Abir Ranjan Biswas speaks on The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019

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Thank you for providing me this opportunity to speak on The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019. I feel this is yet another effort to bring equality by reviving the 200 point roster as against the 13 point system put forth by the High Court of Allahabad. The aim of providing is to consider a central educational institution as a unit in place of departments. Sir, the UGC guidelines of 2006 were quashed by the High Court of Allahabad in 2016. 

Sir I have a question, why didn’t the Government introduce this Bill in the following sessions? The Supreme Court too gave similar verdict on January 23, 2019. The Parliament was in session, as we know Sir, from January 31 to February 13. Again we did not find the Government making any effort to legislate on the matter. Instead Sir, an Ordinance was promulgated on March 7 , 2019 just three days prior to the announcement of elections. This cannot be a mere coincidence is what I feel. This held a clear intention of taking advantage of time to make hollow promises. 

If we look at the past, in the first 30 years since independence, out of every 10 Bills passed, one was an Ordinance. In the next 30 years, out of every 10 Bills passed about two were Ordinances. In the last two years, out of every 10 Bills, passed four were Ordinances. In this regard Sir, I have deep concerns. Promulgating Ordinances time and again is against the very spirit and nature of a parliamentary form of government. 

This House is constituted of earned an eminent representatives of the people and by promulgating Ordinances on every matter the Government is exhibiting an authoritarian feature. It is also discarding the views and inputs of the House. The House seeks to enact laws, which the Indian people deserve. But, as of today, as we saw most deplorably, the way the Government is functioning. Many Hon’ble  Members were complaining that they were denied the rightful opportunity of putting in their suggestions in the form of Amendments. However Sir, we understand the House should be given due importance it deserves, I request the government to modify this process of discharging functions.

Next Sir, I would like to say the main mandates for reservation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to fill up more than 7,000 vacant positions in educational institutions. This is definitely a welcome step but the process that this government has adopted is no doubt faulty and promotes the interests of certain sections of the society.

Sir, I would like to further say that we know that the new notification is also an attempt to dent efforts to ensure representation of SC/ST and OBC categories as per the constitutional mandate of 15%, 7.5% and 27% respectively. If this system is taken, all professors of the same grouping across all departments in the university will be grouped together to estimate the extent of the quota. As a result, positions open will be reduced, limited and not filling up positions as per requirement of subjects. Some departments/subjects will have all reserved and some with all unreserved candidates. Moreover, the number of vacancies will not meet the required constitutional mandate.

This is nothing but a sheer motive to leverage positions for the upper caste candidates. This bill proposes to dilute the entire concept of reservation itself.

Today, the reservation system in our government posts is on the basis of the posts and not the number of vacancies in that arena. So, why should the same system not be followed for educational institutions as well? This Bill proposes to bring about a systemic change in the basis of reservation. It is only introducing a system of discrimination in the educational institutions that will only alienate the backward classes.

Sir, I would also like to say that section 4, sub-section (i) and sub-clause (a) provides for a discriminatory clause. It says that certain institutions will be kept out of the provisions of this Bill. I would request the minister to explain the basis of such institutes. Some like science and technology, I understand. But when we are doing this is the government making mistake of direct capabilities of concerned categories that is the SC/ST and OBCs. When these universities have reservation for student community, why not they have it for the teaching community as well?

Sir, I would also like to question that is the government creating a sense of division and discrimination in appointing positions to the socially and economically deprived in these institutions of esteem. Is the government questioning the capabilities and undermining those that are entirely eligible.

Also Sir, we can see that our Hon’ble members of the treasury benches are taking the credit of having given the reservation for the economically backward sections. After all, taking credit is the most easy thing to do. Sir, in this Bill itself they have been deprived also. Sir, I would like to say that I have a few suggestions for the hon’ble minister.

Firstly, reservations should be allowed for the universities that are excluded because if the criteria put forth by them is made by any candidate of the concerned section then why not given him/her the opportunity. Why not give the devil his/her due?

