From Dwarpal to Lokpal

Imagine the role of law keepers when they are made to stand on the doors of politicians to save them from intruders who can overhear or eves-drop on the discussion of the public representatives. The closed door meetings of the ministries and sachivalayas do not allow common citizen to hear what has been conversed on deciding about their fate. The political masters along with the service class discuss the manner of program or development intervention, it more cases they try to maximise the economic and political returns of their investment in public. The agencies intended to protect the masses from financial fraud are informed or entertained as and when the group decide about things required, to make sure things are settled in advance.

The mere formality of approaches like PAC (parliamentary accounts committee) who is supposed to investigate major expenses has never been heard till the 2G scam happened, and this is supposed to be regular committee. High profile cases makes these committee stand in front and account, but sadly this also goes political way of addressing their party agenda.

The idea of 'lokpal' would allow the 'dwarpal' to enter into conversation with such decision makers and question their working. Thats the reason the bill had been waiting and revised nth time since 1968 under various political and government heads. Now, where is urgency? Lets be sure before 15th August (unofficial deadline set by Mr. Anna Hazare) arrives, half of the team members would go on leave and even if draft is prepared no one would agree to place it on the table of house of parliaments.

The law makers and other stakeholders (civil society) would not either their break their heads or bones to bring consensus to their agenda, never mind the main opposition parties too would be waiting to heard on their draft on 'Lokpal'. Till then let the agencies like CBI, PAC or CAG act like dwarpal and not to allow anyone to hear the conversation, so as to redefine the democratic setup of the country.

Religiosity of Development: Satya Sai

Whether Satya Sai baba is 'real god' or not? The question are debated with emotional answers from the followers saddened by demise of their great soul. The present reactions amongst the followers also shows the respect the person generated by his activities. The rationalists may be right in pointing the magician like quality and acts of baba, on the pretext of creating long lasting impression.

From last 50 years of service or public life, he has reached the poor in his own way, as it would have been difficult for government to reach people. What made him to worshiped is the services he provided to people, generally poor in health and education. Mostly free, high quality and accessible to regions he served. His act of collection funds from donors (different than what we citizen give as 'tax') and making absolute utilization of the receipts makes him 'greater' service provider and allows people to respect his goals. We citizens or people of India, need proper care including food to poor, cloths, health, education and brotherhood. The baba provided all under his ambit, while the government agencies instead of following his development mantra, made themselves a follower of person called Satya Sai baba. We should not wonder, why people see so much of closeness to such great leaders and dedicated service providers who would do all their best to provide to people, when they see governments are not able to reach.

What makes people who follow such spiritual leaders not translating their learning to the acts they perform (honesty, dedication and sense of duty) in daily life? You may worship any god men or god, if you have performed your tasks as diligently as given and trusted on you, you would attain eternal peace. Instead, we might seek help but would shy away from helping those in need. Lakhs of money to the religious trusts are donated by most of so called powerful people and corporates, but these very people shy away from giving tax to the governments, or helping even the local governments. Of course in turn looks like oasis in desert.

Most of the religious institutions survive in feeding the poor and supplying their material needs to garner support and people follow those who help them in their needs whether material or spiritual. The diversity of nation by the cultural systems is good, but as long as we lack basic amenities and have million of hungry Indians the 'religiosity of development' would take place. It is sad people have lost faith in the government, who are supposed to be providers of the basic amenities, rarely civic voulenteers or people are found helping the local bodies like panchayats or municipalities. The religious institutions though helping in the social pain never partner with governments, as it has been done by various corporates. The outcome the faith is above governance, baba is above prime minister and diksha is above shiksha. We as nation love to hate governments, instead put high faith in some one who gives what is desired but never takes by rule of law unless its donation.

Brushing the Taint in Gujarat

The ghost of the 2002 riots in Gujarat is not leaving state despite the echo of 'development' efforts claims by the state government. The leadership though tainted by the happenings in riot, do not intent to remove the stain. The people of Gujarat know how and who controlled the riot, and it was not just state machinery adding fuel to fire the whole society acted in juvenile manner while participating in the mayhem. The few who got punished comes only for the severe crime, but the majority participants are free at large and more so have forgotten to acknowledge their role.

