Tuesday, December 21, 2010

PM ready to appear before PAC in 2G issue

PM speaks at plenary session

Friday, December 17, 2010

This statement of BJP is a big lie. Rahul has always spoken the words of unity and oneness, and brotherhood. Its BJP and the groups which is associated with it which is dividing India in the name of religion and regionalism to come to power. It is this feeling of hatred which is causing all trouble and terrorism, the hatred which many have for Pakistan. We need to learn to love our neighbor as ourselves. The spirit of brotherhood should be there with us.

Terrorism and communalism of all types is a threat India. We need to remain vigilant against acts of terrorism of all kinds, no matter who commits them._______Rahul Gandhi

Monday, December 13, 2010

We should not do anything that will denigrate the institution of the Prime Minister.

“It is a painful fact that corruption seems to be widespread and I feel strongly that it is our responsibility as well as that of each and every political party to together, seriously, device a way - a mechanism to curb this growing menace,” Ms. Gandhi said.



Ms. Gandhi said “Congress has always stood for transparency and probity. And we have made it clear that there will be absolutely no tolerance for corruption or misconduct.
Even when no charge has been established or no misconduct has been proved, we have asked ministers and chief ministers to step down, pending enquiry.”

“We should not do anything that will denigrate the institution of the Prime Minister. We cannot sacrifice institutions at the altar of political expediency”, Ms. Gandhi said.

Stepping up the attack on the BJP on the issue of corruption, Gandhi said, “Can the BJP make the same claim in Karnataka where corruption is rampant? Let us not forget that it was during the BJP-led NDA that a senior minister resigned after the defence scam was exposed but was re-instated even as the inquiry was underway.

“And what about some of the leaders in the same party caught in camera taking money and later rehabilitated? The list is endless,” she said in reference to former BJP President Bangaru Laxman.


Sunday, December 12, 2010

Not letting Parliament function is not at all a right given to opposition under the Constitution.

It is unfortunate that opposition can hold parliament from functioning. Whereas this power is given to nobody. This is people’s parliament. And no one should hold it hostage. The government or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Presiding officer of Rajya Sabha should make rules to prevent any mischievous element from preventing the Parliament to function. How can some people be allowed to waste the public money and hold parliament from functioning. How can government or the Speaker of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha allow such people do such act repeatedly. Not letting Parliament function is not all a right given to opposition under the Constitution. The action of the Opposition for all these waste of public money and time is unconstitutional. This can not be democracy. Not letting the Parliament to function can never be part of a democracy. This is barbaric. This shows that the opposition has no faith in democratic form of government. The Speaker should let Parliament function by evicting the indiscipline members from the House. Is the Speaker helpless! If so let the Government make new rules to prevent misuse of the House. We know that opposition is responsible for such a huge waste, but its high time the Speaker need to make new rules to let Parliament function. Parliament is not meant to make slogans only.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Same ruling party in state & Centre for speedy progress: Rahul

"The Centre has never neglected any non-Congress ruled state including Orissa," Gandhi said while responding to a question of a student during an interactive session in Berhampur University.
"Do not worry about elderly persons. The door is open for youths. Let youths join politics in larger numbers," the Congress general secretary said during an interaction with students at Saheed Bhavan in Cuttack.

"Our Prime Minister is an elderly person, but he works like a youth," he said while replying to a question on elderly persons occupying positions in political parties.

Voicing confidence that youth could bring change in politics and also contribute in nation building, Gandhi said the elders were never a hindrance for them.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

We cannot afford to allow Taliban to comeback


"We cannot afford to allow Taliban to comeback. No one stand benefited if civil war raises its ugly head...we must succeed," he said. Noting that one cannot stand still if India wants to move ahead in 21st century, he said, "India, Brazil, Germany, Japan, some representatives of Africa and Arab world must be in UN Security Council."
Sarkozy showered praise on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying the Indian leader was obsessed with peace through development and eradication of poverty.
"I have great admiration for Prime Minister Singh. I value his friendship. He is right in believing in peace and stability. India's challenge is that if you succeed through peace, it will have a huge knock-out effect on the world," he said.
India and France are united by common values and believe that international relations should not be governed by brutality or force and it should be based on dialogue and rule of law, Sarkozy said adding the relationship between the two countries should go much further.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Education should reach all sections of people, particularly youth.