Secondly, a regulatory body should be constituted to ensure a proper functioning of the provisions of the Bill and in case of any dispute it can discharge quick verdicts. This is so necessary because even after this Ordinance we have four universities, namely, Central University of Punjab, Karnataka University, Tamil Nadu University and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University. They did not comply with the provisions. This would have gone unnoticed Sir, if it was not brought up by one of the hon’ble member of this very August House itself. Also Sir, this is why a responsible body to handle the affairs is necessary. This body should be entrusted with the duty of looking into the judicial matters arising after employment. This is because every other day we come across cases involving hatred towards vulnerable sections, namely the SCs, STs, OBCs and the economically-backward sections (EBS) .

Doubting and questioning their capabilities is not right I feel. There is a high chance that the teachers being appointed through this will also face similar problems and that is why this is very necessary. This is also very important and imperative, Sir. At a time when we soon aspire to make India the third largest economic power of the world, we declare a mission to the moon, we boast of progress achieved in space which only three other nations in this globe are capable of, we are failing to provide a level ground for all. This Sir, is proved by the fact that atrocities meted out to the backward classes has increased by 37 per cent in the last decade.

Sir, in this regard I would also like to say that moreover to avoid cases like that, which involved suicide of Rohith Vemula, this is a very important step that the Government can and should take and it cannot be done until serious steps are taken. 

Sir, also in this case, we have another most unfortunate case that took place recently, as recent as May, in Mumbai, where a young medical professional, Payal Tadvi lost her life due to suicide committed as a result of alleged casteist slur and discrimination. In this regard I would like to mention that Sukhdev Thorat, a professor emeritus of JNU and a former UGC chairman, had led a committee to investigate allegations of discriminatory treatment of SC and ST students at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and which had found that lower caste students had faced discriminations at the premier institute.

 About the measures that should be taken to check discriminatory behaviour, the report says: “There has to be an Act by the government to make caste-based investigation at the university campus a punishable offence. Apart from this, a set of guidelines should be formulated for the upper caste students on how to behave in the presence of students from the marginalised sections.”

 Jobs and educational reservations are very vital in the view of Dr Ambedkar. He had wanted reservation in services and educational institutions to be permanent. If those reservations were not put in place, it would have led to a constant struggle of the oppressed, who would have never found a channel to come into the mainstream. What would have been denied to them they would have taken by force. Thus we have to ensure measures to bring the backward classes into public service and provide to them what is rightfully due to them.

 Thus I would like to request to send this Bill to a Standing Committee where stakeholders from all fields associated with this Bill would be consulted and proper legal suggestions are taken to correct the provisions of this Bill that would otherwise fully undermine the essence of reservation and its effects.

 Thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Santanu Sen speaks on the statutory resolution on The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019

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Thank you very much Sir, for giving me the scope to speak on this Bill. Sir, I would have been very happy if our government would have given sufficient effort before to improve this age old system of medicine.

Sir, in my opinion this is nothing but another backdoor process of grabbing the power of another democratically elected autonomous body, which we have been witnessing since so many years. Sir, our present government has broken the previous record of bringing Ordinances. So far, as my knowledge goes, previously it was a maximum of 1 or 2 Ordinances per 10 Bills. Now, so far my information goes, it has crossed more than 4 per 10 Bills. It is really shocking.

Sir, I would like to put forward certain important points before this House. In the year 2018, the Central Council of Homeopathy was dissolved based on certain allegations of corruption against the then existing Central Council of Homeopathy; a Board of Governors consisting of seven members was formed at that time. Sir, the most unfortunate part of the story is till date one post is lying vacant out of the seven members of the Board of Governors.

Secondly, one year has passed that vacant post is still lying vacant. The charge was that of corruption against the Central Council of Homeopathy, but unfortunately no charge could be proved in last one year. Sir, it was ensured that a democratically-elected Central Council of Homeopathy will be formed within one year. Unfortunately that election could not be held in the last one year. So, I am becoming apprehensive whether in the coming year this government will be really able to hold the election or not.

Sir, in 2019 this Bill was brought in Lok Sabha on June 27 with a proposal of extension of the duration of Board of Governors for another one year. Sir, my certain observations and reservations are like this. First of all, the Central Council of Homeopathy used to be formed by the process of a democratic election. But whenever there is a provision of Board of Governors it was not known to all of us what was the criteria of being a member on that Board. I don’t know on what basis the government selected the Board of Governors. So, I once again believe that it is nothing but the effort of grabbing the powers and giving it to the hands of bureaucrats.

