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Progressive Utilisation Theory Propounded by - Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar PROUT - Cry of the Suffering Humanity

What is PROUT : PROUT is an acronym for the Progressive Utilization Theory. Conceptualized in 1959 by Indian Philosopher Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, PROUT is a viable alternative to the outmoded capitalist and communist socio-economic paradigms. Neither of these approaches has adequately met the physical, mental and spiritual needs of humanity. PROUT seeks a harmonious balance between economic growth, social development and cultural expression. Combining the wisdom of spirituality, the struggle for self-reliance, and the spirit of economic democracy, Proutist intellectuals and activists are attempting to create a new civilizational discourse. PROUT newsmagazine aims at conveying comprehensive and visionary goals of PROUT Philosophy. PROUT magazine invites scientists, economists, politicians, artists, intellectuals and others to join us in the creation of a new, spiritually bonded society by propagating and popularising unambiguous elevating thoughts. Through Proutistic views and Neo Humanistic analysis, it strives to serve as beacon for the benighted civilization of our times.

Main principles of PROUT and Neo-Humanism Neo-humanism : Neo-humanism expands the humanistic love for all human beings to include love and respect for all creation - plants, animals and even inanimate objects. Neo-humanism provides a philosophical basis for creating a new era of ecological balance, planetary citizenship and cosmic kinship. Basic Necessities Guaranteed to All : People can not strive toward their highest human aspirations if they are lacking the basic requirements of life. PROUT believes that access to food, shelter, clothing, education and medical care are fundamental human rights which must be guaranteed to all. Balanced Economy : Prout advocates regional self-reliance, cooperatively owned and managed businesses, local control of large scale key industries, and limits on the individual accumulation of excessive wealth. Women's Right: PROUT encourages the struggle against all forms of violence and exploitation used to suppress women. PROUT's goal is coordinated cooperation, with equal rights between men and women. Cultural Diversity: In the spirit of universal fellowship PROUT encourages the protection and cultivation of local culture, language, history and tradition. World Government: PROUT supports the creation of world government with a global constitution and a common penal code. {Song No. 4087}

JE ÁGUN JVÁLIYE GELE, The fire that You have ignited In all minds by Your mysterious, divine drama; JE ÁGUN JVÁLIYE GELE, That fire shall not be extinguished at any time. SABÁR MANE LIILÁCHALE; The melodies in which You sung Your songs SE ÁGUN NIVABE NÁ KONO KÁLE Those songs by which You gave Your love JE SURE GÁN GEYECHO, Are all mingled and merged in this Earth. JE GÁNE BHÁLOBESECHO That fire shall not be extinguished at any time. MISHE ÁCHE TÁ DHARÁTALE, SE ÁGUN NIVABE NÁ KONO KÁLE Your rectitude and straightforwardness Your impartiality, equality and RJUTÁ SAMATÁ TOMÁR, identification (with all) ÁÁ ÁÁ ÁÁ Has formed the foundation of social equality (sama-samaja). RJUTÁ SAMATÁ TOMÁR, That sweetness (of sama-samaja) SAMA SAMÁJE BHITTI JÁR Will remain for ages upon ages THEKE JÁBE MÁDHURII TÁR, Amongst the animate and inanimate beings. YUGA YUGÁNTE CALÁCALE That fire shall not be extinguished at any time. SE ÁGUN NIVABE NÁ KONO KÁLE

O Beloved TUMI PRIYA GUŃÁTIITA, You are beyond all qualities and ÁÁ ÁÁ ÁÁ qualification (gunas) TUMI PRIYA GUŃÁTIITA, Your divine Form is established ARÚPA ÁDHÁR RÚPE STHITA In the foundation of Formlessness. SAḾKALPE APARIMITA Your samkalpas (decrees) are limitless SVAYAḾ SIDDHA TAPO BALE You are self-perfected and self-established SE ÁGUN NIVABE NÁ KONO KÁLE By the strength of Your Suffering and austerities (tapas) JE ÁGUN JVÁLIYE GELE, (For humanity and all created beings). SABÁR MANE LIILÁCHALE; That fire shall not be extinguished at any time. SE ÁGUN NIVABE NÁ KONO KÁLE Contents Volume 29 | Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2018

How Four Projects Treat Them Today

08 COORDINATED COOPERATION 29 HIDDEN AGENDA Women's Rights PSU Banks Write Off Rs 55,356 Crore in Six Months 09 LAW AND JUSTICE 38 WOMEN POWER A Great Betrayal A Radical Passion for Justice 42 Human Rights 11 FOOD SECURITY Food Sovereignty in a Nutshell Losing Hope: Who will give Kashmiri Pandits Justice 43 Exploitation 13 STATE OPPRESSION As Formal Farm Credit Grows, So Does Hold of Tortures Inflicted Upon Shrii Shrii Anandamurti Moneylenders. Here’s Why and the Administration of Poison to Him 18 WOMEN'S DISCRIMINATION REGULARS Close the Gender Pay Gap - How Far Are We? 05 Editorial 06 Letters 22 ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY Contrasting the Legacy of Political Democracy 07 Inspirational with the Prospects of Economic Democracy 46 Activities

Editor Editorial Board A'ca'rya Santosananda Avadhuta A'ca'rya Acyutananda Avadhuta / A'ca'rya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta / Sohail Inayatullah General Manager: Pranav Koul Business Director : Hanuman Khanduri Circulation Manager: Ramkesh Choudhary Correspondents: Kanhu Charan Behura / Rajesh Singh / Ravindra Singh Layout & Design: Suman Jha / Heera Pramanik

Rate (INDIA) Payments in India may be made by cheque favouring Neo-Humanist Education Foundation Newstand Price - ` 25/- mailed to Acarya Santosananda Avadhuta, JC-48, Khirki Extension, Main Road, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi 110017 Annual Subscription - ` 275/- For outstation remittance from non computerized banks/branches add Rs 30.00 for bank clearance charges. Two Years Subscription - ` 520/- Or amounts may be deposited directly to any branch of the State Bank of India as per details below: Three Years Subscription - ` 730/- Neo-Humanist Education Foundation, State Bank of India, Malviya Nagar Branch, C-30 Malviya Nagar, New Delhi 110017 Five Years Subscription - ` 1100/- A/C No. 30379188250 IFSC SBIN0001493 Ten Years Subscription - ` 1800/- Overseas remittances may be made by Paypal using id [email protected] Overseas (BY AIRMAIL) or electronic bank transfer referring above details and Swift Code SBININBB382 Annual - US$ 45 Overseas (By Paypal) Head Office : Prout Bhawan, JC-48, Khirki Extension For enquiries, please contact : US - US$ 45 Main Road, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi - 110017 Mobile No(s). : 9350860274, 9810625082, 9891826488 Others - US$ 50 Mobile No. : 09212199658, 9810625082 Email : [email protected] Email : [email protected] Printed and Published by Acarya Santosananda Avadhuta on behalf of Neo Humanist Education Foundation and printed at Royal Press B-82, Okhla Industrial Area Phase-1, New Delhi - 110 020 and published from JC-48, Khirki Extension, main Road, Malviyanagar, New Delhi - 110 017 Editor : Acarya Santosananda Avadhuta

/// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 03 From the Editor's Desk 2G and Our Corporate Chaprasi Parties “Hence, non-struggle – the absence of struggle – is but The verdict is out - the accused in the 2G scam declared innocent and even the existence of the scam is denied. Since Rahul Gandhi’s America visit, strong propaganda in favour of him has been appearing in the corporate another name for death. It has been My constant media. The corrupt dynastic Congress was re-branded “Grand Old Party” copying the US Republican party. Then came the Gujarat elections where the prince was showcased as Prime Minister material. Now comes this endeavour to arouse this spirit of struggle in you; judgement which enables the Congress to claim that the entire 2G case (which was a principal factor in their loss of the 2014 elections) was itself a fake news scam. I have never encouraged aversion towards struggle.” The alleged villain of this fake news scam whom the Congress demands be investigated is Vinod Rai, former CAG who first exposed the scam (and the Coal Scam) in 2010 and received several awards for this. The NDA rewarded him by granting him the Padma Bhushan. Normally, post-retirement CAG chiefs do not accept any – Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar sinecures. Rai broke with tradition when the PM made him head of the Banks Board Bureau much like how a senior justice in the Sohrabuddin Encounter case was unprecendently made Governor after retirement (and after the death of Justice Loya). However, in February 2012, the Supreme Court held in a public interest suit that the issue of 122 telecom 2G licences to 9 companies in 2008 was “arbitrary and unconstitutional” for using a "first come, first serve" system that “gifted away important natural asset at throw-away prices” and thus declared them canceled. Later when the BJP held auctions for these licenses they received much larger amounts of money. Thus, if according to the new judgement, the Congress is not guilty of criminal conspiracy, then certainly it is guilty of criminal negligence. Does such a party perpetrating such practices that gave a green light to corruption deserve to be back in power? This party allowed DMK MPs to be accused for the 2G scam and lifted not a finger to defend their own minister – Fundamental Principles of PROUT should such spinelessness be rewarded? Furthermore, the December 2017 judgement holds that 2 secretaries of the PM were guilty of misleading both No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the the PM and Raja and hence bear primary responsibility for any irregularities in the licenses. Does the Congress clear permission or approval of the collective body expect the country to believe that such massive criminal negligence was solely masterminded and conducted by two secretaries? If so, then why is not the Congress demanding these secretaries be investigated? Then there is the CBI scam. In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court in November 2014, ordered then CBI director Sinha to completely keep off the 2G case as it found prima facie "credible" the charges that he had attempted to help the accused in the spectrum scam. This CBI scam did not end in 2014. In the final judgement, There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, Special CBI Judge Saini stated that the CBI had “miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused.” supra mundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe Saini in one part of the judgement states how the quality of prosecution declined in the last few years under the BJP. He ends by blaming the special public prosecutor (Anand Grover) and the regular CBI prosecutor, saying “they were moving in two different directions without any coordination”. So then is the BJP as incompetent/corrupt as the Congress? The answer lies in the fact that the media hype around the 2G case ignored who were the real prime accused – There should be maximum utilization of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual the Ruias of Essar and Anil Ambani. Anil Ambani escaped prosecution by becoming a government witness against potentialities of unit and collective body of the human society. his own company. But on the witness-stand he claimed to have a “memory loss” and did not implicate anyone in his company. Surprisingly, (perhaps not too surprisingly) no prosecutor tried to penalize him for violating his promise to testify to his company corruption in Court. The Essar accused were also given special treatment by the BJP. Previously they had been denied permission to leave the country. However, in December 2015, the PM invited them to be part of a national delegation to There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, Moscow and for the first time the CBI gave permission. Not only that, after Modi’s trip, Ruia visited Athens, mundane, supra mundane and spiritual utilizations. Greece for a family holiday, then flew to London and finally spent a day in Dubai for a day for a “holiday with family”. Truly royal treatment while countless poor undertrials rot in jail for up to 10 years. Small wonder that even Subramaniam Swamy after the judgement said (in an uncharacteristic understatement) that his party is not serious about fighting corruption. Politically the case has paid off also for the BJP now that the PM has visited DMK head Karunanidhi and a The method of utilization should vary in accordance with the changes in time, possible alliance may be on the cards (after a pro quid quo?) now that their MPs are declared innocent. We can only space and person and the utilization should be of progressive nature. contrast the 2G case with the Fodder scam in which Lalu Yadav (inveterate foe of the BJP) was found guilty. This was a “typical” corruption case in which no corporates were charged, and many government officials were found guilty. Some have expressed surprise that former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra was found innocent in this case. Actually, this is not all too surprising, considering that he joined the NDA in 2015. 04 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 05 From the Editor's Desk 2G and Our Corporate Chaprasi Parties “Hence, non-struggle – the absence of struggle – is but The verdict is out - the accused in the 2G scam declared innocent and even the existence of the scam is denied. Since Rahul Gandhi’s America visit, strong propaganda in favour of him has been appearing in the corporate another name for death. It has been My constant media. The corrupt dynastic Congress was re-branded “Grand Old Party” copying the US Republican party. Then came the Gujarat elections where the prince was showcased as Prime Minister material. Now comes this endeavour to arouse this spirit of struggle in you; judgement which enables the Congress to claim that the entire 2G case (which was a principal factor in their loss of the 2014 elections) was itself a fake news scam. I have never encouraged aversion towards struggle.” The alleged villain of this fake news scam whom the Congress demands be investigated is Vinod Rai, former CAG who first exposed the scam (and the Coal Scam) in 2010 and received several awards for this. The NDA rewarded him by granting him the Padma Bhushan. Normally, post-retirement CAG chiefs do not accept any – Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar sinecures. Rai broke with tradition when the PM made him head of the Banks Board Bureau much like how a senior justice in the Sohrabuddin Encounter case was unprecendently made Governor after retirement (and after the death of Justice Loya). However, in February 2012, the Supreme Court held in a public interest suit that the issue of 122 telecom 2G licences to 9 companies in 2008 was “arbitrary and unconstitutional” for using a "first come, first serve" system that “gifted away important natural asset at throw-away prices” and thus declared them canceled. Later when the BJP held auctions for these licenses they received much larger amounts of money. Thus, if according to the new judgement, the Congress is not guilty of criminal conspiracy, then certainly it is guilty of criminal negligence. Does such a party perpetrating such practices that gave a green light to corruption deserve to be back in power? This party allowed DMK MPs to be accused for the 2G scam and lifted not a finger to defend their own minister – Fundamental Principles of PROUT should such spinelessness be rewarded? Furthermore, the December 2017 judgement holds that 2 secretaries of the PM were guilty of misleading both No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the the PM and Raja and hence bear primary responsibility for any irregularities in the licenses. Does the Congress clear permission or approval of the collective body expect the country to believe that such massive criminal negligence was solely masterminded and conducted by two secretaries? If so, then why is not the Congress demanding these secretaries be investigated? Then there is the CBI scam. In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court in November 2014, ordered then CBI director Sinha to completely keep off the 2G case as it found prima facie "credible" the charges that he had attempted to help the accused in the spectrum scam. This CBI scam did not end in 2014. In the final judgement, There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, Special CBI Judge Saini stated that the CBI had “miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused.” supra mundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe Saini in one part of the judgement states how the quality of prosecution declined in the last few years under the BJP. He ends by blaming the special public prosecutor (Anand Grover) and the regular CBI prosecutor, saying “they were moving in two different directions without any coordination”. So then is the BJP as incompetent/corrupt as the Congress? The answer lies in the fact that the media hype around the 2G case ignored who were the real prime accused – There should be maximum utilization of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual the Ruias of Essar and Anil Ambani. Anil Ambani escaped prosecution by becoming a government witness against potentialities of unit and collective body of the human society. his own company. But on the witness-stand he claimed to have a “memory loss” and did not implicate anyone in his company. Surprisingly, (perhaps not too surprisingly) no prosecutor tried to penalize him for violating his promise to testify to his company corruption in Court. The Essar accused were also given special treatment by the BJP. Previously they had been denied permission to leave the country. However, in December 2015, the PM invited them to be part of a national delegation to There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, Moscow and for the first time the CBI gave permission. Not only that, after Modi’s trip, Ruia visited Athens, mundane, supra mundane and spiritual utilizations. Greece for a family holiday, then flew to London and finally spent a day in Dubai for a day for a “holiday with family”. Truly royal treatment while countless poor undertrials rot in jail for up to 10 years. Small wonder that even Subramaniam Swamy after the judgement said (in an uncharacteristic understatement) that his party is not serious about fighting corruption. Politically the case has paid off also for the BJP now that the PM has visited DMK head Karunanidhi and a The method of utilization should vary in accordance with the changes in time, possible alliance may be on the cards (after a pro quid quo?) now that their MPs are declared innocent. We can only space and person and the utilization should be of progressive nature. contrast the 2G case with the Fodder scam in which Lalu Yadav (inveterate foe of the BJP) was found guilty. This was a “typical” corruption case in which no corporates were charged, and many government officials were found guilty. Some have expressed surprise that former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra was found innocent in this case. Actually, this is not all too surprising, considering that he joined the NDA in 2015. 04 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 05 many people know that freedom fighters minorities in rich countries. And the Inspirational like Damodar Svarup, socialists like number 1 victim in every country is Acharya Narendra Deva and seers like women. Women need to stop being Aurobindo were not in favour of it? How fooled by various male ideologies. We many know that large portions of the need a women’s revolution to take back Constitution were copied from the control of every community on this British Government of India Act? How planet. Capitalism, communism, many know that in later years, Dr casteism, religion are all diseases The Present Crisis Living Beings and Their Ambedkar rejected the Constitution? created by male psychology. Now is the Mentality Today many of those who complain time to end liberate humanity from the James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) about these facts, fail to realise that this swamp of this patriarchical mindset. This was another remarkable article I imposition of the constitution is actually And that will not happen without a have seen in Prout on what is sentiment. our national tradition. Did anyone vote revolutionary struggle. The longer we When a deed is done for Freedom, through the broad earth's aching breast Once again it is said that the key to for the Manu Smriti? No, it was enforced delay, the more women will be enslaved solving the problem of narrow social by the sword just as the Koran was and abused in the millions all over the sentiments is sama-samaja tattva. The during the days of Aurangzeb. So, the world. Runs a thrill of joy prophetic, trembling on from east to west, question however that keeps coming to point is, that this authoritarian culture Chinnomosta Debi, Ramgarh me is that why is it that no one is working And the slave, where'er he cowers, feels the soul within him climb must end. We need a national Compensatory Afforestation for sama-samaja? Is there any follower conversation to create a consensus for a To the awful verge of manhood, as the energy sublime of PROUT anywhere in the world who is genuine constitution. And that must be There is a war on forests worldwide. The working for the realization of sama- based on the principle of Artha Azadi, way in which the logging companies Of a century bursts full-blossomed on the thorny stem of Time. samaja? The word “sama-samaja” was without which all other Azadi is fool’s scientifically destroy forests at once the name of a popular Trotskyist gold. maximum speed is like high-tech killing party in Sri Lanka and many people Reba Mahato, Chaibasa in war. The way in which companies devoted their lives to this failed, fraud bribe politicians, rewrite laws, kill For mankind are one in spirit, and an instinct bears along, movement. The question then is, if State Land Grabbing protesters is also just like in a war. The Round the earth's electric circle, the swift flash of right or wrong; Proutists are not serious about sama- You see, there are activists who work for reality is that human civilization is an samaja, then will not this innate human years to mobilise people against a law omnivore, killing countless species. But Whether conscious or unconscious, yet Humanity's vast frame desire be exploited by opportunistic that enables land-grabbing. After great all of us are dependent on the forests. vocal revolutionaries? struggle, imprisonment and murder of When forests die, so do entire Through its ocean-sundered fibres feels the gush of joy or shame; Sanghamitra Deva, Kandy innocent victims, the law is changed and ecosystems and when ecosystems die made “better”. Then what happens – the we have famines in which humans die. In the gain or loss of one race all the rest have equal claim. Wage Code Bill 2017 corporates pay a state neta to change the Ultimately the truth is this war on the Truly great are our corporates who write state laws to help them loot the state. forest is a suicidal war that will destroy our laws and get our netas to put their And the biggest sham is that these humanity. However, no one has the Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, thumbprint and enforce it with the changed laws are treated as holier books courage to stop the capitalists behind police. Instead of saying that they want than the Koran and Vedas. Does anyone this war on the forest. The reality is, by In the strife of Truth with Falsehood, for the good or evil side; to get rid of the minimum wage, they re- know what the English word “juris- doing so, we are signing our own death Some great cause, God's new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight, brand it as a “flexible” minimum wage prudence” means? It means a person warrant as a species on this planet. and talk of states’ rights. Now, we all who is “skilled” in juris. Juris is a Latin Veeramma Kuruba, Chamrajnagar know how certain states like Jharkhand word meaning “a right”. So, and Madhya Pradesh are cannibalized jurisprudence is the science of skillfully Indian Medical Service Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right, by the Marwaris and other elites who upholding the rights of the rich elites. Such a nice idea – such an impossible And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light. control the corporations. What this The word Juris comes from the word dream. You see, we sell so many lies – wonderful bill does, is to make it “ious” meaning a sacred formula of a like the idea of public healthcare, possible to change the laws of these religious sect of elite citizens. Is this not poverty alleviation. So many sincere states to bring back the good old days of a perfect description of what this British workers are there, struggling to survive Hast thou chosen, O my people, on whose party thou shalt stand, Manurajya, when all worked as slaves. law system in India is – a mumbo-jumbo amid the sordid reality of underfunding, Ere the Doom from its worn sandals shakes the dust against our land? When workers get such low wages, malign spell (in a language most of the corruption (looting) and systemic when they have no work security or country barely understands) that helps heartlessness at the Centre. We do not labour rights, when mafias are allowed foreign corporates loot the country need to read about beautiful ideas today. to discipline workers – this truly will through their chamcha Brown Britisher We need to understand how cowards Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes,they were souls that stood alone, come the Rashtra that so many of our corporates? like you and I can rouse our courage and While the men they agonized for hurled the contumelious stone, social parasites have been dreaming of Rashid Mehta, Pune fight for the medical rights of every for the last 1200 years since the citizen. It is not going to happen by Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam incline hegemony of the caste gulami-rajya was 40 Million Slaves in the World The article tells us that slavery has been pushing a button every 5 years to vote broken. for a neta purchased by pharma To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine, Subodh Walgankar, Nagpur booming with the rise of corporate globalization. Slavery like today is even corporates and private hospitals. It is By one man's plain truth to manhood and to God's supreme design. Constituent Assembly Debates worse – more violent, more exploitative going to happen when we are ready to This is the one speech of the Constituent than during the glory days of early put our life on the line to fight for the Assembly every Indian needs to read. capitalism. Slavery for the tribals and right of every citizen – to live out their (Excerpts: for the full poem How many people know that the other victimized social groups is a natural lives to a ripe old age in sound visit https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/present-crisis ) Constituent Assembly was created by fundamental part of capitalism just as is mind and health. persons chosen by the British? How unemployment among the social Janardan Pandey, Kaushambi 06 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 07 many people know that freedom fighters minorities in rich countries. And the Inspirational like Damodar Svarup, socialists like number 1 victim in every country is Acharya Narendra Deva and seers like women. Women need to stop being Aurobindo were not in favour of it? How fooled by various male ideologies. We many know that large portions of the need a women’s revolution to take back Constitution were copied from the control of every community on this British Government of India Act? How planet. Capitalism, communism, many know that in later years, Dr casteism, religion are all diseases The Present Crisis Living Beings and Their Ambedkar rejected the Constitution? created by male psychology. Now is the Mentality Today many of those who complain time to end liberate humanity from the James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) about these facts, fail to realise that this swamp of this patriarchical mindset. This was another remarkable article I imposition of the constitution is actually And that will not happen without a have seen in Prout on what is sentiment. our national tradition. Did anyone vote revolutionary struggle. The longer we When a deed is done for Freedom, through the broad earth's aching breast Once again it is said that the key to for the Manu Smriti? No, it was enforced delay, the more women will be enslaved solving the problem of narrow social by the sword just as the Koran was and abused in the millions all over the sentiments is sama-samaja tattva. The during the days of Aurangzeb. So, the world. Runs a thrill of joy prophetic, trembling on from east to west, question however that keeps coming to point is, that this authoritarian culture Chinnomosta Debi, Ramgarh me is that why is it that no one is working And the slave, where'er he cowers, feels the soul within him climb must end. We need a national Compensatory Afforestation for sama-samaja? Is there any follower conversation to create a consensus for a To the awful verge of manhood, as the energy sublime of PROUT anywhere in the world who is genuine constitution. And that must be There is a war on forests worldwide. The working for the realization of sama- based on the principle of Artha Azadi, way in which the logging companies Of a century bursts full-blossomed on the thorny stem of Time. samaja? The word “sama-samaja” was without which all other Azadi is fool’s scientifically destroy forests at once the name of a popular Trotskyist gold. maximum speed is like high-tech killing party in Sri Lanka and many people Reba Mahato, Chaibasa in war. The way in which companies devoted their lives to this failed, fraud bribe politicians, rewrite laws, kill For mankind are one in spirit, and an instinct bears along, movement. The question then is, if State Land Grabbing protesters is also just like in a war. The Round the earth's electric circle, the swift flash of right or wrong; Proutists are not serious about sama- You see, there are activists who work for reality is that human civilization is an samaja, then will not this innate human years to mobilise people against a law omnivore, killing countless species. But Whether conscious or unconscious, yet Humanity's vast frame desire be exploited by opportunistic that enables land-grabbing. After great all of us are dependent on the forests. vocal revolutionaries? struggle, imprisonment and murder of When forests die, so do entire Through its ocean-sundered fibres feels the gush of joy or shame; Sanghamitra Deva, Kandy innocent victims, the law is changed and ecosystems and when ecosystems die made “better”. Then what happens – the we have famines in which humans die. In the gain or loss of one race all the rest have equal claim. Wage Code Bill 2017 corporates pay a state neta to change the Ultimately the truth is this war on the Truly great are our corporates who write state laws to help them loot the state. forest is a suicidal war that will destroy our laws and get our netas to put their And the biggest sham is that these humanity. However, no one has the Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, thumbprint and enforce it with the changed laws are treated as holier books courage to stop the capitalists behind police. Instead of saying that they want than the Koran and Vedas. Does anyone this war on the forest. The reality is, by In the strife of Truth with Falsehood, for the good or evil side; to get rid of the minimum wage, they re- know what the English word “juris- doing so, we are signing our own death Some great cause, God's new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight, brand it as a “flexible” minimum wage prudence” means? It means a person warrant as a species on this planet. and talk of states’ rights. Now, we all who is “skilled” in juris. Juris is a Latin Veeramma Kuruba, Chamrajnagar know how certain states like Jharkhand word meaning “a right”. So, and Madhya Pradesh are cannibalized jurisprudence is the science of skillfully Indian Medical Service Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right, by the Marwaris and other elites who upholding the rights of the rich elites. Such a nice idea – such an impossible And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light. control the corporations. What this The word Juris comes from the word dream. You see, we sell so many lies – wonderful bill does, is to make it “ious” meaning a sacred formula of a like the idea of public healthcare, possible to change the laws of these religious sect of elite citizens. Is this not poverty alleviation. So many sincere states to bring back the good old days of a perfect description of what this British workers are there, struggling to survive Hast thou chosen, O my people, on whose party thou shalt stand, Manurajya, when all worked as slaves. law system in India is – a mumbo-jumbo amid the sordid reality of underfunding, Ere the Doom from its worn sandals shakes the dust against our land? When workers get such low wages, malign spell (in a language most of the corruption (looting) and systemic when they have no work security or country barely understands) that helps heartlessness at the Centre. We do not labour rights, when mafias are allowed foreign corporates loot the country need to read about beautiful ideas today. to discipline workers – this truly will through their chamcha Brown Britisher We need to understand how cowards Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes,they were souls that stood alone, come the Rashtra that so many of our corporates? like you and I can rouse our courage and While the men they agonized for hurled the contumelious stone, social parasites have been dreaming of Rashid Mehta, Pune fight for the medical rights of every for the last 1200 years since the citizen. It is not going to happen by Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam incline hegemony of the caste gulami-rajya was 40 Million Slaves in the World The article tells us that slavery has been pushing a button every 5 years to vote broken. for a neta purchased by pharma To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine, Subodh Walgankar, Nagpur booming with the rise of corporate globalization. Slavery like today is even corporates and private hospitals. It is By one man's plain truth to manhood and to God's supreme design. Constituent Assembly Debates worse – more violent, more exploitative going to happen when we are ready to This is the one speech of the Constituent than during the glory days of early put our life on the line to fight for the Assembly every Indian needs to read. capitalism. Slavery for the tribals and right of every citizen – to live out their (Excerpts: for the full poem How many people know that the other victimized social groups is a natural lives to a ripe old age in sound visit https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/present-crisis ) Constituent Assembly was created by fundamental part of capitalism just as is mind and health. persons chosen by the British? How unemployment among the social Janardan Pandey, Kaushambi 06 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 07 COORDINATED COOPERATION LAW & JUSTICE A Great Betrayal Upendra Baxi Women's Rights State impunity continues for acts of torture. February 19, 2016 was an unusual day in the world history of torture Lawmakers and court have not stepped up to “When the fighting starts, My daughters will be out in front.” when Ashwani Kumar, a senior advocate and former Union minister their duty Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar of law, filed a petition before the Supreme Court of India to ensure a Constitution came into force), the petitioner did not ever ask for a standalone law compliant with the SC dismissed the petition. Relying mandamus in the first place because UN Torture Convention. The Rajya on judicial observations as widely it would violate the supremacy of Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar Sabha Committee's unanimous reported in the media, the court Parliament in its own legislative report (December 10, 2012) mentioned three related grounds. domain. The prayers before the e, men and women, are design, dogmas were created which women and their psycho-economic virtually rewrote the Torture Bill First, Chief Justice Dipak Misra Court did not ask for enforcing a the progeny of the same l e d t o p s y c h o - e c o n o m i c exploitation through the evil design passed by the Lok Sabha on asked: “How can we compel the treaty by a court order. The question Supreme Consciousness. exploitation. Dogmas were of dogmas. To abolish dogma and December 6, 2010. On July 8, the government to make a law? Can we of compelling the legislature to W Union sought the advice of the Law Women and men are equally divine cunningly popularized and women liberate women from psychic ask the government to ratify a treaty make a law also never arose. The and inherit similar and equal rights were degenerated to slavery. exploitation, there should be: Commission of India with specific by way of a mandamus [judicial suggestive jurisprudence of the SC to life, liberty and expression. The Psychic exploitation has been • Free education for all women in r e f e r e n c e t o t h e p e n d i n g command]?” Second, Justice D.Y. is as old as the court itself and the significance of life does not lie only infused into the minds of women and all countries of the world. constitutional litigation. It Chandrachud said “the government p e t i t i o n e r p a i n s t a k i n g l y in living. Animals also live. But life many symbols which are religiously • No discrimination in the social, responded (October 30, 2017) with a has to take a political decision on demonstrated this. The SC has used to us means something more – rather observed are nothing but symbols of educational and religious realms. torture bill of 2017, which mostly whether it should ratify the treaty”. this power on many subjects something much more. slavery. In many religions of the • The provision of economic and followed the Rajya Sabha Standing Third, when Ashwani Kumar c o n c e r n i n g , f o r e x a m p l e , To us life means living for a world today women are not allowed social security to all women. Committee and the UN Convention. maintained that it was the duty of the participative decision-making, great cause. Life implies the to become priests in the religious We stand to create a powerful, The SC was expected to perform its court to fill the gaps in written law, forest rights, right to information, endeavour to have the freedom to hierarchy. dynamic and upsurging social nudge function, exercising its Justice A.M. Khanwilkar observed: ragging on campus, right to express one’s potentialities in the Women’s exploitation is more consciousness, especially among demosprudential adjudicatory “But it is a policy matter”. education, judicial services, inter- physical, economic, psychic and or less the same everywhere. Is it not women, so that they are inspired to leadership, as it has done frequently. The learned chief justice was country adoptions, consumer spiritual realms. It means real a fact that in many countries even rise, abolish dogma and annihilate But in 2017 on November 26 correct in the abstract but j u r i s p r u d e n c e , s u s t a i n a b l e liberty and not license to commit franchise rights were not given all symbols of slavery, and usher in a (otherwise the day on which the disappointing in the context; the development law, and privacy anything good or bad. equally to men and women? new era of coordinated cooperation rights. The SC remains open to In the annals of human history Even today women are slaves and glorious achievement. Let nudge a slow-moving legislature we do find women whose memory to the male-dominated social order. women be the vanguard of a new into quick action. glorifies not only womanhood, but This is not only bad but deplorable. revolution which humanity must This nudging role becomes the entire human world. In We should decry such domination of achieve for a glorious tomorrow. most crucial for effectively philosophy and spirituality, social preventing and punishing the reform and educational pursuits, rampant torture practices in policing science and technology, they stand and security operations. The SC is second to none. Women are found no stranger to such requests for discussing the riddles of philosophy, a d v a n c i n g c o n s t i t u t i o n a l solving problems of social and civilisation. It has already steadily educational reform, and are converted adjudication into the site inspiring men in times of struggle. of demosprudence and issued They have their potentiality no less several directions desiring an than men. The difference in natural abatement of this practice. The writ and biological characteristics assumed importance because nearly between men and women speaks two decades after India signed the only of coordinated cooperation, not Torture Convention, the Indian state of subordinated cooperation. practice has been, to say the least, Yet the annals of history depict shameful. the sad and painful episodes of Justice Chandrachud was also women’s exploitation throughout broadly justified in saying that treaty the world. To fulfil this sinister ratification was a matter of political 08 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 09 COORDINATED COOPERATION LAW & JUSTICE A Great Betrayal Upendra Baxi Women's Rights State impunity continues for acts of torture. February 19, 2016 was an unusual day in the world history of torture Lawmakers and court have not stepped up to “When the fighting starts, My daughters will be out in front.” when Ashwani Kumar, a senior advocate and former Union minister their duty Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar of law, filed a petition before the Supreme Court of India to ensure a Constitution came into force), the petitioner did not ever ask for a standalone law compliant with the SC dismissed the petition. Relying mandamus in the first place because UN Torture Convention. The Rajya on judicial observations as widely it would violate the supremacy of Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar Sabha Committee's unanimous reported in the media, the court Parliament in its own legislative report (December 10, 2012) mentioned three related grounds. domain. The prayers before the e, men and women, are design, dogmas were created which women and their psycho-economic virtually rewrote the Torture Bill First, Chief Justice Dipak Misra Court did not ask for enforcing a the progeny of the same l e d t o p s y c h o - e c o n o m i c exploitation through the evil design passed by the Lok Sabha on asked: “How can we compel the treaty by a court order. The question Supreme Consciousness. exploitation. Dogmas were of dogmas. To abolish dogma and December 6, 2010. On July 8, the government to make a law? Can we of compelling the legislature to W Union sought the advice of the Law Women and men are equally divine cunningly popularized and women liberate women from psychic ask the government to ratify a treaty make a law also never arose. The and inherit similar and equal rights were degenerated to slavery. exploitation, there should be: Commission of India with specific by way of a mandamus [judicial suggestive jurisprudence of the SC to life, liberty and expression. The Psychic exploitation has been • Free education for all women in r e f e r e n c e t o t h e p e n d i n g command]?” Second, Justice D.Y. is as old as the court itself and the significance of life does not lie only infused into the minds of women and all countries of the world. constitutional litigation. It Chandrachud said “the government p e t i t i o n e r p a i n s t a k i n g l y in living. Animals also live. But life many symbols which are religiously • No discrimination in the social, responded (October 30, 2017) with a has to take a political decision on demonstrated this. The SC has used to us means something more – rather observed are nothing but symbols of educational and religious realms. torture bill of 2017, which mostly whether it should ratify the treaty”. this power on many subjects something much more. slavery. In many religions of the • The provision of economic and followed the Rajya Sabha Standing Third, when Ashwani Kumar c o n c e r n i n g , f o r e x a m p l e , To us life means living for a world today women are not allowed social security to all women. Committee and the UN Convention. maintained that it was the duty of the participative decision-making, great cause. Life implies the to become priests in the religious We stand to create a powerful, The SC was expected to perform its court to fill the gaps in written law, forest rights, right to information, endeavour to have the freedom to hierarchy. dynamic and upsurging social nudge function, exercising its Justice A.M. Khanwilkar observed: ragging on campus, right to express one’s potentialities in the Women’s exploitation is more consciousness, especially among demosprudential adjudicatory “But it is a policy matter”. education, judicial services, inter- physical, economic, psychic and or less the same everywhere. Is it not women, so that they are inspired to leadership, as it has done frequently. The learned chief justice was country adoptions, consumer spiritual realms. It means real a fact that in many countries even rise, abolish dogma and annihilate But in 2017 on November 26 correct in the abstract but j u r i s p r u d e n c e , s u s t a i n a b l e liberty and not license to commit franchise rights were not given all symbols of slavery, and usher in a (otherwise the day on which the disappointing in the context; the development law, and privacy anything good or bad. equally to men and women? new era of coordinated cooperation rights. The SC remains open to In the annals of human history Even today women are slaves and glorious achievement. Let nudge a slow-moving legislature we do find women whose memory to the male-dominated social order. women be the vanguard of a new into quick action. glorifies not only womanhood, but This is not only bad but deplorable. revolution which humanity must This nudging role becomes the entire human world. In We should decry such domination of achieve for a glorious tomorrow. most crucial for effectively philosophy and spirituality, social preventing and punishing the reform and educational pursuits, rampant torture practices in policing science and technology, they stand and security operations. The SC is second to none. Women are found no stranger to such requests for discussing the riddles of philosophy, a d v a n c i n g c o n s t i t u t i o n a l solving problems of social and civilisation. It has already steadily educational reform, and are converted adjudication into the site inspiring men in times of struggle. of demosprudence and issued They have their potentiality no less several directions desiring an than men. The difference in natural abatement of this practice. The writ and biological characteristics assumed importance because nearly between men and women speaks two decades after India signed the only of coordinated cooperation, not Torture Convention, the Indian state of subordinated cooperation. practice has been, to say the least, Yet the annals of history depict shameful. the sad and painful episodes of Justice Chandrachud was also women’s exploitation throughout broadly justified in saying that treaty the world. To fulfil this sinister ratification was a matter of political 08 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 09 FOOD SECURITY choice. True, all governance is a matter of political were made to shiver in severe cold in a state of nudity. There choice, but political choices must remain subject to some were other cases where the cells of detenus were flooded and constitutional discipline, lest a set of governance the detenus had to pass hours on the, damp floor which was dispositions renders citizens into mere rightless subjects. not merely unhealthy, but definitely in some cases induced Infamous US Secretary of State Henry And if the anti-torture norms have become part of pneumonia and other diseases which proved fatal. Sir, after customary international law binding on all states, does all, a man is detained on suspicion only. It is but fair that our Kissinger said, "Control oil and you control nations; not the constitutional concern require the Indian state to Constitution should lay down specifically that no detenu will control food and you control the people. follow it? The 273rd Report of the Law Commission has be subjected to physical and mental ill-treatment.” now clearly stated that anti-torture norms are jus cogens, Unsurprisingly custodial torture, and even custodial or peremptory norms of international law, which do not death in India is a norm rather than exception. It flies in the depend on state consent. face of due process under the law now enshrined as an aspect Equally legitimate is Justice Khanwilkar's concern of the basic structure of the Constitution. Very recently, the about “political matter” but the SC in its SC issued directions about extra-judicial killings in Manipur. Food Sovereignty in a Nutshell demosprudential leadership of the nation has not Many other countries especially urged India (in the abstained from making new policies. In fact, it has done Universal Periodic Review, 2012) to “finalise” accession to Grassroots International so in custodial deaths and encounter killings; so also, it the UN Torture Convention, endorsed by the UN Human has evolved a compensation policy for violation of Rights Council. Our global food system is broken. fundamental rights. Neither “internal political compulsions” and Small farmers around the world Overall, the problem becomes one of “weaknesses in the implementation” may produce legitimate cannot earn a fair price for what they understanding and explaining the reluctance of the SC in law. If, as the SC has recognised, “even while dealing with raise. Meanwhile, nearly 800 expressing its constitutional anxiety concerning the the 'enemy' the rule of law would apply” and “police or the million people around the world go standalone torture legislation. It is unworthy to suggest armed forces who have committed the excesses which do not hungry every day. that the recent Law Day spat between the executive and have a reasonable connection with the performance of their Driven by big corporations, the judiciary animated summary dismissal. Yet such a official duty would be liable”, should the norm for dealing agricultural system no longer values disposal after nearly one and half years, and involving with co-citizens be any different? healthy, delicious food, productive the Law Commission that relegates the matter to the Why does it happen that custodial deaths, custodial and and sustainable rural communities legislature for ill-stated reasons raises concerns about a interrogational torture are rarely prosecuted? Why do state or people’s right to make decisions just constitutional response. apparatuses continue to tolerate such abuse against human about their communities and their The petition disturbingly demonstrates the dignity and rights when a code of law reform and a speedy farms. penchant of state inaction, although from 2007 onwards, ratification of the UN Torture Convention remain available? This is why food sovereignty India has committed to taking steps to ratify the torture State impunity for acts of torture must surely find a dignified (Anna Swaraj) – the right for all convention. Despite this, no steps have been taken to funeral at least after seven decades of India's independence. people to decide what they eat and to enact a suitable enabling law required for accessing the ensure that food in their community UN convention, which is what the Rajya Sabha Standing i s e c o l o g i c a l l y, s o c i a l l y, Committee did after hearing all concerned parties. In economically, and culturally and global ecological degradation. certainty of having enough to eat preparing a bill, consented to by all political parties, the appropriate – is so important. Haiti can be seen as a case each day[,] ... but says nothing about committee functions as a mini-Parliament and its draft Food sovereignty was born in study. Migration from the where that food comes from or how bill should have been enacted. response to campaigners' disillusion countryside to cities has reflected a i t i s p r o d u c e d . " [ 1 0 ] F o o d It was after the great revolt of 1857 that the British with food security, the dominant transition from subsistence sovereignty includes support for instituted torture as a fundamental part of policing. g l o b a l d i s c o u r s e o n f o o d agriculture to factory labor. Farmers smallholders and for collectively Policing was created in England to serve and protect the provisioning and policy. The latter were forced to make this move owned farms, fisheries, etc., rather foreign exploiters and their Indian lackeys by throttling emphasizes access to adequate because of heavy imports of "Miami than industrializing these sectors in a any revolt of the exploited masses in its infancy. When nutrition for all, which may be rice" from America, who was minimally regulated global power over India was transferred to agents of these provided by food from one's own controlling Haiti, with which their economy. In another publication, lackey business houses, the system remains unchanged. country or from global imports. In natively-grown rice could not Food First describes "food During the Constituent Assembly drafting of the the name of efficiency and enhanced compete in the local market. By sovereignty" as "a platform for rural Constitution, Shrii H. V. Kamath tried and failed to pass productivity, it has therefore served 2008, Haiti was importing 80 revitalization at a global level based an amendment banning torture. On September 15, 1959 to promote what has been termed the percent of its rice, leaving them on equitabledistribution of farmland he explained its necessity saying: "corporate food regime": large- extremely vulnerable to price and and water, farmer control over seeds, "I think Dr. Ambedkar is not quite aware of the scale, industrialised corporate supply fluctuations. When the price and productive small-scale farms frequent cases of physical or mental ill-treatment to farmingbased on specialised of rice did triple in 2008, many supplying consumers with healthy, which detenus were subjected during the British regime, production, land concentration and Haitians could not afford to buy it. locally grown food." especially during the dark days of 1942 and immediately trade liberalisation. Food security’s Writing in Food First's Food justice is a similar thereafter. In one or two prisons where I myself was inattention to the political economy Backgrounder, fall 2003, Peter concept, but its discourses focuses detained, I personally knew of cases, where detenus in C of the corporate food regime blinds Rosset argues that "food sovereignty more on race and class inequities class were beaten mercilessly and also subjected to all it to the adverse effects of that goes beyond the concept of food and their relation to food, whereas sorts of third-degree methods of torture. There were regime, notably the widespread security... [Food security] means food sovereignty refers more so to cases where detenus were given no clothes to wear and dispossession of small producers that... [everyone] must have the agency over food production 10 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 11 FOOD SECURITY choice. True, all governance is a matter of political were made to shiver in severe cold in a state of nudity. There choice, but political choices must remain subject to some were other cases where the cells of detenus were flooded and constitutional discipline, lest a set of governance the detenus had to pass hours on the, damp floor which was dispositions renders citizens into mere rightless subjects. not merely unhealthy, but definitely in some cases induced Infamous US Secretary of State Henry And if the anti-torture norms have become part of pneumonia and other diseases which proved fatal. Sir, after customary international law binding on all states, does all, a man is detained on suspicion only. It is but fair that our Kissinger said, "Control oil and you control nations; not the constitutional concern require the Indian state to Constitution should lay down specifically that no detenu will control food and you control the people. follow it? The 273rd Report of the Law Commission has be subjected to physical and mental ill-treatment.” now clearly stated that anti-torture norms are jus cogens, Unsurprisingly custodial torture, and even custodial or peremptory norms of international law, which do not death in India is a norm rather than exception. It flies in the depend on state consent. face of due process under the law now enshrined as an aspect Equally legitimate is Justice Khanwilkar's concern of the basic structure of the Constitution. Very recently, the about “political matter” but the SC in its SC issued directions about extra-judicial killings in Manipur. Food Sovereignty in a Nutshell demosprudential leadership of the nation has not Many other countries especially urged India (in the abstained from making new policies. In fact, it has done Universal Periodic Review, 2012) to “finalise” accession to Grassroots International so in custodial deaths and encounter killings; so also, it the UN Torture Convention, endorsed by the UN Human has evolved a compensation policy for violation of Rights Council. Our global food system is broken. fundamental rights. Neither “internal political compulsions” and Small farmers around the world Overall, the problem becomes one of “weaknesses in the implementation” may produce legitimate cannot earn a fair price for what they understanding and explaining the reluctance of the SC in law. If, as the SC has recognised, “even while dealing with raise. Meanwhile, nearly 800 expressing its constitutional anxiety concerning the the 'enemy' the rule of law would apply” and “police or the million people around the world go standalone torture legislation. It is unworthy to suggest armed forces who have committed the excesses which do not hungry every day. that the recent Law Day spat between the executive and have a reasonable connection with the performance of their Driven by big corporations, the judiciary animated summary dismissal. Yet such a official duty would be liable”, should the norm for dealing agricultural system no longer values disposal after nearly one and half years, and involving with co-citizens be any different? healthy, delicious food, productive the Law Commission that relegates the matter to the Why does it happen that custodial deaths, custodial and and sustainable rural communities legislature for ill-stated reasons raises concerns about a interrogational torture are rarely prosecuted? Why do state or people’s right to make decisions just constitutional response. apparatuses continue to tolerate such abuse against human about their communities and their The petition disturbingly demonstrates the dignity and rights when a code of law reform and a speedy farms. penchant of state inaction, although from 2007 onwards, ratification of the UN Torture Convention remain available? This is why food sovereignty India has committed to taking steps to ratify the torture State impunity for acts of torture must surely find a dignified (Anna Swaraj) – the right for all convention. Despite this, no steps have been taken to funeral at least after seven decades of India's independence. people to decide what they eat and to enact a suitable enabling law required for accessing the ensure that food in their community UN convention, which is what the Rajya Sabha Standing i s e c o l o g i c a l l y, s o c i a l l y, Committee did after hearing all concerned parties. In economically, and culturally and global ecological degradation. certainty of having enough to eat preparing a bill, consented to by all political parties, the appropriate – is so important. Haiti can be seen as a case each day[,] ... but says nothing about committee functions as a mini-Parliament and its draft Food sovereignty was born in study. Migration from the where that food comes from or how bill should have been enacted. response to campaigners' disillusion countryside to cities has reflected a i t i s p r o d u c e d . " [ 1 0 ] F o o d It was after the great revolt of 1857 that the British with food security, the dominant transition from subsistence sovereignty includes support for instituted torture as a fundamental part of policing. g l o b a l d i s c o u r s e o n f o o d agriculture to factory labor. Farmers smallholders and for collectively Policing was created in England to serve and protect the provisioning and policy. The latter were forced to make this move owned farms, fisheries, etc., rather foreign exploiters and their Indian lackeys by throttling emphasizes access to adequate because of heavy imports of "Miami than industrializing these sectors in a any revolt of the exploited masses in its infancy. When nutrition for all, which may be rice" from America, who was minimally regulated global power over India was transferred to agents of these provided by food from one's own controlling Haiti, with which their economy. In another publication, lackey business houses, the system remains unchanged. country or from global imports. In natively-grown rice could not Food First describes "food During the Constituent Assembly drafting of the the name of efficiency and enhanced compete in the local market. By sovereignty" as "a platform for rural Constitution, Shrii H. V. Kamath tried and failed to pass productivity, it has therefore served 2008, Haiti was importing 80 revitalization at a global level based an amendment banning torture. On September 15, 1959 to promote what has been termed the percent of its rice, leaving them on equitabledistribution of farmland he explained its necessity saying: "corporate food regime": large- extremely vulnerable to price and and water, farmer control over seeds, "I think Dr. Ambedkar is not quite aware of the scale, industrialised corporate supply fluctuations. When the price and productive small-scale farms frequent cases of physical or mental ill-treatment to farmingbased on specialised of rice did triple in 2008, many supplying consumers with healthy, which detenus were subjected during the British regime, production, land concentration and Haitians could not afford to buy it. locally grown food." especially during the dark days of 1942 and immediately trade liberalisation. Food security’s Writing in Food First's Food justice is a similar thereafter. In one or two prisons where I myself was inattention to the political economy Backgrounder, fall 2003, Peter concept, but its discourses focuses detained, I personally knew of cases, where detenus in C of the corporate food regime blinds Rosset argues that "food sovereignty more on race and class inequities class were beaten mercilessly and also subjected to all it to the adverse effects of that goes beyond the concept of food and their relation to food, whereas sorts of third-degree methods of torture. There were regime, notably the widespread security... [Food security] means food sovereignty refers more so to cases where detenus were given no clothes to wear and dispossession of small producers that... [everyone] must have the agency over food production 10 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 11 STATE OPPRESSION systems. promoting diversified markets based on solidarity and fair prices, and short The international food supply chains and intensified relations between producers and consumers in sovereignty movement formed to local food webs to counter the expansion and power of supermarkets. We want address the indignities of the current to provide the building blocks for people to develop their own food food system. It is composed of small distribution systems and allow farmers to produce and process food for their farmers, fishers, consumers, communities. This requires supportive food safety rules and local food Tortures Inflicted Upon Shrii Shrii Anandamurti environmentalists and Indigenous infrastructure for smallholder farmers. Peoples – all seeking to define their The six principles of food sovereignty call for: own agricultural, labor, fishing, • Food for People and the Administration of Poison to Him food and land policies. The food • Valuing Food Providers sovereignty movement calls for • Localizing Food Systems policies that are ecologically, • Making Decisions Locally socially, economically and • Building Knowledge and Skills The following account has been excerpted from the 1974 report of the unofficial culturally appropriate for their • Working with Nature circumstances. Communities When these simple-yet-revolutionary principles are incorporated into enquiry of the Chakraborty Commission in Kolkata into the poisoning of around the world that are embracing national and international trade and agricultural policies – and when they Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. food sovereignty are supported by become a visible reality in our own communities – we will know that the fight La Via Campesina, an international for food sovereignty has been won. advocacy network of small- Food sovereignty does not describe a universal silver bullet solution. It is Chakraborty Commission(1) kept under inhuman torture by the C.B.I., state C.I.D. producer organizations representing a concept for the democratisation of food production, which can be further IV-1 Shrii Shrii Anandamurti is a guide, philosopher (Criminal Investigation Department), state police for all over 150 million farmers, fishers, developed and adapted to different conditions. Important principles of food rd and also the supreme inspirer of the Ananda Marga. te 24 hours upto 3 April 1972. He was kept there foresters and agricultural workers sovereignty are the right to food, democratic food production systems, the continuously without food for three days from 25th on five continents. strengthening of local markets, fair trade relations and the formation of fair Rapid growth and development of the organisation and its popularity caused serious apprehension in the minds February. At the Forum for Food prices, decent living wages, the freedom of association, education, and the of the Ruling Party and they became very much afraid Bidhyadhar Pandey of Khadishpur (Gazipur, Sovereignty in Sélingué, Mali, 27 debt relief for states. Other basic principles are access to fertile land, pastures, of losing their vicious grip over the people. So the UP) says in his evidence, “I went to Buxar jail… I saw February 2007, about 500 delegates fishing grounds, forests, water and seeds. This access has to be ensured where Government started the humiliation of the leader of the a man known as Guruji (Anandamurtiji) taken out of from more than 80 countries necessary through agrarian and land reforms, as well as through the organisation and his disciples before the general public. the jail by two persons. They were bringing him to adopted the "Declaration of agroecological management and the common conservation of natural With this end in view, the Government and its take him on the police van. Guruji was groaning and Nyéléni", which says in part: resources. Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to define their own food machineries proceeded so that the dis-affection against he refused to go by the police van standing nearby. Food sovereignty is the right of and agriculture; to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and the organisation might grow. It is stated that since 1967 The jail wardens forced him to board the van…and peoples to healthy and culturally trade in order to achieve sustainable development objectives; to determine the the Government and police made several onslaughts on also warned him in filthy language and they said appropriate food produced through extent to which they want to be self-reliant; to restrict the dumping of products this organisation and thus they chose to put its leader to that…[he]…would be subject to more tortures…He ecologically sound and sustainable in their markets, and; to provide local fisheries-based communities the priority untold sufferings and harassments. Shrii Shrii was practically physically lifted and was put in the methods, and their right to define in managing the use of and the rights to aquatic resources. Anandamurti was arrested by C.B.I. (Central Bureau of aforesaid van against his will. The Marga arranged their own food and agriculture In September 2008, Ecuador became the first country to enshrine food Investigation) on 29.12.71. for a car but he was not allowed to board that car. systems. It puts those who produce, sovereignty in its constitution. As of late 2008, a law is in the draft stages that is Acarya Keshavananda Avadhuta says that on Indrajit Pandey (from the same area) said that distribute and consume food at the expected to expand upon this constitutional provision by banning genetically 29.12.71 was his (Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji's) fasting “I saw two jail warders brought him to the jail gate on heart of food systems and policies modified organisms, protecting many areas of the country from extraction of date. The C.B.I. did not allow his morning duties and their laps and Anandamurtiji was groaning in pain. I rather than the demands of markets non-renewable resources, and to discourage monoculture. The law as drafted spiritual practices to be performed nor allowed to take tried to follow the van but in vain.” and corporations. It defends the will also protect biodiversity as collective intellectual property and recognize even a single drop of water. He was produced before the Both these witnesses thereafter started for Patna interests and inclusion of the next the Rights of Nature. S.D.O. (Sub Divisional Officer) Patna and remanded to and they went to P.M.C.H. (Patna Medical College generation. It offers a strategy to Since then another four countries have integrated food sovereignty into Buxar Jail. Before he was personally presented to the Hospital). They went to meet Baba (affectionate name resist and dismantle the current their national constitutions or laws. These countries are Venezuela, Mali, court, the order was passed for Anandamurti to be sent for Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji) but to no effect. They corporate trade and food regime, and Bolivia, Nepaland Senegal. to Buxar Jail. The letter addressed by Anandamurtiji further ascertained [from hospital staff] that directions for food, farming, himself to the Governor of Bihar…It is stated there that Anandamurtiji was brought in the hospital in an pastoral and fisheries systems the remand order for (being sent to) Jail was kept ready unconscious state. determined by local producers. Food in the S.D.O.'s office before He was produced in the Acarya Svarupananda Avadhuta says, “I went to sovereignty prioritises local and S.D.O.'s chamber. It shows that S.D.O. decided to send meet Anandamurti in March 1972 at P.M.C.H.I went national economies and markets and Him to jail even before she saw the arrested person. She there to see him and to give him some food, newspapers, empowers peasant and family did not ask a single question nor (was) Anandamurtiji periodicals, etc. He was guarded by many police in farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal allowed to narrate the tales of tortures. He was sent to [uniform] and plain dress in Room No. 17 of Patna fishing, pastoralist-led grazing, and Buxar Jail (in another district) at about 10:00 PM at Medical College Hospital.,” food production, distribution and night and Anandamurtiji was without food and water for Acarya Svarupananda made an attempt officially to c o n s u m p t i o n b a s e d o n about 60 hours at a stretch. have an interview but to no effect. On being refused he environmental, social and economic approached the Superintendent of the Hospital but the sustainability. IV-2 Anandamurtiji became sick due to unhygienic Superintendent pleaded his helplessness in the matter. They work towards the conditions prevailing in jail. He was sent to Patna Acarya Svarupananda said, “I approached the S.D.O., decentralisation of food chains, Medical College Hospital for treatment. There he was Patna, Miss R. Sinha, but she expressed her helplessness 12 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 13 STATE OPPRESSION systems. promoting diversified markets based on solidarity and fair prices, and short The international food supply chains and intensified relations between producers and consumers in sovereignty movement formed to local food webs to counter the expansion and power of supermarkets. We want address the indignities of the current to provide the building blocks for people to develop their own food food system. It is composed of small distribution systems and allow farmers to produce and process food for their farmers, fishers, consumers, communities. This requires supportive food safety rules and local food Tortures Inflicted Upon Shrii Shrii Anandamurti environmentalists and Indigenous infrastructure for smallholder farmers. Peoples – all seeking to define their The six principles of food sovereignty call for: own agricultural, labor, fishing, • Food for People and the Administration of Poison to Him food and land policies. The food • Valuing Food Providers sovereignty movement calls for • Localizing Food Systems policies that are ecologically, • Making Decisions Locally socially, economically and • Building Knowledge and Skills The following account has been excerpted from the 1974 report of the unofficial culturally appropriate for their • Working with Nature circumstances. Communities When these simple-yet-revolutionary principles are incorporated into enquiry of the Chakraborty Commission in Kolkata into the poisoning of around the world that are embracing national and international trade and agricultural policies – and when they Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. food sovereignty are supported by become a visible reality in our own communities – we will know that the fight La Via Campesina, an international for food sovereignty has been won. advocacy network of small- Food sovereignty does not describe a universal silver bullet solution. It is Chakraborty Commission(1) kept under inhuman torture by the C.B.I., state C.I.D. producer organizations representing a concept for the democratisation of food production, which can be further IV-1 Shrii Shrii Anandamurti is a guide, philosopher (Criminal Investigation Department), state police for all over 150 million farmers, fishers, developed and adapted to different conditions. Important principles of food rd and also the supreme inspirer of the Ananda Marga. te 24 hours upto 3 April 1972. He was kept there foresters and agricultural workers sovereignty are the right to food, democratic food production systems, the continuously without food for three days from 25th on five continents. strengthening of local markets, fair trade relations and the formation of fair Rapid growth and development of the organisation and its popularity caused serious apprehension in the minds February. At the Forum for Food prices, decent living wages, the freedom of association, education, and the of the Ruling Party and they became very much afraid Bidhyadhar Pandey of Khadishpur (Gazipur, Sovereignty in Sélingué, Mali, 27 debt relief for states. Other basic principles are access to fertile land, pastures, of losing their vicious grip over the people. So the UP) says in his evidence, “I went to Buxar jail… I saw February 2007, about 500 delegates fishing grounds, forests, water and seeds. This access has to be ensured where Government started the humiliation of the leader of the a man known as Guruji (Anandamurtiji) taken out of from more than 80 countries necessary through agrarian and land reforms, as well as through the organisation and his disciples before the general public. the jail by two persons. They were bringing him to adopted the "Declaration of agroecological management and the common conservation of natural With this end in view, the Government and its take him on the police van. Guruji was groaning and Nyéléni", which says in part: resources. Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to define their own food machineries proceeded so that the dis-affection against he refused to go by the police van standing nearby. Food sovereignty is the right of and agriculture; to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and the organisation might grow. It is stated that since 1967 The jail wardens forced him to board the van…and peoples to healthy and culturally trade in order to achieve sustainable development objectives; to determine the the Government and police made several onslaughts on also warned him in filthy language and they said appropriate food produced through extent to which they want to be self-reliant; to restrict the dumping of products this organisation and thus they chose to put its leader to that…[he]…would be subject to more tortures…He ecologically sound and sustainable in their markets, and; to provide local fisheries-based communities the priority untold sufferings and harassments. Shrii Shrii was practically physically lifted and was put in the methods, and their right to define in managing the use of and the rights to aquatic resources. Anandamurti was arrested by C.B.I. (Central Bureau of aforesaid van against his will. The Marga arranged their own food and agriculture In September 2008, Ecuador became the first country to enshrine food Investigation) on 29.12.71. for a car but he was not allowed to board that car. systems. It puts those who produce, sovereignty in its constitution. As of late 2008, a law is in the draft stages that is Acarya Keshavananda Avadhuta says that on Indrajit Pandey (from the same area) said that distribute and consume food at the expected to expand upon this constitutional provision by banning genetically 29.12.71 was his (Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji's) fasting “I saw two jail warders brought him to the jail gate on heart of food systems and policies modified organisms, protecting many areas of the country from extraction of date. The C.B.I. did not allow his morning duties and their laps and Anandamurtiji was groaning in pain. I rather than the demands of markets non-renewable resources, and to discourage monoculture. The law as drafted spiritual practices to be performed nor allowed to take tried to follow the van but in vain.” and corporations. It defends the will also protect biodiversity as collective intellectual property and recognize even a single drop of water. He was produced before the Both these witnesses thereafter started for Patna interests and inclusion of the next the Rights of Nature. S.D.O. (Sub Divisional Officer) Patna and remanded to and they went to P.M.C.H. (Patna Medical College generation. It offers a strategy to Since then another four countries have integrated food sovereignty into Buxar Jail. Before he was personally presented to the Hospital). They went to meet Baba (affectionate name resist and dismantle the current their national constitutions or laws. These countries are Venezuela, Mali, court, the order was passed for Anandamurti to be sent for Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji) but to no effect. They corporate trade and food regime, and Bolivia, Nepaland Senegal. to Buxar Jail. The letter addressed by Anandamurtiji further ascertained [from hospital staff] that directions for food, farming, himself to the Governor of Bihar…It is stated there that Anandamurtiji was brought in the hospital in an pastoral and fisheries systems the remand order for (being sent to) Jail was kept ready unconscious state. determined by local producers. Food in the S.D.O.'s office before He was produced in the Acarya Svarupananda Avadhuta says, “I went to sovereignty prioritises local and S.D.O.'s chamber. It shows that S.D.O. decided to send meet Anandamurti in March 1972 at P.M.C.H.I went national economies and markets and Him to jail even before she saw the arrested person. She there to see him and to give him some food, newspapers, empowers peasant and family did not ask a single question nor (was) Anandamurtiji periodicals, etc. He was guarded by many police in farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal allowed to narrate the tales of tortures. He was sent to [uniform] and plain dress in Room No. 17 of Patna fishing, pastoralist-led grazing, and Buxar Jail (in another district) at about 10:00 PM at Medical College Hospital.,” food production, distribution and night and Anandamurtiji was without food and water for Acarya Svarupananda made an attempt officially to c o n s u m p t i o n b a s e d o n about 60 hours at a stretch. have an interview but to no effect. On being refused he environmental, social and economic approached the Superintendent of the Hospital but the sustainability. IV-2 Anandamurtiji became sick due to unhygienic Superintendent pleaded his helplessness in the matter. They work towards the conditions prevailing in jail. He was sent to Patna Acarya Svarupananda said, “I approached the S.D.O., decentralisation of food chains, Medical College Hospital for treatment. There he was Patna, Miss R. Sinha, but she expressed her helplessness 12 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 13 in the matter. I then approached the administered some medicine. At 9 PM Anandamurtiji paper, etc. Curd was also supplied to Anandamurtiji but Superintendant of Buxar Jail and felt severe pain inspite of the medicine given aforesaid. that was having acidic taste and pungent and obnoxious also the Superintendent of the The doctor again came at 11 PM on my report in this smell. Anandamurtiji wrote a letter to the Governor Bihar P.M.C.H. applied in writing for an matter. Anandamurtiji told the doctor to inform the civil on the said issue. Jail authority did not allow interview but to no effect. surgeon and his own men as he is seriously suffering Anandamurtiji to get papers, magazines, periodicals sent Gangaprosad of Muzaffarpur now. The doctor assured about the information and to by friends. Anandamurtiji wrote a letter to the District also went to the hospital. He was report this matter to the civil surgeon. After a short Magistrate, Patna, stating the aforesaid matter. there for about two hours and while Dr. Rahamatullah came and assured us that the Anandamurtiji was often disturbed by jail authorities and Anandamutiji was still unconscious. civil surgeon was consulted on telephone and the jail constables at the time of his private [toilet] It was also stated in the letter Ananda Marga men were also informed. He brought a duties…The right leg of Anandamurtiji became written by Anandamurtiji to the medicine at that time and administered [it] to Baba as paralysed on and from 14.2.73.” Govenor exhibited by Acarya per instructions of civil surgeon of Patna. Those From Annexture 6 and Exhibit 1 provided by Keshvananda Avadhuta wherein medicines were tablets. Acarya Piyushananda Avadhuta, it transpires that Anandamurtiji himself specifically “After the administration of the medicine, Anandamurtiji in his letter to the Governor of Bihar stated…“motive was clear and Anandamurtiji became restless and went to his bed for specifically made a complaint that “about 11 O'clock in simple. They wanted to kill me as sleeping. I also slept in the same cell. Usually Baba the night of 12.2.73 the jail doctor said that 'the civil per secret instruction of C.B.I. They woke up at 4 PM. On 13th February 1973 I got up at 4 surgeon is not [able] to come to see me but he has did not allow me to read newspapers AM on expectation that Baba will arise from his bed as prescribed a medicine for you.' He administered that so- and also taking food coming from usual. I observed that till 6 AM Anandamutiji did not called medicine which was actually a poison. Just after my house and force me to take the arise from his bed. At 7 AM, I tried to wake him by taking the medicine I became restless. I came back to un-hyigenic food prepared by a man Acarya Raghunath Prasad in was forcibly vacated from his touching his feet, calling…“Baba, Baba”. It appeared to senses at about 7 O'clock in the morning on 13.2.73. At of their choice. They did not allow his evidence has said quarters. This appeared in the Press. me that he was under the influence of some intoxication that time, I was undergoing the following five reactions any of my friends and relations to 1.Four co-accused persons It is clear from the above (hamney unko nasas se pravabit dekha).I ascertained of that poison viz., -- see me even from a long distance. living with Baba were transferred to evidence that Dr. Rahamatullah was from Anandamurtiji that: a) Extreme weakness throughout the body They created disturbance in my other jails where they had no case posted in this jail in place of Dr. a) He is feeling serious pain all over the body; b) Nervous reaction throughout the body spiritual practice.” pending against them Ghose who was one leave and who b) Inertness of brain; c) Profuse watering from both the eyes IV-3 Anandamurtiji was sent to 2.Just at the gate of Baba's cell, was forcibly vacated from the c) Water was oozing out from his eyes d) Extreme pain in the brain Bankipur Central Jail in the first sepoys were posted so that none quarters also. With the obvious d) He felt burning sensations in the whole body; e) Inertness of brain. week of April 1972. Just a few days [outside] could see him motive, the posting of Dr. e) He felt himself very weak “On 14th morning I felt the sixth reaction and that is I after the authorities had stopped 3.There was a harsh talk Rahamatullah was continued even “Anandamurtiji directed me to give an was unable to see anything clearly even from a short interview with the relations and between the I.G. (Inspector General) after the expiry of leave of Dr Ghose information to the civil surgeon through the jailor. [The] distance. I became almost blind. A few days after that, an friends of Anandamurtiji and of Prisons Mr. R. P. Shrivasthava and [the official reason for posting Dr. civil surgeon came to see Anandamurtji at about 9 AM. I eye specialist came and said that I was suffering from nobody could see [Him] without Baba who threatened Baba with dire R a h a m a t u l l a h ] w h o w a s told the civil surgeon that the medicine prescribed by conjunctivitis. On 15th night two more specialists came. written order from the Court of Law. consequences. A petition in this subsequently transferred. you and sent through the jail doctor was administered to At that time my blood pressure was 180/111 [very high]. In the first week of June 1972, his connection has been filed before the Suresh Singh from Dhangai Baba and from that very time he was feeling uneasy and On the 16th morning my urine was examined, the sugar mother died. As far as the usage of Committing Magistrate Mr. Barun (Aurangabad, Bihar) was now he is in such a…condition as aforesaid…Civil was *** (three plus) [very high]. I have got no doubt that India was concerned, the first son Shrivasthava and that also appeared arrested while he went to the jail for surgeon became surprised. He said, 'I don't know I was poisoned on 12th night and all these diseases are used to do the [last rites] of his in newspapers. the execution of the Vakalatnama anything about this, nor I prescribed any medicine in the reactions to that poison. On 19th February a first-class parents. But the Government did 4.While Dr. Ghose was on (form legalizing an advocate as night.'” Magistrate was deputed by District Magistrate to record st neither allow Anandamurtiji to see leave for 10 days from 21 January one's personal representative) on Suresh Singh further says that there was no label my statement. In the statement I have stated that in case his mother in her deathbed nor did 1974 Dr. Rahamatullah was 16th January 1973 for taking on the [bottle] of tablets which were administered to of medical treatment, the faith of a patient plays a very they allow him to perform her last requisitioned from Muzaffarpur on signatures of Anandamurtiji Anandamurtiji. He said, “I have tried to know about the important role and as I have lost faith in these rites. telephone and given charge of the regarding the court cases and he was name of the medicine from the doctor but to no effect. Government Doctors and as a strong suspicion has been A n a n d a m u r t i j i w a s Bankipur jail hospital and [during] put in a cell in Bankipur Central Jail. The present condition of Anandamurtiji is due to the created in my mind that they have poisoned me as per accustomed to regulated and this time the poisoning was done. He met Anandamurtiji. He said in administration of the medicine on the previous night. direction of the C.B.I., I not like to be treated by any routined life. As such he maintained The evidence of Shrii Bhola his evidence that Anandamurtiji has After one month, Anandamurtiji regained some health.” doctor selected by Government. I want to be treated by good health before he was arrested. Prasad Singh, the leader of the SSP a f i x e d t i m e f o r t a k i n g Acarya Sujitananda Avadhuta, the Personal my private doctor…I would request you to please favour Due to the mal-treatment and [party] and jail visitor is that the cell meals…foods were supplied before Assistant of Anandamurtiji says that “On 11.3.73 when me by appointing a judicial commission to go through all tortures of the Government and their of Anandamurtiji is telling 10 AM, but the jail authorities I met Anandamurtiji, I found him very weak in the above-mentioned complaints and other relevant agents in the jail department in [seriously affecting] his health and supplied food very irregularly and comparison to his past and water oozing from his matters at an early date. I have got strong suspicion that particular his health deteriorated. the atmosphere of the cell is the health of Anandamurtiji was eyes [and] there [were] visible black spots below the certain black hands are working against me from behind Four of his disciples used to look unhealthy and sickening just like a deteriorated due to irregular taking eyes. I enquired about the watering from eyes and the curtain and some of them are important person. I want after him in the jails but they were compact matchbox. Dr. H. M. Ghose of meals. the black spots below the eyes and came to know that to disclose the names of those important persons before suddenly transferred to Daltonganj was incharge of [Jail] hospital of H e s a i d , “ O n 1 2 . 