Expressing concern over the problems faced by the people in Manipur because of the menace of militancy in the region, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday said any problem could be solved only through dialogue and not violence.
Sonia Gandhi said it was now time to work together for peace and development and every section of society must get the benefits of various developmental programmes being implemented with the help of the Centre.
"Education should reach all sections of people, particularly youth and with an intention of improving education, the Centre had converted the former J N Hospital into Jawahal Lal National Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal and asked the youths to utilise these facilities to become best doctors," she added, while addressing a public meeting at the historic Kangla fort here today.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Together with development, what UP and Bihar need desperately is large scale improvement in the law and order, without which the overall picture cannot change

"It is an important issue and we need to be very strict on corruption... the government is in the process of taking strong action," he told reporters here.




"Development in UP is low as compared to what could have been done, but there are certain constraints. You can see the state of roads even outside the auditorium," he said. 


"If the UP government's focus is in the right direction, the state could be developed... there are no shortcomings in the people here," he said.




Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Monday said that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are very important states for the entire nation and their development was necessary for nation building.
'Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are extremely important for the entire nation and unless these two states were developed, all talk about nation building would be meaningless,' Gandhi said here.
'Together with development, what UP and Bihar need desperately is large scale improvement in the law and order, without which the overall picture cannot change,' he pointed out.

Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern over rising corruption and emphasised the need for strict action against the menace.
'Corruption is a serious issue and we have already initiated certain tough measures to deal with it,' he said in reply to a pointed query by a journalist just as he rose to leave the venue.
Reacting to his emphasis on the need for development of a backward Uttar Pradesh, when a scribe pointed out his own focus was on Amethi and Rae Bareli (his mother Sonia Gandhi's constituency), Rahul Gandhi shot back, 'Well, even Amethi and Rae Bareli still require much more development.'
He blamed the state government for not focusing its attention on the need for development of the entire state.
Earlier, speaking at the function, he exhorted the youth to realise that they were the 'nation builders of tomorrow', and the future of the nation depended on them.
Significantly, this was one of the rare occasions during his Rae Bareli or Amethi visits when he interacted with the media, which is usually keeps at an arm's length from him.


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Lets seek for a world without nuclear weapons

Now, let me suggest that with increased power comes increased responsibility. The United Nations exists to fulfill its founding ideals of preserving peace and security, promoting global cooperation, and advancing human rights. These are the responsibilities of all nations, but especially those that seek to lead in the 21st century. And so we look forward to working with India—and other nations that aspire to Security Council membership—to ensure that the Security Council is effective; that resolutions are implemented and sanctions enforced; and that we strengthen the international norms which recognize the rights and responsibilities of all nations and individuals.
This includes our responsibility to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Since I took office, the United States has reduced the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and agreed with Russia to reduce our arsenals. We have put preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism at the top of our nuclear agenda, and strengthened the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime—the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Together, the United States and India can pursue our goal of securing the world’s vulnerable nuclear materials. We can make it clear that even as every nation has the right to peaceful nuclear energy, every nation must also meet its international obligations—and that includes the Islamic Republic of Iran. And together, we can pursue a vision that Indian leaders have espoused since independence—a world without nuclear weapons.
This leads me to the final area where our countries can partner—strengthening the foundations of democratic governance, not only at home but abroad.
In the United States, my administration has worked to make government more open and transparent and accountable to the people. Here in India, you’re harnessing technologies to do the same, as I saw yesterday. Your landmark Right to Information Act is empowering citizens with the ability to get the services to which they’re entitled and to hold officials accountable. Voters can get information about candidates by text message. And you’re delivering education and health care services to rural communities, as I saw yesterday when I joined an e-panchayat with villagers in Rajasthan.

