Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: IND33378 Country: India Date: 16 June 2008

Keywords: India – – Student Politics – BJP – Congress Party – Police – Politics and Indian Astrology

This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein.

Questions 1. Please provide information about the influence of the NSUI and BJP on students, particularly at GHS Government College and MLV Government College. 2. Please provide information relating to local political figures Master Bhanwarlal, Khemaram Meghwal and Anand Paul Singh. 3. Please provide general information on the political scene in Rajasthan from the 1990’s onward. 4. Please provide information on relationships between local government party politics and local police stations. 5. What is “karishma”? If this term is a reference to the ability to tell the future, how “superstitious” is the local political scene about this “skill”? 6. Please provide any other relevant information

RESPONSE

1. Please provide information about the influence of the NSUI and BJP on students, particularly at GHS Government College and MLV Government College.

No information was found on student politics at GHS Government College or MLV Government College. The following information is on student politics in India generally, as well as some examples from Rajasthan specifically.

Sources indicate that the student wing of the Bharatiya (BJP) is the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). According to Jaffrelot, as well as the ABVP itself, it is the largest student organisation in India in terms of membership. The National Students Union of India (NSUI) is the student wing of the Congress Party. An article in ExpressIndia.com describes the NSUI as one of the “frontal organisations” of the Congress Party. Generally, as in a 2006 Tribune article, student politics is described as a “springboard” to national politics. Many politicians from both the BJP and Congress started their political life as leaders in the respective student wings (Jaffrelot, C. (ed) 2007, ‘Hindu Nationalism: A Reader’, Princeton University Press website, 25 April http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8560.html – Accessed 27 June 2007 – Attachment 1; ‘Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad – Background’ (undated), ABVP website http://www.abvp.org/index1.htm – Accessed 15 March 2002 – Attachment 2; ‘Rahul Gandhi appointed Cong general secretary’ 2007, ExpressIndia.com, 24 September http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Rahul-Gandhi-appointed-Cong-general- secretary/220549/ – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 3; Ramachandran, S. 2006, ‘Campus elections: Party time is over’, The Tribune, 14 October http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061014/saturday/main1.htm – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 4).

In late 2006 a report on the state of student union elections was released. This report, known as the Lyngdoh Committee Report, notes the “the marriage of convenience between mainstream political parties and students’ factions”, as the article in The Tribune puts it. The article details the recommendations of the committee, along with a description of the past and present state of campus elections and the role and influence of political parties in student bodies. The article states:

A seemingly intrinsic part of everybody’s college years, student union elections have graduated from campus debates to a struggle between political parties over the control of the youth, a potent pawn to net the bigger game (Ramachandran, S. 2006, ‘Campus elections: Party time is over’, The Tribune, 14 October http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061014/saturday/main1.htm – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 4).

The above article also refers to the violence which is part of the “murkier side of student politics”. The available information includes media articles reporting on student political violence during the 1990s, indicating that the sometimes violent aspects of student politics are not just recent developments. For example, a 1998 Indian Express article describes “angry and violent protests by students”, including NSUI members, which resulted in the state government closing down all colleges throughout Rajasthan (Ramachandran, S. 2006, ‘Campus elections: Party time is over’, The Tribune, 14 October http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061014/saturday/main1.htm – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 4; ‘Rajasthan wakes up, closes all colleges’ 1998, Indian Express, 14 November http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981114/31850554.html – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 5).

In relation to student politics in Rajasthan during the early 1990s, a search of the Google News archives did not turn up any pre-1998 articles on the NSUI or ABVP. A search of the Factiva database returned only a few articles from before 1998, with nothing relating to Rajasthan specifically.

Although relating to student politics in states other than Rajasthan, the following selection of articles from 1997-1998 may provide some general information: A November 1998 article reports on the influential ties between the BJP and Congress and their student wings (in Gujarat) (Mazumder, S. 1998, ‘Campus credos swing with political fortunes’, Indian Express, 6 November http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981106/31050934.html – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 6).

A September 1998 article describes violence between ABVP and NSUI campaigners in New Delhi (‘Canvassing ABVP candidate stabbed in college canteen’ 1998, Indian Express, 9 September http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19980909/25251834.html – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 7).

A 1997 article (reporting on Andhra Pradesh) notes the linkage between state government and student politics, stating that “the ABVP wields considerable influence on the campus, because the state government has a vested interest in discreetly blunting the popularity of left- wing students’ groups” (Messias, L. 1997, ‘Violence haunts AP universities’, Gulf News, 25 November – Attachment 8).

