by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Politics
BHOPAL — Four major organisations representing victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy have strongly condemned the proposed merger of Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal.
At a press conference here on Thursday, these groups called the merger a grave threat to the health of gas leak victims and demanded its immediate cancellation.
The organisations argue that the merger proposal violates the orders of the Supreme Court, which were specifically issued to ensure that the victims receive superior medical care. Concerned by the potential implications, they have written a letter to the Union minister of health and family welfare, urging the cancellation of the proposed merger.
Rashida Bee, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karamchari Sangh, expressed her concerns. “The proposed merger with AIIMS Bhopal will severely impact the healthcare services currently available to Bhopal gas victims. This ill-advised proposal was first introduced in 2018 but was rejected by a government-appointed high-powered committee in August 2019. It is baffling why this proposal is being revisited after five years,” she said.
She further emphasised that BMHRC was established exclusively to serve the needs of gas victims, and merging it with an institution like AIIMS, which caters to a large number of general patients, would be a grave injustice.
Balkrishna Namdev, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha, stressed that the proposed merger is a blatant violation of the Supreme Court’s directives. “In its order dated 9th August 2012, the Supreme Court directed that BMHRC be made an autonomous teaching institution to attract top medical professionals and provide better care to gas victims. This merger would completely undermine that objective.”
Namdev also highlighted that AIIMS Bhopal began treating cancer patients among the gas victims in January 2024, following an order from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. However, the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee found that patients at AIIMS Bhopal had to wait for three to four months to receive treatment. “This points to the dangers of the proposed merger,” he said.
Nawab Khan of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha criticised the lack of consultation with victim organisations regarding the proposed merger. “The fact that the authorities did not consult the victims on such a serious matter is deeply concerning. No Bhopal-based victim organisation was approached for an opinion on an issue that is critical to their health and survival.”
Nausheen Khan of Dow Kabide Khilaf Bachche Sangathan also expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, “It is shocking that those pushing this proposal did not consider it necessary to hear the victims’ voices. Ignoring the victims in such a crucial decision-making process is inexcusable.”
The issue of the proposed merger of Bhopal Memorial Hospital with AIIMS Bhopal is highly sensitive, as it directly affects the medical services relied upon by thousands of Bhopal gas tragedy victims. The organisations have appealed to the government to cancel the merger immediately, prioritising the health and well-being of the gas victims above all else.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Politics
NEW DELHI — Six people have been arrested as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters stripped a woman naked and paraded her for about 300 meters in the Nandigram town of West Bengal last week.
Among those arrested is Tapas Das, the BJP’s booth president. The arrests have added to the BJP’s embarrassment, especially as the party intensifies its criticism of the state government over a separate incident at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata.
The humiliating incident of stripping the woman, being attributed to both a personal dispute and political retribution, has sparked outrage and fear in the region, reports reaching here said on Friday.
According to locals, the assault has its origin in a long-standing dispute between two neighbours over water drainage issues. However, the political dimension of the incident has come to the forefront as the assaulted woman’s family had recently switched allegiance from the BJP to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
“I used to be with the BJP, but recently joined the TMC, which is why I was attacked,” the victim was quoted by The Wire as saying.
TMC leaders have condemned the incident, describing it as an act of political vengeance. “Since the family supports the TMC, the BJP committed this atrocity against the woman out of political vengeance. This incident is utterly shameful,” party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh has said.
The TMC has arranged for the woman to be taken to Kolkata for medical care, while a delegation of eight TMC members visited Nandigram on Sunday to meet with the victim and assess the situation.
The incident has intensified fear in the locality, which is known as a BJP stronghold. Many residents are reportedly unwilling to speak to the media due to concerns over their safety.
The BJP has attempted to downplay the political angle of the attack. BJP district council leader Bamdeb Guchait described the incident as “shameful” but insisted, “Although those accused are our supporters, they are not party leaders or workers. Therefore, portraying this as a politically motivated act by our party is propaganda.”
