14
INTRIGUE
The Economic Times on 7 December 2004 reported that the Union Government had decided to sell 5% shares of the ONGC.
The Naga rebel leaders met Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, and the Home Minister on 7 December 2004. They wanted- among other things- a special say for them in the foreign policy pertaining to their neighbouring countries. The Prime Minister might have accepted this demand, as they would be in a better position to deal with the neighbouring countries. This could be discerned from the fact that he expressed the fervent hope that a mutually acceptable settlement would be reached. In fact, he again made an appeal to all rebels all over India to come to the negotiating table.
The developments in peace talks showed that the letters of this writer, particularly letter No.41 dated 10 October 2004, had some effects on the new Government, and it appeared for the first time that India would make steady progress in peace.
However, the decision to throw away the shares of the ONGC and the inaction over several arbitrary decisions of the NDA Government showed that the Government was not for equitable distribution of “assets and seats”. The secrecy of the letters also was a disturbing one. Therefore, one more letter was sent on 8 December 2004.The letter follows.
From
V.SABARIMUTHU
Thattankonam
Vellicode
Mulagumoodu 629167
To
Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
His Excellency the President of India
Presidential Palace
New Delhi
Your Excellency
Kindly consider a few constitutional anomalies in India.
1. The Union Cabinet on 4 July 2001 issued a guideline for selling the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). However, many PSUs including the IPCL and the HZL were sold in violation of the guideline. Even the Samatha Party - a partner in the NDA Government - on 6 November 2002 said that the IPCL was sold to a company charged with violation of the Official Secrets’ Act. In this connection, it must be noted that Miss. Jayalalitha had to surrender certain assets for violating a guideline. Therefore, the competent authority in India must have confiscated all assets sold in violation of the guideline. The President of India could have removed this anomaly.
2. It is now more or less certain that the public sector Bank of India gave Re.845 crore to an industrialist to buy the VSNL without the prior knowledge of the former Prime Minister of India. The CBI must have identified the “chosen man”, who recommended this huge amount. His name must be disclosed, lest he would become the next Prime Minister of India and enable the industrialists to usurp the PSUs through some ingenious ways. Further, the disclosure would save democracy, as it would dispel the darkness surrounding some leaders.
3. Similarly, if the “cash rich” enterprises had deposited any amount in the UTI at the instance of the then Finance Minister of India, one would imagine that he gave the money indirectly, in bad faith, to some industrialists sacrificing the interests of the whole society just to remain in power. Therefore, the competent authority could reveal the truth to prove the point that the Finance Minister is clean in this matter.
4. Again, it is more or less certain that Dr. Manmohan Singh asked the financial institutions to release money to buy the shares of the TCS presumably as a reward for making him the Prime Minister of India. If it were so, someone from the TCS might have met him long before the General Election. If the Prime Minister had any such understanding with the industrialists, he shall not hesitate to confess it to the people.
5. The petrol pump judgment was a product of the conspiracy hatched by the learned judges of the Supreme Court against the victims- the Constitution of India, rule of law and the society. The learned judges dreamt that no man would be found in India to redress the error. The President of India could have rendered fruitful services in this matter. Now it appears that all competent authorities in India would continue to remain as the conspirators till the victim is killed!
6. Bentham (1748-1832) justifies democracy because of the nature of man, regarding him as so inherently selfish that any other form of government will be government in the sinister interest of the governing class. However, John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), while not denying that no other form of government other than democracy can be trusted to keep the interest of the people always before it, says that democratic institutions cannot be recommended for a society whose citizens have not got the requisite quality of character. He says, that a man must give his vote according to his best and most conscientious opinion of the public good. The disqualification of the letters of this writer proved that the Indian system would try to deceive the voters. Despite this, the Indian voter, as a rule, considers the interest of the public and not his private advantage. However, now it appears, that “the Members of the Parliament”- as Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) says- “may be prompted by ambition to intrigue against the State in the hope of seizing power, to the great danger of the community”.
7. The media syndicate in India always insinuates one thing or other against this writer without mentioning the name even once. A Mr. Mahesh Murty in the 29 November 2004 issue of the “Businessworld” quoted the words “Those who know do, those who do not know teach”. According to Hobbes, though the faculty of reasoning distinguishes man from the brute, reasoning, however, is artificial, while the passions are natural. Therefore, he says that man is not primarily a creature of reason but of passions. Moreover, man’s reasoning is fallible-“as in arithmetic, unpracticed men must, and professors themselves may often err, and cast up false; so also in any other subject of reasoning, the ablest, most attentive, and most practiced men may deceive themselves and infer false conclusions”. Therefore, the writers of the media syndicate must come forward to publish the ideas of the people and see whether the ideas of this writer survive in the competition of ideas. The media syndicate could now consider this at least as “an appeal of the drunk to the sober” and discuss the contents of these letters.
