Call Drop: Now PM is Concerned

With fast growing network of cellular phones in the country where even a hawker, vegetable vendor and rickshaw puller have a mobile phone in their hand, the menace of call drop continues. Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over the call drop saying common man is affected by it. Prime Minister has asked the officials of Telecommunication Department to immediately check the rot.

It is increasingly becoming difficult to communicate on cellular phones these days. It may take a couple of attempts to get connected, when you are connected the speech is low and disturbed, if you are lucky to understand what the person at the other end is saying and vice versa, you suddenly find that the call is disconnected leaving with incomplete conversation. The message that you want to convey is lost.

The mobile phone service providers claim that only 3 or 5 out of 100 calls the call drops, that is five percent of cases of call drops while the Telecommunication Authority of India (TRAI) has accepted a margin of only 3 % of call drops. As a user I can say with my own experience that the claimof the service providers are false and bogus. Any user of mobile phone can calculate the number of drop calls in a day and the figure would be astounding 20 to 30 cases of call drop in 100 calls. And this is not the case of Delhi or Mumbai it a pan India problem. The smaller towns are worst hit with this menace.

How to fix it? There are more than 9.5 crore mobile users in the country today. The figure increases every day as more and more people are added to mobile network. And with each addition quality of service deteriorates. Major mobile service providers in the country say that some 2 lakh more mobile towers are needed to be raised across the country in order to improve quality of service and reduce the number of call drops. At present there are only 4,25000 mobile towers are working. This figure too is inflated. In reality there are less than 4 lakh mobile towers since many people who had let out their space on roof top to install mobile towers have terminated their contract following reports that electromagneti waves generated from the towers causes radition which in turn poses danger of contacting dreaded desease like cancer. A random survey would show that while stell erections are there, the antennas have been removed. Beside the point, the major service providers whose earnings run into thousands of crores of rupees pay small amount to land and house owners for using their place to erect mobile towers. The service providers say that it cost them approximately 20 lakh rupees to erect one mobile tower. Recently,the service providers informed the Standing Committee of Parliament on Telecommunications and Information Technology that the companies were burdened with bank loans that ran into more than two lakh crores of rupees. Beside that the service providers argue that they paid huge sums to the government in auction of 2G and 3G spectrum. If you believe the figure given by the industry, the companies coughed up more than 1 lakh crores of rupees in the spectrum auction that ended in March this year. May one ask the service providers a simple question? Before bidding for spectrum, the companies must have made calculations and due diligence before buying spectrum. It is not that they bid ad bought the spectrum to incur loss and gave the money to the government for some relief fund.

If are going to catch a flight or a train and need last minute information about departure time, it is more than likely that you may end up trying to contact the airline or railway station and reach the airport or station only to find that you are flight has either taken off or is delayed by hours. So will be the fate of passengers travelling by train. 

This is no excuse to hold the mobile users or for that matter the country to ransom by refusing to improve services.

....R K Sinha, MP (Rajya Sabha)

Stalling GST Bill means Stalling India’s Growth

It is a case of extreme desperation and hopelessness that the Congress has done by stalling the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Bill in the Rajya Sabha today. It is a move of the Congress to push India back while the government wanted to push the Bill to harness higher growth rate for the country. The Congress yesterday issued the whip to ensure the presence of all its Members in the Rajya Sabha. Dr Manmohan Singh who claims to be a champion of economic reforms was also seated in the middle row watching the drama of his party Members helplessly.  Whip is issued by the chief whip of the Party to ensure presence of its Members in the House when a serious debate is taken up or when a bill or a discussion is put to vote in the House. There was no such case today for the Congress to issue whip to its Members. But the Congress made it a special case to ensure presence of its Members in large numbers to ensure that they are in strength to stall the proceedings of the House so that the GST bill is not introduced. Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi just did not care for some other Opposition Members who wanted the Bill to be introduced and passed since it would benefit States financially with bigger share of tax collections. The Left Parties are comrades in arms with the Congress in not allowing the GST bill to be passed.

 Before the House was adjourned in the afternoon I joined other Members of my Party, the BJP in raising the slogan, “Sushma ek bahana hai, GST rukwana hai” (Sushma is just a pretext, the motive is to stall GST). The slogan was raised to expose the Congress Party of its anti- people conduct in Parliament.

The captains of the Indian industry have come out openly in criticizing the Congress Party for stalling the reforms. “Opposition Stalling India” ran the headline of the Economic Times today airing the view of India Inc. 

...R. K. Sinha, MP (Rajya Sabha)

Supporting Yakub Memon was like Betraying the Nation

In Mahabharat, righteous and mighty persons like Bhishma Pitamah, Dronacharya and Karna had to suffer and meet the end in the battlefield of Kurushetra for taking the side of the sinners – the Kaurwas led by Duryodhan. Some respected personalities of India joined the hands with ‘save Yakub campaign’ making last ditch efforts to save him from the gallows. Alas, they failed in their attempt, was hanged this morning in Nagpur jail.