Sir, my question is why the election could not be held in the last one year?

Sir, my question is why the vacant post could not be filled in the last one year?

Sir, my question is – Homeopathy is an age old system of the country, and so far my state of West Bengal is concerned, it is the pioneer of this homeopathy system. But most unfortunately not a single representative from this State was given the opportunity of being a member of this Board of Directors. Sir it is very unfortunate to note.

Sir, in our state of West Bengal, when Madam Mamata Banerjee took charge as the Chief Minister cum Health Minister in 2011, the then health budget was Rs 682 crore. And now in 2019 it has become Rs 9700 crore, I repeat Rs 9700 crore. An increase of nearly 1400 times. Sir, unfortunately on the other side, in our country the health budget is meagrely 1.5% of the total GDP. And moreover we have seen that out of the total budget of Ayush department, homeopathy gets only 13% of the entire departmental budget. It is reflected in the name, as Ayush stands for A for Ayurveda, U for Unani, Y for yoga, S for Siddha and H for homeopathy. H comes last, so budgetary allocation for homeopathy also comes last. It is only 13% of the total Ayush departmental budget, Sir.

Sir, I would like to highlight certain important points of my own state. Status of medical officers of homeopathy in India – the total number of posts is 71 and the vacancy is 39, that is more than 50 per cent. The CGHS wellness clinic vacancy in West Bengal, total created post was 10 and the vacancy is 6; so 60% is vacant there. Specially in the clinics like Airport, 2 vacancies, in clinics like Shyambazar 2 vacancies, in clinics like Dover Lane. These clinics are very very important so far as their geographical distribution is concerned, but the posts are lying vacant, Sir.

Sir as per the need of the hour, few more posts should be created specially for places like Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Asansol and Durgapur. Sir, I would like to let you know regarding the outreach schemes camps status in West Bengal. It is only 10 where it should be at least 3 per district, that is for 23 districts it should be at least 69, Sir.

Finally, the junior research fellows and senior research fellows should be given due importance, Sir. If you go to our National Institute of Homeopathy, which is situated in Kolkata, you will start crying, I repeat you will start crying, the situation is so horrible. The faculties are not there, patients hardly like to go to that particular institute to get treatment. The same condition exists in the Shillong Institute which was supposed to be the best institute in north eastern India.

Sir, my humble submission is that our government should give due importance to improve this age old homeopathy system, instead of going for the bridge course, as mentioned by the previous speaker. Instead of improving this homeopathy system, they are trying to run a bridge course, by the process of which homeopaths, ayurveds are allowed to practise modern medicine. Then they neither become homeopaths nor allopaths. So, this points must be taken into consideration.

Thank you very much.

 

Dr Santanu Sen asks a Question on increased spending from GDP on health services

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Chairman Sir, first of all, as yesterday was Doctors’ Day I would like to wish happy belated Doctors’ Day to our Hon’ble Health Minister, who is also a doctor. 

Sir, it is very unfortunate to remind you all, though India is the sixth largest economy of the world and we have seen the budgetary allocation for health in our country was hardly 1.5 per cent or even less. We have also noticed that our Hon’ble Minister hardly found 1.5 minutes to spend on budgetary allocation speech. 

Sir, my question is… in our State of West Bengal we have seen that our present Chief Minister Madam Mamata Banerjee has increased the budgetary allocation for health from Rs 682 crore to nearly 1400 times in the last seven years. So, can we see our State as a role model for the rest of the country?

 

Manas Bhunia speaks on the lack of amenities in railways quarters in Kharagpur

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Sir, I want to raise one important issue. Through you Sir, I want to attract the attention of the Hon’ble Railway Minister.

Sir, in our state, Kharagpur railway town is called ‘Mini India’ where 30 percent of the Telugu population resides. Tamil, Kannadigas, Malayalis, Odia, Bihari, Chhattisgarhi, UP, Bengal, and also Assam reside here – it is really a ‘Mini India’. It is one of the very important rail towns with the longest railway platform in India – Kharagpur. 

