अँट्रॉसिटी कायदा सर्वांसाठीच लागू करावा

News published in daily Punyanagari, page 16 (Pune Edition)

अँट्रॉसिटी कायदा सर्वांसाठीच लागू करावा

संजय सोनवणी यांचे मत

राहू : प्रतिनिधी

भारतीय राज्यघटना सर्व नागरिकांना समान मानते, समान अधिकार देते. अगदी अस्पृष्यतेच्या विरुद्ध असलेला नागरी अधिकार संरक्षण कायदाही केवळ कोणा एका जाती/जमातीच्या संरक्षणासाठी नसून तो सर्वांनाच सारखा लागू आहे. परंतू अनुसुचित जाती/जमातींसाठी लागू केलेला अँट्रॉसिटी कायदा मात्र अनुसुचित जाती व जमातींनाच उर्वरित समुदायांपासून संरक्षण देतो, पण एकमेकांतर्गत होणा-या त्याच प्रकारच्या गुन्ह्यांत मात्र वापरता येत नाही.

म्हणून हा कायदा विषमतामुलक तर आहेच पण जातीव्यवस्थेला खतपाणी घालणारा, भारतीय नागरिकांना दुभंगणारा व घटनेच्या कलम १७ चे उल्लंघन करणारा आहे. अत्याचाराची व्याख्या केवळ एखाद्या समाज विशेषासाठी लावता येत नसून ती सर्वच मानवी समाजांसाठी केली जाणो आवशय़क आहे.

त्यामुळे या घटनाविरोधी कायद्याचा सरकारने तत्काळ फेरविचार करावा व हा कायदा कोणातही भेदभाव न करत सर्वच समाजासाठी लागू करावा. तसे होत नसेल तर हा घटनाविरोधी कायदा रद्द करावा अशी मागणी स्वर्ण भारत पक्षाचे अध्यक्ष संजय सोनवणी यांनी केली. या संदर्भात आपला पक्ष सर्वोच्च न्यायालयातही धाव घेणार असून तशी तयारी सुरु झाल्याचे त्यांनी सांगितले. अनुसुचित जाती/जमातींविरुद्ध अत्याचाराच्या वाढत्या प्रमाणाची चिंता केलीच पाहिजे. परंतू ज्या पद्धतीने हा कायदा १९८९ मध्ये बनवण्यात आला व त्यात नंतर भर घातली गेली यात समानतेचे घटनात्मक तत्व लक्षात घेतले गेले नाही. घटनेच्या कलम ३५ अंतर्गत असा विषमतेचा अंगिकार करणारा कायदाच बनवण्यात येत आहे, हेही लक्षात घेतले गेले नाही.

आर्टिकल १४ अन्वये घटनेने प्रत्येक भारतीय नागरिकाला कायद्याच्या नजरेत सर्व समान असतील ग्वाही दिली आहे. पण अँट्रॅसिटी कायद्यान्वये घटनेचे हे मुलतत्वच उध्वस्त होते. या कायद्यानुसार विशिष्ट समाजघटकांच्या विरुद्ध उर्वरित समाजघटकच अत्याचार करू शकतात हे अघटनात्मक, अविवेकी गृहितत्व आहे.

अँट्रॅसिटी कायद्यांतर्गत संरक्षण लाभलेले मात्र एकमेकांविरुद्ध झालेल्या अत्याचाराच्या घटनांची या कायद्यांतर्गत तक्रार करू शकत नाहीत हे कोणते समान न्यायाचे तत्व आहे असा प्रश्नही संजय सोनवणी यांनी विचारला.

Inviting you to consider the vision...

Inviting you to consider the vision and approach of India’s only liberal party – Letter from Sanjay Sonawani

SBP has published this letter from Sanjay Sonawani, President:

Dear fellow citizen of India,

 

Our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives for India’s liberty. They would have been deeply disappointed with what India has become. Our governance is one of the world’s worst. Corruption, injustice, insecurity and filth stalks us at each step. Daily life has become very difficult.

 

The cause is clear to all those who understand: that all our political parties have taken the wrong path. They have broken all principles of good governance. They have created incentives for corruption. As a result, the system is corrupted from the top. It cannot deliver even basic services.

 

This state of affairs can only be fixed through a total overhaul of our governance system. Such an overhaul will require amendments to key laws. Essential changes needed include state funding of elections on per vote basis to allow honest people to contest elections and elimination of the guarantee of tenure for senior bureaucrats. The government must be held to account for results. Further, the government must focus on core functions and get out of running businesses. Of course, things must be systematically changed, through a proper transition strategy.

 

The concerned citizens who created Swarna Bharat Party (SBP) asked other parties to deliver these reforms, but these parties refused. It is a fact that all other parties directly benefit from the corrupt system they have created. Why would they implement any reform?

 

As India’s only liberal party, SBP is committed to the ideology of liberty. Only this ideology can establish India as a land of opportunity, the world’s richest economy and open society.

SBP offers India three fundamental reform directions:

 

1. Reforms of the electoral system and bureaucracy to ensure total integrity and accountability.

2. A limited but strong government that performs its core functions well.

3. Maximum liberty for all citizens, consistent with the liberty of others.

 

We have developed the world’s best manifesto (at http://swarnabharat.in/manifesto). Please read it to appreciate the party’s deep thinking about public policy. SBP is the only party with capability to deliver urgently needed reforms. This way India can become a sone ki chidiya again.

 

After years of preparation, this party is reaching out to the people. A strong start has been made in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana. Preliminary work is afoot in many other states. Our 2015-16 Annual Report (http://swarnabharat.in/annualreports) provides details of our recent activities, including numerous photographs and press cuttings.

 

This party can only go as far as you want to go. It is up to you to step forward to help make India the world’s richest nation. But first please satisfy yourself about the party’s credentials and capability. We have a Youtube channel in which you can listen to some of our initial party leaders.

 

Once convinced about our vision and approach, please become a member and help build a strong grassroots presence for SBP. 

 

You can become a member by visiting http://swarnabharat.in/register (lifetime membership fee is currently Rs.100) and volunteer by visiting http://swarnabharat.in/register-volunteer.

