An orphan called Red Fort adopted by industrialists
Only orphans are given away for adoption. The main reason behind this rescuing of children discarded in garbage bins, drains and hospitals is to share the joy of having an offspring, and add value to the life of parents who want children but cannot have them for whatever reasons. No person has ever given away his or her child in adoption to anyone else. And even if they are reeling in poverty they would not like to be deprived of the joy of bringing up children. But only the poor give away their children for adoption out of helplessness and with the hope that at least their children’s future can be secure that way.
But then, the law never approves of this. If at all anyone gives their children away in adoption to the rich, legal action can be initiated against them. Unfortunately, today the authorities are giving away everything in adoption to the rich and famous, including the land, water, forest, natural resources everything. The tribals who lived in the forest since generations, were asked to leave forest so that they can be turned into national forests and eventually resorts can be constructed by the big names in hospitality.
Industrialists are gradually gaining control of everything that belonged to the poor. Whether it is the space or land or even the seas, they are the sole authorities of these aspects. They have taken away the rights of Mogaveera on the seas and sea produce. Mogaveeras would not only fish in the rough waters, but they also ensured the seas were not polluted by those who wanted to ride its waves. But according to industralists, sea is a goose that lays golden eggs. They are fishing in the deep water of the sea to empty out the smallest of small fishes too. Just the way as extensive drilling of borewell has led to collapse in the water table, seas are turning into graveyards of all varieties of fish owing to extensive fishing. Those who lived in the beach have been chased away to make way for mega resorts. Now, natural inhabitants of these spaces need to obtain permission from the industrialists if they have to even take a stroll around the sea. Public sector industries are being privatized gradually. Railway department has been privatized to some extent. Air India will soon fall into the hands of some rich investor. Private players are entering govt. companies as far as insurance is concerned. The banks which were released from the clutches of private players, are facing the danger of being privatized again.
One would have assumed the party BJP which often speaks about the glorious history and culture of the land would try to protect Indian heritage at the very least. But today Adani and Ambanis are ruling the country with BJP at the forefront. Their money is seen in memorials of this country. Now, in what looks like a result of their own interference in the government along with their advice, the nation seems to be listening to them beyond a certain permissible point. The government is giving away monuments in adoption to make good for the lacunae of money we are witnessing now. Now the red fort has been put on sale for Dalmia group to buy it for a mere Rs 25 crore. Dalmia Bharat Samooha is the first company to have adopted a heritage monument.
Red Fort and India share a very close relationship with each other. The very first bugle of freedom fight was sounded in 1857 from the very Fort. Independent India’s first Prime Minister addressed the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort. Every year, Prime Minister of India gives a speech from the very fort which has safeguarded the democracy of this country. Government declared that it would not be able to take care of this and gave away the responsibility to a company for a mere Rs 20 crore annually. Is this the sorry state of affairs?
Red fort gets more money from the visitors themselves, than the amount for which it has now been mentioned. The government could have improved its condition by using the income red fort generates. But this looks like a helpless situation where a poor mom gives away the child for adoption. The Red Fort could have been improved using its own revenue. A corporate would never understand the value of heritage. He may sell the resources available there like cut down the trees to sell wood etc. The difference between a commoner and industrialist is massive.
A rich man looks at Red Fort like an investment, but a commoner looks at it as identity. An industrialist may start a resort inside the fort and commercialise it. Every brick of this monument would be telling a story and hence should not be parted with. But the Modi government known for drastic economic decisions has made another one and given red fort away in agreement with Dalmia group. By now a lot of monuments have gone into the pockets of businessmen. Some day we may lose all historical spaces and become a country without references to the history. A policy made by the British that adopted children do not have any property rights led to independence struggle. Very soon this would be repeating. Our people will fight to save their rights over land, water and historical surroundings in the near future if governments continue to be this blind.
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SC quashes FIR against Karnataka BJP MLA R Ashoka in land allotment corruption case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has quashed an FIR registered by the Karnataka Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against former deputy chief minister and BJP MLA R Ashoka in a land allotment corruption case.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Vipul M Pancholi said the FIR shows a concerted effort on the part of the complainants to cast aspersions on the credibility of the appellant as a public leader and impute ill intention on him.
"The actions against the appellant ex-facie appear to be politically motivated and thereby afflicted by malice, even if delay was kept aside, the prosecution of the appellant could not proceed in the eyes of the law," the bench said.
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In this case, an FIR was registered by the Karnataka ACB to probe the allegations made regarding illegalities in land allotments during Ashoka's tenure as head of the Bengaluru South Taluk Bagar Hukum Land Regularisation Committee.
A complaint was filed that during his tenure, illegal allotment of government land meant for SC/ST and the poor was made to his family members, political followers and corporators.
The top court referred to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Tryst with Destiny' speech in which he said, "The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity."
Setting aside a Karnataka High Court order that dismissed Ashoka's petition seeking quashing of the FIR against him, the apex court observed that the proceedings were initiated against Ashoka, a public servant, without obtaining a sanction order from the state government.
"Not to overextend the issue, it is seen that the record is conspicuously silent on any sanction having been obtained against the appellant. Since no investigation could have begun without such sanction, the preliminary report of the ACB, subsequent FIR and any and all proceedings thereafter have operated in the face of an express bar," the bench said.
