r2i forum

Given the current scenario in the country, the scenario mentioned in the link at the end of this post seems very timely, relevant and incredulously obvious. It is like ? we all know these things are happening in every state, every city, every village ? yet we have accepted them as the norm in India and go by living our daily lives.

The country has grown, salaries have exploded, buildings have come up, GDP has risen, mobiles are ringing, roads are packed, restaurants are stuffed, flyovers everywhere and IPL is the new game in town.

Fantastic.

Or is it?

The growth story has given the usual politician an unusual avenue for ringing in a whole new scale of corruption. The old ?Hindu rate of growth? which used to come in at a cost a few crores as bribes, is now scaled to the promised 9% p.a. growth ? only that it now costs thousands of crores under the table. Heck when a 2nd tier city IPL team is worth Rs.1500 Crore, what?s the value of 2G spectrum hovering over a billion people? The corrupt minister of the previous generation who used to own a couple of farm houses in prime area is now replaced by uber-corrupt politicians who own partial states. Previously people were brought to rallies by paying a token amount and food/liquor for the day. Today, a prospective cabinet minister places Rs.500 notes in the morning newspaper of EVERY person in his constituency. Where the old-fashioned thugs used to distribute free sarees to influence the voters, now they pretty much promise an entire household free when they come to power and even give a free gas stove as a token advance.

For the politicians sky is the limit, while we retch at how low they can go. Conscience is an extinct commodity, while a general lack of shame is gaining immunity. And these very characteristics of the characters that we despise are slowly becoming the identity of the population they represent.

We sit and read about this, watch this unfold right in front of us - in virtual paralysis.

Then we hear about people who have the guts and conviction to fight back. We marvel at their commitment, admire their courage, rue our own inabilities and promptly get back to our daily chores. There are deadlines to meet.

Are we ready to do something ? something that could help their cause indirectly? Something that MAY spread the word around, something that can turn VIRAL, something that can cause alarm bells ringing in the minds of the guilty, something that can shame them or something that could help the lone crusader gain a small victory?

Below is a perfect such scenario. I know someone who knows the guy who is fighting to the finish here. This seems like a cause worth fighting for. We cannot quit our jobs and dedicate a decade or two to fight corruption in the country, like this guy. But, we CERTAINLY can lend our name to support people of his caliber who are willing to do that.

Will you please sign and forward this to every concerned person? If you do, just post a reply with a ?done?.



Thank you.
Suri


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Dear Friends

I am sure all of you are fed up with the level of corruption in India and wish there was something concrete you could do to fight it. There is a national movement in India right now gaining momentum for opposing corruption in governance. It is taking all sorts of forms and shapes.

Because of our persistent refusal to compromise, I regret to inform you that we are now at the crossroads - it is do or die situation for us. The state government is not giving us approval for construction of campus in view of our firm refusal to pay any bribes. In the absence of campus, AICTE is not renewing the approval, since around two years back we had provided an affidavit to AICTE that we will move into our own campus. CBI is harassing us since we had promised to move into the campus but we have not been able to. Income Tax Department is harassing us since we have not been able to use the funds earmarked for campus construction.

In view of the above, we have not been able to even start the admissions for the next academic year beginning in July 2011, though hardly three months are left and the admissions normally begin nine months in advance.

We have filed a writ petition in Rajasthan High Court against the state government but the government is not responding and only taking dates after dates.

Some of our friends, well-wishers and supporters have suggested that if we do not pay the bribes then the only way to get the work done from the government is by mass movement and exposure. Some of our IITs & IIMs friends have placed a suitable petition online at

[URL="http://www.petitiononline.com/SaveMEF/"]http://www.petitiononline.com/SaveMEF/

[/URL]I will sincerely urge you to kindly visit this link and sign this petition possibly with your suitable comments. Also kindly do send link to all your family members, friends, distribution lists and network in India and abroad either with a passionate mail of your own and/or just by forwarding this mail.

Every single support counts a lot in any noble cause. We respect and value your support, in this hour of need. Time is of essence here. Let us get to work now. Here is a chance for everyone who complains about corruption to do something concrete. Let the truth alone triumph - Satyamev Jayate.

Thanks a lot for all your support and with best regards

Varun Arya
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President
Marwar Education Foundation
Marwar Bhawan
Polo No. 2, Paota
Jodhpur 342 006
Rajasthan, India
Tel. : 0291-2550070 (D), 2542235, 2550209/12
Mobile : 0-94141-36500, 96940-36500
Fax : 0291-2543600
E-mail : [email protected]
Web : [URL="http://www.1stholistic.com/reading/prose/A2007/power-of-vision-and-might.htm"]http://www.1stholistic.com/reading/prose/A2007/power-of-vision-and-might.htm
[/URL][URL="http://www.iimaalumni.org/n/front/home/pdfnov09/AlumniNews.pdf"]http://www.iimaalumni.org/n/front/home/pdfnov09/AlumniNews.pdf
[/URL]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Formerly President, IIT Delhi Alumni Association &
Secretary, IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association

Thanks to all who signed.

