Cow Slaughter-Devolved Human beings & why Hindus regard the Cow as an animal worthy of worship

Literacy need not give you knowledge and education need not bring you wisdom. This is evident in the activities of some communists and congress workers from Kerala. 

When, Human beings devolve below the level of animals, it was never going to be a pretty sight. Stripped of all dignity, pride and even basic awareness of their true ancestry, they now assemble in the roads to slaughter a CALF to prove a point. 

The state that claims to have the highest literacy rate in India and the most education among its people, does not contest a particular law in the courts nor tries to understand its purpose, but these parties bring out their cadre to the streets to publicly slit a calf, cut it up, cook it and serve to their comrades. Can it get more shameful than this?

This is how ABVP activist was thrashed by SFI in Kerala 2 yrs ago for Questioning BeefFest

Why is the cow regarded as a sacred animal by Hindus? 

For most human beings in the world, when a new life is born, the mother's milk is the first food given. Next to the air that the baby breathes giving it its first source of physical life, the milk of the mother establishes its secure contact with our species in a comforting way giving assurance and nourishment for the life ahead. 

Next to the mother's milk, it is the cows milk that the baby consumes. Most children around the world drink the milk provided by the cow. It is this milk that forms the blood and bones of children who grow up to become adults.  

In fact, a human mother gives milk to her child only for a year or two or as seems to be increasingly the case in the modern world, for a few months. Whereas, a cow gives the milk that human beings drink through out their lives. 

In addition to having the milk, human beings even make butter and ghee out of it, and a variety of sweets and food items.

The cow does not demand anything from us for this. Every year, a cow can have a calf and till it can not, it gives us milk. It only eats the hay from the fields, provides the manure, and even helps in the creation of food crops. 

Every child in our heritage grew up recognizing the sacred act and the role that the cows played-in addition to feeding its own calf, it gives us milk through most of its lifetime. 

Every cell in a human child's life is formed by consuming the milk given to us graciously by this benevolent animal.

Hence, in all gratitude to this silent animal that lives with the farmers and gives us so much asking for nothing in return, the Vedic civilization gave the cow its rightful revered place. 

What sort of low life wretched creatures exist whos very bodies were formed by drinking the milk from the cows, who decide to kill the CALF of the cow, who insist on eating the cow itself and also take pride in it by performing the act in public.

Even carnivorous animals do not kill indiscriminately. They are selective in what they eat. They kill for the sole purpose of sustaining their own lives, in the only way they know and can. They choose the most easily available life form first and only in the absence of it, go for any other.

But, here we are - we are breeding hordes of chicken and lamb for our daily consumption, we exhaust fishes by the trawlers and yet, some choose to shamelessly slaughter and gleefully consume the very cow that selflessly gave us its milk that nourished us from infancy.

Here is what the worldwide renowned nature farmer, organic farming expert, Green Crusader Dr.Nammalvar had to say about the practice of cow slaughter. He explains in a non-religious way, the role of the cow and the reason why our society worships the cow. 

Dr.Nammalwar graduated from Annamalai University in 1963 with a BSc degree in Agriculture. He has traveled widely across the world, observed the agricultural practices in various different ecological systems and based on his findings, trained several farmers and NGO workers. He has written several books and articles in the Tamil language. Nammalwar spent a substantial part of his time actively touring the south and conducting training classes on ecological farming and setting up several research cum training centres across South India. The first was at Surumanpatti, Kadavur in Karur district. He was also actively involved in linking different farms and institutes around the world so as to accelerate the process of ecological development. This great man is also responsible for turning total dry lands into fertile agricultural land for everybody's benefit. This talk is in Tamil but I have provided the English translation below.

English translation -

Previously (in our culture and society), we got food without having to spend for it.

Water which was let to the paddy fields through the canals also naturally gave life to grass, which the cows fed on. Please observe carefully- the water was given only for the paddy but as a result of this even the grass was available freely, upon which the cows fed.

By eating this, the cows gave us milk. This means this milk was available to us without having to spend anything on the cows.

Thus the food was available to our children free of cost.

Now, since the cow has gone to the slaughter house, our milk has started coming in packets.

They say this milk in packets has the fat of the cows, fat derived from pigs, even some soap, urea and to make it smell like milk, they add some other things. Then they make powder from it and then add water again to it to make milk!

Just think about this - the cow originally gives the liquid milk; they make powder out of it, then they add water again to it, isnt it funny, can you not just drink milk in its pure form and directly if there were cows everywhere (as before)?

Our friend from Kerala told us that the Vechur cow from cattle, which is only about 3 feet in height, gives abundant milk. It eats less to maintain itself and eats more only to give more milk. It eats only grass and hay and gives us everything. But out of the grains grown all over the world, 48% becomes cattle feed and this cattle feed  is given to pigs, chicken, cows, and they say there is not enough food to feed the world. Is the cow asking for this cattle feed?

If it chews the hay and the grass by grinding it well in its mouth, its teeth will also remain healthy and its intestines also will be healthy. Whereas, if we give cattle feed which is like a paste, immediately after giving birth to the first calf, it will be sent for slaughter to Pollachi and Kerala.

