Donations to Political parties

Political parties in India have 'earned' a whopping Rs 4,662 crore through donations and other sources since 2004 with the ruling Congress at the top with an income of Rs 2,008 crore followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party at Rs 994 crore.

The income of political parties from 2004 to 20111 shows an almost steady growth.

The Congress has the highest income, which went from Rs 222 crore in 2004-2005 to Rs 307.08 crore in 2010-2011, followed by the BJP. In 2004-2005, the BJP, which is the main opposition party, earned Rs 104 crore and in 2010-2011 and its earnings were Rs 168 crore, according to a Right to Information application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms.

Among the major political parties in the country, there was decrease in the income of the Samajwadi Party. Its total income went down from Rs 28.54 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 15.21 crore in 2010-11.

Relying on the IT returns and list of donors submitted to the Election Commission for the period 2004-2011, the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch released a report of the income of political parties in the country.

Congress

With an annual income of Rs 307.08 crore in 2010-2011, the Congress is the richest party in the county. Interestingly, the income of the Congress more than doubled from Rs 220 crore in 2007-2008 to Rs 496 crore in 2008-2009.

The figures complied by ADR and NEW show that Congress' income is Rs 2,008 crore, mostly through selling of 'coupons', since it began heading a government at the Centre in 2004 till 2011 though the percentage of donations is just 14.42 per cent.

The party's income from 2004-2007 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 222 crore

2005-2006: Rs 124 crore

2006-2007: Rs 169 crore

2007-2008: Rs 220 crore

2008-2009: Rs 496 crore

2009-2010: Rs 497 crore

2010-2011: Rs 307 crore

The annual income of the BJP in 2010-2011 is almost half of that of the Congress. It earned Rs 168 crore and is the second richest party in the country.

81.47 per cent of BJP's total income of Rs 994 crore in the past seven years came through donations from corporate houses and trusts owned by major firms, including the London-listed Vedanta.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 104 crore

2005-2006: Rs 38.34 crore

2006-2007: Rs 82.49 crore

2007-2008: Rs 123 crore

2008-2009: Rs 220 crore

2009-2010: Rs 258 crore

2010-2011: Rs 168 crore

The BSP has seen a whopping rise in income from a mere Rs 4.2 crore in 2004-2005 to Rs 115.7 crore in 2010-2011.

The BSP has declared that it has not received any donations above Rs 20,000.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 4.2 crore

2005-2006: Rs 9.7 crore

2006-2007: Rs 45.88 crore

2007-2008: Rs 69.7 crore

2008-2009: Rs 182 crore

2009-2010: Rs 56.97 crore

2010-2011: Rs 115.7 crore

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party has seen a steady growth in earnings over the last five years. Its income went from Rs 12.1 crore in 2004-2005 to Rs 23.3 crore in 2010-2011.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 12.1 crore

2005-2006: Rs 7.37 crore

2006-2007: Rs 15.80 crore

2007-2008: Rs 69.7 crore

2008-2009: Rs 40 crore

2009-2010: Rs 44.84 crore

2010-2011: Rs 22.3 crore

The earnings of the Communist Party of India were Rs 50 lakh in 2004-2005 and has gone up to Rs 2.12 crore in 2010-2011. The CPI said its leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja contributed Rs 65 lakh and Rs 21 lakh respectively by collecting donations from various sources.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 50 lakh

2005-2006: Rs 53 lakh

2006-2007: Rs 68 lakh

2007-2008: Rs 59 lakh

2008-2009: Rs 1.06 crore

2009-2010: Rs 1.29 crore

2010-2011: Rs 2.12 crore

The Communist Party of India-Marxist, which made Rs 39.88 crore in 2004-2005, earned Rs 76.57 core in 2010-2011.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 39.88 crore

2005-2006: Rs 41.6 crore

2006-2007: Rs 63.4 crore

2007-2008: Rs 59.7 crore

2008-2009: Rs 62.83 crore

2009-2010: Rs 73.28 crore

2010-2011: Rs 76.57 crore

Jayalalithaa's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam income increased to Rs 14.2 crore in 2010-2011 from Rs 1.17 crore five years ago.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 1.17 crore

2005-2006: Rs 12.95 crore

2006-2007: Rs 6.4 crore

2007-2008: Rs 2.99 crore

2008-2009: Rs 12.5 crore

2009-2010: Rs 9.74 crore

2010-2011: Rs 14.2 crore

The earnings of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam went from Rs 2.14 crore in 2004-2005 to Rs 6.42 crore in 2010-2011.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 2.14 crore

2005-2006: Rs 4.15 crore

2006-2007: Rs 2.66 crore

2007-2008: Rs 16.81 crore

2008-2009: Rs 12.06 crore

2009-2010: RTI response awaited

2010-2011: Rs 6.42 crore

The Samajwadi Party showed a decrease in its total income from Rs 28.54 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 15.21 crore in 2010-2011.