Those who tried to save the life of Memon can be divided in three categories, first people like Gopalkrishna Gandhi former Governor of West Bengal and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, some jurists that included retired judges of High Courts and Supreme Court of India.

The second category trying to save Memon came from legal profession, some of them were doing their professional job in defence of Memon and some others thought that Memon did not deserve hanging. The latter class included senior activist lawyers like Prashant Bhushan and Anand Grover who knocked at the door of Chief Justice of India for a late night hearing to defer the hanging by 14 days. They argued their plea till 3. 30 a.m. in Room no. 4 with three judge bench but failed to get any relief. The Supreme Court was opened in the wee hours at 2.30 a.m. to hear their plea.

The third category of people who raised the banner of ‘save Yakub campaign came from politics and from film industry. Politicians like Assaudin Owaisi, Prakash Karat, his wife Brinda, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Mani Shanker Aiyer etc whose views and mind are known for supporting members of the minority community even when they are criminals and convicts. They did so in case of Afzal Guru before his hanging in the case of attack on Parliament.

The people from film industry have high stake in Mumbai. They are known for taking favours and getting slush money, at least some of them, from the underworld kingpins. Many used to perform at stage to entertain Dawood Ibrahim in Sharjah and Dubai. Their reaction was natural in favour of Yakub Memon.

Coming to the first category of people, illustrious ones it can be presumed that they are against capital punishment. Tushar Gandhi made it clear that he was against capital punishment. They forget that capital punishment is on the statute books and until the law is repealed people committing heinous crime and terror activities will continue to get death sentence.

Yakub Memon’s crime by aiding and abetting the serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 was tantamount to attack on the nation. He was a traitor. And those, howsoever, pious and honourable they may be can be bracketed within the category of traitor if they support traitors and terrorists. Like in Mahabharat they too can be held guilty by taking the side of the sinners. Talking of humanitarian ground, well, it has been told many times that if talk for mercy and compassion for Yakub you should also think about those who were killed and those who were incapacitated in the blasts in Mumbai.

A senior lawyer was heard commenting in the Room No. 4 of the Supreme Court of India where a three judge bench pronounced their judgment dismissing the second curative petition of Yakub Memon saying, “These blood thirsty people will hang Yakub tomorrow”. The remark came immediately after the judges sealed the fate of Yakub on Wednesday. This comment is a fit case for prosecution under “Contempt of the Court” laws. Will the Supreme Court Act?

......R K SINHA, MP

A P J ABDUL KALAM: A TRUE INDIAN

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam will go down in the history of modern India as a man who defined to the world Indianness and secularism. Born in a Muslim family and a believer of Islam he was also a devotee of Bhagwan Sri Krishna. Being a scientist he imbibed in him all the merit of a philosopher. The former President of India who passed away in Shillong yesterday was equally well versed in Koran and Bhagvat Gita. He set example for all Indians to learn a thing or two from his life. For Kalam it was to give, to teach and to spread compassion for a better India. 

 When he became the 11th President of India in 2002 he never let the aura of Rashtrapati Bhavan overtake his humble persona. He was simple in attitude and met all kind of people with a smile. Though he was past 70 years when he entered Rashtrapati Bhawan yet, he became darling of youth. He was more popular among children than Pandit Jawahar Lal.

Dr Kalam was never shy of his humble origin that he was born to a poor parents who were not able to support his schooling. It was a fellow student who told his parents – a Hindu that in his class there was a brilliant student who was not able to pay his school fee. The parents of that boy immediately came forward and supported Kalam to pursue his studies in school.

Soon after getting elected as the 11th President of the Indian Republic, Dr Kalam first expressed his gratitude  to the ‘almighty’, to his parents, to his colleagues with whom he worked and to all those who supported him to reach the height from a boy who once was a hawker delivering newspapers in Tamil Nadu to become the first citizen of India.

I salute and the nation salute Dr Kalam for his contribution to the country as a scientist who gave a vision 2020 that would make India stronger. I remember his words when he said that ‘India has to be strong militarily and economically then only the world will recognize us”. 

Another significant observation Dr Kalam made was to develop our education system where those graduating from Universities should not be job seekers but job givers.

......R K SINHA , MP

Litters on Tracks

Railway tracks are free space to litter and dump garbage. It is a sad commentary that we are not fully implementing the Swachha Barat Abhiyan launched by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The National Green Tribunal has asked the Railways to take a particular area as case study to dissuade people from throwing garbage on the tracks. I write some of the observations of the NGT which, according to me, are eye opener and needs to be propagated, hence this blog.

The members of the Tribunal observed that Indian Railways is part of our heritage and yet, it was creating “havoc in society”. “What will the people who come to the national capital think about the state of affairs in the country? At least you all do some work honestly”. The members appealed. The Tribunal was hearing complaint against Indian Railways on throwing garbage and littering on tracks.