2 . 7 3 those signs are due to the poisoning. He felt difficulty the Judicial Commission.” th and Buxar Jail without any reason Patna and he was transferred. He Anandamurtiji felt pain of headache in recognizing me from the distance. He had also Thereafter on 12 March 1973 Anandamurtiji with the obvious motive to seclude represented [trying to have the order at 3 PM. The matter was reported to difficulty in vision. I saw the milk supplied to addressed another letter to the Governor of Bihar him and to keep him [alone] with c a n c e l l e d ] a n d w h i l e h i s the jail doctor, Dr. Rahamatullah. Anandamurtiji. It was not milk but a whitish liquid wherein it is stated, “if the jail authorities want to kill me obvious motives. representation was in the process, he The jail doctor came and mixed with some lentils, dust of sand and blotting like this, I will have no alternative but to resort to some 14 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 15 in the matter. I then approached the administered some medicine. At 9 PM Anandamurtiji paper, etc. Curd was also supplied to Anandamurtiji but Superintendant of Buxar Jail and felt severe pain inspite of the medicine given aforesaid. that was having acidic taste and pungent and obnoxious also the Superintendent of the The doctor again came at 11 PM on my report in this smell. Anandamurtiji wrote a letter to the Governor Bihar P.M.C.H. applied in writing for an matter. Anandamurtiji told the doctor to inform the civil on the said issue. Jail authority did not allow interview but to no effect. surgeon and his own men as he is seriously suffering Anandamurtiji to get papers, magazines, periodicals sent Gangaprosad of Muzaffarpur now. The doctor assured about the information and to by friends. Anandamurtiji wrote a letter to the District also went to the hospital. He was report this matter to the civil surgeon. After a short Magistrate, Patna, stating the aforesaid matter. there for about two hours and while Dr. Rahamatullah came and assured us that the Anandamurtiji was often disturbed by jail authorities and Anandamutiji was still unconscious. civil surgeon was consulted on telephone and the jail constables at the time of his private [toilet] It was also stated in the letter Ananda Marga men were also informed. He brought a duties…The right leg of Anandamurtiji became written by Anandamurtiji to the medicine at that time and administered [it] to Baba as paralysed on and from 14.2.73.” Govenor exhibited by Acarya per instructions of civil surgeon of Patna. Those From Annexture 6 and Exhibit 1 provided by Keshvananda Avadhuta wherein medicines were tablets. Acarya Piyushananda Avadhuta, it transpires that Anandamurtiji himself specifically “After the administration of the medicine, Anandamurtiji in his letter to the Governor of Bihar stated…“motive was clear and Anandamurtiji became restless and went to his bed for specifically made a complaint that “about 11 O'clock in simple. They wanted to kill me as sleeping. I also slept in the same cell. Usually Baba the night of 12.2.73 the jail doctor said that 'the civil per secret instruction of C.B.I. They woke up at 4 PM. On 13th February 1973 I got up at 4 surgeon is not [able] to come to see me but he has did not allow me to read newspapers AM on expectation that Baba will arise from his bed as prescribed a medicine for you.' He administered that so- and also taking food coming from usual. I observed that till 6 AM Anandamutiji did not called medicine which was actually a poison. Just after my house and force me to take the arise from his bed. At 7 AM, I tried to wake him by taking the medicine I became restless. I came back to un-hyigenic food prepared by a man Acarya Raghunath Prasad in was forcibly vacated from his touching his feet, calling…“Baba, Baba”. It appeared to senses at about 7 O'clock in the morning on 13.2.73. At of their choice. They did not allow his evidence has said quarters. This appeared in the Press. me that he was under the influence of some intoxication that time, I was undergoing the following five reactions any of my friends and relations to 1.Four co-accused persons It is clear from the above (hamney unko nasas se pravabit dekha).I ascertained of that poison viz., -- see me even from a long distance. living with Baba were transferred to evidence that Dr. Rahamatullah was from Anandamurtiji that: a) Extreme weakness throughout the body They created disturbance in my other jails where they had no case posted in this jail in place of Dr. a) He is feeling serious pain all over the body; b) Nervous reaction throughout the body spiritual practice.” pending against them Ghose who was one leave and who b) Inertness of brain; c) Profuse watering from both the eyes IV-3 Anandamurtiji was sent to 2.Just at the gate of Baba's cell, was forcibly vacated from the c) Water was oozing out from his eyes d) Extreme pain in the brain Bankipur Central Jail in the first sepoys were posted so that none quarters also. With the obvious d) He felt burning sensations in the whole body; e) Inertness of brain. week of April 1972. Just a few days [outside] could see him motive, the posting of Dr. e) He felt himself very weak “On 14th morning I felt the sixth reaction and that is I after the authorities had stopped 3.There was a harsh talk Rahamatullah was continued even “Anandamurtiji directed me to give an was unable to see anything clearly even from a short interview with the relations and between the I.G. (Inspector General) after the expiry of leave of Dr Ghose information to the civil surgeon through the jailor. [The] distance. I became almost blind. A few days after that, an friends of Anandamurtiji and of Prisons Mr. R. P. Shrivasthava and [the official reason for posting Dr. civil surgeon came to see Anandamurtji at about 9 AM. I eye specialist came and said that I was suffering from nobody could see [Him] without Baba who threatened Baba with dire R a h a m a t u l l a h ] w h o w a s told the civil surgeon that the medicine prescribed by conjunctivitis. On 15th night two more specialists came. written order from the Court of Law. consequences. A petition in this subsequently transferred. you and sent through the jail doctor was administered to At that time my blood pressure was 180/111 [very high]. In the first week of June 1972, his connection has been filed before the Suresh Singh from Dhangai Baba and from that very time he was feeling uneasy and On the 16th morning my urine was examined, the sugar mother died. As far as the usage of Committing Magistrate Mr. Barun (Aurangabad, Bihar) was now he is in such a…condition as aforesaid…Civil was *** (three plus) [very high]. I have got no doubt that India was concerned, the first son Shrivasthava and that also appeared arrested while he went to the jail for surgeon became surprised. He said, 'I don't know I was poisoned on 12th night and all these diseases are used to do the [last rites] of his in newspapers. the execution of the Vakalatnama anything about this, nor I prescribed any medicine in the reactions to that poison. On 19th February a first-class parents. But the Government did 4.While Dr. Ghose was on (form legalizing an advocate as night.'” Magistrate was deputed by District Magistrate to record st neither allow Anandamurtiji to see leave for 10 days from 21 January one's personal representative) on Suresh Singh further says that there was no label my statement. In the statement I have stated that in case his mother in her deathbed nor did 1974 Dr. Rahamatullah was 16th January 1973 for taking on the [bottle] of tablets which were administered to of medical treatment, the faith of a patient plays a very they allow him to perform her last requisitioned from Muzaffarpur on signatures of Anandamurtiji Anandamurtiji. He said, “I have tried to know about the important role and as I have lost faith in these rites. telephone and given charge of the regarding the court cases and he was name of the medicine from the doctor but to no effect. Government Doctors and as a strong suspicion has been A n a n d a m u r t i j i w a s Bankipur jail hospital and [during] put in a cell in Bankipur Central Jail. The present condition of Anandamurtiji is due to the created in my mind that they have poisoned me as per accustomed to regulated and this time the poisoning was done. He met Anandamurtiji. He said in administration of the medicine on the previous night. direction of the C.B.I., I not like to be treated by any routined life. As such he maintained The evidence of Shrii Bhola his evidence that Anandamurtiji has After one month, Anandamurtiji regained some health.” doctor selected by Government. I want to be treated by good health before he was arrested. Prasad Singh, the leader of the SSP a f i x e d t i m e f o r t a k i n g Acarya Sujitananda Avadhuta, the Personal my private doctor…I would request you to please favour Due to the mal-treatment and [party] and jail visitor is that the cell meals…foods were supplied before Assistant of Anandamurtiji says that “On 11.3.73 when me by appointing a judicial commission to go through all tortures of the Government and their of Anandamurtiji is telling 10 AM, but the jail authorities I met Anandamurtiji, I found him very weak in the above-mentioned complaints and other relevant agents in the jail department in [seriously affecting] his health and supplied food very irregularly and comparison to his past and water oozing from his matters at an early date. I have got strong suspicion that particular his health deteriorated. the atmosphere of the cell is the health of Anandamurtiji was eyes [and] there [were] visible black spots below the certain black hands are working against me from behind Four of his disciples used to look unhealthy and sickening just like a deteriorated due to irregular taking eyes. I enquired about the watering from eyes and the curtain and some of them are important person. I want after him in the jails but they were compact matchbox. Dr. H. M. Ghose of meals. the black spots below the eyes and came to know that to disclose the names of those important persons before suddenly transferred to Daltonganj was incharge of [Jail] hospital of H e s a i d , “ O n 1 2 . 2 . 7 3 those signs are due to the poisoning. He felt difficulty the Judicial Commission.” th and Buxar Jail without any reason Patna and he was transferred. He Anandamurtiji felt pain of headache in recognizing me from the distance. He had also Thereafter on 12 March 1973 Anandamurtiji with the obvious motive to seclude represented [trying to have the order at 3 PM. The matter was reported to difficulty in vision. I saw the milk supplied to addressed another letter to the Governor of Bihar him and to keep him [alone] with c a n c e l l e d ] a n d w h i l e h i s the jail doctor, Dr. Rahamatullah. Anandamurtiji. It was not milk but a whitish liquid wherein it is stated, “if the jail authorities want to kill me obvious motives. representation was in the process, he The jail doctor came and mixed with some lentils, dust of sand and blotting like this, I will have no alternative but to resort to some 14 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 15 other step for which the Government April 1, 1973…It is strange that the body unparliamentary tone: “Don't shout, I will show you the political prisoners during British days are still fresh in will be solely responsible because of inspite of repeated protests by the b) Nervous reaction throughout consequence”. This matter was reported to Shrii R. P. our mind. So, considering the aforesaid facts and their not doing the needful in Members of Parliament, by the the body Srivasthava, Special Munsif Magistrate, (C.B.I.), Patna circumstances, we cannot but conclude that some response to my timely request. It leaders of political parties, by their c) Profuse watering from both the with copy to Present of India and Government of Bihar heinous attempt was made by the Government in may please be added that since statements and also by series of eyes for necessary action but to no effect… administering the poisonous drug on Anandamurtiji with 13.2.73 I have been suffering from public demonstrations by the d) Extreme pain in brain; and IV-12 So in view of the aforesaid circumstances that obvious motive. the reactions of poisoning which members of the Samgha, the e) Inertness in brain. i) The attitude of the Government was very much The cogent circumstances and evidences and was done on 12.2.73 and I have not Government has not made any If these symptoms are found in any vindictive towards Anandamurtji evidences lead us to make the irresistible conclusion that been served with a single drop of statement clarifying the position person administered in higher dose ii) Anandamurtiji as head of the world-wide the Government machineries from the top to the State medicine until 16.2.73.” and/or taking suitable steps against of barbiturates group of medicine, it organisation deserves protection of his civil and level, being surcharged with hatred against Thereafter he addressed the allegations namely tortures, may be fatal to his life. democratic rights Anandamuriji and his disciples, logically induces us to several letters to the Governor of harassment and ultimately the Another Doctor, an expert viz. iii) The Government always followed the procedure believe that the poisonous drug was administered to Bihar on 1.4.73, 13.5.73, 15.6.73 but allegation of poisoning made by Dr P. K. Sen (MRCP-Edin, and of protection of civil and democratic right by willful Anandamurtiji in overdose, which, undoubtedly the Governor has not even [the] Anandamurtiji himself. We fail to MRCP-London: Member of Royal breeches amounts to poisoning. courtesy to acknowledge those understand what prevented the College of Physicians) was iv) From the day of his arrest with utmost disregard 28.12.1974 letters, farless taking any actions Government from showing the examined. His evidence is that for his minimum rights as enjoyed by an undertrial Footnote requested by Anandamurtiji. minimum courtesy in replying to his barbiturates come under hypnotic prisoner (1) MLAs of Bihar approached the People's Welfare Anandamurtiji thereafter sent a letters. When Anandamurtji has group of medicines…there are short v) The attitude of the Government towards Council to launch a non-official enquiry commission letter to the District Magistrate, leveled a specific charge on the acting groups, long acting and Anandamurtiji was amply expressed by [the] into the tortures and poisoning of Shrii Shrii Patna on 11.8.73 with a copy to the Government regarding poisoning on intermediary acting groups. Any of threatening of I.G. (Prisons), the remark made by police Anandamurtji. On 18.5.1974, the People's Welfare President of India, Governor of him and damaging his life, any these drugs of hypnotics, if when he was shifted from Buxar Jail to P.M.C.H. and Council met at the office in Rajendranagar (Patna). The Bihar, Secretary General (U.N.O.) democratic Government would have administered in excess of the also remarks made by the police when they were Council appointed Advocate Amar Prasad Chakraborty with a specific request to the taken such steps as would satisfy the therapeutic dose acts as poison. The assaulting the members of the procession before the and Advocate Bhakti Bhusan Mondal of the High Court Governor that no reply had yet been people at large. doctor said, “Symptoms like Bankipur Jail of Calcutta. The first sitting of the Chakraborty received of the first letter dates Shrii Bhola Prasad Singh extreme weakness throughout the vi) The statement of Indira Gandhi that he Commission was held in Patna on 15.6.74. Others who 5.3.73. Thereafter he again sent (MLA) says that the Bihar body, nervous reaction, profuse (Anandamurtiji) had been proven guilty of many assisted were Advocate Sachinanda Chowdhury (Patna), letters of the District Magistrate, Government officials say that they watering from the eyes, inertness in heinous crimes. This [prejudicial statement before the Mr. Randhir Sinha (Patna) and Mr. Pandey Nabdesswar Patna, Bihar on 2.8.73 with a copy to are helpless in this case as they got brain and extreme pain in brain and actual trial was to begin] expresses very nakedly the the President of India and the Sahay. The Commission began examining witnesses but instructions from the Home Minister unconsciousness for hours could be vindictive attitude of the Central Government Governor of Bihar and the Secretary received no cooperation from the Central and state (Central Government). Shrii Singh due to administration of either vii) It is in evidence that when the leaders of the General (U.N.O.). government officials. is a jail visitor. He had been to the barbiturates or tranquiliser. I am opposition met the Bihar Government, the Government Shrii Sarkar fasted for five years, four months and Apart from these letters, giving this opinion as a clinician jail. He met Anandamurtiji and he expressed its helplessness in dealing with the two days asking for an official judicial enquiry. Seven Anandamurtiji sent letters to the from my long experience in along with other political leaders grievances of Anandamurtiji without the direction of disciples performed self-immolation in pursuance of this Inspector General (Prisons) on administering these drugs and also agitated the questions of tortures and the Central Government quest for justice. Afterwards, Shrii Sarkar continued to 10.9.73, to the Governor of Bihar on poisoning in the Assembly, but to no patients who have taken overdose of viii) The evidence of the Members of the Parliament ask for judicial proof for His poisoning. Sadly, no 21.9.73, to the IG (Prisons), Bihar on effect… above drugs…” and leaders and member of Bihar Assembly and other disciple bothered to pursue justice for their 17.10.73 and the Governor of Bihar IV-5. N o w l e t u s e t o t h e IV-9 Keshavananda who was proves beyond doubt that the Government is very Preceptor. To the present day, there has been no on 25.10.73 and also on 28.10.73. issue…regarding poisoning on waiting outside the Jail was not inimical towards Anandamurtiji and his organisation official judicial enquiry. Copies of the letters addressed to the Anandamurtiji at Bankipur Central permitted to meet him [by the jail with obvious motive to crush the organisation Governor were also forwarded to the Jail on 12.2.73…Barbituates comes a u t h o r i t i e s ] . O n 1 4 . 2 . 7 3 ix) Dr Ghose when on leave was forcibly President of India and Secretary under the definition of poison and Nirmalananda met Anandamurtiji ousted from his quarters and Dr. General (U.N.O.). the use of barbiturates has steadily and he also asserted all the Rahamatullah (undoubtedly a faithful In the last letter dates 19.10.73 increased. They have a depressant symptoms which were states above. agent) was posted on telephonic order to he made specific allegations… “I effect upon the central nervous He saw Anandamurtiji with red eyes perpetuate some heinous crime. have brought to your notice the fact system and affect the cardiac and and water oozing from his eyes. x) It is common knowledge that that this doctor tried to kill me on respiratory centres. Barbituates are Anandamurtiji started his fasting political rivalry sometimes induces the top 12.2.73 by administering poisonous contra-indicated when there is from 1.4.73. He is living on two of the ruling clique to perpetrate heinous drug in the name of medicine for impairment of liver or kidneys since cups of horlicks a day. He is still on crimes. We have analysed the evidence which I requested you to please excretion is normally slow and these partial fast. regarding Dr. Rahamatullah: how he was arrange a judicial probe. drugs are cumulative. IV-10 Now, let us analyse the posted by removing Dr. Ghose, and his false Recently, I have been informed Dr. N. K. Mallick of Bangaon circumstances in arriving at the statement regarding administering of that the Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr (24 Parganas, West Bengal) is the decision of this issue. When the medicine on Anandamurtiji, without Abdul Gafoor is backing and D o c t o r e x a m i n e d b y t h e Inspector General of Prisons, Bihar prescription and examination and the patronising Dr. Rahmanatullah and Commission. He said the following went to see Anandamurti in his cell statement of the civil surgeon otherwise and trying to suppress the truth by symptoms will be expressed due to on 12.11.72 there was a hot withholding of cogent evidence regarding avoiding the judicial probe.” administration of the medicine [of discussion between the I.G. and administration of barbiturates on Anandamurtiji has been on barbiturates], namely Anandamurtiji and the I.G. of Anandamurtiji. partial fast in Bankipur Jail since a) Extreme weakness throughout Prisons at that time said in a most Instances of slow poisoning on 16 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 17 other step for which the Government April 1, 1973…It is strange that the body unparliamentary tone: “Don't shout, I will show you the political prisoners during British days are still fresh in will be solely responsible because of inspite of repeated protests by the b) Nervous reaction throughout consequence”. This matter was reported to Shrii R. P. our mind. So, considering the aforesaid facts and their not doing the needful in Members of Parliament, by the the body Srivasthava, Special Munsif Magistrate, (C.B.I.), Patna circumstances, we cannot but conclude that some response to my timely request. It leaders of political parties, by their c) Profuse watering from both the with copy to Present of India and Government of Bihar heinous attempt was made by the Government in may please be added that since statements and also by series of eyes for necessary action but to no effect… administering the poisonous drug on Anandamurtiji with 13.2.73 I have been suffering from public demonstrations by the d) Extreme pain in brain; and IV-12 So in view of the aforesaid circumstances that obvious motive. the reactions of poisoning which members of the Samgha, the e) Inertness in brain. i) The attitude of the Government was very much The cogent circumstances and evidences and was done on 12.2.73 and I have not Government has not made any If these symptoms are found in any vindictive towards Anandamurtji evidences lead us to make the irresistible conclusion that been served with a single drop of statement clarifying the position person administered in higher dose ii) Anandamurtiji as head of the world-wide the Government machineries from the top to the State medicine until 16.2.73.” and/or taking suitable steps against of barbiturates group of medicine, it organisation deserves protection of his civil and level, being surcharged with hatred against Thereafter he addressed the allegations namely tortures, may be fatal to his life. democratic rights Anandamuriji and his disciples, logically induces us to several letters to the Governor of harassment and ultimately the Another Doctor, an expert viz. iii) The Government always followed the procedure believe that the poisonous drug was administered to Bihar on 1.4.73, 13.5.73, 15.6.73 but allegation of poisoning made by Dr P. K. Sen (MRCP-Edin, and of protection of civil and democratic right by willful Anandamurtiji in overdose, which, undoubtedly the Governor has not even [the] Anandamurtiji himself. We fail to MRCP-London: Member of Royal breeches amounts to poisoning. courtesy to acknowledge those understand what prevented the College of Physicians) was iv) From the day of his arrest with utmost disregard 28.12.1974 letters, farless taking any actions Government from showing the examined. His evidence is that for his minimum rights as enjoyed by an undertrial Footnote requested by Anandamurtiji. minimum courtesy in replying to his barbiturates come under hypnotic prisoner (1) MLAs of Bihar approached the People's Welfare Anandamurtiji thereafter sent a letters. When Anandamurtji has group of medicines…there are short v) The attitude of the Government towards Council to launch a non-official enquiry commission letter to the District Magistrate, leveled a specific charge on the acting groups, long acting and Anandamurtiji was amply expressed by [the] into the tortures and poisoning of Shrii Shrii Patna on 11.8.73 with a copy to the Government regarding poisoning on intermediary acting groups. Any of threatening of I.G. (Prisons), the remark made by police Anandamurtji. On 18.5.1974, the People's Welfare President of India, Governor of him and damaging his life, any these drugs of hypnotics, if when he was shifted from Buxar Jail to P.M.C.H. and Council met at the office in Rajendranagar (Patna). The Bihar, Secretary General (U.N.O.) democratic Government would have administered in excess of the also remarks made by the police when they were Council appointed Advocate Amar Prasad Chakraborty with a specific request to the taken such steps as would satisfy the therapeutic dose acts as poison. The assaulting the members of the procession before the and Advocate Bhakti Bhusan Mondal of the High Court Governor that no reply had yet been people at large. doctor said, “Symptoms like Bankipur Jail of Calcutta. The first sitting of the Chakraborty received of the first letter dates Shrii Bhola Prasad Singh extreme weakness throughout the vi) The statement of Indira Gandhi that he Commission was held in Patna on 15.6.74. Others who 5.3.73. Thereafter he again sent (MLA) says that the Bihar body, nervous reaction, profuse (Anandamurtiji) had been proven guilty of many assisted were Advocate Sachinanda Chowdhury (Patna), letters of the District Magistrate, Government officials say that they watering from the eyes, inertness in heinous crimes. This [prejudicial statement before the Mr. Randhir Sinha (Patna) and Mr. Pandey Nabdesswar Patna, Bihar on 2.8.73 with a copy to are helpless in this case as they got brain and extreme pain in brain and actual trial was to begin] expresses very nakedly the the President of India and the Sahay. The Commission began examining witnesses but instructions from the Home Minister unconsciousness for hours could be vindictive attitude of the Central Government Governor of Bihar and the Secretary received no cooperation from the Central and state (Central Government). Shrii Singh due to administration of either vii) It is in evidence that when the leaders of the General (U.N.O.). government officials. is a jail visitor. He had been to the barbiturates or tranquiliser. I am opposition met the Bihar Government, the Government Shrii Sarkar fasted for five years, four months and Apart from these letters, giving this opinion as a clinician jail. He met Anandamurtiji and he expressed its helplessness in dealing with the two days asking for an official judicial enquiry. Seven Anandamurtiji sent letters to the from my long experience in along with other political leaders grievances of Anandamurtiji without the direction of disciples performed self-immolation in pursuance of this Inspector General (Prisons) on administering these drugs and also agitated the questions of tortures and the Central Government quest for justice. Afterwards, Shrii Sarkar continued to 10.9.73, to the Governor of Bihar on poisoning in the Assembly, but to no patients who have taken overdose of viii) The evidence of the Members of the Parliament ask for judicial proof for His poisoning. Sadly, no 21.9.73, to the IG (Prisons), Bihar on effect… above drugs…” and leaders and member of Bihar Assembly and other disciple bothered to pursue justice for their 17.10.73 and the Governor of Bihar IV-5. N o w l e t u s e t o t h e IV-9 Keshavananda who was proves beyond doubt that the Government is very Preceptor. To the present day, there has been no on 25.10.73 and also on 28.10.73. issue…regarding poisoning on waiting outside the Jail was not inimical towards Anandamurtiji and his organisation official judicial enquiry. Copies of the letters addressed to the Anandamurtiji at Bankipur Central permitted to meet him [by the jail with obvious motive to crush the organisation Governor were also forwarded to the Jail on 12.2.73…Barbituates comes a u t h o r i t i e s ] . O n 1 4 . 2 . 7 3 ix) Dr Ghose when on leave was forcibly President of India and Secretary under the definition of poison and Nirmalananda met Anandamurtiji ousted from his quarters and Dr. General (U.N.O.). the use of barbiturates has steadily and he also asserted all the Rahamatullah (undoubtedly a faithful In the last letter dates 19.10.73 increased. They have a depressant symptoms which were states above. agent) was posted on telephonic order to he made specific allegations… “I effect upon the central nervous He saw Anandamurtiji with red eyes perpetuate some heinous crime. have brought to your notice the fact system and affect the cardiac and and water oozing from his eyes. x) It is common knowledge that that this doctor tried to kill me on respiratory centres. Barbituates are Anandamurtiji started his fasting political rivalry sometimes induces the top 12.2.73 by administering poisonous contra-indicated when there is from 1.4.73. He is living on two of the ruling clique to perpetrate heinous drug in the name of medicine for impairment of liver or kidneys since cups of horlicks a day. He is still on crimes. We have analysed the evidence which I requested you to please excretion is normally slow and these partial fast. regarding Dr. Rahamatullah: how he was arrange a judicial probe. drugs are cumulative. IV-10 Now, let us analyse the posted by removing Dr. Ghose, and his false Recently, I have been informed Dr. N. K. Mallick of Bangaon circumstances in arriving at the statement regarding administering of that the Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr (24 Parganas, West Bengal) is the decision of this issue. When the medicine on Anandamurtiji, without Abdul Gafoor is backing and D o c t o r e x a m i n e d b y t h e Inspector General of Prisons, Bihar prescription and examination and the patronising Dr. Rahmanatullah and Commission. He said the following went to see Anandamurti in his cell statement of the civil surgeon otherwise and trying to suppress the truth by symptoms will be expressed due to on 12.11.72 there was a hot withholding of cogent evidence regarding avoiding the judicial probe.” administration of the medicine [of discussion between the I.G. and administration of barbiturates on Anandamurtiji has been on barbiturates], namely Anandamurtiji and the I.G. of Anandamurtiji. partial fast in Bankipur Jail since a) Extreme weakness throughout Prisons at that time said in a most Instances of slow poisoning on 16 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 17 WOMENS DISCRIMINATION of the endowment difference. Using NSS 2009-2010 data, Khanna's (2012) study reveals the existence of “Sticky Floor” in Close the Gender Pay Gap – regular labour market that indicates there is a larger gap at the lower levels of the wage distribution. Duraisamy and Duraisamy (2014), How far are we? shows that female wage growth has been faster than that of the men. 81 per cent of the wage differences could be related to discrimination According to ILO’s Women at Work: Trends 2016, globally, in the last twenty years labour and part of this is due to the choice of i n d u s t r y a n d o c c u p a t i o n . participation has decreased for both women and men, but still there is a gap of 27 p.p. (percentage Bhattacharjee, Hnatkovska and points); 49.6 per cent and 76.1 per cent has been the corresponding labour force Lahiri (2015), see in their results that participation in 2015. gender wage gaps have shrunk in most percentile groups, the gaps employed in full-time jobs. estimated to be of 23 per cent, with have narrowed for the youngest Also, most women tend to Xavier Estupinan & Sher Verick women earning 77 per cent of what cohorts, that suggests that this gap leave work because of motherhood, men receive, on average. This gap will continue to narrow in the future. ender inequality occurs when social constraints time, the share of informal workers in the organized childcare and elderly care and the can be estimated on a monthly or an These investigations reveal the based on gender roles result in unequal sector (i.e. workers without access to social security) age of the women and the number of hourly basis, and the latter reflects a reasons behind the gender wage gap distribution of opportunities and outcomes. increased significantly because of a greater use of children at home are also variables G more consistent result as women are in the Indian labour market. Larger There are different ways in which gender inequality is contract and other forms of casual labour. The share of that influence differences in their engaged more in part time work than gaps are found at the lower end of manifested and the consequence of this inequality has a contract labour in organized manufacturing increased men. This gender wage gap is also wages as compared to the men. from 15.6 per cent at the end of the 1990s to 34.7 per cent the wage distribution. And in this direct impact on human development. From a point of referred to as the unadjusted wage Some working mothers, “tend to in 2011-12. 79 per cent of non-agricultural wage workers lower end, as identified by Khana view of labour, respective labour force participation gap. It is so because it is a raw value family friendly workplaces rates of both women and male populations give the first had no written contract and only 23.8 per cent were (2012), if one takes the National measurement that does not take into policies more than men” and some glimpse of gender inequality. If one looks closer at the eligible for social security benefits. Floor Level Minimum Wage as a account endowment characteristics of the gap is explained by the endowments of women and men, we are able to identify India has amongst the lowest women's labour threshold, there is evidence that that directly affect the level of percentage of women, who work in if there is a direct link between the stock of abilities force participation rates (LFPR) in the world. Not for women almost 42 per cent of returns from work. Recent studies the industry and occupation, with (acquired through education, skills, experience and other only women's participation rates are low, but has the regular working population explain that characteristics related to less returns from their work. What is attributes that then determines the ability to perform a been showing a declining trend since 2004-05. fall below this line. labour activity), and the capacity of either sexes to Women's LFPR dropped from 42.7 per cent in 2004-05 to work, sectors and geography are not captured by these explanations, Extending the coverage of produce economic value. In other words, if someone has 31.2 in 2011-12.As per this understanding, one can say insufficient to explain the gender is the adjusted gender wage gap. minimum wage to all workers, and better qualifications and experience, the likelihood of that gender inequality in the wage form of employment is wage gap. The residual in such Rock Bottom working towards achieving obtaining higher returns from a job increases. From a determined by the difference in endowments between a n a l y s i s i s a t t r i b u t e d t o Many research papers have looked c o m p l i a n c e b a s e d o n f u l l sectoral perspective, certain advantages in productivity women and men. While this still be a simplistic discrimination and this is what is at both the adjusted and unadjusted consultation with employer's and or location tend to influence in the returns from work. explanation there exists other determinants behind the referred to as the adjusted gender gender wage gap in India. In fact, worker's organizations are noted in The reality is that not more than 18% of workers are in gender wage gap. wage gap. there are many papers which ILO's Convention No. 131, and the formal economy, an additional of 30% of workers are Gender equality is addressed in the ILO The recent ILO Global Wage estimate earning functions ILO's policy guidelines on causal daily-wage workers who earn only 30% of male Conventions. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 Report 2014/2015, breaks down the determined by the production. This minimum wages. These measures urban workers do for the same work. (No. 100) and Discrimination (Employment and unadjusted gender wage gaps for are typically broken down into an can have a direct impact on the most Another issue in understanding wages is the Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), have been few developed and emerging endowment effect and the vulnerable and reduce the gender economic slowdown. In 2016-17, growth in industry has ratified by 90 per cent of ILO's members. These countries. It helps identify the unexplained or discrimination effect wage gap at the lower end of the been estimated at 5.6 per cent (compared to 8.8 per cent Conventions provide a legal framework for countries to explained part of the gap as per the against women workers. Rustagi, distribution. Other measures to close in 2015-16), while in the services. sector, growth slowed work towards their own legislation.The ratification of m e a s u r a b l e l a b o u r m a r k e t 2005, finds significant disparity this pay gap will need to include down to 7.7 per cent, a decline of 2.0 percentage points these Conventions has helped countries to address the characteristics (such as education, levels between women and men strengthening of the education from the previous year. Manufacturing slowed down to gender wage gap. The gender wage gap can be 8% at experience, economic activity, workers across levels of education, system and skill enhancement (that 7.9 per cent in 2016-17, compared to 10.8 per cent in higher level jobs and up to 50% to even 75% at low wage location, work intensity and types of employment, industries and then results in obtaining high added 2015016. The sharpest decline has been witnessed in the jobs in the informal sector. Another reason is that women occupation). Developed countries locations that place women in a value jobs), raising awareness to construction sector, which has been linked to the impact in the informal sector are less educated and have less job like Germany and the United States disadvantageous position as overcome discriminatory practices, of demonetization: an absolute decline of 3.7 per cent in security. And of course, we find it is Dalit and Adivasi have explained the wage gap within compared to men. Madheswaran and advocacy to create an women who face the lowest wages and harassment due to fourth quarter of 2016-17, versus a positive growth rate these factors. Some of the and Khasnobis (2007) found that environment for narrowing the endemic discrimination. of 6 per cent in 2015-16. explanations may reflect that wage differentials have declined in gender labour participation gap. An additional factor has been that the share of What Women Want women end up working greater India from 0.40 in 1983 to 0.26 in What is even more important is workers in the unorganized sector fell from 86.3 per cent The global gender wage gap, has decreased in a share of their time in part time jobs, 1999-2000 for the regular workers, to address the work overload that in 2004-05 to 82.2 per cent in 2011-12.9 At the same substantial way in the last two decades, and in 2015 is yet they draw a lower pay than those and this has to do with the narrowing women face as compared to men. 18 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 19 WOMENS DISCRIMINATION of the endowment difference. Using NSS 2009-2010 data, Khanna's (2012) study reveals the existence of “Sticky Floor” in Close the Gender Pay Gap – regular labour market that indicates there is a larger gap at the lower levels of the wage distribution. Duraisamy and Duraisamy (2014), How far are we? shows that female wage growth has been faster than that of the men. 81 per cent of the wage differences could be related to discrimination According to ILO’s Women at Work: Trends 2016, globally, in the last twenty years labour and part of this is due to the choice of i n d u s t r y a n d o c c u p a t i o n . participation has decreased for both women and men, but still there is a gap of 27 p.p. (percentage Bhattacharjee, Hnatkovska and points); 49.6 per cent and 76.1 per cent has been the corresponding labour force Lahiri (2015), see in their results that participation in 2015. gender wage gaps have shrunk in most percentile groups, the gaps employed in full-time jobs. estimated to be of 23 per cent, with have narrowed for the youngest Also, most women tend to Xavier Estupinan & Sher Verick women earning 77 per cent of what cohorts, that suggests that this gap leave work because of motherhood, men receive, on average. This gap will continue to narrow in the future. ender inequality occurs when social constraints time, the share of informal workers in the organized childcare and elderly care and the can be estimated on a monthly or an These investigations reveal the based on gender roles result in unequal sector (i.e. workers without access to social security) age of the women and the number of hourly basis, and the latter reflects a reasons behind the gender wage gap distribution of opportunities and outcomes. increased significantly because of a greater use of children at home are also variables G more consistent result as women are in the Indian labour market. Larger There are different ways in which gender inequality is contract and other forms of casual labour. The share of that influence differences in their engaged more in part time work than gaps are found at the lower end of manifested and the consequence of this inequality has a contract labour in organized manufacturing increased men. This gender wage gap is also wages as compared to the men. from 15.6 per cent at the end of the 1990s to 34.7 per cent the wage distribution. And in this direct impact on human development. From a point of referred to as the unadjusted wage Some working mothers, “tend to in 2011-12. 79 per cent of non-agricultural wage workers lower end, as identified by Khana view of labour, respective labour force participation gap. It is so because it is a raw value family friendly workplaces rates of both women and male populations give the first had no written contract and only 23.8 per cent were (2012), if one takes the National measurement that does not take into policies more than men” and some glimpse of gender inequality. If one looks closer at the eligible for social security benefits. Floor Level Minimum Wage as a account endowment characteristics of the gap is explained by the endowments of women and men, we are able to identify India has amongst the lowest women's labour threshold, there is evidence that that directly affect the level of percentage of women, who work in if there is a direct link between the stock of abilities force participation rates (LFPR) in the world. Not for women almost 42 per cent of returns from work. Recent studies the industry and occupation, with (acquired through education, skills, experience and other only women's participation rates are low, but has the regular working population explain that characteristics related to less returns from their work. What is attributes that then determines the ability to perform a been showing a declining trend since 2004-05. fall below this line. labour activity), and the capacity of either sexes to Women's LFPR dropped from 42.7 per cent in 2004-05 to work, sectors and geography are not captured by these explanations, Extending the coverage of produce economic value. In other words, if someone has 31.2 in 2011-12.As per this understanding, one can say insufficient to explain the gender is the adjusted gender wage gap. minimum wage to all workers, and better qualifications and experience, the likelihood of that gender inequality in the wage form of employment is wage gap. The residual in such Rock Bottom working towards achieving obtaining higher returns from a job increases. From a determined by the difference in endowments between a n a l y s i s i s a t t r i b u t e d t o Many research papers have looked c o m p l i a n c e b a s e d o n f u l l sectoral perspective, certain advantages in productivity women and men. While this still be a simplistic discrimination and this is what is at both the adjusted and unadjusted consultation with employer's and or location tend to influence in the returns from work. explanation there exists other determinants behind the referred to as the adjusted gender gender wage gap in India. In fact, worker's organizations are noted in The reality is that not more than 18% of workers are in gender wage gap. wage gap. there are many papers which ILO's Convention No. 131, and the formal economy, an additional of 30% of workers are Gender equality is addressed in the ILO The recent ILO Global Wage estimate earning functions ILO's policy guidelines on causal daily-wage workers who earn only 30% of male Conventions. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 Report 2014/2015, breaks down the determined by the production. This minimum wages. These measures urban workers do for the same work. (No. 100) and Discrimination (Employment and unadjusted gender wage gaps for are typically broken down into an can have a direct impact on the most Another issue in understanding wages is the Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), have been few developed and emerging endowment effect and the vulnerable and reduce the gender economic slowdown. In 2016-17, growth in industry has ratified by 90 per cent of ILO's members. These countries. It helps identify the unexplained or discrimination effect wage gap at the lower end of the been estimated at 5.6 per cent (compared to 8.8 per cent Conventions provide a legal framework for countries to explained part of the gap as per the against women workers. Rustagi, distribution. Other measures to close in 2015-16), while in the services. sector, growth slowed work towards their own legislation.The ratification of m e a s u r a b l e l a b o u r m a r k e t 2005, finds significant disparity this pay gap will need to include down to 7.7 per cent, a decline of 2.0 percentage points these Conventions has helped countries to address the characteristics (such as education, levels between women and men strengthening of the education from the previous year. Manufacturing slowed down to gender wage gap. The gender wage gap can be 8% at experience, economic activity, workers across levels of education, system and skill enhancement (that 7.9 per cent in 2016-17, compared to 10.8 per cent in higher level jobs and up to 50% to even 75% at low wage location, work intensity and types of employment, industries and then results in obtaining high added 2015016. The sharpest decline has been witnessed in the jobs in the informal sector. Another reason is that women occupation). Developed countries locations that place women in a value jobs), raising awareness to construction sector, which has been linked to the impact in the informal sector are less educated and have less job like Germany and the United States disadvantageous position as overcome discriminatory practices, of demonetization: an absolute decline of 3.7 per cent in security. And of course, we find it is Dalit and Adivasi have explained the wage gap within compared to men. Madheswaran and advocacy to create an women who face the lowest wages and harassment due to fourth quarter of 2016-17, versus a positive growth rate these factors. Some of the and Khasnobis (2007) found that environment for narrowing the endemic discrimination. of 6 per cent in 2015-16. explanations may reflect that wage differentials have declined in gender labour participation gap. An additional factor has been that the share of What Women Want women end up working greater India from 0.40 in 1983 to 0.26 in What is even more important is workers in the unorganized sector fell from 86.3 per cent The global gender wage gap, has decreased in a share of their time in part time jobs, 1999-2000 for the regular workers, to address the work overload that in 2004-05 to 82.2 per cent in 2011-12.9 At the same substantial way in the last two decades, and in 2015 is yet they draw a lower pay than those and this has to do with the narrowing women face as compared to men. 18 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 19 Most women tend to be primary though it hasn't been the main driver since the fall is also evident among prime- development; 3) support for care-givers, looking after their age women. At the same time, educational attainment is a key determinant of reducing the time burden; 4) households and children, this labour market outcomes this is reflected in both the differences in female transport and infrastructure; 5) legal phenomenon isn't captured in the LFPR across education categories and the types of jobs women can access. rights and protection; and 6) gender wage gap studies which is Firstly, there is a U-shaped relationship in India between female labour force measurement. something to consider so as to participation and education, with the lowest participation rates experienced by 1. More emphasis is needed construct better policy measures. women with secondary schooling (Kapsos et al. 2016). Only for those who on promoting investment in smaller towns and locations, which would Low female Labour Force complete tertiary education do participation rates increase. Secondly, as the level of education goes up, so does the likelihood a woman can find better lead to the creation of jobs and Participation entrepreneurship opportunities that quality employment (a global phenomenon!). As shown by Chaudhary and Female labour force participation in women are able to access. Verick (2014), Indian women with a graduate education have a 30% higher India has been historically low, 2. Educational attainment chance of being in regular salaried work in rural areas, and 20% higher particularly in the North, where beyond secondary schooling needs probability in the case of urban areas (compared to illiterate women). social norms have placed a to be promoted, along with Overall, while Indian women have withdrawn from traditional roles in constraint on how and where women Figure 1. Regional aggregates for female LFPR, 1995 and 2015 vocational education and training, agriculture, there have been insufficient job opportunities for women in fast- can work. In this context, one of the w h i c h , i n t u r n , i n c r e a s e s growing sectors, which has been the case in other Asian countries, including more recent positive economic trends, female LFPR in Sri Lanka has occupational choices for women. most puzzling labour market remained stagnant, which is linked to educational attainment, access to jobs, trends in India has been the Bangladesh. That said, women are entering the labour force in larger numbers 3. Efforts are required to in some states, such as Tamil Nadu, where the garment industry has become a and the child and elderly care burden. In contrast to the other countries in reduce the time burden associated further decline in the female South Asia, Nepal has a very high female LFPR, even by global standards, labour force participation rate large employer of women workers. with unpaid household work In some ways, it has been hard for many commentators to accept that which reflects both differences in the opportunities women have to work through the provision of child care (LFPR), particularly during the (along with the pressure imposed by the migration of spouses) and last 15 years, which was a period India's female LFPR has been falling some have suggested that it is largely an and elderly care, as well as sharing measurement. of care responsibilities at the of strong economic growth. issue of measurement. The argument goes that women's work is mismeasured Looking to other parts of Asia, far higher rates of female LFPR are household level. Maternity Looking at the all-India level, LFPR indeed, since many women are unpaid family workers, their status is evident In Cambodia, the female LFPR increased to 84.8% in 2011 from benefits and flexible work for women aged 15 and above stood misclassified and recorded as domestic duties. However, as outlined in 77.5% in 2004, which is one of the highest rates witnessed anywhere in the arrangements should be offered. at 42.7% in 2004-05, according to Dasgupta and Verick (2016), mismeasurement is less likely in the context of world. In Indonesia, LFPR is lower but still far higher than in South Asia The improvement of basic Usual Principal Subsidiary Status an external workplace such as factory or office. There should be little doubt (48.9% in 2015). In the last three decades, China has experienced an infrastructure, such as energy, (UPSS) definition1. By 2009-10, the that the number of women in India working outside the home is low in unprecedented period of economic growth; however, this was also water and sanitation, would rate had fallen dramatically to comparison to other countries, say in East and South-East Asia. India is, in fact, not unique in its experience of low and declining LFPR of accompanied by increasing gender gaps in some labour market indicators. contribute greatly to making 32.6%, and it continued to decline to available more time for women's women. The female LFPR in Turkey fell from 36.1% in 1989 to 23.3% in Although women's LFPR in China is relatively high (above 60%), both 31.2% in 2011-12. More recent data paid work. 2005. This has been explained by the process of urbanisation and structural women's LFPR and employment-to-population ratio have declined at a faster from the Labour Bureau indicates 4. Further efforts are needed that women's LFPR stood at just transformation: as households moved to urban areas and husbands shifted out rate than men's. Women are also more likely to be engaged in low-productivity sectors. to expand public transport to 31.1% in 2013-14, before falling to of agriculture, women withdrew from the labour force (reflecting an increased facilitate the movement of women, 27.4% in 2015-16. engagement in domestic duties) (World Bank, 2009). Female LFPR in Turkey especially the poor, in addition to the In recent years, there has been only started to increase in 2009 as of 2013, it had reached 30.8% (ILOSTAT provision of infrastructure, such as considerable debate on the various database). public toilets and street lighting, to explanations for this puzzling trend. Asia vs Other Developing Regions improve the safety of women when Most studies, including Dasgupta Overall, female LFPR is lower in South Asia than other parts of Asia (Figure travelling to work. and Verick (2016), focus on four key 1). On average, female LFPR in South Asia stood at just 28.3% in 2015, while 5. A range of legal rights need drivers of the decline: firstly, it reached 61.8% in East Asia and 58.8% in South-East Asia. That said, it to be strengthened, including increased enrolment in secondary should also be noted that the rate has not only fallen in South Asia, from 34.8% protection from violence and sexual schooling; secondly, rising in 1995, but also in East Asia (from 69.1% in 1995). However, in South-East harassment, equal pay, safe working household incomes, which pulled Asia, women's participation remained stable at around 58%. While these conditions, non-discrimination, and women out of the drudgery of aggregate trends mask differences across countries, they are significant in that representation. Access to social protection is critical to not only agricultural labour; thirdly, they set the region apart from the rest of the world. In all other developing support household incomes, but also mismeasurement of women's regions, women's LFPR has increased since the 1990s. Even the Arab states, to encourage mobility. participation in the labour force; and with the lowest level of female LFPR, witnessed an increase from 17.2% in Policymakers need to improve finally, the lack of employment 1995 to 21.1% in 2015 (Dasgupta and Verick 2016). Figure 2. Trends in female LFPR in South Asia (in %), 1999-2014 collection of data on different opportunities for women in the non- All countries in South Asia, apart from Nepal, have low female LFPR. d i m e n s i o n s o f w o m e n ' s farm sector. Based on small-sample But, in recent years, there are different trends and divergence in some cases What Needs to be Done? participation in the labour market primary surveys, there is also some (Figure 2). In contrast to the predictions of the U-shaped hypothesis2, which The goal should not be to increase female LFPR at any cost, but to increase (example, through time-use surveys evidence that the mechanisation of relates female LFPR to the level of economic development, there has been an good work opportunities for women, and their freedom to choose to work and better trained enumerators). The agriculture has contributed to the increase in the LFPR in Bangladesh. A low-income country, Bangladesh has outside the home and access decent and productive employment. Due to the Resolution of the 19th International decline in demand for female witnessed a substantial increase in female employment in labour-intensive complexity of the factors driving female labour force participation, no single Conference of Labour Statisticians agricultural labour. export-oriented industries in urban areas. At the same time, the rapid policy measure can be proposed to improve labour market outcomes for (2013) provides a broader As noted above, increased expansion of microfinance in rural areas has supported women's employment women in India and across Asia. foundation for a far more enrolment in secondary school is a in poultry and livestock. Another puzzle emerging from South Asia is that, Overall, six policy pillars can be considered, particularly in the Indian comprehensive approach to factor behind the decline in LFPR, despite significant progress in human development over many decades and the context: 1) inclusive growth and job creation; 2) education and skills measuring women's work. 20 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 21 Most women tend to be primary though it hasn't been the main driver since the fall is also evident among prime- development; 3) support for care-givers, looking after their age women. At the same time, educational attainment is a key determinant of reducing the time burden; 4) households and children, this labour market outcomes this is reflected in both the differences in female transport and infrastructure; 5) legal phenomenon isn't captured in the LFPR across education categories and the types of jobs women can access. rights and protection; and 6) gender wage gap studies which is Firstly, there is a U-shaped relationship in India between female labour force measurement. something to consider so as to participation and education, with the lowest participation rates experienced by 1. More emphasis is needed construct better policy measures. women with secondary schooling (Kapsos et al. 2016). Only for those who on promoting investment in smaller towns and locations, which would Low female Labour Force complete tertiary education do participation rates increase. Secondly, as the level of education goes up, so does the likelihood a woman can find better lead to the creation of jobs and Participation entrepreneurship opportunities that quality employment (a global phenomenon!). As shown by Chaudhary and Female labour force participation in women are able to access. Verick (2014), Indian women with a graduate education have a 30% higher India has been historically low, 2. Educational attainment chance of being in regular salaried work in rural areas, and 20% higher particularly in the North, where beyond secondary schooling needs probability in the case of urban areas (compared to illiterate women). social norms have placed a to be promoted, along with Overall, while Indian women have withdrawn from traditional roles in constraint on how and where women Figure 1. Regional aggregates for female LFPR, 1995 and 2015 vocational education and training, agriculture, there have been insufficient job opportunities for women in fast- can work. In this context, one of the w h i c h , i n t u r n , i n c r e a s e s growing sectors, which has been the case in other Asian countries, including more recent positive economic trends, female LFPR in Sri Lanka has occupational choices for women. most puzzling labour market remained stagnant, which is linked to educational attainment, access to jobs, trends in India has been the Bangladesh. That said, women are entering the labour force in larger numbers 3. Efforts are required to in some states, such as Tamil Nadu, where the garment industry has become a and the child and elderly care burden. In contrast to the other countries in reduce the time burden associated further decline in the female South Asia, Nepal has a very high female LFPR, even by global standards, labour force participation rate large employer of women workers. with unpaid household work In some ways, it has been hard for many commentators to accept that which reflects both differences in the opportunities women have to work through the provision of child care (LFPR), particularly during the (along with the pressure imposed by the migration of spouses) and last 15 years, which was a period India's female LFPR has been falling some have suggested that it is largely an and elderly care, as well as sharing measurement. of care responsibilities at the of strong economic growth. issue of measurement. The argument goes that women's work is mismeasured Looking to other parts of Asia, far higher rates of female LFPR are household level. Maternity Looking at the all-India level, LFPR indeed, since many women are unpaid family workers, their status is evident In Cambodia, the female LFPR increased to 84.8% in 2011 from benefits and flexible work for women aged 15 and above stood misclassified and recorded as domestic duties. However, as outlined in 77.5% in 2004, which is one of the highest rates witnessed anywhere in the arrangements should be offered. at 42.7% in 2004-05, according to Dasgupta and Verick (2016), mismeasurement is less likely in the context of world. In Indonesia, LFPR is lower but still far higher than in South Asia The improvement of basic Usual Principal Subsidiary Status an external workplace such as factory or office. There should be little doubt (48.9% in 2015). In the last three decades, China has experienced an infrastructure, such as energy, (UPSS) definition1. By 2009-10, the that the number of women in India working outside the home is low in unprecedented period of economic growth; however, this was also water and sanitation, would rate had fallen dramatically to comparison to other countries, say in East and South-East Asia. India is, in fact, not unique in its experience of low and declining LFPR of accompanied by increasing gender gaps in some labour market indicators. contribute greatly to making 32.6%, and it continued to decline to available more time for women's women. The female LFPR in Turkey fell from 36.1% in 1989 to 23.3% in Although women's LFPR in China is relatively high (above 60%), both 31.2% in 2011-12. More recent data paid work. 2005. This has been explained by the process of urbanisation and structural women's LFPR and employment-to-population ratio have declined at a faster from the Labour Bureau indicates 4. Further efforts are needed that women's LFPR stood at just transformation: as households moved to urban areas and husbands shifted out rate than men's. Women are also more likely to be engaged in low-productivity sectors. to expand public transport to 31.1% in 2013-14, before falling to of agriculture, women withdrew from the labour force (reflecting an increased facilitate the movement of women, 27.4% in 2015-16. engagement in domestic duties) (World Bank, 2009). Female LFPR in Turkey especially the poor, in addition to the In recent years, there has been only started to increase in 2009 as of 2013, it had reached 30.8% (ILOSTAT provision of infrastructure, such as considerable debate on the various database). public toilets and street lighting, to explanations for this puzzling trend. Asia vs Other Developing Regions improve the safety of women when Most studies, including Dasgupta Overall, female LFPR is lower in South Asia than other parts of Asia (Figure travelling to work. and Verick (2016), focus on four key 1). On average, female LFPR in South Asia stood at just 28.3% in 2015, while 5. A range of legal rights need drivers of the decline: firstly, it reached 61.8% in East Asia and 58.8% in South-East Asia. That said, it to be strengthened, including increased enrolment in secondary should also be noted that the rate has not only fallen in South Asia, from 34.8% protection from violence and sexual schooling; secondly, rising in 1995, but also in East Asia (from 69.1% in 1995). However, in South-East harassment, equal pay, safe working household incomes, which pulled Asia, women's participation remained stable at around 58%. While these conditions, non-discrimination, and women out of the drudgery of aggregate trends mask differences across countries, they are significant in that representation. Access to social protection is critical to not only agricultural labour; thirdly, they set the region apart from the rest of the world. In all other developing support household incomes, but also mismeasurement of women's regions, women's LFPR has increased since the 1990s. Even the Arab states, to encourage mobility. participation in the labour force; and with the lowest level of female LFPR, witnessed an increase from 17.2% in Policymakers need to improve finally, the lack of employment 1995 to 21.1% in 2015 (Dasgupta and Verick 2016). Figure 2. Trends in female LFPR in South Asia (in %), 1999-2014 collection of data on different opportunities for women in the non- All countries in South Asia, apart from Nepal, have low female LFPR. d i m e n s i o n s o f w o m e n ' s farm sector. Based on small-sample But, in recent years, there are different trends and divergence in some cases What Needs to be Done? participation in the labour market primary surveys, there is also some (Figure 2). In contrast to the predictions of the U-shaped hypothesis2, which The goal should not be to increase female LFPR at any cost, but to increase (example, through time-use surveys evidence that the mechanisation of relates female LFPR to the level of economic development, there has been an good work opportunities for women, and their freedom to choose to work and better trained enumerators). The agriculture has contributed to the increase in the LFPR in Bangladesh. A low-income country, Bangladesh has outside the home and access decent and productive employment. Due to the Resolution of the 19th International decline in demand for female witnessed a substantial increase in female employment in labour-intensive complexity of the factors driving female labour force participation, no single Conference of Labour Statisticians agricultural labour. export-oriented industries in urban areas. At the same time, the rapid policy measure can be proposed to improve labour market outcomes for (2013) provides a broader As noted above, increased expansion of microfinance in rural areas has supported women's employment women in India and across Asia. foundation for a far more enrolment in secondary school is a in poultry and livestock. Another puzzle emerging from South Asia is that, Overall, six policy pillars can be considered, particularly in the Indian comprehensive approach to factor behind the decline in LFPR, despite significant progress in human development over many decades and the context: 1) inclusive growth and job creation; 2) education and skills measuring women's work. 20 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 21 ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY dynamics of the upcoming system Here's another realistic perspective: The current system of political taking advantage of whatever is democracy is motivated largely by prospects of political power. Due to useful to it in the preceding system. relentless infighting and political maneuvering between and within political According to the theory of the social parties, ambition for power, post and position has come to consume the Contrasting the Legacy of Political Democracy cycle this is part of how history political mind. Had there instead been a universal, unified movement for unfolds. (4) development and economic prosperity of all, our society may have been Hence, capitalism places united and not divided along numerous party lines. democracy in front and cashes in at Modern media-driven democracies have come to mean the worst of with the Prospects of Economic Democracy the back, while the political system human nature, or rather of sub-animality in human form. Politics today is a and the whole of society continue to Trond Øverland steady sewage of broken promises and angry accusations - a mockery of The next step of democracy lies in evolving disintegrate and decay. How come, cardinal human values to the beat of groupism, religious dogmas, and all he world over, economic conditions are then, you may wonder, hasn't the sorts of pseudo-sentiments meant to fragment human society. No wonder worsening for most. Everywhere we see the same practical economic democracy supported by penny dropped by now? Why do we people turn away from that stinking bed of lies and treachery, resulting in poor scene: disappearance of well paid jobs resulting universal moral and spiritual leadership from remain caught up in the same old turnout at elections around the world. Instead of upholding human ideals, Tin decreasing purchasing capacity. When most of the fit fragmented world of party-based grassroots upwards. political democracy has become a venue for setting fresh records of two- population no longer have a decent income, they will political democracy? The simple facedness and all sorts of hypocrisy. Who wants to go near it? neither be able to fend for themselves nor aid the reply is that the interests of both Capitalism has now reached a stage where it effectively kills off economy. Due to the ensuing weak consumption and Hitler came to power by manipulating political elections capitalists and politicians are very democracy as this system is no more useful to it. Enough legislation has economic slowdown, even the