Very unfortunately Sir, recently, water is not properly served to the railway quarters, railway ‘basti’ areas and nearby adjoining areas. Sir, there is a powerful municipality working in Kharagpur town, an elected body. Several times the municipal authorities have approached the divisional authorities of Kharagpur, including South Eastern Railway headquarters at Garden Reach. Kindly allow us to work with railway administration. They wanted to extend their full cooperative hands for construction of roads in the ‘basti’ area, to provide the drinking water facility, for lighting and a sewerage system. 

Sir, recently as per a report, sweepers who are in charge of cleaning the areas do not have personal latrines. Such things should be intervened by the Hon’ble Railway Minister and I want to appeal through you Sir, it is my earnest appeal to the Railway Ministry that they should send a high powered delegation or administrative team to the Kharagpur area and find out the provisions whether the local railway authorities can work along with the Kharagpur Municipality in a positive mode to uphold the demands of the railway staff, workers and the people living in the ‘basti’ area particularly.

It can be a beautiful system if there is an MoU signed between the Kharagpur Railway Authority and the Municipal Authority. Then all the problems can be solved with the help of the Railway Ministry and the State Government. This is my appeal to you, Sir.

Thank you.

 

Derek O’Brien speaks on The Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019

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Sir, today is a sad day. This morning, again in bus accident in Jammu & Kashmir in a gauge, 33 people lost their lives. Last week approximately 21 people lost their lives. These accidents keep happening and all of us, we tweet our condolences. The government of the day offers a package and then we get ready for the next accident and then life goes on. All of us need to work towards reducing these kinds of accidents, so that families don’t have to grieve like they are grieving today. 

Sir, two quick pints before I get into the resolution and the Bill; whenever I go to Jammu & Kashmir I am always requested that whenever you speak about Jammu & Kashmir, charcha jab hota hai, Ladakh aur Leh ka naam aap please lijiye Parliament mein.  So that is what we will all do. 

Sir, another quick point before we get to the meat of the debate. Sir, as Opposition members we always feel that when senior ministers come and respond to us, some of the points we raise maybe responded to because then we feel its a two-way debate. So, that is my request to the Home Minister today as well; because we raised, as an Opposition, some important points in the Motion of Thanks. One was on the Women’s Reservation Bill. Sir we didn’t get an answer. On the breakdown of institutions we didn’t get an answer. On electoral reforms, I’m a little more hopeful because the Prime Minister discussed it in his speech and now I am told that the Rajya Sabha is taking it up as a discussion on at least electoral reforms, especially the state funding of elections and the collegiums which must be set up for the EC. And, of course, federalism.

I am very hopeful that the Hon’ble Home Minister will answer some of these questions, because I remember on the May 17, 2019, he did have a historic press conference where he answered some questions on behalf of the Prime Minister. 

Sir, the Prime Minister talks to us about ‘One Nation, One Election’, one of the electoral reforms and many speakers before this have also brought it up. If you are having the parliament election, why didn’t you have the state election? Same booth, same time of the year, everything is the same. In fact, Rajnath Ji assured this House in January, “if the EC wants to have, we will have it”. Hon’ble Home Minister in the Lok Sabha said again, “if the EC wants to have it, we will have it”. On March 10, 2019 the elections were announced. On March 11, 2019 the EC appointed three observers. The House must know this, Sir, for Jammu & Kashmir. On April 15, 2019 these three observers of the EC submitted a report and in that report which was submitted by the EC it was said that it was conducive to polls. 

My party will support this resolution to have elections because we do believe that if this spirit of April 15, their observation, is taken, then in six months along with the other States, we should have polls. Let us not pass the buck to the EC because I don’t want to discuss the EC because there iss Rule 238 and we can discuss that matter. 

Sir, the second one, in the Other House, the Home Minister mentioned that three families have run the state of Jammu & Kashmir for the last 60 years. Yes, may be the HM would like to clarify in his reply that in the next 10 years, or 20 years, given an opportunity that his party will not touch any of the parties which are run by these three families. Let him give us an assurance on the floor of the House. Because his critics then might say, yes that for 60/70 years three families have run one state of Jammu & Kashmir but currently the nation is run by two families. 

