Poetic Injustice!
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
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Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, who is being kept at an undisclosed location , is desperate to return 'home' in Kolkata. A prime news agency in India reports from New Delhi. But neither the so called progressive UPA government of India nor the Marxist capitalist government of India allows her minimum human right for freedom opf Life. I am not speaking on the fundamental right of Expression. Quite paradoxically, ruling Left Front in West Bengal led by Gestapo Head of Nandigram, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Promotor MNC Kolkata Don Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhatta charya is successful to launch another shadow movement subverting all genuine issues, Nandigaram and Singur! The Poet holding State Power as well as Regemented Hegemony Machinery deprives the masses and the History of Poetic Justice. Kolakata Intelligentsia, once upon a time violently vocal and so called civil Society maintained the elite dignity of Silence since the Global launch of Tata`s Nano, the car for Common Man! The Elite Cultural branded iconized beauty Birds are being culled and reproduced as reincarnation of phenix to mobilise the vote bank for panchayat Elections. Marxists as well as Padmbibhushan Pranab, the Brahmin De facto Prime Minister led Ruling Class including all the forces of dominance as well as resistance contribute to readjustment of population with depopulation and regress for Vote bank Alliance. In Reality show, as we are habitual to enjoy on the Indian imitating TV Channels, it is a grand tug of War in between different factions of the Ruling Hegemony led by two sides. One side is led by Buddha and comapny well assisted by the projected next Sahitya Academy President Sunil gangopadhyaya. The Other side is the most effective media group in West Bengal: an Anaand Star combination. Anand Publishers is well set to finish all medium and small publications and little magazines with a single stroke. Already they have the strike power getting all Kolkata Intelligentsia bonded. ABCD to Z, excluding Mahashweta Debi, of Bengali literary world have been always working and writing as Bonded labour for Anand Publishers including the great great Sunil Gango and joy Goshwami! Thus, this tug of war is nothing new. It is game within for dominance. Nandigram and Singur, ironically also turned to be the scenerio of Game within despite the victimisation of enslaved Masses and their uncompromising Insurrection. Thus, Ration Riots faled to tarsform itself into a people`s revolution! Thus, unemployment, starvation, corruptions, MNC Promoter Builder raj, Health care , Education or any basic issue never happens any issue at all. Mass Movements are diluted well with shadow movement!
As Narendra Modi is projected as the Hindutva alternative, as minorities are persecuted in India, as the Muslims are a most hated and deprived lot in India and finally, as the War against Muslims ( Terrorism ) continues, Muslim Vote Bank in West Bengal is reserved for Omnipotent Marxist Brhmin Gods! taslim may not be liberated thus . Without Muslim Votes Marxist Brahmins are bound to be defeated.
They kill the Writer and Fights for the Book Fair!
What a Poetic Injustce generated by the Poet Chief Minister of west Bengal!
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government is keen on retaining the Central Reserve Police Force companies posted in Nandigram till the May rural elections, though their deployment tenure is to expire on February 12.The State, however, was yet to take up the matter with the Centre.The Central forces were deployed in Nandigram on November 12, 2007 to help restore normality in the area, which was rocked by 11 months of violence involving activists of the Trinamool Congress-backed Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).The BUPC was spearheading an agitation against the setting up of industries on farmland.
"We want the CRPF to continue till the panchayat elections," Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said here on Wednesday.Mr. Ray said the situation in Nandigram was peaceful and normality was being restored. Development work there was stalled for over 11 months in the face of hostilities.He said the local administration was looking into the possibility of withdrawing the minor cases lodged during the violence other than those related to major offences such as murder, rape, dacoity and arson. In all, nearly 600 cases were still pending, he said.