2. Please provide information relating to local political figures Master Bhanwarlal, Khemaram Meghwal and Anand Paul Singh.

Master Bhanwarlal The Election Commission of India (ECI) Statistical Reports on the 1993, 1998, and 2003 Assembly Elections in Rajasthan show a number of different candidates named Bhanwar Lal or Bhanwarlal. The information provided suggests that he is referring to Bhanwarlal (or Bhanwar Lal) Meghwal, sometimes also called Master Bhanwar Lal, who was the Congress candidate in the constituency of Sujangarh in all three election years. Information on this figure is provided in this response (Election Commission of India 1993, Statistical Report on General Election, 1993, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_1993/StatRep_RJ_93.pdf – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 11; Election Commission of India 1998, Statistical Report on General Election, 1998, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://eci.gov.in/infoeci/key_stat/keystat_fs.htm – Accessed 15 April 2002 – Attachment 12; Election Commission of India 2003, Statistical Report on General Election, 2003, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_NOV_2003/StatisticalReports_RAJ_Nov2003.p df – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 13).

A 1998 Rediff article reports that Master Bhanwar Lal became a minister of state after being elected in the 1998 Assembly elections (‘Gehlot inducts 31 ministers in 2-tier council’ 1998, Rediff, 5 December http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/dec/05rajas.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 14).

A 2005 article reports that the “former cabinet minister” is being investigated for corruption and gives the following information:

The Anti-Corruption Department of Rajasthan today swooped down on former cabinet minister Bhanwar Lal Meghwal and exposed his “rags-to-riches’’ story after a series of raids conducted across the state. Meghwal, known as “master’’ for his humble beginning as a primary school teacher, was a minister in the government and was known to be a close confidant of the former chief minister. Meghwal is the fourth Cabinet minister of the Gehlot government to land in the ACD net. Three of his colleagues were booked by the department a few weeks back, after they were found guilty of accepting bribes on camera from swinging land deals. “The ACD raids on Meghwal began on Tuesday morning following information from a source,’’ Additional Director-General P.K. Tiwari said. “We were informed that Meghwal had misused his powers as a minister and had amassed huge assets. The complaints were verified and found to be true,’’ he said.

Tiwari said documents in possession of the ACD indicate that the former minister had made huge investments in properties that include residential land, houses, mines, petrol pumps, agricultural land and in salt business. Sources reveal that Meghwal’s own son-in-law had turned an informer for the ACD after he was ill treated by the minister and his daughter and was thrown out of his house. A copy of the complaint that formed the basis of the ACD raids is available with The Indian Express. Details of Meghwal’s assets listed in the complaint indicate that the former teacher, who started his career as a sarpanch, has accumulated wealth running into crores of rupees. Meghwal’s riches – A petrol pump in his native town of Sujangarh, allotted during the NDA rule – A huge bungalow in Sujangarh, rebuilt during his ministerial tenure, with imported marble and furniture – A 36-bigha farmhouse close to his constituency – Shops, industrial units and plots across the state – Mines in Kota, salt fields near the famous Sambhar Lake – Two houses in posh residential areas of Jaipur – Nearly 10 kg of gold ornaments – Huge reserves of cash in his family’s three bank accounts in Jaipur – Three cars, including a Bolero and two Maruti Zens – Apart from this, Meghwal had allegedly spent more than Rs 50 lakh on the wedding of his only son while he was the minister (‘Another Gehlot minister lands in ACD net’ 2005, Indian Express, 27 April – Attachment 15).

A 2003 article mentions that he has a daughter, Banarasi Meghwal, who is also in politics (Sebastian, S. 2003, ‘Inheritance issue puts – Congress in a fix’, The Hindu, 21 October – Attachment 16).

An undated and brief biography, which provides some information on Master Bhanwar Lal’s caste, qualifications, parents and birthplace was found on Rajasthan.net and is included here as Attachment 17 (‘Master Bhanwar Lal, Sujangarh (17)’ (undated), List of Winning Candidates for Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha Elections 1998, Rajasthan.net website http://www.rajasthan.net/election/bio/146.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 17).