Former BJP MP Locket Chatterjee commented on the situation, stating, “No crime has a colour, and those responsible for this in Nandigram must be punished. However, violence against women has become a common occurrence in West Bengal. The chief minister is marching on the streets, demanding justice against her own government to cover up the RG Kar Hospital incident – there can be no greater shame.”
Gender activist Satabdi Das also condemned the incident, linking it to the BJP’s broader history of misogyny. “It’s shocking! Here we are fighting so that women stay secure, and in Nandigram, a woman became a soft target only because she was a member of the ruling party! We are fighting against patriarchy and the state, not any individual. But BJP itself is such a misogynist party with a history of Unnao and Kathua that it can hardly understand the spirit of this movement,” reports quoted Das as saying.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Politics
On the occasion of this Independence Day (2024) NDA Government gave a call for the third edition of Har Ghar Tiranga (Tricolor in every house). This event first began in 2022 by the BJP government. It was a great surprise; as BJP’s ideological parent RSS has been opposed to the tricolor as the national flag all through, till 26th January 2001, when “According to the case, three activists Baba Mendhe, Ramesh Kalambe and Dilip Chatwani — along with others allegedly entered the RSS premises in Reshimbagh on 26 January in 2001 and hoisted the national flag there amid patriotic slogans.”
A police case was registered against them and they were jailed (Case no 176), Nagpur 2001. They were acquitted and the 51 years of RSS not hoisting tricolor came to an end. Tricolor (that time with Charkha in the middle) had emerged as an inspiring flag during the freedom movement. When Jawaharlal Nehru became the President of INC 1929 Lahore session, he called upon the Nation to celebrate 26th January as Independence Day by hoisting the tricolor. IN contrast K. B. Hedgewar issued a circular on 21 January 1930 to hoist Bhagva Jhenda (Saffron Flag). Circular instructed the members of RSS to assemble at 6 PM at the places where shakhas met for “salutation to the National Flag, i.e., the Bhagwa Dhawaj.”
Their argument was that the saffron flag represents the Hindu nation from times past so no need for a new flag. Anyway all those participating in the freedom movement adopted the tricolor flag except those who kept aloof from anti colonial freedom struggle, Muslim League (green flag) and RSS (Saffron flag). Savarkar of Hindu Mahasabha also stood for the saffron flag.
M.S Golwalkar, the Second RSS Chief put forward the ideology of RSS vis a vis flag, he stated “It was the saffron flag which in totality represented Bhartiya [Indian] culture. It was the embodiment of God. We firmly believe that in the end the whole nation will bow before this saffron flag.”
At every stage the RSS’s unofficial mouthpiece used to come out with editorials opposing tricolor and upholding the saffron flag. The flag committee was chaired by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and had C. Rajagopalachari, Maulana Azad, K. M. Munshi and Dr. Ambedkar as its members. They considered all the other proposals and came to finalize Congress’s flag, the tricolor with the difference that the Charkha in the flag was replaced by Ashok Chakra with 24 spokes in the flag. While moving the resolution for the flag in the Constituent Assembly, Nehru with full appreciation of India’s history and culture saw the flag as a continuation of the glorious tradition of the past and hope for the future. His remarkably touching speech referred to the great sacrifices of Indian people to throw away the shackles of slavery. He also related it to Asoka and his international fame and message of peace and saw in it a bridge to the global community.