In Mumbai, On the day when The Hindu published a front page story saying that farm suicides rose dramatically in 2006 in Maharashtra, quoting figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh sought to underplay the issue saying that every suicide cannot be related to indebtedness. The suicides were going down, Mr. Deshmukh told a press conference. The Chief Minister had just returned on Thursday after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, with a three-day stopover in Germany.Mr. Deshmukh, who was asked various questions on infrastructure in Mumbai, the possible exit of one of his senior bureaucrats T. Chandrashekhar and farm suicides among other issues, said that he believed that suicides were coming down as journalists had reported this and he trusted them. However, when questioned that journalists were also reporting a rise in suicides, he said he was inclined to believe local journalists and not "senior journalists." He appealed to the press not to forget Davos and Germany, "otherwise you will be going on non-issues," he cautioned.
The Kolkata Book Fair — one of the largest in the world — will not be held this year, its organiser, the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, has decided. It was to have been the 33rd international Kolkata Book Fair, but is not being held as no suitable venue could be found, the Guild's general secretary, Tridib Chattopadhyay, told The Hindu here on Thursday. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee described the court order as 'very unfortunate'.The Calcutta High Court on Monday banned holding of Book Fair at Park Circus Maidan on four counts, including violation of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act. A division bench comprising Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh directed that the Booksellers and Publishers' Guild can not hold the book fair at Park Circus Maidan as it was in violation of Environmental laws, Noise Pollution laws, Constitutional Rights (Articles 14 and 21) and the KMC Act. The court also directed the authorities concerned to restore the park in its original condition with immediate effect at the cost of the Guild. In a surprise move, Chief Justice S S Nijjar himself paid a visit to Park Circus immediately after the Republic Day's parade on January 26. His convoy made a round of the park along Orient row, Darga Road, Shurawardy Avenue before taking Syed Amir Ali Avenue for the Chief Justice's home.
The verdict came on Monday. Earlier, Book Fair was shifted from the Maidan area as the court felt it caused environment pollution to the lungs of the city
"This is for the first time in the history of the Kolkata Book Fair that such a step had to be taken," he said, blaming the State government and the civic authorities for not being able to come up with "a suitable site" for the fair.A move is on, however, to hold an alternative book fair under the auspices of a separate organisation in the city.
The Calcutta High Court ruled on Monday that the fair could not be allowed at the Park Circus maidan — the venue decided on earlier by the authorities concerned. The ruling came following the hearing on a public interest litigation petition that challenged the holding of the fair on grounds of environment, among other issues.
Writer Mahasweta Devi on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of being a "greater fundamentalist," than Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for he "had conspired to throw Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen out of the State," and demanded his resignation.
"Bhattacharjee has said his Gujarat counterpart, Narendra Modi, is a fundamentalist but what is he doing here? He hounded Taslima out of the city to get Muslim votes in the coming panchayat polls in the State," the Magsaysay award-winning writer told a press conference here. "The Chief Minister is a greater fundamentalist. He hatched a conspiracy to hound her [Taslima] out of the State. He should resign," she charged, and demanded that Ms. Nasreen be allowed to return to Kolkata. Ms. Devi said she had spoken to Ms. Nasreen, who is staying in an undisclosed destination in Delhi, on Tuesday night and she wanted to return to the city.
"She is ill. Proper treatment was not given to her. As a writer, I demand that she be allowed to return to Kolkata," she said. She was flanked by Hindi poet Kedar Nath Singh and Bengali poet Joy Goswami.
Book lovers are sad and angry following the Calcutta High Court's cancellation of the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair on environmental grounds. However, a symbolic fair was inaugurated in the city's Town Hall Tuesday night, high on polemics but sans books.
The symbolic book fair was inaugurated in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya at the Town Hall to salvage a semblance of prestige before the foreign delegates.
But the ire of the city's political guardians against the judges was apparent.
While the chief minister juggled his words, Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya was more open, and said: 'The dust particles have gone into the head (of the judges).'
The chief minister was no less sarcastic. 'I have no idea how can books cause pollution. We have to find a way out. It is as if a war has been waged against books,' he said.
