[Reader-list] Amaranth Land Issue

[Tapas Ray]

Radhika,

You did not get my point. I was saying exactly the opposite of what you 
thought I was saying. My point was that Prakash Ray should be the last 
person to say that the government of J&K ought to get out of the wakf 
board/temple trust business.

But I am not surprised, because he has done similar things in the past - 
spoken fiery words against Modi's "right-wing economic policies" if I 
remember correctly, while the party he is always defending, namely 
CPI(M), has been condemned on that very issue in the state it rules, 
i.e., West Bengal.

On the present issue, he is suggesting that the J&K government get out 
of the wakfs and temple trusts, even though in West Bengal a minister 
heads the wakf board, and that board was the focus of an investigation 
into a massive scandal a few years ago, involving CPI(M) people. You 
will see this if you read the news items I copied below my post.

Hope this helps.

Tapas




radhikarajen at vsnl.net wrote:
> Come on Tapas, don't tell us that there are no scams in west Bengal, only difference is that the "journalist" know well if they cover scams they are short lived to tell it with cadres having thier say.!
>  Regards.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tapas Ray <tapasrayx at gmail.com>
> Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 6:40 pm
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Amaranth Land Issue
> To: reader-list at sarai.net
> 
>> J&K should probably follow West Bengal's example, where a minister 
>> is 
>> the chairman of the board. Anybody remember the wakf scam? The 
>> more 
>> things change, the more they remain the same ... from 2002 to 2006 
>> ... 
>> see the two clippings below.
>>
>> Tapas
>>
>> ------------------------
>> http://health.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/05wakf.htm
>>
>> July 05, 2002
>>
>> Wakf Board property scam has Left Front squirming
>>
>> Amin Babu Ahmed in Kolkata
>>
>> The G R Bhattacharya Commission report, which unveiled a scam in 
>> Wakf 
>> property, has caught the ruling Left Front government in West 
>> Bengal off 
>> guard.
>>
>> After five years of thorough research and examination of 
>> witnesses, the 
>> commission concluded that there were major irregularities in the 
>> Wakf 
>> Board during the regime of the Left Front.
>>
>> The report says that Wakf properties in the state, worth millions 
>> of 
>> rupees, were given out on lease or rent to businessmen at meagre 
>> rates.
>> ....
>>
>> The report, made public this week six months after it was placed 
>> in the 
>> assembly, has specifically named former chairman of the Wakf Board 
>> Hamimul Huda as an accused.
>>
>> Another former chairman of the board is also named, but no other 
>> person 
>> has been specifically accused of wrongdoing.
>>
>> Incidentally, a few days before the report was tabled in the 
>> assembly, 
>> Huda was arrested on charges of questionable deals pertaining to 
>> Wakf 
>> property and this has found mention in Minorities Development 
>> Minister 
>> Mohammad Salim's Action Taken Report (in response to the findings 
>> of the 
>> G R Bhattacharya Commission's findings).
>>
>> Since there are no proper records of the board's properties, it is 
>> difficult to gauge the extent of the scam, Salim said.
>>
>> The opposition alleges that the scam involves approximately Rs 10 
>> billion (Rs 1000 crore).
>>
>> "How can they be so specific when the survey is still incomplete," 
>> asks 
>> Salim ...
>> ---------------------
>>
>> http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=207459
>>
>> October 30, 2006
>>
>> Kolkata, October 30: The Waqf Board today appointed Abdus Sattar, 
>> state 
>> minister for minority development and madrasa education, as its 
>> new 
>> chairman. Sattar will be replacing Hannan Mollah, CPI-M MP, who 
>> remained 
>> in the post for two consecutive terms since 2000.
>>
>> According to sources in the department, Mollah was removed 
>> following 
>> allegations of corruption against him.
>>
>> Advertisement
>> Sattar, however, refuted such allegations and said ...
>> -------------------------
>>
>>> It is to be noted that the Governor heads the Hindu shrine boards
>>> and the chief minister heads the Muslim Wakfs. The government 
>> must get out
>>> of this kind of control and must restrict itself to provide the 
>> needed> support to public who visit shrines, temples, mosques and 
>> other kinds of
>>> religious places and festivals/fairs. There must be a rethinking 
>> on the tax
>>> benefits extended to the religious bodies earning crores and 
>> crores of
>>> rupees. Such changes in policies should be applied to all over 
>> the country,
>>> not only in the J & K.
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Prakash
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