Now, in a new collaboration on open government, our two countries are going to share our experience, identify what works, and develop the next-generation of tools to empower citizens. And in another example of how American and Indian partnership can address global challenges, we’re going to share these innovations with civil society groups and countries around the world. We’re going to show that democracy, more than any other form of government, delivers for the common man—and woman.
Likewise, when Indians vote, the whole world watches. Thousands of political parties. Hundreds of thousands of polling centers. Millions of candidates and poll workers, and 700 million voters. There’s nothing like it on the planet. There is so much that countries transitioning to democracy could learn from India’s experience; so much expertise that India could share with the world. That, too, is what’s possible when the world’s largest democracy embraces its role as a global leader.
As the world’s two largest democracies, we must also never forget that the price of our own freedom is standing up for the freedom of others. Indians know this, for it is the story of your nation. Before he ever began his struggle for Indian independence, Gandhi stood up for the rights of Indians in South Africa. Just as others, including the United States, supported Indian independence, India championed the self-determination of peoples from Africa to Asia as they too broke free from colonialism. And along with the United States, you’ve been a leader in supporting democratic development and civil society groups around the world. This, too, is part of India’s greatness.
Every country will follow its own path. No one nation has a monopoly on wisdom, and no nation should ever try to impose its values on another. But when peaceful democratic movements are suppressed—as in Burma—then the democracies of the world cannot remain silent. For it is unacceptable to gun down peaceful protestors and incarcerate political prisoners decade after decade. It is unacceptable to hold the aspirations of an entire people hostage to the greed and paranoia of a bankrupt regime. It is unacceptable to steal an election, as the regime in Burma has done again for all the world to see.
Faced with such gross violations of human rights, it is the responsibility of the international community—especially leaders like the United States and India—to condemn it. If I can be frank, in international fora, India has often avoided these issues. But speaking up for those who cannot do so for themselves is not interfering in the affairs of other countries. It’s not violating the rights of sovereign nations. It’s staying true to our democratic principles. It’s giving meaning to the human rights that we say are universal. And it sustains the progress that in Asia and around the world has helped turn dictatorships into democracies and ultimately increased our security in the world.
Promoting shared prosperity. Preserving peace and security. Strengthening democratic governance and human rights. These are the responsibilities of leadership. And, as global partners, this is the leadership that the United States and India can offer in the 21st century. Ultimately, however, this cannot be a relationship only between presidents and prime ministers, or in the halls of this parliament. Ultimately, this must be a partnership between our peoples. So I want to conclude by speaking directly to the people of India watching today.
In your lives, you have overcome odds that might have overwhelmed a lesser country. In just decades, you have achieved progress and development that took other nations centuries. And now you are assuming your rightful place as a leader among nations. Your parents and grandparents imagined this. Your children and grandchildren will look back on this. But only you—this generation of Indians—can seize the possibility of this moment.
As you carry on with the hard work ahead, I want every Indian citizen to know: the United States of America will not simply be cheering you on from the sidelines. We will be right there with you, shoulder to shoulder. Because we believe in the promise of India. And we believe that the future is what we make it.

We believe that no matter who you are or where you come from, every person can fulfill their God-given potential, just as a Dalit like Dr. Ambedkar could lift himself up and pen the words of the Constitution that protects the rights of all Indians.
We believe that no matter where you live—whether a village in Punjab or the bylanes of Chandni Chowk…an old section of Kolkata or a new high-rise in Bangalore—every person deserves the same chance to live in security and dignity, to get an education, to find work, and to give their children a better future.
And we believe that when countries and cultures put aside old habits and attitudes that keep people apart, when we recognize our common humanity, then we can begin to fulfill the aspirations we share. It’s a simple lesson contained in that collection of stories which has guided Indians for centuries—the Panchtantra. And it’s the spirit of the inscription seen by all who enter this great hall: ‘That one is mine and the other a stranger is the concept of little minds. But to the large-hearted, the world itself is their family.”
This is the story of India; it’s the story of America—that despite their differences, people can see themselves in one another, and work together and succeed together as one proud nation. And it can be the spirit of the partnership between our nations—that even as we honor the histories which in different times kept us apart, even as we preserve what makes us unique in a globalized world, we can recognize how much we can achieve together.
And if we let this simple concept be our guide, if we pursue the vision I have described today—a global partnership to meet global challenges—then I have no doubt that future generations—Indians and Americans—will live in a world that is more prosperous, more secure, and more just because of the bonds that our generation forged today.
Thank you, Jai Hind!, and long live the partnership between India and the United States.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The United States will not abandon the people of Afghanistan—or the region—to the violent extremists who threaten us all.

As we work to advance our shared prosperity, we can partner to address a second priority—our shared security. In Mumbai, I met with the courageous families and survivors of that barbaric attack. And here in this Parliament, which was itself targeted because of the democracy it represents, we honor the memory of all those who have been taken from us, including American citizens on 26/11 and Indian citizens on 9/11.
This is the bond we share. It’s why we insist that nothing ever justifies the slaughter of innocent men, women and children. It’s why we’re working together, more closely than ever, to prevent terrorist attacks and to deepen our cooperation even further. And it’s why, as strong and resilient societies, we refuse to live in fear, we will not sacrifice the values and rule of law that defines us, and we will never waver in the defense of our people.
America’s fight against al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates is why we persevere in Afghanistan, where major development assistance from India has improved the lives of the Afghan people. We’re making progress in our mission to break the Taliban’s momentum and to train Afghan forces so they can take the lead for their security. And while I have made it clear that American forces will begin the transition to Afghan responsibility next summer, I have also made it clear that America’s commitment to the Afghan people will endure. The United States will not abandon the people of Afghanistan—or the region—to the violent extremists who threaten us all.
Our strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates has to succeed on both sides of the border. That is why we have worked with the Pakistani government to address the threat of terrorist networks in the border region. The Pakistani government increasingly recognizes that these networks are not just a threat outside of Pakistan—they are a threat to the Pakistani people, who have suffered greatly at the hands of violent extremists.
And we will continue to insist to Pakistan's leaders that terrorist safe-havens within their borders are unacceptable, and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice. We must also recognize that all of us have and interest in both an Afghanistan and a Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic—and none more so than India.
In pursuit of regional security, we will continue to welcome dialogue between India and Pakistan, even as we recognize that disputes between your two countries can only be resolved by the people of your two countries.