 

At a minimum, please donate generously (monthly instalments in smaller amounts are welcome). You can use our online payment gateway at http://swarnabharat.in/credit-cards-neft. Or you can write cheque/s payable to “Swarna Bharat Party” and mail them to the party’s registered office at G-249, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon – 122017.

 

Only Indian citizens, including those residing outside India, are eligible to donate. Donations are exempted from income tax u/s 80GGC of the Income Tax Act.

 

In conclusion, I once gain offer this party and its vision to you. I invite you to join or otherwise support this platform to make India great again. Together we can achieve our dream for India.

 

Please share this letter widely with your friends and community.

 

With regards

(Sanjay Sonawani)

President, Swarna Bharat Party

info@swarnabharat.in

पोलीस व न्यायव्यवस्थेला कार्यक्षम बनवण्यासाठी आर्थिक तरतूद वाढवा!

मुंबई- कायदा आणि सुव्यवस्था टिकवण्याची आणि न्यायव्यवस्था तत्पर आणि सक्षम ठेवण्याची जबाबदारी राज्य व केंद्र सरकारांची असते. सरकार त्यासाठी वेळोवेळी नवनवीन कायदेही करत असते. परंतू देशातील गुन्हेगारीचे प्रमाण कमी होतांना दिसत नाही व न्यायही लवकर मिळत नाही. जातीय, स्त्री व दलितविरोधी गुन्ह्यांत उत्तरोत्तर वाढच होत असल्याची वस्तुस्थिती आपल्याला अनुभवायला मिळते. त्यामुळे पोलीस तर नेहमीच टीकेचे लक्ष बनलेले असतात. दहशतवादी हल्ल्यांत जनतेचे, तुटपुंज्या साधनांनिशी प्रसंगी स्वत:चे जीव गमावुनही, रक्षण करुनही पोलीसांची व सुरक्षा दलांची प्रतिमा आजही मलीन व प्रश्नांकित आहे. न्यायव्यवस्थेबद्दल "शहाण्याने कोर्टाची पायरी चढू नये!" हे वाक्य तर हरेकाच्या तोंडी ऐकू येते. परंतू मुळात अशी अकार्यक्षम व्यवस्था का आहे आणि ती कार्यक्षम करण्यासाठी काय केले पाहिजे याची कसलीही योजना सरकारकडे नाही. अपुरी पोलिस व न्यायाधिशांची संख्या, त्यांना होणा-या असंख्य असुविधा याबाबतही बोलले जाते पण त्यावर कार्यवाही होत नाही. भारतातील एकमेव स्वतंत्रतावादी असलेल्या स्वर्ण भारत पक्षाने या विषयावर आवाज उठवला असून मा. पंतप्रधान श्री नरेंद्र मोदी यांना पत्र पाठवले असून एक महिन्यात पोलीस व न्यायव्यवस्थेसाठी पुरेसे अर्थसहाय्य उपलब्ध करून देण्याबाबत निर्णय घ्यायची मागणी केली आहे. ती मान्य न केल्यास दोन आक्टोबरपासून देशव्यापी आंदोलन केले जाईल असा इशाराही दिला आहे असे स्वर्ण भारत पक्षाचे अध्यक्ष संजय सोनवणी यांनी सांगितले.

सरकारचे मुख्य काम जे आहे ते म्हणजे सीमांचे रक्षण, कायदा व सुव्यवस्था. ते न करता नको त्या कामात, उद्योगव्यवसायात सरकार गढले आहे व जनतेच्या पैशांचा अपव्यय करत त्यांची सुरक्षितता धोक्यात आणत आहे. उद्योगधंदे चालवायचे काम सरकारचे नसून प्रशासनाची मुलभूत कामे पाहणे आहे व तेच सरकारने करावे असेही संजय सोनवणी यांनी सांगीतले.

पोलीस व न्यायव्यवस्थेबाबत अत्यंत शोचणीय स्थिती असून ती थोडक्यात खालीलप्रमाणे आहे.
पोलीस: भारतात एक लाख लोकसंख्येमागे केवळ १८२ मंजूर पोलिस आहेत. युनोच्या मानकानुसार ती किमान लाखामागे २२२ एवढी तरी असली पाहिजे. त्यात भारतात आहे त्या मंजूर पोलीस संख्येपैकी २४% जागा रिक्त आहेत. म्हणजे प्रत्यक्ष प्रमाण लाखामागे १४७ एवढेच आहे. त्यात बंदोबस्त, नेत्यांचे संरक्षण, यात पोलिस दलाचा मोठा कालापव्यय होतो. मग गंभीर गुन्ह्यांचा सखोल तपास करत सबळ पुरावे गोळा करणे, गुन्हे नियंत्रणात राहण्यासाठी प्रतिबंधात्मक कारवाया करण्यासाठी पोलिसांकडे मनुष्यबळही उरत नाही की पुरेसा वेळही. पोलीस अनेकदा अनेक गुन्हे नोंदवून घेण्यात टाळाटाळ यामुळेच करतात. आरोपी न्यायालयांत सबळ पुराव्याच्या अभावात सुटण्याचे प्रमाण खुप मोठे आहे. याबाबत पोलीसांना दोष देण्यापेक्षा गरज आहे ती पोलिसांची संख्या किमान आंतरराष्ट्रीय मानकाएवढी तरी वाढवण्याची.

जेवढे अल्प-स्वल्प पोलीस आहेत त्यांच्या समस्या तर अजून गुंतागुंतीच्या आहेत. त्यांना आवश्यक तेवढी निवासस्थाने आजही उपलब्ध नाहीत. जी निवासस्थाने आहेत त्यांचा दर्जा अत्यंत वाईट आहे. केवळ २७% पोलीसांना आज समाधानकारक निवारा मिळतो, बाकींना अन्यत्र सोय करावी लागते. काम जास्त असल्याने कामाच्या वेळाही निश्चित नाहीत. पोलीसांवरील मानसीक ताण-तणावांमुळे अनेक पोलिसांनी आत्महत्या केलेल्या आहेत. पोलीस आरोग्य हा ऐरणीवरील विषय आहे. परंतू त्यांना (व त्यांच्यावर अवलंबून कुटुंबाला) सरकारतर्फे कसल्याही सुविधा मिळत नाहीत. महाराष्ट्र सरकारने "महाराष्ट्र पोलीस कुटुंब आरोग्य योजना" घोषित केली होती व Cashless उपचार काही आजारांबाबत कोणत्याही इस्पितळाने करावी अशी अपेक्षा होती. ही योजना काही काळ चालली पण शासनाने इस्पितळांची बिलेच न भागवल्याने आज ही योजना असुन नसल्यात जमा आहे. प्रत्येक पोलीसाला निवारा, उत्तम आरोग्यसेवा व पाल्यांसाठी उत्तम शिक्षण सुविधा उपलब्ध करून दिल्या पाहिजेत असेही सोनवणी म्हणाले.