As per Nehru, “We thought of a Flag which in its combination and in its separate parts would somehow represent the spirit of the nation, the tradition of the nation, that mixed spirit and tradition which has grown up through thousands of years in India… we have associated with this Flag of ours not only this emblem but in a sense the name of Asoka, one of the most magnificent names not only in India’s history but in world history “
Despite this the RSS, Sangh Parivar, continued with glorifying of Hindu nationalist ideology. Golwalkar further wrote in “Bunch of Thoughts“. Even after Independence, it was the RSS which refused to accept the Tricolor as the National Flag. Golwalkar, while denouncing the choice of the Tricolor as the National Flag, in an essay entitled ‘Drifting and Drifting’ in the book, ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ (collection of writings/speeches of Golwalkar), wrote: “Our leaders have set up a new flag for our country. Why did they do so? It is just a case of drifting and imitating….Ours is an ancient and great nation with a glorious past. Then, had we no flag of our own? Had we no national emblem in all these thousands of years? Undoubtedly we had. Then why this utter void, this utter vacuum in our minds?”
Savarkar too refused to accept the Tricolor as the national flag. Demanding its boycott, declared in a statement on September 22, 1941: “So far as the flag question is concerned, the Hindus know no flag representing Hindudom as a whole than the ‘Kundalini Kripanankit’ Mahasabha flag with the ‘Om and the Swastik’ the most ancient symbols of the Hindu race and policy coming down from age to age and honored throughout Hindusthan… Therefore, any place or function where this Pan-Hindu flag is not honored should be boycotted by the Hindusanghatanists [members of the Hindu Mahasabha]…”
In a way this Har Ghar tirnaga is a clever move by the BJP Government. As per the changing times, it keeps its core agenda of Hindu nationalism unchanged and is adept to symbolic changes. It has a twin policy about symbols. On one hand to adopt some symbols which are very deeply rooted in the peoples’ psyche. On the other it has also tried to introduce celebrations of some days to promote divisive agenda. It has also floated the celebration of days (14th August) as ‘Partition Horrors remembrance day’ with the aim to propagate that partition led to the tragedy for Hindus, while keeping mum on the loss of Muslim community. The 25th December has been declared as ‘Good Governance day’ and has been promoted to mark Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday. It is a deliberate attempt to undermine the celebration of Christmas.
The same Tiranga has also been used as an instrument of intimidation, when hoards of youth on the pretext of religious celebrations take out their rallies waving tricolor through the Muslim majority areas or climb up mosques to hoist tricolor particularly on Ram Navami days! The deeper intent of BJP in Har Ghar Tiranga is merely for optics, bereft of the deeper commitment to the message inherent in this flag, sacrifice, peace and unity in diversity.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Politics
Bengaluru: Warning that inequality will increase as society is being divided in the name of religion and caste, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said it is a tragedy that educated people are increasingly becoming casteist.
The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating an international symposium “Mahatma Gandhi for the 21st Century” organised at Gandhi Bhavan to commemorate the 75th year of the Gandhi Memorial Fund.
“Due to the caste system, many people were deprived of education, leading to increased inequality. It is a tragedy that educated people are increasingly becoming casteist,” Siddaramaiah said.
He alleged that “the nurturers of caste inequality killed Mahatma Gandhi.”
“Gandhi’s ideas and guidance given to society are not limited to the 20th century, they remain relevant even today. Gandhiji celebrated peace, truth, justice, and brotherhood throughout his life. He believed that if the whole world adopts the quality of loving each other, the whole society can be at ease,” the CM was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
Pointing out that Gandhi believed that nature fulfills our needs but not our greed, Siddaramaiah said as he attributed human “greed” as the reason for environmental disasters happening in Kerala’s Wayanad and other parts of the state.
by Editor | Aug 24, 2024 | News, Politics
Jaipur: Rajasthan’s BJP government has lifted the ban on government employees participating in the activities of the RSS.
Joint Secretary of the Department of Personnel Rajendra Singh Kavia citing previous orders has issued a circular to lift the 52-year-old ban.
As per the circular, after reviewing the instructions of 1972 and 1981, it has been decided to remove the name of RSS from the list of organisations whose activities were banned earlier.
Earlier, the Centre had lifted a ban on government employees taking part in the RSS activities. The ban imposed in November 1966 during the rule of former prime minister Indira Gandhi was removed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.
Several state governments, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, have already removed the restrictions on government employees being linked to the RSS.
