SUMMERHILL POST
Sunday 22 July 2018
Friday 29 June 2018
Tuesday 9 May 2017
Ignoring reservation policy not less than a conspiracy against the weaker section
Ignoring
reservation policy not less than a conspiracy against the weaker section
Himachal
Pradesh is abode of 25 per cent schedule castes, five percent schedule tribe,
more than 15 per cent OBCs and disabled population is 2.25 per cent among the
total population i.e. 68 Lakh. In Continuity to the provisions enshrined in our
constitution there are mammoth machinery at the centre and in the state to
cater the interests of these marginal groups more so the whole state ministry
is in existence in HP too.
There
are many organisations in the state claiming to be the vanguard of these
depressed communities naming as morchas,
manch and claiming them self de facto fighter apart from of political
parties. However the university which is
known as den of scholars and visionary peoples, the Himachal Pradesh University
have ignored the reservation policy while advertising 224 seats for the
admission to Ph.D in different subjects.
It
is pertinent here the University Grant Commission is the apex body to regulations on minimum standards of
education and its notification appeared in the Gazette of India on the month of
May, 2016 its clause 5.2.3 clearly envisages that adhere to the National/state
reservation policy, as applicable. In the light of UGC above notification
university is bound to follow the state reservation policy at the time of
admission in 224 Ph.D. seats.
The state government in Himachal Pradesh is
giving reservation in different way e.g. in government services for class I
& II for SC’s 15 per cent, ST’s 5 per cent, OBC’s 12 per cent and for PwD
it is 3 per cent, for class-III & IV there is 22 per cent for SC’s, 7.5 per
cent for ST’s, 18 per cent for OBC’s and 3 per cent for disabled.
In the light of above state reservation Policy
University has to follow the same pattern while granting admission not only in
to M.Phil & Ph.D courses but for other post-graduate and graduate courses
as well.
In the university the office of the dean of
studies is empowered to conduct all entrance, other semester and annual examinations
free and transparent manner by considering university’s and UGC’s regulations
and various government rules. While talking about the transparency it is the
paramount duty of the two offices, the office of Dean of Studies and Controller
of Examination to ensure transparency as well as secrecy.
It is again evident the Himachal Pradesh
University campus is highly volatile with respect to the students politics and
many teaching personal are directly office bearer to students’ as well as
party’s mass organisations. In that situation it is suggested to these
responsible offices to set the question papers from experts of other university
or the institution instead of same department of the university.
There are various Acts being enacted by the
parliament such as SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocity) Act, 1989 to ensure the
rights of the concerned communities and prevent atrocities on them. Therefore
ignoring the important reservation policy in the light of clear cut
notification by the university grant commission may be viewed not less than
conspiracy against the SC’’s, ST’s and OBC’s and may be covered under these
Acts as such. The act of ignoring the reservation policy is a just mistake for
the perpetrators but for aggrieved it is future and the sole responsibility is
of the state to protect the fundamental right of an individual and upholds the
rule of law.
Tuesday 19 July 2016
On Medical Education-original article
Himachal Pradesh should handle the
center offer wisely and keep the public interest on priority
Institutionally, there
are ample medical institutions i.e. Health Centers, Primary Health Centers,
Community Health Centers, Civil Hospitals, District and Zonal Hospital in
Himachal Pradesh. Besides these Institutions there Ayurvedic Health
Institutions also to cater the health services throughout the state. The
premier institution like Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla and Dr.
Rajindera Prasad Medical College, Tanda and Kamla Nehru Hospital, Shimla
delivering fantastic health services to the people in given situation. Due to
the touch and hilly geographical condition it is almost impossible to approach
this premier health institution be it IGMC, RPMC or KNH therefore in the rural
health infrastructure is needs to be strengthen.
The health department
report itself reveals that the most of the rural health institution in the
state are running acute shortage of medical and para-medical staff e.g. as per
the guidelines of Medical Council of India (MCI) there should be at least four
medical specialists in a CHC but is pity that in Himachal Pradesh there around
76 CHC all are dry and only one or two medical officer are keeping its door
just open.
The state government is
failing to stay the doctors in government service after the completion of compulsory
time period majority of the doctors are leaving government job and opening
their own hospital or clinic and some of them are joining private hospital.
