IUML Leader Panakkad Shihabali Thangal passed away

NSUI express its heartfelt condolences on the demise of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state president the great Panakkad Muhammadali Shihab Thangal, who strode the political scene of Kerala for over three decades as a powerful but sober player.
Thangal, who succeeded his father Panakkad Pookoya Thangal as IUML state president in 1975, had been a key factor of the Congress-led UDF coalition in the state. The Panakkad Thangal family, held in high esteem by the Mappila Muslims in Malabar, traces their ancestry to the family of Prophet Muhammad. Thangal's role in keeping religious and social harmony even at trying times like the post-Babri Masjid demolition had been recognized by all sections in Kerala, including the Left and the BJP. We deeply regret the loss of the prophet of peace and a great secular nationalist which Kerala ever has produced.

NSUI JNU AND IYC PROTEST AGAINST KERALA ADVOCATE GENERAL

NSUI JNU AND IYC PROTEST AGINST KERALA ADVOCATE GENERAL

NSUI JNU AND INDIAN YOUTH CONGRESS ORGANISED A NON VIOLENT PROTEST IN KERALA HOUSE AGAINST KERAL ADVOCATE GENERAL SUDHAKARAPRASAD ON 8/05/2009. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING A CLEAN CHIT TO CPIM GEN SEC PINARAYI VIJAYAN IN SNC LAVLIN SCAM. SENIOR LEADERS OF IYC AND NSUI PARTICPATED IN THE PROTEST. IYC SECRETARY AND NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF IYC HUMAN RIGHTS CELL SANJEEV JOSEPH AND NSUI JNU PRESIDENT SIMMY JOSEPH LED THE PROTEST. HARSHVARDHAN SHYAM, LINESH V.V., ZULFIKKAR, RAJESH, PREMJISH PARTICIPATED IN THE PROTEST. LATER ON POLICE CAME AND ARRETSED THE ACTIVIST WHO WERE CONDUCTING A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION. DELHI POLICE REGISTERED A CASE AGAINST ALL OF THEM ON FALSE CHARGES FILED BY KERALA HOUSE EMPLOYEES. THE LEFT FACTION OF THE KERALA HOUSE ACTED ON THE DICTATES OF PINARAYI AND FILED FALSE ALLEGATIONS OF ILLEGAL GATHERING, TRESPASSING, AND DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY. MEANWHILE THE VIDEO CLIPS AIRED IN THE NATIONAL MEDIA SHOWS THAT THE PROTESTS WERE PEACEFUL AND WHEN THE DEMONSTRATION STARTED POLICE CAME AND SURROUNDED ADVOCATE GENERAL FOR HIS SECURITY. THEN WHERE IS THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE. NSUI IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS PEACEFUL AND NON VIOLENT AGITATIONAL METHODS. IT HAS NEVER FALLEN INTO THE LEVELS OF THE VIOLENT POLITICS USED BY CPIM AND SFI.

