Debate: Corruption — 30 Aug 2017
DEBATE (1) Corruption
The initiatives taken by Modi Government would no doubt reduce corruption to some extent but complete eradication cannot be possible so long as greed and immorality prevail.A corrupt man when deterred by some harsh steps will find other ways to continue with his corrupt ways.We are quite familiar with the fable of a man who would make money in every job assigned to him.Finally he was stripped of all the work and told just to sit on the bank of a river and count the waves .The man in this job too found a way to make money.He would just stop boatmen from ferrying passengers across the river on the pretext that it would disturb the waves he was counting and thus would jeopardize his work.the boatman would grease his palm and he would let them go.During the last three years while we have seen improvement at the Centre, across the country in towns and cities the culture remains the same-the police continuing collecting 'haftas'from hawkers,common man still having to pay bribe for getting his work done or for access to benefits he is entitled to.There is ,though optimism that Prime minister Modi will be able to rein in if not fully eradicate corrution in the country.
Aarti khosla
“ Dera Jhoota Sauda “
Conviction of rapist- cum- anarchist Ram Rahim, sentenced for 20 years of isolated confinement with rigorous imprisonment, is a classic example for a case study of politico- bureaucratic – police nexus leading to mayhem, incendiarism, killings in Haryana, Panjab, UP, Rajasthan and Delhi with large concentration of deras.Fine of Rs 30 lakhs to be divided between two aggrieved girls. He has been convicted 15 years after the rape complaint filed in 2002. Thanks to covert support by successive governments in Haryana and Centre in lieu of en bloc voting by Dera followers.
Demand for converting 20 years RI to Life imprisonment is growing.
A large cache of illegal arms, ammunition, hand grades, AK 47, petrol bombs etc was recovered from his “ ashram “ ,an euphemism for a 5-star guest house.
Of several DGs, Addl DGs, IGs in Haryana police, it is shocking that not a single top officer cared to visit Ground Zero.Not worth their salt. Later, in the day, one IG was seen on TV getting updated by a DySP . SIs and constables galore.
Bureaucracy proved worthless, glued to seats. Chief Secy, Addl Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries- all failed to take pro-active steps to avoid flare-up.A collective failure of appointed Executive in collusion with the elected Executive. Tackling emergency to diffuse anarchy lay within domain of permanent bureaucracy. Why were they awaiting orders from CM and his council of loose cannons .
The extent of Executive culpability must be assessed. Haryana &Panjab High court -monitored investigation by the CBI is needed. Based on its findings, FIRs must be filed by CBI againstflagrante delicto and charges approved by high court.
The larger question crying for attention is : Why permit self- styled Godmen have private armies. Let us take the discussion further,
It will be foolhardy to assume that India’s intelligence and security agencies were oblivious to the fact. We refused to learn from history and history repeated itself with vengeance.
Recall some infamous Babas and Godmen who owned huge private armies..
Bhindrawale? Too well known to need a recall.
Asaram Bapu and his son had battalion of armed sevadars. Both are presently cooling their heals in jails. Asaram’s appeal for bail invited the wrath of Supreme court in its hearing on August 28,2017.
Recall Sant Rampal whose army of 8000 goons had stored sophisticated weapons, acid tankers, hand grenades, petrol bombs etc to wage a war against the State to shield their Guru. Followers were in no mood to let their guru arrested.Police was shocked to discover large cache of arms and ammunitions.The guru finally surrendered. He has been let off by Hissar court onAug 29,2017 from charges of sedition and obstructing govt officers from performing their duties. All this due to failure of Prosecution in making a fool proof cases,ostensibly under political pressure.
Megalomaniac Ram Rahim, sentenced for 20 years of isolated confinement with rigorous imprisonement by the CBI court on Aug 28,2017, had an army of commanders, sub-commanders and 15,000 armed commandos .All trained by ex- armymen hired on payment of fat salaries. Furthermore, arguments in cases of alleged murders of two journalist-whistleblowers,are likely to be finalised in CBI court on Sept 15,2017. Solid evidences. Death penalty is for sure.
Caste-based private militias
There are a large number of caste-based armed militias,mostly thriving in Bihar and UP, who raise their heads to kill members of the lower or rival castes.Take a look at them..
