Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India

Dear Dr Singh,

I am writing to you regarding the sorry state of affairs that exist in the Country today. I am sure that you are aware that more than 80% of the population lives on less than USD 2 a day. The situation is alarming because the number of people in that 80% is about 800 million. This is an unprecedented phenomena in History as never have so many lived in such deplorable conditions and yet lived in peace. In olden days when the Ryot reached the end of his limit, he would take up arms and attack the King and his system of governance. The Naxalite problem that is evident in the country seems part of this process of expression of anguish against the rampaging state oblivious of rights of its citizens.

2. The gravity of the situation is apparent from close reading of three basic amenities which are vital for sustenance of life. Air, Water and Land......

3.The air in India is so polluted that 40% of children born in India suffer from respiratory illnesses.

4. It is widely known that we have been unable to provide clean drinking water to vast majority of our population. What is alarming is now we are not even able to provide clean drinking water to the rulers or the governing elites. Further, most of governing elites like MPs, MLAs, Elected representatives of Panchayat etc. are not even aware or concerned about basic issues.

5. As regards land, the pressure is greater than ever in centuries. Malthusian logic seems to be prevailing. The policy of the state in this respect is that of crony capitalism. Agricultural land of small and marginal farmers is being acquired by the state for a pittance and being given to big companies in the name of development so that Rich can grow richer and the poor will grow poorer. This is true of the SEZ policy as well as development of townships and related activities by private companies. The state misuses Land Acquisition Act 1894 and deprives small and marginal farmers of their land and gives the same to private companies. While in your previous stint as Finance Minister you undid the Licence-Permit Raj and unleashed productive forces in the economy, a similar activity is needed in case of the Licence Raj of the Urban Estates Department in various states of India. While no-one is in favor of unplanned and unregulated development, it is an open secret that totally corrupt Officials are posted in this department. These officials have no other agenda except make illegitimate gains by "Change of Land Use Raj". The chain is complete when these officials also provide political funds and also fill personal coffers of the Chief Minister or the Minister in charge of Town and Country Planning in various states of India.

6. What is the remedy for the above situation in providing the basic amenities to vast majority of citizens:-

(1) Controlling Pollution, Afforestation, Restoration of the Environment, Use of clean Technologies like Solar Power, Climate change management etc are some of the issues which need to be tackled to provide clean air and sustain our civilization.

(2) To provide water, we must stop pollution of rivers, penalize polluters, do appropriate waste management, find technologies for cleaning water and laying down pipelines to reach out in lines with PURA or providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas.

(3) The issue of Land and ending the Change of Land Use Licence Raj is politically fraught with risks and involves the Federal System of governance since most reforms are needed at the state level. A tool which the Central Government can deploy is the CBI and creating a regulatory body under Article 256 of the Constitution and a Central Legislation on matter of state list under powers extended to the Parliament of India. Close monitoring of Town and Country Planning Department/ Urban Estates Department is needed by a dedicated investigative agency. You may also like to come up with a policy enunciation that in cases where Land of private owners is acquired by the state or purchased or developed by a company, the owner gets a share of the proceeds of the developed land and not merely a job as a manual labour!!! In case you do not do anything in this area the risk is Naxalism and rising unrest in the populace.

With Assurances of my Highest Consideration,



Kanishka Singh
(Social Activist)
Gurgoan
Haryana

How DLF Became the World’s Richest Company ?

It is claimed by Chairman of DLF Universal Ltd K. P. Singh that it is the world's richest companies in the world. He forgets to mention how it arrived at the present position.

2. To understand the success of the company I am presenting a simple anology. Suppose the Government decided to acquire all land in Delhi under the public purpose of "Planned Development". It then decided to give all the land in Delhi to you for developing the land and gave the permission to build skyscrapers and office building and residential houses including in Lutyens Delhi. I am sure you would be able to get world's best construction technology once all land belongs to you and you have necessary permissions in place to ensure "Planned development". The icing on the cake is that Government paid only Rs One Lakh to the owner for a house that it acquired whereas all know that the real market value of the land is Rs 10 crores. In this bargain you paid Rs 2 crores to the political bosses and bureaucrats from top to bottom. However you made Rs 8 crores ab-initio and more after developing the land. The Delhi story can be repeated in other cities of India by buying the top politician.

3. This is the secret of the success of DLF Universal Ltd. It pays politicians to notify land belonging to small and marginal farmers and small land owners for acquisition. These owners are faced with a corrupt system, bureaucrats and politicians who are already on the payroll of DLF universal Ltd. It is well known that Courts do not look into "Public Purpose" and that it takes almost 20-50 years for any relief from the courts. Plus small and marginal farmers are not even aware of the legal rights or cannot afford expensive lawyers. DLF Universal Ltd simply moves in and purchases the land from the hapless landowner and then gets rich.

4. Thus K.P. Singh led DLF Universal Ltd is able to script the success story. The innings started from Delhi and the fortune was made in Gurgoan, Haryana. It is evident that the Chief Minister keeps the Town and Country Planning Department with himself as it generates immense revenue/funds. K.P. Singh Honorary Consul for Monaco has been able to drive President Robert Mugabe to shame by simply using the state for his own personal enrichment misusing colonial laws like the Land Acquisition Act of 1894.

5. How can this happen you may ask with all media and investigative agencies? This can…..DLF Universal Ltd has been smart enough to buy all the bureaucratic machinery right from the Village Patwari to the Principal Secretary of the Department and the politician heading the Ministry. Thus the state is scripting a "Robin Hood" story in reverse i.e. looting from the poor to give to the rich DLF Universal Ltd.

6. What are the options for a small farmer?

i) He can pick-up arms and declare war on the state in short create a group of farmers who have been given similar treatment by DLF Universal Ltd and the State. The result would be armed rebellion and annihilation or destruction of the very system that created the monster.

ii) Approach the courts and die in the process as it would take more than a lifetime for any relief from the courts.

iii) Give up his land to DLF and in the process become a landless labourer and another statistics below the poverty line.

7. You may like to hear the voice of your conscience as to what should be done with DLF Universal Ltd:-

i) We can try the Chairman for crimes against humanity and make the company pay for all the wrongs and injustice it has done.

ii) We can investigate how many officials and bureaucrats have assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

iii) We can do nothing…..as it is everything goes in our country.

The Choice is yours after all "Every Country deserves the Politicians it gets..and Every Country deserves the system that exists".