NSUI SALUTES KSU ON ITS 52ND ANNIVERSARY

NSUI JNU SALUTES AND CONGRATULATES KERALA STUDENTS UNION ON THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ITS 52ND ANNIVERSARY. KSU ENTERED THE CENTER STAGE OF STUDENT POLITICS IN KERALA WITH THE FAMOUS “ORANA SAMARAM”, A STRIKE FOR TRAVEL CONCESSIONS FOR STUDENTS IN BUSES AND BOATS OF THE STATE. THE RULING COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE LEAD BY EMS NAMBOODIRIPAD DEALT WITH THE AGITATION WITH AN IRON FIST INCLUDING WIDESPREAD POLICE ATTACKS ON STUDENTS, LATHICHARGES AND ARRESTS. BUT THE AGITATION WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO RELENT TO THE DEMANDS OF STUDENTS.
FROM THEN ONWARDS, THE GROWTH OF KSU WAS TREMENDOUS. KSU BECAME A “FASHION” AMONG THE STUDENT COMMUNITY AND WITH INCESSANT STRUGGLES, THE ORGANIZATION COULD ACHIEVE MANY A MILESTONES OF ACHIEVEMENTS. UNIFICATION OF FEES IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, CONSTITUTION OF COLLEGE UNIONS AND UNIVERSITY UNIONS THROUGH REGULAR ELECTIONS, UNIVERSITY ARTS FESTIVALS, REPRESENTATION FOR STUDENTS IN THE SENATE, SYNDICATE AND ACADEMIC COUNCILS OF UNIVERSITIES, ERADICATION OF DETENTION SYSTEM, FREE EDUCATION UP TO THE PLUS TWO LEVEL ETC. ARE ONLY A FEW EXAMPLES AMONG THE VAST VARIETY OF ACHIEVEMENTS TO ITS CREDIT. THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAD TO SHED THEIR SWEAT AND BLOOD ON THE STREETS TO ACHIEVE THESE, AND THE GREATEST OF THEM HAD TO LAY THEIR LIVES ITSELF, LIKE SUDHAKAR AKKITHAI, SANTHARAM SHENOY, THEVARA MURALI, FRANCIS KARIPPAYI AND K.P. SAJITHLAL.
KSU HAS ALSO GIFTED MANY NATIONAL LEVEL LEADERS OF IMPECCABLE TALENT LIKE AK ANTONY, RAMESH CHENNITHALA, VAYALAR RAVI, KODIKKUNNIL SURESH, HIBI EDEN. AND DYNAMIC LEADERS LIKE OOMMEN CHANDY, K SUDHAKARAN, PT THOMAS, VISHNUNATH, KC VENUGOPAL, ETC.
THOUGH KSU REGULARLY INTERVENED EFFECTIVELY IN THE ACADEMIC FIELD, ITS EFFECT WAS NOT RESTRICTED TO THAT ALONE. IT IS PERHAPS THE FIRST STUDENT MOVEMENT IN INDIA, WHICH COULD EVEN OVERTHROW A GOVERNMENT. THE COMMUNIST OPPRESSIVE REGIME OF EMS, WHICH HAD PROVED TO BE A THREAT TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY ITSELF, WAS THROWN OUT OF OFFICE THROUGH THE AGITATIONS AND RELENTLESS EFFORTS OF KSU IN 1960. IN THE 1970’S, KSU PLAYED ITS DECISIVE ROLE IN RETAINING THE FAITH OF STUDENT COMMUNITY IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL MACHINERY AND NON-VIOLENT MEANS OF SOCIAL CHANGE, IN THE DAYS WHEN NAXALISM AND ARMED ADVENTURES SPREAD AS A WAVE IN COLLEGE CAMPUSES. THE ORGANIZATION BECAME A WATCHDOG OF IDEALISM IN POLITICS AND IT COULD BRING AN END TO THE ‘AAYARAM GAYARAM’ SYNDROME (FREQUENT DEFECTIONS OF POLITICIANS FROM ONE PARTY TO ANOTHER) OF KERALA POLITICS OF THE 1950S. MANY OF ITS FOUNDER LEADERS LIKE A.K. ANTONY, VAYALAR RAVI, OOMMEN CHANDY, A.C.JOSE AND V.M.SUDHEERAN ARE STILL THE DARLINGS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. IT INJECTED FRESH BLOOD INTO THE CONGRESS PARTY AND A WHOLE GENERATION OF NEW LEADERS ENTERED INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA, A LOT OF THEM M.P.S, M.L.A.S AND EVEN TWO CHIEF MINISTERS.
KSU WAS ALWAYS A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER DEMOCRATIC STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS OF THE COUNTRY. EVEN THE NSUI WAS FORMED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL TAKING INSPIRATION FROM KSU IN KERALA AND THE ‘CHHATRA PARISHAD’ IN WEST BENGAL.
KSU ALWAYS STOOD FOR THE LEGITIMATE RIGHTS OF THE STUDENT COMMUNITY IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO RULES, AND IT CONTINUES THIS LEGACY EVEN TODAY. IT PUT UP A SERIES OF AGITATIONS AGAINST THE CORRUPTION IN PLUS TWO SCHOOLS ALLOTMENT POLICY OF THE PREVIOUS LDF GOVERNMENT AND IS NOW GOING AHEAD WITH AGITATIONS AGAINST THE IRREGULARITIES IN THE SELF-FINANCING INSTITUTIONS POLICY OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT. A BRAVE WAR FRONT IS ALSO PUT UP AGAINST THE ATTEMPT TO “MARXISTISE” SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS.
SIMMY JOSEPH, JNU NSUI PRESIDENT, CONGRATULATED KSU ON THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT AND WISHED ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANISATION. HE RELINQUESHED HIS KSU DAUS IN KERALA AND ADDED THAT THE ORGANISATION HAS GIVEN HIM A CULTURE OF ACTIVISM, INTEGRITY AND IDEALISM AND HE STILL MAINTAINS THAT.