8. The President of Russia came to India on 3 November 2004. The Prime Minister or the President did not go to the airport to receive him. When the USA threatened India, “Indo-USSR Friendship Treaty” was signed. The USSR gave huge amount as loan and helped India for its industrialization. A large number of Indians live in the UK. The USA in the past supplied wheat and gee under PL 480 and prevented starvation deaths in India. Further, the USA came to the rescue of India when China attacked India. Furthermore, Indians take great pride in sending their children to the USA. Several European countries gave money as aid or grant when we were in distress. Many Arab countries provide jobs for millions of Indians. The Government of India need not think that the dignity or reputation of India would be diminished if the Prime Minister or the President goes to the airport to receive the heads of these countries. The practice of the Prime Minister going to the airport was discontinued when some boys of the media syndicate demanded that India must extend this hospitality only on reciprocal basis. Surely, the amount of harm the media syndicate causes to 1000 million people cannot be estimated. In this matter, it appears that we are deceiving ourselves.
9. It was reported to the President that two newspapers indirectly threatened to eliminate this writer. Highly powerful people with unlimited men and material threatening a common man are equivalent to committing an act of murder. It is highly disturbing to note that the editor of one of these papers accompanied the Prime Minister and posed for photograph along with him during his recent foreign tour. Is it not equivalent to harbouring criminals?
10. This is letter No.45. The DD is a TV channel of the Government of India. The people, without knowing its nature, trust it. All the letters and the events that followed are now sent to the President, CVC, CBI and the NHRC as an attachment to this letter. The DD could publish it, lest the people might think that the hired men of the industrialists ran the DD. Contrasting men with bees and ants, Hobbes says, “Men are continually in competition for honour and dignity, which these creatures are not; consequently amongst men there ariseth on that ground, envy and hatred and finally war.” However, this is not a matter of this writer alone. The people- not this writer- must continue this work. Therefore, the Members of Parliament have a right to know the circumstances that led to 45 letters. All college teachers must know this because they would be thrilled to know that one among them has done it. Actually, it is a credit to the entire collegiate service in India. Everyone, even children, must know this because writing down the day-to-day events, in their leisure time, would enable them to save India in times of crisis. In fact, “The worth of the state in the long run”, Mill writes in a noble passage, “ is the worth of the individuals composing it”.
Vellicode Yours faithfully
8-12-2004
V.SABARIMUTHU
CONCLUSION
Around the year 1991 the Universe prompted the industrialists to hatch a conspiracy to usurp the Public Sector Undertakings in India. They dreamt of accomplishing it by manipulating the financial institutions and circumventing the Constitution of India through the aid of news media and the chosen men in the Government, judiciary, investigation agencies and bureaucracy. However, the “SOUL” of the Universe, apparently, conspired against this catastrophe after ten years. Otherwise, why did everything happen like this?
The above letter No.45 was sent on 8 December 2004.
The President visited Kargil on the same day. Addressing the soldiers the President said that by protecting the borders, the javans had allowed the Government to focus on developmental works in the country.
The Congress President on the next day said that she followed her inner voice.
Further, there were reports that the Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Natwar Singh, said that the Government would bring the External Affairs debate into Parliament. It was the repercussion of the letter No.45 dated 8 December 2004.
There was great improvement in the peace talks with the Naga rebels. The five-member NSCN (I-M) delegation, after their talks with the Government, said that the attitude of the Government had undergone a change than before. They expressed their satisfaction over all their meetings. They said that they respected Indian leadership and they saw a “ray of hope”. This was the repercussion of the latter letters.
Though it is digression, it is pertinent to point out that a three member “peer team” of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of Universities and Colleges, visited the College of this writer on 10 December 2004. One of the members of the peer team said, “Sir, we are proud of you!” Then the same member said, “This College has done some wonders!” It was a source of satisfaction as the words came from a member of the peer team. The College was later accredited with B+ grade.
