Riot connection fails to upset Modi

Joydeep Ray
The communal riots of 2002 were a constant shadow for the Gujarat Chief Minister. Since the bloodbath, the Opposition, the activists and even his own ministers and bureaucrats had pointed fingers at Narendra Modi. But in all these five years, nothing was able to concretely link Narendra Modi with the Gujarat riots. No charge has ever been proved in any court of law. No accusation has been upheld by any commission of inquiry. Not even an FIR was registered in any police station.
The main allegation against Modi was that he had insisted that the bodies of Kar Sevaks, who had lost their lives in the Sabarmati Express carnage, be brought into Ahmedabad in full public view to incite Hindu anger. A petition to this effect by the Jan Sangharsh Manch was filed before the Nanavati Commission of Inquiry.''Unless the link between the rioters and the administration and the hierarchy of command is brought out, proved, I don't think we will be able to book Modi under Section 120B of Indian Penal Code for hatching a conspiracy. That's precisely the reason why we are why we are linking up the triggering of the riots of February 28 with the bringing out of dead bodies here,'' said Mukul Sinha High Court Lawyer, Activist.The other allegation was that Modi had instructed top cops, including the then Additional Director General of Police R B Sreekumar, to remain passive and silent for three days starting February 28, 2002.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) then called for a 24-hour bandh. And what followed was unprecedented violence against the Muslim community across the state. ''The then Director General of Police (DGP) specifically told Sreekumar that in the late evening of February 27, a meeting was held amongst the police officers and the Chief Minister, where the Chief Minister had told the police officers to allow the Hindus to take out their anger,'' said Mukul Sinha, High Court lawyer.
People like Sreekumar, openly waging a war against Modi, said till Modi is in power, it's impossible to bring him to justice. ''Bureaucracy of Gujarat, particularly, police officers are suffering from a hi-voltage Modiphobia. Since Modiphobia is there, I don't think the police officers will work as per law or as per laid down procedures. There are 40-45 points linking the circumstances of riot, thereafter evidences about the conspiracy hatched at the highest level in which the Chief Minister was involved for organising this extensive genocide,'' said R B Sreekumar Retired DGP, Gujarat.
''Opponents are making wild allegations which people of Gujarat know are not true, which even coming under scrutiny of any probe agency also did not lead to any kind of indictment. So, we think that the allegations against Chief Minister, do not hold any water,'' said Yamal Vyas BJP spokesperson.The Nanavati Commission of Inquiry, that started its probe in 2002, is hearing the final petitions. It's report is due early 2008. But as Modi triumphs back to power yet again, there are concerns that an unbiased investigation may be elusive.

Congress accepts defeat in Gujarat

New Delhi: Congress on Sunday conceded defeat in the Gujarat Assembly elections.
"It is a great victory for him (Narendra Modi), it is a remarkable victory. I do not grudge him the victory," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said as trends in the counting of votes indicated a clear win for BJP.
However, he said the election victory does not remove the "blot" or invalidate what all had happened under Modi's government in the post-Godhra riots.
"An electoral victory can never invalidate violations of basic secular values," Singhvi said.
"Modi deserves congratulations," Singhvi said. He said the BJP's success in the elections shows that some of the "tactics" Modi used have worked.
"The victory is certainly limited to Gujarat and a certain kind of divisive politics has worked there," Singhvi said.
He said the party was obviously disappointed at the results, but added that it was surprised as it was expecting a much narrower margin.

I will remain CM : Modi

Modi plays 'Common Man' card on SMS

Press Trust Of India

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi says he is CM today and shall be CM forever.
In a SMS circulated by the BJP's media cell to reporters, Modi in his first reaction to the trends indicating substantial lead to the ruling party in the just-concluded assembly elections, said "I did not become chief minister on October 7, 2001. I have always been a CM. I am CM today and shall be CM forever. For me CM means common man. Narendra Modi."
The BJP, which had 127 MLAs in the 182-member assembly,
according to available trends has a lead in over 100 constituencies, raising the possibility of the party retaining power in Gujarat once again, beating the anti-incumbency and
rebellion factors.

MODI DOWN BUT NOT OUT

THE exits polls are showing that Narendra Modi may be down but he is not out. Each poll shows a steep decline from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tally of 127 in 2002, but still gives him enough seats to form the next government.
By Hartosh Singh Bal in New Delhi

These polls suggest that in the crucial second phase of the elections, held in the areas most affected by the riots of 2002, Modi has retained enough support to obtain a majority in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly. But given the error margins in the polls and their tendency to be more wrong than right, the thin majority that they predict for Modi will leave no one in the BJP sleeping comfortably till the results are out on December 23.

