05-23-2006, 08:35 PM
Bloody hypocrites
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Anti-reservation stir has engulfed few selected cities in India. With the campaign being supported by saturated coverage from an unabashedly sympathetic media, a debate has again been activated between those who support reservation in educational institutions for lower castes and those who don't. Rahul Gandhi (the future statesman, as Congresspersons insist) has confessed it to be a complex issue with both sides having their valid points.
Considering the stature and influence of Sonia Gandhi, it is safe to conclude that the present UPA government headed by economist-bureaucrat Manmohan Singh takes its major policy decisions after receiving a nod and acknowledgement from her. However in this particular circumstance, it is believed that Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh kick-started the controversy on his own to set some personal political agenda. But even if this consideration is taken into account, the government has declared its intention of not reversing its decision on reservations.
Since this columnist votes for Sonia Gandhi's Congress (I), he inclines to believe that Mrs. Gandhi has chosen to agree with this assessment not out of political compulsions, but because she really desires for the uplift of that class of Indian society that has been consistently and aggressively denied the opportunities of a better life, for hundreds of generations.
The critics of reservation policy argue that instead of the present quick-fix and politically-profitable solution which comes as a disadvantage to meritorious high caste students, the government should increase expenditure in the presently pathetic primary school level. This would enable the children from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their talents right from the early stages of their education, which they could later employ in holding their own while shaping their careers.
But the idea of reservations seems more worthy to this government, guided by the vision and leadership of Sonia Gandhi.
However a very disturbing development has taken place, which though not directly related to the reservation controversy, exposes the hypocrisy of the UPA government.
According to a minor news item of the Press Trust of India,<b> the Union Cabinet, on the night of 19th May, 2006, approved a monetary grant to Sanskriti School, a private institution run by wives of civil servants in Delhi. Announcing this after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the grant was only a 'token support'. When probed further on the value of the 'token', he said that the grant could be Rs 2 to Rs 3 crore.</b>
Sanskriti School is one of the most uppity-elite educational institutions in Delhi. The wife of the serving Cabinet Secretary serves as the chairperson. It has a profile that was once exercised by the legendary Doon School in its glory days during the last century.
The most celebrated VIP child of Sanskriti School happens to be 6-years-old Rajiv Rehan Gandhi Vadra, grandson of Sonia Gandhi, son of Priyanka Gandhi, and nephew of Rahul Gandhi. <b>Some of the other celebrated students happen to be offspring of India's most powerful: Atal Behari Vajpayee, Amitabh Bachchan, Omar Abdullah, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, late President Shankar Dayal Sharma, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Rajiv Pratap Rudy etc. (In 2005, Samajwadi Party's controversial politician and known Sonia Gandhi baiter Amar Singh was denied admission for his twin daughters - Disha and Drishti; for reasons best known to the school establishment)</b>
According to its website http://sanskritischool.com/, Sanskriti was established in 1998 by the Civil Services Society. The Society was formed by the wives of the civil servants belonging to the various branches of Government of India.
Located in the lazy-leafy lanes of New Delhi's diplomatic district Chankayapuri, the school describes itself as a public service oriented NGO. The aim of the school's society is (apparently) to fulfill a 'felt need' in the city of Delhi - a requirement of schools offering quality education to wards of officers of All India and Central Services coming on transfer. Helpfully, students whose parents are in other services or professions may also apply.
It is not for this columnist to criticize the public servants for their intention in providing a good education to their children. But one does wonder the need to support such a school when there is already an institution in place that was created to satisfy just such a need. Back in November, 1962, the Government had approved the scheme of Kendriya Vidyalayas to cater to the educational needs to the children of the Central Government employees, who in exigency of their services are frequently transferred from one language area to the other. This is how the Kendriya Vidyalayas had come into existence.
So why did super-fancy Sanskriti School had to be established? Do Kendriya Vidyalayas lack in quality? Were the babus uncomfortable and suspicious of an institution that they themselves run?