Jay Hind

Jay Hind

India and US will go forward with confidence to defeat terrorism

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Demolition of Babri Masjid was a shameful, criminal act - for which the perpetrators must be brought to justice

“We have made alliances with different parties at the Centre and in states. We do respect our allies. But it does not mean that we stop efforts to grow our organisation or abdicate our political space,” Ms. Gandhi said in her opening address at the day-long AICC session here.


In her inaugural speech, Gandhi said the Congress and the governments led by her party will "forcefully" resist attempts by anyone to abuse religion for political gains.



Talking about the September 30 Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, she said it in "no way condones" the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6,1992.
The demolition was a "shameful, criminal act" and "all those responsible must be brought to justice," she said.
Taking the attack a notch further, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee piloted an AICC statement that said "recent revelations through detailed investigations have exposed the true character of RSS and its sister organisations. The investigations indicate the involvement of its members in terrorist activities."

Justifying the inclusion of references to the RSS, Mukherjee said, "The RSS organisation is to be exposed. Their links with terrorist activities which have been recently highlighted through the revelations are to be brought in."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the role of Sonia Gandhi as the "longest serving" party President for the last 12 years and her efforts in bringing the party to power at the Centre for a second continuous term.
He expressed confidence that under her leadership the party would continue to be in power for a long time.

"I speak for all of us when I express my anguish at the loss of young lives in Kashmir. I share their grief. Their loss is a national loss. The whole generation has seen nothing but violence and conflict," she said.
She said the priority should be on development of the state. "There has to be a meaningful political dialogue with all parties and all region," she said.
On terrorism, she said the "threat is for real and we will never relax our vigil against terrorism".

Launching a blistering attack on communal forces, Gandhi said the Allahabad High Court ruling on the Ayodhya title suit "in no way - in no way- condones the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.This was shameful- a criminal act - for which the perpetrators must be brought to justice".
"We all remember how tense the country was in the days prior to the judgement.It is a tribute to our people that they ensured that peace and harmony prevailed," she said.
"Broader message for us all is that our fight against communalism of all kinds, against fanaticism of all types has to continue unabated.This is a political struggle for a secular India," the Congress President said.

Gandhi utilised the occasion to express concern over rising prices, noting that though inflation has come down to an extent, still it needs to be further brought down.
At the same time, she put the onus on the state governments to maintain the price line.
She noted that the states were responsible for operating PDS as also to take action against black-marketeers, hoarders and speculators.
She wanted partymen in opposition-ruled states to take the lead in pressurising the governments there to take action in this regard.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Both Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India follow fundamentalist ideologies

The AICC general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, speaking at a press conference here Wednesday at the end of a three-day Madhya Pradesh tour, equated the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh with the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India, saying both followed fundamentalist ideologies. He said he wanted to “open the gates of politics” to the young to “empower them to take on the task of nation-building”.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Corrupt Mayavati is misutilising central fund


"For the youth today, as I hear often, Ayodhya and such issues are not important but for them education and jobs are more relevant. If we do not transform our educational system then we will have to struggle in future," warned Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.
To a query on packages from the Centre for backward regions, he said, "I had visited Bundelkhand in the region some years ago and found many serious problems facing the region on its way to development. There is a central problem that packages by the Centre for development of backward regions, are not being utilized properly and the need is to improve the situation."

Saturday, October 2, 2010

'Gandhi's teachings helped Obama shape his life'

Mahatma Gandhi was the guiding light of our technique of non-violent social change. His wholehearted embrace of 'Gandhian' principles was clearly instrumental to the eventual success of the American civil rights movement.
__________Martin Luther King

Friday, October 1, 2010

Mulayam Singh must stop spoiling communal harmony

"We request him (Mulayam) not to say anything which could spoil communal harmony and whatever has to be said should be in the Supreme Court," Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari told reporters here.

God resides in man's heart, not in man-made houses: SRK

"Allah, God, Bhagwan in whichever name we pray to the supreme power by, resides in man's heart, not in man-made houses for Him," SRK wrote on microblogging site Twitter.


"I mean first our beliefs should take seed and grow in our hearts and then only we should manifest that in places of prayer and God," the actor tweeted.