The 95 seats that went to the polls in the second phase were concentrated in north and central Gujarat, virtually overlapping with the regions that saw the worst violence in post-Godhra riots of 2002. This was where Modi had used the consolidation of Hindu votes to wean away these traditional Congress strongholds to the BJP fold and it was here that Congress was expected to make a comeback this year.

The voting percentage in the second phase was on the higher side, reaching close to 65 with both the tribal and the urban areas reporting even higher percentages. It was expected that an increase in tribal votes would go against Modi while the increase in urban vote would benefit him. The exit polls back this up and suggest that the Congress has managed to make a dent in the predominantly tribal constituencies of Central Gujarat but Modi has held on to north Gujarat.

The tribal dissatisfaction with Modi had been widely reported. Part of the dissatisfaction was related to the failure of Gujarat’s economic growth to filter down to this region, part was related to the disenchantment of the very Sangh cadre that had first allowed the BJP to make inroads in this region. But the polls suggest that Modi’s success lies in retaining much of the gains he had made in north Gujarat.

Many of the factors that worked against Modi in the rest of Gujarat were absent in this region which is where his hometown of Vadnagar is located. The dissatisfaction of the Patels which hit Modi hard in the other regions of Gujarat was missing here because the Kadva Patels of this region did not align themselves with the Leuva Patels who are numerous in the other three regions, especially in Saurashtra where the polls have already predicted setbacks for the BJP.

Moreover, the Congress campaign in this part of Gujarat was hampered by some internal dissension. In the absence of the anti-incumbency factors that came into play in the other regions of Gujarat, some of the rhetoric of Sohrabbudin and terrorism in the later part of the campaign could also have consolidated support for Modi. Of the four regions the state, exit polls suggest a decline for Modi in central Gujarat and Saurashtra, but suggest he has held on to enough seats in south and north.

Given the uncertainty of exit polls, the trend that one can take away is that Modi has seen a substantial loss of support. While the polls suggest this loss may not be severe, and that he may have bucked the anti-incumbency factor, this is by no means certain.

With even the most optimistic of exit polls giving Modi barely over 100 seats, the counting on December 23 becomes all the more interesting. Many in the Sangh Parivar are hoping for less than 95 seats for Modi . Under those circumstances they see a possibility of curbing the Modi phenomenon. This, among others, is the reason for the party’s reluctance to take action against Keshubhai Patel. The party expects that it could cobble through a majority support with the support of BJP dissidents who would then insist on a chief minister other than Modi. The polls suggest otherwise.

hartosh.bal@mailtoday.in

Chandigarh medical school employees use condoms & force themselves on patients

EXCLUSIVE By Vikas Kahol in Chandigarh
Showing the deathly rot that has set into the country’s public healthcare system HIV-positive patients, already bruised by their traumatic physical condition, are being physically abused by a gang of counsellors and laboratory technicians in Punjab and Haryana hospitals.Shockingly, among the hospitals is the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, recognised as a centre of excellence along the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The victims, who say their tormentors are the very people who are expected to protect them, have provided evidence of a rare kind of depravity where the counsellors and technicians operate in packs and often force patients who are commercial sex workers to procure other women for them. The attacks take place when the victims go for counseling or anti-retrovital (ARV) treatment.

One of them said the HIV-positive status of the patients did not deter the men who used condoms. She suggested the men perhaps had a "compulsive desire to have sex" and those visiting them for counseling were easy targets.

A month-long investigation by Delhi based News peper MAIL TODAY showed startling revelation of their abuse that has been going on for months. Assured of confidentiality, several victims spoke on camera to provide grisly details of the abuse and the modus operandi of their tormentors.

Expressing serious concern over the issue, Dr K K Talwar, Director, PGIMER said that it was difficult to believe that someone could sexually exploit an HIV positive patient. "I am duty bound to look into it," Dr Talwar said.

Take the case of Anu (name changed), a 30-year-old, who lost her husband about four years ago. The mother of two revealed that she goes to PGIMER in Chandigarh twice a year for her tests. "One of the attendants demanded that I sleep with him so that my reports are processed quickly. I resisted but had to give in finally since I required medicines," Anu said. The next time he demanded that she arrange a young girl. "Where do I get one?" asked Anu, who lives in Chandigarh.

Munni (name changed), a commercial sex worker said her troubles started when a counsellor came to know of her background. It was during an interaction – HIV patients are expected to share personal details about themselves with counsellors. Then, one day the man came with some friends and asked her to arrange sex workers for them. The men had Munni’s contact number and continued to hound her with what were evidently unreasonable demands. "It ended after I lost my mobile phone," said Munni.
The victims said that the men had a close knit nexus. Often they did not mind "passing" them on to other people for money and did not reveal their HIV status.