My fourth point is regarding the Governor. This is another very important issue which I seek clarification on. Just after Pulwama, the Governor of the State of Jammu & Kashmir said, “Laparwahi huyi hain.” Kisne kiya yeh laparwahi? Who was responsible for this failure?

Sir even though I have to repeat that point again, in the last two years, out of 10 Bills passed, four were Ordinances. That number has to come down. Another Minister came and said last week, that we have to pass these Ordinances because the House was not running. You can not imply that the opposition is disrupting the House. The Government has to run the House with the Opposition. 

Now, Sir, come to the next point, which is Article 1 of the Constitution. “India that is Bharat is a Union of States”. Sir, now, on federalism, because the extension President’s Rule, affects the power of the State. Sir, with your permission I would speak for the next few minutes in Bangla.

এই যাকে আমরা বলি Federalism, যুক্তরাষ্ট্রীয় কাঠামো, এটাই সংবিধানের Spirit. জম্মু ও কাশ্মীর হোক, This is the core of federalism and since we have the Home Minister here, Sir, আম্বেদকরজী বলেছেন, আমি বলিনি, কংগ্রেস বলেনি, বিজেপি বলেনি, আম্বেদকর যেটা বুঝিয়েছেন, যখন যুদ্ধ হচ্ছে না, তখন সংবিধান হচ্ছে unitary. That means, only in times of war, the Constitution is unitary. Otherwise, Sir, it is federal in nature rest of the time. Centre must have hands off the State. কিন্তু, Sir, আজকে আমি স্বরাষ্ট্রমন্ত্রীকে জানাতে চাই, এই Federal spirit কাশ্মীর হোক, বাংলা হোক, উত্তর প্রদেশ হোক, কেরল হোক, বিহার হোক, মধ্যপ্রদেশ হোক, আপনি সাতদিনে বাংলায় দুটো অ্যাডভাইসরি পাঠিয়েছেন, আপনি কিন্তু উত্তর প্রদেশে কোনও অ্যাডভাইসরি পাঠাননি ওখানে ২৫ জন মারা যায়, বিহারে ১৩০ জন মারা যায়, আপনি কোনও অ্যাডভাইসরি পাঠাননি। Sir, the essence of Kashmir is exactly this. To leave the states alone.

Sir, this is a council of States so allow me to use examples of my State to make my point. 

কিছুক্ষণ আগে এখানে বিজেপির থেকে যিনি বললেন যে আমি কোনও রাজনীতি করব না, তারপরে কংগ্রেসকে ঠুকে দিলেন ৫০ বছরের জন্য। কংগ্রেস কংগ্রেস করলেন। আমি এখানে রাজনীতি করছি না, বাস্তব বলছি। দুদিন আগে বিজেপির বড় বড় বাংলার নেতা কি বললেন? “আপনার জন্য অনেক কিছু অপেক্ষা করছে। সংসদ চলছে বলে এখন নখ দাঁতগুলো দেখতে পাচ্ছেন না।”

I urge The Home Minister that he is not only BJP’s Home Minister, he is the Home Minister of all the States in India. Sir, what you say in an election campaign 

স্বরাষ্ট্রমন্ত্রী যেই হোন, তাঁকে শ্রদ্ধা করি, করতেই হবে। প্রধানমন্ত্রীকেও করতেই হবে। এটা আমাদের পরম্পরা। উনি বাংলায় এসে বলেছেন বাংলায় নাকি দুর্গাপুজো করতে দেওয়া হয়না। সরস্বতী পুজো করতে দেওয়া হয় না। বাংলায় ২৭ হাজার দুর্গাপুজো হয়, বড় করে বিসর্জন হয়, বাংলায় অনেক কিছু হয়। গঙ্গাসাগর মেলাও হয়। 

Sir, you are asking me why. I also don’t want to do Hindu and Muslim; they are all Indian citizens. Now, let me tell you about the second Bill you all bringing for the international border. There also we from the Trinamool Congress are supporting the Government, because we believe Indian citizens must be given all the benefits and rights. In UP, support the 125 families who were forced to leave because of harassment; a BJP leader has only complained about this. So I ask this government, through you, to support them. Why do you want to leave them out just because they are Hindus or Muslims? 