On 12 December 2004, The Hindu revealed that the intelligence agencies had opposed the hike in foreign direct investment in the telecom sector to 74 percent even during the tenure of the NDA Government, as they would not have control over telecom hardware. Perhaps, it was a signal that the Government had abandoned the proposal to increase the FDI in the telecom sector to 74 per cent. At the same time, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr. Montek Singh Aluwalia, said that Delhi and Mumbai airports would be modernized entirely with new injection of private funds.
In a democracy, the elected representatives must sit in a place, discuss various ideas and take necessary decisions. The bureaucracy must implement the decisions thus taken.
In contrast, the words of Mr. Aluwalia shows that the industrialists are still sitting on the top of the Indian pyramid of governance and take policy decisions leaving the implementation to the Union Cabinet.
Further, it could be discerned that Mr. Aluwalia had no plan to utilize the huge deposits in the banks or the stagnating foreign exchange for the benefit of 1000 million people. He has no time to examine the suggestions of this writer either.
On 12 December 2004, a Mr. Jagannathan wrote a center page article in “The New Indian Express”. In that article he, presumably keeping the letters of this writer in mind, said that the Prime Minister had become dysfunctional and all that he was doing was coping with one crisis of low intensity after another. According to him each letter was triggering a crisis. In fact, the newspapers were aware of the letters of this writer.
On the same day, Mr. L.K.Advani said that one should not compromise his principles to seize power. It has reference to the last letter.
On the same day, the new Chief Justice of Chennai High Court, Justice Markandey Katju, said, “The authority of judiciary rests only on public confidence and the moment the confidence ceases, judiciary would not be tolerated and thrown aside by society. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that judges maintain very high standards of integrity. Please understand if you are doing things wrong public will definitely get to know and everybody has to know about the integrity of a judge.
Akbar had mentioned that if ever he gave a decision and later thought it to be wrong, his conscience would start fighting against him. This was the sense of justice in the Emperor. His son Jehangir also had a very high sense of justice and this is why the Mugal emperors survived so long”.
The speech could be construed as the reflection of the 45 letters. Apart from this, this writer has no evidence to show whether the President of India transmitted the letters to the learned judges of the High Court or not.
Again on the same day, the leaders of bank trade unions urged the employees to oppose the move of the Government to privatize or merge banks. They said that there was a calculated attack on the Country’s financial sector, as the FDI in insurance would prove disastrous. They said that there was not much difference between the NDA and the UPA Governments.
The Supreme Court on 13 December 2004 asked the Petroleum Ministry to give the reason why 295 petrol pumps that did not fulfill eligibility criteria as per the finding of the High Powered Committee (HPC) should not be cancelled. This question was against the ruling of the Supreme Court that the Courts should not interfere in the policy decision of the Government. Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice P.P. Naolekar were in the Bench.
Appearing for the Ministry, Mr. A.D.N. Rao submitted that he would file an affidavit after taking instructions from the Ministry. It must be noted that it was the second case in which the advocate sought time to take instruction from the Government.
Earlier, the advocate had sought time to take instruction from the Government in the HPCL/BPCL case. It must be noted that even after 6 months of assuming office, the UPA Government did not take a clear policy decision in these vital matters.
Further, it must be noted that Justice Y.K. Sabharwal functioned as the instrument of the stakes in the “Petrol Pump” case as neither did he direct the Government to devise a better guideline for sanctioning the petrol pumps nor did he abstain from interfering in the policy decision of the Government. Therefore, the Chief Justice of India, Justice R.C.Lahoti, should not have allowed him to hear this crucial case in the light of these letters to the President of India. There is nothing wrong in changing any convention to the advantage of mankind. Apparently, the Chief Justice of India acted in bad faith in this matter.
The President of India could have directed the Chief Justice of India to substitute Y.K. Sabharwal by learned judges like Justice G.P. Mathur to meet the ends of justice. Thus the President of India failed to control the private interest of the Chief Justice of India.
On the same day, the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) clarified that two private companies – Smart Entrepreneur Solutions Limited and Smart Infosolutions Private Limited – which had picked up substantial stake in the ONGC public issue were owned by Reliance Communications Infrastructure Limited and that the RIL would benefit from any gains that would come through those investments. This showed that some companies- not the public- cornered the Public issues of the PSUs by simple manipulations. Thus, the NDA Government sold the shares of the PSUs in naked selfish interests to the detriment of 1000 million people. Thus the premonitions of this writer, which might have been rejected as something ridiculous, are proving correct. The President alone knows whether the present Government too is turning a blind eye to these manipulations or not.