The party's income from 2004-2005 till 2010-2011:

2004-2005: Rs 28.54 crore

2005-2006: Rs 48.35 crore

2006-2007: Rs 87.05 crore

2007-2008: Rs 32.30 crore

2008-2009: Rs 39 crore

2009-2010: 28.10 crore

2010-2011: Rs 15.21 crore

Among the big political parties in the country Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is the poorest with its annual income in 2010-2011 being 6.16 crore. The RTI response of the party's earnings in 2004-2005 is awaited. However, from the information available its income has risen.

The party made Rs 60.07 lakh in 2006-2007.

2004-2005: RTI repose awaited

2005-2006: RTI repose awaited

2006-2007: Rs 69.07 lakh

2007-2008: Rs 68.97 lakh

2008-2009: RTI repose awaited

2009-2010: 1.95 crore

2010-2011: Rs 6.16 crore

The above is from Rediffmail.com.

If you look at it, the amount is not very large, only Rs 4662 crores, that too in seven years, i.e on an average Rs 666 crores per year.

Surely we can budget this in our budget and ban political parties from receiving donations.

Political parties can receive funding from the government according to their strength in Parliament and the Assemlies.

This will reduce the necessity of political parties to unduly favour businessmen. It will reduce one of the causes of corruption.

Why Indians succeed abroad but fail in India

Dear Everyone,

Indians Abroad vs Indians in INDIA .

This one is so True. and.....The REASONS for NOT going up the ladder, in India are SO TRUE as well.

Indians Abroad Vs Indians in India . ALL INDIANS MUST READ THIS. Please pass this one ON, to every Indian, that you know, all over the world.

I would like to sum up our performance in the 20th century in one sentence. Indians have succeeded in countries ruled by whites, but failed in their own. This outcome would have astonished leaders of our independence movement. They declared Indians were kept down by white rule and could flourish only under self-rule. This seemed self-evident. The harsh reality today is that Indians are succeeding brilliantly in countries ruled by whites, but failing in India . They are flourishing in the USA and BRITAIN . But those that stay in India are pulled down by "An Outrageous System That Fails to Reward Merit or Talent, fails to allow people and businesses to grow, and keeps real power with netas, babus, and assorted manipulators. Once Indians go to white-ruled countries, they soar and conquer summits once occupied only by whites.

RONO DUTTA has become head of UNITED AIRLINES, the biggest airline in the world. Had he stayed in India , he would have no chance in Indian Airlines. Even if the top job there was given to him by some godfather, a myriad netas, babus and trade unionists would have ensured that he could never run it like United Airlines.

VIKRAM PUNDIT has become head of Citigroup, which operates Citibank, one of the largest banks in the world.

RANA TALWAR has become head of STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, one of the biggest multinational banks in Britain, while still in his 40s. Had he been in India , he would perhaps be a local manager in the State Bank, taking orders from babus to give loans to politically favoured clients.

RAJAT GU PT A is head of McKINSEY, the biggest Management Consultancy firm in the world. He now advises the biggest multinationals on how to run their business. Had he remained in India he would probably be taking orders from some sethji with no qualification save that of being born in a rich family.

LAKHSMI MITTAL has become the Biggest STEEL Baron in the World, with steel plants in the US, Kazakhstan, Germany, Mexico, Trinidad and Indonesia . India 's socialist policies reserved the domestic steel industry for the public sector. So Lakhsmi Mittal went to Indonesia to run his family's first steel plant there. Once freed from the shackles of India , he conquered the world.

SUBHASH CHANDRA of Zee TV has become a global Media king, one of the few to beat Rupert Murdoch. He could never have risen had he been limited to India , which decreed a TV monopoly for Doordarshan. But technology came to his aid: satellite TV made it possible for him to target India from HONG KONG . Once he escaped Indian rules and soil, he soared.

GURURAJ DESHPANDE: 48-year old GURURAJ Deshpande. His Communications company, SYCAMORE, is currently valued by the US stock market at over $ 30 Billion, making him perhaps one of the richest Indians in the world. Had he remained in India , he would probably be a babu in the Department of Telecommunications.

