12 Monday 29th August, 2011 The Island Features Against the Tide tax evasion and bribes turns into black money. A through comprehensive constructive programs BY PROFESSOR VIPIN TRIPATHI major sector where black money is generated and and these were directed against the system. Anna Hazari and his supporters have won a major circulated is real estate. In last eight years prices Gandhi never employed fast as a weapon of satya- victory with the Indian Parliament accepting their t is unfortunate that when a serious initiative of land and homes in Delhi, for instance, have graha. Whenever he underwent fast it was under gone up eight fold and only a small fraction of deep agony and was meant to arouse self intro- demands unanimously. True, the Hazari fast has to curb corruption and black money was need- Ied two fasts, by Anna Hazare and Baba Ram money involved in these dealings is in white. spection and sensitivity in the masses. His historic projected corruption as a major issue in India and Dev, have diverted the focus onto two minor issues, Swiss Bank offers 1% or 1.5% interest on its fasts came against communal passions and brought a groundswell of support against it. Will the Lokpal bill and Swiss Bank accounts. There deposits, while real estate return is 30 times more, untouchability. He never encouraged any one to India however change? Will the momentum of the are already several institutions in the country to hence whatever black money goes to Swiss Bank, undertake fast as a short cut to ground work on Hazari movement evaporate once the enthusiasm check corruption, e.g., CAG, CBI, Police, Courts, eventually returns to Indian real estate, as one the issue at hand. He never undertook fast on any dies down? What are the structural changes need- JPC etc. If these are unable to contain it, how economist has recently pointed out. Unless this of the major satyagrahas he launched. ed to sustain the momentum in the long run? We give below the position of one of India’s lead- ing Nuclear Scientists and Social activists who was in Sri Lanka last year. His views contradict the opinion that has surged in the last few days in New Delhi. would the addition of one more uproot source of black money, in which most upper and it? Corruption is not a phe- middle classes are involved, is choked, Swiss Bank Inset: nomenon propelled by the issue will have little value. An Open Letter to Anna Hazare present government alone. The corruption, that hurts common Respected Anna ji, The preceding regimes man directly is linked to i) day to day deal- can’t claim to be more ings with the government departments, Your fast, in last ten days, has aroused much honest. If it is an all e.g., police, tehsil (city or town Council), emotions in the country and has successfully pro- party pervading phe- courts, trains, ration shops, etc. where one jected corruption as an important issue. Beyond nomenon, then the sys- has to pay undue amounts of money to get this point, however, we believe the fast is of little tem that sustains cor- the genuine work done and ii) hoardings value, expect that it can destabilize the govern- ruption must be of essential commodities (to create artifi- ment and create social strife. The movement so far understood. cial scarcity and price rise) and private has not sprung a leadership, un-influenced by the Polity is intimate- money lending at exorbitant interest rates, market forces and connected to the grassroots, that ly linked to up to 10% per month. It rests on the could replace the present political parties. As a Economy. Our authority of bureaucrats and money and consequence, political instability, in its aftermath present day econo- Professor Vipin muscle power of the traders and money can only i) bring communal forces to power and ii) my is driven by Tripathi at last lenders. give market forces uncontrolled freedom. Anna or Ramdev have not indicated We need your guidance to evolve an alternative market forces, year’s dominated by the any program or vision to fight the corrup- polity at the grassroots, not dominated by the mar- trader, corporate Mahatma tion at the grassroots level or to choke the ket forces but rooted in the masses. We seek your and industrial Gandhi birth sources of black money and bribes at guidance in this endeavor and sincerely appeal to sectors. These anniversary higher levels. In fact their lack of empha- you to give up your fast. (26.08.11) sectors either put celebrations sis on corruption-free conduct of their fol- (Professor Vipin Tripathi is Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology in up their own men organized by lowers is gravitating the elements engaged in Assemblies and in