Video Shows Dalit Boys Stripped, Thrashed, But Case Filed Against Them – ND TV
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dalit-boys-stripped-beaten-paraded-then-arrested-for-theft-1338788
Karnataka: 19-year-old girl allegedly killed for getting married to a Dalit man in Mandya – Ibn live
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/karnataka-19-year-old-girl-allegedly-killed-for-getting-married-to-a-dalit-man-in-mandya-1225501.html
Dalit girl raped for two months in Kerala, 7 held – The Indian express
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dalit-girl-rape-blackmail-kerala-arrest/
Gujarat: ‘Harassed’, Dalit clerk hangs self – The Indian express
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-harassed-dalit-clerk-hangs-self/
Assistant sub inspector held for abetting Dhruv’s suicide – The times of india
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Assistant-sub-inspector-held-for-abetting-Dhruvs-suicide/articleshow/51692230.cms
Caste of characters – The Kathmandu post
http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-04-05/caste-of-characters.html
Activists protest rape, murder of dalit girl – The statement
http://www.thestatesman.com/news/delhi/activists-protest-rape-murder-of-dalit-girl/134438.html
Union Budget 2016-17: Growth or Retrogression? – Mainstream weekly
http://mainstreamweekly.net/article6315.html
Stop crying for funds, we give you enough: Rajnath to states – The Kashmir monitor
http://www.kashmirmonitor.in/news-stop-crying-for-funds-we-give-you-enough-rajnath-to-states-101525.aspx
NREL Supports Native American Tribes with clean energy programs – The industry news
http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/nrel-supports-native-american-tribes-with-clean-energy-programs-20055873
The Bantustanization (Kililistanization) of Ethiopia – Nezret.com
http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2016/04/04/the-bantustanization-kililistanization-of-ethiopia
Boycott, protests as Fata reforms committee visits Landikotal – The nation news
http://nation.com.pk/national/05-Apr-2016/boycott-protests-as-fata-reforms-committee-visits-landikotal
ND TV
Video Shows Dalit Boys Stripped, Thrashed, But Case Filed Against Them
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dalit-boys-stripped-beaten-paraded-then-arrested-for-theft-1338788
CHITTORGARH: For nearly 30 minutes, the three young boys can be seen shaking with fear as a mob slaps them.
After they were accused of stealing a motorcycle belonging to a man from an upper caste, the teens, all Dalits, were tied to a tree, thrashed, stripped and then paraded naked in the Chittorgarh area of Rajasthan, 350 kms from the capital of Jaipur.
They were eventually released with the help of the police, which was summoned by witnesses.
That was on Saturday. A police case has been filed – against the children, for alleged robbery, and they are now in a juvenile home.
NDTV showed the video, shot by an eyewitness to the horrific assault, to the state’s Child Welfare Minister Anita Bhadel. “I have just seen your video. I am going to get in touch with Chittorgarh administration and find out why this happened, what were the reasons and then we will take action,” she told NDTV.
Nobody has been arrested for assaulting the children, who belong to the Kanjar tribe, whose members usually live outside villages and towns as they are not socially accepted by other communities.
Ibn liv
Karnataka: 19-year-old girl allegedly killed for getting married to a Dalit man in Mandya
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/karnataka-19-year-old-girl-allegedly-killed-for-getting-married-to-a-dalit-man-in-mandya-1225501.html
In yet another case of honour killing, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly killed for getting married to a Dalit man in Mandya in Karnataka. The girl, identified as Monika, was found hanging in the field on Saturday night.
Adding to the suspicions hinting towards honour killing, she was cremated in a hurry early in the morning on Sunday. The girl had apparently eloped with the man before she was traced and brought back home.
Police suspect that the girl’s family forced her to write a suicide note before strangling her to death. The girl’s father and uncle have been arrested.
The incident comes hardly a month after a 21-year-old engineering student Sankar was killed in a case of suspected honour killing allegedly on the orders of his wife’s family who hails from the upper caste Thevar community in Tamil Nadu.
The Indian express
Dalit girl raped for two months in Kerala, 7 held
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dalit-girl-rape-blackmail-kerala-arrest/
A minor Dalit girl in Thiruvananthapuram rural district was brutally raped and was repeatedly abused for over two months after the assailants blackmailed the victim with visuals of the initial assault they had filmed. On Monday, police arrested seven youths who had allegedly abused the girl.
According to police, more persons are suspected to be involved in the case. The exact number of persons involved in the rape would be known only after the arrest of the king pin of the group.
Police said one of the assailants developed an acquaintance with the victim through her brother. Two months ago, they informed the girl that her brother was in a drunken state at a liquor bar at Attingal and asked her if could take him back home.
When the girl left the house to meet her brother, two assailants lured her to a deserted area and brutally raped. They filmed the assault in the mobile phone. They threatened the girl that the visuals of the sexual abuse would be released on social media if she informed anyone about the rape. In the following weeks, several persons repeatedly abused the girl. She had little option but to go with the men as the handlers used to blackmail her with the visuals. On March 31, the girl was asked to reach Parippally in the district. The gang came by an auto, but the girl was reluctant to go with them. Enraged over the girl’s stand, they physically attacked her. Local people who noticed the incident, informed the police, who in turn learnt about the alleged rape.