Sir, the NRC affects 23 lakh Bengali Hindus. Bengali Hindus are committing suicide in the Assam detention camps; support them also. 

Sir, if people want to look at Kashmir through the prism of Kashmir and not through the prism of Constitution of India and try and heckle me in the middle of my speech, I won’t stop. 

Five Hindu Bengalis were shot in Dibrugarh; a delegation of Trinamool lawmakers went to see them. Sir, why is the government targeting Indian citizens through NRC, be them a large number of Hindus and Bengalis?

Sir, my last two points before I finish. Sir, this is called the Council of States, if we as representatives of different states, are going to be told every 90 seconds ‘why are you discussing your state’ then tell us; we will start discussing the Union of India. Ambedkar Ji said, it’s only in times of war do we look at this Constitution as unitary. Rest of the time, it is federal.

Sir, Amit Shah Ji spent two days in Jammu and Kashmir as the Home Minister of India. I have got the diary, as reported in the Media. On the first day whatever he did and the first two hours of the second day whatever he did. It was all development package; everything which the Home Minister of India needed to do. Eighty thousand crore is a good figure but Rs 80,000 crore or even Rs 180,000 crore, Sir, can’t heal hearts. That’s a different kind of healing which is needed.

Our Hon’ Home Minister on the first one and a half days played the role of a Home Minster but on that second day when those cheques were distributed, those were given to BJP workers who were killed. PDP workers were killed, NC workers were also killed. As I said, he is not the Home Minister, but the BJP President as well. But at times like this, Sir and no talks with any political parties <interruptions>

Sir, let me then end with a true story. When I was in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of the Parliamentary Committee, we went to buy some kurtis. There we met a tailor and his son was there. So, I was asking him and trying to understand. I said what is the problem (this was one year ago) and how can we solve it. He said, “Jab tak Jammu and Kashmir tanav main rehega, uska faida ek political party ko baki 28 rajya main milta rehega. 

Very interesting point he said, Sir.

 

Manish Gupta asks a Supplementary Question on appropriate model for execution of highway projects 

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I must thank the minister for giving detailed reply. It is a difficult situation to operate. Apart from this model that you are following now – Hybrid Annuity Model – are you thinking of funding from multinational agencies like World Bank, JICA etc. because as you know, your government has contacted foreign fund for solar alliance, climate change etc.

 

Manish Gupta speaks on the open physical threats to federalism by BJP leaders in Bengal and them announcing ‘President’s Rule’ and more after this Parliament session concludes

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On 20th June in a public meeting at Paschim Medinipur a BJP leader and Former Union Minister has given an open threat to Bengal Chief Minister. He said, “A lot is waiting for you. The Parliament is still running so the nails and teeth are not being seen. See what happens when the parliament session is over.”

And another person who is the State President of BJP and now the Member of Parliament of Medinipur Constituency, said, “If you do not get the money, do not allow them to live in the village.”

These are the languages of the BJP leaders. They are instigating people to riot in Bengal. They are destroying the federal structure. In a democracy this is not done. 

Open threats to create violence in Bengal. Open threats to impose President’s rule in Bengal. I strongly urge the Government to take this issue seriously.

 

Derek O’Brien demands that a statue of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay be installed in Parliament

FULL TRANSCRIPT

সংসদের প্রতিটি অধিবেশন শেষ হয় জাতীয় সংগীত বন্দেমাতরম দিয়ে। গতকাল  ২৭শে জুন এই গানের লেখক শ্রী বঙ্কিম চন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায়ের জন্মবার্ষিকী ছিল অথচ সংসদে তাঁকে শ্রদ্ধা জানাতে আমরা ভুলেই গেলাম।

এই বন্দেমাতরম গানটি ১৮৮২ সালে প্রকাশিত আনন্দমঠ উপন্যাসের অংশ যা স্বাধীনতা আন্দোলনকে তীব্র করতে এবং বৃটিশদের বিরুদ্ধে আন্দোলনকারীদের অনুপ্রাণিত করতে বড় ভূমিকা পালন করেছিল। 