If Sanskriti was merely a time pass enterprise by some bored housewives, then why the government of India thought it necessary to hold a cabinet meeting to provide funds to it?
Why couldn't this money be diverted to Kendriya Vidyalayas? Sanskriti School, in any case, is patronized by students from very rich families, so it can be assumed that it was not facing any emergency cash crunch.
Interestingly, Sanskriti has a very selective taste in admission procedures and is very sensitive to India's VIP culture. In a bomb scare in December, 2005, <span style='color:red'>children were evacuated in more than two batches, with the first batch belonging to the Very Important Families.</span>
So, is such a vulgar school, that classifies its students according to their VIP status, worthy of any public funding?
But the bigger question is that why Sonia Gandhi's government, which managed an upset win in the 2004 national elections on the votes of Aam Aadmi, has suddenly changed its colours? Why her government, which pretends to be so concerned about the future of unprivileged students, has willfully allowed the money that should had been spent in providing free education to children born in low castes be diverted to a richie-rich educational institution?
On one side UPA government is devising instant reservation plans to uplift the disadvantaged, while on the other hand its cabinet ministers meet at late night hours to dispose off few crores to schools where their privileged children study. Do the proponents of the affirmative action like to limit their measures only towards polices which mint votes? That they are not really interested in the well-being of India's oppressed?
Is the Government of India playing a farce in which apart from muddling the career options of the relatively better, it is also taking decisions which do not contribute to the upliftment of the truly unprivileged?
If Sonia Gandhi's heart really bleeds for propriety and correctness in public life, then she should either ask Manmohan Singh to withdraw the 'token' funds from the Sanskriti School or else she ought to stop Arjun Singh from shedding tears for the low caste students, who inevitably ends up as the prime victims of such scams where money needed for their education infrastructure is instead bribed to undeserving institutions.
And if Mrs. Gandhi is too much of a political coward, then she should be shameful enough to command her daughter to get Rajiv Rehan Gandhi Vadra out of that school.
Nothing less than that is acceptable.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Anti-reservation stir has engulfed few selected cities in India. With the campaign being supported by saturated coverage from an unabashedly sympathetic media, a debate has again been activated between those who support reservation in educational institutions for lower castes and those who don't. Rahul Gandhi (the future statesman, as Congresspersons insist) has confessed it to be a complex issue with both sides having their valid points.
Considering the stature and influence of Sonia Gandhi, it is safe to conclude that the present UPA government headed by economist-bureaucrat Manmohan Singh takes its major policy decisions after receiving a nod and acknowledgement from her. However in this particular circumstance, it is believed that Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh kick-started the controversy on his own to set some personal political agenda. But even if this consideration is taken into account, the government has declared its intention of not reversing its decision on reservations.
Since this columnist votes for Sonia Gandhi's Congress (I), he inclines to believe that Mrs. Gandhi has chosen to agree with this assessment not out of political compulsions, but because she really desires for the uplift of that class of Indian society that has been consistently and aggressively denied the opportunities of a better life, for hundreds of generations.
The critics of reservation policy argue that instead of the present quick-fix and politically-profitable solution which comes as a disadvantage to meritorious high caste students, the government should increase expenditure in the presently pathetic primary school level. This would enable the children from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their talents right from the early stages of their education, which they could later employ in holding their own while shaping their careers.
But the idea of reservations seems more worthy to this government, guided by the vision and leadership of Sonia Gandhi.
However a very disturbing development has taken place, which though not directly related to the reservation controversy, exposes the hypocrisy of the UPA government.
According to a minor news item of the Press Trust of India,<b> the Union Cabinet, on the night of 19th May, 2006, approved a monetary grant to Sanskriti School, a private institution run by wives of civil servants in Delhi. Announcing this after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the grant was only a 'token support'. When probed further on the value of the 'token', he said that the grant could be Rs 2 to Rs 3 crore.</b>
Sanskriti School is one of the most uppity-elite educational institutions in Delhi. The wife of the serving Cabinet Secretary serves as the chairperson. It has a profile that was once exercised by the legendary Doon School in its glory days during the last century.