 “Just travel five minutes from New Delhi Railway Station towards Sadar Bazar and Sabji Mandi area and you will find huge heaps of garbage thrown on next to railway tracks”, the Tribunal observed. There is a provision of law that prohibits people from littering around stations and tracks. The Railway authorities say that they have imposed fines on people found littering around tracks but many people are poor and incapable of paying fines. True, poor people are ignorant. They need to be educated and told that it is for their hygiene and health to keep the tracks clean.

In cleanness resides God. ‘Swachhta Mein Bhagwan hain’, it is old saying. I would appeal to all my fellow Members of Parliament of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to take special care to look after the pilgrims and places of worship to maintain cleanness. I request Hema Maliniji, a Member of Parliament elected from Mathura to take up the cleanliness drive for the street leading to the shrine of Banke Behari, the presiding deity of Lord Sri Krishna in Vrindaban.

....R K Sinha   

Justice Ganguly Alleges Conspiracy

The controversy surrounding former Supreme Court Judge Justice A K Ganguly, doubts were raised over the timing of the allegations by a law intern of sexual harassment has taken a new turn following Justice Ganguly latest letter to the Chief Justice of India. The judge has said, “I have never harassed nor did I make any unwelcome advances to any law intern. The very suggestion of it, to say the least, is out of tune with my personal conduct.”

Justice Ganguly says, “There is a concerted move to tarnish my image as I had the unfortunate duty of rendering certain judgments against powerful interests. I may point out that despite odds I judged the issues without fear or favour and if that triggers a collateral attack on me then it poses threat to the independence of the judiciary.”

It widely believed that the UPA government was terribly annoyed over the 2G judgment delivered by a two judge bench of which Justice Ganguly was on judge. The manner in which some Union Ministers of the Manmohan Singh Government mounted attack on justice Ganguly raised doubts about the motive behind the allegations of sexual harassament.

Without prejudging the matter, it is surprising why an intern should write as blog almost a year after in the alleged incident that took place in a five star hotel of Delhi on eve of Christmas. It is possible that the intern might have shared her experience with her friends and may with some lawyers. It is possible that “powerful interests” that Justice Ganguly mentions in his letter to the Chief Justice of India got into act and decided to fix the judge in question.

The vocal demands to punish Justice Ganguly has come not only from some Central Ministers but also from senior law officers of the Government of India besides some lawyers who represented the case of private telecommunication operators who wield considerable influence over the government of the day.

The demand is made of Presidential reference to the charge against Justice Ganguly. The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee have written letters to and even met the President Pranab Mukherjee against Justice Ganguly. The Trinamool Congress leaders want Justice Ganguly to resign from the post of the State Human Rights Commission of West Bengal.

There is pressure on the complainant (law intern) to lodge a formal complaint to the Police regarding her accusations of sexual harassment by Justice Ganguly since the alleged incident took place almost a year ago.

Justice Ganguly has also questioned the role of the Additional Solicitor General Indira Jai Singh in releasing the affidavit she presented before the three member inquiry committee of the Supreme Court. Now it is said that the law intern has come out with a statement that it was she who had authorized Indira Jaisingh to release the affidavit to the Press. Some people are overactive in pursuing the charge against the retired judge since the law is heavily loaded against the complainant or for that matter any victim of sexually harassment and rape.

~R. K. Sinha

Too Much Tendulkar

Minutes after the news broke that Sachin Tendulkar has decided to hang his boots after his yet to be played 200^th Test match, all hell broke loose on news channels; as if a disaster, a catastrophe has struck India. “Oh my God; the God of cricket is going to retire”- this refrain was not from a lover of the game of cricket but it came from all and sundry cricket pundits, commentators and the experts who carry self acquired Ph.D. in cricket.

I do watch cricket but not like a maniac. I am quite sure that many cricket fans are not as much upset as our cricket commentators and sports journalists are. Nobody is indispensable in this world. Cricket in India will not become an orphan after Sachin Tendulkar retires from first class match. There have been many great cricketers in India and in other countries who have left inedible mark after they retired from the game. May be cricketers like Poly Umrigar, Chandu Borde, Veenu Mankad, Lala Amarnath, M L Jasimha, Farooqe Engineer , Nari J Contractor, Vijay Majrekar, Ajit Wadekar and Pataudi did not make huge records of runs or matches, but all of them were great players who played cricket with style and grace. 

The hype created by the media on Thursday around retirement decision of Tendulkar left wondering if our journalist friends were writing an obituary of the cricketer who is still alive. Sachin, no doubt is a great cricketer who earned the applause of international audience and world cricketers. Even some world class bowlers like Shane Warne and others have praised Tendulkar. I don’t undermine his place in cricket book of records. But does it mean that nothing was happening in the world on October 10, 2013. Tendulkar, Tendulkar and Tendulkar; the news was full of it so was today’s newspapers who carried banner headlines. “God Bye… screamed one headline while there was ‘VOID” in another daily.

Too much cricket, too much Tendular.

~R. K. Sinha