पोलीस दलांना अत्याधुनिक साधने पुरवणे, शिरस्त्राणे व बुलेटप्रुफ ज्यकेट्स पुरवणे, पोलीस स्टेशन व चौक्या या काम करण्यायोग्यच बांधणे, पुरेशी वाहने पुरवणे हे सुद्धा अत्यावश्यक असून सरकारने त्यावर तत्काळ अंमलबजावणी करावी अशी मागणी स्वर्ण भारत पक्षाने केली आहे. गुन्हेगारी नियंत्रणात ठेवायची असेल तर ते नियंत्रण ठेवण्याची जबाबदारी असलेल्या पोलीसांना उच्च प्रशिक्षित, सक्षम व सबळ केले पाहिजे. यासाठी पोलीसांवर राज्य सरकारे खर्च करत असलेली रु. ७४,२५८ कोटींची रक्कम किमान रू. १,५०,००० कोटींपर्यंत वाढवावी अशी मागणी स्वर्ण भारत पक्षाने केली आहे.

न्यायव्यवस्था: पोलीसांची जशी बिकट अवस्था आहे ती न्यायव्यवस्थेलाही चुकलेली नाही. भारतात दर दहा लाख लोकसंख्येमागे केवळ तेरा न्यायाधीच आहेत, जे प्रत्यक्षात किमान ५० तरी असले पाहिजे. त्यात आहे त्या जागांतही रिक्त असलेल्या जागांचे प्रमाण मोठे आहे. उदाहरणार्थ सर्वोच्च न्यायालयात ६, उच्च न्यायालयांत ४४६ तर खालच्या कोर्टांत ४६०० न्यायाधिशांच्या जागा आजही रिक्त आहेत. भारतात उच्च न्यायालयांत प्रलंबित असलेले ४३ लाख खटले आहेत. खालच्या कोर्टातील प्रलंबीत खटल्यांचे प्रमाण कोटींत जाते. यावर सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाचे मुख्य न्यायाधीश टी. एस. ठाकुर यांनी तर अश्रु ढाळत "केवळ १८००० न्यायाधीश तीन कोटींहून अधिक प्रलंबित खटले कसे चालवणार असा उद्विग्न प्रश्न विचारला होता. पण अश्रू ढाळून अथवा संतप्त होऊन हा प्रश्न सुटणार नाही. न्यायाधीशांची संख्या दर दहा लाखांमागील तेरावरून पन्नासपर्यंत तत्काळ वाढवली पाहिजे.

जनता सरकारवर कायदा, सुव्यवस्था आणि न्यायासाठी अवलंबुन असते. केंद्रीय बजेटमध्ये न्यायसंस्थेसाठी एकुण राष्ट्रीय सकल उत्पादनाच्या केवळ ०.०२% एवढाच वाटा येतो. प्रगत जो प्रत्यक्षात ०.२०% एवढा असला पाहिजे. यात न्यायाधीशांची संख्या योग्य प्रमाणात वाढवणे एवढेच अभिप्रेत नाही. आपली न्यायालये, अगदी सत्र न्यायालयेही मुलभूत सुविधांपासून वंचित आहेत. असंख्य न्यायालयीन इमारती व कोर्टरुमची अवस्था शोचणीय तर आहेच, पण साध्या पिण्याच्या पाण्याची अथवा शौचालयांची उपलब्धताच नाही. खालच्या कोर्टात तर काही न्यायाधीशांना गोडाउन किंवा कोंदट रेकोर्डरुममद्ध्ये बसून सुनावण्या घ्याव्या लागतात. पक्षकार व आरोपींच्या किमान सुविधांबद्दल तर काही बोलावे अशी स्थिती नाही. कोर्ट ही न्यायाची जागा न वाटता एक अकारण शिक्षा भोग्ण्याची जागा असा पक्षकारांचा अनुभव आहे. उच्च दर्जाची, सुविधांनी परिपुर्ण अशी न्यायालये व न्यायाधीशांच्या चेंबर्स असल्याच पाहिजेत. त्यासाठी केंद्र व राज्य सरकारांनी न्यायव्यवस्थेला दिलेले बजेट किमान दहा पट वाढवलेच पाहिजे अशी मागणी स्वर्ण भारत पक्षाने केली आहे.

हे पैसे आणायचे कोठून?

सरकार आजवर हेच उत्तर देत आले आहे कि हे करण्यासाठी आवश्यक पैसा सरकारच्या तिजोरीत नाही. हे उत्तर भ्रम उत्पन्न करणारे आहे. सरकारचे काम मुळात उद्योगधंदे, व्यापार, बंदरे, खाणी किंवा होटेल चालवणे आहे काय? तरीही भारत सरकार व राज्य सरकारेही हा उद्योग आजवर करत आले आहे व बदल्यात महाप्रचंड तोटा दरवर्षी सहन करते आहे. उदाहरण घ्यायचे झाले तर भारतात Bank, Insurance क्षेत्र वगळता २९८ केंद्र सरकारी उद्योग कंपन्या आहेत. यातील सरकारी भांडवल दोन लाख तेरा हजार कोटी रुपये असून एकुण गुंतवणूक दहा लाख शहाण्णव हजार कोटींची आहे. आज त्या काही नफ्यातील कंपन्या सोडल्या तर दरवर्षी हजारो कोटींचा तोटा घोषित करत आल्या आहेत. उदाहरण द्यायचे तर केंद्र सरकारच्याच आकडेवारीनुसार यातील ७७ कंपन्यांचा २०१४-१५ सालचा तोटाच रू. २७,३६० कोटींचा आहे. राज्य सरकारांच्या अखत्यारीतील सार्वजनिक उद्योग कंपन्यांची अवस्था तर अधिक बिकट आहे.