The society remains extremely polarized on the communal lines, still does not recognize the pain they inflected on each other. The taint is difficult to brush aside even after 9 years shows the intensity of involvement. The other riots which happens were regarded as law and order issue but this one would always be social polarization and mass participation in mayhem with organised efforts. Even after the riots and total neglect of the Muslim community in the society is large and divided citizens on communal lines in most of the cities and towns. Its disheartening to note little efforts by government was made to bridge the gap between communities which may lead to explosion of emotions in another similar incidents in future as it happened after train burning incident in Godhra.

The support to the political party in power cannot be regarded as victory over the Muslims who suffered, rather its sign of acceptance of social dominance of one community over another. This subjugation of the community on behest of their different faith, is a larger taint on the idea of 'India' conceived by the constitution makers. The rejection of communities for the relief and rehabilitation even after the riots is immense, the neglect of public institutions to the area populated by the Muslims is visible in most of the cities. The focus of state machinery has not gone away from the community, since they are constantly on watch during all apprehensions about the disturbances in the city. Most of them hide citing the brutal submission taken by the police force against the community.

This situation were left because of political fall out after the riots, and continued unabated till today. The present leadership seeks refusal in accepting the 'reaction' as legal and just in not punishing culprits of serious crime in state. Riots may not have happened in state, and the objective of ruling party in teaching lessons to the minority community have been achieved, but what would be price the future generation have pay, while brushing the 'taint' in Gujarat?

50 Reasons to Protect Infants from Vaccines - Jagannath Chatterjee

This is reproduction of article received by me from author (Needs serious thought from all of us..)

Note: I have been corresponding with the Union Health Minister and his department on this subject since 2006. Neither the Minister nor the Ministry have any answer to these points. Even when Dr Abdul Kalam, then President, raised the subject based on my inputs there was no sincere attempt to clarify the position. I have since then continuously educated the doctors on the subject. I have also written to the current President, Vice President, PM, Sonia, the NHRC, NCPCR, CM's of various states, MP's of various political parties and all the medical institutions I can think of. I have also written to the WHO, GAVI, UNICEF & PATH, premier institutions that promote this highly controversial medical intervention . Doctors sympathetic to the cause opine that unless the public realise the dangers from vaccines it will be very difficult to stop this industry sponsored menace. You will agree that there should be a public debate on vaccines, otherwise the unfortunate children do not stand a chance.