This is especially relevant now after the Anna Hazare episode.

Please check post #1 and spread it around.

I've signed the petition as well.

Wish them good luck.

Done.

Best Regards,
Adarsh Dattani
Universal Relocations, LLC

Is the petition still open? I mean Anna Hazare was successful in making govt agree his demand.

If signing the below petition still valid ad make sense, Please let us know.

My Roots;382486Is the petition still open? I mean Anna Hazare was successful in making govt agree his demand.

If signing the below petition still valid ad make sense, Please let us know.

The petition is open, you can sign it. It cannot hurt.

Suri - Thanks for your bold and pacifying comments and I signed it!!

Done.....

WOW. This effort seems to have generated a lot of drama and a fairy tale ending. Below is an email from the person who was leading this struggle. Thank you everyone who took the effort.

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Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:14:34 +0530
To:
From: [email protected]
Subject: Despite all the odds, at last the Truth Alone Triumphs : Satyamev Jayate

Dear Friends & Well-wishers

I have no words to describe how happy we all, in Aravali family, are to at last ensured the significant success of truth, against all the odds. Around 08.00 P.M. on Monday, 18 April 2011 we received the requisite confirmation letters relating to the conversion of our campus land from the Government of Rajasthan. With overjoyed students, faculty, staff and other well-wishers providing us juice, my wife Anita and I broke our 145 hours continuous fast during which we did not eat anything and did not drink anything, except a little water.

It was certainly a question of the life and death of our Institute. For this, before putting life of mine and my beloved at risk, we tried everything. We completed all the requirements as per the law for the conversion, including payment of full conversion charges, way back in October 2009. When the things did not move, during November 2010 to January 2011, we got some of the distinguished persons to talk to the highest levels in the state government as well as central government, including the political leadership. We filed a writ petition in Rajasthan High Court in February 2011, which was not being responded by the state government and we were only getting the dates after dates. On 24 March 2011, a petition to Rajasthan CM was placed online by IIT Madras alumnus Ram Krishnaswamy based in Australia, which has been signed and supported by over 2600 persons from worldwide. During 01-04 April 2011, my wife and I were at Jaipur to meet the top government officials to convince them the necessity and urgency of action. Finally on 11 April 2011, one elderly person very close to CM since childhood travelled to Jaipur to make the things work. When none of it produced the result, in view of our persistent refusal to compromise, we were left with no choice but to go on indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi to expose the injustice and get the justice.

Around 60 of our students, staff and faculty members including my wife and I left Jodhpur for Delhi at 05.30 P.M. on 12 April 2011 in one bus and two cars. Around 08.00 P.M. we reached a small place called Bar, where our Prof. Sanjay Diddee received a call from District Collector of Jodhpur informing us that we will get the conversion letter in a week's time and asked us to return back. He informed us that he was doing so as per the instructions from the CM's office and Revenue Secretary, with whom he was coordinating. We refused. After sometime, Collector telephoned again and said that the conversion would be done in three days time and asked us to return. We refused. Then after sometime, he called up again and told us that we would get it next day and asked us to return back. We refused. Then he told us that conversion letter would be handed over to us at Kishangarh. Collector took our bus and cars numbers. We reached Kishangarh around midnight. A posse of around 20 policemen including two Inspectors and four police vehicles, who had our bus and cars numbers, stopped us. When we asked for the conversion letter, they said they had none and told us that there were instructions from the highest level in the state government not to allow us to travel ahead.

When we insisted to travel ahead, they contacted the officials and told us that we would have to go to State Secretariat at Jaipur under police escort, where we would be provided the conversion letter. We reached the State Secretariat at Jaipur at 02.00 A.M. in the night but there too, there was no letter. While the police went here and there, we escaped and moved fast towards Delhi. When we entered Delhi around 08.30 A.M. on 13 April 2011, we were again stopped by Delhi Police from moving ahead. When we threatened to complain to Mr. Tejendra Khanna, Lt. Governor of Delhi, who had visited us at Jodhpur, we were allowed to move further.