The victims are easy prey. The majority of women living with HIV are abandoned by their families. Others are fighting emotional, social and economic problems. Because it is difficult to conceal HIV status for long, they are ostracised. They succumb to the advances of people, who want to take advantage of them, said Manoj Kumar, a businessman from Punjab.

Manoj’s case is tragic. His wife had acquired HIV and he contracted it from her. "She was victimised by a group of technicians and counsellors," he alleged. The couple ultimately divorced when interference from the counsellors became unbearable, Manoj claims.The men who abused HIV patients were well aware that the women were acutely vulnerable.

Rani (name changed), a commercial sex worker, revealed that one technician wanted her to procure girls for him. Often he would stalk her. She is philosophical about the abuse. She explains that being poor and living with HIV, she does not mind having unsafe sex with anyone if they so insist.

In another case, Neetu (name changed) did not collect the report of baseline tests two years ago since the technicians asked her to come to a secluded place in Chandigarh to collect the reports. Two other girls narrate a similar encounter at hospitals in Amritsar and Panchkula.

The response from the medical community was one of disbelief, especially against the backdrop of the fact that the abuse was widespread. "I am totally floored and shocked to hear this," said Vanita Gupta, Joint Project Director, Chandigarh AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh. "It is our attempt not to harass people living with HIV. The issue needs proper investigation."

People working with HIV, however, hint at the problem. P. Kaushalya, president, Positive Women’s Network, India spoke to MAIL TODAY from Chennai stating that the cases of molestation of the women living with HIV had come to their notice from different parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP and Assam. "We will launch case studies in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana to gather evidences to check the menace," Kaushalya said.

Dr Ajay Wanchu, incharge of the Immune Deficiencies Department, PGIMER, said, "We will not spare anyone if we learn that they are exploiting patients."

vikas.kahol@mailtoday.in

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The scratches and welts on her back seem to be marks of passion
By Vindhya Tripathiin New Delhi
AT a recent event to promote a facial moisturiser in Mumbai, Kareena Kapoor looked every bit the celebrity in an elegant, figure hugging, satin dress. But it was not the cream or the dress that had people talking, but what the backless number revealed — the peaches-and-cream skin of the actor had a long scratch on her lower back and a welt near her shoulder. It seemed like either Kareena has been falling off a horse recently, or she’s got a love bite.

While it may in some way be possible that Kareena was unaware of the marks on her back, it is highly unlikely. The actress has an entire entourage of make-up artists, hairstylists, designers, managers and publicists following her everywhere. Not a blemish goes unnoticed and the concealer is always handy to correct an imperfection. So those who noticed the marks began speculating: was it a possiblity that the newly in love Kareena wanted to get the marks noticed. Does she want to exhibit her new love?

This does not seem all that unlikely. Kareena is a bold Bollywood girl who has done as she has pleased and, unlike many other Bollywood heroines, has never shied away from being public about her romantic status. This has landed her in a soup in the past: In 2004, when she was kissing her then boyfriend Shahid Kapur allegedly at a night club, it was caught on a mobile camera and the photo was released to the press. But while on this occasion Kareena cried foul, she never shied away from exhibiting public affection towards Shahid. The cutesy-twosome were often seen holding hands, cuddling and professing their love for each other over the next few years.

She has been equally open about her relationship with Saif Ali Khan. In fact, the rumours of her break up with Shahid were not even confirmed before Saif and Kareena began being seen around town together. There were rumours of Saif Kareena spottings, and stories that Saif and Kareena kept a Mumbai suburb hotel swimming pool open well after closing time, for what the management called a "private affair". A few days after Saif Ali Khan announced to the press, "Yes, we are together," at the grand finale of the Mumbai Fashion Week in October, the two turned up at an event holding hands on the red carpet, unmindful of the fact that Shahid Kapur, still smarting from the break-up, was also present at the function.

While older sister Karisma was more private in her dating days — she kept her relationship with Ajay Devgan under wraps — the younger Kareena has displayed an openness and an almost exhibitionist attitude towards her love life.So if the backless gown displaying the marks are an indication, Kareena seems to be in a mood to get talked about. With the recent announcement that she has bagged Rs 3.5 crore for an upcoming film there is no denying that her career is blossoming. But rather than be content to let her work speak for itself, Kareena may also want to let her love life do all the talking.

vindhya.tripathi@mailtoday.in