The veterinary doctor from Bangalore says it costs Rs.1Lakh to make a cow. But after the first calf, it is given for slaughter to Pollachi and if they cant sell it there, they try to sell it in Kerala. And see what is happening there-From Metupalayam, one of our nature farmers went there to a breeding place. He went around the whole place and he couldnt find a single calf. He asked them where are the calves and the person replied “why do you need calves?” So, he asked him again-wont the cow be able to give milk only after delivering the calf? He replied “Yes” , so where are those calves? He replied that immediately after the calf is born, they sell it to those who kill it to make bajjis.

So you see, at Pollachi, the new born calf is immediately killed to make bajji. People are frying it and eating it. How can anything good happen to such people?

In America, they look at the land as a factory and the cow as a machine. We see the land as a mother and the cow also as a mother. The human mother gives milk only to human child but the cow not only give milk to its calf but also give milk to our children. So that is why we keep the cow even above our own mother and worship the cow.

So, in this food chain, the cow is of crucial importance.

1. From the water that flows to the paddy fields, the grass grows,
2. The cow eats the grass which is thus freely available in nature.
3. It only eats the grass, the hay, the residue from the harvest of various products like groundnuts etc
4. It eats whatever the human being can not eat
5. After eating all that we cant eat, it gives us milk also
6. In addition, it gives us manure for the soil, it helps you with the ploughing of the fields, even pulls your carts to take you around, and every year, it give you a calf also. When it dies, if you bury it under the mango tree, it will give you mango fruits also.

Now, after giving up on this cow, see what all we have lost

1.We are getting something that can not even be called milk in the packets.

2.We now have to buy fertilizer because now the soil is not fertile anymore

3. Since cows (oxen) are not available for ploughing we now have to buy tractors

4.We have to buy diesel for these tractors.

5.The waste residues from the harvest does not go back into the field because the bullock carts are not available..

6. In addition, Whatever is cultivated does not come home, it goes to the truck.

7. You had a bullock cart vehicle readily at home, with which you can go where ever you wanted but now you have to go to the bus stop and wait for the bus to come,to take you wherever you want to go. You will get dropped back at the bus stand and will have to walk back.

8. Earlier, they used the bulls to operate the irrigation system but now, you need a pump with diesel engine or electric power and then Arcot Veerasamy (Electricity Minister) does not send the power also.

Now, the cow gives a calf once every year, does your tractor give you another tractor every year?

The cow eats the hay and converts it into manure;the tractor drinks the diesel and heats the environment.

Now, do you understand, isnt this like giving a lantern to a blind man?

So, a society, when its living, it has to create new things and hand over (the combined knowledge) to several successive generations. Our (self sustainable) technology came to us like this.

------ At the heart of this public protest against cow slaughter, we must study the origins of such organized protest, to get the full picture.

In contrast to this selfless cow, a communist leader is the worst species to exist in this planet. Berating a false ideology that proclaims to create an equal society by destroying man's very connection to his very source, these leaders drive the masses into believing that they will live in a paradise of equality and justice but stealthily ensure their own dominance over every one. 

Every single communist state in the world has been created by mass slaughter of a sizable section of its population, carefully executed by one such local leader. And every single state has collapsed by the fundamental flaw in its very ideology. Every such communist state that is supposed to be embody equalness has turned into a Dictatorship which is maintained by the favored comrades and cadres.  All of this for the proclaimed objective of providing equality for all. All of them collapsed or transformed into democracies or total dictatorships.

In truth, at the top, you have a dictatorial leader who has absolute command or you have a politburo who function as a collective command favouring their interests and the interest of a few. The cadre benefit in this network also and thus together they would create their "equal society" where they can dominate. 

They do nothing to contribute to the economic development of any society because they cant have such capabilities. Instead, they control all industry and owners. A legitimized goonda raj where the sham of uplifting the poor is only used to harass the actual creators.

These creatures are even worse than hyenas who as a pack chase away the lion from its prey that it killed. These communists act as a pack but dont chase away the lion insisting (by their numbers) that it has to keep doing the hunts for the greater good of which they will be the greatest controlling beneficiary. 

They occupy all vital positions in government and media and ensure that there is a voice of dissent at all times against who ever is in power-whether it is a company or a country. They are seldom in power and yet have their voice in the media at all times.  

When in power they do all that they can to destroy the belief systems of others, choosing what ever is the least threat for them to execute. Thus, you will not find them actively protesting against any christian or muslim organization or activities. However, they will organize everything possible against Hindus who are known all these years to tolerate.

Now, they are under mortal danger because after the victory of Narendra Modi and BJP, for the first time since independence, there is a strong leader at the centre and Hindus have awakened to the sham of sickularism & communism.

Kerala alternated between a sickular congress and these commies & this resulted in the Hindus having no voice in the political and even administrative structures for decades. 

Now, both these sections recognize the danger of Hindus waking up, uniting and expressing themselves. It is entirely possible that commies and all other sickulars will unite to keep the BJP out.

Will these united creatures conduct a pork fest to challenge the muslim community? If the muslims were adviced not to eat pork, it was not without reason as a certain basic hygiene requirement was the practical necessity of the region of origin of their religion. 

