By Our Representative South Gujarat's upcoming tribal farmers' organization, Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha (AKSM), has gone ahead with protests in Vyara town of Tapi district over "non-payment" of dues to the sugarcane growers despite a "ban" imposed under the pretext of prevalence of swine flu. "There is no satisfactory answer from the authorities on how the payment, pending since 1996, would be made", says AKSM's Romel Sutariya, who is leading the protest for the 11 days at different spots in the town.

By Our Representative In a scathing critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-hyped save the girl child campaign during the period of Gujarat's chief ministership, India's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that the Gujarat government had totally failed to implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, meant to stop female foeticides.

Villagers facing social boycott at the Patel district collector's office By Our Representative In a fresh incident of social boycott in North Gujarat, the dominant castemen of Ganjisar village of Santalpur taluka, Patan district, have passed an unusual resolution imposing heavy fines on those who maintain any type of social relations with the fellow Dalit villagers. The social boycott was imposed, suggests a representation handed over to different level of district and state officials, following a dispute on irrigation water between the Dalit and Choudhury Patel farmers.

Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti’s (PSS’) senior activists Krishnakant, Rohit Prajapati and Swati Desai have written a letter to Anil Razdan, chairman, Expert Appraisal Committee for Projects related to Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, New Delhi, opposing the recent CRZ clearance recommended for the proposed Mithi Virdi Nuclear Power Plant at village Mithi Virdi, Dist Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Copy of the letter: In March 2015 we read in the Indian Express that the proposed Mithi Virdi nuclear power plant had received the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance from the EAC of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. We thereafter became aware of the minutes of the 144th meeting of Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Projects related to Infrastructure Development, Coastal Regulation Zone, Building/Construction and Miscellaneous projects held on January 28-30, 2015 in which the broad, vague grounds for giving CRZ clearance to the...

RSS chief Bhagwat By Our Representative Considered by many as one of the world’s most talented economists, who “lost” the Nobel Prize to his imminent rival, Prof Amartya Sen -- and one who has recently gone extremely close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- Prof Jagdish Bhagwati has strongly defended RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for saying that Mother Teresa was more interested in conversion of Hindus to Christianity, and less in the welfare of the poor.

A Gujarat government function on November 11, 2014 for Shreshtra Bhawan off Narmada By Our Representative According to latest information from near the Narmada dam in Gujarat, five women, one man and three minors were arrested by the police between 11.00 am and 6.30 pm on Saturday from Kevadia village, situated about 12 kilometres downstream of the controversial dam, currently under construction to its full reservoir level. After being transported to the Tilakwada Thana, 29 km away, they were held without proper food and other facilities.

By Our Representative Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has asserted that, thanks to industrialization in India, land prices have zoomed and farmers are "willing to give up their land", living happily thereafter. One who has emerged as the most vocal advocate of the Land Acquisition Bill, currently pending Rajya Sabha nod to be turned into an Act, the top minister says, "Those who are giving up their land are happy and the ones acquiring them are also happy."

Manjula Pradeep at the rally venue By Our Representative In an important revelation, nearly 60 per cent of the tribals of the Chhotaudepur region in South Gujarat have still not been given land titles they are entitled to under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. A representation by Manjula Pradeep of Ahmedabad-based NGO Navsarjan Trust, which organized a powerful rally in Chhotaudepur town to press for tribal rights, has said, out 13,381 applications for land under FRA, only 5,498 applications have so far been approved, while the rest "remain to to be cleared."

By Our Representative If documents released to the media are any indication, the Gujarat government has handed over a precious plot of land, estimated to be costing Rs 144.50 crore, to a private company, S E Transstadia of Mumbai at a throw away price of Rs 4.02 lakh in order to build for "setting up a massive multipurpose sports stadium and recreation complex in Ahmedabad" on a prime land.

By Rajiv Shah Latest figures released by the Government of India’s powerful data collection centre, National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), have suggested that the purchasing power of three socially disadvantaged groups in rural Gujarat – scheduled tribes (STs), scheduled castes (SCs) and other backward classes (OBCs) – is considerably lower than not just most of the Indian states. It is also much lower than the dominant social groups, identified as “Others” by the NSSO, compared to most other states.

By Rajiv Shah*  Fresh data released by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in the report “Household Consumer Expenditure across Socio-Economic Groups” have suggested the purchasing power of the three socially disadvantaged groups – scheduled tribes (STs), scheduled castes (SCs) and other backward classes (OBCs) – in Gujarat is considerably less than what prevails in most of the Indian states, especially in the rural areas. Calculated as monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE), purchasing power figures are based on NSSO’s survey in 2011-12. The report was released in February 2015. In Gujarat’s rural areas, the STs’ average MPCE is Rs 1,155, which is less than 12 out of 20 major Indian states (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Maharashtra). The SCs’ average MPCE is Rs 1,374, which is less than 11 major states (Kerala, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,...