super-wealthy develop in primitive ways and didn't care a fig for democracy well served by the system of already been passed to establish dictatorship: cold feet and refrain from investing, dreading the thereafter. This is a basic problem of democracy; its political democracy covering for On September 28, 2001 after the 9-11 Terror attacks, UN Security prospects of poor returns on their investments. Hence, political processes from grassroots up require a highly capitalism's psycho-economic Council Resolution 1373 was passed unanimously. For the first time, this law “financial crises” are on the cards everywhere. educated and morally conscious electorate to function exploitation: was imposed upon all members of the UN without waiting for them to sign a The propounder of the Progressive Utilization adequately, while capitalism (the system that always “When economic exploitation treaty. Even more unusual was the fact that the meeting to discuss this bill Theory (Prout), (1) Shrii Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar, noted: come to work behind) the scenes only encourages is perpetrated by the application of began at 10:50 PM and adjourned at 10:53 PM and even more strange is that “The most important economic issue before the immorality, corruption and cultural decadence. brute force, it is politico-economic there is no official record of this meeting. This law calls upon all nations to leaders of all the countries in the world today is how to Is capitalism always working behind democracy? exploitation; but when it is done not change their laws to create anti-terrorism legislation. What has happened increase the standard of living of their citizens through Eventually yes, and there are fundamental historical through brute force but through the since then has been the creation of laws which violated democratic civil the economic prosperity of the state. This is a burning causes to this phenomenon. With the maturation and application of cunning intellectual liberties and often persecuted minorities in many nations. This has been question, especially in those countries which are inevitable decadence of monarchic rule, democracy strategy, it is primarily psycho- termed by Law Professor Kim Lane Schepple as the “International State of economically backward. The matter is not very simple develops due to growing number of advisors and interest economic exploitation.” (5) Emergency.” The result has been a movement towards what has been termed because in many countries people are still directly groups that continue to take hold. When the new era of According to this view, “The Global Police State”. dependent on nature for their subsistence. Only in a few enlightenment weakens due to internal strife and political democracies in industrially In fact, some opine capitalism is even not capitalism anymore as it is not countries have people been able to utilize their decadence, as was the case of both the Church and all and socially developed countries about production and services but about wild speculation and manipulation. In knowledge and wisdom to solve their economic modern party-based democracies, capitalism eventually work as part of capitalism's psycho- this era of pseudo-capitalism, the speed of democracy's death is great in the problems.” (2) gain supreme power. The working behind is due to the economic exploitative strategy: third world, the US, and the UK, and slower in Europe (although right at the The Demise of Political Democracy “You have the freedom to choose time of writing, France is under permanent state of emergency in violation of On closer inspection, we realize that economic booms between a range of commercial all its revolutionary political ideals). and busts develop irrespective of political systems. products, a handful of political The Scandinavian/European socio-democratic ideal of mixed economy, Capitalism's volatile ups and downs are felt as acutely in views, so many opinions and issues with protection of workers, consumers, and liberal social services, is clearly Beijing as in Moscow, Washington Istanbul, and Riyadh. of commercial media, numerous tv- under attack and will perish sooner than later. The welfare systems of those This is an essential observation: No political channels - freedom!” But you and all political democracies were financed by classical productive capitalism via system, (including Europe's social democracies), has others will never ever have taxes. This socio-economic reality is vanishing rapidly as purchasing power, been able to guarantee welfare for all or even for most of economic freedom as it is reserved morality, and political stability are all fast eroding. At the same time, the their populations over time. In fact, democracies cannot only for the super-rich and most system of capitalism itself, as already discussed, has entered its final phase of even guarantee their own stability. Greece today? Then greedy. all-out exploitation beyond any reason or human concern. yesterday Germany, a cultured and mostsocio- Here's an acute angle: If you Declining Purchasing Capacity economically educated nation, transformed rapidly into and your family were to choose As already mentioned, a significant indicator of worsening economic times is brutal totalitarianism where even its advanced system of between a life of healthy food, nice a continuing decrease in people's actual purchasing power. When salaries start education was thoroughly abused and perverted: clothing, housing of your choice, to fall behind the cost of living, the value of money will fail to hold up against “Education played a very important part in Nazi excellent medical services and a any economic crisis. Until recently, salary takers in opulent countries did not Germany in trying to cultivate a loyal following for solid education system or none of face the problem of weakening purchasing power but nowadays they, too, do, Hitler and the Nazis. The Nazis were aware that that to vote professional politicians even in countries where the economy is on the increase at least according to education would create loyal Nazis by the time they into office, which one would it be? government statistics. (6) reached adulthood.” (3) You may say this is an extreme Gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) are the The systemic reason for Hitler's easy takeover was construction. Still, it is the reality of main conventional statistical tools for measuring growth and decline of weak political leadership who could not handle the very many today: So-called political economies. These tools distribute aggregate national economic figures per realities of the country's financial and military losses. freedom coupled with economic capita the sum of national produce divided by the number of citizens Much like the current US president Donald Trump, poverty. (irrespective of who is employed, unemployed, retired, minors, ill, disable, 22 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 23 ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY dynamics of the upcoming system Here's another realistic perspective: The current system of political taking advantage of whatever is democracy is motivated largely by prospects of political power. Due to useful to it in the preceding system. relentless infighting and political maneuvering between and within political According to the theory of the social parties, ambition for power, post and position has come to consume the Contrasting the Legacy of Political Democracy cycle this is part of how history political mind. Had there instead been a universal, unified movement for unfolds. (4) development and economic prosperity of all, our society may have been Hence, capitalism places united and not divided along numerous party lines. democracy in front and cashes in at Modern media-driven democracies have come to mean the worst of with the Prospects of Economic Democracy the back, while the political system human nature, or rather of sub-animality in human form. Politics today is a and the whole of society continue to Trond Øverland steady sewage of broken promises and angry accusations - a mockery of The next step of democracy lies in evolving disintegrate and decay. How come, cardinal human values to the beat of groupism, religious dogmas, and all he world over, economic conditions are then, you may wonder, hasn't the sorts of pseudo-sentiments meant to fragment human society. No wonder worsening for most. Everywhere we see the same practical economic democracy supported by penny dropped by now? Why do we people turn away from that stinking bed of lies and treachery, resulting in poor scene: disappearance of well paid jobs resulting universal moral and spiritual leadership from remain caught up in the same old turnout at elections around the world. Instead of upholding human ideals, Tin decreasing purchasing capacity. When most of the fit fragmented world of party-based grassroots upwards. political democracy has become a venue for setting fresh records of two- population no longer have a decent income, they will political democracy? The simple facedness and all sorts of hypocrisy. Who wants to go near it? neither be able to fend for themselves nor aid the reply is that the interests of both Capitalism has now reached a stage where it effectively kills off economy. Due to the ensuing weak consumption and Hitler came to power by manipulating political elections capitalists and politicians are very democracy as this system is no more useful to it. Enough legislation has economic slowdown, even the super-wealthy develop in primitive ways and didn't care a fig for democracy well served by the system of already been passed to establish dictatorship: cold feet and refrain from investing, dreading the thereafter. This is a basic problem of democracy; its political democracy covering for On September 28, 2001 after the 9-11 Terror attacks, UN Security prospects of poor returns on their investments. Hence, political processes from grassroots up require a highly capitalism's psycho-economic Council Resolution 1373 was passed unanimously. For the first time, this law “financial crises” are on the cards everywhere. educated and morally conscious electorate to function exploitation: was imposed upon all members of the UN without waiting for them to sign a The propounder of the Progressive Utilization adequately, while capitalism (the system that always “When economic exploitation treaty. Even more unusual was the fact that the meeting to discuss this bill Theory (Prout), (1) Shrii Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar, noted: come to work behind) the scenes only encourages is perpetrated by the application of began at 10:50 PM and adjourned at 10:53 PM and even more strange is that “The most important economic issue before the immorality, corruption and cultural decadence. brute force, it is politico-economic there is no official record of this meeting. This law calls upon all nations to leaders of all the countries in the world today is how to Is capitalism always working behind democracy? exploitation; but when it is done not change their laws to create anti-terrorism legislation. What has happened increase the standard of living of their citizens through Eventually yes, and there are fundamental historical through brute force but through the since then has been the creation of laws which violated democratic civil the economic prosperity of the state. This is a burning causes to this phenomenon. With the maturation and application of cunning intellectual liberties and often persecuted minorities in many nations. This has been question, especially in those countries which are inevitable decadence of monarchic rule, democracy strategy, it is primarily psycho- termed by Law Professor Kim Lane Schepple as the “International State of economically backward. The matter is not very simple develops due to growing number of advisors and interest economic exploitation.” (5) Emergency.” The result has been a movement towards what has been termed because in many countries people are still directly groups that continue to take hold. When the new era of According to this view, “The Global Police State”. dependent on nature for their subsistence. Only in a few enlightenment weakens due to internal strife and political democracies in industrially In fact, some opine capitalism is even not capitalism anymore as it is not countries have people been able to utilize their decadence, as was the case of both the Church and all and socially developed countries about production and services but about wild speculation and manipulation. In knowledge and wisdom to solve their economic modern party-based democracies, capitalism eventually work as part of capitalism's psycho- this era of pseudo-capitalism, the speed of democracy's death is great in the problems.” (2) gain supreme power. The working behind is due to the economic exploitative strategy: third world, the US, and the UK, and slower in Europe (although right at the The Demise of Political Democracy “You have the freedom to choose time of writing, France is under permanent state of emergency in violation of On closer inspection, we realize that economic booms between a range of commercial all its revolutionary political ideals). and busts develop irrespective of political systems. products, a handful of political The Scandinavian/European socio-democratic ideal of mixed economy, Capitalism's volatile ups and downs are felt as acutely in views, so many opinions and issues with protection of workers, consumers, and liberal social services, is clearly Beijing as in Moscow, Washington Istanbul, and Riyadh. of commercial media, numerous tv- under attack and will perish sooner than later. The welfare systems of those This is an essential observation: No political channels - freedom!” But you and all political democracies were financed by classical productive capitalism via system, (including Europe's social democracies), has others will never ever have taxes. This socio-economic reality is vanishing rapidly as purchasing power, been able to guarantee welfare for all or even for most of economic freedom as it is reserved morality, and political stability are all fast eroding. At the same time, the their populations over time. In fact, democracies cannot only for the super-rich and most system of capitalism itself, as already discussed, has entered its final phase of even guarantee their own stability. Greece today? Then greedy. all-out exploitation beyond any reason or human concern. yesterday Germany, a cultured and mostsocio- Here's an acute angle: If you Declining Purchasing Capacity economically educated nation, transformed rapidly into and your family were to choose As already mentioned, a significant indicator of worsening economic times is brutal totalitarianism where even its advanced system of between a life of healthy food, nice a continuing decrease in people's actual purchasing power. When salaries start education was thoroughly abused and perverted: clothing, housing of your choice, to fall behind the cost of living, the value of money will fail to hold up against “Education played a very important part in Nazi excellent medical services and a any economic crisis. Until recently, salary takers in opulent countries did not Germany in trying to cultivate a loyal following for solid education system or none of face the problem of weakening purchasing power but nowadays they, too, do, Hitler and the Nazis. The Nazis were aware that that to vote professional politicians even in countries where the economy is on the increase at least according to education would create loyal Nazis by the time they into office, which one would it be? government statistics. (6) reached adulthood.” (3) You may say this is an extreme Gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) are the The systemic reason for Hitler's easy takeover was construction. Still, it is the reality of main conventional statistical tools for measuring growth and decline of weak political leadership who could not handle the very many today: So-called political economies. These tools distribute aggregate national economic figures per realities of the country's financial and military losses. freedom coupled with economic capita the sum of national produce divided by the number of citizens Much like the current US president Donald Trump, poverty. (irrespective of who is employed, unemployed, retired, minors, ill, disable, 22 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 23 etc.). Such figures (that includes operations of However, to make that spirited movement rich and the deliberate deprivation of the basic welfare of so many others. Still, - Decentralized planning. companies working abroad, etc.) yield statistical average meaningful, its proper goal should be established. capitalism triumphantly is ever insouciant; such are the costs of freedom! This - Worker participation in abstracts and provide no authentic information on However, materialist socialists inspired by Karl Marx is how political democracy directly supports profit-oriented, self-seeking decision-making and cooperative people's actual economic situation. Evidently, figures of transformed the concept of social regulation into party economics: Political freedom = economic liberalization. Do what you like, ownership of assets. GDP and GNP say next to nothing about the situations of control either via participating in elections controlled by and everything is fine! - Consumption oriented (not various individuals and families here and there in a capitalists or in communist controlled states. Both these A very clever persuasion, indeed. The universal declaration of human profit-motivated) economy, and country. Macroeconomic data, such as GDP and GNP, ideologies gave socialism a bad name its bad name rights itself is but an amplification of this shrewd manipulation of the more. (10) may not even be remotely related to the economic associated with compromise with capitalism and medieval concept of habeus corpus, the antithesis of feudalism and repository Prout ensures that collective realities of actual living beings and their society. imperialism on the one hand and on the other of individual political rights. (8) Modern capitalist democracy (who said development will accelerate and not According to PROUT, the only real yardstick of totalitarianism and state capitalism. social democracy?) is clearly very old school and not suited to the dynamics of stagnate into “to all according to people's economic circumstances is their purchasing The practical result of Marxist materialist socialism forward-looking, decentralized economies. need, from all according to ability.” power. If people's purchasing power amounts to less than communism was state dictatorship and the ruin of As a matter of fact, the only reference to economy in the United Nations Instead, Prout installs a sense of the costs of securing the minimum necessities of life everything that is human. This is not surprising as Lenin's declaration of human rights appears in its Article 17-1: “Everyone has the right “guaranteeing the minimum food, clothing, shelter, medical services, and education role model for his “state capitalism” was the Kaiser's to property alone as well as in association with others.” That is, classical requirements of all as well as the then those people are poor. When their purchasing power Germany who paid for him to go to Russia and overthrow capitalist prospecting. Elsewhere, Article 23 addresses rights of laborers, maximum development of their meets those targets then they are ok. Whereas if the revolutionary government to stop Russia from including their right to form trade unions, an offer effectively reduced to tall potentialities.” Under Prout, all will someone's purchasing power surpasses the cost of the fighting in the first world war. Such authoritarianism is talk only under the rampages in the current phase of late capitalism. The 1948 work and there will be no shortage of minimum necessities, such people may be said to be also unsurprising given that Marxism developed first in UN declaration has nothing to do with economic democracy but all to do with suitable jobs for all. Shrii Sarkar above the poverty line and even well off as they case may Russia, a vast country of largely uneducated citizens at capitalism's need for a universally recognizable human face in its pursuit of opined: be. Shrii Sarkar opined: the time, and as an antithesis to capitalism and dogmatic global economic exploitation under the beguiling banner of individualism and “First, there should be 100% “The minimum requirements can be assured religion both, with little or no synthesis of ideology. selfish pleasure. The later Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural employment for the local people. through guaranteed purchasing capacity which should be Nevertheless, and as already mentioned, cultured Rights, the UN does not even pretend to take secretly. The basic right of all people is to be enshrined in the constitution as a fundamental or cardinal advanced civilizations may suddenly turn into brutal Political democracy is no guarantee for an economy of, for and by the guaranteed the minimum essentials human right. This will give the citizens of the country fascism, too. people. Rather, democracy has become the enemy of people's economy. Far for their existence, including at least legal power if their minimum requirements are not met, Both Communism and Nazism were dogmatic from favoring consumers and producers, political democracy does everything proper food, clothing, housing, hence the necessity of purchasing capacity will be systems based on rigid sets of restricted thinking. Under to back capitalist exploiters. Instead of uniting all, political democracy divides education and medical care. This reinforced by constitutional law. As people's economy banners of aggression and pure fantasy, those primitive us. Political democracy is hand in glove with global capitalism, and not with basic right should be arranged will deal with minimum requirements and people's “isms” ultimately barred the progress and freedom of economic democracy. through cent per cent guaranteed subsistence problems, it must take precedence over other their citizens and the country. We may agree that the employment, not through welfare or parts of the economy.” (7) Ideology and Practical Politics intentions of leadership and its ideological orientation dole-outs. Unemployment is a Two fundamental causes of decreasing Is there such a thing as an ideal economic system, or even a divine one? Try will decide whether a country's political system will critical economic problem in the purchasing power are feeding into each other: this on for size: The ideological platform of Prout centers on the principle of generate human welfare or not. world today and 100% employment 1.Firstly, as wealth concentration is increasing cosmic inheritance. Supreme Consciousness is the real owner of all wealth of As already noted, the general level of education and of the local people is the only way to by leaps and bounds, the number of have-nots is the universe as It is the creator of everything. Shrii Sarkar established: cultural legacy of a country offer no such guarantee. Yes, solve this problem. increasing sharply while the number of the well-to-do “This universe is the psychic and internal projection of Cosmic a highly conscious population may not accept any level Local people are defined as and rich is decreasing. This means much less for the Consciousness, and ours is a reflected projection. We cannot create anything of violence even in times of radical political transition. those who have merged individual growing majority and much, much more for very few. original. Whatever we do, we do with the physical waves radiated from the Still, the outcome of change will not depend on the level socio-economic interests with the 2.Consequently, most families and individuals matter. We can only make physical mixtures and chemical compounds. The of public education but on the ideological impact of the socio-economic interests of the have less of a disposable income than they used to. ownership lies with the Cosmic Entity and not with individuals.” (9) essential thrust of transition. socio-economic unit they live in. This negative macroeconomic scenario generates a This spiritual view transforms into Prout's principle of social equality. If a change is morally motivated, such as in an The primary consideration is second cause of declining purchasing power: Because We are an expression of It All. The essential spirit of society is that we are all uprising against injustice or exploitation, the outcome is whether people have merged their of the economic weakening of the masses, the rich family to move in unison towards our common goal, the supreme desideratum. likely to be the establishment of some righteous force or individual interests with their socio- minority grows all the time more averse to investing Prout's spirit of sharing all wealth rationally, and not dogmatically in vertical ideal. On the other hand, where changes are motivated by economic unit, regardless of their in what is perceived as an increasingly high-risk (capitalist) or horizontal (communist) fashion, sets its progressive socialism revenge or hatred of some kind, the outcome is sure to color, creed, race, mother tongue, environment. As a result, economic life grinds into radically apart: spell death and destruction. further standstill. a) The existential value of all is the same, while birthplace, etc. Those who earn their PROUT is a non-dogmatic, spiritually-ecologically The two main indications today of such a vicious b) The social value of individuals may vary. livelihood in a socio-economic unit oriented socio-economic theory. According to it, economic circle are: In economic terms, Prout furthers these dynamics by: but spend their earnings in another spiritual development (transcending all concepts and socio-economic unit should be  a) Ensuring a minimum of purchasing capacity of all through work, while Astronomically inflated financial markets, and emotions) is real progress, while physical and psychic b) Differentiating between average and superlative contributions by way of considered as outsiders or non-local  Epidemic personal, company, and national credit dynamics are affected if not negated by their respective people, as this practice is not in debts fast spiraling out of control.Prout's according special amenities to the deserving. natural side effects. Physical and mental developments In addition to maximizing the efficacy of incentive while minimizing accordance with the interests of the way of furthering the economy of society's may be termed as “progressive” whenever they support socioeconomic unit in which they grassroots is, as already indicated, economic democracy social inequality, other points of differentiation from materialist socialism and are in harmony with genuine spiritual development. include: are employed. It results in the through economic decentralization. Shrii Sarkar termed drainage of the capital necessary for Capitalism's epidemic of individualism and selfish - All-round human development and progress. such a socio-economic setup progressive socialism. pleasure, under the burqa of freedom, permits unchecked the continued growth of that unit and - Full psychic and spiritual freedom. Genuine Socialism, Anyone? accumulation of physical wealth. Gradually its u n d e r m i n e s i t s e c o n o m i c - The term socialism implies collective movement. Its implications are dawning on people - that the unbridled Ecological integrity. development. socio-economic spirit is social regulation of wealth. acquisition of even a single person comes at the cost of - Strengthening local cultural roots towards universal synthesis. Capitalists, in either their 24 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 25 etc.). Such figures (that includes operations of However, to make that spirited movement rich and the deliberate deprivation of the basic welfare of so many others. Still, - Decentralized planning. companies working abroad, etc.) yield statistical average meaningful, its proper goal should be established. capitalism triumphantly is ever insouciant; such are the costs of freedom! This - Worker participation in abstracts and provide no authentic information on However, materialist socialists inspired by Karl Marx is how political democracy directly supports profit-oriented, self-seeking decision-making and cooperative people's actual economic situation. Evidently, figures of transformed the concept of social regulation into party economics: Political freedom = economic liberalization. Do what you like, ownership of assets. GDP and GNP say next to nothing about the situations of control either via participating in elections controlled by and everything is fine! - Consumption oriented (not various individuals and families here and there in a capitalists or in communist controlled states. Both these A very clever persuasion, indeed. The universal declaration of human profit-motivated) economy, and country. Macroeconomic data, such as GDP and GNP, ideologies gave socialism a bad name its bad name rights itself is but an amplification of this shrewd manipulation of the more. (10) may not even be remotely related to the economic associated with compromise with capitalism and medieval concept of habeus corpus, the antithesis of feudalism and repository Prout ensures that collective realities of actual living beings and their society. imperialism on the one hand and on the other of individual political rights. (8) Modern capitalist democracy (who said development will accelerate and not According to PROUT, the only real yardstick of totalitarianism and state capitalism. social democracy?) is clearly very old school and not suited to the dynamics of stagnate into “to all according to people's economic circumstances is their purchasing The practical result of Marxist materialist socialism forward-looking, decentralized economies. need, from all according to ability.” power. If people's purchasing power amounts to less than communism was state dictatorship and the ruin of As a matter of fact, the only reference to economy in the United Nations Instead, Prout installs a sense of the costs of securing the minimum necessities of life everything that is human. This is not surprising as Lenin's declaration of human rights appears in its Article 17-1: “Everyone has the right “guaranteeing the minimum food, clothing, shelter, medical services, and education role model for his “state capitalism” was the Kaiser's to property alone as well as in association with others.” That is, classical requirements of all as well as the then those people are poor. When their purchasing power Germany who paid for him to go to Russia and overthrow capitalist prospecting. Elsewhere, Article 23 addresses rights of laborers, maximum development of their meets those targets then they are ok. Whereas if the revolutionary government to stop Russia from including their right to form trade unions, an offer effectively reduced to tall potentialities.” Under Prout, all will someone's purchasing power surpasses the cost of the fighting in the first world war. Such authoritarianism is talk only under the rampages in the current phase of late capitalism. The 1948 work and there will be no shortage of minimum necessities, such people may be said to be also unsurprising given that Marxism developed first in UN declaration has nothing to do with economic democracy but all to do with suitable jobs for all. Shrii Sarkar above the poverty line and even well off as they case may Russia, a vast country of largely uneducated citizens at capitalism's need for a universally recognizable human face in its pursuit of opined: be. Shrii Sarkar opined: the time, and as an antithesis to capitalism and dogmatic global economic exploitation under the beguiling banner of individualism and “First, there should be 100% “The minimum requirements can be assured religion both, with little or no synthesis of ideology. selfish pleasure. The later Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural employment for the local people. through guaranteed purchasing capacity which should be Nevertheless, and as already mentioned, cultured Rights, the UN does not even pretend to take secretly. The basic right of all people is to be enshrined in the constitution as a fundamental or cardinal advanced civilizations may suddenly turn into brutal Political democracy is no guarantee for an economy of, for and by the guaranteed the minimum essentials human right. This will give the citizens of the country fascism, too. people. Rather, democracy has become the enemy of people's economy. Far for their existence, including at least legal power if their minimum requirements are not met, Both Communism and Nazism were dogmatic from favoring consumers and producers, political democracy does everything proper food, clothing, housing, hence the necessity of purchasing capacity will be systems based on rigid sets of restricted thinking. Under to back capitalist exploiters. Instead of uniting all, political democracy divides education and medical care. This reinforced by constitutional law. As people's economy banners of aggression and pure fantasy, those primitive us. Political democracy is hand in glove with global capitalism, and not with basic right should be arranged will deal with minimum requirements and people's “isms” ultimately barred the progress and freedom of economic democracy. through cent per cent guaranteed subsistence problems, it must take precedence over other their citizens and the country. We may agree that the employment, not through welfare or parts of the economy.” (7) Ideology and Practical Politics intentions of leadership and its ideological orientation dole-outs. Unemployment is a Two fundamental causes of decreasing Is there such a thing as an ideal economic system, or even a divine one? Try will decide whether a country's political system will critical economic problem in the purchasing power are feeding into each other: this on for size: The ideological platform of Prout centers on the principle of generate human welfare or not. world today and 100% employment 1.Firstly, as wealth concentration is increasing cosmic inheritance. Supreme Consciousness is the real owner of all wealth of As already noted, the general level of education and of the local people is the only way to by leaps and bounds, the number of have-nots is the universe as It is the creator of everything. Shrii Sarkar established: cultural legacy of a country offer no such guarantee. Yes, solve this problem. increasing sharply while the number of the well-to-do “This universe is the psychic and internal projection of Cosmic a highly conscious population may not accept any level Local people are defined as and rich is decreasing. This means much less for the Consciousness, and ours is a reflected projection. We cannot create anything of violence even in times of radical political transition. those who have merged individual growing majority and much, much more for very few. original. Whatever we do, we do with the physical waves radiated from the Still, the outcome of change will not depend on the level socio-economic interests with the 2.Consequently, most families and individuals matter. We can only make physical mixtures and chemical compounds. The of public education but on the ideological impact of the socio-economic interests of the have less of a disposable income than they used to. ownership lies with the Cosmic Entity and not with individuals.” (9) essential thrust of transition. socio-economic unit they live in. This negative macroeconomic scenario generates a This spiritual view transforms into Prout's principle of social equality. If a change is morally motivated, such as in an The primary consideration is second cause of declining purchasing power: Because We are an expression of It All. The essential spirit of society is that we are all uprising against injustice or exploitation, the outcome is whether people have merged their of the economic weakening of the masses, the rich family to move in unison towards our common goal, the supreme desideratum. likely to be the establishment of some righteous force or individual interests with their socio- minority grows all the time more averse to investing Prout's spirit of sharing all wealth rationally, and not dogmatically in vertical ideal. On the other hand, where changes are motivated by economic unit, regardless of their in what is perceived as an increasingly high-risk (capitalist) or horizontal (communist) fashion, sets its progressive socialism revenge or hatred of some kind, the outcome is sure to color, creed, race, mother tongue, environment. As a result, economic life grinds into radically apart: spell death and destruction. further standstill. a) The existential value of all is the same, while birthplace, etc. Those who earn their PROUT is a non-dogmatic, spiritually-ecologically The two main indications today of such a vicious b) The social value of individuals may vary. livelihood in a socio-economic unit oriented socio-economic theory. According to it, economic circle are: In economic terms, Prout furthers these dynamics by: but spend their earnings in another spiritual development (transcending all concepts and socio-economic unit should be  a) Ensuring a minimum of purchasing capacity of all through work, while Astronomically inflated financial markets, and emotions) is real progress, while physical and psychic b) Differentiating between average and superlative contributions by way of considered as outsiders or non-local  Epidemic personal, company, and national credit dynamics are affected if not negated by their respective people, as this practice is not in debts fast spiraling out of control.Prout's according special amenities to the deserving. natural side effects. Physical and mental developments In addition to maximizing the efficacy of incentive while minimizing accordance with the interests of the way of furthering the economy of society's may be termed as “progressive” whenever they support socioeconomic unit in which they grassroots is, as already indicated, economic democracy social inequality, other points of differentiation from materialist socialism and are in harmony with genuine spiritual development. include: are employed. It results in the through economic decentralization. Shrii Sarkar termed drainage of the capital necessary for Capitalism's epidemic of individualism and selfish - All-round human development and progress. such a socio-economic setup progressive socialism. pleasure, under the burqa of freedom, permits unchecked the continued growth of that unit and - Full psychic and spiritual freedom. Genuine Socialism, Anyone? accumulation of physical wealth. Gradually its u n d e r m i n e s i t s e c o n o m i c - The term socialism implies collective movement. Its implications are dawning on people - that the unbridled Ecological integrity. development. socio-economic spirit is social regulation of wealth. acquisition of even a single person comes at the cost of - Strengthening local cultural roots towards universal synthesis. Capitalists, in either their 24 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 25 singular or collective forms, are the of the long term economic plan, working hours may also be progressively agencies on the virtues of human rights. There is, and university degrees cannot be the deciding criteria for m o s t p e r n i c i o u s e c o n o m i c reduced to maintain full employment. overall, very little freedom on offer, particularly when obtaining voting rights. Rather, all-round human exploiters today. All over the world To solve the unemployment problem in both the short and long term there we add economic liberation and not begging to the list maturation should be the key factor. It is the duty of they are continually exploiting local must be an accurate understanding of the surplus and deficit manual and of required conditions for freedom. society to secure integrated development for all its economies and draining their intellectual labor trends. In India, for example, there is surplus manual labor in While a system of combining political and citizens. Education cannot simply mean theoretical wealth. In nearly all cases the profits North Bihar, which is based upon an agricultural economy, and surplus economic freedom remains a theoretical proposition knowledge. Rather it should generate all-round growth they accrue are spent outside the intellectual labor in Calcutta. In both places there is high unemployment. In only, the current US presidency of property tycoon and physically, mentally and spiritually in individual and local area and remitted to outside most of the countries of the world where there is high unemployment, there is reality TV star Donald Trump begs the question: Is collective life both. stockholders and parent companies. surplus manual labor. So manual labor-intensive industries are required to today's commercial democracy really the high point Today there is no lack of university-educated An essential measure to control create employment. In some instances where deficit labor exists for an democracy? Couldn't we do better? With his bizarre people who remain insensitive to actual problems and this economic exploitation is that expanding industry, retraining programs may equip workers with the ways and monocratic demeanor, the obviously challenges of humanity. Instead they remain the speculative markets in all necessary skills for employment. undemocratic Mr. Trump has shaken the democratic concerned about themselves and their own little countries of the world should be Another way to help solve unemployment, especially in rural West at its core, while the “undemocratic world” is group only. Such selfish individuals and groups resist closed immediately. communities, is the utilization of plants for economic self-reliance. All socio- laughing. to take larger collective issues into account, whatever To create 100% employment economic units have the potential to increase their plant and crop varieties by Perhaps part of The Donald's historical role is to their level of education. This sorry situation is caused among local people, Prout supports properly matching these with the soil, topography and climatic conditions etc. put into sharp focus everything that is questionable mainly by a faulty system of education that never took both a short term and a long term in their units. Reforestation can reclaim arid and semi-arid regions, and some about political democracy under capitalism, including: practical life seriously. In its place, any system of economic plan. In the short-term unique plants like the Puranica or fern, which has the capacity to attract  Under political democracy, society is subjected to education and training must involve deep, plan, labor intensive industries clouds, can help radically transform the rainfall and weather patterns of a heavy commercial media manipulation; comprehensive ecological, moral and spiritual based on the collective minimum region. Agro- and agrico-industries based upon the productive potential of  Democracy under capitalism doesn't seem to learning presented in straightforward and practical requirements of life should be different plants can also help solve rural unemployment by creating a range of educate the masses politically but confuse them; the ways. started immediately or made more new goods and services. There are many dimensions to this revolutionary majority of such befuddled and manipulated voters may Education and training should be uplifting for the productive where they already exist. plant rationalization program, which is also a practical expression of the ideals not be in the right but in the wrong, and may therefore, individual as well as for the collective. New relevant These industries should be based on of Neohumanism.” (11) by “mob rule”, repress better-informed minorities; methodologies for solving burning issues should be the consumption motive. They Leadership  Meanwhile, economic, political and social implemented without reservations and unnecessary should also provide a rational profit Conventional democracy is representative administration of, by and for the disparities continue to increase enormously; delay. to guarantee adequate purchasing people. Not, it is not so much about leadership as about representation. Such  Overall, morality seems to be on the decline with LEADERSHIP capacity to those employed in them democratic representation was only very recently introduced. Long before corruption and cynicism on the increase, a situation that Secondly, as present commercially motivated and to ensure their continued democracy, leaders took the masses forward on their path. And before that? It is apparently not helped by the entrenched party- institutions may not be able to formulate and deliver such existence and growth. In North is difficult to say how long our ancestors lived without leadership. We may as system. progressive education, the need for generating fresh Bihar, for example, where there is well concur with Peter Gronn, Professor of Education at the University of Improving democracy leadership require our undivided attention. As a matter of virtually no industry, all kinds of Cambridge, who puts the figure at one hundred thousand years. (12) fact, we must find ways and means to seed, sprout and agrico- and agro-industries can be Some of the conspicuous weaknesses of present forms According to Gronn, hunter-gatherers began the transition to early chiefdoms of commercially motivated, saleable democracy were nurture the new both inside and outside the present developed to alleviate the and embryonic states between 3,000 and 6,000 years ago, while it is only in the establishment. Since democracy is defined as leadership unemployment problem there. listed above. Let us now try to offer remedies and previous 100-500 years that we have seen state-level polities. solutions to it. of, by and for the people we should first ask ourselves In the long-term plan, capital For simplification's sake, we may equate Gronn's state-level polities with about the nature of good leadership and how it should intensive industries should also be modern party-based democracy. As an alternative to chiefdom, absolute EDUCATION benefit a well-functioning democracy. Considering the developed to increase the productive monarchy, dictatorship and other forms of authoritarian decision-making, First, active participants in democracy must be properly above, we should welcome that: capacity of the socioeconomic unit. political democracy has been around for some 2500 years, although not in the educated. Voters and candidates must prove their 1. Proper leadership must be morally enlightened. Prout advocates a three-tiered liberalist form promoted under global capitalism. Early forms of democracy, knowledge of current problems, potentialities and 2. It must also be spiritually enlightened economic structure, that is, small such as those evolved by the North-Indian Licchavii royal society and Greek resources, as well as their ability to address these. 3. These two prerequisites feed into each other. scale privately owned businesses, republics, meant the rule of an elite minority; a select group of aristocrats who Following on this, avenues for addressing pressing As power corrupts and absolute power corrupts medium scale cooperatives and had somehow managed to wrestle state powers from former despotic rulers. problems and their solutions must be evolved and absolutely, capable leadership of a properly functioning large-scale key industries managed Two millennia on, post-French Revolution democracies continue to expanded. In the same way as ecology has gone some democracy should not occupy political offices directly. by the immediate government. Such demand universal voting rights and freedom of expression for all. As already way to address current physical problems and Instead, it should function as an indirect power that an economic structure should be indicated, there are significant hitches to these so-called democratic challenges, still more advanced and sophisticated monitors political, economic and social developments based on the principles of self- principles: For one, as comparatively uneducated people remain in majority knowledge and methodologies must be advanced to while being in mutual communication with entire reliance, maximum utilization, address still greater and deeper challenges of political, society. r a t i o n a l d i s t r i b u t i o n , all over the world, voters are basically kept in the dark under the influence of a commercial media that keep bombarding them with utter nonsense meant to economic, social and cultural life. For such a leadership to be relevant to the welfare of decentralization, rationalization and Such knowledge and practices should not only feed the crude desires and flimsy sentiments of the largely ignorant majority. all, it cannot be borne out of a certain class or interest progressive increases in the standard concern the physical world but also the far greater This form of essentially commercially motivated media-based democracy is group. Quite on the contrary, it must be declassed and of living of all people. Through the psychic and spirituality spheres of human existence. By no more than a hundred years old and has yet, as previously discussed, to prove universal in spirit. As morality and spirituality are never-ending creation of new placing greater spheres of existence before all, by unbarred by class, creed, and color, these two dynamic its lasting human benevolence. industries, new products and new addressing the need and value of more subtle life and morality and living spirituality will serve the purpose of p r o d u c t i o n t e c h n i q u e s The Trump turmoil values, avenues towards solving even life's crude proper individual and collective education and training incorporating the latest scientific Today, most of Earth's human population, including that of China and most challenges will be greatly facilitated and significantly well. discoveries, the vitality of the Islamic states, remain subjected to totalitarian and dogmatic forms of rule. broadened. Obviously, such an educative and inspiring economy can be increased. As part Such regimes are routinely heckled by democratic leaders and western As to the notion of being educated, age, literacy leadership will be able to generate both an increasingly 26 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 27 singular or collective forms, are the of the long term economic plan, working hours may also be progressively agencies on the virtues of human rights. There is, and university degrees cannot be the deciding criteria for m o s t p e r n i c i o u s e c o n o m i c reduced to maintain full employment. overall, very little freedom on offer, particularly when obtaining voting rights. Rather, all-round human exploiters today. All over the world To solve the unemployment problem in both the short and long term there we add economic liberation and not begging to the list maturation should be the key factor. It is the duty of they are continually exploiting local must be an accurate understanding of the surplus and deficit manual and of required conditions for freedom. society to secure integrated development for all its economies and draining their intellectual labor trends. In India, for example, there is surplus manual labor in While a system of combining political and citizens. Education cannot simply mean theoretical wealth. In nearly all cases the profits North Bihar, which is based upon an agricultural economy, and surplus economic freedom remains a theoretical proposition knowledge. Rather it should generate all-round growth they accrue are spent outside the intellectual labor in Calcutta. In both places there is high unemployment. In only, the current US presidency of property tycoon and physically, mentally and spiritually in individual and local area and remitted to outside most of the countries of the world where there is high unemployment, there is reality TV star Donald Trump begs the question: Is collective life both. stockholders and parent companies. surplus manual labor. So manual labor-intensive industries are required to today's commercial democracy really the high point Today there is no lack of university-educated An essential measure to control create employment. In some instances where deficit labor exists for an democracy? Couldn't we do better? With his bizarre people who remain insensitive to actual problems and this economic exploitation is that expanding industry, retraining programs may equip workers with the ways and monocratic demeanor, the obviously challenges of humanity. Instead they remain the speculative markets in all necessary skills for employment. undemocratic Mr. Trump has shaken the democratic concerned about themselves and their own little countries of the world should be Another way to help solve unemployment, especially in rural West at its core, while the “undemocratic world” is group only. Such selfish individuals and groups resist closed immediately. communities, is the utilization of plants for economic self-reliance. All socio- laughing. to take larger collective issues into account, whatever To create 100% employment economic units have the potential to increase their plant and crop varieties by Perhaps part of The Donald's historical role is to their level of education. This sorry situation is caused among local people, Prout supports properly matching these with the soil, topography and climatic conditions etc. put into sharp focus everything that is questionable mainly by a faulty system of education that never took both a short term and a long term in their units. Reforestation can reclaim arid and semi-arid regions, and some about political democracy under capitalism, including: practical life seriously. In its place, any system of economic plan. In the short-term unique plants like the Puranica or fern, which has the capacity to attract  Under political democracy, society is subjected to education and training must involve deep, plan, labor intensive industries clouds, can help radically transform the rainfall and weather patterns of a heavy commercial media manipulation; comprehensive ecological, moral and spiritual based on the collective minimum region. Agro- and agrico-industries based upon the productive potential of  Democracy under capitalism doesn't seem to learning presented in straightforward and practical requirements of life should be different plants can also help solve rural unemployment by creating a range of educate the masses politically but confuse them; the ways. started immediately or made more new goods and services. There are many dimensions to this revolutionary majority of such befuddled and manipulated voters may Education and training should be uplifting for the productive where they already exist. plant rationalization program, which is also a practical expression of the ideals not be in the right but in the wrong, and may therefore, individual as well as for the collective. New relevant These industries should be based on of Neohumanism.” (11) by “mob rule”, repress better-informed minorities; methodologies for solving burning issues should be the consumption motive. They Leadership  Meanwhile, economic, political and social implemented without reservations and unnecessary should also provide a rational profit Conventional democracy is representative administration of, by and for the disparities continue to increase enormously; delay. to guarantee adequate purchasing people. Not, it is not so much about leadership as about representation. Such  Overall, morality seems to be on the decline with LEADERSHIP capacity to those employed in them democratic representation was only very recently introduced. Long before corruption and cynicism on the increase, a situation that Secondly, as present commercially motivated and to ensure their continued democracy, leaders took the masses forward on their path. And before that? It is apparently not helped by the entrenched party- institutions may not be able to formulate and deliver such existence and growth. In North is difficult to say how long our ancestors lived without leadership. We may as system. progressive education, the need for generating fresh Bihar, for example, where there is well concur with Peter Gronn, Professor of Education at the University of Improving democracy leadership require our undivided attention. As a matter of virtually no industry, all kinds of Cambridge, who puts the figure at one hundred thousand years. (12) fact, we must find ways and means to seed, sprout and agrico- and agro-industries can be Some of the conspicuous weaknesses of present forms According to Gronn, hunter-gatherers began the transition to early chiefdoms of commercially motivated, saleable democracy were nurture the new both inside and outside the present developed to alleviate the and embryonic states between 3,000 and 6,000 years ago, while it is only in the establishment. Since democracy is defined as leadership unemployment problem there. listed above. Let us now try to offer remedies and previous 100-500 years that we have seen state-level polities. solutions to it. of, by and for the people we should first ask ourselves In the long-term plan, capital For simplification's sake, we may equate Gronn's state-level polities with about the nature of good leadership and how it should intensive industries should also be modern party-based democracy. As an alternative to chiefdom, absolute EDUCATION benefit a well-functioning democracy. Considering the developed to increase the productive monarchy, dictatorship and other forms of authoritarian decision-making, First, active participants in democracy must be properly above, we should welcome that: capacity of the socioeconomic unit. political democracy has been around for some 2500 years, although not in the educated. Voters and candidates must prove their 1. Proper leadership must be morally enlightened. Prout advocates a three-tiered liberalist form promoted under global capitalism. Early forms of democracy, knowledge of current problems, potentialities and 2. It must also be spiritually enlightened economic structure, that is, small such as those evolved by the North-Indian Licchavii royal society and Greek resources, as well as their ability to address these. 3. These two prerequisites feed into each other. scale privately owned businesses, republics, meant the rule of an elite minority; a select group of aristocrats who Following on this, avenues for addressing pressing As power corrupts and absolute power corrupts medium scale cooperatives and had somehow managed to wrestle state powers from former despotic rulers. problems and their solutions must be evolved and absolutely, capable leadership of a properly functioning large-scale key industries managed Two millennia on, post-French Revolution democracies continue to expanded. In the same way as ecology has gone some democracy should not occupy political offices directly. by the immediate government. Such demand universal voting rights and freedom of expression for all. As already way to address current physical problems and Instead, it should function as an indirect power that an economic structure should be indicated, there are significant hitches to these so-called democratic challenges, still more advanced and sophisticated monitors political, economic and social developments based on the principles of self- principles: For one, as comparatively uneducated people remain in majority knowledge and methodologies must be advanced to while being in mutual communication with entire reliance, maximum utilization, address still greater and deeper challenges of political, society. r a t i o n a l d i s t r i b u t i o n , all over the world, voters are basically kept in the dark under the influence of a commercial media that keep bombarding them with utter nonsense meant to economic, social and cultural life. For such a leadership to be relevant to the welfare of decentralization, rationalization and Such knowledge and practices should not only feed the crude desires and flimsy sentiments of the largely ignorant majority. all, it cannot be borne out of a certain class or interest progressive increases in the standard concern the physical world but also the far greater This form of essentially commercially motivated media-based democracy is group. Quite on the contrary, it must be declassed and of living of all people. Through the psychic and spirituality spheres of human existence. By no more than a hundred years old and has yet, as previously discussed, to prove universal in spirit. As morality and spirituality are never-ending creation of new placing greater spheres of existence before all, by unbarred by class, creed, and color, these two dynamic its lasting human benevolence. industries, new products and new addressing the need and value of more subtle life and morality and living spirituality will serve the purpose of p r o d u c t i o n t e c h n i q u e s The Trump turmoil values, avenues towards solving even life's crude proper individual and collective education and training incorporating the latest scientific Today, most of Earth's human population, including that of China and most challenges will be greatly facilitated and significantly well. discoveries, the vitality of the Islamic states, remain subjected to totalitarian and dogmatic forms of rule. broadened. Obviously, such an educative and inspiring economy can be increased. As part Such regimes are routinely heckled by democratic leaders and western As to the notion of being educated, age, literacy leadership will be able to generate both an increasingly 26 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 27 HIDDEN AGENDA qualified electorate as well as still better equipped for the welfare of all living beings including that of all candidates for offices. In fact, the emergence of a animals and plants. (13) properly equipped moral and spiritual leadership will PROUT's model of economic democracy can only benefit all irrespective of class and other potential group function within a decentralized economic system. interests. A well-directed system of education, dynamic Requirements for decentralized economic systems The write-off in the last six months comes at a time when banks are morality and living spirituality are the prerequisites as include in brief. (14) struggling to resolve many cases of repayment of loans and recover money well as the medicine for democracy. 1.All the resources in a socio-economic unit should ECONOMIC DECENTRALIZATION: be controlled by the local people. In particular, the stuck with corporate defaulters through insolvency proceedings. Today the litany of the professional political class is resources which are required to produce the minimum political freedom. Current political systems are victim to requirements must be in local hands, and all the vested interests and commercial forces that keep forming industries based on these resources will have to be opportunistic alliances working against actual genuine controlled entirely by the local people. human interests. It is therefore relevant to question the 2.Production should be based on consumption, not PSU Banks Write off values of current political democracies. profit. Moreover, for the survival and further progress of 3.Production and distribution should be organized humanity, basic values of economic democracy should through cooperatives. be demanded and developed. The prime needs of human 4.Local people must be employed in local economic Rs 55,356 Crore in Six Months beings are food, medicines, clothing, housing and enterprises. 5.Commodities which are not locally produced education, not political documents of theoretical human George Matthew rights. Let people take their economic destiny in their should be removed from the local markets. own hands and decide its outcome for themselves. The Conclusion NDIA’S STATE-OWNED banks have written off highest in any quarter, ICRA said. development of political values on the other hand may In response to a historical need for enlightened rule and loans worth Rs 55,356 crore in the first six months Incidentally, as against just advance-related frauds then be left to a declassed, detached enlightened economic liberation of all, humanity need to evolve of fiscal 2017-18, according to data compiled by in the last three years, the total frauds, including those on leadership such as discussed above. collective leadership based on spirito-moral Icredit rating agency ICRA, as banks attempt to clean up account of advances, deposits cyber-frauds and trade- PROUT recognizes a number of essential enlightenment. It would require us all to start practicing their balance sheets after a string of defaults by firms related, reported in the four years to March 2013, was requirements for economic democracy to take root. We morality and spirituality in earnest. Such a moral and and promoters in the wake of the economic slowdown. significantly lower at Rs 29,910.12 crore (the number of have already addressed the need of sufficient purchasing spiritual collective movement may not take the same The write-off in the last six months — 54 per cent cases were higher though at 1,69,190). capacity to secure the minimum necessities of life for all. form everywhere but differ in response to varying higher than the Rs 35,985 crore written off in the same Bank-Group wise Advance Related Frauds The only way to establish such purchasing capacity is by circumstances and ongoing changes. The common point period last year — comes at a time when banks are involving amounts of Rs 1 crore and above in value work for all, and Prout guarantees such a thriving work would be the common human heart and universal struggling to resolve many cases of repayment of loans during this period was Rs 16,690.26 crore on account of market. consciousness. and recover money stuck with corporate defaulters 2,760 cases. Further requirements for economic democracy The next step of democracy lies in evolving through insolvency proceedings. The RBI had earlier explained that writing off of include local economic rule, non-interference of practical economic democracy supported by universal Figures obtained by The Indian Express from the non-performing assets or bad loans is a regular exercise outsiders in the local economy, and the consistent effort moral and spiritual leadership from grassroots upwards. RBI through the Right to Information (RTI) Act for the carried out by banks to clean up their balance sheets. last decade show that banks had written off Rs 2,28,253 Notes crore in nine years — from fiscal 2007-08 to 2015-16. (1) See http://proutglobe.org/prout The central bank did not provide data for the subsequent (2) “Decentralized Economy 1,” Prout in a Nutshell Part 21. P.R. Sarkar, Ananda Marga Publications. period. (3) The History Learning Site, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi-germany/nazi-education/ Separately, responding to a questionnaire from (4) More on Prout's theory of the social cycle: http://proutglobe.org/prout/socio-economics/social/#socl The Indian Express, ICRA said that write-offs (5) Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture". P. R. Sarkar. The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Ananda Marga amounted to Rs 1,32,659 crore in 2016-17 and the Publications. first six months of 2017-18. (6) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/28/death-middle-class-undermine-democracy, This means the total write-off in the last ten years https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/whats-the-solution-to-middle-class-stagnation/472194/, is now over Rs 3,60,000 crore. State-owned banks have etc. reported to the RBI that frauds in advances during the (7) From “Quadri-Dimensional Economy”, P.R. Sarkar. A Few Problems Solved Part 7, Ananda Marga last three financial years and the current fiscal (up to Publications. June 2017) cumulatively amounted to a whopping Rs (8) http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ 51,086 crore on account of around 5,750 “Red flag” (9) From Discourses on Prout 1, P.R. Sarkar. Ananda Marga Publications. (10) Further comparisons of Prout with materialist socialism and other systems are found at accounts. http://proutglobe.org/prout/ideology/comparative/ To put that number in perspective, the advance- (11) “Socio-Economic Movements”, P.R. Sarkar. A Few Problems Solved Part 9, Ananda Marga Publications. related frauds during the last three years adds up to (12) http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/peter-gronn-early-human-society-hunted-gathered- nearly 8 per cent of the gross non-performing assets ndash-and-worked-without-leaders-1706868.html (GNPAs) of the public-sector banks, which stood at Rs (13) More on Prout's concept and system of economic democracy is found at http://proutglobe.org/prout/socio- 6,41,057 crore as on March 31, 2017. economics/economics/economic-democracy/ Given the current trend, the total write-off in fiscal (14) More on Prout's concept and system of decentralized economy is found at 2018 is estimated to top Rs 1 lakh crore, bankers said. http://proutglobe.org/2011/06/decentralized-economy-1/ PSU banks wrote off Rs 25,573 crore in the June quarter and Rs 29,783 crore in the quarter to September, the 28 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 29 HIDDEN AGENDA qualified electorate as well as still better equipped for the welfare of all living beings including that of all candidates for offices. In fact, the emergence of a animals and plants. (13) properly equipped moral and spiritual leadership will PROUT's model of economic democracy can only benefit all irrespective of class and other potential group function within a decentralized economic system. interests. A well-directed system of education, dynamic Requirements for decentralized economic systems The write-off in the last six months comes at a time when banks are morality and living spirituality are the prerequisites as include in brief. (14) struggling to resolve many cases of repayment of loans and recover money well as the medicine for democracy. 1.All the resources in a socio-economic unit should ECONOMIC DECENTRALIZATION: be controlled by the local people. In particular, the stuck with corporate defaulters through insolvency proceedings. Today the litany of the professional political class is resources which are required to produce the minimum political freedom. Current political systems are victim to requirements must be in local hands, and all the vested interests and commercial forces that keep forming industries based on these resources will have to be opportunistic alliances working against actual genuine controlled entirely by the local people. human interests. It is therefore relevant to question the 2.Production should be based on consumption, not PSU Banks Write off values of current political democracies. profit. Moreover, for the survival and further progress of 3.Production and distribution should be organized humanity, basic values of economic democracy should through cooperatives. be demanded and developed. The prime needs of human 4.Local people must be employed in local economic Rs 55,356 Crore in Six Months beings are food, medicines, clothing, housing and enterprises. 5.Commodities which are not locally produced education, not political documents of theoretical human George Matthew rights. Let people take their economic destiny in their should be removed from the local markets. own hands and decide its outcome for themselves. The Conclusion NDIA’S STATE-OWNED banks have written off highest in any quarter, ICRA said. development of political values on the other hand may In response to a historical need for enlightened rule and loans worth Rs 55,356 crore in the first six months Incidentally, as against just advance-related frauds then be left to a declassed, detached enlightened economic liberation of all, humanity need to evolve of fiscal 2017-18, according to data compiled by in the last three years, the total frauds, including those on leadership such as discussed above. collective leadership based on spirito-moral Icredit rating agency ICRA, as banks attempt to clean up account of advances, deposits cyber-frauds and trade- PROUT recognizes a number of essential enlightenment. It would require us all to start practicing their balance sheets after a string of defaults by firms related, reported in the four years to March 2013, was requirements for economic democracy to take root. We morality and spirituality in earnest. Such a moral and and promoters in the wake of the economic slowdown. significantly lower at Rs 29,910.12 crore (the number of have already addressed the need of sufficient purchasing spiritual collective movement may not take the same The write-off in the last six months — 54 per cent cases were higher though at 1,69,190). capacity to secure the minimum necessities of life for all. form everywhere but differ in response to varying higher than the Rs 35,985 crore written off in the same Bank-Group wise Advance Related Frauds The only way to establish such purchasing capacity is by circumstances and ongoing changes. The common point period last year — comes at a time when banks are involving amounts of Rs 1 crore and above in value work for all, and Prout guarantees such a thriving work would be the common human heart and universal struggling to resolve many cases of repayment of loans during this period was Rs 16,690.26 crore on account of market. consciousness. and recover money stuck with corporate defaulters 2,760 cases. Further requirements for economic democracy The next step of democracy lies in evolving through insolvency proceedings. The RBI had earlier explained that writing off of include local economic rule, non-interference of practical economic democracy supported by universal Figures obtained by The Indian Express from the non-performing assets or bad loans is a regular exercise outsiders in the local economy, and the consistent effort moral and spiritual leadership from grassroots upwards. RBI through the Right to Information (RTI) Act for the carried out by banks to clean up their balance sheets. last decade show that banks had written off Rs 2,28,253 Notes crore in nine years — from fiscal 2007-08 to 2015-16. (1) See http://proutglobe.org/prout The central bank did not provide data for the subsequent (2) “Decentralized Economy 1,” Prout in a Nutshell Part 21. P.R. Sarkar, Ananda Marga Publications. period. (3) The History Learning Site, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi-germany/nazi-education/ Separately, responding to a questionnaire from (4) More on Prout's theory of the social cycle: http://proutglobe.org/prout/socio-economics/social/#socl The Indian Express, ICRA said that write-offs (5) Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture". P. R. Sarkar. The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Ananda Marga amounted to Rs 1,32,659 crore in 2016-17 and the Publications. first six months of 2017-18. (6) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/28/death-middle-class-undermine-democracy, This means the total write-off in the last ten years https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/whats-the-solution-to-middle-class-stagnation/472194/, is now over Rs 3,60,000 crore. State-owned banks have etc. reported to the RBI that frauds in advances during the (7) From “Quadri-Dimensional Economy”, P.R. Sarkar. A Few Problems Solved Part 7, Ananda Marga last three financial years and the current fiscal (up to Publications. June 2017) cumulatively amounted to a whopping Rs (8) http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ 51,086 crore on account of around 5,750 “Red flag” (9) From Discourses on Prout 1, P.R. Sarkar. Ananda Marga Publications. (10) Further comparisons of Prout with materialist socialism and other systems are found at accounts. http://proutglobe.org/prout/ideology/comparative/ To put that number in perspective, the advance- (11) “Socio-Economic Movements”, P.R. Sarkar. A Few Problems Solved Part 9, Ananda Marga Publications. related frauds during the last three years adds up to (12) http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/peter-gronn-early-human-society-hunted-gathered- nearly 8 per cent of the gross non-performing assets ndash-and-worked-without-leaders-1706868.html (GNPAs) of the public-sector banks, which stood at Rs (13) More on Prout's concept and system of economic democracy is found at http://proutglobe.org/prout/socio- 6,41,057 crore as on March 31, 2017. economics/economics/economic-democracy/ Given the current trend, the total write-off in fiscal (14) More on Prout's concept and system of decentralized economy is found at 2018 is estimated to top Rs 1 lakh crore, bankers said. http://proutglobe.org/2011/06/decentralized-economy-1/ PSU banks wrote off Rs 25,573 crore in the June quarter and Rs 29,783 crore in the quarter to September, the 28 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 29 Y R ECONOMIC STRUGGLE O T

