Whispers Forum

Many people have expressed their opinion about some part of a couplet or the other in the Ramcharitmanas, an epic, by Goswami Tulsidas. Regrettably none of the people is an authority on the epic or Hindi Literature or even The Shri Ramcharitmanas. There is no need for anybody to rise in defence of the couplet/epic or the poet because one can say nothing more than what the poet himself has written, which I quote hereunder: “Bahuri vandi khal satbhaye, je binu kaaj dhahineyu banye Par hit haani labh jin kere, ujre harash vishad baserein Sam prakas tam pakh duhu naam bhed vidhi keen Sasi sosak posak samujhi jag jas apjas deen Khal parihaas hoi hit mora… Samujhi bibidh bidhi binati mori, kou naa kathaa suni dehai khori Aitehu par je karihanhi asankaa,mohi te adhik te jad mati ranka” There are 33 couplet wherein the epic poet has prayed to the khal or evil minds. The word ‘khal’ may be noted; it is neither caste nor varna indicator, but ‘class’ only. While praying to the Gods and Goddesses (positive energy in the cosmos), the poet has also prayed to the khal (manifestation of evil or negative energy). It is a long prayer to the evil, running through 33 couplets, before starting the epic itself!
M L Gupta

Certain information was provided to the appellant who submitted before the CIC that incomplete information has been provided and the documents should be certified. The CIC observed that the PIO and FAA have erred in providing the information related to the third party especially in the absence of any larger public interest without even following the process laid down under section 11 of the RTI Act. The CIC held that insistence of the Appellant to certify the documents which were already provided to him in the manner desired by him or any further disclosure with respect to the third party’s service matter to be a grossly unwarranted prayer. The CIC advised the PIO and FAA to acquaint themselves well with the provisions of the RTI Act to ensure appropriate disposal of RTI matters in the future.
Comments
Section 11 of the RTI Act provides for seeking the comments of the third parties if the CPIO intends to disclose their personal information which must be followed strictly. The PIOs/FAAs must learn the nuances of the RTI Act so as to avoid such blunders. This series of weekly articles is an attempt to help everyone in this endeavour.
Citation: Rameshwar Lal Sharma v. Department of Posts, CIC/POSTS/A/2022/159587; Date of Decision: 14.12.2023
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Visakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books, RTI Right to Information - Law and Practice and PIO’s Guide to RTI. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and Third party audit. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link www.rtifoundationofindia.com

A court in Qatar has reduced the death sentence given to Indian navy personnel. These navy personnel are currently imprisoned in Qatar jail. And till this news came, there were apprehensions about their future. This news from Qatar is being seen as a big diplomatic victory for the Indian government. Because this decision has come only a few weeks after the meeting with PM Modi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Since this news came, questions are being raised as to what can happen now in this matter. A question being asked is whether these former sailors can now be brought back to India. With this question, reference is being made to the agreement signed between India and Qatar in 2014 in which it was agreed to exchange the prisoners serving sentences between the two countries. However, after the latest news, no information has been given about the next step being taken by the Government of India.
Aditya Malviya

Lok sabha polls are due early next year. The practice of distributing freebies gathers momentum close to elections to States assemblies and Lok Sabha. The freebies, as integral part of Indian politics, have destroyed the basic foundation of the country. One wonders whether such unethical practices exist in other democracies. India stands out differently in breaking all records of malpractices. Allurements like TV sets, bicycles, sewing machines, currency notes tucked inside saris, free electricity, loan waivers etc are distributed liberally before elections. These cause massive burden on public exchequer besides widening the rich-poor divide. These are electoral frauds. The top Judiciary and the Election commission remain tight-lipped, mutely watching the quid pro quo. They are expected to be pro-active and independent in their outlook and actions. Why can't they have guts to declare freebies as bribery and lay down strict rules to punish both the bribe givers and the bribe takers? Let us not fool ourselves by expecting reformatory initiatives by the political class. They have vested interests. It may be noted that such reforms do not require legislative sanctions. The elections must be held in a fair and transparent manner. The issues like the electoral bonds and replacing EVM by ballot papers, must be settled swiftly by the Supreme court.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

The Madhya Pradesh cabinet has undergone a long-awaited expansion. During this restructuring, several ministers aligned with Scindia have failed to get a berth in the cabinet. The current cabinet reflects a decrease in the representation of ministers supportive of Scindia compared to the previous cabinet. This time, only three MLAs supporting Jyotiraditya Scindia have been appointed as ministers. This has led to the perception that the influence of Scindia supporters in the cabinet will be diminished compared to the previous government, where more than 10 ministers supporting Scindia were included. Notably, Prabhuram Chaudhary, Brijendra Singh Yadav, and Hardeep Singh Dang were unsuccessful in securing positions in the cabinet this time.
Yogesh Mathur

Strange developments are taking place in the country. Mass suspension of 146 Lok sabha / Rajya sabha MPs, is indefensible and unprecedented. An attempt to make the Sansad ' Vipaksh- mukt ', is a threat to democracy. The role of opposition is indispensable. But, acts like storming the well of the house and the walk-outs are not justifiable. Worse, the mimicry outside the Parliament house are unbecoming conduct, least expected from the elected representatives. Waste of public time. The blame squarely lies with the ruling dispensation as much as the opposition. Both are victims of increasing intolerance. The Indian citizens are not impressed by endless discourses on constitutional morality and political squabbling. But, one is surely disturbed when crucial bills like the three Criminal code bills, the Telecommunication bill and the bill to regulate the appointment of CEC and ECs, are passed in the Parliament in quick succession without debates. One hopes, good sense prevails and the situation normalises soon.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)