The RIL got the “ Petrochemical Company of the Year” award at the 2004 Platts Global Energy Award in New York on 13 December 2004.
In its daily joke, “The New Indian Express” on 14 December 2004 said, “The master is servant when he fears those he rules”. This was to stimulate the Prime Minister to take action in their favour. In fact, it was a signal of an impending manipulation.
On the same day, the DD said that some investigations were going on with regard to the share of the HCL Company.
On 14 December 2004, The Prime Minister and the President were seen at a ceremonial guard of honour given to Siovakian President, Ivan Gasparovic. The media did not give the venue of the guard of honour.
The Minister of State for Finance Mr. Palanimanickam told Rajya Sabha that the Government had not taken any decision on the sale of its equity in oil PSUs. This indicated that the Union Cabinet was finding it difficult to control the self-interest of a few. The inability of the Union Cabinet to discuss this matter conveyed the impression that the Government wanted to procrastinate to the detriment of 1000 million people.
Addressing the students of National Law University at Jodhpur, Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, on 15 December 2004, said that the administration of law and justice should take into account the overall impact of the judgments on the process of societal transformation and the welfare of the citizen at large. This was the message of many of these letters. This fits well with the observation of this writer about the “Petrol Pump” case. In fact, the meaning is so obvious to ignore it. The fact that they ignore it is another matter. Further, he said that the increasing intolerance of views of others could not be justified in any context. The reason that prompted the President to talk about the intolerance was not a clear one. “The New Indian Express” reported this. The DD in its Tamil News reported the words of the President that power should not be used in private interests and the existence of the investigation agencies were not for protecting those in power.
The words of the President showed that all the contentions of this writer were well founded and he was echoing the views of the political philosophers as represented by this writer. Further, his words showed that he was deeply disturbed by the “Petrol Pump” case. The Supreme Court and the CBI must have taken remedial measures immediately.
The Union Law Minister on 16 December 2004 said that the Members of Parliament alone should have the right to question the Prime Minister of India. He described this as his own suggestion.
The ‘Reliance Infocomm’ of Mr. Mukesh Ambani on 16 December 2004 expressed its inability in the Supreme Court to pay by cheque or draft Re. 84 crore to the BSNL towards charges on incoming international calls. The answer of the court was not known to anyone immediately.
In this connection, it must be noted that even children would follow the observations of the learned judges. Leaving the cases in a half-baked condition or conducting cases in camera would affect their intellectual development. The President of India could have done fruitful service in this regard for the benefit of our children.
Mr. Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State in the PMO dismissed as “completely fabricated and without any truth” that the Prime Minister offered to resign on four occasions. The story concocted by the media was that the Prime Minister was anguished over the attitude of the senior ministers and the allies. The actual reason was the letters of this writer.
Madras High Court Judge Justice Karpagavinayagam on 19 December 2004 while talking to the inmates of a prison said, “When an affluent person commits some wrong society does not consider it serious. But when a poor person commits the same crime, it is blown out of proportion”. The statement was a reflection of the 45 letters. Whether the President of India transmitted the letters to all judges all over India was not known to anyone. He, further, asked the prisoners to be true to themselves and transform themselves into men of principles.
A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice S.H. Kapadia asked the High Courts to be careful while entertaining PIL pleas as some persons indulged in the pastime of meddling with the judicial process either by force of habit or from improper motives.
The BJP on 22 December 2004 accused the Government that it was misusing the CBI in the Babri demolition case. The PMO denied the allegation. However, according to ‘The Hindu’ dated 23-12-2004, the letter written by an official of the PMO sought information if there was “any legal provision and grounds for the CBI to file a Revision against the discharge of Mr. Advani at this stage and examine if there is any negligence on the part of any investigation/prosecuting agency in not filing a Revision Petition on time”. Apparently, the Government was embarrassed by the feeble moves of the CBI against the letters of this writer.
It seemed that the Government, in order to pin down the CBI, questioned its integrity in pursuing the Babri demolition case. Obviously, the dream that criminal cases could be always concealed “in bad faith” by the investigation/prosecuting agencies must be decomposing to the benefit of 1000 million people.
Mr. Harish Khare on 23 December 2004 said in a center page article in ‘The Hindu’ that with the possible exception of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), almost every other regional party could be pared down as a caste party, centred around a leader. This gave the impression that the NCP would promote the interest of the stakes and manipulators.