The Indian expres
Gujarat: ‘Harassed’, Dalit clerk hangs self
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-harassed-dalit-clerk-hangs-self
A 31-year-old Dalit, working as a clerk in an Ahmedabad court, committed suicide at his home alleging discrimination and harassment at his workplace. Before taking the extreme step he is said to have written names of five of his colleagues who allegedly harassed him by hurling castiest remarks. According to police, Ketan Koradia, a resident of Behrampura, Danilimbda hanged himself at his home Sunday evening while his parents were away. His father Dalpat Koradia lodged the FIR naming five of Ketan’s colleagues who work at metropolitan court, Gheekanta in Ahmedabad
His father has said in the FIR, lodged at Danilimbda police station, that Ketan was appointed as a clerk in 2013 and was posted in accounts department. He has alleged that since the beginning Ketan was being discriminated due his caste. “To harass him further, Ketan was transferred to court no 7 despite the fact that there was no official order. After some complaints, he was transferred back to the accounts department.” According to the FIR, last February he was transferred to court no 14. His father has said that due to fresh transfer Ketan went into depression and proceeded on leave. On Sunday evening when Dalpatbhai and his wife were on their saree shop their son-in-law informed that Ketan has committed suicide. The victim’s father has handed over papers where names of five court officers – CK Trivedi, GJ Shah, RP Barot, KC Bhavsar and Bhati Saheb – have been written who allegedly harassed Ketan. “He had been depressed because of the castiest harassment and despite his leave getting over didn’t resume office.” He has said that this harassment was meted out to him for the past eight-nine months. Danilimbda police inspector M K Rana said that “Ketan had dispute with five of his colleagues who are said to have been harassing. He was on leave and didn’t turn up to office despite notices issued by his office. His father has also said that about two months ago Ketan wrote five names on a paper saying they were harassing him.” Rana added that since the complaint has been lodged under SC/ST Atrocities Act the case has been transferred to to Assistant Commissioner of Police, K Division for investigation.
The times of india
Assistant sub inspector held for abetting Dhruv’s suicide
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Assistant-sub-inspector-held-for-abetting-Dhruvs-suicide/articleshow/51692230.cms
Ahmedabad: The Special Operation Group (SOG) probing the suicide of 14-year-old dalit boy Dhruv Parmar, arrested the in-charge of the involved PCR van, assistant sub inspector (ASI) Samantsinh Khant of Gomtipur police station, who had allegedly thrashed Parmar in public. Parmar had later committed suicide by hanging himself to death at his house at Ramanpura Chawl in Gomtipur last Saturday.
At the news of Parmar’s suicide locals took to streets and resorted to heavy stone pelting. Cops were initially reluctant to lodge an FIR, but yielded under public pressure.
The probe was transferred to SOG, working under the city crime branch. “We added sections of atrocities because the boy was a dalit,” added a crime branch official.
Crime branch sources said they had summoned all five policemen who were in the PCR van on that day. Locals said someone bulky and wearing spectacles had descended from the van and beat Parmar.
According to crime branch sources they found that it was only Sasmantsinh who had beaten up the boy and hence he was arrested. “We will produce him in court on Monday,” added a crime branch official.
“We found that the PCR van had gone to the area to deliver some e-memos to the chawl, when a few locals complained that Parmar, 14, was talking to his friends and using foul language,” said a senior crime branch official. Samantsinh then made Parmar sit in the PCR van and went on to deliver the rest of e-memos, he added.
“Later Samantsinh took the boy to the chawl and directed SRP staff Rajnikant Shrimali to accompany them. Samantsinh then beat up the boy in public,” said a crime branch source.
Senior crime branch officials said the boy could have felt hurt, as he had good relations with the local police because of his father Bharat Parmar who worked as a home guard jawan, and his aunt who supplies tiffin to some lok rakshak dal jawans.
The Kathmandu post
Caste of characters
http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-04-05/caste-of-characters.html
Apr 5, 2016- Debates on social exclusion and inclusion began to appear in Nepali polity and society on a large scale only after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Later, the Maoist insurgency and NGO activities gave it greater importance. As a result, the Nepal government incorporated an inclusivity programme through the 10th Plan or the Poverty Re-education Strategy Paper. Since Nepal has realised that exclusion exists based on caste, gender and ethnicity, it should think about making fundamental shifts not only in the structure of governance and access to economic opportunity, but also in the underlying hierarchical norms, values and behaviours that caste represents. I have found that a big missing portion in the debate about exclusion is caste. Sections of the Nepali population are based on caste hierarchy, and that is entangled and entrenched by the ‘varna system’. Caste is class here.
In Hindu society, many of the problems are a result of caste and not merely class. A high caste represents a high class status due to the social norms, values and laws that favour them. A low caste represents low class status due to the unfavourable social norms, values and discriminatory state laws. We can say that high castes have privileges to run their high status and lives while untouchables have inaccessible and deplorable lives in every aspect in Hindu society. The Bahun, Chhetri/Thakuri and Sanyasi comprise about one-third of the Nepali population and hold over three-fourths of the state elite positions. The Bahun and Chhetri castes of the hill region, in particular, have historically formed the top circle of the state elite. An overwhelming majority of leadership positions in the executive, legislative, judicial, constitutional and local administrative bodies, civil service, major political parties and civil society organisations are occupied by this category.
Consequently, the per capita income, life expectancy and educational attainment are low among Dalit caste groups. Economic opportunities for Dalits are few as they are mostly bound to traditional occupations and depend on feudal customs such as Bali, Hali, Doli and Khola Pratha. Access to justice is very difficult for them. My key argument is that exclusion notions that germinated in Europe are not able to grasp the specificity of the caste hierarchy and exclusion intrinsic to Hindu society. This is because there never was a caste system in Europe, and the class problems of Europe and the caste problems of South Asia are not the same. Therefore, the European model of exclusion would not be appropriate to explain the South Asian caste-based varna system.