corruption, be they trading classes or New Delhi, a position he has held since 1983. He is Parliament or the Mahatma the officers, towards them. As the same one of India’s leading Nuclear Physicists and is a influence the elect- Gandhi Centre elements provide the support base for visiting Professor at several international ed MPs and MLAs Colombo communalism, these campaigns are likely Universities. to have policies and to strengthen the communal forces. Anna Professor Tripathi founded the Sadbhav laws favourable to them. A and Ramdev, so far, have not shown apathy to com- Mission, a non-government, non-political organi- large part of exploitation of munal forces. Ramdev was, in fact, at the forefront zation committed to develop nonviolent resistance toiling masses comes through of RSS led campaign against ATS Chief Hemant against sectarianism 20 years ago. This movement unrestrained profit, approved by Karkare when he unearthed the involvement of is based on Gandhian principles. law. Where ever law comes in RSS aligned extremists in terror attacks. Anna too Professor Tripathi was the keynote speaker at the the way, these sections resort to had praise for sectarian figures and his campaign last Mahatma Gandhi celebrations organized by the bribes to get their work done. By was largely picked by the sectarian elements. I am Mahatma Gandhi Centre Colombo on the 2nd of paying a bribe of Rs. 1 crore they afraid the strategy of singling out only the ruling October 2010. His appeal to Anna Hazari given drive profit of 10 crore. The irony is A portrait of Mahatma Gandhi is seen in background alliance for confrontation may effectively help the above “We need your guidance to evolve an alterna- that these real beneficiaries of corruption return of sectarian forces to power, though I do tive polity at the grassroots, not dominated by the as Indian reform activist Anna Hazare gets ready to shout foul on politicians, often on relatively break his fast in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Aug. 28, not doubt liberal credentials of some of the people market forces but rooted in the masses”, reflects also minor irregularities, and themselves around him. the position of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre 2011. Hazare, whose protest galvanized the nation’s remain untouched. Political parties remain anger against corruption ended his 12-day hunger On the issue of nonviolent doctrine I would say Colombo, which stands for a political process to dependent on them for their survival as that all satyagrahas led by Gandhi had a strong evolve from the village, Gramarajya, and one not strike Sunday after forcing Parliament to throw its funding comes from them. weight behind his crusade. (AP component of mass involvement and preparedness imposed from the top downwards. It was also the Money generated through undue profit, theme of the Tripathi address in Colombo.) AH BY NICK MEO, TRIPOLI gifts and invited to some of the world's most exclu- floor. He put that guy like a dog in a corner and then would help pay for treatment for her father, who has sive destinations. In Monaco she was taken to the he demanded that he eat the whole lot, there in front Alzheimer's. Mutassim Gaddafi's former girlfriend, Dutch Grand Prix and a dinner party attended by Princess of us. It was humiliating. I never saw the servant She only met him once, for a drink a week ago glamour model Talitha van Zon, talks to Nick Caroline. At Christmas, there was Mutassim's annu- again, and I don't know what happened to him. last Friday - the night before rebels attacked Tripoli. Meo about the dying days of the Gaddafi regime. al excursion to the Caribbean island of Saint Barts, "Afterwards he must have apologised to me a mil- Mutassim seemed relaxed, comparing the Libyan with his entourage flown there in his private lion times for it. He said I was one of the few people uprising to the riots in London, and arguing that the Filipino servants wearing spotless white jackets Boeing. When Mutassim was in Paris or London he who was a real friend and says what she feels. He police had to be tough. "He said the rebels were a bit mixed his favourite Jack Daniels whisky and coke, would book several floors of the most expensive said he didn't get that from many people." crazy in the head," she recalled. "He said that in and then Mutassim Gaddafi raised his glass and hotels, filling them with his friends, and the finest The hedonist son also had ambitions for power, countries like Libya you have to do it a bit harder, toasted the victory that he was sure was close. Italian hairdressers would be flown in from Italy, at inspired by his father's example.