanction letter for using mike and walked off with the PA system. The mike provider followed them. The Gen Secy, another activist and myself followed him. Nothing happened at the police station and the mike was returned by about 6.30 pm and we all returned home.

On 8 May the Gen Secy was handed over summons, for the three of us, for a hearing scheduled for 10th! The case is now posted for 31 Jul!

Meanwhile, under RTI Act I had got a copy of the application submitted on 16 Jan, file notings and the letter denying permission. The DySP's noting says that since the applicant is involved in a criminal case (the number quoted indicates Jan/Feb 2012 vintage1) the permission need not be given. The letter denying permission, however, states that the permission is being denied based on kerala hc orders! (incidently the Kerala High Court order banning road side meetings is on appeal with the apex court. In any case there is no dearth of such meetings anywhere in Kerala!)

The interesting thing is that while I am a member of the executive committee of ACMK, the other activist is not. He had just addressed the gathering. But then again, the retired tehsildar who had inaugurated the  function has been spared!)

3. The third case is one in which I was nowhere near the scene of the alleged incidence! On 21 Jan 2013 the GAIL Gas pipeline Victims Forum had gone ahead with a campaign using mike inspite of being (illegally) denied the permission for using mike. The case for which summons was delivered on 18 Jun, came up on 24th and has also been adjourned. (I am yet to find out the date from the advocate!). The interesting thing here is that the organisers do not figure in the list of the accused! The 6 accused includes 3 participants and 3 non participants (Dr P S Panikkar, one Syed and me!)

Now you can decide for yourself if the title of this posting is correct or not!