ARUN NETRAVALI has become president of BELL LABS, one of the biggest research and development centres in the world with 30,000 inventions and several Nobel Prizes to its credit. Had he been in India , he would probably be struggling in the middle cadre of Indian Telephone Industries.

SILICON VALLEY alone contains over 100,000 INDIAN MILLIONAIRES.

INDRA KRISHNAMURTHY NOOYI has become since 2006 the CEO of PEPSICO INC., a Fortune 500 company.

SABEER BHATIA invented HOTMAIL and sold it to MICROSOFT for $ 400 million.

VICTOR MENEZES is number two in CITIBANK.

SHAILESH MEHTA is CEO of PROVIDIAN, a top US Financial Services Company.

RAKESH GANGWAL of US AIR, JAMSHED WADIA of ARTHUR ANDERSEN, and AMAN MEHTA of Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp., are at or near the Top.

In WASHINGTON D.C. , the Indian CEO High Tech Council has no less than 200 MEMBERS, all high tech-chiefs.

While Indians have soared, India has stagnated. At independence, India was the most advanced of all Colonies, with the best prospects. Today with a GNP per head of $370, it occupies a lowly 177th position among 209 countries of the world. But poverty is by no means the only or main problem. India ranks near the bottom in the UNDP's Human Development Index, but high up in Transparency International's Corruption Index. The neta-babu raj brought in by socialist policies is only one reason for India's failure. The more sordid reason is the Rule-Based society we inherited from the British Raj is today in tatters. Instead Money, Muscle and Influence matter most.

At Independence , we were justly proud of our Politicians. Today we regard them as Scoundrels and Criminals. They have created a Jungle of Laws in the holy name of Socialism, and used these to line their pockets and create Patronage Networks. No influential crook suffers. The Mafia flourish unhindered because they have political links. The sons of Police Officers believe they have a licence to Rape and Kill (ask the Mattoo Family).

TALENT cannot take you far amidst such Rank Misgovernance. We are reverting to our Ancient Fudal System where no rules applied to the powerful. The British Raj brought in abstract concepts of Justice for All, Equality before the Law. These were maintained in the early years of independence. But sixty years later, citizens wail that " INDIA is a LAWLESS LAND" where no rules are obeyed.

I have heard of an IAS Probationer at the Mussorie Training Academy pointing out that in India before the British came, making money and distributing favours to relatives was not considered a "Perversion Of Power", it was the very "Rationale Of Power". A Feudal Official had a duty to enrich his Family and Caste. Then the British came and imposed a new ethical code on officials. But, he asked, why should we continue to choose British Customs over Desi ones, now that we are independent?

The Lack of Transparent Rules, properly enforced, is a Major Reason why Talented Indians cannot rise in India . A Second Reason is the Neta-Babu Raj, which remains intact despite supposed liberalisation. But once talented Indians go to Rule-Based Societies in the West, they take off. In those societies "All People Play By The Same Rules", all have `Freedom To Innovate' without being strangled by regulations.

This, then, is WHY Indians succeed in Countries Ruled By Whites, and fail in their own.

This is the saddest story of the century for all Indians.

The above has been sent by Arun Shroff.

As I see it, the main reason for Indians failing in India is our reservation policy and vote bank politics.

No decision is taken in the the country for the good of the country, only for shoring the vote bank.

When people are appointed in important posts based on their birth without caring for their efficiency or job capability. the country cannot help but go backwards.

In the western countries, they select the best person for the job.

Here we select on the basis of quotas.

When can't our politicians be operated by quota doctors? Why do they want the best doctors for themselves or even go abroad.

I agree, injustice has been done to these people who now get quotas. But the solution is not in appointing them to post which they least deserve.

The solution is to give them free education and other facilities so that they can rise educationally and compete with everybody and get the job on merit.

Now they are even demanding quotas in promotion.

However, when even MPs like Navin Jindal support such retrogressive policies like the Khap Pnchayat in killing people who marry in the same Gotra what can you expect of this country?

God save India.

What is my solution?

A person like Lew Kuon Yew of Singapore take over the reins of government for 15 years.

Sack all politicians, all over India, except for a few honest ones like A K Anthony, and put them behind bars for 15 years, without any communication with the outside world. Confiscate all their ill gotten wealth.

After that you will see how India will rise.

Who will be our Lew Kuo Yew?

We lost a golden opportunity when our politicians did not allow T N Seshan to become the President.