केंद्र व राज्य सरकारांच्या या उद्योगांना तगवण्यासाठीचा खर्च जो होतो तो कितीतरी अधिक पटींत होतो. या कंपन्यांत निर्गुतवणूक करण्याच्या फक्त चर्चा होतात पण हितसंबंधीयांमुळे ते होत नाही. आज सरकारी उद्योग, जे करणे सरकारकडून मुळात अभिप्रेत नाही तिकडे सरकारी (म्हणजे जनतेची) संपत्ती उधळली जात असता जनतेची जी मुख्य गरज आणि सरकारची मुख्य जबाबदारी, न्याय आणि सुव्यवस्था, तीकडे मात्र दुर्लक्ष, हेळसांड हे आम्ही सहन करणार नाही. सरकारने सर्वच उद्योगांतून बाहेर पडावे व सरकारच्या कायदा व सुव्यवस्था या मुख्य उद्दिष्टांकडेच लक्ष पुरवत "छोटे व मजबुत सरकार" कसे बनेल हे मा. पंतप्रधान श्री. नरेंद्र मोदी यांच्याच घोषणेप्रमाणे पहावे असेही मा. मोदींना लिहिलेल्या पत्रात म्हटले आहे असे सोनवणी यांनी सांगितले.

सरकारचे काम उद्योग- व्यापार करणे नसून जनतेच्या हिताची, स्वातंत्र्याची रक्षा करणे आहे. नको त्या कामातून मुक्त होत सरकारने महत्वाच्या कामात लक्ष केंद्रीत करावे. सरकारने असे दुर्लक्ष आजवर केल्यानेच आज गुन्हेगारीचा दर वाढतच चालला असून सामाजिक स्वास्थ्यही धोक्यात येत आहे. नवनवे कायदे आणल्यानेही गुन्ह्यांवर कसलाही प्रतिबंध लागलेला नाही कि वचक बसलेला नाही. त्यामुळे तत्काळ पोलीस व न्यायव्यवस्थेत पुरेसे मनुष्यबळ वाढवून, मागणी केल्याप्रमाणे आर्थिक तरतुदी करुन सामान्य जनतेला स्वातंत्र्यात व सुरक्षिततेत जगण्याची हमी देणे हे सरकारचे कर्तव्य आहे.

Happy Independence Day!

15 August 2016 – for immediate release

The Swarna Bharat Party’s new President, Mr Sanjay Sonawani of Pune, wishes the people of India a very happy independence day. Mr Vishal Singh, former President, and now the Vice President of the Party, joins him in greeting the people of India.

Mr Sonawani said that this is a day for all Indians to review where we have reached. India became independent in 1947 but has not yet become free. We continue to rank poorly on global indicators of personal, media and economic freedom. Our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives for liberty, but would have been disappointed with what today’s India. Our governance system is now one of the world’s worst. Corruption, injustice, insecurity and filth stalks us at each step. Daily life has become very difficult.

Instead of choosing liberty, our political parties have chosen the path of socialism. Not only have they placed innumerable obstacles on our liberty and violated all principles of good policy, they have institutionalised deep-rooted incentives for corruption within our governance system. As a result, the governments of India can no longer deliver even basic services, such as police and justice.

No political party in India other than Swarna Bharat Party cares for the liberty of Indians. This state of affairs can only be fixed when citizens form a strong commitment to liberty and a total overhaul of India’s governance system.

SBP is dedicated to achieving the dreams of those who fought for India’s independence. Mr Sanjay Sonwani said that he will devote his full time in the coming year to the spread of the message of liberty. He said that he is being joined by at least two other full time senior party leaders, Alok Kumar in Uttar Pradesh and Sanjay Garg in Rajasthan; apart from many other leaders committed to liberty.

Mr Sonawani noted that the party has undertaken a number of events across the length and breadth of the country in recent weeks. He said that only SBP’s policies can create a world-class governance system for India, enabling India to become a land of freedom and opportunity. Details of SBP’s policies are provided in the party’s manifesto which is available on the party’s website.

End

Notes for Editors

SBP is India’s only liberal party, committed to defending liberty and promoting prosperity.

Contacts:

Sanjay Sonawani, President (Pune), +91 9860991205            
Vishal Singh, (Bengaluru), Vice-President, +91 9920613669
Madhusudhan K. (Hyderabad), Joint Secretary, +91 9676914719

Swarna Bharat Party launches new website on Republic Day

Swarna Bharat Party (SBP), India’s only liberal party, congratulates everyone on the auspicious occasion of the Republic Day, when India's liberal constitution came into effect in 1950.  

Today we must all pledge ourselves to the key objective of liberty that is embedded in the Preamble of India's constitution. It is the reason we wanted freedom from British rule - so we could live our lives as a free people. But unfortunately, the idea of liberty has long since been destroyed by successive governments in India. Today, India is one of the most unfree nations in the world on almost all comparative benchmarks.

SBP is committed to your liberty and prosperity. SBP believes that India’s colonial governance arrangements, weakened further by socialist policies, have dramatically exacerbated corruption and inefficiency in government. We no longer have basic things like security, property rights and justice.  

SBP is committed to the total reform of India’s governance system, as detailed in its manifesto. No other party has any idea of the reforms India needs in order to become - once again - the greatest nation on earth.

SBP was registered by the Election Commission as a political party in mid-2014. We are launching our new website today. Please visit http://swarnabharat.in.

We invite you to join the party. Please visit the website and register either as a member or volunteer. You can become a lifetime member on payment of a nominal fee of Rs.100. Please also donate liberally to the cause of liberty and good governance in India. 

SBP is your party, your platform to fight for your freedom and to transform India's governance.

Restrictions on liberty or protection of the liberty?

Liberty not always is violated by the authorities, no matter whether they are political, religious or economic. There exist many other elements in the overall body of the society that too attempts endlessly to rob you from your individual liberty. Attempts of the parents to make their child “cultured” of their own estimate, force their ideas upon him which they have accumulated from the society and so-called heritage. In schools too kid is bombarded with the values those are thought to be superior over other societies, to make him nationalist, culturist and if possible religious citizen of best kind. The out sided forces are so much so that they in some or other way try to control your thinking process, politically or religiously which means restriction of the freedom of the individuals to think and act independently. If the process of enslaving the kid to make a good citizen out of him begins so early, what liberty would mean to him?