বঙ্কিম চন্দ্রকে বাংলা উপন্যাসের জনক বলা হয়। দুর্গেশনন্দিনী, কপালকুণ্ডলা তার জনপ্রিয় উপন্যাস। কিন্তু খুব কম লোকই জানে যে তার লেখা Rajmohon’s wife প্রথম ভারতীয় ইংরেজি উপন্যাস। ইংরেজদের পক্ষ থেকে বহুবার হুমকি পাওয়ার পরেও উনি দেশের জন্য অনেক কাজ করে গেছেন এবং দেশবাসীকে জাগ্রত করার জন্যও  পরিশ্রম করেছেন।

আমি চাই, সংসদে সাহিত্য সম্রাট বঙ্কিমচন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায়ের একটি মূর্তি (statue) তৈরি করা হোক এবং আজ থেকে আমরা প্রস্তুত হব এটা সুনিশ্চিত করার জন্য যে আগামী বছর আমরা সংসদে এই কবি, লেখক, সাংবাদিক, নবজাগরণের পথপ্রদর্শক ও জাতীয়তাবাদের স্রষ্টাকে তার প্রাপ্য সম্মান ও শ্রদ্ধা জানাতে পারি।

 

Every session of Parliament ends with our National hymn/song Vande Mataram. Yet, we failed to pay tribute to the writer of the song, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, on his birth anniversary, 27th june in Parliament. 

Vande Mataram, which was a part of his novel Anandamath published in 1882, inspired thousands of freedom fighters to rise against the imperialist British Government. It put to paper the love for our motherland which was rising in the hearts of all Indians who wanted to throw off the British yoke and reclaim India as our own. 

When the British tried to divide our nation, this song became the rallying cry sung from a thousand lips. Bankim Chandra is considered as the father of the Bengali novel, with novels like Durgeshnandini and Kapalkundala gaining immense popularity. But few know that his work Rajmohan’s Wife is regarded as the first published novel by an Indian written in English. 

It is no wonder that Rabindranath Tagore said of him, “With one hand he ignited the light of literary enlightenment; and with the other he blew away the smoke and ash of ignorance and ill conceived notions” and Sri Aurobindo said, “Bankim created a language, a literature and a nation”. 

Therefore, I demand that a statue of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay be installed in Parliament and we prepare from today to ensure that we pay tribute to this writer, poet, journalist, pioneer, and nationalist with the respect he deserves next year.

 

Ahamed Hassan Imran speaks during a Calling Attention Motion on the situation arising due to climate change in the country

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Thank you Sir, with your permission I would like to speak in Bangla, my mother tongue, the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam.

জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন যা নিয়ে অন্যান্য মাননীয় সদস্যরা বলেছেন, আমাদের দেশ ও দুনিয়ার জন্য একটা বড় বিপদ হিসেবে দেখা দিয়েছে। তাই, আমি আশা করব আজকের এই আলোচনা যেটা এই রাজ্যসভায় হচ্ছে, তাকে আমাদের নীতি নির্ধারকরা, মন্ত্রী ও আমাদের সরকার, গুরুত্বের সঙ্গে গ্রহণ করবেন।

প্রথমেই পরিবেশ, বনাঞ্চল ও জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন মন্ত্রীর কাছে আমার সুনির্দিষ্ট দুটি প্রশ্ন রয়েছে। জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনের প্রভাবের ওপর জাতিয় স্তরের সমীক্ষা এবং গবেষণার নিদারুণ অভাব রয়েছে। বিশ্বব্যাঙ্কের এক রিপোর্ট অনুযায়ী, প্রায় ৬০ কোটি ভারতীয় জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনের নেতিবাচক ঝুঁকির মধ্যে রয়েছেন। তবুও কিন্তু ভারতে, যেখানে এই গ্রহের প্রতি সাত জন লোকের মধ্যে একজন বাস করেন, সেখানে এই আবহাওয়া পরিবর্তনের ওপর তেমন কোনও ভালো সমীক্ষা জাতীয় পর্যায়ে করা হয়নি। এটা খুবই দুঃখের।

জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন আমাদের যে সমস্যার মধ্যে এনে দাঁড় করিয়েছে সেই সম্বন্ধে নীতিমালা তৈরী করতে হলে ভারতকে অবশ্যই তথ্য ও পরিসংখ্যান হাসিল করতে হবে যার দ্বারা কৃষি, স্বাস্থ্য, উপকূলবর্তী অঞ্চলের জনগণ, প্রাণীসম্পদ এবং জীবজগতের ওপরে প্রভাব নিরূপণ করা যায়।

Sir, মন্ত্রীর কাছে আমার প্রশ্ন হচ্ছে সরকারের কি জাতীয় পর্যায়ে জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনের প্রভাবের ওপর কোনও সমীক্ষা করার পরিকল্পনা রয়েছে? 

দুই, বনাঞ্চল বৃদ্ধি করার লক্ষ্যে বরাদ্দ তহবিল অব্যবহৃত কেন? 

Sir, ক্রমবর্ধমান এক উদ্বেগের বিষয় হচ্ছে গাছপালা কেটে নেওয়ার ক্ষতিপূরণের জন্য বনাঞ্চল বৃদ্ধির প্রচেষ্টা আমাদের দেশে তেমন সফল হয়নি। আগস্ট ২০১৮ পর্যন্ত ৫২০ বিলিয়ন টাকা কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের কাছে অব্যবহৃত পড়ে রয়েছে। এই টাকা বরাদ্দ করা হয়েছিল যাতে ভারত জুড়ে বনাঞ্চল বৃদ্ধি করে ডিফরেস্টেসনের ক্ষতিপূরণ কড়া সম্ভব হয়। কিন্তু, তা অব্যবহৃত পড়ে রয়েছে। বরাদ্দ ফান্ড ও তহবিল ঠিকমত ব্যবহারের দ্বারা দেশের বনাঞ্চল বৃদ্ধি করার মাধ্যমে ২০১৫ সালে Paris Climate Agreement-এ আমরা যে অঙ্গীকার করেছিলাম, তা পূর্ণ করা সম্ভব।

 আমার প্রশ্নের দুটি ভাগ রয়েছে। ভারতের মত দেশ যেখানে জমির প্রাচুর্য নেই, যেখানে জমির অভাব রয়েছে, সেখানে বনাঞ্চল তৈরীর জন্যে সরকার জমি কোথা থেকে সংগ্রহ করবে? দুই, বরাদ্দ অর্থ ঠিক সময়ে এবং সঠিক ব্যবহারের জন্য সরকারের কাছে কি পরিকল্পনা রয়েছে? 

ধন্যবাদ।

 

Translation:

I have two specific questions for the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change:

1)  Lack of a National Study on the Impact of Climate Change

  •     As per a World Bank report, as many as 60 crore Indians are at risk from the effects of climate change. Yet, India, where one in every seventh person on the planet lives, has no national study on the impact of climate change.
  •     To frame a policy to take on the challenge climate change poses, India must have the requisite data that assess the impact of climate change on agriculture, health, coastal communities and wildlife.
  •     Does the government have any plan to commission a national study that assess the impact of climate change?

 2)  Unutilised Afforestation funds

  •     There is a growing concern that the process of compensatory afforestation has not been successful in the country so far. Till August 2018, funds amounting to about Rs 520 billion were lying unused with the central government for carrying out compensatory afforestation across India.
  •     The usage of this fund is key to increasing India’s forest cover and thus fulfilling a key commitment under the 2015 Paris Climate agreement to counter climate change by creating carbon sinks.
  •     My question has two parts: 1-In a land-stressed country like ours, how is the ministry ensuring that they find land to create compensatory plantations? 2-How is the government going to ensure these funds are utilised in time?

Thank you.

 

Subhasish Chakraborty asks a Supplementary Question on PMGDISHA scheme

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, I want to know through you, whether it is true that the Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan Scheme has been hit by the world’s biggest fraud? 

All village level entrepreneurs were meant to impart basic computer skills under the scheme have faked the number of people they have trained. If so, the details thereof. 

What is the Government doing to ensure that the number of beneficiaries under the scheme is not inflated. 

Thank you.