Litterateur Sunil Gangopadhayay, known for his proximity with the chief minister, said: 'We want the book fair back in Kolkata's Maidan (from where it had to make an exit last year after a court ruling).'
'Lots of people will suffer because of the verdict. This is not justice. I cannot support a system that has stopped the fair which is such an important event in the life of Kolkata,' said Gangopadhyay.
'I am sure publishers must have planned hundreds of launches this year. We are shamed since a lot of foreign guests were either on their way or have arrived,' he said.
The decision of the Calcutta High Court has given a body blow to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild. But the residents and academic institutions around Park Circus ground where the fair was planned heaved a sigh of relief.
The book fair stood cancelled with the court Monday ruling against the organisers' decision to hold it in the Park Circus ground, which is surrounded by schools, colleges, hospitals and residential quarters.
A division bench of Chief Justice Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh, after hearing petitions filed by residents challenging the legality of holding the fair, ruled against the Guild.
The verdict said the 'The Guild cannot hold the book fair at Park Circus Maidan as it is in violation of environmental laws, noise pollution laws and constitutional rights (Articles 14 and 21) besides violation of the KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation) Act'.
'Some people may benefit from this order but it is a tremendous blow to the city's image. If pollution is the factor, then the high court should also be closed down going by the vehicular pollution around the area,' mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said.
Singer Usha Uthup is sad as well but feels there should be a permanent venue to end the impasse.
'There are theatres for movie goers and auditoria for painters, but sadly nothing for book lovers. The book fair is part of our heritage. We need a permanent venue,' she said.
Eminent playwright Saonli Mitra is happy with the verdict. 'The Guild ignored the complaints of local people. I fully support the verdict,' she said.
For educational institutions around Park Circus, the judgement came as a big boon.
'It is a relief. Something so close to our heart is facing a problem every year. I don't know how in the very first place they chose the ground since the holding of the fair would have caused immense problems in the area,' said Sanghamitra Mukherjee, principal of Lady Brabourne College, located just across Park Circus ground.
One of the petitioners, Mehboob Alam, hailed the judgement as a victory for the citizens.
The court has directed the Guild that the park should be restored to its original condition with immediate effect at the Guild's cost.
According to the Guild officials, the loss from the verdict would be immense for each publisher. 'It can range from Rs.50,000 to Rs.500,000,' a Guild official said.
'It is a crippling blow,' said Guild secretary Tridib Chatterjee.
In a surprise move, Chief Justice S.S. Nijjar paid a visit to Park Circus after the Republic Day parade Jan 26 before passing the landmark verdict.
American author Paul Theroux was to inaugurate the book fair, scheduled from Jan 30 to Feb 10. The book fair is reputedly the largest non-trade book fair in the world. It is the world's third largest annual collection of books after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair.
The Guild had to shift the most-awaited cultural event of the city to Salt Lake last year after green activists won a legal battle to block the fair at Kolkata Maidan, the vast green acres considered as the city's lungs.
With the Calcutta High Court disallowing holding of the Kolkata Book Fair at Park Circus maidan on environmental grounds and violation of fundamental rights, its organiser on Monday decided not to go ahead with it till an alternative site was found.
"We are awaiting a copy of the high court order and then decide whether to look for an alternative site or not to hold the book fair this year at all," Secretary of the organisers - Publishers and Booksellers' Guild- Tridib Chatterjee told PTI.
The court order came a day ahead of the inauguration of the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair, the second largest in the world after Frankfurt.
Speaking after an urgent meeting of the Guild's Executive Committee, Chatterjee said that the decision was unanimous. "Till we obtain a copy of the court order and find an alternative venue, we are not going to hold the Book Fair."
To a question, he said the Guild was not considering challenging the order in a higher court.
It's final now, no Book Fair in 2008
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Jan. 31: With the international deadline for inaugurating the 33rd edition of the Kolkata Book Fair passing away, the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild has been left with no alternative, but to dump the idea of organising the fair in 2008.
International guests and publishers have been informed. They too have taken their decision of not participating in the fair as the deadline for inauguration had passed.