Just talking of political liberty or tyranny of majority may not be enough when we dream for real liberty. Conditioning of human mind from childhood by the parents and society is equally dangerous to the concept of liberty. If mind is conditioned notions of the liberty too will be conditioned and hence the liberty will always be tainted with the slavish sentiments. Talk on Liberty thus becomes just a fashion to enchant the intellectuals which rather prefers limited liberty, accepting some restrictions for the harmonious co-existence.

However, if closely investigated, we will find that our definitions of the liberty are problematic because they are made by the people those have grown up in the problematic conditions. Solutions to the problems they have faced or facing may seem liberty to them but it may not cover all the aspects of the liberty.

People are ultimately grown up in the environment where purposely their mind is conditioned right from childhood. Freedom from X or Y is felt when they counter them and decide X or Y are the obstructive to their freedom. To remove X or Y from their way they think leads them to the freedom. Freedom to them thus becomes political, economic or religious in nature. The institutions they think are hindrance in their way to their “free” action they think are tyrant. Any institution for that matter is always tyrant to some or other extent. The gravity of the felt tyranny changes with what the people feel about the institution. In a way concept of liberty becomes secondary because it does not come into existence in absence of tyranny, real or false.

Coming back to the starting point, why parents desire to make their child “cultured”? Culture in a way is collective subconscious activity of the people that reflects in people’s actions. The culture varies with time and geography. The cultural ethics and practices too vary, significantly, with people to people and region to region. Making a person “cultured” would mean making him able enough to cope up with the accepted social norms while aspiring for well being of his self, family and the society he lives in. He should not create any nuisance, treason or any harmful act that will cause disturbance in the smooth functioning of his society. The liberty too is set within the circle of such norms.  Liberty thus has the guidelines, many a times tending to go in contrast with the very concept of liberty.

This way liberty would mean one thing at front door and other, may be opposite, when at back door. Norms may change with society to society and time to time. There is nothing like absolute liberty in the world because no matter how the definition of the liberty is widened it always will be restricted by some guidelines, laws and institutional rules. Liberty to an American and Indian, that too depending on to which class, caste, sect or religion he belongs, would not mean the same, no matter how carefully it has defined. The words convey differently to the different people belonging to the different sections and the different environments they have grown up with. The conditioning of the mind, deliberate or not, decides what one may take the liberty as! The fact is the society is the first factor that begins encroachment on the liberty of its newcomer citizens. It begins with the restrictions. The restrictions of the law are secondary about which we mostly always are sensitive, but what our approach is towards the society?

Would this mean the liberty always be shadowed by some kind of self sanctioned slavery? Wouldn’t it mean that the liberty our thinkers are seeking is the liberty restricted by, whether less or more, laws? Why absolute liberty would be impossible, because absolute liberty may mean anarchy…lawlessness? Would it mean to have a society without any social obligations?

Politically liberty may mean anything depending upon the philosophies and understandings of the liberty they have under their arms. Leftist or rightists or socialists may claim how they desire to protect the liberty of the individuals, but indirectly it becomes enforcement of restrictions on the liberty. The government is not only law maker but a machinery to enforce them. Most of the time people feel that the laws no more protect their liberty; instead they restrict their freedom to think and act rationally. Direct and indirect restrictions even in libertarian social systems are so much so that the meaning of liberty has become more and more ambiguous and obscure. Liberty has become, in a way, dream song for a person who is governed by many forces against his will.

The questions will arise here that whether man is afraid of liberty, whether by nature he likes to be governed, does by nature he likes to govern others while being governed? Forces governing to the government could be abstract in nature, but they still do exist and even topple the governments at times. When people desire for the government of some nature that does only mean that they inherently need a government that can enforce power upon them to maintain law and order. And at other end people, individually, strive for the liberty! It is a kind of paradox, with which our society is shrouded.

We have to go to the roots of the human nature. Is liberty mere a hypothetical concept that everybody dreams for but do not want it in practice? Is liberty thought to be just for individual without his caring for the equal liberty of the other individuals? Is liberty a force that is applied to restrict others liberty and not protecting it?

Parents are at liberty as to how to nurture their kid. They are at liberty to mend their kid with teaching the values they feel best to their understanding. They may even plant their unfulfilled dreams in their kids mind, inspiring him to walk in that direction to achieve them. Parents have that liberty. But as far as kid is concerned, wont it be restriction on his liberty by imposed values and dreams? Would he be at his own liberty to make his own choice of the values and dreams? May be that he manages somehow to obtain his freedom, when grown up, but to what extent? The values taught at home and in school and in colleges keep on haunting the individuals for their life forcing him to define liberty in restricted sense.

However, liberty just is not a hypothetical concept, it has the practical implications. Hence it has to be dealt with utmost care. Also we will have to think whether restricted liberty is needed or protection to the individual liberty is expected from the governments. And the last and main question will be whether at all government is needed that somehow restricts the liberty or we need just an institution (not government) that will perform the role of protector of the liberty and nothing else?

(To be contd.) 

What liberty means to NT/VJNT's?

Indian social system is weird. It is not only discriminatory in its root but is paradoxically filled up with the elements of endless exploitation of the weaker sections in the name of democracy, justice and religion. There condition is no better than what it was during colonial rule. India achieved political freedom and democracy, but social freedom and social democracy remains as yet completely neglected. Rather the social democracy is foundation of political democracy. Social freedom is a ladder to walk towards individual freedom. But these are not thought to be the essential tenets of our democracy.

In India there are various tribes classified as NT/VJNT. But together they suffer from constant onslaught of the settled society and law at one hand and religion at the other. In a way they are suffering mostly from the social tyranny. Many even do not know what the freedom and free India means. No sufficient provisions of education, vocational courses, health care, no ration cards, no permanent homes hence no proper listings in voting lists are the hurdles at one side and to the other constant harassment from law and settled villagers and farmers. The traditional occupations have become outdated. Many are illegal and what legitimate occupations remains are insufficient to feed them.

The policymakers did not plan anything for the upliftment of these classes to bring them in main stream using their skills for the overall productivity. There were commissions appointed but they just consumed years after years without coming up with the proper solutions and policy guidelines. They were scrapped by the Central Govt. one after other to make space for the new Commission. Plight of NT/VJNT’s remains unending.