The challenge before
the government is to produce more doctors and specialist and then keep them
stay in government services. With the opening of new medical colleges at
Chamba, Sirmaur and Hamirpur and shifting the ESI Medical College to Himachal
Pradesh has expended the people’s expectation for having good health services
and producing more doctors, specialist and super specialists.
This is crucial time
for the people that the state cabinet has decided to run ESI medical college on
self finance basis. The repercussion of its functioning would be the paid
services for the people with user charges and paid seats of MBBS and others
with huge fee in multi lakhs rupees. This ultimately will not be in favor of
Himachali people and out their pocket or reach.
There is justification
of limited paying capacity of people of the state as the socio-economic and
cast census (SECC) reveals that, out of total households of Himachal Pradesh
1263756 which constitute 88.54 percent is rural. The dominant rural population are
dependent is dependent on their petty and limited agricultural activities. The
land holding of these rural household is too small which constitute around one
hectare only. Meanwhile, the 66 per cent of total geographical area of the
state is under the forest department and there is only 11.17 per cent land
where agriculture activities are conducted by state’s peasantry. The bulk of
that land, around 66.85 per cent is un-irrigated or dependant on monsoon.
Operation of these
medical college on self finance basis in not in the favor of state, where 23.5
per cent household member are government job but 21.48 per cent are earning highest income
less than Rs. 5000/- in a month. Just imagine how their sibling can think of
paying multi lakhs rupees fee for MBBS and how these family can think of have
health services in these medical college where state government is planning to
run on the basis of self financing.
Let’s
take this discussion in other mode the issue of site location of central
university is hanging in pendulum even after passing more than five years. The
better and prudent decision would had been to upgrade the only state university
i.e. Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla as central university and the oldest
university’s regional center Dharamshala as state university. But our political
bosses went on another mode to distribute this national importance institution
in to geographic divide.
Similarly,
the fear is about the debut of AIIMS at Bilaspur in this case the wise decision
should be to cash the opportunity in hand to immediately open the AIIMS at
recently transferred ESIC hospital, Mandi. The three medical colleges
sanctioned in UPA regime, shift one among them to Bilaspur. Though, this is not a big deal to have such
instant decision if the leaders from both parties in Himachal Pradesh think in
this direction or keeps the public interest prior than to the political gain.
Therefore
keening in view of the state economy and socio-economic background of stats
population where around 23 per cent of populations are scheduled caste and
having very poor background economically, government should seriously revisit
the decision and run ESI Hospital and other three medical colleges as the
already medical colleges and Hospital like IGMC, RPMC, and KNH are functioning.
Only then there will be benefit of having such important institution in the
state and then the population will be benefited if they get subsidized MBBS
seats for their sibling and cater free health facilities to common people.
Our
government should be wise enough to handle the center government offer of
sanctioning institutions of national repute be it PGI or CU no matter it is UPA
or NDA in centre and BJP or Congress in State.
Saturday 16 July 2016
Friday 8 July 2016
Peasantry in crisis in Himachal Pradesh
Peasantry
in crisis in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a hilly state where agriculture
land is about11.17 percent of the total geographical area and with satellite
images it is about 17 percent of the total area. The total land holding in the
state are 9, 60,765 out which majority of the farmers are small and marginal
farmers. The land holding are very small which is around one acre; this small
holding for the survival of a family is not sufficient. So, the poor farmers
have encroached upon the surrounding land which is adjacent to their land for
cultivation. Many has built houses, cowshed and few have also developed apple
orchards on this encroached land.
The apple growing districts of the state namely Shimla,
Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba farmers have planted apple trees on the encroached
land. There are few rich and middle peasants who have encroachment on gigantic
parts of the forest land and cut the forests too. The consecutive state
Governments of both BJP and Congress parties has not intervened during the
encroachment of the land because of the fear of losing of voters’ base in
different elections. Meanwhile some individual environmentalist went to Court
and files a PIL against the farmer who have encroached the forest, common and
Government land. Due to the disintegration of the land holding among the
families it is increasingly becoming smaller day by day. The survival of a
family on such a small holding has becoming very difficult. The Nautor Act 1968
was introduced to give land to these poor farmers who mostly belonged to the
schedule caste and OBC category. But after the Forest Conservation Act 1980,
the 66 percent land comes under the forest department whether there are tree or
not. In Kullu district 90 percent land belongs to forest department. The Nautor policy of the Government was
abandoned due to FCA-1980.