1. There is no scientific study to determine whether vaccines have really prevented diseases. Rather disease graphs show vaccines have been introduced at the fag end of epidemics when the disease was already in its last stages. In case of Small Pox the vaccine actually caused a great spurt in the incidence of disease before public outcry led to its withdrawal.
2. There are no long-term studies on vaccine safety. Very short-term tests are carried out where the vaccinated subjects are checked against another group who are given another vaccine. Technically the tests should be carried out against a non-vaccinated group. No one really knows what protocols are followed at such industry-sponsored trials.
3. There has never been any official attempt to compare a vaccinated population against a non vaccinated population to know what vaccines are doing to the children and the society. Independent private studies (Dutch & German) have revealed that vaccinated children suffer much more than their un-vaccinated counterparts.
4. The child receives not one but many vaccines. There are no tests to determine the effects of multiple vaccines.
5. There is no scientific basis for vaccinating infants. As per senior doctors quoted by the Times of India, "Children suffer from less that 2% of vaccine preventable illnesses but 98% of the vaccines are targeted towards them." The vaccine pioneers who have recommended abundant caution before vaccinating the population have never advocated mass vaccinations.
6. Children are vaccinated simply because parents can be frightened to forcefully vaccinate their children. Vaccinating infants is the most profitable business both for the manufacturers as well as the doctors.
7. Infants, who are advised ONLY mothers milk till the age of six months and beyond because their fragile system will not tolerate anything else are given 30 extremely toxic vaccine shots, including booster doses, an act that defies both logic and science.
8. The Government of India has come out with a quarter page advertisement in The Hindu warning parents not to vaccinate beyond the Government approved vaccines. Parents have been advised against vaccinating in private clinics and hospitals.
9. The Orissa Chapter of the Indian Association of Pediatricians has admitted in a letter to the CM, Orissa, that private clinics and hospitals are ill equipped to store vaccines and warned parents not to vaccinate upon the advise of private practitioners and hospitals.
10. ALL THE VACCINE INGREDIENTS ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC IN NATURE.
11. Vaccines contain heavy metals, cancer causing substances, toxic chemicals, live and genetically modified viruses, contaminated serum containing animal viruses and foreign genetic material, extremely toxic de-contaminants and adjuvants, untested antibiotics, none of which can be injected without causing any harm.
12. The mercury, aluminum and live viruses in vaccines may be behind the huge epidemic of autism (1 in 10 worldwide as per doctors in the USA, 1 in 37 as per a private study by doctors in New Delhi), a fact that (vaccines cause autism) has been admitted by the US Vaccine Court.
13. The CDC of USA, the vaccine watchdog, has publicly admitted that its much-publicized 2003 study denying any link between vaccines and autism, is flawed. The Chief of CDC Dr Gerberding has confessed to the media (CNN) that vaccines can cause "autism like symptoms". The Autism epidemic is found only in those countries that have allowed mass vaccinations.
14. In the year 1999, the US Government instructed vaccine manufacturers to remove mercury from vaccines "with immediate effect". But mercury still remains a part of many vaccines. The vaccines with mercury were never recalled and were given to children up to the year 2006. "Mercury free" vaccines contain 0.05mcg of mercury, enough to permanently damage a infant. As per an American Academy of Pediatricians study: "Mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to pregnant women and children as well as the general population."
15. IN INDIA NO ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THAT MERCURY AND OTHER HEAVY METALS ARE REMOVED FROM VACCINES SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE VACCINES COSTLIER.
16. In a reply to then President Sri Abdul Kalam, the Health Ministry informed, "mercury is required to make the vaccines safe". To the author's query that "what are these vaccines that it requires the second most dangerous neurotoxin, mercury, to make them safe?", there was no reply.
17. Mercury used in vaccines is second in toxicity only to the radioactive substance, Uranium. It is a neurotoxin that can damage the entire nervous system of the infant in no time.
18. Mercury accumulates in fat. The brain being made mostly of fat cells, most of the mercury accumulates there giving rise to the peculiar symptoms of the autistic children.
19. The mercury used in vaccines is ethyl mercury. According to Indian doctors this is an industrial toxin and is 1000 times more toxic than the usual methyl mercury.