When we reached Jantar Mantar, New Delhi around 09.30 A.M. on 13 April 2011, we received a call from District Collector of Jodhpur informing us that he was sending us the conversion approval letter and asked us not to begin the indefinite fast. We gave him the fax number of Swami Agnivesh, who has been a member of our Board of Governors since inception and whose office was just at Jantar Mantar Road only. At 10.30 A.M. we received the fax but its contents were shocking. It conveyed us conversion approval of only 135 bigha of land, subject to our paying the conversion charges again, not using the land for non-agricultural purpose (which was self-contradictory) and handing over 101 bigha of land to the government. We refused to accept it and formally began the indefinite fast at 11 A.M. on 13 April 2011, though we had not eaten or drink anything since 08.00 P.M. previous night.

The passion of our students, staff and faculty to the cause was seen to be believed. The support of IITs & IIMs alumni and faculty members, former Judges & Chief Justices of High Courts, top officials, academicians, defence officers, social activists, media, lawyers and many others was overwhelming. There was excellent coverage in both print and electronic media, specially The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu and Nai Dunia. There were a large number of our well-wishers working behind the scenes to garner support and message reach the leaderships at both the government and political levels in Jaipur as well as Delhi. The state government was in regular touch with our Prof. Sanjay Diddee.

On 15 April 2011, we received second communication from the state government. Shockingly it again confirmed conversion of 135 Bigha only subject to our paying the conversion charges for this land again and handing over the balance 101 Bigha land to the government. We refused. Meanwhile, our support grew but the condition of my wife worsened. Doctors from AIIMS New Delhi came and examined. Our daughter flew from Mumbai to take care of her mother. On sixth day, 18 April 2011, evening around 06.00 P.M. Dr. Rajiv Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary and Mr. Vimal Sharma, Resident Commissioner of Rajasthan came. They discussed, understood and followed up our demands with the concerned in the state government till finally we got the written confirmation of our demands being met around 08.00 P.M. After we broke the fast, around 09.00 P.M. Resident Commissioner Mr. Vimal Sharma came again and told me that the CM wanted to talk to me. CM spoke to me and assured us of all support from the state government.

Throughout the above period of six days and six nights, the girl students and lady faculty stayed in gurudwara guesthouse. I stayed at Jantar Mantar footpath only, along with our male students and faculty. In the night we slept there only, despite the onslaught of mosquitoes whole night. In the mornings we used public facilities by standing in the queue with the beggars, taxi drivers and others. Each day walked upto Bangla Sahib Gurudwara to have bath in the open there. Everybody cooperated with us fully including the keeper of public facilities and people at gurudwara. There was constant vigil on us by the police, CID, Intelligence Bureau and many other agencies. At one time, we were about to be evicted but courtesy the timely intervention of Lt. Governor's office, we were allowed to stay on. We had a large number of visitors from early morning till midnight everyday. Finally when we achieved the victory, a large number of our well-wishers came till midnight with sweets, ice creams, etc. Just in case, the success had not been achieved on sixth day, next day around 15000 people from Bharatiya Kisan Morcha and Bharat Swabhiman would have joined us, whose leaders had come and assured their support to us, apart from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and many others.

Next day, on 19 April 2011, we left Delhi at 05.45 A.M. At 01.00 P.M. we reached Jaipur where all 60 of us were invited for lunch at CM's Residence. CM Mr. Ashok Gehlot met us, talked to us and assured us of all the support. In fact he went a step further, asking us to establish a similar large educational campus for girls also for which too, he said that the government would provide us all the support. We also had a long photograph session with him. At Jaipur we also had our alumni based there who came in full attendance to felicitate with tilak and garland all the students, faculty and staff who were part of this historic struggle to success. On the way, at Kishangarh, our students based there had again organised juice and eatables for all.

Around 10 P.M. we reached our campus site, where the garlands and flowers were offered in the temple there. At 10.45 P.M. we reached Umaid Bhawan Palace where Maharaja Gaj Singh and Maharani Hemlata Rajye were waiting for us. They felicitated all of us, offered juices and sweets and talked to us. Finally around midnight we reached our Boys' Hostel where the aged parents of our faculty member Prof. Sanjay Diddee were there to welcome us. By the time we reached our homes, it was past midnight.

We should all know that the land matters (which include conversion) are the biggest source of bribes, black money and corruption in our country. Ours was not a personal matter, but a case study struggle to fight successfully this menace, turning impossible into possible without any compromise. Our grateful thanks to all those who helped directly as well as indirectly in this significant success, looking at the gravity of the problem and the enormity of the struggle. May the God bless them all.

Thanks once again and with best regards

Varun Arya
Director, Aravali Institute of Management, Jodhpur
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Formerly President, IIT Delhi Alumni Association &
Secretary, IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association
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Mobile : 0-94141-36500
Web : http://www.1stholistic.com/reading/prose/A2007/power-of-vision-and-might.htm
http://www.iimaalumni.org/n/front/home/pdfnov09/AlumniNews.pdf