A Hindu had the interest of the whole community in maintaining cows as it ensured a highly self reliant and self sufficient community all over this sub-continent. It was this naturally sustaining system that made this region one of the richest in the world for several thousands of years until the last around 400 years.

We lost our rich heritage because we lost our Kshatriyatwam, the ability to fight for and defend our Dharma. We let the weeds and incompetents grow and take over. 

Hindus now have to unite and reclaim our true economic, social and spiritual heritage. These sickular forces who have made a statement by chopping the head of a calf and parading it on the roads need to be deweeded through the electoral process. Unless, the Dharma is upheld consciously, we will be digging our own grave.

We have a responsibility to bring back our heritage which is the greatest heritage known to mankind.

---------------

Article in The Hindu

Tamil Nadu banned cow slaughter in 1976
T.K. RohitT. Ramakrishnan CHENNAI, JUNE 04, 2017 00:00 IST
UPDATED: JUNE 04, 2017 04:08 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/tamil-nadu-banned-cow-slaughter-in-1976/article18716718.ece



Final journey:The laws broadly lay down the manner in which slaughter can be carried out after getting a ‘fit-for-slaughter’ certificate.FILE PHOTOK_Pichumani
A low-down on the laws prevailing in the State and elsewhere, and the factors that drove them

As a controversy rages over the new rules regulating the sale of cattle through animal markets and amidst claims that the rules amounted to a ban on cattle slaughter, we try to answer a few questions on the prevailing norms in Tamil Nadu.

What is the legal position in Tamil Nadu regarding the slaughter of animals ?
The State follows the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, framed by the Union government, and the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958. The laws broadly lay down the manner in which slaughter can be carried out after getting a ‘fit-for-slaughter’ certificate. This certificate is issued if an animal – bull, bullock or buffalo – is over 10 years of age and is unfit for work and breeding. The slaughter certificate will also be given if the animal is permanently incapacitated for work and breeding due to injury or deformity or any incurable disease.

What about cows?
Cow slaughter is completely banned in the State. In 1976, the State government, which was under President’s rule at that time, passed a G.O. that banned slaughter of cows and calves. It is still in force.

Why did the change in rules come about?
There was a demand by various organisations in the State for a ban on cow slaughter, after it was felt that slaughtering cows and heifers was affecting the rural economy and impacting milk production. On August 30, 1976, the Agriculture Department passed the G.O. It said slaughter of cows and heifers was “reducing the availability of breeding stock for upgradation of milch animals and also leads to a fall in the output of farmyard manure”.

How do the rules compare with other Southern States?
In neighbouring Puducherry, slaughter of cow is totally prohibited and there is also a ban on the sale and transport of beef. Violating the ban will attract imprisonment of up to two years. It is a cognisable and non-bailable offence. In Karnataka, “slaughter of cow, calf of a cow or calf of a she-buffalo is totally prohibited” under the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964. Only bulls, bullocks, and adult buffaloes can be slaughtered with a ‘fit-for slaughter’ certificate.

This applies only if the cattle are over 12 years of age. Also, transport for slaughter to a place outside the State is not permitted. Sale, purchase or disposal of cow or calf for slaughter is also not permitted. In Kerala, panchayat laws prohibit the slaughter of useful animals.

As per the Kerala Panchayat (Slaughter Houses and Meat Stalls) Rules, 1964, no permission shall be granted to slaughter animals if they are below 10 years of age and are fit for normal purposes. In 1976, the government issued an executive order that banned slaughter of ‘useful animals’ in municipal areas as well.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, “slaughter of bull and bullock is allowed on a ‘fit-for-slaughter’ certificate, to be given only if the animal is not economical or is not likely to become economical for the purpose of breeding or draught/agricultural operations.”

What is the punishment for violation of rules?
In Tamil Nadu, anyone found guilty of violating the rules can attract imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of Rs. 1,000, or both. While the fine amount is same in Puducherry, the imprisonment period is up to two years. Violation of the rules in Puducherry is also a cognisable and non-bailable offence. In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, punishment will be imprisonment up to 6 months or a fine of Rs. 1,000 or both.



New rules don't ban cattle slaughter, surprised at Madras HC order: Kerala HC
The PIL filed by a Youth Congress secretary TS Saji was subsequently withdrawn.

Source-Wednesday, May 31, 2017 - 14:02 http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/new-rules-dont-ban-cattle-slaughter-surprised-madras-hc-order-kerala-hc-62910



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Hearing the first set of Public Interest Litigations (PIL) challenging the Centre's recent regulation banning sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets across the country, the Kerala High Court observed on Wednesday that there was no ban on cattle slaughter.

A division bench of the HC remarked that the Centre's rule only prohibits sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets and said that the act could be done anywhere else.

"The PIL does not stand, since the Centre's regulation only bans sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. It has not banned cattle slaughter at all. Can't the sale and slaughtering be done at home or other places? There is no breach of citizens' rights here. Seems like people are raising objections without even reading the regulation," the court has reportedly remarked.

