National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

Binoy Gupta — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:19:22 +0000

Fined for violating Human Rights
The Delhi High Court recently slapped a fine of Rs 100,000 on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for “blatant violation of the human rights” of Rajender Prasad, a constable, who was employed with it for 10 years before being “thrown out”.

Rajender Prasad had taken voluntary retirement after working in the Indian army as a Hawaldar for 15 years. In 1996, posts of constables were lying vacant in the NHRC; and NHRC appointed Rajender Prasad against one such post.

The NHRC employed him on a contract basis for one year. But ten years later, on August 31, 2006, NHRC terminated his services on the ground that his appointment was out of the recruitment rules.

Justice Kailash Gambhir pulled up the NHRC for not hearing the plea of the constable who wanted regularisation of his 10-year job.

“There has been blatant violation of the human rights of the petitioner, who after putting in about more than 10 years of service was thrown out on the ground that his appointment was out of the recruitment rules….. “Such periodical extensions on service ruins one’s entire career and at times the employee gets deprived of many opportunities maybe because of over age or other factors, which otherwise would have been available if such an employee would have been shown the exit door at the earliest possible time….

“Since the Commission failed to protect the human rights of the petitioner who will be thrown on the road to struggle again to search for a job, the same being in serious violation of his human rights, cost of Rs 100,000 is imposed for their inhuman act”.

However, while penalising NHRC, the court also blamed Rajender Prasad for not taking prompt steps for regularising his job and taking up the matter only when his services were terminated and turned down Prasad’s plea for reinstatement, stating that there were many people waiting for employment and equal opportunity should be given to all.

“No doubt it could not have been expected of a statutory body like National Human Rights Commission, who are protectors and saviours of the human rights of people to keep extending the contract of the petitioner in the face of existing recruitment rules which nowhere provide for reemployment of ex-serviceman on the said post of constable”, the judge stated.

He said the NHRC was playing an “effective role in implementation of human rights” but the “relentless human rights violation of the present petitioner by NHRC itself has gone unnoticed by it”.

National Human Rights Commission – first clean your own kennel.

Travel India Social Inequality

Binoy Gupta — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:07:03 +0000

Social Inequality

The extent of social inequality in India – even after 6 decades of independence, is to say the least, unbelievably appalling.
Our politicians, whose primary job is to reduce, if not remove, social inequality, clearly believe in the age old dictum, make hay while the sun shines.
The public, at large, continue to suffer, while the politicians prosper…and prosper.

Take a peep into the background of your neighbourhood councillor, MLA or MP.
Even if he has been in office for a single term, you will find his financial position has suddenly soared up.

Our Tax Payers

Just go through the lists of our top 20, 100 and 200 income tax payers.
They are an eye opener for everyone.

For the latest year – 2007-08:

·         The country’s top taxpayer is from Delhi. He paid Rs 121 crores.
·         Of the top 10 taxpayers, five are from Mumbai and two from Delhi.
·         The top taxpayer among industrialists is Max’s Analjit Singh who is No. 15 in the list. He paid Rs 31.49 crores.
·         Conspicuous by their absence in the top 200 list are the two brothers, Mukesh and Anil Ambani.
·         Their mother, Kokilaben, is almost at the bottom of the list. She is No. 195. She paid Rs 4.46 crores.

The following are the figures for some other interesting personalities:

                                                 Sl No.                Tax paid (Rs. Crores)

·         Shah Rukh Khan               13                                  34.2
·         Mayawati                           18                                  26.26
·          Akshay Kumar                   40                                 13.5
·      Sachin Tendulkar             81                                   8.8
(Sachin is just ahead of industrialist Kumarmangalam Birla who paid just Rs 48,271 less than the cricketeer.)

(The names of persons other than celebrities are not given here because this could invite threats from extortionists.)

Mayawati

Mayawati’s income, year-after-year, has ostensibly come from “gifts” from her admirers.
An admirable lady indeed!
On the basis of the taxes paid, her personal income this year is estimated to be about Rs 75-80 crores.

Other interesting taxpayers

Some other interesting names in the list of top-200 taxpayers are:                                                                                     Rs. (crores)
·         Naresh Trehan (cardio-surgeon)                                 8.4
·         Salman Khan    (actor)                                                  7
·         Abdul Telgi       (stamp-paper scamster)                    6.5
·         Sanjay Dutt       (actor)                                                  5.8
·         Aishwarya Rai   (actress)                                             5.6
·         Abhishek Bachchan (actor)    (paid just Rs 75,192 less than his wife)
·         Nandan Nilekani (industrialist)                                   5.16
·         Himesh Reshammiya (music director-singer)         4.89
·         Mukul Rohtagi   (lawyer)                                              4.85
·         Aamir Khan (actor)                                                      4.72
·         Azim Premji   (Wipro)                                                  4.68

My Comments

Politicians have apparently done extremely well.
Though, only Mayavati has paid substantial taxes.
Bollywood personalities have done quite well even though most of the films have flopped at the box office.

Social Disparity – An Indian Bureaucrat's Diary

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

Travel India Social Inequality