It is only a few mischief makers who create divisions in our society

'You should be particularly careful with regard to rumours that disruptive elements could propagate to create ill-will between communities,' he said.
'My appeal to all sections of the people is to maintain peace and tranquility and to show respect for all religions and religious beliefs in the highest traditions of Indian culture,' he added.
'I have full faith in the people of India. I also have full confidence in the traditions of secularism, brotherhood and tolerance of our great country,' he said.
'I know that often it is only a few mischief makers who create divisions in our society,' he added.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Terror In Uniform

Parmar was trapped by the police. He was asked to drive his car, which was intercepted. A revolver, two cartridges and a plastic bag with narcotics were found in the car. He was booked under the NDPS Act

Police State: Terror in Uniform

Policemen or Criminals

About 200 criminal cases have been registered against policemen in the city in the past three years, with offences ranging from minor ones to serious crimes like molestation, possessing drugs and abduction.
According to information received under the Right to Information Act, 2,297 instances have come to notice between 2007 and May 2010 in which at least 2,350 policemen, including assistant commissioner of police level officers, have been issued show-cause notices, faced departmental inquiries or criminal cases.
A total of 199 criminal cases were registered against policemen for offences like allegedly extorting money, involvement in dowry harassment cases, beating up youths, molesting girls and taking bribes during the period.
A maximum of 795 cases were registered in 2007, followed by 552 in 2009 and 505 in 2008. A total of 126 such cases were registered between January and May this year.
Exercising his Right to Information, Ashwini Shrivastava has asked Delhi police departmental enquiry cell to provide information on number of disciplinary action or inquiry initiated against police personnel between 2007 and May 2010.
The applicant had also asked about the details of criminal cases and penalty imposed against police personnel during the period.
The reply said that maximum of departmental actions or inquiries were initiated or show-cause notices and criminal cases registered against constables, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors. There were also cases against senior officers like Inspector and ACP-level officers.
Some of the reasons that figured in the reply include performing duty under the influence of alcohol, possessing heroin, losing wireless set, misbehaving with seniors, losing identity cards twice or thrice, kidnapping minor, dowry harassment and dereliction of duty.
As per the RTI reply, most of the inquiries are pending for over two years with the units concerned despite police commissioner YS Dadwal's directive to complete them on time.
Senior officials concerned with the departments remain tight-lipped on the RTI response and refused to divulge further details.
When contacted, joint commissioner of police (vigilance) N Dilip Kumar toldPTI, "The department takes serious action against anybody found involved in corrupt practices or other offences."

An earlier RTI application filed by the applicant had revealed that Delhi Police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are most corrupt bodies, according to the number of graft cases filed by Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in the last three years.
As many as 59 corruption related cases were filed against Delhi police personnel followed by 27 against MCD employees by the ACB between 2007 and May 2010.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gets world statesman award

He said Singh’s economic policies have helped India’s rise within the new G-20 world, and helped produce a doubling of US-India bilateral trade in just a few years.
“And Prime Minister Singh’s advocacy of cooperation in high technology and science led to the recent launch of India’s first unmanned lunar probe, which carried a NASA payload and discovered presence of water molecules on the moon,” Burns said.
The new generation, which has access to technical knowhow, does not feel encouraged to join politics. But only if the young raise their voice or participate wholeheartedly in politics, all the burning problems of the country can be solved.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Today evening while me along with my friends were sitting near the parking area of the beach which is on the beach near Panthanivas Hotel, a police jeep arrived and the officer in it said “Why are you all sitting here? You were told not to sit here? There were problems arising because of you people sitting here”. Then I along with my friends dispersed from there. I don’t know what kind of order is it. Is this order legal? Why we were told to not sit there which is a public place to sit and relax. What kind of preventive measure it is! There were complete darkness at the beach, and the local government is not doing anything about it. And there is no police men also in this side of the beach to maintain security. Shame on Orissa government. Shame in the name of development which it is claiming. Will filing a Public Interest Litigation help? Will it help to evict the part of the beach which is encroached by the some hotels who considers this beach as their father’s property?

Friday, September 17, 2010

Serving the country should be the main aim.

“Becoming prime minister is not the only job in the world. There are many other things to do,” the charismatic Gandhi said in reponse to a question of a student of the Visva Bharati central university.


Serving the country should be the main aim, he stressed at the 90-minute interactive session with students.