Ram Varishka Yadav - Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena led by one late Ram Varishka Yadav. His army of Yadav clan unauthorisedly occupied 220 acres Jawahar Bagh Park in Mathura UP. With massive cache of arms, ammunitions, AK47, the private army of 3,000 gave stiff resistance to para-miltary forces before final eviction. SP govt under pressure of Yadav clan, did not take action
Ranvir Sena-- An upper-caste landlord militia in Bihar, for protecting the rights of the Bhumihar, against “ domination “of the Rajputs.
Besides above , there are several other Senas, fronts, morchas in Bihar owing allegiance to their castes. All have armed militias. Bihar had about a dozen private militia groups belonging to different castes and sub-groups who used to terrorise people in the name of protecting rights of their particular caste or group.While some have been wiped out, others become active during elections.
The moot point is : Are Private Militias legal? Are these not a threat to national security?
Private armies of self-styled godmen and caste-based organisations have no place in indian democracy. They indulge in mis-adventurism to browbeat courts, State and the public.A serious threat.
If, law of the land is silent on keeping private militias , PM Modi must consider introducing a Bill in Parliament for banning private militias in private hands.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
Petty rules of income tax
In the case of NRIs, the income tax department applies the TDS rule to extract income tax at the highest rate of 30% from even the pettiest pay-outs received by the assessee like the 3.5% savings bank interest of a few rupees credited to the account, even if it is below the exempt limit of Rs 10,000 for a year. And then the person has to file a return next year to claim the eligible refund of such petty amounts. Again, while crediting the eligible refund of income tax and the interest thereon(that becomes payable due to the delay on the part of the income tax department to process the return), the department goes to the petty extent of deducting 30% TDS on the interest amount so paid so payable to the assessee.On a refund of Rs 440, an interest of Rs 10 was also to be credited but the office paid out only Rs 7 and deducted Rs 3 by way of 30% TDS thereon! The taxpayer has to file a return next year to get it back! Is this the pettyfogging way a department earning a revenue of Rs 20 lakh crores should frame its rules in dealing with the tax-paying assessees? This kind of rule is self-destructive wasting the time of the department as well as the assessee.Will the government make the rules more tax payer-friendly by doing away with this draconian TDS provision?
M S Krishnan
The initiatives taken by Modi Government would no doubt reduce corruption to some extent but complete eradication cannot be possible so long as greed and immorality prevail.A corrupt man when deterred by some harsh steps will find other ways to continue with his corrupt ways.We are quite familiar with the fable of a man who would make money in every job assigned to him.Finally he was stripped of all the work and told just to sit on the bank of a river and count the waves .The man in this job too found a way to make money.He would just stop boatmen from ferrying passengers across the river on the pretext that it would disturb the waves he was counting and thus would jeopardize his work.the boatman would grease his palm and he would let them go.During the last three years while we have seen improvement at the Centre, across the country in towns and cities the culture remains the same-the police continuing collecting 'haftas'from hawkers,common man still having to pay bribe for getting his work done or for access to benefits he is entitled to.There is ,though optimism that Prime minister Modi will be able to rein in if not fully eradicate corrution in the country.
Aarti khosla
“ Dera Jhoota Sauda “
Conviction of rapist- cum- anarchist Ram Rahim, sentenced for 20 years of isolated confinement with rigorous imprisonment, is a classic example for a case study of politico- bureaucratic – police nexus leading to mayhem, incendiarism, killings in Haryana, Panjab, UP, Rajasthan and Delhi with large concentration of deras.Fine of Rs 30 lakhs to be divided between two aggrieved girls. He has been convicted 15 years after the rape complaint filed in 2002. Thanks to covert support by successive governments in Haryana and Centre in lieu of en bloc voting by Dera followers.
Demand for converting 20 years RI to Life imprisonment is growing.
A large cache of illegal arms, ammunition, hand grades, AK 47, petrol bombs etc was recovered from his “ ashram “ ,an euphemism for a 5-star guest house.
Of several DGs, Addl DGs, IGs in Haryana police, it is shocking that not a single top officer cared to visit Ground Zero.Not worth their salt. Later, in the day, one IG was seen on TV getting updated by a DySP . SIs and constables galore.