The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly website has contact details for past MLAs, including Bhanwar Lal Meghwal. The archived ECI website has the addresses for the contesting candidates in Sujangarh for the 2003 elections, including Master Bhanwar Lal (‘Rajasthan Legislative Assembly 11th House – Member’s Contacts’ (undated), Rajasthan Legislative Assembly website http://rajassembly.nic.in/mem-contacts.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 18; ‘List of Contesting Candidates, State Elections 2003 – Sujangarh, Rajasthan’ 2003, Election Commission of India website, November http://archive.eci.gov.in/Nov2003/pollupd/ac/states/s20/acnstcand17.htm- Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 19).

Khemaram Meghwal Also Khema Ram Meghwal. The ECI Statistical Report on the 2003 Assembly Elections in Rajasthan shows that Khemaram Meghwal of the BJP won the seat of Sujangarh (Election Commission of India 2003, Statistical Report on General Election, 2003, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_NOV_2003/StatisticalReports_RAJ_Nov2003.p df – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 13). A limited biography providing information on Khema Ram Meghwal’s birthplace, qualifications, marriage and occupation was found on the Rajasthan Government website (‘Key People Profiles: Khema Ram Meghwal’ (undated), Rajasthan Government website http://www.rajasthan.gov.in/rajgovt/keypeopleprofile/khemarammeghwal.html – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 20).

Little other specific information was found. A Factiva search for “Khemaram Meghwal” and “Khema Ram Meghwal” returned the following somewhat relevant articles (in reverse chronological order):

• A January 2008 article mentions Khemaram Meghwal as Minister of State (‘Rajasthan Minister demands CBI probe in Barabazar fire in Kolkata’ 2008, United News of India, 14 January – Attachment 21);

• An October 2007 article mentions “Rajasthan Minister of State for Mines Khema Ram Meghwal” (‘Power unit to be completed by June 2009’ 2007, The Hindu, 20 October – Attachment 22);

• A 2004 article reports that Khema Ram Meghwal is one of 12 new Ministers of State (‘17 more inducted into Rajasthan Cabinet’ 2004, The Hindu, 1 June – Attachment 23).

Anand Paul Singh

A search of the available databases, including ISYS, CISNET, and Factiva found no mention of “Anand Paul Singh”. A Google search returned no relevant results. Other variations of the name were searched for; however, no relevant results were found.

3. Please provide general information on the political scene in Rajasthan from the 1990’s onward.

According to the available information, the politics of Rajasthan is mainly dominated by two national level political parties, namely the BJP and the Congress Party. The BJP held power between 1990 and 1998. Congress won an outright majority of seats in the 1998 state assembly elections, holding power until the next state assembly election in 2003 which was won by the BJP. The BJP are currently in power, with as Chief Minister. The next state elections are to be held in January 2009. RRT Research & Information has produced an information package: The Republic & States of India at a Glance. This contains sources giving a brief political background of Rajasthan (for information on Rajasthan politics, see: ‘Politics of Rajasthan’ (undated), India For You website http://www.indfy.com/rajasthan-india/politics.html – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 25; RRT Research & Information 2007, The Republic & States of India at a Glance, last updated July – Attachment 24, which contains the following sources: ‘Rajasthan’ 2001, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press http://www.bartelby.com/65/ra/Rajastha.html – Accessed 15 April 2002 – Attachment 44; Election Commission of India 1998, Statistical Report on General Election, 1998, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://eci.gov.in/infoeci/key_stat/keystat_fs.htm – Accessed 15 April 2002 – Attachment 12; Election Commission of India 2003, Statistical Report on General Election, 2003, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_NOV_2003/StatisticalReports_RAJ_Nov2003.p df – Accessed 30 May 2008 – Attachment 13).

Indfy.com has the following information on Rajasthan politics:

The politics of Rajasthan is mainly dominated by two national level political parties namely the and the . Other parties having presence in Rajasthan include the , Lok Jan Shakti Party, Communist Party of India, Indian National Lok Dal, Rajasthan Samajik Nyaya Manch and (United). All these parties colour the Rajasthan politics with lots of news fodder for the media.

The Chief Minister of the state is the most important political personality of Rajasthan. Presently the Chief Minister of Rajasthan is Vasundhara Raje. The state, like all the Indian states of the union, has two types of constitutions such as the assembly constituency and the parliamentary constituency. There are total of 25 parliamentary constituencies and 200 assembly constituencies across the 32 districts of Rajasthan. The Deputy Commissioner acts as the Returning Officer who conducts the elections in Rajasthan (‘Politics of Rajasthan’ (undated), India For You website http://www.indfy.com/rajasthan-india/politics.html – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 25).