Marginalised discourse
Despite this realisation, has the debate about exclusion in Nepali academia ever considered caste or the varna system? No. Why? Because the bottom-level Dalits are not in higher education nor renowned researchers or academicians. There are no vibrant leaders or experts who can bring Dalit issues into mainstream discussions. Most research comes from Brahmin/Chhetri or Vaisya males to whom the issue of the varna system (caste and untouchability) is uninteresting. Even when a few persons speak upon Dalit issues in academia, the vast majority of the so-called high caste intellectuals do not listen to them. Internalisation of the hardships, harshness and atrocities imposed by caste does not touch them. There are a handful of high caste well-wishers, but most of them neglect, distort and show indifference to the issues. Why does this happen? It happens because such psychology has been injected into the so-called higher caste mindset by the varna system and entrenched and shaped by the state as a perennial truth.
The Hindu religion, along with its directed socio-cultural norms and values, and state laws are still working as driving forces in Nepali society. The 1854 Mulki Ain is still the source of laws, whose effects can be seen in numerous divisions and the hierarchised Nepali society. People feel superior when looking at a lower caste person even though their financial position is worse. For example, Bahuns think they are the purest and highest and see others as impure. Thakuris see themselves as ‘raja/rani’ while Chhetris see themselves as ‘bahadur’. Newars feel wealthy and Gurungs, Rais and Magars feel brave. High caste women think they are superior even though most women’s positions are the same in Nepal.
Multi-dimensional approach
Every caste discriminates against each other. Inter-caste marriage is strongly forbidden and unacceptable even though the potential marriage partners have the same social class and follow the same religion. The so-called high castes treat Dalits as weak, impure, inferior, ugly and menial workers, and prefer to exclude them from society and deny them access to information, resources, sociability and recognition. When society is entrenched in the varna system and psychology is being developed by it, can a poor high caste and a poor Dalit feel the same way? If not, doesn’t Nepali society need to think about making fundamental shifts in the feudal, caste and patriarchal norms, values and behaviours besides increasing economic opportunities, empowerment and representation of excluded groups? Shouldn’t the state make special policies, programmes and plans to narrow the gap between high and low castes beyond the class-based approach?
Thus, Nepali society should seek a multi-dimensional way to eliminate exclusionary practices based on caste, class, sex, race, region and religion. It is a good sign that after the establishment of a republic, the country has become more willing to adopt an inclusion policy to some extent in the political and administrative sections. However, efforts in the economic, social/cultural and educational fields are as yet weak. When the country realises the gap between rich and poor, men and women, educated and uneducated, centre and periphery, over-represented and under-represented, touchables and untouchables, and pure and impure, and understands that it has been created not only by economics but caste too, it will open the door to an inclusive country, pride of being equal Nepali citizens and peaceful national aspirations.
The statement
Activists protest rape, murder of dalit girl
http://www.thestatesman.com/news/delhi/activists-protest-rape-murder-of-dalit-girl/134438.html
Amid a push for womencentred schemes like ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ and ‘Selfie With Daughters’ by the NDA government at the Centre, the alleged rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Rajasthan has come as a setback.
Student organisations are protesting the rape and brutal murder of 17-year-old Dalit girl Delta Meghwal, who was pursuing a teacher-training course.
“Justice must be ensured as early as possible and urgent intervention at highest level is required, but it seems that there is big difference between what they profess and what they do,” said Minakshi Singh, chairperson of Samarpan Trust, an NGO working for women’s empowerment.
Advocates of women’s rights and NGOs working for women empowerment have repeatedly said that women are “more vulnerable” to sexual offences cutting across caste, class and socio-eonomic status in big metropolitan cities like Delhi.
A feudal and misogynistic mindset, however, is also dominant in small pockets of the national capital region.
Girl students of Delhi University alleged that there is a tendency to look on girls as objects of sexual pleasure. “Right from travelling in metros to hanging around in malls or markets, you can easily sense indecency. Incidents of eve-teasing, passing lewd comments, making indecent gestures and even molestation are not uncommon and we have accepted it as a reality of our life,” said Arpita, a student. An officegoing girl said she feels “more vulnerable at secluded places” as compared to public spaces.
Dalit girls of DU, particularly those from rural background, said they are easy prey in backward and remote rural areas.But even the metropolis doesn’t grant them safety. They said a sense of fear exists even in Delhi and is more prominent in backward pockets in and around Delhi where an orthodox mindset prevails.
“The condition is worst in villages but it’s also not too good in Delhi, at places like Burari and Nangloi. Even women from upper castes raise objections over Dalit girls wearing jeans and western attire. Moreover, the men from upper castes spare no opportunity to pass lewd comments on school or college going girls of Dalit community,” said Komal Rajak, a Dalit Ph.D scholar from DU.
Another Dalit girl said in colleges in Delhi, too, the attitude of fellow students and some teachers changes drastically after knowing one’s caste. “As soon as they came to know about my surname, they start behaving as if I am best avoided,” said Pooja Kant, Dalit research scholar in DU.
Dalit rights activist are pitting the Delta Meghwal case as another ‘institutional’ murder were students belonging to Dalit community are allegedly targeted. “They have started a series and this one follows ‘Rohith Vemula’, as they cannot tolerate any Dalit boy or girl standing parallel to them by making education his/her tool for upliftment. They have a government both at Centre and state and they will use every means at their disposal to supress this matter,” said Surendra Singh, president, Youth for Social Justice.