Bureaucracy proved worthless, glued to seats. Chief Secy, Addl Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries- all failed to take pro-active steps to avoid flare-up.A collective failure of appointed Executive in collusion with the elected Executive. Tackling emergency to diffuse anarchy lay within domain of permanent bureaucracy. Why were they awaiting orders from CM and his council of loose cannons .
The extent of Executive culpability must be assessed. Haryana &Panjab High court -monitored investigation by the CBI is needed. Based on its findings, FIRs must be filed by CBI againstflagrante delicto and charges approved by high court.
The larger question crying for attention is : Why permit self- styled Godmen have private armies. Let us take the discussion further,
It will be foolhardy to assume that India’s intelligence and security agencies were oblivious to the fact. We refused to learn from history and history repeated itself with vengeance.
Recall some infamous Babas and Godmen who owned huge private armies..
Bhindrawale? Too well known to need a recall.
Asaram Bapu and his son had battalion of armed sevadars. Both are presently cooling their heals in jails. Asaram’s appeal for bail invited the wrath of Supreme court in its hearing on August 28,2017.
Recall Sant Rampal whose army of 8000 goons had stored sophisticated weapons, acid tankers, hand grenades, petrol bombs etc to wage a war against the State to shield their Guru. Followers were in no mood to let their guru arrested.Police was shocked to discover large cache of arms and ammunitions.The guru finally surrendered. He has been let off by Hissar court onAug 29,2017 from charges of sedition and obstructing govt officers from performing their duties. All this due to failure of Prosecution in making a fool proof cases,ostensibly under political pressure.
Megalomaniac Ram Rahim, sentenced for 20 years of isolated confinement with rigorous imprisonement by the CBI court on Aug 28,2017, had an army of commanders, sub-commanders and 15,000 armed commandos .All trained by ex- armymen hired on payment of fat salaries. Furthermore, arguments in cases of alleged murders of two journalist-whistleblowers,are likely to be finalised in CBI court on Sept 15,2017. Solid evidences. Death penalty is for sure.
Caste-based private militias
There are a large number of caste-based armed militias,mostly thriving in Bihar and UP, who raise their heads to kill members of the lower or rival castes.Take a look at them..
Ram Varishka Yadav - Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena led by one late Ram Varishka Yadav. His army of Yadav clan unauthorisedly occupied 220 acres Jawahar Bagh Park in Mathura UP. With massive cache of arms, ammunitions, AK47, the private army of 3,000 gave stiff resistance to para-miltary forces before final eviction. SP govt under pressure of Yadav clan, did not take action
Ranvir Sena-- An upper-caste landlord militia in Bihar, for protecting the rights of the Bhumihar, against “ domination “of the Rajputs.
Besides above , there are several other Senas, fronts, morchas in Bihar owing allegiance to their castes. All have armed militias. Bihar had about a dozen private militia groups belonging to different castes and sub-groups who used to terrorise people in the name of protecting rights of their particular caste or group.While some have been wiped out, others become active during elections.
The moot point is : Are Private Militias legal? Are these not a threat to national security?
Private armies of self-styled godmen and caste-based organisations have no place in indian democracy. They indulge in mis-adventurism to browbeat courts, State and the public.A serious threat.
If, law of the land is silent on keeping private militias , PM Modi must consider introducing a Bill in Parliament for banning private militias in private hands.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
Petty rules of income tax
In the case of NRIs, the income tax department applies the TDS rule to extract income tax at the highest rate of 30% from even the pettiest pay-outs received by the assessee like the 3.5% savings bank interest of a few rupees credited to the account, even if it is below the exempt limit of Rs 10,000 for a year. And then the person has to file a return next year to claim the eligible refund of such petty amounts. Again, while crediting the eligible refund of income tax and the interest thereon(that becomes payable due to the delay on the part of the income tax department to process the return), the department goes to the petty extent of deducting 30% TDS on the interest amount so paid so payable to the assessee.On a refund of Rs 440, an interest of Rs 10 was also to be credited but the office paid out only Rs 7 and deducted Rs 3 by way of 30% TDS thereon! The taxpayer has to file a return next year to get it back! Is this the pettyfogging way a department earning a revenue of Rs 20 lakh crores should frame its rules in dealing with the tax-paying assessees? This kind of rule is self-destructive wasting the time of the department as well as the assessee.Will the government make the rules more tax payer-friendly by doing away with this draconian TDS provision?
M S Krishnan