“A substantial portion of this then excluded from the balance loan. Then how are they going to S

write-off is, however, technical in sheet and taxable income of banks recover that money? Use it very R nature. It is primarily intended at gets reduced. sparingly and do it where it’s E cleansing the balance sheet and Banks were engaged in a essential. If there’s asset, why are V Riverine Fisherfolk : achieving taxation efficiency. In massive write-off of loans over the you writing it off?” the official said. O ‘Technically Written Off’ accounts, years and the figure hit a high of Rs Karthik Srinivasan, group C loans are written off from the books 77,123 crore during the year ended head – financial sector ratings, How Four Projects Treat Them Today at the Head Office, without March 2017, against Rs 57,585 crore ICRA, said, “With limited foregoing the right to recovery. in fiscal 2015-16. Ten years ago, in resolution in stressed assets and Further, write-offs are generally 2007-08, loans written off by banks consequent ageing of these stressed carried out against accumulated were just Rs 8,019 crore, the RBI loans, the loan write-offs by public provisions made for such loans. said in its reply to an RTI query. sector banks during Q2 of fiscal Once recovered, the provisions However, experts say there is a 2018 were at the highest-ever levels. Fisherfolk should unite against corporate and government made for those loans flow back into perception that write-offs are not With record loan write-offs, the the profit and loss account of transparent and public funds are addition to gross NPAs of public sponsored “resource grabbing.” banks,” the RBI had said in an being misused. “You can’t clean up sector banks was limited to Rs 837 explanatory note. every quarter or every year. Once in crore only during the Q2 of fiscal The write-offs, even if five or ten years, we are cleaning up 2018, the lowest level during last “technical”, is significant in the the balance sheet for the last 20 four years.” context of ongoing efforts by the years. You can’t clean up every year. Accordingly, the provision Parineeta Dandekar government to enable a clean-up of Generally, write-off should be small, cover ratio, including technical balance sheets of banks. Repairing and should be used sparingly when write-offs, improved to 60.5 per cent heart of a deeper, more troubling that and enabling banks to lend again there’s some crisis. Technical write- as on September 30, 2017, the discourse: capitalist ownership by infusing fresh capital is at the off creates non-transparency, highest since the launch of the asset and appropriation of the river as a heart of some of the recent measures destroys the credit risk management quality review by the RBI during Q3 natural resource. unveiled by the government. system and brings all types of of FY2016, Srinivasan said. To illustrate, most dams which M Narendra, former chairman wrongdoings into the system,” said a A c c o r d i n g t o I C R A , fundamentally affect riverine and MD of Indian Overseas Bank, former RBI official. provisions made by banks on fisheries, never recognized said, “The write-off is just a “I have nothing against a write- advances surged by 30 per cent to Rs f i s h e r f o l k a s l e g i t i m a t e technical book entry. Banks are not off but it has to be done scarcely and 64,500 crore during the second stakeholders, with a say in the losing anything. It doesn’t mean within a policy, with all efforts taken quarter ended September 2017, with decisions making processes. In the banks are giving up those assets. to recover the money. Any asset more corporates coming under the conundrum of infrastructure for They will continue with various which is backed up by tangible asset insolvency process. For the first half irrigation, drinking water, recovery methods.” is never written off. Secondly, you of the fiscal, the total credit hydropower, flood control, sewage Banks will initially make must be subject to scrutiny for provisions were up by 17 per cent on disposal and now increasingly, provisions on such assets and then a these write-offs. There must be a a year-on-year basis at Rs 1,10,000 navigation, riverine fisheries find no write-off is done when the loan policy. You ask any bankers. They crore. place: its protagonists perched on becomes irrecoverable. The loan is have written off Vijay Mallya’s With the total exposure of Rs small wooden boats are too poor and 3,00,000 crore of accounts likely to unorganized to hold a clout. And the be resolved under the new rivers cannot go to the court. bankruptcy code, the overall The latest statement of the credit provisions are likely to be at Water Resource Minister sums up Fisherfolk Protest at Bhadbhut Photo: Dr. Sheikh, Brackishwater Reserach Institute, Surat Rs 2,40,000-Rs 2,60,000 crore, the narrative succinctly “Leave including impact of ageing on Rivers to me” he says. “Me” is Large When I was documenting a tiny, More than 10 million Indians Dams, Navigation, Embankments, existing NPAs and provisioning on free-flowing river in Maharashtra from some of the most vulnerable IBC accounts, for FY2018 as etc. No wonder that the World Western Ghats named Shastri, the groups depend on rivers for their Forum for Fish Workers gathering in against Rs 2,00,000 crore during common thread from headwaters to livelihood and nutritional needs. New Delhi asserted that fisherfolk FY2017. estuary was Fishing! It was This staggering number can be an should unite against corporate and The asset quality pain is likely everywhere, in all forms, including underestimate as several riverine government sponsored “resource to continue in the near term with Rs dozens of fish species and fishing fisherfolk do not bring their produce grabbing.” 1,70,000 crore of standard practices, including everyone: men, to the market and our livelihood Let us try to look at the status of restructured advances. Gross non- women, children, otters, crocodiles, census hardly captures the river fisheries in India through the performing assets (GNPA) are likely storks. Across the country, buzzing, intricacies of riverine fisheries lens of four large infrastructure to peak at Rs 8,80,000-Rs 9,00,000 diversified fisheries with old, sector. Despite the huge dependence projects: How they impact rivers and crore (10.0-10.2 per cent) by the end complex narratives indicate a rich and critical importance of riverine fisheries, how these impacts are of FY2018 as against NPAs of 9.5 river. And the palette just gets more fisheries, the sector continues being addressed and what space remains per cent (Rs 765,000 crore) as on vivid, nuanced and colorful with the ignored and abused. The reasons for the fisherfolk in the discourse March 31, 2017, Srinivasan said. size of the river. behind the exploitation are at the which holds sway over their lives. 30 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 31 Y R ECONOMIC STRUGGLE O T