I am sure he would have been able to clean the stables of all the shit we call politicians.

Nobody knew the power of the Chief Election commissioner until he took over.

Nobody knows the power of Presidents.

After Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Radhakrishnan, we have been appointing ciphers as Presidents, all political rubber stamps.

The last president, Pratibha Patel was a double cipher.

The present president is no better.

When he hankers that his son be appointed as the Congress candidate of the Jangipur Lok Sabha seat, how can you expect him to be fair to all political parties. After a person becomes President, he should cut the umbilical cord with all political parties.

A good example was the last Speaker Somnath Chatterjee who went against the dictates of his political masters, the CPM.

THE SCHOOL REUNION

Every ten years, as summertime nears,

An announcement arrives in the mail,

A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;

Make plans to attend without fail.

I'll never forget the first time we met;

We tried so hard to impress.

We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,

And wore our most elegant dress.

It was quite an affair; the whole class was there.

It was held at a fancy hotel.

We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined,

And everyone thought it was swell.

The men all conversed about who had been first

To achieve great fortune and fame.

Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses

And how beautiful their children became.

The homecoming queen, who once had been lean,

Now weighed in at one-ninety-six.

The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,

And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.

No one had heard about the class nerd

Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;

Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;

She married a shipping tycoon.

The boy we'd decreed 'most apt to succeed'

Was serving ten years in the pen,

While the one voted 'least' now was a priest;

Just shows you can be wrong now and then.

They awarded a prize to one of the guys

Who seemed to have aged the least..

Another was given to the grad who had driven

The farthest to attend the feast.

They took a class picture, a curious mixture

Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.

Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;

You never saw so many thighs.

At our next get-together, no one cared whether

They impressed their classmates or not.

The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;

By this time we'd all gone to pot.

It was held out-of-doors, at the lake shores;

We ate hamburgers, coleslaw, and beans.

Then most of us lay around in the shade,

In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans.

By the fiftieth year, it was abundantly clear,

We were definitely over the hill.

Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of bed,

And be home in time for their pill.

And now I can't wait; they've set the date;Our sixtieth is coming, I'm told.

It should be a ball, they've rented a hall

At the Shady Rest Home for the old.

Repairs have been made on my hearing aid;

My pacemaker's been turned up on high.

My wheelchair is oiled, and my teeth have been boiled;

And I've bought a new wig and glass eye.

I'm feeling quite hearty, and I'm ready to party

I'm gonna dance 'til dawn's early light.

It'll be lots of fun; But I just hope that there's one

Other person who can make it that night.

Author Unknown

Life is Wonderful.

Don't forget it!

Praise The Lord, we've made it this far!!!!

This has been sent sent by Jimmy Keir. Since we shall all be going to the reunion of the 6/7 October, I thought it is most appropriate to get an insight of the "old boy"

A cataract Operation

Radheshyam:

It is unusual not to receive something from you in such a long while. Hope all is well and you’ve just taken off to one of your trips. Maybe you are dropping folks that don’t respond to your communiqués from your mailing list. Just in case that is so, to hedge my bets, here’s something telling you what’s going on with me:

HOW TO PROPERLY GOUGE OUT EYES

This was 1972; winter I think. I had skipped Pakistan and arrived back in Dhaka and found myself unemployed. Had not started panicking yet about my jobless status. After a yakkety yak session with friends at Bangladesh Bank, (the central bank), I was going back home in a rickshaw. Just a short distance down the road, there was a commotion. Two supposed “chhintai kari’s” [valuables-snatchers] were being subjected to “gono pituni” [beating by public].

My rikshawalla took a look, came back and asked eagerly to borrow the pin I had idly picked up at Bangaldesh Bank and was holding in my hand. I asked, “What are you going to do with it?” “Pierce their eyes; you can also, saar!” I was aghast. "How can you suggest such a thing? They are God’s creatures too," I said. That gave him pause; he seemed ashamed. In an abashed voice he said, "Saar, their eyes have been popped by inserting nails." I looked. Two men were prostrated on the ground. The ring leader of the mob had picked up a slab of concrete and was proceeding to hurl it down on the victims. Others were using bricks and debris lying about to do the same. Everyone was roaring with blood lust. The eyes of the two on the ground were oozing out of their sockets in a bloody gel.

Thus was the comical sadism of “Baburam Shapooray” gone mad. If you are not familiar with “Baburam Shapooray,” it is a children’s poem read and/or taught to Bangalee children that goes, as far as I can recollect, thus:

“Baburam shapooray

Kothha jaash bapu-ray?

