THE RADICAL CONTENTS : Page No. HUMANIST Articles and Features: Vol. 83 Number 2, May 2019 ‘We did not like how army’s 4 name was being misused’: Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (retd) Devoted to the development of the Renaissance Movement and to the promotion of human Elections 2019: India at Cross roads 6 rights, scientific temper, rational thinking and Ram Puniyani a humanist view of life. There’s always an alternative 8 Founder Editor: Avijit Pathak M.N. Roy The barbarization of India 10 Advisor: Sunanda K. Datta-Ray Dr. Narisetti Innaiah Swami Aseemanand Acquitted! Editor: 12 Ram Puniyani Mahi Pal Singh How Not to Appoint a Lokpal 14 Editorial Board: Anjali Bhardwaj Ramesh Awasthi, Rekha Saraswat, N.D. 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(M) 9811587576. Email ID: [email protected] Man is the Shaper of the Landscape 27 Ramesh Korde Please Note: Authors will bear sole accountability for corroborating the facts that they Might is Right 33 give in their write-ups. Neither the IRI/the J.L. Jawahar Publisher, nor the Editor of this journal will be responsible for testing the validity and authenticity Papers placed before the IRI GM—6/7 April, 35 of statements & information cited by the authors. 2019, at GPF, N. Delhi: Also, sometimes some articles published in this By Ajit Bhattacharyya journal may carry opinions not similar to the Radical Humanist philosophy; but they would be Role of the Radical Humanist in the Present 38 entertained here if the need is felt to debate and Political and Social Scenario in the Country discuss them. Kiran Nanavati May 2019 THE RADICAL HUMANIST 3 Articles and Features : ‘We did not like how army’s name was being misused’: General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (retd) ‘This letter is not a complaint, it’s more indignation, because we do not like being used as political tools by people of various parties.’ The letter in question was purportedly written by a group of retired officers of the army, navy and air force to the President, the supreme commander of the armed forces, urging him to urgently direct all political parties to stop using the services to further their political agenda. The 156 signatories include eight former service chiefs. General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (retd), a former Indian Army chief and one of the signatories, says he was certainly in the loop on the decision to write to Rashtrapati Bhavan about the politicisation of the armed forces, agrees with the tone of the letter, and says he consented to his name being appended. “We are indignant and annoyed that the good name of the defence forces is being used in a political context. It reflects on our izzat and we don’t like it,” the general told Rediff.com’s Swarupa Dutt. General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (retd) Full text of the letter sent to President Ram Nath Kovind Dear Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji, Armed Forces has been an article of faith We, the signatories, are Armed Forces for every soldier, sailor and airman. Indias Veterans who have served in the defence of Armed Forces have loyally upheld the our nation in various appointments, in democratic principle of civil control over the peacetime and in operational and war zones military. Their military professionalism on over the past several decades. and off the field, combined with the devotion The apolitical and secular nature of Indias to duty in protecting Indias territorial 4 THE RADICAL HUMANIST May 2019 sovereignty and national integrity, remains senior retired personnel, including a written widely appreciated. submission from a former Chief of the Naval The soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Staff to the Chief Election Commissioner, Armed Forces owe allegiance to the have elicited a prompt response. Indeed a Constitution of India, of which you, as notification has been issued asking for an President of the Indian Union, are the legal explanation from those responsible for these custodian. statements, including from the Chief Minister It is for this reason that the President is of Uttar Pradesh. However we regret to state also the Supreme Commander of the Armed that these do not appear to have resulted in Forces and we serve and execute orders at any substantive change of behaviour and the will of the President and as decided from practice on the ground. time to time by the Executive that is, the With the General Elections round the Government of the day. corner, and given the prevailing environment You would be aware that those in active where political parties and candidates seem service (men and women of all ranks in the to be acting in total disregard of the Army, Navy and Air Force) cannot speak out, declaration of the model code of conduct, even on matters which might affect their we fear that such incidents may only interests adversely, since they are subject to increase as polling day draws near. military law and are governed by the We believe that you will surely agree that parliamentary Acts of their respective any such misuse of the Armed Forces Service. established under the Constitution of India However, we Veterans being in continuous and under the supreme command of the touch with our own military fraternity, as President of India, would impinge adversely also with serving personnel at all levels, on the morale and fighting efficiency of the have a finger on the pulse, so to speak. And serving man or woman in uniform. It could it is for this reason that we write to bring to therefore directly affect national security and your attention, as the Supreme Commander national integrity. of Indias Armed Forces, some concerns We therefore appeal to you to ensure that which have caused considerable alarm and the secular and a-political character of our disquiet among both the serving and the Armed Forces is preserved. retired personnel of our Forces. We hereby respectfully urge you to take We refer, Sir, to the unusual and completely all necessary steps to urgently direct all unacceptable practice of political leaders political parties that they must forthwith taking credit for military operations like desist from using the military, military cross-border strikes, and even going so far uniforms or symbols, and any actions by as to claim the Armed Forces to be Modi ji military formations or personnel, for political ki Sena. This is in addition to media pictures purposes or to further their political of election platforms and campaigns in which agendas. party workers are seen wearing military This communication is copied to the Chief uniforms; and posters and images with Election Commissioner of the Election pictures of soldiers and especially of Indian Commission of India for information and Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan action. Varthaman, displayed. We, the undersigned, endorse the above. We do appreciate that complaints by some Courtesy Rediff.com, April 12, 2019 May 2019 THE RADICAL HUMANIST 5 Elections 2019: India at Cross roads Ram Puniyani Elections in a democracy can rightly be called forge a minimum program, the sharpening the as festival of the masses. They determine the focus of people’s issues, whatever little has been course of the country in times to come. That is achieved so far, is likely to become stronger as generally the case and Indian democracy has the elections come knocking on our doors. been steering this path, deepening the democratic Modi and company have driven a serious process so far. It is not that there are no wedge in the unity of the country. The issue of problems. Many issues related to money power, Ram Temple, Ghar Wapasi, Love jihad and muscle power, EVM machines reliability have finally Cow-beef have seriously affected the marred to objectivity of the process. A newer fraternity of Indians, which is the foundation of dimension to the hindrance in the march towards the secular democracy. The pluralism, which a substantive democratic society has been had been the backbone of Indian freedom intensified during last close to five years. That struggle and the underlining point of our factor relates to the division of society along Constitution has been attacked recklessly by the religious lines, undermining the democratic ruling Government. While BJP has driven its process by blatant abuse of power to browbeat agenda hard, its allies, enjoying the perks of the religious minorities. The guardian of power have quietly acquiesced in the BJP democracy, Indian Constitution has been agenda. challenged and opposed bluntly by the forces, Modi’s rise to power began after the Godhra which resort to the politics in the name of train burning issue was politicized, communalized religion’s identity, namely by using identity issues and was made the pretext of unleashing a related to Hinduism.