By Our Representative The largest incident of custodial killing which took place in Hashimpura (UP) in 1987, in which officers of the notorious Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) shot dead 42 persons from the Muslim community and sought to destroy the evidence, has resulted in the acquittal of all the 16 accused because of "the deliberately lackadaisical and shoddy investigation", alleges Vibhuti Narain Rai, retired officer of the Indian Police Force (IPS) in a video interview .

NMC chairman Naseem Ahmad By Our Representative Minority organizations of Mumbai have taken strong exception to the National Minorities Commission (NMC) members “resting” at the Maharashtra government’s Sahyardi Guest House at the Malabar Hill, but refusing to inform minority leaders of the state for any representation. Taking note of this, Save Our Land’s (SOUL’s) Dolphy D'souza, who is former president of the Bombay Catholic Sabha, has said it is “shocking” that the members of the NMC are in Mumbai for two days, yet “hardly anyone knows about their visit.”

By Our Representative In a major victory for Gujarat's activist film makers, "Goonga Pehelwan", a documentary on the life and struggle of Virender Singh, one of India's most accomplished deaf athletes, has been adjudged as the best debut film award in the non-feature category for the 62nd National Film Awards for the Year 2014. Directed by Mit Jani, Vivek Chaudhary, and Prateek Gupta, the documentary, released in 2013, is an attempt to bring to light the "unequal treatment" from the government and the society.

By Our Representative In a controversial statement, which may not go down well with those who are considered dominant sections of Hindus, a Mumbai-based scholar Amberish K Diwanji has triggered hornet's nest by saying, historically, “when Hindus ate beef, India was never conquered.” The scholar points towards “remarkable link between the eating of beef and India being a superpower”. The view comes amidst raging controversy surrounding the Maharashtra government’s recent ban on beef eating in the state.

By Our Representative In a scathing commentary , Ben Judah, author of best-seller "Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell In And Out Of Love With Vladimir Putin", has qualified Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew -- who died at the age of 91 on March 23 -- as someone whose legacy brought about "an unmitigated disaster" to several countries in the world, especially Eastern Europe.

Cops stop AKSM leader Sutariya to hold rally in Vyara By Our Representative Fresh apprehensions of a campdown on South Gujarat's fast-growing tribal farmers' organization, Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha (AKSM), arose on Tuesday, with the Gujarat government putting on surveillance its leaders, who were in Ahmedabad to represent before Gujarat government officials over refusal to pay dues to tribal farmers by the powerful sugar mill lobby of the region.

By Gagan Sethi* The Centre for Social Justice started a programme of Janvikas in 1996 with a view to ensure that access to justice became a reality for those who needed it most. Begun in two districts, Surendranagar and Vadodara, we were given a small room in district court premises to proactively provide quality legal services free – courtesy then acting Chief Justice RA Mehta. It was an attempt at fulfilling and understanding Article 39A of the Constitution, which provides that the state shall secure the operation of a legal system, which promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity, and offers free legal aid through suitable legislation or schemes to ensure equal opportunities. It was necessary to see that justice is not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or any other disability. Articles 14 and 22(1) also make it obligatory for the state to ensure equality before law and a legal system which promotes justice. One of the vulnerable groups to whom legal aid is most nee...

By Our Representative A new report, prepared by a group of activists led by well-known Christian human rights campaigner John Dayal has said that attempts are being made to severely “whittle down” the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme for Minorities, which are considered “a lifeline for severely economic backward communities, and especially their youth seeking higher education and professional training.” The 15-Point Programme was floated by the former UPA government after a committee headed by Justice Rajinder Sachar came up with a report in 2005 about the condition of minorities in India and suggesting steps to alleviate their plight.

Medha Patkar By Our Representative Anti-Modi land rights activists have announced the formation of Joint Forum against the Land Acquisition Bill-2015. The occasion of the announcement was March 23, 2015, the anniversary day on when Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru laid down their lives for the freedom of India.

By Our Representative Taking a stance similar to one of Centre's staunchest opponents, Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan, the Narendra Modi government's water resources adviser BN Navalawala has taken strong exception to excessive dependence on big dams for solving India's water problems. Instead, he has called for adopting a mix of "efficient methods" in the use of water and laws to ensure that this becomes a reality.

Martin Macwan By Our Representative In an important move, the Navsarjan Trust, top Gujarat-based NGO, has decided not to go in for any foreign funding for one its major projects -- the three schools run by it in Ahmedabad, Surendranagar and Patan districts. Announcing this, Martin Macwan, founder of Navsarjan Trust who currently directly looks after the schools, has said he plans to collect funds from "concerned citizens" who believe in the concept behind the three "model" schools -- to usher in the spirit of equality among children.