Subsequently, the PIL filed by a Youth Congress secretary TS Saji was withdrawn. The High Court will also consider a number of writ petitions challenging the Centre's regulation in the later part of the day.

Several people, including Congress MLA Hibi Eden, had moved the HC challenging the Centre's rule. The petition had said that the new rules would drastically affect the traders. Hibi Eden had jointly filed the writ petition along with a Kochi-based meat trader, who argued that his business was hit after the Centre's rule came into effect.

Kerala HC said it was surprised how the Madurai bench stayed the centre's notification. "If people had read the notification properly, there would not have been protests", the court reportedly said.

Modus Operandi of Missionaries in India

Modus Operandi of Missionaries in India-Take a bunch of photos, get the money from Evngelists in the West to whom unsuspecting people contribute and catch the lowest economic strata of Indian society, specially in their difficult times, and increase their flock, funding and their own pockets. You can see so many chruches and prayer halls appearing in every town and city, all over India.  

The government should urgently put an end to this. These 'charity' organizations should be driven out of the country.

A rich and popular rapper from America has been sending money to this ‘village’ for years - surely, the end result isn’t a bunch of machines that any under-funded NGO in India would be able to put together? 
Dear Nicki Minaj, your charity in an ‘Indian village’ funded 10 computers, and a bit more- The village is in Chennai, there is a ‘supernatural’ element and a hint of Evangelism.

Source-Priyanka Thirumurthy-http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dear-nicki-minaj-your-charity-indian-village-funded-10-computers-and-bit-more-62561 Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 19:28



For a few days now, people in India have suddenly been talking about American rapper Nicki Minaj. On her Instagram page, Nicki posted that she had been sending money to a village in India for the last couple of years:

While Nicki Minaj herself just spoke about 4 particular programmes in the unnamed village, the headlines that followed were the kind that painted pictures of a poor village in ruins saved by a star.

Nicki Minaj has been sending money to Indian village for 2 years, and no one knew, said one headline. Nicki Minaj Quietly Kept Sending Funds To An Indian Village, Today It's Fully Developed, said another. Nicki Minaj Quietly Sent Funds To An Indian Village – it is Now Totally Transformed, screamed a third.

But where is this village? And how has Nicki Minaj’s money been used to transform it? No one knew the answer, until now.

TNM visited the ‘village’ - except, this ‘village’ is inside Chennai. To be specific, it’s Thiruvalluvar Nagar in Ennore, approximately 40 minutes away from the Chennai Central Railway Station with average traffic.



And behold the ‘transformation’ that some sections of the media have been harking about: Inside a church in the bylanes of Thiruvalluvar Nagar is a ‘Supernatural Computer Centre’ with four computers, and a ‘Supernatural Tailoring Centre’ with a bunch of sewing machines! They also have a few teachers to take lessons for the students.

To be fair to Nicky, she didn’t exactly claim a transformation - that ‘supernatural’ claim rests with the media alone.

But if a rich and popular rapper from America has been sending money to this ‘village’ for years - surely, the end result isn’t a bunch of machines that any under-funded NGO in India would be able to put together?

What is ‘supernatural’?

Inside Thiruvalluvar Nagar in Ennore is the Kirubasanam church - home to Pearl Foundation. Within this church is the computer centre that Nicki Minaj mentions in her Instagram post: Four computers spread across a room, with a huge poster of apostle Lydia Woodson Sloley dominating the room.



Apostle Lydia - mentioned in Nicki Minaj’s Instagram post - is a senior pastor and founder of Life in its Poetic Form Christian Ministries, or LIPF, which is based out of Brooklyn in New York. She’s the author of three books, including one called ‘The Supernatural Woman’, and changes people’s lives in her supernatural ways.

And that, of course, is the reason why the computer centre and tailoring unit are called ‘Supernatural’.



LIPF has tied up with the Pearl Foundation to help the women in Thiruvalluvar Nagar in Ennore - the village that actually isn’t a village. With funds from Nicki Minaj, Pearl Foundation in association with LIPF also runs a computer centre in Kolathur which has six computers, and has dug up a well in the village of Atipattu.

Once we solved that mystery, TNM set out to find out exactly how the ‘Supernatural’ centres have transformed the village that isn’t.

4 computers and a tailoring unit

According to Manimegalai, a caretaker at the church, around 50 children come to the computer centre every day to learn MS Office, C++, Photoshop and Tally.

How does the math work out between 50 children and 4 computers? "There is another centre downstairs," Manimegalai tells us. Except, this centre must be extra-supernatural, because it was invisible.

The tailoring unit has so far taught 60 women how to stitch, the foundation claims. In addition to tailoring and computer classes, the foundation also conducts tuition for underprivileged children.



While there’s no doubt that the centre is helpful to the women and children in the area, the media’s claims of ‘transformation’ and ‘total development’ are clearly overstated.

So how much of Nicki Minaj’s money has gone into a few computers and some tailoring machines?

When TNM posed the question to pastor John Samuels, the man behind the Pearl Foundation, the answer we got was that the information is ‘confidential’.

"Only John Samuels know the details of the funding and he doesn't share it with us," says 29-year-old Elizabeth, who joined the foundation three years back.

Charity or missionary?

