[Reader-list] Amaranth Land Issue

Thu Jul 3 19:14:03 IST 2008

 Very correct, those who say they are secular are actually seen very communal in day to day governance, but it is funny that if BJP unites all in the nation it is called communal just because united hindu votes would be more of potent force. ?

 As to administration of religious places it should be noted that rich funds of dioceses of any denomination of christian faith has absolutely no control as how it is used. recent news of about the priest of an evangelist was bashed up by his own commune in kerala, accounts were asked for 1499 crores misused by him. This news appeared in all the print but not in visual media. !

 Regards.

----- Original Message -----
From: Tapas Ray <tapasrayx at gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 5:28 pm
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Amaranth Land Issue
To: radhikarajen at vsnl.net
Cc: reader-list at sarai.net

> 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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