However, Guild officials met the state transport minister, Mr Subhash Chakraborty, to discuss the possibilities of arranging an alternative book fair as a face saving venture.
"If an alternative book fair is arranged for, it will not be a replacement for the Kolkata Book Fair. It will just be a parallel fair on the lines of the Lake Town Boi Mela or even the Sonarpur Boi Mela," said Mr Sudhanshu De, ground secretary of the Guild.
Guild officials also called for a movement demanding the allotment of a permanent fair site. "The Kolkata Book Fair has lost its international stature this year following the High Court's direction. It is time the publishers, booksellers, writers and booklovers of the state woke up to save such a prestigious event of the city by initiating a movement through rallies and seminars. We want a permanent address for he Book Fair. Nearly three hundred book fairs held throughout the state have permanent addresses, but an international book fair has none," said Mr De.
Bangiya Prakashak and Pustak Bikreta Samity took out a rally in the College Street area today demanding that the Kolkata Book Fair should be held this year. Small publishers, bookbinders and other labourers took part in the rally.
Meanwhile, the writers, intellectuals and so-called booklovers, who held the "Protiki boi mela" (symbolic book fair) yesterday, as a mark of protest against the order of Kolkata High Court, faced the wrath of Army officials and environmentalists.
Army has sought explanation from the city police and Publishers and Book Sellers Guild about holding symbolic book fare at territorial Army pavilion at Maidan without seeking their permission.
It was learnt that two letters have been issued from the office of the GOC Bengal area to commissioner of police and Guild office.
It was learnt that the letter was a sort of warning to the Guild which reportedly stated how the symbolic book fare was organised yesterday without prior information to Army.
However, Mr Goutam Mohan Chakraborty denied receiving any such letter. "I don't know whether Guild has received any such letter, but till late in the evening we didn't receive any letter from the Army. I don't know why they should write to us."
Advani, Gujral speak for Taslima
Advani: government practising "perverse vote-bank politics"
"Isolation has stifled her creative work"
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020160451200.htm
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party's senior leader L. K. Advani on Thursday sought an extension of the visa of exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.. He also demanded that she be allowed to lead a normal life in West Bengal..
The former Prime Minister, I. K. Gujral, and personalities such as Kuldip Nayar, Ashis Nandy, Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, Saifuddin Choudhury, Muchkund Dubey and Sumit Chakravartty have also written to the Union Home Minister expressing concern over the treatment being meted out to her.
The two statements come close on the heels of Ms. Nasreen's hospitalisation over the weekend.
Referring to her hospitalisation, Mr. Advani – speaking at a book release function said both the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance at the Centre and the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal were responsible for her "extraordinary plight."
"Appeasement"
Mr. Advani accused the two governments of "practising the most perverse kind of vote-bank politics and appeasement of religious extremism."
He said: "It is, indeed, ironic that the Congress-Communist combine, which has actively colluded in the influx of 1,20,53,950 illegal Bangladeshi migrants (as on December 31, 2001)… cannot give protection to a single hapless woman, who is a victim of religious persecution in her own country."
It was the responsibility of the Central and State governments to ensure Ms. Nasreen's personal security. Religious extremists, who might harm her, have to be dealt with according to the law of the land, he added.
In their letter to the Home Minister, Mr. Gujral and others expressed concern over the manner in which Ms. Nasreen was kept in "virtual detention in a secret place in Delhi" for the past three months. .
Referring to her isolation, the letter noted that this deprivation from leading a normal life had not only stifled her creative work but also aggravated her health problems. They also saw no logic in the government's justification for "incarcerating her in Delhi" to ensure her personal security.
Ms. Nasreen had led a normal life in Kolkata for over three years and faced no threats to her security.
"We are convinced that if she is allowed to lead a normal life again, nobody will pose a threat to her life except some fringe extremist elements, who must be dealt with by the government according to the law of the land," they said.