20. The aluminum present in vaccines makes the mercury, in any form, 100 times more toxic.
21. As per an independent study aluminum and formaldehyde present in vaccines can increase the toxicity of mercury, in any form, by 1000 times.
22. As per a Tehelka article on Autism, if one considers the WHO limit for mercury in water, they are receiving 50,000 times the limit. The limits set, incidentally, are for adults and not infants.
23. Autism in India has emerged as the most rapidly growing epidemic amongst children. As per a private study done by doctors in New Delhi, from 1 in 500 it has steadily climbed to 1 in 37 today. As per Indian doctors, "You can go to any class of any school today and find an autistic child."
24. Autism is a permanent disability that affects the child physically, mentally and emotionally. It makes the child loose social contact. It impedes both the physical and mental growth of the child. It destroys the brain causing severe memory and attention problems.The majority of symptoms displayed by autistic children match symptoms of heavy metal poisoning.
25. According to vaccine researcher Dr Harris Coulter, vaccines cause children to become pervert and criminal. Majority of the school shootings by the children in the USA have been committed by autistic children. Vaccines can cause more harm that even the medical community privately acknowledges.
26. Autistic children also suffer from severe bowel disorders. As per Dr Andrew Wakefield, this is due to the vaccine strain live measles virus in the MMR vaccine. Nearly all children become fully autistic after the MMR shot. As per a recent study the MMR vaccine has an adverse effect on the vital mucosal immune system. The very basis of trying to prevent childhood Mumps and Measles has been questioned in this study.
27. The DPT also causes children to regress giving rise to fears that multiple live virus vaccines are an important cause behind autism. If three live viruses can cause so much harm we can well imagine what today’s five and seven viruses vaccines will do to children.
28. Before the autism epidemic, it was already well known that vaccines have caused the cancer epidemic in today’s society. Both the Small Pox and the Oral Polio Vaccine are made from monkey serum. This serum has helped many cancer causing monkey viruses, 60 found so far (SV 1 to SV60), to enter the human blood stream. As per recent revelations these viruses continue to be in the vaccines.
29. It is also known that it is the use of green monkey serum in vaccines that has led to the transfer of the Simian Immune deficiency Virus (SIV) from monkeys into humans. The SIV and the HIV that causes AIDS are very similar.
30. Not only AIDS, a blood cancer in infants (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) that is affecting children in thousands may also be primarily due to the extremely toxic nature of vaccine ingredients injected directly into the blood stream.
31. Infantile jaundice and also infantile diabetes is also scientifically connected to the toxic vaccines.
32. The live polio viruses used in the Oral Polio Vaccine has caused Vaccine Attributed Paralytic Polio in more than 1,25,000 children (up to the year 2006) as per doctors of the Indian Medical Association and the Jana Swasthya Abhiyan. The OPV has also let loose a new strain of polio in both India and Africa. The OPV is banned in the USA & European countries.
33. Vaccines contain serum from not only chimpanzees and monkeys but also from cows, pigs, chickens, eggs, horses, and even human serum and tissues extracted from aborted fetuses.
34. Deaths and permanent disability from vaccines is very common and known by the medical community. They are instructed by the Government to keep quiet and not to associate such cases with vaccines.
35. Many doctors argue that diseases during childhood are due to the body exercising its immune system. Suppressing these diseases causes the immune system to remain undeveloped causing the various autoimmune disorders like diabetes and arthritis that have become epidemics today.
36. Vaccines suppress the natural immunity and the body does not have natural antibodies anymore. The mothers milk therefore does not contain natural antibodies and can no longer protect the child against illnesses.
37. By stimulating humoral (blood related) immunity alone vaccines have caused an imbalance in the whole immune set up leading to an alarming increase in auto immune disorders. This is acknowledged by the immunologists themselves.
38. In the USA vaccine adverse effects are recorded and the Government offers compensation of millions of dollars to victims (the most recent case in its Vaccine Court may have received upto $200 million in damages). The Indian Government simply refuses to acknowledge that vaccines can cause deaths and permanent disability.
39. It has been scientifically proven that vaccines cannot prevent disease. Vaccines try to create humoral (blood related immunity) whereas it has been found that immunity is developed at various levels, humoral as well as cellular. We still do not know enough about the human immune system and therefore should not interfere with it.