Aye baba dekh-ay ja,

Duto shaap rekh-ay ja.

Jay shaap’er naak nei kaan nei

Koray naako phoosh phaash

Maaray nako dhoosh dhaash;

Shei shaap jento

Gota dui aan toh?

Teray meray danda

Koray dei thanda.”

Here’s my inept translation of it:

[Snake charmer Baburam

Where are you off to, my man?

Hey, come here, look,

Let me a couple of snakes book.

Snakes without fangs,

Unable to inflict pangs.

That sort of snake a couple

Bring me on the double.

Charging with my stick old -

I’ll kill them cold.]

Fast forward 40 years. July 31, 2012, my right eye was gouged out. August 21, 2012, my left eye was gouged out. But not to worry: both were gouged properly. It was done by a team of folks definitely not brought up on Baburam principles. They performed a procedure called cataract eye surgery. Although there was an anesthesiologist, his main purpose was to introduce a tranquilizer through an IV to calm me down during the operation. Scaredy cat that I am, I needed lots of calming down. As you know, cataract surgery involves inserting a needle in the eye to scrape out the cataract [by scraping out most of the lens of the eye] and implanting in said eye a plastic lens to take the place of the demolished original lens. You can imagine how painful that can be. Just thinking about it made me want to pass out. The surprise was, the pain killing anesthesia was entirely topical in the form of drops. I did not feel a thing and the whole process took about 20 minutes in the operating room. So pleasantly astonished was I, I pointed at the doctor and said, “He’s a magic man,” quoting Heart. ["But try to understand, try to understand/ Try try try to understand/ He's a magic man, mama/ He's a magic man."]

I have to keep using drops for a while, but I am fine. I certainly see better. There are certain drawbacks even to that. I had thought I had a relatively wrinkle free “khoma’ [Dhakaiya slang for face] for a 65 year old. Now I am faced with the actuality that not only do I have wrinkles, but also my wrinkles have wrinkles. I can also distinctly see every strand of gray hair on my head [not to mention, to use a Bangladeshi friend’s “bhasha” (language), other ‘unparliamentary’ places.]

Be well.

Saf

Safi

The above was sent by Safiul Huda.

On the one hand it gives the gory scene when eyes are gouged out of petty thieves.

On the other hand, we pay the surgeon to use his knife on our eyes.

It is all a case of intention.

A murderer is sent to the gallows on using his knife but a surgeon wins acclaim and wealth for using a knife.

When I was in college, a bicycle thief who used to lift the student's bicycles was caught one day.

After being beaten and put under running tap water in the winter in Ranchi, had his nails ripped off.

I don't know how the boys did it, I just heard about it later on.

Herd mentality is a very dangerous situation. People lose their senses and become part of the mob.

The most famous case of this was the French Revolution and the invention of the guillotine.

A Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.. The total had to be exactly perfect.. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question..

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

'I don't know, 'Tess replied with her eyes welling up I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money..'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago .

'One dollar and eleven cents,'Tess answered barely audible.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents-the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.'

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about he chain of events that had led them to this place.

'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost.....one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law. I know you'll keep the ball moving!

Here it goes. Throw it back to someone who means something to you!

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.

When you are scared.......I will

comfort your fears.

When you are worried......I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I will help you cope.

And when you are lost...and

can't see the light, I shall be your

beacon...shining ever so bright.

This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend.

Sent by Arun Shroff

Anti-corruption cartoonist arrested on sedition charges

September 09, 2012 12:45 IS

Anti-corruption cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested at the Bandra Kurla Complex police station in Mumbai [ Images ] on Saturday, on charges of sedition (under IPC 124A), violation of section 66A of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, and the Prevention of Insults of National Honour Act, 1971.

The arrest took place as a result of a non-bailable warrant issued against him on the basis of several complaints filed at the BKC police station for cartoons that he had displayed at the Jan Lokpal agitation in Mumbai in December 2011. The cartoons were also available on his website, www.cartoonsagainstcorruption, whose registration was suspended by web company Big Rock after a notice from the Mumbai police in December

2011. Speaking on the phone from Mumbai just before his arrest, Trivedi explained that the cartoons intended to display the insult to the nation that is being done by politicians, and do not seek to insult national symbols in any way.