"I am currently involved in a full-time job. But I find everybody everywhere nowadays likes to offer me new job. I have even been given an offer of intervening in the Commonwealth Games,"

"And Kashmir is not a part-time problem. When I am given a task, I would like to settle down and understand the problem in detail," he said.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Kashmir is a tough place and Omar is a youngster, give him time and support: Rahul

"The government has supported Omar Abdullah. National Conference is the party in power. He is a youngster. Kashmir is a difficult place. Omar is doing a tough job and he should be given time and support," Gandhi told a press conference when asked whether Omar had failed. 


To a question on AFSPA, Gandhi said he would "defer to the Prime Minister on the subject. I would say the Prime Minister has knowledge on the subject. I would lower my head. The Prime Minister has more knowledge on the subject".

He said, "It is a complex issue and he would not like to say whether he wanted it or did not want. It would be unfair on my part to do so irresponsible". 


"It is for senior people like the Prime Minister to comment on that. For me to say I am for or against would be unfair or irresponsible," Gandhi told a questioner. 

The real issue is illegal mining. It is criminal.

"What was going on there is illegal. It is not a issue of corporate versus tribals. The real issue is illegal mining. It is criminal," Gandhi said in reply to a question at a press conference here. 

 "I have a soft corner for all Indians. But there are some Indians who do not get the same kind of benefits as others do,"

Gandhi said, "We cannot allow transfer of land from poor to rich with no benefits going to the poor." 


He said, "You need to acquire land for development of roads and railways. It is a fact. Harayana has a new land acquisition policy which is helpful for the poor. But in UP people had to give away land for Rs 400 per decimal which is worth thousands"

Rahul said, "We are working on a new land acquisition bill where people get to share the benefits."

Asked about rising prices of essential commodities, he said that prices were in fact going down and inflation had decreased to 8.5 per cent. 

"It will be go down further. The monsoons have also been good. Things are looking up."

Thursday, September 9, 2010

If farmers are deprived of their land-based livelihood, they must be provided with adequate compensation and alternative occupations

Farmers should get adequate compensation for their land, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Thursday and stressed that the environment should be protected to ensure sustainable development.

'New industry and new infrastructure cannot be built without acquiring land. This is obvious,' she said, adding that land acquisition must be done in a manner that it does not result in the loss of large tracts of fertile and productive agricultural lands indispensable for growing food grains needed to feed the people.


'And if farmers are deprived of their land-based livelihood, they must be provided with adequate compensation and alternative occupations,' Gandhi said here while speaking as a chief guest at a function to dedicate 'National Capital Thermal Power Project, Dadri' to the nation.



Noting that the environment must be protected to ensure sustainable development, she said: 'In whatever we do, we must not forget that our lush forests and mountains, majestic rivers and all other water sources and clean air have sustained and nurtured us for millennia.'

'We have a responsibility to preserve them for the coming generations,' Gandhi said

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Good education is just not the right for certain people; everybody has equal right to it.

"Good education is just not the right for certain people; everybody has equal right to it. We should learn from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, and this kind of education should be provided in other government schools also," she said.

She also underlined that education provided to children must be in accordance with the changes happening in the world especially with regard to new technology and new techniques.

Kapil Sibal, stated that the late Rajiv Gandhi considered providing quality education for deprived children his foremost duty. "It was in this context that the government decided to open a JNV in every district of the country as part of the National Policy on Education, 1986."

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Supreme Court should not get into the realm of policy formulation

“I do recognise that food should be available to the people below poverty line at concessional prices. We have not allowed any increase in the issue price of food grain to people below poverty line since 2004,” he said. Making food available free would destroy the incentive for farmers to produce more. And if there was no food available, there would be nothing to distribute, he added.


“This is just the type of activism which creates problems for everybody. I wish the court had given some thought on how the order can be implemented,” he had said.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

States need to enforce provisions of the PFA Act strictly.

He drew the attention of health ministers to the most critical subject of population stabilization in the country and requested them to discuss this issue in state legislatures, Zilla Parishads and Panchayats to build up a broad-based political consensus for population stabilization.

He urged states to concentrate on implementing laws governing the age of marriage, and encourage young couples to delay their first child and maintain spacing between the first and second child.

Expressing concern at the menace of spurious drugs and adulteration of food, he called upon the state health ministers to enforce provisions of the PFA Act strictly.

He emphasized the need for strengthing the enforcement machinery by filling up the vacant posts of food and drug inspectors and by upgrading the laboratories with proper equipment and trained personnel.

Azad also assured that his ministry would engage in discussions with the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India to explore the possibility of further liberalization in existing norms. (ANI)

Sunday, August 29, 2010


Wasn't there terrorist act by some demons in the past that wear saffron, yet are a blot on such symbol. And such people are still present in our nation who are potential terrorists; who manipulates people’s emotion and instigates one community against another. Such saffron terrorists are to be taken into tasks. Mr. Chidambaram should not disturb his mind with the worthless criticism of Modi. Neither the Prime Minister becomes ‘weak’ if he is told so.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

My religion is to consider each person of this great nation as one, whether he is rich or poor, Adivasi or Dalit . And wherever that persons voice is curbed, wherever his rights are snatched, that's against my religion.