“A substantial portion of this then excluded from the balance loan. Then how are they going to S

write-off is, however, technical in sheet and taxable income of banks recover that money? Use it very R nature. It is primarily intended at gets reduced. sparingly and do it where it’s E cleansing the balance sheet and Banks were engaged in a essential. If there’s asset, why are V Riverine Fisherfolk : achieving taxation efficiency. In massive write-off of loans over the you writing it off?” the official said. O ‘Technically Written Off’ accounts, years and the figure hit a high of Rs Karthik Srinivasan, group C loans are written off from the books 77,123 crore during the year ended head – financial sector ratings, How Four Projects Treat Them Today at the Head Office, without March 2017, against Rs 57,585 crore ICRA, said, “With limited foregoing the right to recovery. in fiscal 2015-16. Ten years ago, in resolution in stressed assets and Further, write-offs are generally 2007-08, loans written off by banks consequent ageing of these stressed carried out against accumulated were just Rs 8,019 crore, the RBI loans, the loan write-offs by public provisions made for such loans. said in its reply to an RTI query. sector banks during Q2 of fiscal Once recovered, the provisions However, experts say there is a 2018 were at the highest-ever levels. Fisherfolk should unite against corporate and government made for those loans flow back into perception that write-offs are not With record loan write-offs, the the profit and loss account of transparent and public funds are addition to gross NPAs of public sponsored “resource grabbing.” banks,” the RBI had said in an being misused. “You can’t clean up sector banks was limited to Rs 837 explanatory note. every quarter or every year. Once in crore only during the Q2 of fiscal The write-offs, even if five or ten years, we are cleaning up 2018, the lowest level during last “technical”, is significant in the the balance sheet for the last 20 four years.” context of ongoing efforts by the years. You can’t clean up every year. Accordingly, the provision Parineeta Dandekar government to enable a clean-up of Generally, write-off should be small, cover ratio, including technical balance sheets of banks. Repairing and should be used sparingly when write-offs, improved to 60.5 per cent heart of a deeper, more troubling that and enabling banks to lend again there’s some crisis. Technical write- as on September 30, 2017, the discourse: capitalist ownership by infusing fresh capital is at the off creates non-transparency, highest since the launch of the asset and appropriation of the river as a heart of some of the recent measures destroys the credit risk management quality review by the RBI during Q3 natural resource. unveiled by the government. system and brings all types of of FY2016, Srinivasan said. To illustrate, most dams which M Narendra, former chairman wrongdoings into the system,” said a A c c o r d i n g t o I C R A , fundamentally affect riverine and MD of Indian Overseas Bank, former RBI official. provisions made by banks on fisheries, never recognized said, “The write-off is just a “I have nothing against a write- advances surged by 30 per cent to Rs f i s h e r f o l k a s l e g i t i m a t e technical book entry. Banks are not off but it has to be done scarcely and 64,500 crore during the second stakeholders, with a say in the losing anything. It doesn’t mean within a policy, with all efforts taken quarter ended September 2017, with decisions making processes. In the banks are giving up those assets. to recover the money. Any asset more corporates coming under the conundrum of infrastructure for They will continue with various which is backed up by tangible asset insolvency process. For the first half irrigation, drinking water, recovery methods.” is never written off. Secondly, you of the fiscal, the total credit hydropower, flood control, sewage Banks will initially make must be subject to scrutiny for provisions were up by 17 per cent on disposal and now increasingly, provisions on such assets and then a these write-offs. There must be a a year-on-year basis at Rs 1,10,000 navigation, riverine fisheries find no write-off is done when the loan policy. You ask any bankers. They crore. place: its protagonists perched on becomes irrecoverable. The loan is have written off Vijay Mallya’s With the total exposure of Rs small wooden boats are too poor and 3,00,000 crore of accounts likely to unorganized to hold a clout. And the be resolved under the new rivers cannot go to the court. bankruptcy code, the overall The latest statement of the credit provisions are likely to be at Water Resource Minister sums up Fisherfolk Protest at Bhadbhut Photo: Dr. Sheikh, Brackishwater Reserach Institute, Surat Rs 2,40,000-Rs 2,60,000 crore, the narrative succinctly “Leave including impact of ageing on Rivers to me” he says. “Me” is Large When I was documenting a tiny, More than 10 million Indians Dams, Navigation, Embankments, existing NPAs and provisioning on free-flowing river in Maharashtra from some of the most vulnerable IBC accounts, for FY2018 as etc. No wonder that the World Western Ghats named Shastri, the groups depend on rivers for their Forum for Fish Workers gathering in against Rs 2,00,000 crore during common thread from headwaters to livelihood and nutritional needs. New Delhi asserted that fisherfolk FY2017. estuary was Fishing! It was This staggering number can be an should unite against corporate and The asset quality pain is likely everywhere, in all forms, including underestimate as several riverine government sponsored “resource to continue in the near term with Rs dozens of fish species and fishing fisherfolk do not bring their produce grabbing.” 1,70,000 crore of standard practices, including everyone: men, to the market and our livelihood Let us try to look at the status of restructured advances. Gross non- women, children, otters, crocodiles, census hardly captures the river fisheries in India through the performing assets (GNPA) are likely storks. Across the country, buzzing, intricacies of riverine fisheries lens of four large infrastructure to peak at Rs 8,80,000-Rs 9,00,000 diversified fisheries with old, sector. Despite the huge dependence projects: How they impact rivers and crore (10.0-10.2 per cent) by the end complex narratives indicate a rich and critical importance of riverine fisheries, how these impacts are of FY2018 as against NPAs of 9.5 river. And the palette just gets more fisheries, the sector continues being addressed and what space remains per cent (Rs 765,000 crore) as on vivid, nuanced and colorful with the ignored and abused. The reasons for the fisherfolk in the discourse March 31, 2017, Srinivasan said. size of the river. behind the exploitation are at the which holds sway over their lives. 30 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 31 Preliminary studies have national attempts to nationalise our documented the distress of dolphins rivers and are willing to go to any at the loud noise and their extent to prevent our rivers and disappearance from dredging sites, appurtenant lands from being which will slowly include most of grabbed for private profits of a few their habitat. Incidentally, Gangetic c o r p o r a t i o n s , f o r c o a l River Dolphins are our National transportation or any other reason.” Aquatic Animal. The case of “The conservation of our river Chinese Baiji Dolphins driven to commons is essential for promotion extinction and the role played by of our rich culture and traditions, inland navigation is documented. sustainable economic growth The project will cut through the through renewed agriculture, Kashi Turtle Sanctuary, but the fisheries and related activities and National Board for Wildlife has for protection of our environment given its recommendation. Manthan the economy of our children to Adhyayan Kendra has done an come”. assessment of impact of inland It also states poignantly: “Our navigation. rivers are the inalienable properties In 2016, a study of the impact of our village communities and of coal transportation by National continue to sustain lakhs of Goans Thermal Power Corporation on the even today. Fishing tools like Fishing just upstream proposed Athirappilly Hydropower Project, Chalakudy River, Kerala Ganga Waterway (Haldia port to Fishing Boats at Bhagirathi River, upstream Farakka Barrage Fut'tani, pagels, ogors, manxio, Farakka through the Hoogly River), kobule, lambaris, etc are used Inland Navigation Project NW 1. repaired (or even traceable!) for last several decades. Although it is obvious that a by ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries It is clear that despite huge impacts, Riverine Fish or Fisheries have extensively by thousands of river In 2016, Indian Government enacted Research Institute (CIFRI), side fisher folk people to sustain National Waterways Act and project which entails dredging the no role to play in decisions related to the NW-I development. river beds, straightening meanders, corroborated severe impacts, sharp b. Inland Navigation and Impact of Fisheries in Goa Goan economy and culture… These declared 111 rivers or river fall in fish diversity due to barge rivers are not only the lifeline of stretches, creeks, estuaries as establishing ports and jetties at river In Goa, riverine and estuarine fishing is not just a profession, it has mouths, mangroves and riparian movement and the fall in income of permeated into the culture of that unique land. Researchers and activists in Goan communities, but are also 'National Waterways'. Prior to this the 25,000 fisherfolk dependent on completely owned, managed and act, there were only five, including floodplains, changes in river Goa say that about 50,000 fisherfolk are dependent on artisanal estuarine it. Not surprisingly, the affected protected by local communities”. National Waterway 1 on the Ganga hydrology, traffic inside a river, fisheries in six major rivers of Goa.Goans have several fishing techniques, people were not compensated. The The All Goa Fishermen's from Haldia to Allahabad, and transport of hazardous material like indigenous management systems like Khajans, specialized nets and boats for author has met several fisherfolk Union has said that 45 inland fishing National Waterway 2 on the coal, fly ash and iron ore inside their riverine susegaat maneuvers. Rivers and river mouths are shared with around Farakka Barrage who are villages will be destroyed on Brahmaputra. Indian Waterways protected areas would require fish, snails, oyster reefs, crocs, otters, mangroves and fishing boats, in the still facing severe impacts of the account of the nature of waterways Authority of India, in existence Environmental & Social Impact same easy-going manner. Barrage. proposed Several bodies like since decades, is in charge of these Assessment, public consultation and Of all states in India, possibly Goa has most at stake when it comes to Built on the Ganga-Padma Chapora Fishermen Association activities. Environmental Clearance, the impact of Navigation on Fisheries on its six major rivers: Zuari, Mandovi, river in 1975, Farakka Barrage have opposed the move strongly. Purportedly for eco-friendly Ministry of Shipping has been Cumbarjua, Chapora, Sal and Mapusa/Moide. Goa has witnessed the fallout single-handedly killed Hilsa For nearly one year, the ruling transport of cargo, hazardous opposing this and Union Ministry of of exponentially increasing iron ore & imported coal shipping on rich migration up the river. The barrage government has been stating that it chemicals, coal, industrial raw Environment, Forests & Climate estuaries of Zuari and Mandovi Rivers. does not have a functioning fish lock will sign a tripartite Memorandum materials, and tourism, each project Change (MoEF&CC) has been Goan fisherfolk are staunchly against corporate politicians' to facilitate migration of Hilsa fish of Understanding (MoU) between will include massive interventions inconsistent and ambiguous on its “Nationalisation” of rivers and Inland Navigation. Main objections include: which is ecologically, economically Goa Goverment, Marmagoa Port on rivers like capital and stand. ¡ the intricate dependence of communities on rivers and river banks which maintenance dredging of rivers, and even culturally unique in its will be taken over by the navigation project, Trust and Inland Waterways docks, channels, wharves, jetties, a. National Waterway 1: Ganga identity for Bengali culture. This is ¡ the placing of fishing nets across and parallel to river mouths and Authority after taking people in landing stages, locks, buoys, inland Waterway: despite the fact that India's premier mangroves which will be useless once more ships start plying these waters, confidence, but it has still not shared ports, cargo handling equipment, NW I proposes to build multi-modal Inland Fisheries Research Institute ¡ the pollution already caused by ship yards and ore transport. the MoU with the people. road and rail access and cargo terminals at Varanasi (Uttar (CIFRI) is located not too far from ¡ the biggest concern is conversion of a verdant, vulnerable and staunchly Fisherfolk protests are rising, s t o r a g e s p a c e s . T h i s w i l l Pradesh), Sahibganj (Bihar) and Farakka and has a separate program “fighter” state into a coal hub in no time. but fisherfolk: the true custodians of automatically include several Haldia (West Bengal). Apart from on Hilsa! Abhijit Prabhdesai from Madgaon, an activist and researcher with Goa's rivers and vibrant cultural rounds of land acquisition. being a riverine stretch with a heavy However, the lucrative Inland immense knowledge of Goa's river system tells me, “Goa has one of the identity find no place in the The Ganga-Bhagirathi- fisheries dependence, most of the Navigation Project has made richest estuarine and riverine fisheries. We have our own systems like Khajan. discourse surrounding their rivers. Hooghly river system (Allahabad- stretch is also habitat for the authorities scamper and contract for We do not want to sell our rivers and fisheries for Coal transport of Adani 2.River Interlinking and Haldia-1620 km National Waterway Gangetic Dolphin. The work on this a new navigational locks tender has and Jindal.” Here is a small, wonderful film on the same: I or NW I) and the Brahmaputra waterway is already underway, already been awarded to Larson and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Re50uxwyI Fisheries River (Dhubri-Sadiya-891 km) have i n c l u d i n g d r e d g i n g a t t h e Toubro for Rs. 359.19 Crores in A Citizen Group known as 'Our Rivers, Our Rights' has come together River Interlinking (ILR or Inter already been declared as national Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary November 2016. specifically to counter river nationalization and against any transport of Coal Linking of Rivers) being pushed by waterways. The World Bank has w i t h o u t a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l The Fish Lock, on the other in Goas rivers. The group has petitioned to the PM: “People all over Goa are the Centre is poised to change the approved Rs. 375 Million USD for clearance! hand has not been operational, furious and up in arms against the totally, illegal, unconstitutional and anti- hydrology of several rivers in eco- 32 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 33 Preliminary studies have national attempts to nationalise our documented the distress of dolphins rivers and are willing to go to any at the loud noise and their extent to prevent our rivers and disappearance from dredging sites, appurtenant lands from being which will slowly include most of grabbed for private profits of a few their habitat. Incidentally, Gangetic c o r p o r a t i o n s , f o r c o a l River Dolphins are our National transportation or any other reason.” Aquatic Animal. The case of “The conservation of our river Chinese Baiji Dolphins driven to commons is essential for promotion extinction and the role played by of our rich culture and traditions, inland navigation is documented. sustainable economic growth The project will cut through the through renewed agriculture, Kashi Turtle Sanctuary, but the fisheries and related activities and National Board for Wildlife has for protection of our environment given its recommendation. Manthan the economy of our children to Adhyayan Kendra has done an come”. assessment of impact of inland It also states poignantly: “Our navigation. rivers are the inalienable properties In 2016, a study of the impact of our village communities and of coal transportation by National continue to sustain lakhs of Goans Thermal Power Corporation on the even today. Fishing tools like Fishing just upstream proposed Athirappilly Hydropower Project, Chalakudy River, Kerala Ganga Waterway (Haldia port to Fishing Boats at Bhagirathi River, upstream Farakka Barrage Fut'tani, pagels, ogors, manxio, Farakka through the Hoogly River), kobule, lambaris, etc are used Inland Navigation Project NW 1. repaired (or even traceable!) for last several decades. Although it is obvious that a by ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries It is clear that despite huge impacts, Riverine Fish or Fisheries have extensively by thousands of river In 2016, Indian Government enacted Research Institute (CIFRI), side fisher folk people to sustain National Waterways Act and project which entails dredging the no role to play in decisions related to the NW-I development. river beds, straightening meanders, corroborated severe impacts, sharp b. Inland Navigation and Impact of Fisheries in Goa Goan economy and culture… These declared 111 rivers or river fall in fish diversity due to barge rivers are not only the lifeline of stretches, creeks, estuaries as establishing ports and jetties at river In Goa, riverine and estuarine fishing is not just a profession, it has mouths, mangroves and riparian movement and the fall in income of permeated into the culture of that unique land. Researchers and activists in Goan communities, but are also 'National Waterways'. Prior to this the 25,000 fisherfolk dependent on completely owned, managed and act, there were only five, including floodplains, changes in river Goa say that about 50,000 fisherfolk are dependent on artisanal estuarine it. Not surprisingly, the affected protected by local communities”. National Waterway 1 on the Ganga hydrology, traffic inside a river, fisheries in six major rivers of Goa.Goans have several fishing techniques, people were not compensated. The The All Goa Fishermen's from Haldia to Allahabad, and transport of hazardous material like indigenous management systems like Khajans, specialized nets and boats for author has met several fisherfolk Union has said that 45 inland fishing National Waterway 2 on the coal, fly ash and iron ore inside their riverine susegaat maneuvers. Rivers and river mouths are shared with around Farakka Barrage who are villages will be destroyed on Brahmaputra. Indian Waterways protected areas would require fish, snails, oyster reefs, crocs, otters, mangroves and fishing boats, in the still facing severe impacts of the account of the nature of waterways Authority of India, in existence Environmental & Social Impact same easy-going manner. Barrage. proposed Several bodies like since decades, is in charge of these Assessment, public consultation and Of all states in India, possibly Goa has most at stake when it comes to Built on the Ganga-Padma Chapora Fishermen Association activities. Environmental Clearance, the impact of Navigation on Fisheries on its six major rivers: Zuari, Mandovi, river in 1975, Farakka Barrage have opposed the move strongly. Purportedly for eco-friendly Ministry of Shipping has been Cumbarjua, Chapora, Sal and Mapusa/Moide. Goa has witnessed the fallout single-handedly killed Hilsa For nearly one year, the ruling transport of cargo, hazardous opposing this and Union Ministry of of exponentially increasing iron ore & imported coal shipping on rich migration up the river. The barrage government has been stating that it chemicals, coal, industrial raw Environment, Forests & Climate estuaries of Zuari and Mandovi Rivers. does not have a functioning fish lock will sign a tripartite Memorandum materials, and tourism, each project Change (MoEF&CC) has been Goan fisherfolk are staunchly against corporate politicians' to facilitate migration of Hilsa fish of Understanding (MoU) between will include massive interventions inconsistent and ambiguous on its “Nationalisation” of rivers and Inland Navigation. Main objections include: which is ecologically, economically Goa Goverment, Marmagoa Port on rivers like capital and stand. ¡ the intricate dependence of communities on rivers and river banks which maintenance dredging of rivers, and even culturally unique in its will be taken over by the navigation project, Trust and Inland Waterways docks, channels, wharves, jetties, a. National Waterway 1: Ganga identity for Bengali culture. This is ¡ the placing of fishing nets across and parallel to river mouths and Authority after taking people in landing stages, locks, buoys, inland Waterway: despite the fact that India's premier mangroves which will be useless once more ships start plying these waters, confidence, but it has still not shared ports, cargo handling equipment, NW I proposes to build multi-modal Inland Fisheries Research Institute ¡ the pollution already caused by ship yards and ore transport. the MoU with the people. road and rail access and cargo terminals at Varanasi (Uttar (CIFRI) is located not too far from ¡ the biggest concern is conversion of a verdant, vulnerable and staunchly Fisherfolk protests are rising, s t o r a g e s p a c e s . T h i s w i l l Pradesh), Sahibganj (Bihar) and Farakka and has a separate program “fighter” state into a coal hub in no time. but fisherfolk: the true custodians of automatically include several Haldia (West Bengal). Apart from on Hilsa! Abhijit Prabhdesai from Madgaon, an activist and researcher with Goa's rivers and vibrant cultural rounds of land acquisition. being a riverine stretch with a heavy However, the lucrative Inland immense knowledge of Goa's river system tells me, “Goa has one of the identity find no place in the The Ganga-Bhagirathi- fisheries dependence, most of the Navigation Project has made richest estuarine and riverine fisheries. We have our own systems like Khajan. discourse surrounding their rivers. Hooghly river system (Allahabad- stretch is also habitat for the authorities scamper and contract for We do not want to sell our rivers and fisheries for Coal transport of Adani 2.River Interlinking and Haldia-1620 km National Waterway Gangetic Dolphin. The work on this a new navigational locks tender has and Jindal.” Here is a small, wonderful film on the same: I or NW I) and the Brahmaputra waterway is already underway, already been awarded to Larson and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Re50uxwyI Fisheries River (Dhubri-Sadiya-891 km) have i n c l u d i n g d r e d g i n g a t t h e Toubro for Rs. 359.19 Crores in A Citizen Group known as 'Our Rivers, Our Rights' has come together River Interlinking (ILR or Inter already been declared as national Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary November 2016. specifically to counter river nationalization and against any transport of Coal Linking of Rivers) being pushed by waterways. The World Bank has w i t h o u t a n e n v i r o n m e n t a l The Fish Lock, on the other in Goas rivers. The group has petitioned to the PM: “People all over Goa are the Centre is poised to change the approved Rs. 375 Million USD for clearance! hand has not been operational, furious and up in arms against the totally, illegal, unconstitutional and anti- hydrology of several rivers in eco- 32 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 33 attributed to the massive river Indira Sagar dams have been completed in Madhya m o d i f i c a t i o n a c t i v i t i e s . Pradesh) in addition to the Sardar Sarovar dam in Construction of Daudhan dam on Gujarat declared complete by the Prime Minister Shri the river Ken and related Modi on his birthday, Sept 17, 2017, ecological developmental activities would lead integrity of Narmada has been compromised to extermination of this valuable exponentially. fish species like Anguilla There are documented reports of how fish landings bengalensis bengalensis from the of valuable fish species like Mahseer collapsed river. Dam will affect diversity following dam building. Recently research paper by negatively.” CIFRI, Bhaumik et al , A case study of the Narmada Betwa has about 81 species. River system in India with particular reference to the “Ken and Betwa traverse through impact of dams on its ecology and fisheries, 2017 Hilsa catch of Bhadbhut Photo: Amruta Pradhan, SANDRP some of the most diverse habitats compared pre- and post-impoundment eco- including rapids, falls, and deep environment and fisheries. Not surprisingly, it revealed the estuary and upriver and then swims back into the pools; the river substratum staggering changes in productivity, water quality, and sea. Hilsa, renowned for its flavor is nothing short of a comprises bedrocks, boulders, aquatic flora and fauna of the river system. cultural phenomenon. gravels, sand, silt, and clay in Among the fish, species like Mahseer (Tor tor), Across India, dams and especially barrages at river mouths have killed Hilsa fisheries. Same is the Estuarine Fisheries in Goa Photo: Aaron Savio Lobo/Scroll different stretches. This leads to a Labeo fimbriatus and Labeo dyocheilussuffered most. rich fish diversity including Indian Percentage contributions to catches of Freshwater case in Narmada. Again, documented by CIFRI: “The senstive zones across the country. nutrients and sand from the rivers. Major Carps(IMC), large Catfish, Prawn, (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and Hilsa Sardar Sarovar dam was built stage-wise in Gujarat, gradually blocking the normal river flow, restricting Several studies have documented The EIA of Ken Betwa Link, Murrels, Featherbacks, Mahseer (Tenualosa ilisha) have declined by 46% and about the Hilsa migration range, and also causing a shift in the possible impact of river however, says that the canals would and miscellaneous fish form the 75% in the estuarine stretch of the river system! The their breeding grounds. In the recent past, the fishing interlinking project on fisheries. provide a shortcut for the fish to major fishery. About 60% fish percentage contributions to total yield of Carp, Catfish grounds have moved further downwards to the Gulf of Some studies claim that the migrate upstream! species found in the Ken are edible.” also fell by 17% and 36%. Cambay, where about 90% of the catch is now A recently published paper on Ken has 8 threatened species Just imagine the impact this must have had on the “ i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f s u c h harvested. the Ken Betwa project, authored by a and a fish Anguilla bengalensis riverine fishing communities, which is not documented construction-intensive project will During the filling of the Sardar Sarovar Dam Hilsa Senior Fisheries Scientist of CIFRI bengalensis, a long distance as usual, nor is there any question of counting them lead to biodiversity loss [so production has shown a declining trend.Annual catch of (who was also the member of the catadromous migrant which is very among the impacts, compensating the losses or massive] that would be beyond 16,000 t of the species during 1990 1991 reduced to EAC which cleared Ken Betwa rare in Yamuna is still found here rehabiliting the affected people. comprehension.” 4000 t in 20072008 and indicated a 75% decline in Project, but did not oppose the and is held very important by local “Unni (1996) mentioned the river as the only For some of the ILR projects, production over a period of one-and-a-half decades. fraudulent EIA of the project!) communities. natural source of Mahseer eggs because of high and even an EIA is not needed because it The control of the river discharge has detrimentally is wrongly claimed that they are highlights the ecological richness of And despite this, we did not see sustained abundance. However, studies conducted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh between 19871988 affected the migration of Hilsa and their abundance in drinking water supply schemes and Ken river and the possible impact of any representation from CIFRI and 1995 1996 showed decline in fry production the river. Change in salinity patterns and gradual erroneously excluded from EIA the link on fish species and diversity. either about the impact of the project potential of the species by nearly 78% within three shrinkage in freshwater habitats have cumulatively Notification 2006 like the According to the paper, Ken River on fish and livelihoods or on the decades of commissioning of the river valley projects.” affected the Hilsa fishery.” Damanganga Pinjal Link in Western has 89 fish with two species fraudulent EIA at a time when the The great Narmada River, once an important Just downstream of the Sardar Sarovar Project Ghats. recorded in 70s already missing due project was seeking environmental natural seeding ground of fish like Mahseer now has to (SSP) Dam in Gujarat, there is now a new dam, For other Projects like Ken to “Large scale modifications in the clearance. buy Mahseer fingerlings from Tata Hatcheries in Pune. Garudeshwar Dam is under construction, without any Betwa Link Project, the EIA makes riverine habitats due to construction What is the Role of Fisherfolk This is an ecological tragedy of massive proportions social or environmental impact assessment (as usual). sadly laughable claims. The Project of dams and barrages at two sites on in Decision Making? if we are ready to listen. The project is designed to arrest any water released by will significantly change the habitat the main channel and three sites on None. The Public hearing of Ken There is strong opposition to further dams by River Bed Power House of SSP from going down to the of Ken river, which is also famed for tributaries… As a result, the river Betwa was extremely problematic, sea, to be pumped back to the dam! A petition has been fragmented, causing fisherfolk in places like Maheshwar. I have visited fish migrating fish like Anguilla with no place of fisher people or bazars in Maheshwar region, still with some native challenging the project in National Green Tribunal, serious obstruction to the migratory bengalensis bengalensis and researchers or academics who are species. The fisherfolk there ask, “If our river won't unfortunately and shockingly, was dismissed on the fish species, Tor tor, Bagarius Bagarius bagarius and Mahseer. As also stakeholders. Even the flow, we will not get fish. Can the dam builders grounds that it was filed too late! bagarius and Anguilla bengalensis. is observed throughout the country, Executive Summary of the EIA was compensate us with another river? Yet another Dam, this time to improve water Dams have altered the dams have led to sharp population just not available for the local Apart from Fisherfolk, Government organisations quality?! hydrological regime, sedimentation collapses of these species. In residents to study and comment like CIFRI have noted that: “Giant freshwater Prawn And it is with this background that the Government pattern, and feeding and breeding addition, dams change the entire before public hearing. SANDRP has (M. rosenbergii) fisheries have shown a declining trend of Gujarat proposes to build yet another dam on grounds of the native fish. Dams hydrological, chemical and physical highlighted the issues. during the installation of the Sardar Sarovar dam. Loss Narmada: the Bhadbhut Barrage, right near the have considerable influence on properties of river water, entirely of habitats due to the controlled flooding of riverbeds Narmada river mouth, which can be the last straw for downstream river ecosystems, 3.Narmada Obstacle Race and affecting fisheries. In his eloquent and change in depth profiles created major constraints Hilsa in Narmada estuary. No wonder, on Oct 8, 2017, Fisheries: report, young researcher Tarun Nair extending for hundreds of for Prawn fisheries.” when the Prime Minister visited Bharuch to lay sharply illustrates how all the kilometers below the barricade. Since the inception, Narmada Fisheries of Bharuach and downstream is foundation stone, hundreds of fishing boats defiantly diversity of River Chambal, Ken and Diminishing populations of Indian Valley Development Plan of dominated by a single enigmatic species: The silvery waved black flags at the ceremony. Son is hanging by a thin thread due major Carps, Catfish, Murrels, and Madhya Pradesh which include Hilsa or Palwa fish, which migrates from the sea up Stated objectives of the Bhabhut Barrage are: to all the existing diversions on the Featherback and increasing invasion 30 major dams (of which the Tawa, into the river for breeding during monsoons. It lays ¡ To protect the fertile land from salinity ingress rivers which take away water, silt, of hardy exotic fishes could be Bargi, Omkareshwar, Mann and eggs in relatively calmer and nutrient rich waters of ¡ To protect the river banks from erosion and 34 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 35 attributed to the massive river Indira Sagar dams have been completed in Madhya m o d i f i c a t i o n a c t i v i t i e s . Pradesh) in addition to the Sardar Sarovar dam in Construction of Daudhan dam on Gujarat declared complete by the Prime Minister Shri the river Ken and related Modi on his birthday, Sept 17, 2017, ecological developmental activities would lead integrity of Narmada has been compromised to extermination of this valuable exponentially. fish species like Anguilla There are documented reports of how fish landings bengalensis bengalensis from the of valuable fish species like Mahseer collapsed river. Dam will affect diversity following dam building. Recently research paper by negatively.” CIFRI, Bhaumik et al , A case study of the Narmada Betwa has about 81 species. River system in India with particular reference to the “Ken and Betwa traverse through impact of dams on its ecology and fisheries, 2017 Hilsa catch of Bhadbhut Photo: Amruta Pradhan, SANDRP some of the most diverse habitats compared pre- and post-impoundment eco- including rapids, falls, and deep environment and fisheries. Not surprisingly, it revealed the estuary and upriver and then swims back into the pools; the river substratum staggering changes in productivity, water quality, and sea. Hilsa, renowned for its flavor is nothing short of a comprises bedrocks, boulders, aquatic flora and fauna of the river system. cultural phenomenon. gravels, sand, silt, and clay in Among the fish, species like Mahseer (Tor tor), Across India, dams and especially barrages at river mouths have killed Hilsa fisheries. Same is the Estuarine Fisheries in Goa Photo: Aaron Savio Lobo/Scroll different stretches. This leads to a Labeo fimbriatus and Labeo dyocheilussuffered most. rich fish diversity including Indian Percentage contributions to catches of Freshwater case in Narmada. Again, documented by CIFRI: “The senstive zones across the country. nutrients and sand from the rivers. Major Carps(IMC), large Catfish, Prawn, (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and Hilsa Sardar Sarovar dam was built stage-wise in Gujarat, gradually blocking the normal river flow, restricting Several studies have documented The EIA of Ken Betwa Link, Murrels, Featherbacks, Mahseer (Tenualosa ilisha) have declined by 46% and about the Hilsa migration range, and also causing a shift in the possible impact of river however, says that the canals would and miscellaneous fish form the 75% in the estuarine stretch of the river system! The their breeding grounds. In the recent past, the fishing interlinking project on fisheries. provide a shortcut for the fish to major fishery. About 60% fish percentage contributions to total yield of Carp, Catfish grounds have moved further downwards to the Gulf of Some studies claim that the migrate upstream! species found in the Ken are edible.” also fell by 17% and 36%. Cambay, where about 90% of the catch is now A recently published paper on Ken has 8 threatened species Just imagine the impact this must have had on the “ i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f s u c h harvested. the Ken Betwa project, authored by a and a fish Anguilla bengalensis riverine fishing communities, which is not documented construction-intensive project will During the filling of the Sardar Sarovar Dam Hilsa Senior Fisheries Scientist of CIFRI bengalensis, a long distance as usual, nor is there any question of counting them lead to biodiversity loss [so production has shown a declining trend.Annual catch of (who was also the member of the catadromous migrant which is very among the impacts, compensating the losses or massive] that would be beyond 16,000 t of the species during 1990 1991 reduced to EAC which cleared Ken Betwa rare in Yamuna is still found here rehabiliting the affected people. comprehension.” 4000 t in 20072008 and indicated a 75% decline in Project, but did not oppose the and is held very important by local “Unni (1996) mentioned the river as the only For some of the ILR projects, production over a period of one-and-a-half decades. fraudulent EIA of the project!) communities. natural source of Mahseer eggs because of high and even an EIA is not needed because it The control of the river discharge has detrimentally is wrongly claimed that they are highlights the ecological richness of And despite this, we did not see sustained abundance. However, studies conducted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh between 19871988 affected the migration of Hilsa and their abundance in drinking water supply schemes and Ken river and the possible impact of any representation from CIFRI and 1995 1996 showed decline in fry production the river. Change in salinity patterns and gradual erroneously excluded from EIA the link on fish species and diversity. either about the impact of the project potential of the species by nearly 78% within three shrinkage in freshwater habitats have cumulatively Notification 2006 like the According to the paper, Ken River on fish and livelihoods or on the decades of commissioning of the river valley projects.” affected the Hilsa fishery.” Damanganga Pinjal Link in Western has 89 fish with two species fraudulent EIA at a time when the The great Narmada River, once an important Just downstream of the Sardar Sarovar Project Ghats. recorded in 70s already missing due project was seeking environmental natural seeding ground of fish like Mahseer now has to (SSP) Dam in Gujarat, there is now a new dam, For other Projects like Ken to “Large scale modifications in the clearance. buy Mahseer fingerlings from Tata Hatcheries in Pune. Garudeshwar Dam is under construction, without any Betwa Link Project, the EIA makes riverine habitats due to construction What is the Role of Fisherfolk This is an ecological tragedy of massive proportions social or environmental impact assessment (as usual). sadly laughable claims. The Project of dams and barrages at two sites on in Decision Making? if we are ready to listen. The project is designed to arrest any water released by will significantly change the habitat the main channel and three sites on None. The Public hearing of Ken There is strong opposition to further dams by River Bed Power House of SSP from going down to the of Ken river, which is also famed for tributaries… As a result, the river Betwa was extremely problematic, sea, to be pumped back to the dam! A petition has been fragmented, causing fisherfolk in places like Maheshwar. I have visited fish migrating fish like Anguilla with no place of fisher people or bazars in Maheshwar region, still with some native challenging the project in National Green Tribunal, serious obstruction to the migratory bengalensis bengalensis and researchers or academics who are species. The fisherfolk there ask, “If our river won't unfortunately and shockingly, was dismissed on the fish species, Tor tor, Bagarius Bagarius bagarius and Mahseer. As also stakeholders. Even the flow, we will not get fish. Can the dam builders grounds that it was filed too late! bagarius and Anguilla bengalensis. is observed throughout the country, Executive Summary of the EIA was compensate us with another river? Yet another Dam, this time to improve water Dams have altered the dams have led to sharp population just not available for the local Apart from Fisherfolk, Government organisations quality?! hydrological regime, sedimentation collapses of these species. In residents to study and comment like CIFRI have noted that: “Giant freshwater Prawn And it is with this background that the Government pattern, and feeding and breeding addition, dams change the entire before public hearing. SANDRP has (M. rosenbergii) fisheries have shown a declining trend of Gujarat proposes to build yet another dam on grounds of the native fish. Dams hydrological, chemical and physical highlighted the issues. during the installation of the Sardar Sarovar dam. Loss Narmada: the Bhadbhut Barrage, right near the have considerable influence on properties of river water, entirely of habitats due to the controlled flooding of riverbeds Narmada river mouth, which can be the last straw for downstream river ecosystems, 3.Narmada Obstacle Race and affecting fisheries. In his eloquent and change in depth profiles created major constraints Hilsa in Narmada estuary. No wonder, on Oct 8, 2017, Fisheries: report, young researcher Tarun Nair extending for hundreds of for Prawn fisheries.” when the Prime Minister visited Bharuch to lay sharply illustrates how all the kilometers below the barricade. Since the inception, Narmada Fisheries of Bharuach and downstream is foundation stone, hundreds of fishing boats defiantly diversity of River Chambal, Ken and Diminishing populations of Indian Valley Development Plan of dominated by a single enigmatic species: The silvery waved black flags at the ceremony. Son is hanging by a thin thread due major Carps, Catfish, Murrels, and Madhya Pradesh which include Hilsa or Palwa fish, which migrates from the sea up Stated objectives of the Bhabhut Barrage are: to all the existing diversions on the Featherback and increasing invasion 30 major dams (of which the Tawa, into the river for breeding during monsoons. It lays ¡ To protect the fertile land from salinity ingress rivers which take away water, silt, of hardy exotic fishes could be Bargi, Omkareshwar, Mann and eggs in relatively calmer and nutrient rich waters of ¡ To protect the river banks from erosion and 34 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 35 ¡ To provide the road connectivity livelihood is at stake. They had no considers the total number of Decisions around Bhadbhut between Hazira and Dahej option but to oppose the laying of fisherfolk residing in 21 villages to industrial estates. the foundation stone of the be 12,638 based on more than a Barrage? Central reason behind rising Bhadbhut Dam on Oct 8, 2017 by decade old data from Census 2001. No assessment of downstream impacts salinity in Narmada is declining Prime Minister Shri Narendra According to Kamlesh Bhai the of either Sardar Sarovar or Bhadbhut freshwater releases from the Modi at Bharuch. Thousands of actual population residing in the dam has been done. No compensation Sardar Sarovar Dam, managed by fisherpeople took out boat rallies estuary region whose livelihood will is being offered to the fisherfolk the Sardar Sarovar Narmada w i t h b l a c k f l a g s a n d t h e be affected by barrage is close to 35 affected. According to the fisherfolk, Nigam Ltd (SSNNL). Recently the fisherwomen took out silent march. to 40 thousand! compensation has never entered the Narmada Control Authority has We want the Barrage cancelled, we “The NEERI EIA is a complete discussions at all. 1500 farmers and allowed the closing of all 30 gates of want the government to ensure copy-paste job [from past projects]. fisherfolk attended the public hearing the Sardar Sarovar dam at Kevadia ecological flow in Narmada not It has several incidences of in 2014 and walked out soon after Colony, which will help raise level only for the factories and SEZs, but plagiarism. It mentions names of sharply registering their protest against of water in the reservoir to 138.68 for fisheries and finally, we demand places that are found nowhere in this the proposed project. However, the fact meter from the present 121.92 for compensation: Compensation region. On 7th July 2014 local remains that they have no space in metre. for the livelihoods lost due to fisherfolk organized a protest rally decision making that can be the last According to Dr. MSH Sheikh reduced flow of our river.” at the District Magistrate office and straw for commercial Hilsa Fishery in Narmada and livelihoods of thousands of the Brackish Water Research Farcical EIA of proposed more than 4000 fisher people were a Institute Surat, “The Dam part of this. This is our fourth rally of fisherfolk families. Bhadbhut Barrage by NEERI authorities believe that water opposing the project.” 4. Tadadi Port: Destroying In 2014, SANDRP had visited release in the downstream is Rallies and protests go on, as Mussel Collection from Aghanashini Estuary Photo: IISC Bharuch to understand the impact of Estuary of a Free-flowing River wastage of the freshwater. They have mentioned above, foundation stone Aghanashini River cutting through the no value for the 150 km of Narmada Bhadbhut Barrage on fisherfolk and laying of Bhadbhut dam was Narmada. During the meeting, Hilsa Western Ghats and meeting the Arabian Ocean in more than 1000 acres. In late 2016, an expert appraisal River downstream the dam. There opposed on Oct 8, 2017. Dakshin Kannada District of Karnataka is a rare river in committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and was a delta of Narmada when the dominated all discussions. Local And in this situation, the Fisherfolk and traders drew our many senses. First and foremost, it is one of the very Forests recommended environmental and coastal Sardar Sarovar dam was not response of Kalpasar Project attention to the EIA of Bhadbhut few rivers in India and even the world to retain its regulation zone clearances for the project. constructed called Aliyabet with Authority of Gujarat government is, done by National Environmental integral connection to the sea from its source: it is As usual, the EIA (done by NEERI) and public lush green “AAL” grass. Cattle from “If migratory fish are caught rd Engineering Research Institute undammed and free flowing. Less than 1/3 of large hearing has been severely critiqued as being inadequate, villagers of the northern and during their upward travel for the (NEERI). global rivers remain like that today. Because of the biased and refusing to acknowledge the ecosystemic and southern parts of the river grazed purpose of spawning (producing K a m a l e s h M a d h i w a l a , relatively protected catchment, immensely biodiverse cultural value of the region. here. After the construction of dam eggs), question of next generation P r e s i d e n t S a m a s t B h a r u c h habitat and comparative remoteness of the river basin, Some media reports claim that the port will be and non-release of adequate does not arise at all and after some Machimar Samiti, pointed out the water quality and riparian health still are in a good built on a PPP basis,with Adani being the private freshwater, delta of Narmada has all years with the same practice, condition. s e v e r a l l a c u n a e i n t h e fishes would become extinct.” party. While more than 300 submissions were received but disappeared. Southern portion But the gem is the estuary of the Aghanashini, its Environmental Impact Assessment The response is not only against recommending Environment Clearance to the of the delta has merged with land mouth where it meets the sea. The estuary, its associated (EIA) report. “The entire study has callous and irresponsible, but utterly project, the MoEF&CC's Expert Appraisal Committee and created a desert. Sardar mud flats and mangroves form a spectacularly been an absolute farce. First of all, shameless when viewed with the (EAC) still recommended the project for EC. It seems Sarovar dam has played a major productive ecosystem which harbours astounding none of the local people were aware background of all that has happened that in their scheme of things, voice of fisherfolk (or even role in changing the geographic of any such study going on. It grossly biodiversity, at the same time supports livelihoods of experts and scientists) holds no sway. But this does not condition of the entire area and to the fisherfolk in Narmada during underestimates the total population damming. thousands of fisherfolk, riparian farmers, bivalve mean that the port will continue unchallenged reduced the freshwater fish, of fisherfolk that will be affected by collectors (clams, mussels, oysters, etc). More than 20 In conclusion Riverine Fisherfolk can be the reducing the fish catch in the delta Where are Fisherfolk in the Bhadbhut dam.” The report villages depend on Aghanashini estuary for fishing, guardians of our healthy, flowing rivers. When we brush hugely.” directly employing more than 6000 fisherfolk, them under the carpet, we brush the rivers under the “Bhadbhut Barrage will lead impacting about 25-30000 people! The Centre for carpet too. Ecosystem-dependent communities are the to high siltation at the mouth of Ecological Sciences of Bangalore's Indian Institute of best indicators of how we treat our natural resources and estuary which will create problems Science (IISc), proposed to the Karnataka State vulnerable societies. They are a yardstick to assess of uneven surface in breeding- Biodiversity Board that the biologically active mudflats environmental governance of a nation. It is clear that we fishing zone and navigational near Aghanashini village and the mangroves near are failing riverine fisherfolk of India by not ensuring problems for fishing boats. The Kaggal and Masur villages be declared as 'Biodiversity major economic threat is due to the Heritage Sites', under the Biological Diversity Act of assessment of impacts of project on them, by not creation of reservoir of fresh water 2002.The Bivalve Collectors' Union proposed to the including them in decision-making processes affecting as freshwater has limited number of Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority their livelihoods, by not compensating them for the stark fish species and its market rates are that the entire estuary be declared as a 'critical losses because they were too poor, weak and vulnerable very low Rs 80 to 100 /kg in vulnerable coastal area'. to stake their claims and by mistreating our rivers. comparison to estuarine species In such an ecological wonderland, Karnataka State The crisis also provides an opportunity. Riverine which fetch between Rs 300 1200 Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Fisherfolk can be the guardians of our rivers. Ensuring /kg with varied range of fish. (KSDIIC) has proposed a multipurpose port bang at the their welfare is a win-win game for all. It is time to Fisherfolk are opposing the mouth of the river, which is going to affect and destroy acknowledge them as ambassadors of healthy, flowing Protests against Bhadbhut Barrage Photo: Kamlesh Madhiwala Bhadbhut project as their very mangroves, mudflats, and estuarine area spread over rivers. 36 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 37 ¡ To provide the road connectivity livelihood is at stake. They had no considers the total number of Decisions around Bhadbhut between Hazira and Dahej option but to oppose the laying of fisherfolk residing in 21 villages to industrial estates. the foundation stone of the be 12,638 based on more than a Barrage? Central reason behind rising Bhadbhut Dam on Oct 8, 2017 by decade old data from Census 2001. No assessment of downstream impacts salinity in Narmada is declining Prime Minister Shri Narendra According to Kamlesh Bhai the of either Sardar Sarovar or Bhadbhut freshwater releases from the Modi at Bharuch. Thousands of actual population residing in the dam has been done. No compensation Sardar Sarovar Dam, managed by fisherpeople took out boat rallies estuary region whose livelihood will is being offered to the fisherfolk the Sardar Sarovar Narmada w i t h b l a c k f l a g s a n d t h e be affected by barrage is close to 35 affected. According to the fisherfolk, Nigam Ltd (SSNNL). Recently the fisherwomen took out silent march. to 40 thousand! compensation has never entered the Narmada Control Authority has We want the Barrage cancelled, we “The NEERI EIA is a complete discussions at all. 1500 farmers and allowed the closing of all 30 gates of want the government to ensure copy-paste job [from past projects]. fisherfolk attended the public hearing the Sardar Sarovar dam at Kevadia ecological flow in Narmada not It has several incidences of in 2014 and walked out soon after Colony, which will help raise level only for the factories and SEZs, but plagiarism. It mentions names of sharply registering their protest against of water in the reservoir to 138.68 for fisheries and finally, we demand places that are found nowhere in this the proposed project. However, the fact meter from the present 121.92 for compensation: Compensation region. On 7th July 2014 local remains that they have no space in metre. for the livelihoods lost due to fisherfolk organized a protest rally decision making that can be the last According to Dr. MSH Sheikh reduced flow of our river.” at the District Magistrate office and straw for commercial Hilsa Fishery in Narmada and livelihoods of thousands of the Brackish Water Research Farcical EIA of proposed more than 4000 fisher people were a Institute Surat, “The Dam part of this. This is our fourth rally of fisherfolk families. Bhadbhut Barrage by NEERI authorities believe that water opposing the project.” 4. Tadadi Port: Destroying In 2014, SANDRP had visited release in the downstream is Rallies and protests go on, as Mussel Collection from Aghanashini Estuary Photo: IISC Bharuch to understand the impact of Estuary of a Free-flowing River wastage of the freshwater. They have mentioned above, foundation stone Aghanashini River cutting through the no value for the 150 km of Narmada Bhadbhut Barrage on fisherfolk and laying of Bhadbhut dam was Narmada. During the meeting, Hilsa Western Ghats and meeting the Arabian Ocean in more than 1000 acres. In late 2016, an expert appraisal River downstream the dam. There opposed on Oct 8, 2017. Dakshin Kannada District of Karnataka is a rare river in committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and was a delta of Narmada when the dominated all discussions. Local And in this situation, the Fisherfolk and traders drew our many senses. First and foremost, it is one of the very Forests recommended environmental and coastal Sardar Sarovar dam was not response of Kalpasar Project attention to the EIA of Bhadbhut few rivers in India and even the world to retain its regulation zone clearances for the project. constructed called Aliyabet with Authority of Gujarat government is, done by National Environmental integral connection to the sea from its source: it is As usual, the EIA (done by NEERI) and public lush green “AAL” grass. Cattle from “If migratory fish are caught rd Engineering Research Institute undammed and free flowing. Less than 1/3 of large hearing has been severely critiqued as being inadequate, villagers of the northern and during their upward travel for the (NEERI). global rivers remain like that today. Because of the biased and refusing to acknowledge the ecosystemic and southern parts of the river grazed purpose of spawning (producing K a m a l e s h M a d h i w a l a , relatively protected catchment, immensely biodiverse cultural value of the region. here. After the construction of dam eggs), question of next generation P r e s i d e n t S a m a s t B h a r u c h habitat and comparative remoteness of the river basin, Some media reports claim that the port will be and non-release of adequate does not arise at all and after some Machimar Samiti, pointed out the water quality and riparian health still are in a good built on a PPP basis,with Adani being the private freshwater, delta of Narmada has all years with the same practice, condition. s e v e r a l l a c u n a e i n t h e fishes would become extinct.” party. While more than 300 submissions were received but disappeared. Southern portion But the gem is the estuary of the Aghanashini, its Environmental Impact Assessment The response is not only against recommending Environment Clearance to the of the delta has merged with land mouth where it meets the sea. The estuary, its associated (EIA) report. “The entire study has callous and irresponsible, but utterly project, the MoEF&CC's Expert Appraisal Committee and created a desert. Sardar mud flats and mangroves form a spectacularly been an absolute farce. First of all, shameless when viewed with the (EAC) still recommended the project for EC. It seems Sarovar dam has played a major productive ecosystem which harbours astounding none of the local people were aware background of all that has happened that in their scheme of things, voice of fisherfolk (or even role in changing the geographic of any such study going on. It grossly biodiversity, at the same time supports livelihoods of experts and scientists) holds no sway. But this does not condition of the entire area and to the fisherfolk in Narmada during underestimates the total population damming. thousands of fisherfolk, riparian farmers, bivalve mean that the port will continue unchallenged reduced the freshwater fish, of fisherfolk that will be affected by collectors (clams, mussels, oysters, etc). More than 20 In conclusion Riverine Fisherfolk can be the reducing the fish catch in the delta Where are Fisherfolk in the Bhadbhut dam.” The report villages depend on Aghanashini estuary for fishing, guardians of our healthy, flowing rivers. When we brush hugely.” directly employing more than 6000 fisherfolk, them under the carpet, we brush the rivers under the “Bhadbhut Barrage will lead impacting about 25-30000 people! The Centre for carpet too. Ecosystem-dependent communities are the to high siltation at the mouth of Ecological Sciences of Bangalore's Indian Institute of best indicators of how we treat our natural resources and estuary which will create problems Science (IISc), proposed to the Karnataka State vulnerable societies. They are a yardstick to assess of uneven surface in breeding- Biodiversity Board that the biologically active mudflats environmental governance of a nation. It is clear that we fishing zone and navigational near Aghanashini village and the mangroves near are failing riverine fisherfolk of India by not ensuring problems for fishing boats. The Kaggal and Masur villages be declared as 'Biodiversity major economic threat is due to the Heritage Sites', under the Biological Diversity Act of assessment of impacts of project on them, by not creation of reservoir of fresh water 2002.The Bivalve Collectors' Union proposed to the including them in decision-making processes affecting as freshwater has limited number of Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority their livelihoods, by not compensating them for the stark fish species and its market rates are that the entire estuary be declared as a 'critical losses because they were too poor, weak and vulnerable very low Rs 80 to 100 /kg in vulnerable coastal area'. to stake their claims and by mistreating our rivers. comparison to estuarine species In such an ecological wonderland, Karnataka State The crisis also provides an opportunity. Riverine which fetch between Rs 300 1200 Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Fisherfolk can be the guardians of our rivers. Ensuring /kg with varied range of fish. (KSDIIC) has proposed a multipurpose port bang at the their welfare is a win-win game for all. It is time to Fisherfolk are opposing the mouth of the river, which is going to affect and destroy acknowledge them as ambassadors of healthy, flowing Protests against Bhadbhut Barrage Photo: Kamlesh Madhiwala Bhadbhut project as their very mangroves, mudflats, and estuarine area spread over rivers. 36 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 37 WOMEN POWER even further, establishing a constitution in 1964 that rejected ideology altogether, favoring instead the gave women the right to vote. When she was born the practical complexities that inform the lives of real family was visited by a saint who said, “She will be a women. Still, she watched and learned from her A Radical Passion for Justice queen but she will not live to an old age.” husband's political activism. Increasingly, it seemed to It was thanks to all this, that Meena received an her that the courts were not the only way to better education unlike her mother, who was illiterate. Lycee women's lives. She decided to start a political Malalai, the all-girls school she attended, was named organization for women. Influenced by her husband's for an Afghan heroine who in 1880, when the country organization, which under a pro-Soviet regime had to be was invaded by Britain, had retrieved under gunfire a clandestine, she found a way to build RAWA while Afghan women are sleeping lions. When we are aroused we react with the fallen Afghan flag and held it high until she was shot keeping its membership secret. Interestingly, her method down by British soldiers. Inspired by this story and by was similar to one used by American feminists of the late same courage and charisma as lions. There are only two paths to choose from: two of her teachers who believed in the equality of '60s and '70s: a constellation of small groups. Though women, Meena eventually became a heroine herself to Meena met with all the groups, they did not meet with side with the criminal regime, or oppose them and be ready to fight like a countless Afghans, legendary even before her one another, making it easier for women to keep their lioness. We have to risk our lives and even lose them. — Meena martyrdom at age 30. membership secret and thus evade the disapproval and After graduation, Meena intended to study law so draconian retaliation of their families. This approach also that she could fight for women's rights in the courts. But afforded great intimacy, which helped give its members Susan Griffin by then the liberal atmosphere that had fostered her an uncommon strength and courage. assassinated 10 years later, is a page turner. determination had dissipated. Three years earlier, Zahir Meena's story cannot have been easy to piece was overthrown by his prime minister and cousin, together. Readers will benefit from the experience of the Mohammed Daoud, who was aligned with a pro-Soviet author, Melody Ermachild Chavis, who in her career as a party. Gradually Afghanistan lost its independence, and private detective has investigated numerous murder the government became unstable. Fundamentalist cases. In the course of her research for this book, she groups began interpreting every democratic reform as a traveled to Afghanistan to interview many of the sign of corrupting foreign influence, and emancipated principals men and women who, even after the Taliban women were their first targets. By 1976, when Meena was overthrown, were still in danger of attack by entered the University of Kabul, its female students had fundamentalist terrorists because of their support of to contend with a reign of terror as random attacks were women's rights. carried out on them. The followers of the Islamic radical Those readers unfamiliar with the lot of women Burhanuddin Rabbani threw acid on the exposed legs under the Taliban will be shocked by the conditions and even the faces of women walking across the campus revealed in this book. Yet the logic of the oppression will the beginning of hostilities that continue to this day. not, unfortunately, be entirely unfamiliar to Westerners, Meena did not let these attacks stop her from who see various forms of repression imposed on women attending the university or from speaking out for in Christian fundamentalism and ultra-Orthodox women. The resolve and bravado for which she was Judaism. Claiming that women are spiritually and soon to become famous showed itself in a family drama intellectually inferior as well as sexually dangerous, the culminating that year with her marriage. Meena was 19 Taliban promoted male domination both in the family years old. Because according to Afghan tradition a girl and in public life through various forms of repression, is considered marriageable at 13, the pressure from including the imprisonment of women in the home, the members of her extended family for her to wed had imposition of the veil and the burqa, the denial of the vote reached a fever pitch. and of education, the exclusion of women from the Meena's standards seemed impossible to fill. She clergy and places of worship, and opposition to abortion, did not believe in, nor would she consent to, a bride affirmative action and the employment of women price, let alone an arranged marriage. She would not outside the home. wear the veil; though polygamy was still the custom in In 1957 the year Meena was born into a middle- many households, she insisted that her husband should RAWA’s poster for Meena class family in Kabul Afghanistan was ruled by King take no other wives; she demanded that she be allowed Zahir Shah, a monarch who supported some measure of to continue her studies; and she made it clear that she In the beginning, some of Meena's tactics, such as equality for women. Afghanistan's modern history can planned not only to practice law but to hold her own wearing a burqa when visiting members' houses, seemed On the surface, “Meena, Heroine of Afghanistan” is a almost be read as an exercise in violent ambivalence political views as well. Eventually an enterprising aunt unnecessary, but soon the wisdom of this approach very simple book. Since this account of the life of the concerning democracy and women's rights. Amanullah found Meena an acceptable husband in Faiz Ahmed, a became all too clear. When Daoud was assassinated in founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women Khan, who ruled Afghanistan from 1919 (the year the distant cousin who was a doctor with radical views, 1978, thousands of Afghan intellectuals were imprisoned of Afghanistan, or RAWA, is told for girls as well as country won full independence from Britain) until he including a belief in women's rights. Because he agreed or executed. The following year, after the Soviets women, the style is conventional and direct. Yet the was deposed in 1929, began a program of modernization to all her conditions and she liked him, Meena agreed to invaded Afghanistan, all other political points of view narrative will provide a profoundly moving experience that included education for women. Nadir Shah, king the union, though in the beginning she was not in love were brutally repressed. That officially the Soviet regime for readers of any age. In fact, the story of the young from 1929 to 1933, abolished Amanullah's reforms, but with him. supported women's rights made RAWA's task no easier. woman who at the age of 20 started the first movement Nadir's son Zahir, who succeeded him after Nadir was If over time she would come to love Faiz, she Indeed, educating women about their rights became for women's rights in Afghanistan, only to be assassinated, advanced Amanullah's liberalizing policies never agreed with his Maoist politics. She seems to have more difficult under a hated communist government that 38 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 39 WOMEN POWER even further, establishing a constitution in 1964 that rejected ideology altogether, favoring instead the gave women the right to vote. When she was born the practical complexities that inform the lives of real family was visited by a saint who said, “She will be a women. Still, she watched and learned from her A Radical Passion for Justice queen but she will not live to an old age.” husband's political activism. Increasingly, it seemed to It was thanks to all this, that Meena received an her that the courts were not the only way to better education unlike her mother, who was illiterate. Lycee women's lives. She decided to start a political Malalai, the all-girls school she attended, was named organization for women. Influenced by her husband's for an Afghan heroine who in 1880, when the country organization, which under a pro-Soviet regime had to be was invaded by Britain, had retrieved under gunfire a clandestine, she found a way to build RAWA while Afghan women are sleeping lions. When we are aroused we react with the fallen Afghan flag and held it high until she was shot keeping its membership secret. Interestingly, her method down by British soldiers. Inspired by this story and by was similar to one used by American feminists of the late same courage and charisma as lions. There are only two paths to choose from: two of her teachers who believed in the equality of '60s and '70s: a constellation of small groups. Though women, Meena eventually became a heroine herself to Meena met with all the groups, they did not meet with side with the criminal regime, or oppose them and be ready to fight like a countless Afghans, legendary even before her one another, making it easier for women to keep their lioness. We have to risk our lives and even lose them. — Meena martyrdom at age 30. membership secret and thus evade the disapproval and After graduation, Meena intended to study law so draconian retaliation of their families. This approach also that she could fight for women's rights in the courts. But afforded great intimacy, which helped give its members Susan Griffin by then the liberal atmosphere that had fostered her an uncommon strength and courage. assassinated 10 years later, is a page turner. determination had dissipated. Three years earlier, Zahir Meena's story cannot have been easy to piece was overthrown by his prime minister and cousin, together. Readers will benefit from the experience of the Mohammed Daoud, who was aligned with a pro-Soviet author, Melody Ermachild Chavis, who in her career as a party. Gradually Afghanistan lost its independence, and private detective has investigated numerous murder the government became unstable. Fundamentalist cases. In the course of her research for this book, she groups began interpreting every democratic reform as a traveled to Afghanistan to interview many of the sign of corrupting foreign influence, and emancipated principals men and women who, even after the Taliban women were their first targets. By 1976, when Meena was overthrown, were still in danger of attack by entered the University of Kabul, its female students had fundamentalist terrorists because of their support of to contend with a reign of terror as random attacks were women's rights. carried out on them. The followers of the Islamic radical Those readers unfamiliar with the lot of women Burhanuddin Rabbani threw acid on the exposed legs under the Taliban will be shocked by the conditions and even the faces of women walking across the campus revealed in this book. Yet the logic of the oppression will the beginning of hostilities that continue to this day. not, unfortunately, be entirely unfamiliar to Westerners, Meena did not let these attacks stop her from who see various forms of repression imposed on women attending the university or from speaking out for in Christian fundamentalism and ultra-Orthodox women. The resolve and bravado for which she was Judaism. Claiming that women are spiritually and soon to become famous showed itself in a family drama intellectually inferior as well as sexually dangerous, the culminating that year with her marriage. Meena was 19 Taliban promoted male domination both in the family years old. Because according to Afghan tradition a girl and in public life through various forms of repression, is considered marriageable at 13, the pressure from including the imprisonment of women in the home, the members of her extended family for her to wed had imposition of the veil and the burqa, the denial of the vote reached a fever pitch. and of education, the exclusion of women from the Meena's standards seemed impossible to fill. She clergy and places of worship, and opposition to abortion, did not believe in, nor would she consent to, a bride affirmative action and the employment of women price, let alone an arranged marriage. She would not outside the home. wear the veil; though polygamy was still the custom in In 1957 the year Meena was born into a middle- many households, she insisted that her husband should RAWA’s poster for Meena class family in Kabul Afghanistan was ruled by King take no other wives; she demanded that she be allowed Zahir Shah, a monarch who supported some measure of to continue her studies; and she made it clear that she In the beginning, some of Meena's tactics, such as equality for women. Afghanistan's modern history can planned not only to practice law but to hold her own wearing a burqa when visiting members' houses, seemed On the surface, “Meena, Heroine of Afghanistan” is a almost be read as an exercise in violent ambivalence political views as well. Eventually an enterprising aunt unnecessary, but soon the wisdom of this approach very simple book. Since this account of the life of the concerning democracy and women's rights. Amanullah found Meena an acceptable husband in Faiz Ahmed, a became all too clear. When Daoud was assassinated in founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women Khan, who ruled Afghanistan from 1919 (the year the distant cousin who was a doctor with radical views, 1978, thousands of Afghan intellectuals were imprisoned of Afghanistan, or RAWA, is told for girls as well as country won full independence from Britain) until he including a belief in women's rights. Because he agreed or executed. The following year, after the Soviets women, the style is conventional and direct. Yet the was deposed in 1929, began a program of modernization to all her conditions and she liked him, Meena agreed to invaded Afghanistan, all other political points of view narrative will provide a profoundly moving experience that included education for women. Nadir Shah, king the union, though in the beginning she was not in love were brutally repressed. That officially the Soviet regime for readers of any age. In fact, the story of the young from 1929 to 1933, abolished Amanullah's reforms, but with him. supported women's rights made RAWA's task no easier. woman who at the age of 20 started the first movement Nadir's son Zahir, who succeeded him after Nadir was If over time she would come to love Faiz, she Indeed, educating women about their rights became for women's rights in Afghanistan, only to be assassinated, advanced Amanullah's liberalizing policies never agreed with his Maoist politics. She seems to have more difficult under a hated communist government that 38 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 39 was forcing its ideological program even while she was pregnant and but the one thing [Afghans] do agree Afghanistan and the compromises the US installed government has made with on an occupied people. exhausted, one comes to love this on is that the biggest victims of our powerful conservative politicians to restrict the rights of women and to Soon Meena's life became woman. twenty years' war are women.” If prevent proper justice being given to women. Unlike other organizations more difficult in still other ways Another great service rendered Meena was exceptional it was working in Afghanistan, RAWA is not dependent for money and security upon when, because he was a Maoist, Faiz by her for the Afghan women is the because she fought back and took the various foreign (NATO, Pakistani) invaders, bombers and drug-dealers of and Meena were forced to separate. launching of a bilingual magazine, joy in the fight — a joy shared by the Afghanistan. Meena continued to organize Payam-e-Zan (Women's Message) women of RAWA, who, as they This is a book not only to read but to urge others to read. It provides, in its women, even during the last month in 1981. Through this magazine continued Meena's work under the devastating way, a measure of hope. Another way of preventing violence of her pregnancy. On the day her RAWA has been projecting the cause Taliban. exists: not through repression but through the expansion of civil liberties. labor began, Faiz was arrested. of Afghan women boldly and In her moving foreword to the Below is the translation of an inspiring poem by Meena published in Fearing that she too would be effectively. Payam-e-Zan has book, Alice Walker writes, “One day "Payam-e-Zan" No.1, 1981. imprisoned, Meena went to the constantly exposed the criminal one hopes the whole of Afghanistan, hospital at the last minute before nature of fundamentalist groups as healed after so many centuries of giving birth, leaving in disguise only well as the communist occupiers. war, will look upon the smiling I'll never return hours afterward. Although a donor Avoiding any rigid ideology, the radiant face of Meena and recognize I'm the woman who has awoken gave her money for a proper hospital paper propagated basic humanism itself.” If, as Walker writes, the male in a larger city she used the money and tolerance in simple language leaders of Afghanistan live “under I've arisen and become a tempest for helping other women. In one of even young girls could understand. the illusion that she is separate from through the ashes of my burnt children the more wrenching episodes of her Meena also established Watan them,” so too does the current world I've arisen from the rivulets story, she decided to leave her Schools for refugee children, a leadership. The 1951 Geneva of my brother's blood newborn child with a friend before hospital and handicraft centers for Convention relating to the status of My nation's wrath has empowered me going into hiding herself. Faiz was refugee women in Pakistan to refugees still defines “refugee” as finally released from jail, but he was support Afghan women financially. someone running in fear from My ruined and burnt villages fill me able to visit his wife and daughter Her final work was a hospital for persecution for reasons of race, with hatred against the enemy, only briefly before he fled to Afghan refugees. r elig io n , n atio n ality, ev en I'm the woman who has awoken, Pakistan. She suffered great heartache membership in a particular social I've found my path and will never return. Though matters would soon not only for the risks of death and group or because of holding a I've opened closed doors of ignorance become significantly worse under hard life she faced but also from the puppet regime provoked the wrath p o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n , b u t n o t the warlords and fundamentalist murder of her husband and her being o f t h e R u s s i a n s a n d t h e persecution due to gender. I've said farewell to all golden bracelets mujahedin who finally overthrew kept apart from her young daughter fundamentalist forces alike and she The world would do well to Oh compatriot, I'm not what I was Soviet rule, under Meena's to prevent her from being killed as take this widespread persecution was assassinated by agents of I'm the woman who has awoken leadership RAWA continued to well. She poured her longing for her KHAD (Afghanistan branch of seriously. Its victims are also often publish and distribute leaflets, hold daughter into caring for the refugee KGB) and their fundamentalist startlingly prescient. What would I've found my path and will never return. literacy classes and build its girls as if they were her own. She accomplices in Quetta, Pakistan, on have happened had world leaders I've seen barefoot, wandering and homeless children organization through the continual loved to visit the young girls in the February 4,1987. listened to Meena in 1981, when, I've seen henna-handed brides with mourning clothes spawning of small groups of refugee camps and inspire them to RAWA continued its activism. after attending an international women. Eventually Meena herself study, respect themselves and plan Members risked their lives to conference of socialists in Paris to I've seen giant walls of the prisons was forced to go to Pakistan. But she boldly for their future. She knew all secretly film a woman being protest the Soviet occupation of swallow freedom in their ravenous stomach continued to work for RAWA there, their names and they would come executed by the Taliban in Kabul's Afghanistan, she warned in a I've been reborn amidst epics of resistance and courage establishing literacy classes and a running when she came near their sports stadium. RAWA members televised interview of the dangers of I've learned the song of freedom in the last breaths, home for refugee Afghan women tents. were forced to work undercover and violent Islamic fundamentalist and children. She was close to At the end of 1981, by many were arrested and killed by movements? When Afghanistan's in the waves of blood and in victory finishing work on a hospital i n v i t a t i o n o f t h e F r e n c h different Afghan regimes. p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n a l s y s t e m Oh compatriot, Oh brother, no longer regard me intended to serve refugees and those Government, Meena represented the There is no comfort in the collapsed, Meena and others in as weak and incapable injured by land mines when she was Afghan resistance movement at the supposition that since Meena was a RAWA saw the danger, but the With all my strength I'm with you murdered by an Afghani who had French Socialist Party Congress. political activist, her suffering must American government took no heed. been acting as a RAWA supporter. The Soviet delegation at the have been exceptional. A piece Despite pleas for help, no money or on the path of my land's liberation The author's description of Congress, headed by Boris about Afghan women written by support was given to RAWA for its My voice has mingled with thousands of arisen women Meena's considerable physical Ponamaryev, shamefacedly left the Jane Kramer for the New Yorker schools and hospitals. Yet the My fists are clenched with the fists of beauty, burnished by a passion for hall as participants cheered when makes it clear that over the last two Islamic fundamentalist schools, thousands of compatriots justice that gave her a luminous Meena started wavinga victory sign. and a half decades most of the established during the Soviet quality, is verified by the Besides France, she also visited women of Afghanistan have occupation by, among others, Along with you I've stepped up photographs accompanying the several other European countries suffered terribly, often in almost Osama bin Laden and that trained to the path of my nation, book. As one learns about how she a n d m e t t h e i r p r o m i n e n t unspeakable ways. Kramer quotes many future terrorists were well To break all these sufferings, all these fetters of slavery, would go out dressed as a man, or personalities. Zahir Tannin, once editor of a funded by several nations, including Oh compatriot, Oh brother, I'm not what I was show up at the home of a member Her active social work and prominent daily paper in Kabul and our own (America). who was ill or suffering a loss, effective advocacy against the views now head of the Afghan desk at the RAWA has condemned the I'm the woman who has awoken bringing food or offering to cook, of the fundamentalists and the BBC: “No one wants to talk about it crimes of the US invasion of I've found my path and will never return. 40 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 41 was forcing its ideological program even while she was pregnant and but the one thing [Afghans] do agree Afghanistan and the compromises the US installed government has made with on an occupied people. exhausted, one comes to love this on is that the biggest victims of our powerful conservative politicians to restrict the rights of women and to Soon Meena's life became woman. twenty years' war are women.” If prevent proper justice being given to women. Unlike other organizations more difficult in still other ways Another great service rendered Meena was exceptional it was working in Afghanistan, RAWA is not dependent for money and security upon when, because he was a Maoist, Faiz by her for the Afghan women is the because she fought back and took the various foreign (NATO, Pakistani) invaders, bombers and drug-dealers of and Meena were forced to separate. launching of a bilingual magazine, joy in the fight — a joy shared by the Afghanistan. Meena continued to organize Payam-e-Zan (Women's Message) women of RAWA, who, as they This is a book not only to read but to urge others to read. It provides, in its women, even during the last month in 1981. Through this magazine continued Meena's work under the devastating way, a measure of hope. Another way of preventing violence of her pregnancy. On the day her RAWA has been projecting the cause Taliban. exists: not through repression but through the expansion of civil liberties. labor began, Faiz was arrested. of Afghan women boldly and In her moving foreword to the Below is the translation of an inspiring poem by Meena published in Fearing that she too would be effectively. Payam-e-Zan has book, Alice Walker writes, “One day "Payam-e-Zan" No.1, 1981. imprisoned, Meena went to the constantly exposed the criminal one hopes the whole of Afghanistan, hospital at the last minute before nature of fundamentalist groups as healed after so many centuries of giving birth, leaving in disguise only well as the communist occupiers. war, will look upon the smiling I'll never return hours afterward. Although a donor Avoiding any rigid ideology, the radiant face of Meena and recognize I'm the woman who has awoken gave her money for a proper hospital paper propagated basic humanism itself.” If, as Walker writes, the male in a larger city she used the money and tolerance in simple language leaders of Afghanistan live “under I've arisen and become a tempest for helping other women. In one of even young girls could understand. the illusion that she is separate from through the ashes of my burnt children the more wrenching episodes of her Meena also established Watan them,” so too does the current world I've arisen from the rivulets story, she decided to leave her Schools for refugee children, a leadership. The 1951 Geneva of my brother's blood newborn child with a friend before hospital and handicraft centers for Convention relating to the status of My nation's wrath has empowered me going into hiding herself. Faiz was refugee women in Pakistan to refugees still defines “refugee” as finally released from jail, but he was support Afghan women financially. someone running in fear from My ruined and burnt villages fill me able to visit his wife and daughter Her final work was a hospital for persecution for reasons of race, with hatred against the enemy, only briefly before he fled to Afghan refugees. r elig io n , n atio n ality, ev en I'm the woman who has awoken, Pakistan. She suffered great heartache membership in a particular social I've found my path and will never return. Though matters would soon not only for the risks of death and group or because of holding a I've opened closed doors of ignorance become significantly worse under hard life she faced but also from the puppet regime provoked the wrath p o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n , b u t n o t the warlords and fundamentalist murder of her husband and her being o f t h e R u s s i a n s a n d t h e persecution due to gender. I've said farewell to all golden bracelets mujahedin who finally overthrew kept apart from her young daughter fundamentalist forces alike and she The world would do well to Oh compatriot, I'm not what I was Soviet rule, under Meena's to prevent her from being killed as take this widespread persecution was assassinated by agents of I'm the woman who has awoken leadership RAWA continued to well. She poured her longing for her KHAD (Afghanistan branch of seriously. Its victims are also often publish and distribute leaflets, hold daughter into caring for the refugee KGB) and their fundamentalist startlingly prescient. What would I've found my path and will never return. literacy classes and build its girls as if they were her own. She accomplices in Quetta, Pakistan, on have happened had world leaders I've seen barefoot, wandering and homeless children organization through the continual loved to visit the young girls in the February 4,1987. listened to Meena in 1981, when, I've seen henna-handed brides with mourning clothes spawning of small groups of refugee camps and inspire them to RAWA continued its activism. after attending an international women. Eventually Meena herself study, respect themselves and plan Members risked their lives to conference of socialists in Paris to I've seen giant walls of the prisons was forced to go to Pakistan. But she boldly for their future. She knew all secretly film a woman being protest the Soviet occupation of swallow freedom in their ravenous stomach continued to work for RAWA there, their names and they would come executed by the Taliban in Kabul's Afghanistan, she warned in a I've been reborn amidst epics of resistance and courage establishing literacy classes and a running when she came near their sports stadium. RAWA members televised interview of the dangers of I've learned the song of freedom in the last breaths, home for refugee Afghan women tents. were forced to work undercover and violent Islamic fundamentalist and children. She was close to At the end of 1981, by many were arrested and killed by movements? When Afghanistan's in the waves of blood and in victory finishing work on a hospital i n v i t a t i o n o f t h e F r e n c h different Afghan regimes. p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n a l s y s t e m Oh compatriot, Oh brother, no longer regard me intended to serve refugees and those Government, Meena represented the There is no comfort in the collapsed, Meena and others in as weak and incapable injured by land mines when she was Afghan resistance movement at the supposition that since Meena was a RAWA saw the danger, but the With all my strength I'm with you murdered by an Afghani who had French Socialist Party Congress. political activist, her suffering must American government took no heed. been acting as a RAWA supporter. The Soviet delegation at the have been exceptional. A piece Despite pleas for help, no money or on the path of my land's liberation The author's description of Congress, headed by Boris about Afghan women written by support was given to RAWA for its My voice has mingled with thousands of arisen women Meena's considerable physical Ponamaryev, shamefacedly left the Jane Kramer for the New Yorker schools and hospitals. Yet the My fists are clenched with the fists of beauty, burnished by a passion for hall as participants cheered when makes it clear that over the last two Islamic fundamentalist schools, thousands of compatriots justice that gave her a luminous Meena started wavinga victory sign. and a half decades most of the established during the Soviet quality, is verified by the Besides France, she also visited women of Afghanistan have occupation by, among others, Along with you I've stepped up photographs accompanying the several other European countries suffered terribly, often in almost Osama bin Laden and that trained to the path of my nation, book. As one learns about how she a n d m e t t h e i r p r o m i n e n t unspeakable ways. Kramer quotes many future terrorists were well To break all these sufferings, all these fetters of slavery, would go out dressed as a man, or personalities. Zahir Tannin, once editor of a funded by several nations, including Oh compatriot, Oh brother, I'm not what I was show up at the home of a member Her active social work and prominent daily paper in Kabul and our own (America). who was ill or suffering a loss, effective advocacy against the views now head of the Afghan desk at the RAWA has condemned the I'm the woman who has awoken bringing food or offering to cook, of the fundamentalists and the BBC: “No one wants to talk about it crimes of the US invasion of I've found my path and will never return. 40 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 41 HUMANWOMEN RIGHTS POWER EXPLOITATIONOPPRESSION Losing Hope: Who will give Kashmiri Pandits Justice As Formal Farm Credit Grows, Now that the Supreme Court has Turned them Away? So Does Hold of Moneylenders. Here’s Why Varad Sharma Sanjukta Nair