The controversial cartoons are still available at www.cartoonsagainstcorruption.blogspot.com. One cartoon shows 'Mother India' [ Images ] dressed in a tri-colour sari with politicians and bureaucrats about to assault her, with a gleeful beast standing by described as 'Corruption'. One cartoon shows India's national emblem, the Ashoka Lions, with foxes rather than lions. At the bottom of the emblem the words 'Satyamev Jayate' are replaced with 'Brashtamev Jayate' (meaning corruption alone triumphs) and a danger sign.

A cartoon calling for the "right to recall" elected representatives in mid-term shows Parliament as a sewage collection centre into which waste from several toilets, or polling booths, is flowing. Another cartoon simply shows Parliament as a 'national toilet'. Another cartoon shows 26/11 gunman Ajmal Kasab [ Images ] as a dog peeing on the Constitution of India. Some cartoons target Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for his statements against the Jan Lokpal movement.

Trivedi has for the moment refused to hire a lawyer and does not intend to apply for bail. "I want to first see how a British-era law like sedition is going to be applied against a cartoonist in free India," he said on the phone. He was to be produced before Bandra holiday court No. 9 on Sunday.

Section 66A of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, punishes persons for "sending messages" online that are "grossly offensive" or have a "menacing character".

The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, provides for punishment up to three years in jail and a fine for insulting or defacing the Indian flag and the Indian Constitution. It adds, however, 'Comments expressing disapprobation or criticism of the Constitution or of the Indian National Flag or of any measures of the government with a view to obtain an amendment of the Constitution of India or an alteration of the Indian National Flag by lawful means do not constitute an offence under this section.'

Trivedi says he is within his right as an artist to use national symbols to show how they are being insulted by politicians. He was a freelance cartoonist working with local dailies in Kanpur before he got involved with the Anna Hazare movement.

After his website was shut down in December 2011, Trivedi became associated with the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption movement and also started an independent initiative to campaign against internet censorship. Called 'Save Your Voice', he travelled across India to raise awareness against the IT Rules 2011.

Trivedi also sat on a seven-day hunger strike in Delhi's [ Images ] Jantar Mantar to protest the IT Rules in May this year, and displayed anti-corruption cartoons at the Anna Hazare protest in Jantar Mantar in August 2012.

The Virginia, US-based Cartoonists Rights Network International has named him the 2012 recipient of its 'Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award'. He is sharing the award with Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat who was abducted and badly beaten by the Syrian regime in August last year. Trivedi will not be able to travel to receive the award as the United States has denied him a visa. He is, however, scheduled to travel to Vienna [ Images ] to participate in an art event later this month.

As I have been saying again and again, this UPA government is worse than the British. They equate anything said against the government as against India.

This mindset was promulgated by Devakanta Barooah before the emergency when he coined the slogan "Indira is India and India is Indira" You know what happened after the Emergency.

On the one hand they allow scoundrel like Raj Thackeray to issue seditionary and inflammatory statements against Biharis in Mumbai and cause law and order problem daily and take no action against him but arrest a cartoonist for pointing out corruption by politicians in general and the Congress in particular. What the world thinks of their action is shown by the reward that is being bestowed on him by The Virginia, US-based Cartoonists Rights Network International

Just as in the British times, anyone associated with the Congress party was considered anti-national and arrested and put in jail, the UPA thinks anyone associated with the Anna movement against corruption as Anti-National

Yosemite National Park, California , USA

This park was gazetted as a national park in 1890. It is world famous for its rugged terrain, waterfall and century-old pine trees. It covers 1200 sq km and the "fire" waterfall of El Capitan is one of the most spectacular of all scenery.

The spectacular view of the waterfall is created by the reflection of sunlight hitting the falling water at a specific angle. This rare sight can only be seen at a 2-week period towards the end of Feburary. To photograph this rare event, photographers would often have to wait and endure years of patience in order to capture them. The reason is because its appearance depend on a few natural phenomenons occuring at the same time and luck.

1st, Is the formation of the waterfall - The water is formed by the melting of snow and ice at the top of the mountain. It melts between the month of December and January and by the end of February there might not have much snow left to melt.

2nd, is the specific angle of the sunray hitting the falling water - The sun's position must be exactly at a particular spot in the sky. This occurs only in the month of February and at the short hours of dusk. If it is a day full of clouds or something blocking the sun, you can only take pictures of your own sorry faces on the waterfall. It coincides with the fact that the weather in the National Park at that time of the year is often volatile and unpredictable. It compounds the difficulty of getting these pictures.

Someone did !!! and we all get to see it !!!

Sent by Arun Shroff