OBITUARY TO KAMALA SURAYYA

NSUI JNU PAYS ITS HOMAGE TO KAMALA SURAYYA. KAMALA DAS, BORN ON MARCH 31, 1934, WAS ONE OF THE LEADING BI-LINGUAL WRITERS WHO WROTE BOTH IN ENGLISH AND HER MOTHER TONGUE MALAYALAM IN HER SOBRIQUET ''MADHAVIKUTTY.'' BORN TO V M NAIR AND RENOWNED MALAYALAM POETESS NALAPPATT BALAMANI AMMA, KAMALA HAD SPENT HER CHILDHOOD IN CALCUTTA WHERE HER FATHER WAS EMPLOYED, AND NALAPPAT, HER ANCESTRAL HOME AT PONNAYURKULAM IN KERALA. IN 1976 AT THE AGE OF 42, KAMALA WROTE HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY MY DAYS, WHICH WAS ICONOCLASTIC TO SAY THE LEAST. THE BOOK DETAILED HER MUSINGS OF THE HEART AND HAD CREATED LOT OF CONTROVERSY IN THE LITERARY WORLD. THE BOOK WAS A GREAT SUCCESS AND WAS READ WIDELY AND TRANSLATED TO MORE THAN 15 LANGUAGES. IN MALAYALAM, KAMALA WROTE SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS IN PAKSHIYUDE MANAM IN 1964 AND NARICHEERUKAL PARAKKUMBOL' IN 1966. BOTH THE COLLECTIONS WERE WELL ACCEPTED BY READERS IN KERALA. IN 1968, KAMALA GOT THE SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD FOR HER SHORT STORY THANUPPU AND THAT MADE THE CRITICS SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE OF THE WRITER.

KAMALA GOT THE VAYALAR AWARD FOR HER NOVEL NEERMATHALAM POOTHA KALAM IN 1994. BESIDES THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BOOKS, THE OTHER PROMINENT WORKS OF KAMALA IN MALAYALAM INCLUDE 'BALYAKALA SMARANAKAL' (1987), 'VARSHAGALKKU MUMBU' (1989), 'PALAYAN (1990), NEYPAYASAM (1991), DAYARIKKURIPPUKAL (1992), CHEKKERUNNA PAKSHIKAL (1996), AND NASHTAPETTA NEELAMBARI (1998). IN 1999, AT THE AGE OF 65, SHE EMBRACED ISLAM AND TOOK THE NAME OF KAMALA SURAYYA AND THAT TOO LIKE HER WORKS KICKED UP A LOT OF CONTROVERSIES IN KERALA. IN ENGLISH, HER WORKS INCLUDE ALPHABET OF LUST (1977), THE ANAMALAI POEMS, PADMAVATI,' 'THE HARLOT AND OTHER STORIES' (1992) AND ONLY THE SOUL KNOW HOW TO SING' (1996). IN HER ILLUSTRIOUS WRITING career, KAMALA HAD GOT NUMEROUS AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS WHICH INCLUDE ASAN WORLD PRIZE, EZHUTHACHAN AWARD AND KERALA SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD. SHE ALSO DABBLED WITH POLITICS AND HAD LAUNCHED A PARTY BY THE NAME OF LOK SEVA PARTY WHICH WAS MEANT TO UNDERTAKE HUMANITARIAN WORK AND TO PROVIDE SUCCOUR TO ORPHANED MOTHERS. IN 1984, SHE CONTESTED AND LOST IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. HER ELDEST SON M D NALAPPAT HAD MARRIED A PRINCESS FROM THE TRAVANCORE ROYAL FAMILY AND WAS THE FORMER RESIDENT EDITOR OF TIMES OF INDIA.

NSUI PRESIDENT SIMMY JOSEPH STATED THAT KAMALA SURAYYA STOOD FOR HUMANITY AND SHE WAS THE WRITER OF COMMON PEOPLE. HER DEMISE IS A TERRIBLE LOSS FOR THE COUNTRY'S LITERARY FIELD. 

 

30 Years of Left Front Rule in West Bengal: A Development Report CardApril 5, 2009

30 Years of Left Front Rule in West Bengal: A Development Report CardApril 5, 2009
Table of Contents
1. Health and Nutrition. 3Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal has very high levels of hunger and malnutrition when compared to the rest of India.
2. Education.. 5
Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal is failing to keep children in school and to ensure learning among them.
3. Employment Generation.. 7
Even after 30 years of Left rule, negligible new employment is being created in West Bengal, even as other states are forging ahead.
4. Poverty. 8
Even after 30 years of Left rule, most of West Bengal's districts are among the poorest in India. It also has the ominous distinction of having India's poorest district.
5. Income Growth.. 9
Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal has very high levels of hunger and malnutrition when compared to the rest of India.
6. Law and Order. 10
After 30 years of Left rule, the ranking of West Bengal among Indian states in terms of per capita income has slid dramatically.
7. Basic Services and Infrastructure.. 11
Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal has under-invested in protecting its citizens. The incidence of heinous crimes in West Bengal is disproportionately high when compared to other states of India.
8. Welfare of Backward Classes. 12
Even after 30 years of Left rule, the Left government has failed to provide access to essential services and basic infrastructure to the people of West Bengal.