40. In the USA parents are informed about vaccine after effects and their consent has to be taken before vaccinating their children. In India the Government assures the population through massive advertising campaigns that vaccines are extremely safe. Parents refusing to vaccinate are threatened by the administration.
41. THERE IS NO SYSTEM OF TREATMENT TO TREAT A VACCINE DAMAGED CHILD. The parents have to run from one hospital to another. The Government turns a blind eye and refuses to even acknowledge the vaccine connection. Attempts by private practitioners worldwide to treat vaccine damaged children by flushing out heavy metals and toxins from the body have been frowned upon and discouraged.
42. Senior medical doctors have challenged even the vaccines recommended by the Government of India. The BCG vaccine for tuberculosis has been extensively tested in India as long back as 1961 and found to be totally ineffective. The OPV is causing polio and other neurological and intestinal disorders in tens of thousands of Indian children. The Hep-B vaccine introduced recently is not meant for children at all, it is a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease that should be targeted only at promiscuous adults. The tetanus vaccine contains both aluminum and mercury besides the tetanus toxoid. The doctors themselves avoid giving the DPT to their children and relatives as per a survey amongst US health care professionals. The measles vaccine is a vaccine that regularly causes severe adverse effects and the health workers I have interviewed want it out.
43. The pediatricians are introducing dubious vaccines in India, which are being opposed by the doctors, politicians, and public in American and European countries. The Rotavirus vaccine, Hib vaccine, HPV vaccine and the various multi virus vaccines being introduced without any kind of testing is only because the vaccine manufacturers and the doctors administering them want to ensure a good income from them. They care two hoots about medical ethics and the fate of the children who will receive these vaccines. Vaccines containing nano particles and viruses and also plant based genetically modified vaccines are being opposed by honest doctors worldwide.
44. Various independent studies, notably the Dutch and the more recent German study, comparing vaccinated with unvaccinated children have found that vaccinated children are prone to asthma, dermatitis, allergies, hyperactivity etc. According to the German study, the death rate amongst vaccinated children is much more than the unvaccinated ones.
45. Vaccines, being a mass medical program which is accepted without question, becomes the perfect launching pad for bioterrorism. The powerful countries can spread lethal epidemics by just polluting the vaccines with bio warfare agents. The USA has handed over vaccine research to a bioterrorism research unit called the BARDA which functions under the Pentagon. A warning to this effect has been sounded by the Vice President IAP in a letter to the DGHS.
46. Besides "investigating" into the small pox virus, it is reported that a "weapons grade" bird flu vaccine has already been devised by the Pentagon to be used as biowarfare agents.
47. Vaccines have also been used to ensure population control. A batch of the tetanus vaccine has been used in many Asian countries to make the female population sterile. This was done by introducing a hormone that by inducing antibodies would abort the foetus when it is formed. In India, Saheli, a NGO fighting for the rights of women filed a PIL against this when the fact surfaced.
48. Mercury, a part of vaccines, is known to interfere with the endocrine system and induce sterility in both males and females.
49. Through a new Public Health Bill that is being drafted the Government of India is planning to introduce forced vaccinations and threaten anti-vaccination activists with steep fines and jail terms. This is obviously at the instance of foreign (read US) vaccine giants who are shifting base to India reeling at the tremendous opposition to vaccines in US and European countries. The Govt of India is planning a "vaccine park" at Chennai where these vaccine MNCs will set up base. This itself is an act of bioterrorism which ironically the proposed bill seeks to oppose.
50. As per the IOM, USA, vaccine research for a probable link between vaccines and autism should not be conducted. The Institute of Medicine in its last report on vaccines and autism in 2004 said that more research on the vaccine question is counterproductive: Finding a susceptibility to this risk in some infants would call into question the universal vaccination strategy that is a bedrock of immunization programs and could lead to widespread rejection of vaccines. The IOM concluded that efforts to find a link between vaccines and autism "must be balanced against the broader benefit of the current vaccine program for all children". What does this add up to? Infants should be sacrificed in order to perpetuate an unscientific procedure?