espite a 11% rise in loans to n October 25, 2017, the redressing their plight. Other parties judiciary to prophesise rather than agriculture over a year to a Supreme Court rejected the such as the Congress, National scrutinise the matter at hand on its record Rs 10 lakh crore in Osecond plea for a fresh Conference and Peoples Democratic merits? D2017-18, the share of professional investigation into the killings of Party too have offered little more Curiously, this logic was not moneylenders in agricultural credit hundreds of Pandits in Jammu and than lip service. followed when on March 24, 2017, grew nine percentage points over 11 Kashmir in the 1990s and early Time and again, we hear the the Supreme Court decided to re- years to 2013, and two important 2000s. It was a review petition filed hollow promises of governments examine 199 cases pertaining to the government programmes meant to by a Kashmiri Pandit group against about enabling the Pandits to return 1984 anti-Sikh carnage that had ease credit are denying farmers the the court’s July 24 order, which to Kashmir. But there is rarely talk of been closed by the Special benefits they seek, according to an stated: bringing the perpetrators to book Investigation Team constituted by IndiaSpend analysis. While the 19- “We decline to entertain this and providing justice to this terror- Modi government in 2015. Also, on year-old Kisan Credit Card (KCC) petition under Article 32 of the affected community that has been April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court Scheme, hopes to allow farmers to Constitution of India, for the simple homeless for nearly a quarter of a restored conspiracy charges against double their incomes by providing reason that the instances referred to century. Before becoming prime LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi them with crop loans at interest rates in the present petition pertain to the minister, Modi spoke about the and 13 other accused in the 1992 as low as 4% to purchase better farm year 1989-90, and more than 27 Pandits on several occasions. But he Babri Masjid demolition case. equipment, seeds and an ATM card years have passed by since then. No has gone largely silent since I s n ’ t t h e a p e x c o u r t to meet household expenses, some fruitful purpose would emerge, as assuming power in 2014. The Pandit contradicting itself by reopening farmers are made to pay insurance evidence is unlikely to be available community had great expectations cases from 1984 and 1992 while premia they don’t want; others are moneylenders charging interest that In 2017-18, as we said, the at this late juncture.” The apex from Modi, but he has disappointed. dismissing a similar matter from the forced to take informal loans to pay can be four times higher than the government budget of Rs. 10 lakh court’s decision is nothing short of When the legislature and the early 1990s? the KCC interest on time. banking system. crore towards agricultural credit, rubbing salt into the wounds of executive failed to redress the One goes to the highest court in The second programme is the In this second part, we explain was the highest ever, up from Rs. 9 Kashmir ’s ethnic minority grievances of the displaced the land when all other avenues for decade-old Agricultural Debt how the government budget spends lakh crore the previous year and a community. Particularly at a time community, some Kashmiri Pandits justice have failed to deliver. Whom Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme more than ever on agricultural credit 9.3 time increase from Rs. 1,08,500 w h e n t h e N a r e n d r a M o d i went to the judiciary. Little did they should the Pandits turn to for justice (ADWDRS), which allows farmers and although official programmes crore in 2005-06. government has appointed former know that the judiciary too would now that the apex court has ruled to have direct agricultural loans have helped farmers earn more From 2005-06 to 2017-18, the I n t e l l i g e n c e B u r e a u c h i e f shut its doors for the seekers of that seeking justice won’t lead to waived by issuing full waiver money, loopholes and inefficiencies b u d g e t a l l o c a t i o n t o w a r d s Dineshwar Sharma to hold talks justice. It is shocking that the anything? Should they just stop certificates that qualify farmers for withhold benefits, and eventually agricultural credit has increased 9.3 with various stakeholders in Jammu Supreme Court dismissed the plea demanding justice and redress of fresh loans, or by partial waivers that force them towards moneylenders times— to Rs. 10,00,000 crore. and Kashmir. The stakeholders for investigation on the ground that their grievances? are credited to their accounts. But and other informal sources of credit. Though the government has always include the separatist Hurriyat the crimes took place long ago and it About two months ago, the 44% of rural houses that borrow T h e c o n t i n u i n g – a n d spent more than its budget towards Conference as Sharma confirmed in was not worthwhile to pursue the Pandits commemorated the 28th from informal credit sources are growing–lure of moneylenders and agricultural credit–105.6% in 2012- an interview with the journalist matter now. Merely because 27 death anniversary of Pandit Tika Lal ineligible because ADWDRS loans other informal credit 13, for instance–rural households Barkha Dutt recently. years have passed does not mean Taploo, noted lawyer and senior BJP are formal loans from banks or other Professional moneylenders – continue to borrow money from Is the Modi government investigation cannot be done, leader, who was gunned down financial institutions, and one in who can charge up to four times informal sources (moneylenders, softening up on Kashmiri separatists especially when those such as Yasin outside his house in Srinagar on three eligible farmers over ten years more interest than the government’s family and friends) because by giving the new interlocutor a free Malik and Farooq Ahmad Dar, alias September 14, 1989. He was the first to 2007 did not receive the banking system – hold more rural conditions are flexible and often no hand? The separatists who Bitta Karate, have admitted to the Pandit victim of terrorism in certificates they needed to apply for debt than ever: From 19.6% in 2002 collateral is required. orchestrated the exodus of the crimes. Recently, Republic TV Kashmir. Taploo’s killing was the new loans. to 28.2% in 2013. T h e t w o w e l l - m e a n i n g Pandits and continue to foment broadcast an exposé showing beginning of a reign of terror that For perspective, Rs 10 lakh The government has constantly government programmes–the KCC trouble as and when there is talk of terrorists who have since given up forced the minority Pandit crore is 5.3 times the size of India’s tried to improve agricultural credit: and the ADWDRS–to explore why the Pandits returning to their arms purportedly confessing to community to flee their homeland in agriculture and rural budget and 20.4 By nationalising commercial banks the government fails to displace homeland. having killed Pandits in the 1990s. 1990. Who can forget the massacres times the health budget for 2017-18. in 1969–so they could be forced to informal sources of rural credit. The Bharatiya Janata Party, Different standards? of Sangrampora, Wandhama, and G r o w i n g f a r m d e b t i s lend money to the agricultural Kisan Credit Card may lead to which is in power at the Centre as Further, how can the Supreme Court Nadimarg? Who can forget Pandit associated with increased farmer sector– to setting up regional rural higher incomes, but also involuntary well as in Jammu and Kashmir, has envisage that nothing fruitful will women such as Sarla Bhat and Girija suicides in an era of climate change banks in 1975 and the National Bank insurance premia done little for the Pandits despite come to light by reopening the and crop failures, increasing for Agriculture and Rural The KCC was introduced in claiming to be committed to cases? Is it appropriate for the Continued on page No. 44 dependence on professional Development (NABARD) in 1982. 1998, so farmers could purchase 42 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 43 HUMANWOMEN RIGHTS POWER EXPLOITATIONOPPRESSION Losing Hope: Who will give Kashmiri Pandits Justice As Formal Farm Credit Grows, Now that the Supreme Court has Turned them Away? So Does Hold of Moneylenders. Here’s Why Varad Sharma Sanjukta Nair

