[Assam] Tranperancy?

[Chan Mahanta]

I saw that Ram, and posted it to assamnet yesterday  under the 
subject line of   :Now This -- From ToI



Only thing I would like to add is that I don't take ANY pleasure from 
India's unending problems.


What I want to see is India reforming itself , so that Assam no 
longer remains hostage to a dysfunctional India.. That would be 
killing two birds at one shot, won't it :-)?

But none of this would happen, unless India's intelligentsia and its 
supporters from abroad remain uneducated about what needs done and 
remain uninvolved in doing it.

Imagine, if 25 years ago India would have started correcting what led 
Assam to taking up arms, we probably wouldn't have been talking about 
it today!


>If India has to be taken seriously, there must be transperancy.


*** That is NOT enough Ram. Transparency means we will see who is 
doing what  and who is not .  That we already can tell.  Everybody 
knows that. The problem is that India's institutions of state are soo 
dysfunctional that they are incapable of:

	A: Holding wrong-doers accountable.

	B: Bringing them to justice-if required, give them due 
process, and punish the guilty
	if need be and thus  create deterrence .

	C: Reward the doers, protect them, support them  and punish 
the  wrong-doers, so that
	finally, the ranks of the doers and the ethical will begin to 
grow and  become the drivers
	of progress.

None of this will happen until THOSE institutions of state that a 
functional state depends on -- like investigation, prosecution, 
justice  and so forth are thoroughly overhauled, outdated and 
unenforceable and otherwise ineffective and unnecessary laws and 
regulations are  purged, the back-log of the courts
cleared to a reasonable level, like say two or three years at most, 
and the rules by which all would play--the laws of the land--are made 
understandable by the ordinary man, without requiring interpretation 
of a whole industry of shysters.

Conflict resolution must  happen fairly and quickly.  That is its only hope.

Unfortunately these won't happen unless the electoral system also is 
thoroughly reformed to bring in those people who are able and ethical 
.

That means the people need to be educated about their roles too. So 
that education at the grassroots must begin now, so that a new 
generation of adults will begin to utilize their education to change 
things.




c-da



















At 11:55 AM -0600 2/2/09, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>  This from the TOI, and it is just the thing C'da might like  - I can
>visualize him licking his chops ! :) :).
>
>But seriously, however much one can try to prop up India, it is downright
>shameful that this PMO is trying to protect corrupt montries everywhere.
>
>One of the reader comments was to do away with RTI altogether, as it
>basically protects all the corrupt people in the country. It has no teeth.
>
>If India has to be taken seriously, there must be transperancy.
>
>Reader comments are interesting too.
>
>It is a darn shame.
>
>--Ram
>
>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Assets_of_ministers_kin_out_of_RTI_ambit_PMO/articleshow/4060646.cms
>
>NEW DELHI: At a time when pressure is mounting on the judiciary to disclose
>its assets, the executive wing of the government has come into the
>limelight for its attitude towards transparency.
>  In a decision that could have a far-reaching impact on administrative
>accountability, the PMO, widely seen as leading the government towards
>transparency has decided to withhold information related to assets of
>ministers and their relatives.
>  Responding to a query by applicant Subhash Chandra Agrawal, the PMO termed
>the information as exempt under clauses 8(1)(e) and 8(1)(j) which relate to
>immunity granted to "documents fiduciary relationship" and "Cabinet
>documents" under the RTI Act.
>  Agrawal has now filed an appeal with the Central Information Commission.
>  Significantly, the PMO had initially agreed to part with the information.
>But in a curious U-turn on December 17, 2008, the PMO held that details
>sought by the applicant were exempt from disclosure. The `no' was repeated
>on January 27, 2009, when Agrawal persisted with his effort.
>  It was last year that Agrawal had filed the RTI application seeking details
>of assets of Union ministers and their relatives for the last two years from
>cabinet secretariat. The letter was forwarded to Prime Minister's Office for
>necessary action.
>  In his appeal, Agrawal points to the PMO's reversal of stance. "The PMO was
>ready to divulge the information but there has been a change in decision,"
>Agrawal said.
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