John Samuels is the man in the video Nicki Minaj posted on Instagram. Currently in Germany to attend a conference, the pastor replied to TNM’s questions via email. While he confirmed the tie-up between LIPF and Pearl, he conspicuously left the answer to one question blank: Does the foundation do conversions?

In a video from 2015, shot at the tailoring unit, John Samuels says, “Many women have been saved and baptised, who came to this tailoring institute. From the deep of my heart, I thank LIPF, especially our apostle Lydia Houston.” (sic)

Manimegalai, the caretaker of the church, tells TNM the story of her own conversion.

"I was a devotee of the Melmaruvatthur Amman for four decades. Even after my husband died, I used to regularly visit the temple. But some years back, my elder son passed away. It left me broken and I was losing all hope. Following this, my younger son and I came here regularly, from 2012. It gave us so much peace that we all converted to Christianity," she says.



The administrator, Elizabeth, insists that foundation and the church are exclusive entities - despite the fact that they share the same premises. Any mention of conversions is first met with outright disagreement. But when TNM showed Elizabeth the video of John Samuels, she admits, “Yes we do baptise some of them.”

“But that is because when somebody comes to God, something will touch them and they hear our prayers and all good things. If they are committed to Jesus, we will baptise. If they are ready to come regularly to church, we will do it," Elizabeth says.

But won't this video, of the pastor claiming that women are baptised here, create a certain perception, we ask Elizabeth. "No, we only baptise those who come up to us. They believe that several problems in their life can be solved by following Jesus," she retorts.

The celebrity, according to CBS News, is worth USD 70 million. While she may have done more charities through the 'supernatural' centres, this is what TNM was able to find in the villages of Chennai. 
Source-Priyanka Thirumurthy-http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dear-nicki-minaj-your-charity-indian-village-funded-10-computers-and-bit-more-62561 Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 19:28 
 

Defamation litigation: a survivor's kit - By Subramanian Swamy

Defamation litigation: a survivor's kit - By Subramanian Swamy 

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/21/stories/2004092103551000.htm

The Supreme Court judgment in the Nakkeeran case is the main tool in the survival kit for honest media and other critics of politicians against libel litigation.

ON SEPTEMBER 17, the Tamil Nadu Government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that it had ordered the withdrawal of 125 defamation cases filed against The Hindu and various other publications. This is a tribute especially to The Hindu `parivar' for showing guts and challenging the constitutionality of the cases filed against its representatives. The Jayalalithaa Government chose discretion over valour by not risking the Supreme Court striking down the libel statute itself as unconstitutional. Rather than lose permanently the weapon of state harassment of critics that defamation law represents, the Government chose to back down.

This is the second time that the AIADMK State Government has directed a carte blanche withdrawal of defamation cases. The first time was on January 1, 1994 when the Tamil Nadu Government withdrew numerous defamation cases filed against me in several Sessions Courts in the State. The reason then was the same: the Supreme Court Bench of Chief Justice M.N. Venkatachalaiah and Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy had heard extensive arguments from me as petitioner in person and the Tamil Nadu Government counsel on the defamation law, and then orally asked why the law should not be struck down. The Government counsel then asked for time, and came back a week later to say that all the cases against me had been withdrawn. Hence, the cause of action for my petition disappeared, and my petition became infructuous. I was personally relieved but the law survived for use on another day.

But Justice Jeevan Reddy, who had listened to me with great care, went on to write a landmark judgment in the Nakkeeran case [1994] that incorporated the core of my arguments and citations from the United States Supreme Court and the United Kingdom's House of Lords. That judgment today c. The judgment however needs to be developed further by more decided cases further clarified by continued challenge to state-sponsored defamation litigation that has become far too frequent in the country, so that freedom of speech and expression can become more deep and extensive than at present.

Under the Indian Constitution, the fundamental right to free speech (Article 19) is subject to "reasonable restrictions." What is reasonable is subjective in a society; it can only be developed to some objectivity by cases decided in courts [`case law'] and according to the political culture of the times. At present, reasonableness is codified in two laws — first, in exceptions to criminal culpability incorporated in Sections 499 and 500 of the British colonial statute known as the Indian Penal Code (1870), and second, the limits to civil liability incorporated as tort law. In India, defamation proceedings can be initiated under either or both, together or in sequence. Most democratic countries have however done away with the criminal law, which is archaic and draconian. But India has not yet done so.

What is one to do if one receives a court summons for alleged defamation? For example, I once received a summons from a Delhi court because I had called a BJP leader, V.K. Malhotra, "an ignoramus." The remark was made by me during the Lok Sabha proceedings, but lifted by a sub-editor and inserted in a column I wrote for the magazine.

Under the law, I had to prove that it was true — or face imprisonment. Now, how does one prove that a person is an ignoramus in a court of law? Add to that the harassment I would have to suffer of travelling to court at least 10 times a year for at least five years to attend the case or face a warrant for my production in court. 

Or I would have to engage a lawyer who would charge me a hefty sum. All this for a mild rebuke of a political leader? The editor of the magazine decided he could not stomach it, so he apologised for printing the remark. I was left holding the bag.