1. Health & Nutrition
Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal has very high levels of hunger and malnutrition when compared to the rest of India.

· Hunger
West Bengal has the highest rate of hunger in rural households among major Indian states.
o This is validated in a recent Study led by Jean Dreze and Angus Deaton (see below).

· Malnutrition of Women
o Married women in West Bengal, on average, have a lower body-mass index than the average Indian woman, suggesting greater undernourishment. Married women in West Bengal also have a greater likelihood of suffering from anemia than the average Indian woman.
o This data is from the West Bengal government’s own Human Development Report.


· Not spending Central Government Funds on HealthcareWest Bengal government has failed to fully and effectively spend the money released to it by the Central government, year after year.

· Failure to spend on urban health services: Comptroller & Auditor General of India, Audit Report (Civil), West Bengal for the Year 2006-2007 notes that: “During 2002-2007, the (West Bengal government’s) department could not spend the budgeted funds of Rs 357.13 crore for urban health services. Further, unutilised funds of Rs 1.50 crore remained parked in the personal ledger accounts of the Superintendents of two hospitals for over seven years.”

2. Education
Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal is failing to keep children in school and to ensure learning among them.

· Drop-out Rates
West Bengal has the second highest school dropout rate among major states of India.

· Learning of Children

The level of learning of children in rural West Bengal schools is, on average, lower than most other states of India.

· Poor Implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme
The Comptroller & Auditor General of India, Performance Audit Report of the National Programme for Nutritional Support to Primary Education (Midday Meal Scheme), 2008 notes that:
o “In test checked schools, cooked meals were not served for 37 per cent of the targeted 78,114 school-days due to delayed implementation of the programme, short receipt of rice, cooking cost, etc.”
o Rs. 4.82 crore was claimed in excess of the actual spend for food grain transportation.
o Pucca kitchen sheds were not available in 71 per cent of the schools.
o Drinking water was not available in 29 per cent of the schools. Gas stoves were not available in 99 percent of the schools.

3. Employment Generation
After 30 years of Left rule, negligible new employment is being created in West Bengal, even as other states are forging ahead.

· Employment growth
o Employment growth outside agriculture in West Bengal is way behind that of other comparable states and also behind the national average.
o Employment growth has practically come to a halt in urban areas.
· National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Implementation
o While it complains about lack of support from the central government, the West Bengal government is failing to utilize funds allocated to it by the Centre to implement the scheme.
§ According to the CAG of India Performance Audit in 2008, the West Bengal government spent only 66.6% of the funds made available for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in 2006-07.
o There is over-reporting of the implementation of the scheme, the actual implementation is much lower. According to a CAG of India Performance Audit in 2008:
§ Excess reporting of 6.06 lakh man days of cumulative employment generation was noticed just in Purulia district alone.
§ Excess reporting of funds utilization of Rs. 0.99 crore was noticed in both Medinipur and Purulia districts.

4. Poverty
Even after 30 years of Left rule, most of West Bengal’s districts are among the poorest in India. It also has the ominous distinction of having India’s poorest district.
· 14 out of West Bengal’s 18 districts (i.e. 78% of the districts) are among the 100 poorest districts in India.
· The poorest district in India is Murshidabad in West Bengal, where 56% of the people live in abject poverty. An astonishing 1.47% of India’s rural poor live in this one district alone.
Source: 2009 Study by Indian Statistical Institute for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; based on analysis of NSS Data

5. Income Growth
After 30 years of Left rule, the ranking of West Bengal among Indian states in terms of per capita income has slid dramatically.
· West Bengal has gone from having the second position in per capita income among Indian states in 1960/61 to the ninth position in 2004/05.
Ranking of Indian States by Per Capita Income

1960/61
1980/81
2004/05
Maharashtra
1
2
2
West Bengal
2
5
9
Punjab
3
1
3
Gujarat
4
4
4
Tamil Nadu
5
8
6
Haryana
6
3
1
Assam
7
12
10
Karnataka
8
6
7
Rajasthan
9
14
11
Andhra Pradesh
10
9
8
Kerala
11
7
5
Madhya Pradesh
12
10
13
Orissa
13
11
12
Uttar Pradesh
14
13
14
Bihar
15
15
15
Source: Central Statistical Organization (CSO)

6. Law & Order
Even after 30 years of Left rule, West Bengal has under-invested in protecting its citizens. The incidence of heinous crimes in West Bengal is disproportionately high when compared to other states of India.
· Police Force
West Bengal has under-invested in protecting its citizens – it has fewer policemen per capita than the all-India average.

