06 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted in BSNL News
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The meeting of the Telecom Commission has recommended to the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) for higher price for auction of Spectrum. This is more than recommended by TRAI, but still less than the base price decided earlier.
06 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted in General
India Government seems least concerned with the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation. The latest news of auctioning of the Charkha and other mementos connected with the Mahatma in a London Auction house, fully confirms this.
The Charkha used by Mahatma Gandhi was sold for 110,000 pounds ( approximately Rs.95 crores). It was the Charkha modified by the Mahatma to fold and take along with him in the journeys during the 1940s.This was mainly used in Yerwada jail. It was one of the weapons of the Mahatma in self reliance for the country.
The Mullock’s Auction House also auctioned many other mementos belonging to Gandhiji, including the Last Will written by him at the Sabarmati Ashramam. This important historical document was sold for 20,000 pounds ( approximately Rs. 17 lakhs). 60 similar items connected with Gandhiji were auctioned yesterday.
There was not even a representative of the government of India. There are certain issues which come to the mind of every Indian, in this connection. No. 1, how these historical mementos of the Father of the Nation have reached the auction house? No.2, whether these have been looted or purchased by the auction house? No.3, whether the government was aware of the auction and if so, what it has done for getting it back to the country? No.4, Whether the government of India considers that these are part of the National Heritage and part of the Independence movement? No.5, Whether the government at lease now take any action to bring it to the country in honour of the Mahatma.
It seems that the government is least concerned on all these issues. Its Archeological Survey of India is interested in digging to find out gold as per the dream of a so called saint. The Government purchases helicopters with out any limit for its VVIPs, auctions spectrum etc. losing lakhs of crores of rupees for the country. But it don’d find time and money to bring back its own historical mementos. And why the government is not demanding the Government of Britain to return these and many other historical artefacts and treasures looted by them when India was being ruled by them.
The government has to answer these questions.
06 Wednesday Nov 2013
The 7th Circle Conference of BSNLEU started today, 6th November 2013. The conference was inaugurated by Comrade M.A.Baby, former Minister, Kerala and CPI(M) leader. The 3 days conference have open session,delegates session, cultural session, Mahila session etc.
Since 1961, when the Circle unions of NFPTE started in Kerala, this is the first time that I am not able to attend the circle conference of NFPTE/BSNLEU in Kerala. The annual circle conference was an opportunity for me to meet the old and new comrades of Kerala, who were always in the fore-front of the struggles, and renew the acquaintance.
The present Conference is being held at Kottayam. It was in the Conference at Kottayam in 1978, that I was elected as the Circle Secretary of Kerala for the first time. I continued till 1982, when Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, senior leader, was elected as the Circle Secretary, who continued in the post for about 20 years. Now Com.K.Mohan is the Circle Secretary, who has ably led the movement along with other leaders like Com.R.Muralidharan Nair, AGS, Com. A.V.Kuriakose, Circle president and others. Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, though not holding any post after his retirement, continues to be the leading light and strength of the organisation.
There are hundreds of senior and junior comrades who have made the Kerala Circle Union one of the best organised circle union in the country.
My Red salute to all these comrades at the time of the 7th Circle Conference! Wish the Circle Conference all success!
06 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted in General
New Delhi, Nov 5 :Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring this month, is the country’s wealthiest cricket player with a personal fortune of USD 160 million, according to a Wealth-X estimate.
“Tendulkar has amassed a fortune that eclipses the combined net worth of the four other cricketers on the list, and is more than three times the net worth of the next wealthiest player, Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Wealth-X said.
The list of top five wealthiest cricket players, compiled
by Wealth-X, was headed by Tendulkar with USD 160 million,
followed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni (USD 50 million), Yuvraj
Singh (USD 30 million), Rahul Dravid (USD 20 million) and
Virat Kohli (USD 15 million).
According to Wealth-X, a global wealth intelligence and
prospecting company, the wealth of Tendulkar “eclipses” the
combined fortunes of others on the list.
The 40-year-old former India captain, who stepped down
from one-day internationals in December, 2012, would end his
career with his final and 200th test match against West Indies in late November.
Tendulkar played his final Twenty20 match in the
Champions League T20 final between his Mumbai Indians team and the Rajasthan Royals side led by another former Indian
skipper, Rahul Dravid, who made his last competitive
appearance on the cricket field during that match.
“Tendulkar is popular across the world, and in 1992
became the first overseas player to sign for Yorkshire,
scoring more than 1,000 runs in the Summer”
05 Tuesday Nov 2013
Posted in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners
A meeeting of the available membes of the Bharat Central Pensioners Association (BCPC) wass held on 19th October 2013 at New Delhi, presided over by Shri S.C.Maheswari, Secretary General BPS. From AIBDPA Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor attended. Com. S.K.Vyas, Secretary General reported the lastet developments.The following decisions were taken:
1. Shri S.C.Maheswari was elected as Chairman of BCPC, in place of Shri S.S.Ramachandran, whose resignation was accepted with much reluctance.
2. The next AGM will be held at New Delhi, after Holi. The date will be fixed in consultation with the Chairman.
3. The draft terms of reference for VII Central Pay Commission presented by Secretary General was adopted after discussion.
05 Tuesday Nov 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
The decision of the Election Commission to implement the ‘NOTA’ opportunity to the voters in the oncoming assembly elections in the 5 states of Delhi, Rajasthan, M.P., Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, has seriously worried the major political parties. The ‘None Of The Above’ (NOTA) choice is given to the voters, who do not want to vote for any of the candidates in the list. The ‘NOTA” button in the Electronic Voting Machine(EVM)/ symbol in the Ballot Paper, will be pink in the assembly elections, but will be in white for the General Election.