However, I fought the case and won. Mr. Malhotra was directed to pay me Rs.8,000 as compensation for my petrol bills, which he paid with some reluctance. Now how did I do it?

I pulled out of my survival kit the first tool of defence: in a defamation case, the aggrieved person must prove "publication," which means Mr. Malhotra would have to prove first that I had, in the original text given to the magazine, written what was printed. The onus was on him to produce the original. Now which magazine keeps the original? He failed to produce it and I won.

In a 1997 press conference, I made some charges against Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. He used Section 199 of the Criminal Procedure Code to get the Public Prosecutor to file a defamation case. This meant the contest in court was between me and the state, and not between me and the Chief Minister personally. Thus the Government would spend the money out of the public exchequer and use Government counsel to prosecute me, a totally unequal contest and wholly unfair (even if legal).

If Section 199 had not been there, the Chief Minister would have personally been the complainant and I would have had the right to cross-examine him. Now which busy politician would like that? Hence, I pulled out the second tool in my survival kit. I filed an application before the judge making the point that the alleged defamation related to the personal conduct of the Chief Minister and not to anything he did in the course of public duty. I argued that Section 199 would not apply. Thereafter, the State Public Prosecutor quickly lost interest in the case. Had the judge rejected my prayer, I would have gone in appeal to the Supreme Court and got Section 199 struck down. But alas, I could not.

In 1988 another Chief Minister, Ramakrishna Hegde, filed a suit against me under tort law for Rs.2 crore damages for my allegation that he was tapping telephones and using his office to benefit a relative in land deals. Although ultimately, the Kuldip Singh Commission and a parliamentary committee studying the Telegraph Act upheld my contentions, I would have had a problem had the court decided the case before these inquiry reports came out.

So I pulled out the third tool in my survival kit, namely the U.S. Supreme Court case laws, the most famous of which was The New York Times case decided in 1964. Contrary to popular impression, U.S. case laws on fundamental rights are applicable to India following a Supreme Court judgment in an Indian Express case in 1959.

Furthermore, since 1994, these U.S. case laws have become substantially a part of Indian law, thanks to Justice Jeevan Reddy's judgment in the Nakkeeran case.

The principle in these case laws, restricted to public persons suing for damages, is wonderfully protective of free speech: if a person in public life, including one in government, feels aggrieved by a defamatory statement, then that person must first prove in court that the defamatory statement is not only false, but that the maker of the statement knew it to be false. That is, it must be proved by the defamed plaintiff to be a reckless disregard of the truth by the defamer defendant. This principle thus reversed the traditional onus on the defamer to prove his or her allegation, and placed the burden of proof on the defamed.

This reversal of burden of proof is just, essentially because a public person has the opportunity to go before the media and rebut the defamation in a way aggrieved private persons cannot do. If criticism and allegations against a public person have to be proved in a court of law, what is likely to happen is that public spirited individuals will be discouraged and thus dissuaded from making the criticism. This is what the U.S. Supreme Court in the famous New York Times case characterised as a "chilling effect" on public debate; it held this to be bad for democracy.

Hence the need to balance the protection of reputation in law with the democratic need for transparency and vibrant public debate. The U.S. Supreme Court admirably set the balance for freedom and democracy.

Since Mr. Hegde was an intelligent man, he recognised what my survival strategy meant. He would have come on the stand in court. He would have been examined and cross-examined on why what I said was not true, and how he knew that I had known all along that my charges were false and yet I made them. He therefore sent me a message one day wanting to know if I would call it quits. So his defamation case went from one adjournment to another, until it lapsed upon his death. Before his passing, Hegde and I met. Both of us agreed that it was unwise for politicians who have so much access to the media to rebut charges to file defamation cases and waste the time of already overburdened courts. I got the impression that some sharp lawyer was behind his temporary loss of judgment in filing the case.

Today, with developing case laws, defamation litigation has become a toothless tiger for politicians to use against the media. There are enough dental tools in my survival kit to ensure this. I am therefore writing a full Manual on how to expose dishonest politicians and get away without being harassed in court. I hope honest critics will no more hesitate to speak their minds about what they know to be the truth even if they cannot prove this in court beyond a reasonable doubt.

I am happy therefore that The Hindu chose to fight it out rather than capitulate. More should follow its lead for a better democracy and a freer media.

(The author, an economist, is a former Union Law Minister. As a rule he argues his own cases in court without the agency of lawyers.)
Source:http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/21/stories/2004092103551000.htm

BJP intellectual cell to engage with larger society

BJP intellectual cell to engage with larger society

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bringing national general secretary Subramanian Swamy and controversial leader Sakshi Maharaj to a function organised under the aegis of the intellectual cell of the party in Kochi on Saturday, the BJP is unleashing a campaign to engage with larger society in the state.

The programme is aimed at taking the activities of the cell beyond the four walls of the party to address ideological issues rather than day-to-day affairs. Intellectual cell state convener T G Mohandas told Express the BJP was an ideologically-driven party and it was time to restate it for the benefit of the party workers and the general public.

“The party is taking up several issues of mundane life. But it is time to take up ideological issues which could benefit the party cadre as well as the people at large,” he said. According to the intellectual cell, the ruling CPM in the state has been engaged in an illicit tie-up with “anti-national forces”.