Population of NT/VJNT tribes is estimated to be over 25 crore. This is not a small population. Very small percentage out of this could pave way through the numerous odds to make their life successful. But most remains in the dark of illiteracy and hence superstitious and poor. Ones upon a time these tribes were prosperous in different social and economic conditions. For example Stone masons are responsible to build the huge mountain forts and castles and palaces. They are responsible to carve out wonderful caves like Ajanta and Ellora. We owe to them for many beautiful monuments and sculptures. But as economy and social needs changed they became jobless and had to depend upon petty work such as crushing the stones on rail tracks or roads or Canal or dam works. Their art died with time. They were not substituted with new occupations. They could not find on their own for the Indian tyrant social order won’t allow them to do so. Though politically free country, as yet none has tried to address their problems and guided them as to how to break these barriers.

Condition of the shepherds, other nomadic tribe, is no more different. Animal husbandry, prior to independence, was second largest business in the country. With rapid industrialization grazing lands dramatically were reduced. With dams, rehabilitation works, political leader owned private education complexes further shrank the available grazing lands. To add to the calamities forest regulations restricted shepherds to enter into the reserved areas with their sheep. It is in a way an assassination of an industry which still holds 8% of the GDP with a bleak future. This also is loss to the national economy. They too are in search of the new destiny that can make their lives better. But they remain neglected and harassed.

So where is democracy? Where is social freedom and social democracy? The hunting tribes of the past, classified by the British rule as criminal tribes, are still criminals in the eyes of the law and suffer brutalities and atrocities at the hands of law! Liberty to them may sound a funny, out of world, word not to be even trusted upon. Understanding its meaning and attempt to enjoy it in practice would be a farfetched dream to them! Politicians have neglected them because they are scattered and useless to them in vote-game.

Sure, liberty is not a thing granted by others. Liberty has to be achieved with self-efforts. But when the situation is that the educated people lack many a times understanding essence of the liberty, we just cannot hope the illiterate and deprived masses would understand how liberty can change their lives!

There we the sane people have to come forth to fight out with the law and the society that has been holding these people in the clutches of imposed slavery. Judicial system needs to abolish the tyrant laws to let them breath in the free air. Not that all doors to opportunities open with mere education. If government cannot provide agreeable substitute it has no right whatsoever to snatch their present means and leave them deprived. Illiterates given an opportunity can perform miracles. However we have failed in building such free atmosphere where people can dare to venture in new areas after having basic training in the new skills.

Much can be said on this, but to sum up, I would say that the liberty to the NT/VJNT goes through the drastic reforms in our social and judicial system. The reforms not only mean change in the laws, rather they are secondary, but main thing would be change in our overall thinking.   

Liberty to NT/VJNT and other deprived sections would mean they do not remain neglected, their voice is heard, their past contribution to the economy and culture is acknowledged, their self-pride is respected and doors to sufficient opportunities are opened. This could be liberation of them from the slavery of society and government. 

SBP : On way to freedom!

Progressiveness is neither a movement nor agitation against the world. It is against the dark we are perpetually fallen in of the self imposed slavery. It is an eternal struggle to walk from dark to the Sun, where true freedom shines in the realms of humanity.

This is the path invented by the suppressed human being to free him from the clutches of the open or masked feudal and tyrant system. This is the path that leads to the unending opportunities of progress in free atmosphere, no matter whether it is education, economy, politics or expression. This is real struggle to open the doors of wisdom for everyone.

Everybody should have thoughts of his own nurtured and atmosphere so healthy and open that they develop on their own making the world beautiful. The thoughts of people developed in restricted atmosphere, without any wisdom, sometimes go so dangerous that it only produces the destructive, corrupt and terrorist minds. We want our nation to be a leading force through the endeavors of SBP together with like-minded citizens to achieve the freedom to we always were looking for!

Progressiveness is just not to deny past and abuse system and abuse some religion or caste, as wrongly assumed by some present progressives. Progressiveness is in bringing reforms in almost everything, right from Governing system to individual’s way of life. Politics to us is not just game of power;to us it is a major tool to redefine the politics to make our society liberal.  

The present mobsters in politics have stolen the freedom of the citizens, have blocked their free will and have used them as a mean to satiate their power-lust. Because of this we can see many reform bills remains stalled for decades without any resolve. The basic needs of the deprived sections of the society still remain unfulfilled and yet politicians can use them to gain power with just empty promises and money. The professionals and business community still have to make their way through the insane obstacles to achieve higher productivity. Many examples can be cited, such as about education. The worst scenario in education field has impaired the core abilities of our students making them a crowd of job seekers without developing their inborn abilities to make them experts in the areas of their natural inclination.

We cannot say this is the freedom. Swarna Bharat Party is all about liberalism. It is progressive and liberal in above explained sense. It respects individualism and insists for less interference of the government and administration in citizen’s life. Swarna Bharat Party is working in this direction…by redefining the politics.

The manifesto of SBP is available for you in following link : 

http://swarnabharat.in/manifesto/

Liberate yourself first!

From millenniums we have been taught to be a slave, either of religion, state or community! We have been so used to the slavery that we think being in slavery is our freedom. Politically too, no matter who are in the power, indigenous or foreign, we always were oppressed pawns! The degree of oppression varied but it didn’t vanish. We are told that there was golden age in remote past in India, but the social history contradicts this claim. It could be a golden age for some, not for the common people!

We the Indians believe that the conditions of present pitiable life are product of the sins committed in past life and thus faithfully have been living it without protests. The ruling or rich or religious classes, we thought, must have accumulated many righteous acts in their past life; hence protesting them too was a sin! Rather, not questioning the system was only righteous act that was expected from us! They used the tactic to make their life comfortable at the cost of common people!

This idea was greatest invention of India that helped tyrants to rule the masses incessantly without any need to wield the weapons or using the forces! The slavery was accepted as part of their destiny. There obviously was no need to search for optional political ideologies to strengthen the rule or oppose the rule. Priestly and political class worked hand in hand. The doctrine was rooted so much so that the people accepted most obediently the plight of their present life. Saints too were no exception. Nobody bothered for the salvation from the slavery of present material life. They all eyed on the salvation after death! There were protests long ago in the remote past to this evil thought, but they were systematically diluted in course of the time, so much so that they became distant unrealistic mythical memory!