· Incidence of heinous crimes
The incidence of heinous crimes is much higher than the incidence in other comparable states and the all-India average.

7. Basic Services and Infrastructure
Even after 30 years of Left rule, the Left government has failed to provide access to essential services and basic infrastructure to the people of West Bengal.
· Availability of Drinking Water
Only a quarter of households in West Bengal have access to safe drinking water, which is far less than other comparable states.


· Road connectivity
Less than half the habitations in West Bengal are connected by pucca roads, which is far less than other comparable states.


8. Welfare of Backward Classes
Even after 30 years of Left rule, the Left government has failed to look after the interests of the weaker sections of West Bengal, especially SC/ST groups.
Observations made in the Comptroller & Auditor General of India Report, “Audit Report (Civil) for the year ended 31 March 2007”
· During 2001-2006, against a budget of Rs 1.43 crores for pre-matric scholarships, only Rs 0.43 crore (30 per cent) were granted and paid to SC/ST students.
· In seven test-checked districts, 25,000 SC and 4000 ST students were deprived of post-matric scholarships due to non-release of required funds. Further, over 74,000 students faced a delay of between 12 – 22 months in receiving their scholarships in the seven districts surveyed.
· Against the state’s budgeted provision of Rs 92.37 crores for payment of book grants, the concerned state government department released only Rs 77.80 crores, thus depriving 14.15 lakh students of the benefits of the scheme.
· As of March 2006, construction of two central hostels for SC/ST students was not started due to land dispute and construction of seven more hostels remained incomplete due to delayed selection of sites and delayed release of funds. Further, eight additional hostels remained vacant for want of matrons, superintendents and other staff and required basic infrastructure facilities. Shockingly, two of the hostels were being used as Government offices and residences.
· In the absence of adequate inspection, hostel grants were paid to the school authorities on the basis of sanctioned strength of boarders, instead of actual number of students accommodated therein. As a result, several instances of excess payment of hostel grants aggregating Rs 39.35 lakh were noticed in the audit.

Stop spreading communal hatred… NOW

Stop spreading communal hatred… NOW


The following are excerpts from speeches that Varun Gandhi is shown as delivering in at least two locations earlier this month in Pilibhit, from where he is contesting as the BJP candidate.

“ Yeh panja nahi hai, yeh kamal ka haath hai. Yeh kat** ke galey ko kaat dega chunaav ke baad! Varun Gandhi kaat daalega! Kaat denge us haath ko, kaat denge, kaat daalega!

[This is not the (Congress symbol) ‘hand’, this is the hand of the ‘lotus’. It will cut the throat of the (derogatory reference to a Muslim) after the elections... Varun Gandhi will cut... Cut that hand, cut it, cut it.]

Apne jao, apne gaon mein jao aur halla karo ki saara Hindu ek tarfa ho jao, chhetra ko Pakistan hone se bachao, aur saara Hindu ek tarfa ho jao!
[Go to your villages and give the call that all Hindus must unite to save this area from becoming Pakistan…]
Kya yeh sach nahin hai… ki usko bola gaya ki mataji aapka naam kya hai... agar usne bola ki Bimla Devi, to usko kahaa ki dekhenge, sochenge... pehle paanch hazaar rupaye do... aur agar uska naam hai Saira Bano ya jo bhi Begum Hukum Begum... hum to jaante nahin hain... badey daraawne naam hotey hain inke... Karimullah... Mazharullah.... agar raat ko kabhi dikh jaayen... to darr rahen hain...
[Is it not true... that if (a woman) is asked her name and she says Bimla Devi, she is told we’ll see, we’ll think (about giving government aid), give us Rs 5,000 first... But if her name is Saira Bano or whatever begum Hukum Begum... I don’t even know... These people have such scary-sounding names... Karimullah, Mazharullah... If you ever encountered them at night, you’d be scared...]
NSUI condemns the heinous and venal remarks made by Varun Gandhi, as such mindless spewing of invectives against a community destroys the spirit of democracy. It is a pity that Varun Gandhi is determined to display his immaturity and ineptitude as an individual and as a politician. We condemn the BJP for attempting to incite communal hatred to gain political scores and demand a public apology for this act.

NSUI condemns the act of violence in Lohit hostel against a student belonging to a minority community and using derogatory, fascist and communal remarks by ABVP’s saffron brigade. NSUI demands the administration to imitative severe disciplinary action against the perpetrators of violence for such delinquent behavior.