My religion is to consider each person of this great nation as one, whether he is rich or poor, Adivasi or Dalit
And wherever that persons voice is curbed, wherever his rights are snatched, that's against my religion.

Some says this is against development, but here Adivasis voice were suppressed, but it reached everywhere, so its not against development, its development.


"Development does not mean curbing the poor, the tribals and the backward. We are for development, but we will never curb the voice of the people," he said.


Wearing a beard and dressed in trademark white, Gandhi said amid loud cheers, "We promised you in 2004 that there'll be a government for the aam aadmi (common man) and we gave you that." (See Pics: Rahul in Orissa)

He recalled his words from a visit two years ago when he had said that, "For the tribals of Kalahandi, there is a soldier in Delhi named Rahul Gandhi." And added, "My work is not finished, it's begun. Whenever you need me, wherever, I am ready to stand with you.

On his last visit in 2008, Rahul said, some tribal youth had told him that they worshiped the Niyamgiri Hills and that their God was being snatched from them. That he said, was their "dharma." His dharma, Rahul said, was that "every voice, including that of the poor and adivasis should be heard.'

The rejection of the Vedanta project, he said, was not anti-development. "Development means that every citizen of India develops...Our government in Delhi, our PM, Sonia ji will fight for development and to give you a voice.

My advice to you is that we must remain ever vigilant and continue to build at the central and state levels, our capacity in counter-terrorism

“There is the recently uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has been implicated in many bomb blasts of the past,” Mr Chidambaram said while addressing a conference of police chiefs. 


“My advice to you is that we must remain ever vigilant and continue to build at the central and state levels, our capacity in counter-terrorism,” he said in his inaugural address to the 45th meet of the chiefs of state police and central paramilitary forces here. 

Sounding upbeat about the falling levels of violence in the north-eastern states, Mr Chidambaram said the region accounted for the government’s best record of achievement. “...In 2010, we have seen a dramatic decline in the number of incidents and in the number of casualties. 

Land acquisition amendment bill in next Parliament session, assures PM

Singh said that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati's government in Uttar Pradesh was misusing the emergency provisions of the land acquisition act.

He said the delegation also demanded that Haryana government's rehabilitation policy, which has provisions for acquisition of land at market rates and an annuity for 33 years, should be sent to all states as a model legislation.

Earlier, interacting with reporters before the meeting with Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi said land acquisition was "a big and important issue".
"What happened in Aligarh is very unfair," Gandhi said.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Mr. Modi should stop providing misleading information to the people of India, when he said that there hasn't been any legal reform in the recent past. Each country has its own way of development and growth. It will be sheer foolishness if we adopt western ways and reforms in our country straight away. If America has been successful in gaining control over terrorism, so do we in some aspect, but comparing ourselves with America and thrashing the efforts of government is not a healthy practice. American politicians don't wear Dhoti -Kurta, then why does Mr. Modi wear those stuffs. They speak English, but why doesn't Mr. Modi speak so always.

Our Government will fully discharge its responsibility to protect each and every citizen of our country

Despite our many strengths, we face some serious challenges. We should resolve today that we will meet these challenges as one people. Our society often gets divided in the name of religion, State, caste or language. We should resolve that we will not allow divisions in our society under any circumstance. Tolerance and generosity have been a part of our traditions. We should strengthen these traditions. As we progress economically our society should also become more sensitive. We should be modern and progressive in our outlook.


Our Government wants a food safety net in which no citizen of ours would go hungry. This requires enhanced agricultural production which is possible only by increasing productivity. Our country has not witnessed any big technological breakthrough in agriculture after the Green Revolution. We need technology which would address the needs of dry land agriculture. In addition, our agriculture should also be able to deal with new challenges like climate change, falling levels of ground water and deteriorating quality of soil. In the history of Indian agriculture, Norman Borlaug commands a special place. About 40 to 50 years back he developed new and more productive seeds of wheat. Under the leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhiji, India achieved the Green Revolution by adopting these seeds. I am happy to announce that the Borlaug Institute of South Asia is being established in India. This institute would facilitate availability of new and improved seeds and new technology to the farmers of India and other countries of South Asia.