“We at the BJP are concerned about the CPM developing a bonhomie with the forces known for its anti-India stance and divisive activities. CPM has no qualms about colluding with evangelists. That’s why the government reacted violently when an unauthorised cross was removed by the Revenue Department at Munnar,” Mohandas said.The programme to be attended by Swamy and Maharaj will take up issues regarding CPM’s minority appeasement. 
 
“The government’s appeasement of Christian evangelists and its proclaimed projects like starting Islamic Bank in the cooperative sector will also be discussed. Speakers will shed light on anti-Hindutva forces from minority communities masquerading as CPM activists unleashing anti-India and anti-Hindutva campaigns,” he said.

BJP veteran to share dais after over a decade
For the first time in over a decade, BJP veteran P P Mukundan will be given a seat on the dais along with the national leaders and state president Kummanam Rajasekharan. It is as a mark of respect to Mukundan that the intellectual cell invited him.


Source-http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2017/may/27/setting-agenda-bjp-intellectual-cell-to-engage-with-larger-society-1609541.html

Started by Atal, Delayed by Congress, Completed by Modi govt-Bhupen Hazarika Setu-Dhola Sadia Bridge

Below-How Dhola Sadiya bridge looked after 5 yrs of Congress (<25% complete) What Modi Sarkaar did in 3 years (> 6 times faster)

Sadia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26th May 2017 inaugurated the Dhola-Sadia Bridge, the country's longest river bridge, over the Lohit in the eastern most tip of Assam connecting Arunachal Pradesh.

After inaugurating the Rs 2,056 crore strategic bridge at Sadia in Assam's Tinsukia district, Modi walked a short distance over it.

A vehicle carrying the prime minister, union minister Nitin Gadkari, Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal and other senior government officials then passed over it.

The 9.15 km long bridge is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. It has a three lane carriage way and connects Sadia town in Assam's Tinsukia district with Dhola village in Arunachal Pradesh across the river.

The bridge will reduce travel time between strategically located Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by four hours as the earlier means of transport was only by river.

Bearing in mind the necessity for quick movement of troops and artillery to the bordering state of Arunachal, the bridge has been designed to accommodate the movement of tanks, according to official sources.

Addressing a public gathering, Modi said the bridge was delayed because of the UPA government.

“This bridge will now be known by the name of Bhupen Hazarika, the son of Brahmaputra who enchanted the world with his voice,” said Modi.

Congratulating Sarbananda Sonowal and his team, the prime minister said it is “remarkable” that he has taken on so many difficult problems in one year.

Also taunting the previous government, Modi asserted that the bridge would have completed earlier if it wasn’t for the UPA government.

"Our lawmaker at that time had requested for the bridge and Atal ji's government had ordered a feasibility study. If Atal ji's government had been re-elected in 2004, you would have got this bridge 10 years ago," Modi said.

He urged people to take out their mobile phones and celebrate this achievement.

The BJP government in Assam completed a year and are solving Assam's problems one-by-one, he added.

He described the bridge as not just Assam’s pride, but the country's pride. Stressing on physical and social infrastructure, he added that the BJP's intent is to make development sustainable and fulfil the dreams of the country.

This bridge will bring Assam and Arunachal closer and open doors of economic prosperity as it shortens a distance of 165 km and saves hours of transit time. It will also provide a new market to ginger farmers of Sadiya. At the same time, it will further save Rs 10 lakh of fuel every day for the common man.

The PM also said that the east and the northeast have the highest scope to contribute to India's unprecedented development. "We have endavoured to take development to new heights."

The government is now working to give a thrust to waterways in the region, so that it can play a huge role in connecting India to South East Asia and become a hub of economic activity.

He also alleged that Railways in the sect needed more attention. "Railways in the northeast hasn't received as much attention as it should have," Modi said.

"Due to connectivity problems, many Indians are unaware of how beautiful this place is. If we can make this a tourist hub, the economy of this region will benefit a lot," he added.

Modi's demonetisation move gave economy Rs 5 lakh crore advantage

Modi's demonetisation move gave economy Rs.5 Lakh crore advantage.

• Tax assessment grows by 23.8 per cent
  91Lakh new assesses joined the tax base in the last fiscal year.
• New PAN cards issued daily averages between 2-3 Lakh instead of 1Lakh previously.
• 2016-17 saw a total of 300 crore digital transactions, expected to touch 2,500 crore coming year.
• 240 crore debit card transactions with a total value of Rs.3.3Lakh crore against Rs1.58Lakh crore previous year.
• BHIM and UPI payment gateways are already averaging a daily transactional value of Rs 140 crore per day.

India's economy has received a Rs 5 lakh crore advantage thanks to PM Narendra Modi's decision to scrap the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, an assessment report has found.
Source-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendra-modi-demonetisation-income-tax-revenue-digital-economy/1/962380.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move has given the economy a Rs 5 lakh crore advantage, a high-level internal assessment report of the government on the drive has found.

MAIL TODAY is in possession of the findings which point out that at the time of the surprise cash crackdown announced by the PM on November 8 last year, currency worth Rs 17.77 lakh crore was in circulation in the economy.