Both the ruling and opposition parties, Congress and BJP, are much worried, since a lot of voters angry with the track-record of the present incumbents may vote ‘NOTA’.
It will be interesting to see much ‘NOTA’ votes pile up.
05 Tuesday Nov 2013
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The latest news in ‘Business Line’ today indicate that the proposed privatisation of Chennai, Kolkata and other 4 airports will be delayed. As per the report, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has extended the dates for shortlisting the companies who have offered for taking over the airports. About nine companies, including foreign companies, have shown interest in the project for Chennai.
The decision to delay shortlisting can be well understood. There has been strong opposition from the Airports Authority Unions against the privatisation. Now the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transports chaired by Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) M.P., has unanimously opposed to the privatisation of these profit-making airports, after modernisation has been done by the Airports Authority of India, a PSU, at great costs. The Standing Committee also has pointed out the case of Delhi Airport, after it was privatised, that the departure and arrival charges being collected from the passengers have gone sky-high.
The airport privatisation will result in more charges on the passengers and maximum profit for the private companies. The UPA government is in an aggressive mood to privatise all the PSUs to the extend possible and destroy the PSUs which have benefited in the growth of the country.
Strong protests should come from from all unions and progressive forces against this cheap selling of the nation’s properties. We have to fully support the unions in the AAI, who are fighting against the privatisation.
04 Monday Nov 2013
The Circle Conference of BSNL Employees Union, Kerala Circle will be held from 6th to 8th November 2013 at Kottayam. This time, due to ill-health, I am not in a position to attend the same.
It is for the first time since 1961 that I am missing the Kerala circle Conference. As many old comrades may remember, the Kerala Circle unions of NFPTE were formed in 1960, bifurcated from Madras Circle. The first conference of the P and T Unions was jointly held at Trivandrum. I was a delegate both to the E.III Union as Branch Secretary and E.IV Union as President. The first Conference was a historical one with the very important decisions taken in the Conference.
The three most important decisions taken were: 1) The NFPTE Unions in Kerala will hold the Circle Conferences jointly at the same place. 2) The Circle Union Offices of all the unions will function together and 3) A Joint journal for the P and T Unions will be published. Accordingly P and T House functioned as the Circle HQ, Kampithapal was the organ of the P and T Co-ordinating Committee and the Circle Conference were jointly held. This system continued till BSNL was formed in 2000.
It was a pleasure to meet hundreds of leading comrades together who built up the strong P and T movement in Kerala. After formation of BSNL Employees Union also, I used to attend all the Circle Conferences. This time I will be missing all the comrades who attend the Conference, since i will not be able to attend. I now remember that I was elected as the Circle Secretary of the AITEU Class III, Kerala in the Circle Conference held at Kottayam in 1978.
All my Best Wishes for the success of the Conference. My Fraternal greetings to all the delegates and Comrades present.
04 Monday Nov 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
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The Gramin Dak Sewaks (former Extra-Departmental employees)in the Department of Posts numbering about two lakhs and odd have been an exploited section of workers since the introduction of ED system. The British rulers utilised the system for cheap labour. Even after Independence, there was no much change. It was after formation of the National Federation of Posts and Telegraph Employees (NFPTE) in 1954, that the issues of the ED employees were taken seriously. Under the leadership of Com.K.Adinaryana, the veteran leader of the NFPTE, struggles after struggles were waged for improving the conditions of the ED employees. Much advancement could be made, but still the government was not prepared to accept them as regular employees.
Now, the ED employees are re-named as Gramin Dak Sewaks. Last time, the VI CPC was not given the terms of reference including the GDS. The government has announced the formation of VII CPC, but no mention is about the GDS. It is in this context that the All India Postal Employees Union GDS (NFPE) has given call to organise a Parliament March on 11th December 2013 by the Gramin Dak Sewaks. The demands include, Departmentalisation of Branch Offices, Civil Servant status to GDS and Inclusion of GDS wage structure etc. in the purview of the VII CPC.
These demands are fully justified. The Government should concede the just and long pending demands of the GDS who serve the Nation and its people living in the lakhs of villages and remote areas.
My complete support and solidarity with the struggle of the GDS!
04 Monday Nov 2013
Posted in History
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It is almost seven decades after the worst war in history, the II World War, is over. After the defeat of the Germany-Japan-Italy axis forces by the Allied forces under USSR-Britain-US, the war ended. United Nations and a number of international organisations were formed to ensure peace and against another world war.
There is still no authentic account of the armed forces as also civilian population that perished in the II World War. Entire countries were devastated. The Nazi war machinery destroyed everything in its way, looted, and laid bare the landscapes till it was stopped by the USSR.
Even after seven decades, fresh news come about the II World War.Two reports have come in the last few days. one, an 1,800 ton unexploded bomb was found in Dormond a city in Germany. All the 20,000 and more people within 1.5 sq.km was evacuated and the bomb deactivated.
Another news is about the finding of thousands of antiques, paintings of great masters including that of Picasso and Matisse which the German invaders have looted from the lands they have conquered. It was all kept in a darkened secluded room by one octogenarian and were being sold when money was needed.
II World War completely the changed the world in all respects. But the price the humanity had to pay for the same was unimaginable. There should never be such another war!