In the 63 years after independence, India has covered a long distance on the path of development. But our destination is still far away. A large part of our population still suffers from persistent poverty, hunger and disease. When our Government came to power in 2004, we resolved to build a new India under a progressive social agenda. We wanted the fruits of development to reach the common man. We initiated programmes especially targeted to the welfare of the socially and economically backward sections of our society. We still stand committed to the welfare of the poor, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and other backward sections of our society. But today we do not need many new programmes to achieve our goals. However, we do need to implement the schemes we have already started more effectively, minimizing the chances of corruption and misuse of public money. We want to achieve this in partnership with the State Governments, Panchayat Raj Institutions and civil society groups.


Secularism is one of the pillars of our democracy. It has been the tradition of our country and society to treat all religions with equal respect. For centuries India has welcomed new religions and all have flourished here. Secularism is also our constitutional obligation. Our Government is committed to maintain communal peace and harmony. We also consider it our duty to protect the minorities and provide for their special needs. This is why we have started many new programmes in the last four years for the welfare of our brothers and sisters belonging to the minority communities. These include scholarships for minority students and special programmes for the development of districts which have a high concentration of minorities. These schemes have shown good results. We will vigorously take this work forward.


We have been giving special attention to education and health in the last six years. Improvement in these two areas is an important component of our strategy for inclusive growth. It is also necessary for higher economic growth in the years to come. After independence, these two areas could not get the importance they deserved. We tried to change this state of affairs in the 11th Plan. Today, almost every child in our country has access to primary education. Now, we need to pay more attention to secondary and higher education. We also need to improve the quality of education at all levels. It is our endeavour that every child, irrespective of whether he is rich or poor and which section of the society he belongs to, should be given an education that enables him to realize his potential and makes him a responsible citizen of our country. We will continue to implement the new schemes that we have started in the last six years in the areas of education and health with sincerity and hard work and in partnership with the State Governments. We will soon bring a Bill to Parliament for constitution of two separate councils in higher education and health respectively so that reforms in these two areas can be accelerated.


Nutritious food and good health services are necessary but not enough for ensuring good health of our citizens. We also need cleanliness and good sanitation in our villages, towns and cities. There are many diseases which would be difficult to prevent otherwise. The truth is that our country lags behind in this area. I consider it a primary responsibility of all our citizens to maintain cleanliness and hygiene around them. I would like our children to be taught the importance of cleanliness and hygiene in schools from the very beginning under a campaign for a Clean India. I appeal to the State Governments, Panchayat Raj Institutions, civil society groups and common citizens to make this campaign successful.


There has been much discussion recently on the issue of internal security. If law and order in any part of India deteriorates or peace and harmony gets disturbed, the common man is adversely affected. Therefore, it is one of the primary responsibilities of any government to maintain law and order so that the citizens can live and earn their livelihood in an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Naxalism is a serious challenge to our internal security. I pay tribute to the men and officers of our security forces who have became martyrs in the attacks by naxalites in the last few months. I have stated this before and I say it again - our Government will fully discharge its responsibility to protect each and every citizen of our country. We will deal firmly with those who resort to violence. We will provide all possible help to State Governments to maintain the rule of law in areas affected by naxalism. I once again appeal to naxalites to abjure violence, come for talks with the Government and join hands with us to accelerate social and economic development. A few days back I took a meeting with the Chief Ministers of States affected by naxalism. We will fully implement the consensus that emerged in that meeting. I would like to repeat here a point that I made in that meeting. It is imperative that Centre and States work together to meet the challenge of naxalism. It would be very difficult for any State to tackle this problem without cooperation from the Centre and coordination between States. We all need to rise above our personal and political interests to meet this challenge.


In Jammu and Kashmir, we are ready to talk to every person or group which abjures violence. Kashmir is an integral part of India. Within this framework, we are ready to move forward in any talks which would increase the partnership of the common man in governance and also enhance their welfare. Recently, some young men have lost their lives in violence in Jammu and Kashmir. We deeply regret this. The years of violence should now end. Such violence would not benefit anyone. I believe that India's democracy has the generosity and flexibility to be able to address the concerns of any area or group in the country. I recently participated in a meeting with political parties from Jammu and Kashmir. We will endeavour to take this process forward. I would like to convey to our countrymen, especially our citizens in Jammu and Kashmir and in the North East, that they should adopt democratic means to join hands with us for their and country's welfare.


I would also like to say something which is related to our glorious cultural traditions. The use of harsh and unpleasant words in our political discourse has increased in recent days. This is against our traditions of generosity, humility and tolerance. Criticism has a place of its own in a democracy and in a progressive society. However, criticism should not be undignified. We should have the capacity to reconcile opposite points of view on important issues through debate and discussion. I would request all political parties to consider this issue.


'JAI HIND'