Mainstream weekly
Union Budget 2016-17: Growth or Retrogression?
http://mainstreamweekly.net/article6315.html
The following is the latest article written by Kobad Ghandy, the noted Marxist-Masist thinker, now lodged in Tihar Jail 3. He sent it to Mainstream for publication. We are accordingly doing so for the benefit of our readers.
For all the hype of 7.5 per cent growth in this year’s Economic Review (2015-16), the real situation of the economy is precarious. The rural economy is in dire straits, manufacturing is in the doldrums, banks are heading towards bankruptcy, the rupee is crashing, exports are contracting as never before and sky-rocketing inflation is eating into real wages.
Farm growth has plunged to one per cent. Industrial production (IIP) is either contracting or is stagnant. Banks have been getting huge infusions of government funds to prevent bankruptcy due to corporate defaults. The rupee crashed to a 28-month low. And exports in 2015 contracted by 18.5 per cent—the worst since 1952-53.
Now, what does this latest Budget do to pull the economy out of the mess? In the reportage on the day after the Budget, it appeared there was a radically new approach with focus on the farm and social sectors. The corporate world displayed its anguish with the stock-exchange crashing. But the reality soon came out: the very next day the stock-markets boomed, indicating the big-business’ pleasure. Apparently media rhetoric, with five State elections due, was exactly the opposite from the reality.
In fact the Budget analysis has turned boring for two reasons. Firstly, with economic reforms, no matter which party is in power, they have a three-point formula. What varies is the mere emphasis in these three points. These are: huge sops to the super-rich; increasing tax burdens on the middle classes; and big cuts in subsidies/expenditure on the poor and social welfare. Secondly, the Budget never gives the real picture, but only estimates, as nowadays most departments spend much less than the budgeted figure, and even of what is spent a large amount is frittered away in corruption. Anyhow, it gives a direction to the economy.
This Budget strictly sticks to the three-point formula. So here instead of confining myself to a mere Budget analysis, I will try and put forth an alternative which could result in robust growth compared to the lethargy of the past two decades under economic reforms. But first let us take a look at this Budget.
Sugar-coated Bullets for Farmers and Social Sectors
The rural infrastructure is crumbling, tractor sales have slumped and farm incomes are shrinking. Yet the allocation to agriculture was actually raised by 30 per cent while it was portrayed in the Budget to have doubled. The Agriculutre Ministry’s expenditure of Rs 45,000 crores was padded with a figure of Rs 15,000 crores interest subsidy which already existed with the Finance Ministry and was now transferred. And with the expenditure on rural development stagnating at 1.5 per cent of the GDP, the Budget did not address the serious issue of the farmers’ plight, which has resulted in a record-breaking 10,000 farmers’ suicides last year. And as for the PM’s statement of doubling farm incomes by 2022, this was mocked at by the Marathwada farmers who have seen the spate of suicides continuing with nearly 200 in the first two months of this year. The Marath-wada farmers said: ”Yes, farm incomes will double as the present incomes are zero and double is zero.” In fact the Budget has sought to reduce farm incomes by increasing input costs by reducing the fertiliser subsidy by Rs 2000 crores and reducing output prices by cutting the food subsidy by a huge Rs 5000 crores.
Now if we turn to social welfare, both health and education are in a pathetic state. The outlay has been the same for the last two years at one per cent of the GDP for health and 0.7 per cent of the GDP for education.
India has one of the worst health conditions in the world. According to the government’s own reports, 52 per cent of all households face severe malnutrition, and 6.5 crore people are pushed into poverty every year because of catastrophic expenses on healthcare. The booming corporate hospital business is an indication of the fortunes being minted from the people’s life savings.
In spite of these horrifying conditions, the Budget cut expenditure on senior citizens by 50 per cent and for women and child welfare (ICDS) by Rs 1000 crores. Expenditure on the most deprived sections was Rs 1375 crores less. The only hike was a 150 per cent increase in the Swachh Bharat campaign which needs to focus on treatment of sewage to improve hygiene. At present 30,000 million litres of sewage a day flow into our rivers.
In spite of India being the most diseased country in the world, public expenditure on healthcare is the lowest. While India spends a mere one per cent of the GDP on healthcare, China spends 3.1 per cent and South Africa 4.3 per cent of the GDP. In fact developed countries, which have eradicated most infectious diseases and have a fraction of our diseases, spend seven to 10 per cent of the GDP on healthcare. Even though the US spends as much as 8.1 per cent of the GDP on healthcare, in the ongoing Democratic primaries raising social welfare is one of the main issues of Bernie Sanders. And even of this budgeted figure, in the last financial year by end-Spetember, only four per cent of the Budget amount had been spent.
If one turns to education, the situation is even worse with the government following the WTO dictates to cut funding/scholarships and towards privatisation. No wonder last year by end-September, only 34 per cent of the Budget was spent. Again India with high levels of illiteracy and semi-literacy should be spending the maxmum. Even here in this Capital city in Tihar, a big proportion of the inmates are illiterate. But then education is massive business if one sees the Vyapam scam which has claimed over 40 lives, the Kota suicides and numerous other mafias operating in the entrance, passing and certification processes. Besides, why spend on education, as those ill-equipped with the tools of thinking are best for manipulation in electoral politics?—so goes the present hysteria against JNU.