The above points are not exhaustive. For a more detailed article please write to me at jagchat01@yahoo.com.

Are we entering Corruption central politics?

Thanks to series of media reports and activism 'corruption' is now central to political class. We may accept it right when political leaderships acknowledges the ills associated with corruption. There can be 'we' verses 'they' citing the our flawed understanding of the so called 'civil society' and 'political class'. Most of us are swayed by both of these phenomenon, where is line of separation between the two streams of leadership.

The todays civil leaders would become tomorrows political class, whether we love or hate them, the democratic setup of country wants not legitimacy of the group but cohesive working towards the key agenda i.e. Corruption. Not easy to demystify the legal setup and legislative provision imbibed in the constitution of the country. We need to be alert on the issues, and now be sure with constant pressure the political parties would hear the civil society. Unless political class exercise their full power the voices are going to be heard on corruption, the legislative powers of the class cannot be withdrawn and remains backbone of various institutions.

The revamp of the systems as suggested by various commissions on the Indian administration needs to be carried out with a eye on the mentioned central theme. The people must practice what they want from the political class and their leaders, more often the mass have abandoned the idea if it does not suit their characteristics. Whether its central, left or right the political class needs to understand the demand of new generation. They want them not be shamed by the world in notifying them to be citizens of an corrupt nation. Over the years the benchmarking of all the products and services from India had been through this glass, and new entrepreneurs and professionals find it difficult to answer the uncertain questions on ethics and fair play.

Certifying Gujarat's Development

The states political leaderships does not need certificate from people who are not ready to accept the supremacy of the CM of the state. Who would not like to be part of the winning team? Most of the people support the current governments activities but not the means and methods through which it has been carried out. The leadership is quick to gather certificates favorable to their policies towards state and condemn those who give negative certificates. Gujarat attains high economic growth, which none have denied, babus were made to work, metro cities have improved, and so on. Similarly, many things have not gone well like in Agriculture, Human Development, Forest resources, development of small and medium towns, backward regions etc. There cannot be 100 percent success or failure, the governments are supposed to be working no matter who is controlling it.

If the democratic institutions are made to guide the personal agenda's then it cannot be done in its theoretical foundation, the power play of the leadership is strong enough to blow away weak winds of opposition. The praise should be well guarded and so is the criticism, the Gujarat cannot escape from its past and for current CM keeping silence on certain issues would not prove his innocence. There are plenty of people in state who know the mistakes of the 2002, but all have moved ahead not to disapprove suffering of the people rather give chance to peace. We must applaud the scores of people who cannot express their opinion on CM or people from whose hands they suffered, but have absorbed the social and economic shock which came into their life.

The law has taken its own time in deciding on the cases, thus impacting the image of the state and its leadership. Even then moving ahead there are road blocks and issues not solely emerging from the past but current policies of the government. There is eminent danger when leaderships take their criticism as anti-Gujarat and rebukes the idea of negative certificates. No political leadership should be alien to the opposition. This may not be sign of a healthy democracy.

Lets make Corruption Foremost Issue..

A 71 year old guardian of Indian democracy (Shri Anna Hazare and others)has launched a token protest at the national capital Delhi against the much pending (since 1960s) the Lokpal Bill, one of the oldest issue sidelined by parliamentarians. Though certain states have set up Ombudsmen (Lokpal) at the state level, but this has not helped to stop the corruption. The civil society and politicians have become distinct identity, one remains outside the democratic institutions (by not representing the people) and another though representatives of people turned foe or alien for citizens of the country. All powerful and mighty politicians have taken the responsibility for framing the bill in order to root out the corruption in their own political systems. Irrespective of political lineage this has not gained prominence in recent years. We all know the governments run by leading parties in states does not show any proof or confidence to be least corrupt. The series of scams which many declared 'Year of Scam -2010' still eludes the people since no forward movement in investigation have produced results, though the political scores have been settled.

The politicians-businessmen-babudom (govt servants) nexus has shown no lineancy in their activities, the just means and way of doing things have little eased out. The world has witnessed the change of regimes who were hostile to the people, but doubt about those who were shielded by democratic setup remains aloof to any change. The countries in west, America and Asia also engaged with similar looting of system and fooling with the citizens. The burden of masses have never being eased by this strong team of actors mentioned above in the surviving democracies.

Corruption would weed on its own given the anarchy which runs in the governments, the total collapse of systems, as we might have witnessed during 20 years of democracy in Bihar, and now a new change is seen. The people started looking hopeless and distanced itself from the corrupt system are now willing to return back to state, which started to look seriously to the corruption. The lessons from Mr. Nitish kumar must be learned by one and all where in he made it mandatory for all public servants to declare their assets which is made available online on yearly basis. These people now cannot make a false statement, which is scrutinized by the agencies concerned. A high hope for many in the state.

Similarly, the developed states are leading the pack in becoming the most corrupt during last two decades, lead by Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. There is little hope to correct the path without the wholehearted support from the people. When would people realise to make corruption a foremost issue in their civic life? A question tough to fathom and answer.