espite a 11% rise in loans to n October 25, 2017, the redressing their plight. Other parties judiciary to prophesise rather than agriculture over a year to a Supreme Court rejected the such as the Congress, National scrutinise the matter at hand on its record Rs 10 lakh crore in Osecond plea for a fresh Conference and Peoples Democratic merits? D2017-18, the share of professional investigation into the killings of Party too have offered little more Curiously, this logic was not moneylenders in agricultural credit hundreds of Pandits in Jammu and than lip service. followed when on March 24, 2017, grew nine percentage points over 11 Kashmir in the 1990s and early Time and again, we hear the the Supreme Court decided to re- years to 2013, and two important 2000s. It was a review petition filed hollow promises of governments examine 199 cases pertaining to the government programmes meant to by a Kashmiri Pandit group against about enabling the Pandits to return 1984 anti-Sikh carnage that had ease credit are denying farmers the the court’s July 24 order, which to Kashmir. But there is rarely talk of been closed by the Special benefits they seek, according to an stated: bringing the perpetrators to book Investigation Team constituted by IndiaSpend analysis. While the 19- “We decline to entertain this and providing justice to this terror- Modi government in 2015. Also, on year-old Kisan Credit Card (KCC) petition under Article 32 of the affected community that has been April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court Scheme, hopes to allow farmers to Constitution of India, for the simple homeless for nearly a quarter of a restored conspiracy charges against double their incomes by providing reason that the instances referred to century. Before becoming prime LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi them with crop loans at interest rates in the present petition pertain to the minister, Modi spoke about the and 13 other accused in the 1992 as low as 4% to purchase better farm year 1989-90, and more than 27 Pandits on several occasions. But he Babri Masjid demolition case. equipment, seeds and an ATM card years have passed by since then. No has gone largely silent since I s n ’ t t h e a p e x c o u r t to meet household expenses, some fruitful purpose would emerge, as assuming power in 2014. The Pandit contradicting itself by reopening farmers are made to pay insurance evidence is unlikely to be available community had great expectations cases from 1984 and 1992 while premia they don’t want; others are moneylenders charging interest that In 2017-18, as we said, the at this late juncture.” The apex from Modi, but he has disappointed. dismissing a similar matter from the forced to take informal loans to pay can be four times higher than the government budget of Rs. 10 lakh court’s decision is nothing short of When the legislature and the early 1990s? the KCC interest on time. banking system. crore towards agricultural credit, rubbing salt into the wounds of executive failed to redress the One goes to the highest court in The second programme is the In this second part, we explain was the highest ever, up from Rs. 9 Kashmir ’s ethnic minority grievances of the displaced the land when all other avenues for decade-old Agricultural Debt how the government budget spends lakh crore the previous year and a community. Particularly at a time community, some Kashmiri Pandits justice have failed to deliver. Whom Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme more than ever on agricultural credit 9.3 time increase from Rs. 1,08,500 w h e n t h e N a r e n d r a M o d i went to the judiciary. Little did they should the Pandits turn to for justice (ADWDRS), which allows farmers and although official programmes crore in 2005-06. government has appointed former know that the judiciary too would now that the apex court has ruled to have direct agricultural loans have helped farmers earn more From 2005-06 to 2017-18, the I n t e l l i g e n c e B u r e a u c h i e f shut its doors for the seekers of that seeking justice won’t lead to waived by issuing full waiver money, loopholes and inefficiencies b u d g e t a l l o c a t i o n t o w a r d s Dineshwar Sharma to hold talks justice. It is shocking that the anything? Should they just stop certificates that qualify farmers for withhold benefits, and eventually agricultural credit has increased 9.3 with various stakeholders in Jammu Supreme Court dismissed the plea demanding justice and redress of fresh loans, or by partial waivers that force them towards moneylenders times— to Rs. 10,00,000 crore. and Kashmir. The stakeholders for investigation on the ground that their grievances? are credited to their accounts. But and other informal sources of credit. Though the government has always include the separatist Hurriyat the crimes took place long ago and it About two months ago, the 44% of rural houses that borrow T h e c o n t i n u i n g – a n d spent more than its budget towards Conference as Sharma confirmed in was not worthwhile to pursue the Pandits commemorated the 28th from informal credit sources are growing–lure of moneylenders and agricultural credit–105.6% in 2012- an interview with the journalist matter now. Merely because 27 death anniversary of Pandit Tika Lal ineligible because ADWDRS loans other informal credit 13, for instance–rural households Barkha Dutt recently. years have passed does not mean Taploo, noted lawyer and senior BJP are formal loans from banks or other Professional moneylenders – continue to borrow money from Is the Modi government investigation cannot be done, leader, who was gunned down financial institutions, and one in who can charge up to four times informal sources (moneylenders, softening up on Kashmiri separatists especially when those such as Yasin outside his house in Srinagar on three eligible farmers over ten years more interest than the government’s family and friends) because by giving the new interlocutor a free Malik and Farooq Ahmad Dar, alias September 14, 1989. He was the first to 2007 did not receive the banking system – hold more rural conditions are flexible and often no hand? The separatists who Bitta Karate, have admitted to the Pandit victim of terrorism in certificates they needed to apply for debt than ever: From 19.6% in 2002 collateral is required. orchestrated the exodus of the crimes. Recently, Republic TV Kashmir. Taploo’s killing was the new loans. to 28.2% in 2013. T h e t w o w e l l - m e a n i n g Pandits and continue to foment broadcast an exposé showing beginning of a reign of terror that For perspective, Rs 10 lakh The government has constantly government programmes–the KCC trouble as and when there is talk of terrorists who have since given up forced the minority Pandit crore is 5.3 times the size of India’s tried to improve agricultural credit: and the ADWDRS–to explore why the Pandits returning to their arms purportedly confessing to community to flee their homeland in agriculture and rural budget and 20.4 By nationalising commercial banks the government fails to displace homeland. having killed Pandits in the 1990s. 1990. Who can forget the massacres times the health budget for 2017-18. in 1969–so they could be forced to informal sources of rural credit. The Bharatiya Janata Party, Different standards? of Sangrampora, Wandhama, and G r o w i n g f a r m d e b t i s lend money to the agricultural Kisan Credit Card may lead to which is in power at the Centre as Further, how can the Supreme Court Nadimarg? Who can forget Pandit associated with increased farmer sector– to setting up regional rural higher incomes, but also involuntary well as in Jammu and Kashmir, has envisage that nothing fruitful will women such as Sarla Bhat and Girija suicides in an era of climate change banks in 1975 and the National Bank insurance premia done little for the Pandits despite come to light by reopening the and crop failures, increasing for Agriculture and Rural The KCC was introduced in claiming to be committed to cases? Is it appropriate for the Continued on page No. 44 dependence on professional Development (NABARD) in 1982. 1998, so farmers could purchase 42 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 43 Farmers return to informal sources despite loan waivers Only farmers who borrow from formal sources, such as banks, are eligible for loan waivers. Nearly 44% of rural debt is held by non-institutional agencies. However, those who borrow from institutional sources only get a partial waiver, as a large portion of their expenses is non-farm related. Some farmers hold multiple loans, which means they need multiple loan History Bears Testimony waivers. Agricultural labourers who do not hold crop loans are not considered. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti Some households who received full waivers went on to increase their borrowings from informal sources, and such waivers can encourage future defaults, History bears testimony that whenever a according to a 2011 World Bank study. Despite crop failures, farmers were eager to repay person states the absolute truth in any their KCC loans, which are interest-free if paid within a year, according to a 2017 study by Stanford University’s sphere of life, whether it be spiritual, Center on Global Poverty and Development. So, they social, economic or otherwise; sought seeds, fertilisers and pesticides on credit and withdraw take loans from informal sources at high rates of interest. cash through ATMs, subject to credit limits. In 2004, the Once the new KCC loan was given, they used it to repay clarification of doubts or protested against KCC was expanded to include term loans for agriculture informal lenders, leaving them with lower incomes. and allied activities. For marginal farmers (those who States with a high proportion of indebted farmers injustice and wrongs, the evil forces own up to 2.5 acres of land) KCCs are more flexible, reported a higher share of informal loans, making these covering warehouse-storage credit, consumption farmers ineligible for debt waivers, according to a 2017 forthwith plotted against the person, expenses and small-term-loan investments to purchase RBI paper. farm equipment or start mini dairies. To provide credit at an affordable rate to boost administered poison, slandered and Farmers with a KCC could earn nearly Rs 1.49 lakh agricultural productivity, in June 2017, the Union every year, according to this 2016 NABARD estimate, Cabinet approved an Interest Subvention Scheme, which assaulted that person with rage, misused double the Rs. 69,850 they might earn without one. allows farmers to access short term loans upto Rs. 3 lakh But a KCC automatically registers farmers with a at 4% per annum. authority and mercilessly dealt blow after crop-insurance programme, regardless of consent, and In the end, the solution is two-fold providing a money is deducted from their bank accounts as premia minimum support price that provides a good living to blow; but the blows boomeranged and towards crop insurance that they may not want. Some farmers and implementing other recommendations of the farmers have not received insurance payouts, despite Swaminathan Commission. After this moneylending ultimately the evil forces were annihilated paying these premia. must be made a criminal act and those who engage in it Eligible farmers denied necessary certificates, (not their victims) must face mandatory minimum jail by those very blows. Remember, by an some benefits routed to ineligible beneficiaries sentences. unalterable decree of history, the evil In 2008, the government of India announced the ADWDRS, which allowed the waiver of debts related to forces are destined to meet their final direct agricultural loans given upto March 31,2007 and Continued from Page No. 42 overdue as on 31st December, 2007, if these loans Tickoo who were raped before being murdered by doom. remained unpaid up to February 29, 2008. Small and terrorists? marginal farmers would receive 100% waivers, while Kashmir’s struggle for Azadi, overtly and covertly (Ananda Vanii, 1 January 1974) other farmers would receive a rebate of 25%, provided supported by most of the majority Muslim community, they paid the balance 75%. has meant barbadi, or ruin, for the minority Pandit Nearly 13.5% of eligible farmers did not receive community. The Pandits were seen as living symbols of benefits amounting to Rs.3.58 crore, according to a 2013 the Indian nation in Kashmir and, hence, bore the brunt CAG report on the 2008 debt-waiver scheme. Instead, when the insurgency against the Indian state erupted in 8.5% of farmers who received benefits were 1989. ineligible–these loans were for non-agricultural In spite of their trials and tribulations, Kashmiri purposes; the CAG report does not say how they got Pandits have always stood for the Indian nation and these loans–and their waivers amounted to Rs. 20.5 believed in her democracy. Yet, they have been let down crore. by all pillars of Indian democracy. Will they ever get Debt-waiver certificates were not issued to 34% of justice? eligible farmers. Farmers need these certificates to apply Varad Sharma is a Kashmiri writer. for fresh loans. Loans amounting to Rs. 164.60 crore He co-edited A Long Dream of Home: The were waived in violation of the scheme’s guidelines. Persecution, Exodus and Exile of Kashmiri Pandits. 44 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 45 Farmers return to informal sources despite loan waivers Only farmers who borrow from formal sources, such as banks, are eligible for loan waivers. Nearly 44% of rural debt is held by non-institutional agencies. However, those who borrow from institutional sources only get a partial waiver, as a large portion of their expenses is non-farm related. Some farmers hold multiple loans, which means they need multiple loan History Bears Testimony waivers. Agricultural labourers who do not hold crop loans are not considered. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti Some households who received full waivers went on to increase their borrowings from informal sources, and such waivers can encourage future defaults, History bears testimony that whenever a according to a 2011 World Bank study. Despite crop failures, farmers were eager to repay person states the absolute truth in any their KCC loans, which are interest-free if paid within a year, according to a 2017 study by Stanford University’s sphere of life, whether it be spiritual, Center on Global Poverty and Development. So, they social, economic or otherwise; sought seeds, fertilisers and pesticides on credit and withdraw take loans from informal sources at high rates of interest. cash through ATMs, subject to credit limits. In 2004, the Once the new KCC loan was given, they used it to repay clarification of doubts or protested against KCC was expanded to include term loans for agriculture informal lenders, leaving them with lower incomes. and allied activities. For marginal farmers (those who States with a high proportion of indebted farmers injustice and wrongs, the evil forces own up to 2.5 acres of land) KCCs are more flexible, reported a higher share of informal loans, making these covering warehouse-storage credit, consumption farmers ineligible for debt waivers, according to a 2017 forthwith plotted against the person, expenses and small-term-loan investments to purchase RBI paper. farm equipment or start mini dairies. To provide credit at an affordable rate to boost administered poison, slandered and Farmers with a KCC could earn nearly Rs 1.49 lakh agricultural productivity, in June 2017, the Union every year, according to this 2016 NABARD estimate, Cabinet approved an Interest Subvention Scheme, which assaulted that person with rage, misused double the Rs. 69,850 they might earn without one. allows farmers to access short term loans upto Rs. 3 lakh But a KCC automatically registers farmers with a at 4% per annum. authority and mercilessly dealt blow after crop-insurance programme, regardless of consent, and In the end, the solution is two-fold providing a money is deducted from their bank accounts as premia minimum support price that provides a good living to blow; but the blows boomeranged and towards crop insurance that they may not want. Some farmers and implementing other recommendations of the farmers have not received insurance payouts, despite Swaminathan Commission. After this moneylending ultimately the evil forces were annihilated paying these premia. must be made a criminal act and those who engage in it Eligible farmers denied necessary certificates, (not their victims) must face mandatory minimum jail by those very blows. Remember, by an some benefits routed to ineligible beneficiaries sentences. unalterable decree of history, the evil In 2008, the government of India announced the ADWDRS, which allowed the waiver of debts related to forces are destined to meet their final direct agricultural loans given upto March 31,2007 and Continued from Page No. 42 overdue as on 31st December, 2007, if these loans Tickoo who were raped before being murdered by doom. remained unpaid up to February 29, 2008. Small and terrorists? marginal farmers would receive 100% waivers, while Kashmir’s struggle for Azadi, overtly and covertly (Ananda Vanii, 1 January 1974) other farmers would receive a rebate of 25%, provided supported by most of the majority Muslim community, they paid the balance 75%. has meant barbadi, or ruin, for the minority Pandit Nearly 13.5% of eligible farmers did not receive community. The Pandits were seen as living symbols of benefits amounting to Rs.3.58 crore, according to a 2013 the Indian nation in Kashmir and, hence, bore the brunt CAG report on the 2008 debt-waiver scheme. Instead, when the insurgency against the Indian state erupted in 8.5% of farmers who received benefits were 1989. ineligible–these loans were for non-agricultural In spite of their trials and tribulations, Kashmiri purposes; the CAG report does not say how they got Pandits have always stood for the Indian nation and these loans–and their waivers amounted to Rs. 20.5 believed in her democracy. Yet, they have been let down crore. by all pillars of Indian democracy. Will they ever get Debt-waiver certificates were not issued to 34% of justice? eligible farmers. Farmers need these certificates to apply Varad Sharma is a Kashmiri writer. for fresh loans. Loans amounting to Rs. 164.60 crore He co-edited A Long Dream of Home: The were waived in violation of the scheme’s guidelines. Persecution, Exodus and Exile of Kashmiri Pandits. 44 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 45 ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

Maharlika Municipalities Embrace Prout Delhi State Committee of PBI Re-organised

Something very significant is happening in Maharlika (Philippines). A constellation of grassroots actions, that demonstrate the practical application of Prout-based policies, is glowing ever brighter. Earlier on efforts were made to introduce and implement local development planning in Oroquieta City in Northern Mindanao. That good work continues, and now in two other municipalities similar initiatives are underway - in Salcedo, Eastern Samar and Bayawan, Central Visayas. These developments are the result of positive and deepening relations with local government authorities, their planning bodies, and a developing network of engaged supporters. Often when we speak of Prout people ask if there is anywhere it has been established. Prout is complex and profound, therefore the task to implement it is not an easy one. What we do have and can share is a clear vision, and well-defined guiding principles that can translate into practical policies for a specific place or situation. When these are applied more comprehensively in an integrated way, we begin to implement core aspects of Prout’s economic system. And here lies the tremendous value of ongoing work in Maharlika. Current efforts in these three areas begin to serve as a model for how to stimulate an underdeveloped economy. Each of the municipalities share similar characteristics such as; 35 – 60% of the population lives in poverty, 70 - 100% of the food consumed locally is imported from outside the area despite favorable conditions for agriculture, unemployment and underemployment are high, and there are few if any local industries. Though the exact approach for each municipality varies as per local requirements, the basic strategy is based on Prout’s concept of Block Level Planning and other guiding principles. These include: to work with and involve local experts and authorities; to accurately survey the resources and needs; to emphasize local food production (and when possible also the production of other minimum necessities) and then value added processing industries; to find ways to Delhi state committee of PBI was formed in Malviya Nagar, Delhi on 24 December 2017 in the presence PBI and keep money circulating within the local economy; to encourage cooperatives and where possible eliminate middlemen; UPLF cadres from almost all the districts of the state. The meeting was presided over by the party's national convener to arrange training, equipment and facilities as required; and to promote character building, service-mindedness and Ac. Santoshananda Avadhuta. Addressing the party cadres, he said politics today is dominated by immoral forces while ethical conduct. good people are suffering all kinds of hardships. He said that the biggest crisis in the world today is the absence of a We now share news of a recent tour to all three areas by Kalyanii Chew from Malaysia and Dada moralist leadership, which has endangered the existence of not only Dharmavedananda. Kalyanii is heading up the Model Projects group formed last summer following the Prout the living beings but also the non-living world. Convention. Their tour served a larger purpose; to help define the steps and process by which any project or activity can Public relations secretary Ravindra Singh gave a powerpoint Moralists to Rule develop toward the implementation of more aspects of Prout. We consider this work to have very great importance - presentation on ‘PBI: a new stream of Politics'. He elaborated on how both the process and the specific targets taken. As the details are many and lengthy, what follows below is selected and why PBI is different from other political parties. He said that PBI highlight from one of the visited areas. Another area visited was Oroquieta in North Mindanao is an unprecedented phenomenon, and will surely and unexpectedly rise to prominence. He said the established parties divide and rule, but Salcedo, Eastern Samar PBI is here to unite the people on the basis of universalism and anti- Since November 2013, following the devastation caused exploitation sentiment, and to put the moralists in the power to rule. by Typhoon Haiyan relief and rebuilding efforts have He said so-called charismatic leaders and their successors have done been actively pursued by AMURT through Dada nothing good for the country; only infallible leadership and ideal can Nirmalakrsnananda and the local team he formed and save the country. guides. In addition to repairing and building nearly The meeting concluded with the formation of New Delhi state Proutist Bloc India (PBI) thirty schools and two hundred homes as well as committee with the following office-bearers: National Convention community, day care and health centres, invaluable Jitendra Tiwari, Advocate -- President assistance was provided to the local coconut plantation Ramkhelawan -- Vice President 24-25 March, 2018 workers and their families. The storm destroyed ninety Chatur Singh -- Vice President percent of the trees which provided a livelihood to many Baidyanath Sah -- General Secretary Arvind Singh, Advocate -- of the local population of twenty-two thousand people. Secretary Venue : Rajasthani Mahila Mandal, Impressive and comprehensive Prout-based Ram Ratan Sharma -- Secretary Tekdi Road, Sitabuldi, Madha Colony, initiatives carried out in the agricultural sector are many Renu Poddar -- Secretary and include: the setting up and registration of thirty-five Sitabuldi, Nagpur, Maharashtra 440012 B. N. Bhati -- Organising Secretary A. K. Varma, Advocate -- (Near Railway Station — Towards platform No. 1) farmer associations and two farmer federations, Training Secretary introduction of cooperative farming in thirty-two Khusboo -- Media Secretary Vinod Singh -- Movement villages, a four hectare fruit orchard involving the Secretary Mahant Ram Tiwari --Office Secretary participation of the farmer associations and federations, Ramkesh Chaudhary--Finance Secretary Members -- Lalan Welcome All and a ninety-eight hectare afforestation program in Gupta, Ramashankar, Ranjit Singh, S N Pandey, Nawin Kumar, collaboration with the national Department of Ramsabuj, B N Maurya, S P Dubey, Nawin Singh, Prabhakar Kumar, For details, please contact : Environment and Natural Resources and several local Suresh Babu, Sujay Kumar, Ravindar Singh, H. N. Gupta, Bipin 9212199658, 8409696335, 9811426644 high schools. Basic farm tools and vegetable seeds have Bihari Singh, Ram Vilas Yadav been distributed. Dada Nirmalakrsnandna has become 9334218810, 9204024678 Patron-----Gopalji and Ramesh Kumar a close and trusted ally of the Mayor. 46 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 47 ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

Maharlika Municipalities Embrace Prout Delhi State Committee of PBI Re-organised

Something very significant is happening in Maharlika (Philippines). A constellation of grassroots actions, that demonstrate the practical application of Prout-based policies, is glowing ever brighter. Earlier on efforts were made to introduce and implement local development planning in Oroquieta City in Northern Mindanao. That good work continues, and now in two other municipalities similar initiatives are underway - in Salcedo, Eastern Samar and Bayawan, Central Visayas. These developments are the result of positive and deepening relations with local government authorities, their planning bodies, and a developing network of engaged supporters. Often when we speak of Prout people ask if there is anywhere it has been established. Prout is complex and profound, therefore the task to implement it is not an easy one. What we do have and can share is a clear vision, and well-defined guiding principles that can translate into practical policies for a specific place or situation. When these are applied more comprehensively in an integrated way, we begin to implement core aspects of Prout’s economic system. And here lies the tremendous value of ongoing work in Maharlika. Current efforts in these three areas begin to serve as a model for how to stimulate an underdeveloped economy. Each of the municipalities share similar characteristics such as; 35 – 60% of the population lives in poverty, 70 - 100% of the food consumed locally is imported from outside the area despite favorable conditions for agriculture, unemployment and underemployment are high, and there are few if any local industries. Though the exact approach for each municipality varies as per local requirements, the basic strategy is based on Prout’s concept of Block Level Planning and other guiding principles. These include: to work with and involve local experts and authorities; to accurately survey the resources and needs; to emphasize local food production (and when possible also the production of other minimum necessities) and then value added processing industries; to find ways to Delhi state committee of PBI was formed in Malviya Nagar, Delhi on 24 December 2017 in the presence PBI and keep money circulating within the local economy; to encourage cooperatives and where possible eliminate middlemen; UPLF cadres from almost all the districts of the state. The meeting was presided over by the party's national convener to arrange training, equipment and facilities as required; and to promote character building, service-mindedness and Ac. Santoshananda Avadhuta. Addressing the party cadres, he said politics today is dominated by immoral forces while ethical conduct. good people are suffering all kinds of hardships. He said that the biggest crisis in the world today is the absence of a We now share news of a recent tour to all three areas by Kalyanii Chew from Malaysia and Dada moralist leadership, which has endangered the existence of not only Dharmavedananda. Kalyanii is heading up the Model Projects group formed last summer following the Prout the living beings but also the non-living world. Convention. Their tour served a larger purpose; to help define the steps and process by which any project or activity can Public relations secretary Ravindra Singh gave a powerpoint Moralists to Rule develop toward the implementation of more aspects of Prout. We consider this work to have very great importance - presentation on ‘PBI: a new stream of Politics'. He elaborated on how both the process and the specific targets taken. As the details are many and lengthy, what follows below is selected and why PBI is different from other political parties. He said that PBI highlight from one of the visited areas. Another area visited was Oroquieta in North Mindanao is an unprecedented phenomenon, and will surely and unexpectedly rise to prominence. He said the established parties divide and rule, but Salcedo, Eastern Samar PBI is here to unite the people on the basis of universalism and anti- Since November 2013, following the devastation caused exploitation sentiment, and to put the moralists in the power to rule. by Typhoon Haiyan relief and rebuilding efforts have He said so-called charismatic leaders and their successors have done been actively pursued by AMURT through Dada nothing good for the country; only infallible leadership and ideal can Nirmalakrsnananda and the local team he formed and save the country. guides. In addition to repairing and building nearly The meeting concluded with the formation of New Delhi state Proutist Bloc India (PBI) thirty schools and two hundred homes as well as committee with the following office-bearers: National Convention community, day care and health centres, invaluable Jitendra Tiwari, Advocate -- President assistance was provided to the local coconut plantation Ramkhelawan -- Vice President 24-25 March, 2018 workers and their families. The storm destroyed ninety Chatur Singh -- Vice President percent of the trees which provided a livelihood to many Baidyanath Sah -- General Secretary Arvind Singh, Advocate -- of the local population of twenty-two thousand people. Secretary Venue : Rajasthani Mahila Mandal, Impressive and comprehensive Prout-based Ram Ratan Sharma -- Secretary Tekdi Road, Sitabuldi, Madha Colony, initiatives carried out in the agricultural sector are many Renu Poddar -- Secretary and include: the setting up and registration of thirty-five Sitabuldi, Nagpur, Maharashtra 440012 B. N. Bhati -- Organising Secretary A. K. Varma, Advocate -- (Near Railway Station — Towards platform No. 1) farmer associations and two farmer federations, Training Secretary introduction of cooperative farming in thirty-two Khusboo -- Media Secretary Vinod Singh -- Movement villages, a four hectare fruit orchard involving the Secretary Mahant Ram Tiwari --Office Secretary participation of the farmer associations and federations, Ramkesh Chaudhary--Finance Secretary Members -- Lalan Welcome All and a ninety-eight hectare afforestation program in Gupta, Ramashankar, Ranjit Singh, S N Pandey, Nawin Kumar, collaboration with the national Department of Ramsabuj, B N Maurya, S P Dubey, Nawin Singh, Prabhakar Kumar, For details, please contact : Environment and Natural Resources and several local Suresh Babu, Sujay Kumar, Ravindar Singh, H. N. Gupta, Bipin 9212199658, 8409696335, 9811426644 high schools. Basic farm tools and vegetable seeds have Bihari Singh, Ram Vilas Yadav been distributed. Dada Nirmalakrsnandna has become 9334218810, 9204024678 Patron-----Gopalji and Ramesh Kumar a close and trusted ally of the Mayor. 46 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 47 ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

be a superpower.” He told the audience that if India wants to be a prosperous and powerful country, the government and Formation of PBI Committee of Sitamarhi public will have to work together in making people de-addicted. He added that after arranging alternative employment for the people engaged in the production and sale of liquor, the government should completely ban its sale in the country. On 7 January 2018, a meeting of PBI cadres and Nayab Talisdar also joined the rally. Admiring the efforts of PBI, he said, “Today when most political parties are members of Sitamadhi District committee was held at engaged in mudslinging, this step of PBI is praiseworthy. What a great and novel way to start a new year!” Other LK High School, Sitamadhi under the chairmanship of organizations that participated in the rally were: Priyadarshini , Sanghmitra Ladies Hostel, AMP Sidharth, Samarth National Organising Secretary Raj Kishore Prasad to Boys' Hostel etc. reorganise the district committee. Social activists including Ganjendra Dhavale, Moreshwar Vatile, Pradip Vaghpaijan, Prafful Raut, Arun Kamble, After due deliberations, the following people Miratai Vaghpaijan, Amol Giri, Suresh Ambepawar and Ganesh Khaparde More also participated in the rally. were included in the Sitamadhi district committee: Chairman -- Ramvilas Baitha General Secretary -- Rohit Kumar Thakur Rally of Bhumihina Sangha of Saintala Unit with Koshal Samaj, Bolangir Finance Secretary -- Amresh Kumar Organising Secretary -- Nand Kishore Gupta Bhumihina Sangha Youth Secretary -- Dinesh Kumar and Koshal Samaj, Members -- Keshar Dev Lal, Raghunandan Bolangir held a rally Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Rajiv Chauhan at Saintala Tahsil Informing the new members about the party's (District Bolangir) on aims and objectives, and its recent activities in the 09.01.2018. More district, Rajkishore Prasad said that on 30 November 2017, the party held a dharna demanding the repair and renovation than 500 families of the road from Goshala Chowk to Khairba Chowk and the Ring Dam road. He said that the party is actively pursuing participated in the the issue of regular teaching at the school and colleges of the district. p r o g r a m m e d e m a n d i n g homestead land for constructions of their De-addiction Rally of PBI in Ghatanji house. All these The people of Ghatanji, a very old city and municipal council people were landless in Yavatmal district of Maharastra, celebrated new year very and have no house of differently this time. On 31st December, 2017, when most people their own. were busy organizing new year parties and arranging adequate They took out a procession which started at the Saintala Bunglow at 11.00 AM and the procession terminated at the supply of liquor for this celebrations, the cadres of Proutist Bloc, Tahsil Office covering the main streets of Saintala Town. It was led by Sri Rajesh Bagarty, Sri Purna Chandra Biswal and India under the leadership of Madhukar Nistane, organized a de- Sri Kedarnath Sahu, raising slogans against the Odisha State government for its failure to provide the required land. addiction rally in the city. Besides the party cadres, a number of The rally was addressed by Sri Jagannath Mahana, Smt. Ranju Raimon, Sri Rajesh Bagarty, Srio Kapil Kumbhar, other social organizations participated in the rally. Sri Ramesh Mohapatra, Sri Sandeep Bag, Sri Vasistha Guru and Proutist Sri Kedarnath Sahoo. The participants, including a large number of school and Sri Jagannath Mahana, Secretary Bhumihina Sangha, Bolangir said that they were compelled to hold this rally as college students, shouted slogans against the sale of liquor and the Central and Odisha government had failed to provide them Homestead land despite 70 years of independence. Smt. other narcotic drugs. They were carrying placards with slogans Ranju Raimon, Social Activist of Titilagarh working for empowerment of women asked women to assert their rights for written in local language. A large number of women took part in the a dignified living. Sri Rajesh Bagarty, a social worker of Titilagarh said that people in this part of Odisha (the Koshal rally because after all, women are the worst victims of any type of addiction among the male members of their family. area) are generally backward due to exploitation and lack political awareness required to raise their voice against Speaking on this occasion, Madhukar Nistane said, “If a family, society or country wants to progress, it should injustice. keep its members away from liquor or drug addiction, otherwise nobody can save it from annihilation.” Citing an Sri Kapil Kumbhar, a poet of Koshal sang a song in Koshli language expressing the pains and suffering of the example, he said, “It is a historical fact that there was a time when the consumption of opium had completely degraded landless people. the life of Chinese due to British imperialism; but when the government dealt with it iron handedly, the country rose to Sri Ramesh Mohapatra, a Kissan Neta of Bargarh District supported this movement expressing his desire to launch it in Bargarh District. Sri Sandeep Bag, a youth leader of Bolangir expressed his anguish over the miserable living conditions of the poor and landless ones, in a democratic country like India. Sri Vasistha Guru, Bargarh told that only through well organized movements the careless Govt. could be compelled to do the needful to the poor and neglected citizens of the country. Sri Kedarnath Sahu, a Proutist leader of Odisha, explained why the rallies were being held by the landless and homesteadless citizens in organized manner. He said that relevant Acts and Rules had been framed by the Odisha Govt. in 1962 and declared to the people in 2015 ensuring that no one shall remain landless and homesteadless in Odisha by 31st October 2015. Nevertheless no effective steps have been taken till now. This failure of the Odisha Govt. had created a situation compelling the aggrieved people to agitate and launch movements to pressurize the administration to receive applications with proper receipt so they can be tracked. At the end of the rally more than 500 applications as per the government norms, were submitted to the Tahsildar of Saintala. The events were documented by Purna Chandra Biswal, Secretary, Koshal Samaj, Bolangir. 48 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 49 ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

be a superpower.” He told the audience that if India wants to be a prosperous and powerful country, the government and Formation of PBI Committee of Sitamarhi public will have to work together in making people de-addicted. He added that after arranging alternative employment for the people engaged in the production and sale of liquor, the government should completely ban its sale in the country. On 7 January 2018, a meeting of PBI cadres and Nayab Talisdar also joined the rally. Admiring the efforts of PBI, he said, “Today when most political parties are members of Sitamadhi District committee was held at engaged in mudslinging, this step of PBI is praiseworthy. What a great and novel way to start a new year!” Other LK High School, Sitamadhi under the chairmanship of organizations that participated in the rally were: Priyadarshini , Sanghmitra Ladies Hostel, AMP Sidharth, Samarth National Organising Secretary Raj Kishore Prasad to Boys' Hostel etc. reorganise the district committee. Social activists including Ganjendra Dhavale, Moreshwar Vatile, Pradip Vaghpaijan, Prafful Raut, Arun Kamble, After due deliberations, the following people Miratai Vaghpaijan, Amol Giri, Suresh Ambepawar and Ganesh Khaparde More also participated in the rally. were included in the Sitamadhi district committee: Chairman -- Ramvilas Baitha General Secretary -- Rohit Kumar Thakur Rally of Bhumihina Sangha of Saintala Unit with Koshal Samaj, Bolangir Finance Secretary -- Amresh Kumar Organising Secretary -- Nand Kishore Gupta Bhumihina Sangha Youth Secretary -- Dinesh Kumar and Koshal Samaj, Members -- Keshar Dev Lal, Raghunandan Bolangir held a rally Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Rajiv Chauhan at Saintala Tahsil Informing the new members about the party's (District Bolangir) on aims and objectives, and its recent activities in the 09.01.2018. More district, Rajkishore Prasad said that on 30 November 2017, the party held a dharna demanding the repair and renovation than 500 families of the road from Goshala Chowk to Khairba Chowk and the Ring Dam road. He said that the party is actively pursuing participated in the the issue of regular teaching at the school and colleges of the district. p r o g r a m m e d e m a n d i n g homestead land for constructions of their De-addiction Rally of PBI in Ghatanji house. All these The people of Ghatanji, a very old city and municipal council people were landless in Yavatmal district of Maharastra, celebrated new year very and have no house of differently this time. On 31st December, 2017, when most people their own. were busy organizing new year parties and arranging adequate They took out a procession which started at the Saintala Bunglow at 11.00 AM and the procession terminated at the supply of liquor for this celebrations, the cadres of Proutist Bloc, Tahsil Office covering the main streets of Saintala Town. It was led by Sri Rajesh Bagarty, Sri Purna Chandra Biswal and India under the leadership of Madhukar Nistane, organized a de- Sri Kedarnath Sahu, raising slogans against the Odisha State government for its failure to provide the required land. addiction rally in the city. Besides the party cadres, a number of The rally was addressed by Sri Jagannath Mahana, Smt. Ranju Raimon, Sri Rajesh Bagarty, Srio Kapil Kumbhar, other social organizations participated in the rally. Sri Ramesh Mohapatra, Sri Sandeep Bag, Sri Vasistha Guru and Proutist Sri Kedarnath Sahoo. The participants, including a large number of school and Sri Jagannath Mahana, Secretary Bhumihina Sangha, Bolangir said that they were compelled to hold this rally as college students, shouted slogans against the sale of liquor and the Central and Odisha government had failed to provide them Homestead land despite 70 years of independence. Smt. other narcotic drugs. They were carrying placards with slogans Ranju Raimon, Social Activist of Titilagarh working for empowerment of women asked women to assert their rights for written in local language. A large number of women took part in the a dignified living. Sri Rajesh Bagarty, a social worker of Titilagarh said that people in this part of Odisha (the Koshal rally because after all, women are the worst victims of any type of addiction among the male members of their family. area) are generally backward due to exploitation and lack political awareness required to raise their voice against Speaking on this occasion, Madhukar Nistane said, “If a family, society or country wants to progress, it should injustice. keep its members away from liquor or drug addiction, otherwise nobody can save it from annihilation.” Citing an Sri Kapil Kumbhar, a poet of Koshal sang a song in Koshli language expressing the pains and suffering of the example, he said, “It is a historical fact that there was a time when the consumption of opium had completely degraded landless people. the life of Chinese due to British imperialism; but when the government dealt with it iron handedly, the country rose to Sri Ramesh Mohapatra, a Kissan Neta of Bargarh District supported this movement expressing his desire to launch it in Bargarh District. Sri Sandeep Bag, a youth leader of Bolangir expressed his anguish over the miserable living conditions of the poor and landless ones, in a democratic country like India. Sri Vasistha Guru, Bargarh told that only through well organized movements the careless Govt. could be compelled to do the needful to the poor and neglected citizens of the country. Sri Kedarnath Sahu, a Proutist leader of Odisha, explained why the rallies were being held by the landless and homesteadless citizens in organized manner. He said that relevant Acts and Rules had been framed by the Odisha Govt. in 1962 and declared to the people in 2015 ensuring that no one shall remain landless and homesteadless in Odisha by 31st October 2015. Nevertheless no effective steps have been taken till now. This failure of the Odisha Govt. had created a situation compelling the aggrieved people to agitate and launch movements to pressurize the administration to receive applications with proper receipt so they can be tracked. At the end of the rally more than 500 applications as per the government norms, were submitted to the Tahsildar of Saintala. The events were documented by Purna Chandra Biswal, Secretary, Koshal Samaj, Bolangir. 48 /// PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 PROUTJOURNAL.com / FEBRUARY 2018 /// 49 ACTIVITIES

PBI Farmers’ Federation formed in Muzaffarpur

On 17 Jan 2018, PBI held a public meeting with about 75 farmers of Kamaalpura Mariya Tola in Muzaffarpur, Bihar to discuss the plight of the farmers and to find ways and means to improve their economic condition. PBI (Bihar) chairman Shiv Narayan shed light upon the topic and explained the proutistic solutions to the problems. He asked for the wholehearted support of the people for PBI in its struggle for getting industrial status to agriculture and in its efforts for making a farmers' organisation. The farmers expressed their support with applause and responding to his appeal, resolved to organise themselves. Party's finance secretary Ramesh Chandra discussed how cooperatives can make agriculture profitable and lead to prosperity for farmers. Satyendra Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar organised the event, while Mohammad Sanolahak, Mohammad Vakil, Kavindra Sahani, Mahendra Paswan, Vigu Paswan, Nand Kishore Singh, Jaiprakash Singh, Nagendra Mehta, Kailash Ram and Nandu Thakur helped them. Manoj Kumar and Mohammad Sahohalak were unanimously made the conveners of the Kisan Sabha. PBI Holds a Day-long Sit-in in Muzaffarpur On 20 Jan 2018, PBI held a day-long sit-in at the collectorate office in Muzaffarpur, Bihar to draw the attention of the government and the administration towards of the problems and demands of the farmers, workers and common people. Addressing the activists and other people, PBI (Bihar) general secretary Dr. Tarani Prasad Singh said that Muzaffarpur is renowned for its cotton industry and juicy fruits; freedom fighters Khudiram Bose and Jubba Sahani have lived and worked on this land; it is the hub world famous intellectuals and stalwart politicians, but despite that this fertile land and its inhabitants have been the victims of government's apathy. More than 40 years ago, the preceptor of PROUT, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, in a discourse in Muzaffarpur identified the three causes of social vice – lack of wealth of the exploited, excess of wealth of the exploiters and a stagnant collective mindset caused by dogmas and superstition. Dr. Singh said that most of the problems like poverty, unemployment, corruption, prise-rise, crime, terrorism, pseudo-culture, ecological imbalance etc. are the results of capitalistic exploitation and demanded Amiirii Rekha (ceiling on wealth) along the lines of land-ceiling for farmers. Neelu Singh, secretary of PBI (Bihar) women's wing, said that government and the administration are completely disconnected from the ground realities. The so-called representatives of people come out of their amnesia only a few months before the elections, and the government officials are just performing the formalities in the name of their duty. Together they have made the life of common man a living hell. She appealed to all the good people to join PBI and fight for a better future.

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