Today, though we think we are free, our state of mind remains still unchanged. The political freedom too, which we think we have, is not the freedom in its true nature. Rather our freedom is an illusion! Our overall thinking process still works as same as it was working during the pre-independence era and in the times the feudal system had become basis of our society. It did happen simply because, since we never knew that we are been made volunteering slaves, and we loved it, there was no question to think of overthrowing the yokes of slavery forced upon us by our overall system.

Let us have a look at how the slavish mentalities still keep on haunting our life! To overthrow Vedic social system of inequality, we tried to find system of equality without abandoning the basic philosophy of inequality. Rather, what such people did was they changed their idols. They changed their scriptures and embraced the books written by the eminent personalities those were born in their caste! They changed their salutations. They nourished hatred against so-called upper class and other equivalents as well to establish their own supremacy. They too became propagandists the way so-called religious tyrants were. They too desperately fell in quest for searching of their own identities in remote past in some clans and clung to it. They also started to write the history that was suitable to their purpose. They did not think their idols of recent past too have become outdated as the knowledge and thoughts too keep on moving forth! The defeat of progressive movement was marked as soon they too followed the same rout, falsely thinking they were leading the path of freedom!

This was no different than what religious fanatics were doing! RSS all the time kept on harping of the tyranny of Islam rule thus teaching hatred to the people they thought are Hindu’s. They always spoke highly about the so-called Veda’s and infinite science loaded in it! They too embarked on a mission to rewrite history that could satiate their egos to boast of rich legacy of the past! The legacy of the only selective section of the Indian society!

In a way, we can say that this is a process of making people slaves of the past, slaves of the idols and slaves of the false identities! The master might have changed, but slavery did rule, same way as it were in the past, in different forms!

Religion, history and languages are the major tools in the hands of the people those want to be enslaved and to enslave people! Let us not forget, creating inferiority complex in some segments of the society is form of forcing slavery, no matter what mean is used! Inferiority does not allow any scope for equality! But, however, we find that all the sections of society, to establish their pseudo identities, are in quest of attaining and forcing the slavery of its worst kind!

The pity is slaves of the past try to find their self in false glory of the past. Indians have forgotten that the history did not take its course for their present convenience. History is history and it has to be evaluated without forcing present relevance’s and prejudices upon it!  History is not for anybodies convenience. But we are using the history as a tool. We are using languages too as a tool to boast of some section’s superiority over others! Language, to be brief, cannot be an invention of some isolated group of the people and taught to others. It is always a collective process. Still such philosophies are in wide circulation and commoners fall prey to them!

We need to liberate ourselves from such inhuman philosophies of the history and political sciences those are created to throw us in crevice of slavery! This is a quest in which slaves attempt desperately to make other slaves. But the fact remains, none is free. Falsehood doesn’t lead mankind anywhere. 

The problem is with our slavish mentality. Problem is with what we really think of the liberty. Problem is with our viewpoint as to how we look at our own life. Problem is with our lack of wisdom!

The process of liberation begins from We the individuals.  Unless we know what the liberty is in its real sense, mark it, we are destined to be eternal slaves of the circumstances. Many a time’s slavery is convenient because it gives false pleasure! But ultimately it swallows your freedom and forces you to be silent even if you might want to speak out sometime! Unless you are free from self-imposed slavish mentality, you will never find true political freedom!

What we aim at? We aim at the true freedom! We aim at true wisdom. We want to open the path of awakening of every self. Political freedom begins with the individual’s freedom. The freedom is from the religious tyranny, freedom from the clutches of falsely glorified history. Freedom from inferiority complex! Freedom to be an individual of own estimates.

This is all about liberty! Present politics is devoid of such liberty because they too want to use you as mere slave. They don’t want you to be an independent thinker. The independent voices are always suppressed. We don’t want our nation full of the people where individuality is at stake and risk!

When I say about liberty, I just mean to say, liberate yourself first, only then you can liberate the world around you!

Why I have joined Swarna Bharat Party?

Liberty forms a core principle of our life. Lot many philosophies has been dealt with liberty from political and philosophical perspective. Liberation of the soul from the cycle of birth and death to attain ultimate emancipation has been considered to be the utmost goal of human being in Indian religious texts. Let philosophies speak of liberty but the real personal and social life in all millenniums has been constrained by socio-political and religious bondages, thus making human being a slave, no matter whether it is religious slavery or political. It doesn’t end here, slavery also many a times is self imposed because from childhood person is taught to be in certain constraints thus making him a slave of himself.

Like religions, politics too is a huge tool to enslave the citizens. When we say India is now a free country, since it attained freedom from British rule, in fact we talk about not true freedom of the citizens but passing of burden of slavery from one to other governance. Yoke has changed but the liberty still remains a distant dream. No matter even if they are elected by us, by our choice, though they are our people, but the rulers all the time have been attempting to restrict human freedom with deploying all possible regulations. There always is undue interference of the government in public and private life. Such undue interference, restrictions not only suppresses our freedom but gives way to tendency to act against law, corruption and immoral/illegal practices. The cause of our basic problem is the government interference that challenges the basic principles of our liberty.

Indian democracy has become democracy of feudal lords. No matter from what strata of the society one comes to the power, soon he starts behaving like a feudal lord and ensures his bloodline be the next leaders. In Maharashtra alone there are almost 175 political families those control state government, no matter, conveniently, in which party they are. Such mentality naturally goes against liberty. They want to keep control over others over generations thus restricting others entry in politics and so the freedom of individuals to compete. A constitution becomes a feudal state, in a way, where political voice of others is often suppressed.

The basics of equal opportunity are thus violated. There is a reason why this happens. We have political democracy. There is not at all any existence          of social democracy. Political democracy gradually has become feudal democracy because they have used power for gathering huge illegal assets. You have right to vote but no matter whatever political talent you have you just cannot contest an election if you are not loaded with money. Anna Hajare very recently had said that he cannot contest election because he has not that much money!