This low expenditure on healthcare and education was sought to be cut further—through the back door—by squeezing the State govern-ments’ finances. Both these items are on the concurrent list, where a bulk of the expenditure is by the State governments. Central taxes have to be divided between the Centre and States as per the Finance Commission. In the last two years the government has shifted a huge 12 per cent of collections from taxes to cess/surcharge collection depriving the States of a massive Rs 2 lakh crores. As it is the States are short of funds and besides paying their employees, health and education are the major expenses.
Besides health and education, another major social welfare expense is to the SCs and STs—Dalits and tribals. According to the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan, drawn up in the late 1970s, the SCs and STs should be allocated from the Plan outlay amounts equal to their percentage in the population—that is, 16.6 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively. In this Budget the shortfall was a gigantic Rs 74,000 crores. Instead of getting 25 per cent of the Plan outlay, it was a mere 11 per cent.
Finally, let us turn to the middle classes, who have lost at least Rs 25,000 crores and were likely to lose an additional equivalent amount if the Provident Fund Tax had not been withdrawn under trade union pressure. A sum of Rs 20,600 crores will be extracted through an increase of indirect taxes on a host of items including mobiles, laptops, garments, air travel etc., while Rs 5000 crores will come from an increase in service tax. The government hesi-tantly withdrew the EPF tax, but its intentions were clear: to rob even the savings of the middle classes while not touching (as we shall see) the illicit and vulgar earnings of the super-rich.
So, we see an already acutely impoverished nation has been pushed deeper and deeper into poverty and sickness resulting in deaths, debts and suicides all over the country. It is the veritable spider and fly story where the spider (the government) weaves its net (the Budget) wide to entrap the flies the maximum and suck their blood. Lakhs and lakhs will perish as a result and crores will be debilitated through sickness and disease.
But there is a small section who have gained enormously from this Budget—one could say the top five per cent, particularly the super-rich and Central Government employees. Now, let us turn to this aspect of the Budget.
Unbelievable Bonanza for the Super-Rich
While seeking every possible method to tax the poor and middle classes, the levels in sops to the super-rich in the Budget are probably exceeding the levels of tribute extracted by the British in colonial times. The budgets have found all sorts of schemes, overt and covert, to grant sops, subsidies, exemptions, write-offs etc. to these modern-day robber-barons. And like in the colonial times, a lot of funds are siphoned abroad through legal and illegal means like hawala, P-Notes, under-invoicing/over-invoicing etc. etc.—and by, most importantly, turning a blind eye to the huge black-money generation taking place. We will deal with the black money later. Let us first see the gifts to the super-rich in this Budget.
The biggest gift in each successive budget comes under the category “tax foregone” hidden in a small corner of the voluminous Economic Survey. The current year’s figure is a mind-boggling Rs 6 lakh crores, an increase of seven per cent over the previous year. The size of this figure can be estimated from the fct that it amounts to 42 per cent of the total government revenue of Rs 15.6 lakh crores. These exemptions, mostly to the corporate sector, de facto reduce the official corporate tax rate from 30 per cent to 22 per cent; and some favourites like the Ambanis are said to have been paying roughly two per cent. At a time when the government claims it has no money for small subsidies for food and fertilisers for the starving poor farmers, why does it “forego” such a gigantic amount?
Another huge amount uncollected is the undisputed tax arrears of another gigantic Rs 5.6 lakh crores, 50 per cent by the corporates. Instead of heavily penalising these defaulters, this Budget encouraged them by reducing the penalty on these amounts by one-third. When the tax authorities harass the honest taxpayers, why do they turn a blind eye to such defaulters, the bulk of whom owe large sums?
Another huge fraud on the people of our country is the gigantic bad debts owed by the big corporates to the Public Sector Banks (PSBs). Arun Jaitley recently said in Parliament that the bad debts (euphamistically called non-performing assets) came to a huge Rs 3.6 lakh crores at end-February—this figure had increased by a massive 29 per cent or Rs 1 lakh crore in just nine months to December 31, 2015. In fact the Supreme Court ordered the RBI to give it the names of the biggest defaulters, who lead “lavish lifestyles” afterThe Indian Express disclosed that Rs 1.14 lakh crores of bad debts had been written-off by the PSBs between FY 2013 and FY 2015. The sum of Rs 3.6 lakh crores is obviously what remains after these write-offs, and can be presumed will also be written off. The Vijay Mallya episode, where he is allowed to flee the country though he owes Rs 9000 crores to the PSBs, is only the tip of the iceberg. It is the Bank-Politician-Corporate nexus which is allowing such loot of the country with each getting a share of the spoils. With such an approach to these looters, already the banks are predicting that bad debts will further double to Rs 7.1 lakh crores by March 2017. If a middle-class person does not pay her/his car loan instalment in time the banks are known to forcibly seize her/his car, but the luxury yachts, palaces etc. of the super-rich are untouched. [A recent example was the arrest of 75-year-old retired Wing Commander C.K. Sharma (the OROP leader) for supposedly siphoning off a mere Rs 14 lakhs—that too on an unproven private complaint and not any official organi-sation.] On the contrary these loans are classified as ‘bad’ and the debt written off, resulting in huge losses to the banks. These huge losses are made good by massive infusion of government funds euphamestically called ‘recapitalisation’—a massive Rs 25,000 crores gifted last year and another Rs 25,000 crores in this year’s Budget. And the bank-bosses, instead of seizing the assets of these tycoons, were begging for more from the government. The employees of Kingfisher Airlines, who have not been paid their Rs 100 crore dues by Mallya, put it succinctly: “We knew a little about the rotten system of our country but thanks to people like you, the real scenario of our country is so helpless that it evokes nothing less than suicidal tendencies in the common man who regularly and sincerely pays tax with pride only to be looted by people like you in collusion with politicians/banks who are custodians of our hard-earned money.”