Now no other option was left for the peasants except
to encroachment of the forest land for their survival. The BJP Government was
in power in 2002 when it amended the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act 1954 and
Section 163-A was incorporated to this Act. BJP Government made a policy with
above mentioned amendment and promised to regularize the land which is in the
possession of farmers up to 4 acres consisting of its own plus encroached land.
The Government printed a declaration form having cost Rs. 50/- which was filled
and deposited by 1,67,000 approximately along with the affidavit that they are
in possession of forest as well as Government land. Huge corruption was noticed
during this process at all leval. But in the Assembly elections BJP lost the
election and congress party came to power and Virbhadra Singh became the Chief
Minister. He used these affidavits filed by the farmers as evidence against
them and eviction of farmers started in 2005-06. The fruit bearing apple tree
of farmers were cut by the forest department. Meanwhile, in many places the
Himachal Kisan Sabha resisted this move of the Government. A PIL was filed
against the regularization by Ms. Poonam Gupta in the High Court which is still
pending and subsequently many other individuals also filed cases in the High
Court of Himachal Pradesh against the encroachment. In one of these cases on
April 6th, 2015 High Court furnished an order that the government
and forest department should remove the encroachments from the forest land and
cut down the Apple trees.
The Government took this order an opportunity to
evict the farmers. Later on 20th July the previous order of 6th
April was amended and new order of pruning of apple tree was given by the high
court. But the forest department and government is not implementing the said
order. The cutting of apple tree and removing houses and cowsheds is still on.
The families whose apples trees have been cut down through this anti peasant
governments’ eviction derive are poor and marginal farmers mostly schedule
castes, widows and OBCs. The water and
electricity connections of the houses are being disconnected by the respective
departments. Even in the tribal district Lahaul & Spiti the electricity and
water connection of 192 houses has been disconnected in the chilled winter of
2015. It is important to note here that
families had shifted their house to escape from the hazardous glacier fed area. Since independence many acts came in to force
for the protection tribal people are seems to be meaningless for them as they
are not being implemented after passing many years e.g. be it PESA-1996 or
Forest Rights Act 2006. It is pathetic that on the issue of so called
encroachment in the tribal area of Lahaul & Spiti, the tribal advisory
council (TAC) a constitutional body is silent or inactive which raises a big
question on the function of the government.
The Himachal Kisan Sabha is fighting against this
eviction drive since May 2015. Two state level Rallies on 27 August and 16
December 2015 were organized in Shimla. At lower level, where the Kisan Sabha
is strong it is resisting the drive by not allowing the forest officials to cut
the apple trees. The Himachal State Assembly passed a resolution “Sankalp
Resolution” unanimously on 28th August 2015. But the Government
is not implementing the resolution it has passed.
A state level convention on the issue of eviction
was organized by the state committee of Kisan Sabha on 20th February
2016 at Shimla. In this convention 72 days long struggle was planned to stop
the eviction drive of state government. On 3-4 May 24 hour’s dharna was
organized in front of the State Government Secretariat at Shimla in which around
1500 peasants participated from different parts of the state. A delegation of
Kisan Sabha met the Chief Minister who assured that it will not evict poor
farmers who have land holding less than ten bighas.
Menace
of wild animals
In Himachal Pradesh, the Kisan Sabha and Kheti
Bachao Sangharsh Samiti are fighting against this menace since eleven years. On
24th May, 2016 the Central Government through its advisory issued
that the MC Shimla and 35 tehsil and sub tehsil, the monkeys were declared
vermin for six months. But the Government is not killing them and many NGO have
filed petition in High Court and Supreme Court against scientific killing of
monkeys. The Kisan Sabha is demanding that the monkeys should be declared
vermin throughout the state except the two tehsils of Lahoul Sapiti. The Kisan
front is campaigning for this issue and 25th to 30th June
demonstration will be held throughout the state.
In nutshell the governments in the state are playing
a wicked politics by way of just blaming each other but both are proved
insensitive to settle down the current issue of anti peasant issue. It is high
time to settle down the issue of eviction by sparing proper time for discussion
in monsoon session of state assembly.
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