Sources, such as The Hindu Business Line in 2003, also note that the “caste factor” has always played a dominant role in Rajasthan politics. A May 2008 article in The Hindu gives details of the current unrest in Rajasthan and provides some background of the “caste politics” played by the BJP in Rajasthan since the 1990s (Bhagat, R. 2003, ‘Caste to play a major role in Rajasthan polls’, Hindu Business Line, 25 November http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2003/11/25/stories/2003112500300900.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 26; Vyas, N. 2008, ‘BJP’s caste politics and the Gujjars’, The Hindu, 31 May – Attachment 27).

4. Please provide information on the relationship between local government party politics and local police stations.

Limited information was found on local government and police stations in Rajasthan specifically. In India generally, “[e]ndemic corruption exist[s] at all levels within the government and police”, according to the US Department of State. A 2007 article in The Hindu on police corruption states that “[p]olitical patronage has corrupted law enforcement”. In 1998 an interview in Rediff also notes that transfers and promotions “are made on political considerations”. With respect to Rajasthan specifically, a Transparency International India 2005 survey ranks the State as the fifth most corrupt state in a survey of 20 States in India. A majority of the respondents in Rajasthan considered the police department to be the most corrupt department in the State (US Department of State 2008, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 – India, March, Introduction – Attachment 28; Thakur, R. 2007, ‘India’s dysfunctional police’ 2007, the Hindu, 26 January – Attachment 29; ‘The police can only improve if the political structure changes’ 1998, Rediff, 16 February http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/feb/16issues.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 30; Transparency International India 2005, India Corruption Study 2005, October, p.5, 30-31 http://www.tiindia.in/data/files/India%20Corruption%20Study-2005.pdf – 18 October 2006 – Attachment 31). Politicisation of police in India generally An article dated 29 September 2006 in The Indian Express reports that the police “are now politicised to a degree that can be termed alarming.” The article continues stating that police “leadership has allowed itself to be manipulated by a political class that has misused the power of appointments and transfers to patronise weak and corrupt officers for their own selfish ends at the cost of public interest.” The article notes that the “main areas of political interference are appointments, transfers, rewards and punishments” as well as interference “in the investigation of politically sensitive crime or crime involving their party men” (‘A force to reckon with’ 2006, Indian Express, 29 September – Attachment 33).

Corruption in, and the politicisation of, India’s police force was the subject of a lengthy article which appeared in The Hindu on 26 January 2007. The article states that:

Policing has become more onerous and dangerous with escalating sectarian and political violence. Often, the police have to confront a political dilemma as well as a civil disturbance. They have to be sensitive to the possibility that today’s demonstrator at the receiving end of the police lathi may turn out to be tomorrow’s political master. In caste clashes, they have to maintain the fine line between inaction, over-vigorous action, and sectarian partiality and identification with one of the groups engaged in the clashes.

Political patronage has corrupted law enforcement. Police are often asked to file false charges against political opponents, or drop investigations against political allies. In some parts of the country, the practice is strongly institutionalised: the price of recruitment, promotion, and transfers for the various ranks is well known both to those seeking and dispensing political favours. Village police are used with surprising brazenness to harass, intimidate, and otherwise coerce local political or feudal rivals (Thakur, R. 2007, ‘India’s dysfunctional police’ 2007, the Hindu, 26 January – Attachment 29).

A 1998 interview with a former director general of police provides some general information on police and corruption in India, stating that:

Political neutrality in the services and objectivity in administrative decisions are becoming things of the past, the police included. Transfers of government servants to a lucrative station, promotion to higher posts, and extensions are made on political considerations (‘The police can only improve if the political structure changes’ 1998, Rediff, 16 February http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/feb/16issues.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 30).

5. What is “karishma”? If this term is a reference to the ability to tell the future, how “superstitious” is the local political scene about this “skill”?

As set out below, the available information indicates that the term “karishma” in Hindi means something magical or miraculous, and also has a somewhat similar meaning to the English word “charisma”. Limited information was found about the part played by astrology in local Rajasthan politics specifically, although sources indicate that the former Governor of Rajasthan (now President of India) is a strong believer in astrology. The available information also indicates that astrology is part of the Hindu belief system and is taken quite seriously by many in India. The term for Indian astrology is “Jyotish”, also known as Hindu or Vedic astrology (for article on president and astrology, see: ‘Astrologers hail Pratibha as President’ 2007, The Hindu, 26 July http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/26/stories/2007072656090500.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 34; for information on the popularity in India of “Vedic sciences” including astrology, see: Nanda, M. 2008, ‘Rush hour of the gods’, New Humanist, vol. 123, issue 2, March/April http://newhumanist.org.uk/1731 – Accessed 28 May 2008 – Attachment 35 and Anand, S. 2004, ‘The Politics And Economics Of Astrology’, Countercurrents.org, 19 November http://www.countercurrents.org/anand191104.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 36).