By Our Representative A dharna organised by the Gujarat United Christian Forum for Human Rights (GUCFHR), and supported the well-known civil rights group Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties, and top human rights activist Teesta Setalvad-led Citizens for Justice and Peace, has taken strong exception to "derogatory remarks" against members of the minority community by those close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jayram Gamit (centre),  arrested ahead of AKSM rally in January-end, released by Gujarat High Court on March 12 By Our Representative The Gujarat government has cancelled a tribal farmers’ rally, proposed to be led by the Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha (AKSM) for March 20 at Vyara, district headquarters of Tapi district. Imposing section 144, which disallows gathering of more than four persons in a public place except in exceptional circumstances, the reason cited by the state government for cancelling the rally is: The “danger” of swine flu being spread among the proposed rallyists.

By Our Representative BJP president and right-hand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Amit Shah has raked up yet another controversy by likening his party, BJP, with Lord Shiva. Speaking on political situation in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), Shah told party workers in Ahmedabad that people had blessed BJP "like Lord Shiva and given us very big responsibility", hence it would not "compromise on the national interest."

By Our Representative The powerful British business daily, “Financial Times” (FT) has noted that though Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in office for nearly a year, “businesses are beginning to grumble” about his “limited progress, especially in bugbear areas such as tax.” The top daily, in an article titled “Cairn’s woes turn spotlight on India business environment” (March 17), has said that this is one major reason why last week UK-based Cairn Energy “reacted angrily to an unexpected new $1.6bn tax demand from New Delhi.”

By Venkatesh Nayak* The regime of transparency, established by the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) received a body blow from none other than the very body appointed to champion its cause and effect, namely, the Central Information Commission (CIC). In an order issued on March 16, 2015, the CIC has thrown up its hands saying it cannot do anything about the six national level political parties which refuse to comply with its two-year old order declaring them public authorities under the RTI Act. So the CIC has decided to tamely wind up the inquiry into the complaints of non-compliance. Background to the CIC’s order Readers will recollect that a full bench of the CIC had in June 2013 declared six national level political parties namely, the Indian National Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Nationalist Congress Party, as public authorities with direct obligations to receive inf...

By Our Representative Two important voluntary organizations, working in several of the mining areas of India, have expressed serious concern that the so-called “mining children” in the country are actually “nobody’s children”. In a sharp critique, these organizations have said, while the Government of India has not allocated the task of looking after mining children to any specific ministry or department, the NGOs working in the mining areas too have neglected their rights.

By Our Representative "Customs clearance" at the Ahmedabad airport delayed the take off of the Solar Impulse plane by nearly two hours on March 17-18 night. Soon after the delay, tweets began to pound taking strong exception to the way Indian customs behave. They quoted the pilot Andre Borschberg that "bureaucratic delays" held up the flight plan of the solar plane from Ahmedabad to Varanasi. The Solar Impulse website has confirmed the delay due to "customs issues".

By Our Representative The Central Information Commission (CIC), the national watchdog of right to information (RTI), has said it cannot do anything about the six national level political parties, which have refused to comply with its two-year old order declaring them public authorities under the RTI Act. Reacting strongly, senior RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak has termed the decision "tame", adding it is a "body blow" to the regime of transparency established by the Act.

By Our Representative The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the world’s powerful banker, has strongly favoured a sharp rise in personal income tax in India, even as simultaneously bringing down corporate taxes. In a policy paper released this month, the IMF believes this is one of the major steps Government of India requires to take in order to bring about fiscal consolidation.

By Rajiv Shah  In an important revelation, the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) report, “Employment and unemployment situation among social groups in India”, released in January 2015, has suggested that Gujarat is one of the few states which has failed to be effective in providing guaranteed job to those seeking it in the rural areas under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The survey, carried out in 2011-12, finds that, in Gujarat, a total of 17.2 per cent rural persons registered themselves and got job cards under NREGA. However, these as many as 29.2 per cent failed to get any employment despite the fact that NREGA is a job guarantee scheme for 100 days to anyone in the rural areas seeking it. It is noteworthy that the all-India average of persons refused job under NREGA is considerably less — it is 18.8 per cent. The percentage of failure to provide job to the jobseekers in Gujarat was higher than most major Indian states, except four – Maharashtra ...

By Our Representative The Adivasi Kisan Sangharsh Manch (AKSM), an upcoming tribal farmers' organization, has decided to launch a new agitation -- this time against the powerful sugar lobby of South Gujarat. In a statement, AKSM has said, it will be holding a rally in Vyara town, which is the district capital of Tapi, on March 20 highlighting the "failure" of the local sugar cooperatives association to pay up Rs 90 crore to the tribal farmers against the purchase of sugarcane since 2006.

