An Open Letter To Rahul Gandhi

Dear Rahul Gandhi,

Namastey! I hope you are fine after returning from Orissa. I am sure the Orissa Congress leaders treated you well here. Yes, you guessed it right from the use of the word ‘here’. I am from Orissa – a 20 year old apolitical youth (now you should be interested in this letter). I was keenly tracking your recent Orissa visit and in due process some questions have come up in my mind. I don’t expect you to answer my questions as you are yet to answer when people ask you about your views on several serious issues ranging from price rise to Kashmir, from Naxalism to Commonwealth games mismanagement. Probably last time we had heard from you when Saharukh Khan was on ShivSena’s target. May be that was a serious issue for you as your friend was in trouble.

Ok, leave those topics. My questions will only from your visit to Orissa. Even if you decide not to answer, at least pay some time to think about it. (Your fans reading this open letter will anyway give the answer on behalf of you).  Well, don’t worry! I will not ask you about the suspect Maoist Lado Sikoka garlanding you in that meeting. BJP has already asked that question. Why will I repeat that?

As soon as the N C Saxena committee suggested a ban on Vedanta’s mining in Niyamgiri, Orissa, I got to hear that a ‘special’ visit of yours to Orissa is being planned. The next day, it was declared that you would visit Lanjigarh on the 26^th August. The local congress leadership also reminded us of your speech at Lanjigarh in 2008, during your ‘Discovery of India’ yatra. You had said, “Kalahandi ke tribals ka ek sipahi Nai Delhi mein hai aur uska naam hai Rahul Gandhi”. So what actually you wanted to show us was that you kept your promise and threw Vedanta out of Lanjigarh (Kalahandi). I just want to know how you were sure that Vedanta will be thrown out after just a ‘suggestion’ from a committee. Were you sure that the Union Minister of Forests Mr. Jairam Ramesh would give his decision against the Vedanta? Or had you told (ordered?) Ramesh to ban Vedanta’s mining project? I am not speaking from Vedanta’s side but if it was pre-planned to ban Vedanta’s mining, then what was the point to do such drama? In fact, local media reports suggest that central govt. will give go ahead to Vedanta if it asks for mines at different places. Did you want to take the limelight and appease the tribals to get some more votes in 2014? Did you do that to embarrass the Orissa govt.? Ahh, then you couldn’t change the ‘way politics is done’ as you had promised us (youth). Rather you became a part of it! Would you please clarify?

When you were in Orissa (to appease Lanjigarh tribals), actually most of the population of Orissa was expecting a clarification from you on the Polavaram project. We common people are not experts, but some geologists have expressed apprehension that several villages of Malkangiri on the Andhra-Orissa border will be submerged once the dam is complete. And let me tell you that part of Orissa also is a tribal dominated area. How did you forget the ‘other’ tribals of Malkangiri when you were talking with ‘some’ tribals of Lanjigarh? So you are selective in your love for the tribals? Or is that because your party’s govt. in Andhra is executing this project? Then how are you the ‘Sipahi of tribal’? By the way, do you know just one day after your visit your mom has written a letter to Andhra CM ‘assuring’ him that the Polavaram project will be a national project. You can understand how depressed the tribal of that part of Orissa are! Would you please care to visit them too?

Do the poor people make a vote bank? No, I guess! Otherwise you must have talked about the POSCO project in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa. If struggle of people against Vedanta attracted your divine attention, why not the struggle of the poor people against POSCO have that privilege? 2 days before Saxena committee’s ‘suggestion’ to ban Vedanta mining, another committee of Ministry of Forest had stalled the acquisition process for the POSCO. But you didn’t utter a word about that project. Is it due to the difference between the poor and tribals or the difference between POSCO and Vedanta or Both? The reason I am asking you this question is that for many days PMO was directly focusing to make the POSCO project successful. Why suddenly the government has turned against the project? I smell conspiracy. Can you throw some light?

Ok, forget POSCO. One thing is sure that the company on your target was Vedanta. But you didn’t talk about Vedanta University project. Come on, you were here for around 1.5 hours, what were you talking then? For your information, Vedanta University will be established on 6000acres of land on Puri-Konark marine drive. Have you ever heard of a university present on 6000acres of land? We suspect this project to be a trap by Vedanta to capture the valuable lands that are present on the Puri-Konark marine drive. You should have talked something about that. You can tell (and your fans too) that you are not expected to know about all the projects in Orissa. But when you came here didn’t you do some home work? Google Vedanta and Orissa, you could have found all information about Vedanta’s projects here and the controversies related to them. You being branded as future prime minister (even no. of fans on your facebook page is a news in the media) we had expected you to talk about whole Orissa and be the sipahi of the Orissa, not a select group of people.

These were some of my questions, think about these. Think if you are really changing the way politics is done. Don’t disappoint us, sir. You have already done that several times.