Karishma The Behind the Name website states that “karishma” means “miracle” in Sanskrit. Two Hindi-speaking Tribunal officers confirmed that “karishma” has “magical” connotations and has a similar meaning to the English word “charisma”. Among other definitions, Dictionary.com states that “charisma” is defined as “a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.” The word charisma is derived from the Greek “kharisma” meaning divine favour (‘Karishma’ (undated), Behind the Name website http://www.behindthename.com/name/karishma – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 37; ‘Charisma’ (undated), Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/charisma – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 38).

No information was found as to whether “karishma” has a special meaning in astrology.

Astrology A number of sources link the rise of Hindutva nationalism and the popularity of ancient Vedic “sciences” such as astrology. In two articles in The New Humanist, dated January 2005 and March 2008, Meera Nanda discusses the merging of “superstition” and “science” in India. She states that:

Hindu nationalists started invoking science in just about every speech and policy statement. But while they uttered the word ‘science’ – which in today’s world is understood as modern science – they meant astrology, or vastu, or Vedic creationism, or transcendental meditation or ancient humoral theory of disease taught by Ayuerveda. This was not just talk: state universities and colleges got big grants from the government to offer post-graduate degrees, including PhDs in astrology; research in vastu shastra, meditation, faith-healing, cow-urine and priest-craft was promoted with substantial injections of public money (Nanda, M. 2005, ‘Intellectual Treason’, New Humanist, vol. 120, issue 1, January/February http://newhumanist.org.uk/827 – Accessed 28 May 2008 – Attachment 39. See also: Nanda, M. 2008, ‘Rush hour of the gods’, New Humanist, vol. 123, issue 2, March/April http://newhumanist.org.uk/1731 – Accessed 28 May 2008 – Attachment 35).

A 2007 article in The Hindu reports on the swearing-in of Pratibha Patil, ex-Governor of Rajasthan, as India’s new President. The article notes the new President’s “profound faith” in astrology. Further:

Nirmala Sevani, an astrologer and adviser to Bharat Nirman, told reporters at the Pink City Press Club here that Ms. Patil’s interest in ancient Indian culture, reflected in her remarks in the run-up to the Presidential election, would help promote age-old disciplines such as yoga, meditation, astrology, palmistry, numerology, Vaastu and Nadigyan in the country during her term as the Head of State.

“Ms. Patil has depicted her deep faith in ancient Indian sciences and has been in constant touch with astrologers. We sincerely hope that her consultations with the practitioners of esoteric sciences would ensure a respectable place for these branches of knowledge,” said Ms. Sevani (‘Astrologers hail Pratibha as President’ 2007, The Hindu, 26 July http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/26/stories/2007072656090500.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 34; see also ‘International astrologers’ meet’ 2006, The Hindu, 26 June http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/26/stories/2006062610300500.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 40).

Another 2007 article reports on a teaching programme being considered in Rajasthan’s capital city, which would bring together “medical science, psychology and astrology” (‘A new look at astrology, medical science and psychological counselling’ 2007, The Hindu, 12 May http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/12/stories/2007051210780500.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 41).

A 2003 report includes “some excerpts from the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission for setting up Departments of Vedic Astrology in Universities”:

• “Vedic astrology is not only one of the main subjects of our traditional and classical knowledge but this is the discipline which lets us know the events happening in human life and in the universe on time scale.

• The distinguishing feature of this subject is that it makes us familiar with time, its nature and feature and its effects on human life and other events and that way it helps us to manage and make optimal utilization of time.

• It is a common feature that despite the best methods adapted for estimation, events happen in different ways and add to the worries, tensions and frustrations in life. Here Vedic Astrology can help to see the unforeseen, it being the subject dealing with time.

• Starting of the courses in Vedic Astrology in Universities will not only impart the knowledge of this subject to the people, but will also add a new dimension for research in the fields of Hindu-mathematics, Vastushastra, Meteorological Studies, Agricultural Science, Space Science etc” (International Initiative for Justice 2003, ‘Threatened Existence: A Feminist Analysis of the Genocide in Gujarat’, OnlineVolunteers website, 10 December, pp. 187-188 http://www.onlinevolunteers.org/gujarat/reports/iijg/2003/fullreport.pdf – Accessed 18 September 2007 – Attachment 42).

