RTI Reveals: Gandhi Jayanti not celebrated in Gandhi’s Nation

Project Vijay is a youth cantered social organization registered under the Society Act. One of the central aims of the organization has been to cultivate and encourage patriotism among the citizen. There has been a thorough the study of the National Holidays like Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti and Ambedkar Jayanti by Mahendra Pratap Singh, Secretary, Project Vijay for the past one and half years. In series of attempts, the Maharatna and Navratna Institutes/Units/Organisations of Govt. of India (GAIL, SAIL, BHEL, ONGC, NTPC & IOCL), Higher Education Department, UGC, MHRD and Research Institutes of the Govt. of India were questioned on the issue of the expenditure done in these Institutes/Units/Organisations in last five years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 (Through RTI Act 2005) on the celebration done on these National Holidays and their foundation day celebrations. The figures that came to us were quite surprising and full of anxiety. These Institutes/Units/Organisations spend thousands of Rupees for celebrating the foundation day of the concerned Institutes/Units/Organisations but never spend a single penny for paying homage to the founder’s of our nation, Gandhi’s betrayal in his own nation is really shocking.

Instances show that the compiled RTI data on all the units of GAIL have spent not a single penny on Gandhi Jayanti & Ambedkar Jayanti. The PATA Unit of GAIL spent over 12.5 Lakhs on the Foundation Day of GAIL. They are not ashamed of the fact that Gandhi who gave us a free air to breathe and Dr. Ambedkar who gave us a Constitution to act by, are completely neglected and betrayed. The similar figures come from ONGC and SAIL also. NTPC asked for the amount required for the preparation of the information. BHEL & IOCL disposal of requisite to provide information under section 7(9) RTI Act 2005.

The eminent CSIR Laboratories, the research organization of the Govt. of India spend millions to celebrate the CSIR foundation day but never try to remember Gandhi ji. Report and statistics show that there are a few institutions who don’t care to spend even on the Republic Day, Independence Day and Ambedkar Jayanti.

Even the Institutes of Higher Education IIMs, Central Universities etc. are least bothered to remember them. Choudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut (UP) presented letter, written by Dr. Chandrabose in a RTI reply (Letter No. 5339 Dated 09/08/10), in which it was stated that from 2005 to 2007 not a single penny was spent on Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti and Ambedkar Jayanti, with the exception of 15 August 2007 when Rs. 2000 were spent for line by lime “Choona Dalwaya”. Shame on the University which spent Rs. 2000 for line by lime but not a single rupee on the flowering petals. Shah Goverdhanlal Kabra Teacher’s College, Jodhpur, Rajasthan in an answer to the question of RTI replied (Ref No. sgktc/Ju./282) wrote- “14 April-Expenditure Nil-Due to Holiday, 2 Oct- Expenditure Nil-Due to Holiday” If this is the situation of the Teacher’s College that they are not recognizing the importance of these National occasion’s then what can be expected of the youths.

Under RTI Act 2005 when informations regarding National Holidays were asked in name DoPT, Govt. of India; dated 29/07/11 then instead of replying they forwarded it to the Ministry of Home Affairs (Ref No. F.No.19/1/2011-JCA-2 Dated 05.08.11) Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India through a letter (Ref. No. A-43020/01/2011-RTI Dated 16.08.11) forwarded it to the Public Section which again forwarded to the DoPT Govt. of India (Ref. No. 24/125/2011-Public Dated 29.08.11) saying that the information are not related to the Dept. of Public Section, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India. These documents reveal the absence of a strict rule and regulation for the Govt. Institutes/Units/Organisations regarding National Holidays.

The Birthdays of the Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and the Chairperson of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution Dr. Bheem Rao Ambedkar are Gazzeted Holidays. The Bureaucrat’s, Politician, Technocrat’s and the millions of the officials sit at their home with their families celebrating these days as holidays. What should this be called the irony of fate for our nation or its misfortune ?

The ruling Government that has been the major participator in the Indian Freedom struggle comes with a great gap between its manifesto and practical execution, it is clear from the compiled RTI data. Gandhi ji and Ambedkar ji have become merely vehicles to reach their success by the politicians.