Wishing you a bright future (your future is anyway bright thanks to the family you are born in)

Yours Faithfully,

Dibyasundar

P.S. I forgot to make a suggestion. Please shave, that uncharacteristic beard doesn’t look good. News channels too are hesitating to show this recent ‘not so handsome’ avatar of yours. Please don’t give chance to India TV to make 30 minutes special program on your beard. 😛

[Cartoon: courtesy Prasad Radhakrishnan/ Mail Today]

Industry, Land Owner And Environment: Can There Ever Be A Balance?

[This post has been selected for BlogAdda’s ‘Spicy Saturday Picks’]

There is probably no doubt that only industrialization can bring fast progress and advancement to a country. Though there are many believers of “Industrialization is against human values” still exist in this society, it is time that the Indian government and its various structures take a proactive stand supporting industrialization (off course  with considering damages and loss to citizens). For a fast growing economy like that of India, fast industrialization is a must. But the acts of Union Forest Minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh create doubts in the minds both of the citizens and that of the investors; the recent act being the ban on mining in Niyamgiri, Orissa for Vedanta’s $7 billion project on the grounds of violation of environmental laws. While every state of India face problems during land acquisition for industries, such accusations of violation are disturbing. Why is it a problem to set up an industry in India? It’s time we discuss them.

Considering Orissa’s case, we find some tall promises for future when we look at the long list of companies that have signed MoUs with the state government. Total amount of proposed investment is Rs 600,000. While Gujarat has become the most investor friendly state of India, all other state has failed to create an environment conducive for industries. What do we lack? I think it’s the balance between the industries (investors), people who will get affected (land owners) and the environmental laws. But the question is if there can be a ground for congruence between these factors!

The popular perception about investors is that they don’t face any problem while setting up an industry as they have lots of money and that’s why they should compensate the affected people as per market price. Let’s get some clearer idea about the constraints that the Industries face. Considering the high value of lands these days, is it possible for a company to buy thousands of acres of land at the market price? In fact, when an industry is declared to be established in an area, the market price too increases. Then add the secret amount that business enterprises pay to the local decision makers to get all clearances and facilities in a smooth way and you will see how difficult it is for a company to set up a plant. As they want to do business, we can’t expect them to run non-profit organizations here. Shouldn’t the govt. think rationally and help an ‘outsider’ company to start its business at a place which is suitable for it?

Now let’s discuss the factor of environment and plight of land owners. First the case of land acquisition. This problem is not that big as it is perceived. Actually it grows due to initial inaction of the govt. With absolutely magnificent rehabilitation programmes launched by the govt. and the private companies, there shouldn’t have been any problem for land owners to leave their land except for some genuine causes like the lands being highly fertile. The govt. /companies are ready to compensate people even for the govt. land they have encroached on. But thanks to opportunistic politics and even Maoist fomentation trigger violent war like situations. What helps these leaders is the lack of awareness among the locals as well as the poor records of govt.s in rehabilitation programmes. In Orissa, only around 15,000 acres of land of the estimated 45,607 acres of land required for investments have been acquired. In case of POSCO, govt. faced problems while acquiring its own land (3500 acres out of total 4004 acres land for POSCO) which have been encroached since ages.

Environment is a more genuine reason to oppose installing a plant. At a time when global warming is the biggest problem in front of the human civilization, we can’t afford to destroy natural flora and fauna. There should be absolutely zero tolerance towards violation of environmental laws.  Having said that, what needs to be ensured is that the damage is estimated properly and the true estimation is publicized. It can be done by none other than the govt. itself.

The balance between the 3 factors of industrialization can be established by the govt. only. The govt. here means both the central as well as the state govt. When it comes to industrial enterprises,they need to think alike irrespective of which party is in power at the center or the state. The laws should be clearly laid and interpreted. Today parties interpret the laws according to their advantage. This creates doubt. Due to this reason the companies act surreptitiously and country looses the revenues it deserves from the business.  We want leaders to speak in one voice – no matter if that voice is positive or negative. The leadership has to be stubborn when it comes to upholding laws of the land. Government needs to take the utmost care while deciding the area where the plant is to be set up. “No fertile land and least private land” should be provided to the investors. If all parties can stand united for or against a plant, there can be no one/party politicizing the land acquisition issue. As written before, zero tolerance towards environmental damage should be the approach making sure that the damages are estimated fairly. As it is highly improbable to expect politicians to talk in one voice and not politicizing the issue, a centrally empowered committee can be formed to check all the heavy industry proposals. The committee should have representation from all political parties, selected environmentalists and representatives of the people to be affected in a project. In a country of committees, we can adjust one more committee for sure.

The key to the balance lies with the political leadership of the country. If they want to use it, we can see a peaceful and industrialized India. And if they don’t want to use the key, it is our duty to force them to. After all, the supreme power in this country lies with us, the people of India. Hope we haven’t forget this fact.