They feared that if extremists were allowed to pursue their agenda in such a manner, it would only encourage them and pose a threat to the social fabric, security, peace and stability in the country.
Cabinet nod for Central Institute of Classical Tamil
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020155111300.htm
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the setting up of a Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai at a cost of Rs. 76.32 crore. This is a follow-up on the Centre's decision granting Tamil the status of classical language.
Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister would be the ex-officio chairperson of the institute, coming up on 17 acres. The Centre would bear the entire recurring and non-recurring cost, while the State would provide land free. The institute would organise and offer educational and research programmes at the postgraduate level leading to Ph.D and post-doctoral awards, support research projects of universities and other institutions, and assist in the publication of ancient Tamil works in original and their translation into English and other Indian languages.
Dravidian culture
It would promote and encourage studies on the composite nature of Indian culture, with focus on the Dravidian component in Indian civilisation and heritage, promote classical Tamil education and serve as a clearing house of information on classical Tamil Nadu.
The institute would offer fellowships for doctoral and post-doctoral research, institute awards for outstanding contributions on the various aspects of classical Tamil and organise and support national and international conferences, seminars and workshops.
It would have 12 departments: literature, linguistics, translation, lexicography, school of language, history, sociology and anthropology, archaeology, manuscriptology, epigraphy and numismatics, art and architecture, overseas Tamil and language technology.
The institute would have a 16-member general body, a 25-member academic council and a nine-member finance committee. Their composition and functions would be worked out in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Centre. It would be an autonomous body under the Human Resource Development Ministry.
The Cabinet also decided to provide subsidy, initially for one year, to the Arunachal Pradesh government for operating a helicopter service between Guwahati and Tawang for tourists.
High Court order evicting hapless woman "draconian"
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020155281500.htm
Legal Correspondent
Civil law in the matter completely disregarded: apex court
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It was petition for relief, not civil suit for eviction
Action gross abuse of the due process of law
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New Delhi: Taking a serious view of a Sikkim High Court order evicting a woman from her rented premises, the Supreme Court has asked High Courts to exercise caution in granting relief. It ordered restoration of the premises to her within a fortnight.
"What is of grave concern is the fact that the judges [of the High Court] completely disregarded the civil law relating to eviction and directed the writ petitioner to hand over possession of the tenanted premises [to the landlord]," said a Bench consisting of Justices Ashok Bhan and Justice Altamas Kabir.
Writing the judgment, Justice Kabir said: "The case is an example of how the writ courts have in recent times either forgotten or ignored the line between the relief which could be given by the civil courts and the constitutional courts. The judges [of the High Court] appear to have lost sight of the fact that they were deciding a writpetition for relief prayed for by the petitioner and not a civil suit for evicting her and that in such a proceeding no mandatory order of eviction could be passed and certainly not against the writ petitioner herself."
Adding insult to injury
The Bench pointed out that after imposing costs of Rs. 1 lakh, the judges added insult to injury, directing the woman to vacate within a week the premises, from where she had been running her business for about 30 years.
Shanti Devi had sought a fresh trading licence in her name or transfer of the existing licence, issued in the name of her late husband Ram Nath Prasad, for continuing her family's grocery-cum-stationery business in Ranipool district of east Sikkim. As no licence was given, she moved the High Court, which in June 2006 dismissed her petition.
On a contempt petition from the landlord, the court held her guilty and issued a non-bailable warrant with a direction to the Chief Judicial Magistrate to ensure that the woman was produced before the court. The District Collector/police authorities were also directed to break open the locks on Shanti Devi's premises and hand over possession to the owner.
The apex court Bench, disposing of her appeal, criticised the High Court for adopting a "draconian, arbitrary and authoritarian" approach to evict a hapless widow from her rented premises in utter disregard for the law. Describing the action as a "gross abuse of the due process of law which cannot at all be sustained" the Bench set aside the order, restored possession of the premises to the woman and awarded her Rs. 25,000 as costs.
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