‘The Hindu’ said in a cartoon on 23 December 2004, “DEMOCRACY BY FEAR, OF FEAR, FOR FEAR…” This was presumably to induce the Prime Minister to take certain actions as contemplated by the manipulators.
Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia on 23 December 2004 told the New Indian Ambassador to Russia Mr. Sibal that he was moved by the genuine warmth and regard showed to him during his stay in India. “ The Hindu” on 24 December 2004 reported this perhaps as an answer to the letter No.45 dated 8-12-2004.
Mr. N.Ram, the Editor –in- Chief of The Hindu on 23 December 2004 said that blocking of vital information led to adverse impact on economy and society. He added that information on corruption should flow unblocked. He acknowledged that the suppression of freedom of speech had a chilling effect and that the media paid a heavy price for neglecting mass deprivation. It must be noted that these letters have not seen the light of the day till date. Thus, what he said was for public consumption.
Interacting with students, Dr.Kalam, on 24 December 2004, said honesty is the best policy. He added that the students must have a goal and they must try to achieve their objectives with perseverance. This was, again, a reflection of 45 letters.
Mr. T.J.S. George, the customary writer of “The New India Express” on 26 December 2004 in a front page article of the paper said, “No chair can trust greatness upon a small person, and no great person will ever need a chair to establish his greatness”.
The Reliance Infocomm signed a $750 million (about 3400 crore-loan agreement with a consortium led by Export Import Bank of the US (Exim Bank). The New Indian Express reported this on 26 December 2004.
The world’s biggest earthquake in 40 years hit Sumatra in Indonesia on 26 December 2004 unleashing a “tsunami” that crashed into India and Sri Lanka besides many other countries including Indonesia and Malaysia. It affected the coastal belt, particularly eastern coastal belt, in India. About 15,000 people were killed in India alone. The UN immediately sent a disaster assessment and coordination team to the Asian region. India immediately announced an assistance of Re.100 crore to Sri Lanka and sent relief teams to Sri Lanka. Relief teams were sent to Indonesia also. Within four or five days many countries announced disaster assistance to India. However, India politely declined international offers of assistance. The New Indian Express too reported this on 1 January 2004.
However, Dr.Manmohan wanted the people to send money to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The voluntary agencies also were permitted to receive disaster assistance from foreign countries till March 2005.
The Union Finance Minister said that money would not be a constraint for relief works. On 29 December he said that houses would be constructed for the victims. Simultaneously, the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced that it would extend loans for fishermen to buy nets and boats. The RBI also asked the banks to give liberal loans to fishermen for the construction of houses.
The announcement of the NABARD and the RBI did not enjoy the support of the Union Cabinet. Apparently, the “think tank” of the manipulators floated this idea to pre-empt the Government from constructing houses for the fishermen in the Gujarat pattern.
Thus, when Dr. Manmohan visited the relief camp at Colachel in Tamil Nadu on 30 December 2004, he assured all possible assistance and succor, including construction of houses to tsunami affected people. The DD and the print media did not give sufficient coverage to the construction of houses although the offer of loan was given wide coverage.
This shows that the industrialists have become powerfull to extent of making the commitment of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister in fructuous. In contrast, when tragedy struck, the former Prime Minister said that earthquake resistant houses would be constructed to the earthquake affected people of Gujarat and he completed the work in record time with single-minded devotion.
In this connection it appeared that Dr.Manmohan Singh was not free to talk anything contrary to the views of the manipulators even in the matter of disaster assistance. Thus, on 30 December 2004 a Mr.Colin Gonsalves in a center page article in ‘The Indian Express’ said that though the right to housing in India is a fundamental right, the Government demolished several houses without relocating even one fifth of the residents. He cited the Yamuna Pushta demolition to make way for a tourist complex, the Lajpat Nagar demolition for the installation of a statue of Lala Lajpat Rai and Mumbai demolition for no reason.
The message was that a Government that was delinquent in providing shelter to demolition victims could be excused if it failed to construct houses for the tsunami victims. The article was conspicuously silent about the reconstruction work undertaken in Gujarat. It could be discerned that that Mr. Colin Gonsalves must be one of the members of the media syndicate.
The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation pledged to adopt all children who lost both their parents in the tsunami disaster and ensure that they were able to complete their schooling by meeting the cost of their school fee, uniform and books. On 31 December 2004, the Governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and even the Government of India talked of adopting children whose parents were no more due to the calamity.
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