By Rajiv Shah Latest data released by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) suggest that Gujarat, along with a "richer" states Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab, have been some of the worst performers in the implementation the previous UPA government's flagship job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Kamila Fata Kamol, one of the applicants By Our Representative In a judgment of considerable significance for those suffering from the deadly occupational disease, silicosis, in Gujarat, the labour court in Vadodara has asked the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) -- a Government of India undertaking “tailored” to provide health-related protection to workers -- to pay up compensation to nine surviving victims who were diagnosed of the disease in 2007. A year after they were diagnosed of the disease while working in agate units in Godhra district of Gujarat, Vadodara-based People’s Training and Research Centre (PTRC) helped victims of silicosis file a petition against ESIC for compensation (“disablement benefit” in legal terms).

By Gagan Sethi*  Baba Pansare was a young tribal activist then. He was working in the Manchar taluka near Pune among tribals of the region. Adi Patel, one of the famous names in the development world those days, recommended to us in Janvikas that the Baba should be given a fellowship. He was organizing tribals around forest rights issues. The Baba knew it well: Forest dwellers take care of the ownership of their habitat and protect it better than any outsider agency. The archaic forest act, which ruled the roost, was penned by the British rulers. The Britishers used it as the prime driving force to hold complete sway over the forests. It was a thorn in the flesh for the tribals. Though forest department officials now have become friendlier, the powers they hold remain plenipotentiary. They harass tribals and tribal activists, who are often arrested and detained just under suspicion. But, clearly, times have changed. Tribals prefer to be identified as adivasis – the original dweller...

By Our Representative Well-known Gandhian Narayan Desai and a firm Modi critic, who became famous for his Gandhi Katha, a story-telling mode for religious preaching, has passed away. Born on December 24, 1924 in Valsad in South Gujarat, Desai breathed last in the wee hours of March 15 in a town situated not very far, Vedcchi, where Mahatma Gandhi founded one of his many ashrams. He was son of Gandhi's personal secretary and biographer Mahadev Desai.

By Our Representative Mines, Minerals & People (MM&P), a national alliance of over 200 mining affected communities and support groups, has taken strong exception to a new provision in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015, which seeks to increase the area limits for license and mining lease, without specifying any ceiling. The current ceiling is 10 km.

By Vistasp Hodiwala* People who we thought should have known better have failed us. There is no other way to put this. Nothing has been so bloody disillusioning in a long, long time. My insides are churning as I write this with a sense of disquiet and disillusionment. From the time this mid-spring madness has been unleashed upon us, there is just one question which has bothered me the most: Arvind Kejriwal's absolute refusal to say a word on this episode. Even accounting for the fact that he is hurt, his steadfast refusal to be drawn into this doesn't make sense any longer. Especially in the light of recent developments. Is that hurt going to extend all the way to seeing them off? Is that hurt bigger than the dreams and values of the party's founding principles? Can he not be the large-hearted man we have felt he always was, by coming out and finally putting a stop to these inanities? Or is the writing already on the wall and he is merely trying to keep his hands in the cle...

By Our Representative In an important move of considerable political significance, Congress and Left parties with be coming together for the first time in many years, joining hands with several human rights organizations and individuals for a rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on March 19. The banner of the rally will be "Exposing 300 days of Modi's Rule", says a note by the organizers, adding, Prime Minister Marendra Modi came to power "riding a promise of development", but "his election campaign was fueled by subtle hate against religious minorities".

By Rajiv Shah A new Government of India document, in possession of Counterview, has suggested that Gujarat’s performance in providing land to the tribals under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, is one of the poorest in India. The document shows, as of December-end 2014, Gujarat, an early starter, was able to “dispose of” just 39.97 per cent, or 75,974 claims, out of the total 1,90,051 tribals who had applied for land title deeds or community rights. This is against the national average of a whopping 82.60 per cent (17,13,519 out of 39,59,0190).

By Venkatesh Nayak* Two interesting developments have occurred during the last few days in the “Quest for Transparency” in India. Those who frequent the website of the Prime Minister will recognise the source of that phrase. The first revelation pertains to the Ordinance which was promulgated by the President of India to amend the law on land acquisition and transparent rehabilitation and resettlement. The second relates to the Delhi High Court’s welcome decision declared yesterday bringing back the Attorney General under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act). No basis for urgency to promulgate the land acquisition law amendment Ordinance? Anticipating the current controversy over the land acquisition amendment Bill passed by the Lok Sabha on March 10, 2015, brought in to replace the earlier Ordinance, I had filed a right to information (RTI) application with the President’s Secretariat on January 5, 2015 within less than a week of the Ordinance being gazetted asking the followi...