Of the above three items if we even consider a conservative 50 per cent of the latter two items, a phenomenal Rs 10 lakh crores was de facto gifted to the super-rich in the Budget. And this is merely considering three items in the Budget, ignoring the numerous other minor concessions given, like the big tax relief to the builders’ lobby, reduction in direct taxes etc. But even all these pale into insignificance if one considers the gigantic sums lost to the country through black-money generation, the benefits of which go chiefly to the super-rich, politicians and officials and their hangers’ on—barely one per cent of India’s population. Here I am not including those who may avoid paying some tax as they feel the government anyhow is wasting their money through corrupt practices, wasteful expenditure and luxurious living.
The Black Bomb and the Total Tribute
According to a report presented by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) to the then Finance Minister in 2013, the black money generated every year amounts 75 per cent of the GDP. This means a gigantic Rs 120 lakh crores (roughly) of black money is generated year-in and year-out. While the BJP came to power promising action on this, they have done little. And in this Budget, instead of seeking confiscation of this vast wealth, they offer an amnesty, knowing full well all earlier amnesty schemes have failed miserably. If the government was able to get even half this sum and tax it at an average of 25 per cent, that would rake in a gigantic revenue of Rs 15 lakh crores yearly. This would mean that the total tax revenue of the government would double—giving sufficient funds to wipe out the fiscal deficit, reduce borrowings and significantly raise expenditures on agriculture/rural development, manufac-turing, health and education—the four prime focus areas for the development of our country. This huge sum is a veritable black bomb exploding on our people, taking the lives of thousands, nay lakhs, of our people, sucking their blood.
But if one considers the total revenue lost to the super-rich and their hangers’ on every year, the figure would in addition include the earlier Rs 10 lakh crores, giving a grand total of Rs 25 lakh crores. In other words, nearly one-fifth of our entire GDP is being frittered away into individual pockets instead of being used for the country’s development.
In colonial times the British would heavily tax our people and drain that wealth for the development of England destroying the Indian economy and people, impoverishing the entire nation. The salt tax, for example, was a symbol of this loot, extracted from every individual (even the poorest must buy salt), which the freedom fighters fought against. Today, this Rs 25 lakh crores is no less than what the British extracted, but instead of going to Britain, it goes into the coffers of individuals and foreign investors. Instead of one British Empire you get numerous mini-empires of the Ambanis, Tatas, Adanis, Mallyas etc. etc. The effect is the same—the country and its people are pushed backward.
And when one needs to keep such a vast impoverished mass in control, mere religious rhetoric will not do: it needs a steel frame backing the government and controlling the people. This is the Central Government employees that got the biggest wage increase ever. The government had little money for the impoverished farmers but it gave a massive bonus to those employees who are already very well-off.
Pampering the Steel Frame
In this Budget the 35 lakh Central Government employees distributed into 56 departments (including railways but excluding defence) have been given a massive rise in both wages and allowances of Rs 65,300 crores. Of this, the allowances are much larger giving the employees the advantage of these being not taxable. Now the total wage bill for the 35 lakh families will be a massive Rs 1.8 lakh crores, a figure nearly equal to all the subsidies for 80 crores of the population. Over-and-above this sum, a large section of these employees mint fortunes through corruption. Any individual who has to deal with any of these departments knows the level of harassment and humiliation she/he has to face to get even a minor work done!
It is this steel frame together with those at the State Government levels, who act as the main bulwark not only of promoting the views of the government but also defending it in every way.
Now, before presenting an alternative economic policy let us take a brief look at the taxation system, which is heavily loaded against the poor and middle classes.
The Taxation Policy
There are two forms of tax: direct taxes and indirect taxes. The former is on individuals and companies, the latter on commodities and services. The first taxes the rich and middle classes, the second extracts the maximum from the masses.
India, with extremes of the poor and rich, should have Iarger direct taxes and lower indirect taxes. Secondly, taxes should be relatively high in a backward country to be able to fill the development gap. Here too it is just the opposite: India has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world—this would be quite obvious given the vast scale of the black economy.
India’s tax-to-GDP ratio is a mere 16.7 per cent, compared to China’s 19.4 per cent, the US’ 25.4 per cent, Brazil’s 34 per cent, Russia’s 35 per cent and France’s 45 per cent. Not only is the ratio the lowest, but India’s GDP too is exceedingly low—one-fifth of China’s.
Now, if we turn to direct taxes, we find that India has one of the lowest in the world here as well. The highest slab on the individual tax in India is 34.6 per cent, compared to China’s 45 per cent, the US’ 40-56 per cent, the UK’s 45 per cent. So also the corporate tax in India is 30 per cent (de facto 22 per cent), compared to China’s 25 per cent, and the US’ 35 to 47 per cent.
In the Economic Survey, even after the low budgeted figures in 2015-16, there was a gigantic shortfall of Rs 45,000 crores of direct tax collection, but a huge excess of indirect tax of Rs 55,000 crores over the Budget estimates. The Union Budget 2016-17 continues the trend of proposing to mobilise additional revenue worth Rs 20,670 crores through indirect taxes, while foregoing Rs 1060 crores in direct taxes due to reduction in corporate tax.