PROJECT VIJAY appeals to the Government of India and the State Governments to issue departmental directions to all the departments starting from the basic education to the governmental and the semi-government offices that Gandhi Jayanti and Ambedkar Jayanti be celebrated and the various departments and offices should send the report to their concerned authorities.

In addition to this we filed an appeal via speed post to Hon’ble President of India, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Chairperson UPA Smt. Sonia Gandhi & Youth leader Shri. Rahul Gandhi regarding the celebration of Gandhi Jayanti in the Government or Semi-Government Institutes/Units/Organisations.

Nation is above all in any country and until & unless we have a respect for our freedom fighters of the nation, our nation shall be converted in the category of the developing and would be a developed nation.

Movement for building New Nation

Reservation policy being mocked at Banaras Hindu University

After independence, On 26^th Jan 1950 the Constitution of India came into force. The provisions of reservation in government jobs were made for the social upliftment of backward, downstream Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes of society. In the decade of 1950 the population of educated Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes was almost equal to nil. There was complete hold of high caste people in the field of education. By and by social awareness found its place in society and depressed labourers of suppressed society managed to educate their children in adverse conditions, to enable them to get government jobs with the support of reservation. Gradually the standard of education increased and the persons of backward classes found a bit place in government jobs. The so-called high castes and fundamentalists always tried to obstruct the progress of the people belonging to deprived and backward classes, because they opined that if some of these people become educationally advanced, their whole society might be well educated.

Project Vijay, carried a deep study on this issue and targeted the renowned Asia’s no. 1 University, BHU, which was established by Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in eastern Uttar Pradesh, the backward region of India.

Embracing the RTI Act 2005, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Secretary PROJECT VIJAY sought information regarding the vacancies and backlogs in the posts of Professor, Associate Professor & Assistant Professor existing among Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes & other backward communities. The position which was conveyed was surprising and serious. There are 594 Professors in BHU out of which the number of Professors in the Scheduled Castes category is only two, rest all belong to General category. The figure of Associate Professor is 319, out of which only 22 belong to Scheduled Castes and only one to Scheduled Tribes and ten belonging to Other Backward Class, rest of all belong to general category. For the post of Reader there are 44 teachers all of them occupied by the so called high caste people. The figure of Assistant Professor is 388, out of which 79 belong to Scheduled Castes category, 23 to Scheduled Tribes and only 19 goes to Other Backward Class.

As per the provision of reservation the seats ensured for Scheduled Castes is 15%, for Scheduled Tribes 7.5% & for OBC 27%. As is evident from BHU’s letter no. AA/VI-RAC/304 dated 17.09.2010, the backlog vacancies for the post of Professor is 52 for Scheduled Castes, 25 for Scheduled Tribes and 102 posts of Associate Professor for Scheduled Castes, 51 for Scheduled Tribes. Further 109 backlog vacancies for the post of Assistant Professor for SC and 77 for Scheduled Tribes has been pointed.

The Ministry of Personal and Training, Government of India (DoPT) 2005, after the UPA Government came in power in centre, has been issuing orders to fill up the backlog vacancies through the special recruitment from time to time but it lacked sincere implementation. An official memorandum has been issued to fill up the backlog through the special recruitment drive vide DoPT order no. 36038/1/2008 dated 20.12.2010. But it seems all these orders are only to befool the depressed class. The truth is far-far away. If such a contrast prevails in a university like BHU, the position of other universities can be easily imagined.

PROJECT VIJAY is one by one collecting the figures of reservation status from all the Central universities, Central Educational Institutes, Central Research Institutes etc. and will very soon prepare a detailed report of the reservation status thereof, which will clarify the propaganda adopted by our leaders to uplift the backward and downstream  peoples of the our society. All are sailing in the same boat, be they NDA, UPA or other state governments.

This report has been published in the national monthly magazine Dialogue India in the April edition. As a result of the report just after a week the Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource & Development Mr. Kapil Sibbal issued orders to fill up these vacancies at the earliest.