A 1998 Agence France-Presse article may also be of interest, noting India’s “traditional penchant for astrology” and also reporting that astrology was used to find a propitious time to launch their nuclear tests (‘India foxed foreign spies with red herring missile test, astrology’ 1998, Agence France-Presse, 15 May – Attachment 43).

Also see: Anand, S. 2004, ‘The Politics And Economics Of Astrology’, Countercurrents.org, 19 November http://www.countercurrents.org/anand191104.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008 – Attachment 36.

6. Please provide any other relevant information

No other unspecified relevant information was found.

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports Immigration & Refugee Board of Canada http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/index_e.htm UK Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ US Department of State http://www.state.gov/ International News & Politics BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Region Specific Links Frontline http://www.frontline.in/ Rajasthan Patrika http://www.rajasthanpatrika.com/ Rediff.com http://www.rediff.com/ Topic Specific Links Election Commission of India http://www.eci.gov.in/ Maps of India http://www.mapsofindia.com/ National Students’ Union of India http://nsui.in/ Rajasthan Government http://www.rajasthan.gov.in/ Rajasthan Police http://rajpolice.nic.in/indexfrm.htm ZIPNet Project http://www.tempweb23.nic.in/index.php?page=about Search Engines Ask.com http://www.ask.com/ Google http://www.google.com.au/ Intelways http://intelways.com/ Whois http://www.internic.net/whois.html ZoomInfo http://www.zoominfo.com/ Intelways http://intelways.com/

Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIAC Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Research & Information Services database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. Jaffrelot, C. (ed) 2007, ‘Hindu Nationalism: A Reader’, Princeton University Press website, 25 April http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8560.html – Accessed 27 June 2007.

2. ‘Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad – Background’ (undated), ABVP website http://www.abvp.org/index1.htm – Accessed 15 March 2002.

3. ‘Rahul Gandhi appointed Cong general secretary’ 2007, ExpressIndia.com, 24 September http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Rahul-Gandhi-appointed-Cong- general-secretary/220549/ – Accessed 30 May 2008.

4. Ramachandran, S. 2006, ‘Campus elections: Party time is over’, The Tribune, 14 October http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061014/saturday/main1.htm – Accessed 30 May 2008.

5. ‘Rajasthan wakes up, closes all colleges’ 1998, Indian Express, 14 November http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981114/31850554.html – Accessed 30 May 2008. 6. Mazumder, S. 1998, ‘Campus credos swing with political fortunes’, Indian Express, 6 November http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981106/31050934.html – Accessed 2 June 2008.

7. ‘Canvassing ABVP candidate stabbed in college canteen’ 1998, Indian Express, 9 September http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19980909/25251834.html – Accessed 2 June 2008.

8. Messias, L. 1997, ‘Violence haunts AP universities’, Gulf News, 25 November.

9. ‘Report of the Institutional Accreditation of G.H.S. Government College, Sujangarh- 331 507 Dist. Churu, Rajasthan’ (undated), National Assessment and Accreditation Council website http://naacindia.org/Reports/G.H.S. Govt. College, Sujangarh, RJ.doc – Accessed 30 May 2008.

10. ‘About College’ (undated), M.L.V. Government College website http://www.uniraj.ernet.in/~mlvgc/abtcollege.html – Accessed 2 June 2008.

11. Election Commission of India 1993, Statistical Report on General Election, 1993, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_1993/StatRep_RJ_93.pdf – Accessed 30 May 2008.

12. Election Commission of India 1998, Statistical Report on General Election, 1998, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://eci.gov.in/infoeci/key_stat/keystat_fs.htm – Accessed 15 April 2002.

13. Election Commission of India 2003, Statistical Report on General Election, 2003, to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Election Commission of India website http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_NOV_2003/StatisticalReports_RAJ_Nov 2003.pdf – Accessed 30 May 2008.

14. ‘Gehlot inducts 31 ministers in 2-tier council’ 1998, Rediff, 5 December http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/dec/05rajas.htm – Accessed 2 June 2008.

15. ‘Another Gehlot minister lands in ACD net’ 2005, Indian Express, 27 April.

16. Sebastian, S. 2003, ‘Inheritance issue puts – Congress in a fix’, The Hindu, 21 October.

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