It has been argued that by reducing the high tax levels black income will come down. It has been proved that there is no such co-relation, in fact it has gone up as there is no end to the greed of those in the upper echelons. No real development and growth is possible with such a skewed taxation policy. And over-and-above this the huge black economy, that is not touched by tax, drives the final hail into the coffin of development.
Now let us see what could be done to work out a true development model instead of mere talk of ‘development’.
Path to a Robust Economy
First some facts that need to be considered and kept in mind while chalking out a plan.
A major factor while planning our economy is to get a clear picture of the state of the world economy and its impact on India. The second aspect to understand is the internal dynamics of the Indian economy and how this retards real growth and development.
So let us look at these two points first—from which an alternative would logically follow.
First, the global economy is in its seventh year of sluggish recovery. If we keep in mind that in the last 50 years a global recession has on an average hit every eighth year and that since last year the basic indicators are all down, one can expect a recession anytime. In fact recessionary conditions have already hit the Indian economy—drastic drop in exports; crash in commodity prices (except oil) like steel, agricultural products etc.; falling currency levels etc. Also with a relaxation in quantitative easing and a rise in interest rates in the US, dollars are fleeing the emerging markets including India. In such a scenario it would be foolish to be dependent on foreign investments and markets, but more sensible to rely on our own internal strengths.
Now if we turn to the second point, there are three aspects to observe.
First, though we are a population of 130 crores, barely 10 crores would be drawn into the market for commodities. And this figure keeps declining due to the above budgetary policies as also labour policies and expenditures on diseases. The rest of the masses’ major income would go on food, basic necessities and medicines. So, as only a small section is drawn into the economy, we find we are still a $ 2 trillion economy while China, with a similar population, is five times ours. Though both came on their own about the same time, China has reached a level of development equalling the West, but India continues to be a backward country like the ones in Africa.
Secondly, even of this population, due to stagnation of agriculture and industry, employ-ment opportunities are few, and even of the limited jobs available, the bulk are contractual giving poor incomes. As a result the major purchasing power mainly lies with the creamy layer of the population. The huge amounts of black money too lie with this section. That is why it is mainly the luxury market (and health sector) which is booming.
Thirdly, today, in the structure of the economy, a major factor in market expansion is not through wages but through wealth creation—like rise in property prices, gold prices, stock exchange etc.—and the black market economy. So, the focus becomes creating wealth through speculation and services and not through asset creation. This leaves an economy hollow, particularly a backward one.
Now let us turn to a possible solution.
A major aspect of this change would entail turning our vast population from being a liability to being an asset. By focussing on the development of agriculture and industry, incomes of farmers and labourers can rise subs-tantially and we can turn the country from being a service/speculative economy into an asset-creating economy. From being a hollow country, we can become a strong country with real development. This is particularly important at a time when the world economy is heading for a deep recession, even worse than the 2008-09 one. To continue depending on foreign invest-ments and markets, at such times, will be suicidal.
But such a change will not come on its own, it would require an entire re-orientation of the economy and budgeting. The primary step must be to divert the huge tribute to the super-rich back to our country and people. As, for 200 years of sucking our hinterland dry it would require substantial investment to put it on its feet again. This would primarily entail putting an end to the gigantic Rs 25 lakhs tribute to the super-rich and their hangers’ on, and investing that in productive assets and in healthcare and education. By productive assets one means not only manufacturing, but in soil, rivers, lakes, forests, coasts, environment etc. etc. If this was done, overnight India could turn from a backward country into a rich one.
Meanwhile the RBI has put out the latest data of industrial production for January 2016: the manufactuing sector contracted for the third successive month—by 1.5 per cent; the capital goods sector shrunk by 20.4 per cent and that of consumer non-durables by 3.1 per cent. It is time for the policy-makers to wake up to the terminal decline that our economy is heading to. Merely padding up the GDP growth figures, like the Greeks did, will not change the reality. The Greek economy crashed, there was a run on the banks. And their currency crumbled, they had to mortgage themselves to the EU.
The Kashmir monitor
Stop crying for funds, we give you enough: Rajnath to states
http://www.kashmirmonitor.in/news-stop-crying-for-funds-we-give-you-enough-rajnath-to-states-101525.aspx
Lucknow :STATE GOVERNMENTS should stop making a hue and cry about lack of funds as the NDA government is giving more money than any other central government since Independence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Lucknow .
The minister also assured contractual employees demanding regularisation and better pay package of finding a “solution” to their problems since “there is no crunch of funds”.
“The funds the state has are like Kuber’s treasury and if a government is willing, it can always find ways to do so,” Singh said.
In fact, “the Narendra Modi government has increased the states’ share in central funds from 32 per cent to 42 per cent.”
“This is a hike of 10 per cent. Isliye paise ka rona dhona ab samapt hona chahiye (the hue and cry over money therefore should stop),” said Singh before a gathering of protesting unions of UP government’s contractual workers at Jhulelal Park in the city, where he was speaking as the chief guest at an ‘Adhikar Dilao’ rally.
He asked BJP’s Mohanlalganj MP Kaushal Kishore, who shared the stage with him, to “discuss” the problems the employees face and find a “solution”.
In his speech, Kishore accused Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of not finding time to meet the thousands of employees who have been “surviving on bare minimum” and holding protests for months.