The most celebrated VIP child of Sanskriti School happens to be 6-years-old Rajiv Rehan Gandhi Vadra, grandson of Sonia Gandhi, son of Priyanka Gandhi, and nephew of Rahul Gandhi. <b>Some of the other celebrated students happen to be offspring of India's most powerful: Atal Behari Vajpayee, Amitabh Bachchan, Omar Abdullah, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, late President Shankar Dayal Sharma, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Rajiv Pratap Rudy etc. (In 2005, Samajwadi Party's controversial politician and known Sonia Gandhi baiter Amar Singh was denied admission for his twin daughters - Disha and Drishti; for reasons best known to the school establishment)</b>
According to its website http://sanskritischool.com/, Sanskriti was established in 1998 by the Civil Services Society. The Society was formed by the wives of the civil servants belonging to the various branches of Government of India.
Located in the lazy-leafy lanes of New Delhi's diplomatic district Chankayapuri, the school describes itself as a public service oriented NGO. The aim of the school's society is (apparently) to fulfill a 'felt need' in the city of Delhi - a requirement of schools offering quality education to wards of officers of All India and Central Services coming on transfer. Helpfully, students whose parents are in other services or professions may also apply.
It is not for this columnist to criticize the public servants for their intention in providing a good education to their children. But one does wonder the need to support such a school when there is already an institution in place that was created to satisfy just such a need. Back in November, 1962, the Government had approved the scheme of Kendriya Vidyalayas to cater to the educational needs to the children of the Central Government employees, who in exigency of their services are frequently transferred from one language area to the other. This is how the Kendriya Vidyalayas had come into existence.
So why did super-fancy Sanskriti School had to be established? Do Kendriya Vidyalayas lack in quality? Were the babus uncomfortable and suspicious of an institution that they themselves run?
If Sanskriti was merely a time pass enterprise by some bored housewives, then why the government of India thought it necessary to hold a cabinet meeting to provide funds to it?
Why couldn't this money be diverted to Kendriya Vidyalayas? Sanskriti School, in any case, is patronized by students from very rich families, so it can be assumed that it was not facing any emergency cash crunch.
Interestingly, Sanskriti has a very selective taste in admission procedures and is very sensitive to India's VIP culture. In a bomb scare in December, 2005, <span style='color:red'>children were evacuated in more than two batches, with the first batch belonging to the Very Important Families.</span>
So, is such a vulgar school, that classifies its students according to their VIP status, worthy of any public funding?
But the bigger question is that why Sonia Gandhi's government, which managed an upset win in the 2004 national elections on the votes of Aam Aadmi, has suddenly changed its colours? Why her government, which pretends to be so concerned about the future of unprivileged students, has willfully allowed the money that should had been spent in providing free education to children born in low castes be diverted to a richie-rich educational institution?
On one side UPA government is devising instant reservation plans to uplift the disadvantaged, while on the other hand its cabinet ministers meet at late night hours to dispose off few crores to schools where their privileged children study. Do the proponents of the affirmative action like to limit their measures only towards polices which mint votes? That they are not really interested in the well-being of India's oppressed?
Is the Government of India playing a farce in which apart from muddling the career options of the relatively better, it is also taking decisions which do not contribute to the upliftment of the truly unprivileged?
If Sonia Gandhi's heart really bleeds for propriety and correctness in public life, then she should either ask Manmohan Singh to withdraw the 'token' funds from the Sanskriti School or else she ought to stop Arjun Singh from shedding tears for the low caste students, who inevitably ends up as the prime victims of such scams where money needed for their education infrastructure is instead bribed to undeserving institutions.
And if Mrs. Gandhi is too much of a political coward, then she should be shameful enough to command her daughter to get Rajiv Rehan Gandhi Vadra out of that school.
Nothing less than that is acceptable.
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