By May 2017, the banknotes in use would have been of the value of Rs 19.25 lakh crore.

However, according to RBI figures, at the end of April this year, the total amount of currency in circulation was Rs 14.2 lakh crore.

This means that the economy now has roughly Rs.5 lakh crore cash less than the amount it would have had if note ban had not happened.

This also indicates that the amount of cash stashed away by citizens has come down. The situation is advantageous to the country since hoarding of cash delivers no value to India's economic growth.

OTHER BENEFITS

The other key benefits include widening of the tax base, boost to digital economy, growing bank deposits, burgeoning EPFs and strengthening of the teetering housing sector.

The decision to abolish 500 and 1,000 rupee notes disrupted the daily lives of hundreds of millions of citizens as banks struggled to swiftly expand the circulation of new bills. The PM had said the demonetisation action was needed to fight corruption and fraud and cut off financing for attacks by terrorists who target India.

The government report says that with Rs 14.2 lakh crore of currency the economy is able to meet all its transactional requirements.

It also estimates that because of the note ban, India's net personal income tax revenue could double over the next couple of years. Some of the dividends are already visible.

The number of people who have filed self assessment forms for the financial year 2016-17 grew by 23.8 per cent. The government's calculation is that out of this 23.8 per cent, at least 10 per cent growth is due to demonetisation.

Senior officials in the administration say the crackdown has sent a message that those who evade tax are engaging in a form of financial terrorism and the law is now going to come after them.

Ninety-one lakh new assesses joined the tax base in the last fiscal year. Previously, the increase in the number of assesses was usually in the range of 20-25 lakhs.
The study also found that before demonetisation close to one lakh new PAN cards were issued every day. Now the number of new PAN cards issued daily averages between 2-3 lakh.

FORMAL DIGITAL ECONOMY

One of the big advantages of demonetisation has been the move to a more formal digital economy, the report shows. The financial year 2016-17 saw a total of 300 crore digital transactions. If the rate seen in the first few weeks of FY 2017-18 continues, then the government estimates that there will be more than 2,500 crore digital transactions this fiscal.
The usage of mobile wallets like PayTM, SBI Buddy, FreeCharge, etc, is already worth more than Rs 200 crore per day. In the five months since its launch, two crore people have downloaded the BHIM app.

The BHIM and UPI payment gateways are already averaging a daily transactional value of Rs 140 crore per day, the study has found.

Debit card usage too has taken off significantly post-note ban. In 2015-16, the total number of debit card transactions was 117 crores, which had an aggregate value of Rs 1.58 lakh crore. In 2016-17, there were 240 crore debit card transactions with a total value of Rs 3.3 lakh crore.

Demonetisation has also helped bring a significant amount of additional money into the formal banking system, which is apparent from the increased number of bank deposits.

The government's estimate is that the total amount of savings in the banking system has gone up by Rs 4.5 lakh crore from the pre-demonetisation baseline figure.

Source-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendra-modi-demonetisation-income-tax-revenue-digital-economy/1/962380.html

Rs.600 crore Benami properties attached

IT Department unearths 400 benami deals, attaches properties worth Rs 600 crore in raids across Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.



The Income Tax Department on Wednesday said it has identified over 400 benami transactions and attached properties worth Rs 600 crore in about 240 cases.

Keen to implement the new Benami Act to ensure "visible outcomes on the ground", the tax department last week set up 24 dedicated Benami Prohibition Units (BPUs) all over India.

The department started initiating actions under the new Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 from November 1 last year. The law provides for a maximum punishment of seven years in jail and a fine.

Benami property includes movable or immovable, tangible or intangible, corporeal or incorporeal property which is in name of someone other than the beneficial owner.

"The Income-tax Directorates of Investigation have identified more than 400 benami transactions up to May 23, 2017. These include deposits in bank accounts, plots of land, flat and jewellery," said an official release.

Provisional attachment of properties under the law has been done in more than 240 cases. The market value of properties under attachment is more than Rs 600 crore, it said.

"Immovable properties have been attached in 40 cases with total value of more than Rs 530 crore in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," the tax department said.

It has also undertaken searches on 10 "senior government officials" during the past one month, in line with its policy to "unearth black money earned through corrupt practices and introduce accountability and probity in public life".

Giving details, the department said in one case in Jabalpur, the "benamidar", a driver, was found to be owner of land worth Rs 7.7 crore. The beneficial owner was a Madhya Pradesh based listed company, his employer.

In Mumbai, a professional was found to be holding several immovable properties in the name of shell companies which exist only on paper.

In another case in Sanganer, Rajasthan, a jeweller was found to be the beneficial owner of nine immovable properties in the name of his former employee, a man of no means.

Certain properties purchased through shell companies have also been attached by the department in Kolkata.

The crackdown on all forms of illicit wealth is being spearheaded by the department to ensure that any economic misdeed is immediately identified and actions as per law follow, the release added.The 24 dedicated units are under the overall supervision of the Principal Directors of Investigation in the Income-tax Department to enable swift action and follow up, especially in cases where criminality has been detected.