“The previous government (of Mayawati) was even worse. It is just impossible to meet Mayawatiji. No one can meet her. But the BJP will fight with you (workers). We will give you your due when BJP will form the next government in the state,” he said.
Urging his listeners to vote for BJP in the UP Assembly elections next year, Kishore said from May 20 onwards, he will hold yatras in every district of the state to “unite” the contractual employees, and finish his campaign with another rally in Lucknow.
Kishore said the SP government has been “arbitrarily” demoting Dalit officers under the garb of implementing an order by the Supreme Court, which scrapped reservation in promotion. He said BSP, on the other hand, only wants to project itself as a party fighting for affected employees. He promised the employees that their “arbitrary demotions will stop” if the BJP is governing the state.
The industry news
NREL Supports Native American Tribes with clean energy programs
http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/nrel-supports-native-american-tribes-with-clean-energy-programs-20055873
April 4, 2016 – In 2008, Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe leaders established zero net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 100% renewable energy vision to power their community. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has since been helping that tribe refine its climate action strategy and GHG reduction goals. According to Blue Lake Rancheria Energy Director Jana Ganion, “NREL provides expert, practical support for tribes seeking to develop renewable energy” (from facility to community to utility scale).
In the redwood country of northern California, where arboreal giants can live to be 2,000 years old and can reach heights of more than 375 feet, the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe has also grown something historic: a vision of climate sustainability and leadership.
In 2008, tribal leaders established a new energy vision, including zero net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 100% renewable energy to power the tribe’s community. Since then, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been foundational in helping the tribe refine its climate action strategy and GHG reduction goals.
“Our first experience with NREL was attending a tribal energy development workshop in 2012, and we were so impressed,” said Blue Lake Rancheria Energy Director Jana Ganion. She’s now attended several more, both as a participant and a presenter. “NREL provides expert, practical support for tribes seeking to develop renewable energy, from facility scale to community scale to utility scale.”
The tribe has been aggressive in its pursuit of those goals, emerging as a national leader in clean energy development and climate resilience. In December 2014, Blue Lake Rancheria became one of 16 U.S. communities designated as a 2015–2016 White House Climate Action Champion. In making the announcement, the White House noted the tribe had reduced energy consumption by 35% and was committed to reducing GHG emissions 40% by 2018, with a range of approaches including on-site manufacturing of biodiesel to fuel public buses and aggressive energy efficiency measures.
NREL provided Blue Lake Rancheria with technical assistance through the Energy Department’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs in 2014 to help ensure the safety of the tribe’s cutting-edge biomass system. “NREL can provide specific project review as well as technology and financial feasibility information to design, fund, and implement renewable energy systems,” Ganion said. “And by actively working to include tribal governments across all their research and development areas, NREL has demonstrated a sustained commitment to Indian country.”
In 2015 the tribe won a Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program award from the Office of Indian Energy, and NREL is providing the requested technical assistance, including strategic communications planning to create a framework for stakeholder education and engagement around energy efforts, and measurement and verification support to establish a benchmark for energy efficiency and GHG inventories, which will provide the Rancheria with a dashboard for gauging progress toward its climate action goals.
A separate technical assistance project is taking a deep dive into building energy efficiency and capital expense project recommendations for the Rancheria. And, working with the Office of Indian Energy, NREL experts are reviewing cybersecurity for the tribe’s low-carbon, community-scale microgrid. “From the first meeting at NREL it was clear that the NREL team is the superstar of the clean energy world. They excel in technical communications, project feasibility studies, and trainings, and provide realistic, objective guidance and recommendations—which are critical to any audience looking to develop these types of projects,” said Ganion.
And the Blue Lake Rancheria’s experience with NREL isn’t unique.
From the subzero tundra in Alaska to the semi-arid landscape of the Southwest, Native American tribes and Alaska Native villages are leading in clean energy–accomplishing their economic development and environmental goals while providing models for other governments to effectively transition to clean energy-based economies.
NREL’s State, Local, and Tribal program provides access to the deep clean energy science and engineering knowledge within the lab to Native American tribes and Alaska Native villages to provide the technical and financial model knowledge. The potential for tribal leadership in clean energy is significant: NREL geospatial research shows that American Indian land comprises approximately 2% of the total U.S. land base, representing an estimated 5% of the total U.S. renewable energy generation potential. “There is a huge opportunity to partner with tribes to deliver clean technologies developed in the lab to the real world, and also provide feedback from the real world into the lab,” said Elizabeth Doris, NREL program manager for State, Local, and Tribal programs.
For the past few years, the NREL Tribal team has met the clean energy needs of tribes by tapping deep into laboratory technology expertise and assisting with developing strategic energy plans that support their energy visions. Tribal activities at NREL are supported by the Office of Indian Energy, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, aiding tribal communities by providing data, technology neutral analytics, training, and technical assistance to improve energy efficiency and tap renewable energy resources.
NREL provides tailored programs to large and small entities, including:
Technology and Market Analytics. NREL provides credible research and analytics to identify impactful opportunities for clean energy development on tribal land, drawing on NREL’s deep scientific and technical knowledge.
Direct Technical Assistance. NREL has been working with tribes to solve clean energy challenges since 1995, with 122 high-impact interactions occurring between 2012 and 2015. Currently, tribes have cost-free access to NREL expertise through the Office of Indian Energy.
Capacity Building. To effectively deliver clean energy technologies to market, governments, program administrators, and technology end users, NREL provides technology, market, and stakeholder communications strategy trainings such as webinars to tribes.
Resilience Assessment and Pl