So elections have become a pity show of democracy where hoodlums or only corrupt people can participate the democratic electoral process! Hence our democracy too has become the democracy of corrupt people. And citizens too are to blame because they frequently sale out their vote, pay bribes to get their work done, no matter how illegal or legal it is! That way our liberty always is on sale! Still we boast of liberty without ever enjoying the fruits of it! What use of such liberty?

So there are forces, created by us together, those have been acting relentlessly to destroy liberty of us all, making us mere prey to them for our insatiable greed and our apathy towards our freedom, then who is to blame? Our choices have become limited. And we are not bothered at all about it. But we forget if our nation still remains backward it is because we have again lost our freedom, though to some extent our constitution guarantees it! Our zeal for progress, live better life without any hindrance is almost weakened and hence young talent rushes elsewhere to accomplish their dreams!

Our laws, no matter whether revenue, civil or criminal, are not in favor of believing in the citizens but rather look upon them as if they are potential law breakers. This mere fact has given rise to the huge corruption. People are helpless because to fight against such corrupt system they have very limited, time consuming and expensive options. And again there is no guarantee they too will not turn to be corrupt.

Every government employee too has become part of feudal system in which common citizen is tortured by the system. Judiciary, as far corruption and malpractices in justice goes, is no exception to these facts. This evil has been tricked down in even private segment.

 There can be many examples how our life is encroached by the system, sometimes so brutally that most of the mute, underprivileged communities have been suffering from generations after generations to whom fruits of the national economy and freedom yet have not reached. Rather they know not even that they live in a free country. They mutely have accepted their destiny. None is bothered of their freedom when they themselves are drowned in their own illusory freedom.

This is a psychology of We the Indians. We have been trapped in a vicious cycle. We have accepted these brutal facts of the system we have fallen in, as part of our routine life.

But then we have lost our liberty. We have become slave. We have no more right to talk against corruption and social injustice and malfunctioning of government machinery.  You are aware very recently I had fought for “Right to privacy”. Since last many years bill has been stalled and when another modified draft was tabled it was seen many provisions rather were incorporated against the right to privacy! They blatantly think of Adhar Card, making it compulsory, without guaranteeing your personal information will be maintained as a secret and private and will not be misused. They blatantly said that there is no right to privacy in constitution. It was an assumed right, interpreted conveniently by the HC’s and SC. It is not, per arguments, the fundamental right because it is not clearly mentioned in the constitution. This is a major fraud against your and my liberty. In a way it denies liberty of the citizens of their right to privacy.

Except few, like me, no one raised a voice against this draconian interpretations and the bill it necessitated. No government has seen bothered enough about it! Doesn’t it in a way mean that we are not bothered of our liberty to keep our personal data private and be not disclosed at all without your prior permission? There are many examples those can be cited here as to how we have lost our freedom! Our life is interfered at every step as we walk in our life! Our personal decision making too thus has been restricted. 

Are we afraid of liberty? Are we so dumb that we fail to understand value of liberty? Then it is but obvious that we shall live life in self invited bondage. Meaning of liberty is minimal interference of government in personal and social and economic life of the people. Liberty means, as well, lesser dependence on government. Liberty means right to privacy. Liberty means lessening the laws with time.

But we find here every year there are new laws enforced upon us. The new laws make you happy in the beginning, making you think that the crime rate will go down. But what is the actual effect? Did any crime category show decline? The crime is closely related with the system we live in. Have we ever attempted to make our system right? Or do we know what system is right? Mind well, every new law opens another door to add to more corruption, but the concerned crimes never reduce. The government system doesn’t improve with rules and regulations. Social system does not improve with the mindless individuals. Demanding more and more laws we keep on reducing sphere of our own freedom. We need to educate our citizens of what liberty is. Unless we understand value of it we cannot improve the circumstances we are living in.

It is old principle that if fear is put in people’s mind with harsher laws, there will be lesser crimes. This principle has not proven correct in the past and it will not prove true in the future as well. The possibility (an in fact reality) always is, instead, innocents get harassed at the hands of the government machinery than the criminals. Fear for law, administration and government is the first hindrance in the way of freedom. We need fearless society. We need not many laws to regulate ourselves but fewer and necessary laws where freedom of individuals is protected with help of the people. We don’t want to live in open jail. We need to bring fundamental changes in our system and psyche so that the true freedom is enjoyed by the citizens. Fighting side issues will give easy popularity or superficial satisfaction, but fighting for the core issue, liberty, will make our society and thus nation great! Because attaining true liberty only is fundamental issue we shall deal with, without which other troubles cannot be eliminated or fought with!

We never tried to reach root cause of each and every problem. Instead we went on bandaging them with temporary remedies. This way we never can find any real healing to our bleeding system.

Liberty just is not a philosophical concept that has been used in politics in modified way. Liberty is a practical concept that makes human being a human. Liberation of soul from the bondage of birth-death cycles is not an aim of liberty but making individuals free from bondage of even government is the aim!

I will keep on writing on fundamental issues concerning us all in light of the liberty those we have forgotten at all… I will show how every section, every community is in bondage and because of that how the spirit of being human has been marred!

I remember here the great lines of Gurudev Ravindranath Tagore. He says in a poem-

Where the mind is without fear

And the head is held high……..

We all want to make our nation fearless, so much so that every weak and deprived stands strong with his/her own voice and free enough to build his own future!

Are we fearless? Just probe your heart. You will find you are afraid of future, you are afraid of all the uncertainties those may hinder path of your life…you are afraid of the circumstances you fall in…and that too because of the system of which you are part of!

I am not a political person. I never thought I will ever be part of any party! I am a free thinker. I was astonished when I came across Mr. Sanjeev Sabhlok, an intellectual at par, and his friends those think almost alike I were thinking and writing. This is the party that talks of human liberation and I am with them. I stand strong for the liberty of We the citizens. I have joined Swarna Bharat Party (SBP) because the party is dedicated to the cause of liberty!

Hope you all too stand along with us hand in hand for liberty and the reforms required attaining it!

To know more about SBP goals please visit 

http://sonekichidiya.in/Documents/SKC-totalreformagenda-draft.pdf

You need not to abide yourself with all the points those are aimed! If you agree with even a single goal…or you want anything be added of your own… for the cause of OUR LIBERTY, be with us! Raise your voice with us!

Be part of human revolution!

Thanks!

(To be contd.)