My argument for banning BBC documentary on India’s Daughters

1. *    BBC’s teasers for the documentary film (which means a factual depiction; it is not a movie) showed what the savage rapist said and that is – in 80% rape cases women are responsible. Do I need to hear this from a butcher rapist who ripped off Nirbhaya’s organs, beat her with iron rods, body part by body part, stripped her and her friend completely naked of clothes and belongings and threw them from the bus with the intention of crushing them under the tyres? Does this savage’s opinion need to be shown to the public? 

*

2.    * So, what was BBC’s intention to have those humiliating teasers when Nirbhaya was a decent girl who had gone out with her friend for a movie and both were returning by a bus, like thousands in the country? So, why should I hear this scoundrel telling me that women are responsible for rapes?

**

3.   * Nirbhaya case was unprecedented in Indian history as regards peoples’ movement to fight against sexual crimes on women. It had attained a level of a united national campaign and had forced the government, within a historic short time, to amend the Act which has now become stronger. Against this background, to bring out the savage rapist in all glory and gore is ill timed. It diffuses all the trauma and tribulations that thousands of youngsters and women faced fighting police tear gas shells and lathi charge.

4.  *  Asking for a ban on the documentary is also a step to make the government introspect of giving access to foreign media to hardcore shameless criminals just because they have `white skin.’ Sushilkumar Shinde is directly responsible for this shame and he and the relevant authorities should be questioned. This is another matter but at least the home ministry was able to ask youtube to ban it. Tell me, would you like to see a BBC documentary on Ajmal Kasab blaming victims of his terror at CST station, Taj etc or would you just shun him in jail – his mind can be read by investigative officers.

5.  *  I would have appreciated if the BBC was objective and had done a documentary on savage child abuser John Franks who is languishing in a British jail right now and told the world the mind of this man. UK took a position that it will hurt the feelings of his victims and so it should not be shown. Then why India? For some cheap publicity of how they damn see all brown men as rapists? I would have appreciated if the BBC showed the Jordanian Pilot being burnt alive with gory details of how he screamed and shouted – they it do that? There are so many beheadings of ISIS – did the BBC show that? Then why only Nirbhaya case which hits the raw nerve of women in this country?

6.    * By doing this documentary, the BBC is making the world believe that rape is a crime insinuated by the way women dress and go after sunset as spelt out by the savage brutal rapist. Do I need to hear that from a scoundrel who should be cut into pieces in full public eye?

7. *   In the name of freedom of press and what not, celebrities in India talk big about why this documentary should not be stifled. Of course they live in an Oasis in India where Neena Gupta can get away by having an illegitimate child of Viv Richards and Hema Malini can get away with any illegality to marry Dharmendra. They don’t live in the world of a common Indian woman who has to constantly guard her morality. Also, these damn panelists give one opinion on one TV channel and have no qualms of saying the exact opposite in the next channel on the same issue – they go by the stance that the particular TV channel takes.  So, this is humbug.

8.    * My friends, we need to shed off this colonial hangover of living by the perception of these `whites’ who have time and again hit us below the belt to ensure they remain superior – we need to question them. We need to build up our judgment based on the backdrop of culture, history and traditions of our country?

9.    * Lastly my friends, we need to question why the BBC documentary did not take bytes of Nirbhaya’s friend who has given a heart wrenching interview to Zee News a few days after the incident. Here are two links: one is my story in moneylife; Veeresh Malik’s story in Moneylife and Nirbhaya’s friend’s interview.

http://www.moneylife.in/article/the-nirbhaya-documentary---as-always-follow-the-money/40736.html

http://www.moneylife.in/article/glad-bbcs-documentary-on-nirbhaya-convict-has-been-banned/40729.html

For full interview of Nirbhaya’s friend, see this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43uArAZH8Lo)

ends

My editorial in Intelligent Pune weekly tabloid on Oct 2, 21010

Headline:  Awesomeness of being a mother

Otherwise I took my mother for granted – it’s only when I lost her last week that I realised the awesomeness of having a mother and being one. When her frail body lost the strength of her otherwise formidable voice, I knew she would soon become a distant dream, a thought quite acceptable to me then as a natural course of life. It’s only when her mortal remains were mechanically and rudely shunted into the glowing fire of the electric crematorium to be perished instantly, that the immortality of motherhood hit me hard.

If the first speck of your life is nurtured in a mother’s womb, the first lessons of life and living too are encompassed in her hands and heart. One of my first reminisces is of her coming during break time to St Joseph’s School, Belgaum, when I was in the primary section. Everyday, it was the same tiffin – `shikran poli’ (banana kheer with chapati) which became breaksfast until the last days of my school life. Simple, nutritious meals were her forte and ingredients in the perfect proportion, her passion. ```Eating out’’ was abhorrent in her dictionary and indulgence in the wrong kind of food and at wrong times was simply unacceptable. Cooking excess food was humiliating waste of money and she had amazing measurements like `one potato person,’ ``one fist of rice (uncooked) per person’’ and so on if you were cooking for parties. She was intolerant to worms infesting foodgrains and her annual stock was appropriately sun-bathed and proudly packed into air-tight tins. Her milk never ran over; never did her rice ever over or under-cook.  Such relentless vigilance in the kitchen could make you feel she was unnecessarily obsessed but for her any laxity in this department was misappropriation of the domestic budget

She was a perfect example of a mother ``not being a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary.’’ This she showed by her practical nature – emotional decisions meant weakness so a sensible approach in any situation was her catchphrase for us. She hated conflicts at home and preferred ``keeping quiet’’ in times of any familial outbursts. She believed in `live and let live’ policy. Her voice was loud but she wasn’t – an amazing parody really. Once in Belgaum – I must have been about four years old, I saw the servant’s daughter stealing ``our’’ mango so I ran into the outhouse and got it back, feeling triumphant. Instead, my mother reprimanded me for having ``illegally’’ entered her house and said I should have taken the matter to her first and she would have decided what to do.

Her obsession with fitness was remarkable.  She followed an exercise regimen and never tolerated over-weight just because we have become mothers. The moment she saw a slight paunch, she would remind me it is time to go to the gym and control my diet (meaning not eating out). Health programmes on the television and radio were her hot favourites – she never missed them. She constantly lectured on the gravity of having blood pressure and diabetes, which all came along with a bad lifestyle she would tell us over and over again. She was very particular about her annual medical check-ups which were ``normal’’ and that would be her sense of victory against lifestyle diseases. Her hemoglobin never dropped below 14 which she was very proud of.

According to her, love should never be blind, it should be open-eyed. Marital bliss can never be the natural consequence of falling in love or adorning the mangalsutra – it always took a lifetime to keep it intact. I remember she had advised me ``when your mother-in-law says something you do not like, put me in her place and see if you still feel as bad.’’ That really worked like magic many times – I realised it was the `in-law’ tag that often led to prejudice. She was so un-womanlike when it came to gossip. Once, as a teenager I was gossiping with a friend in the verandah of our bungalow in Berhampur. After my friend left, she scolded me for talking about others – what good is it going to do to you and it will always boomerang. I still might have gossiped but that constant fear of not to do so would always lurk.

Two years back, I took her for granted when I shifted to her house for 40 days along with my daughter who was expecting a baby. I decided in a moment that it was a great idea to be under her guidance, after delivery. Her extraordinary meals proved to be such a health boon that when her gynecologist saw my daughter for a post-natal checkup, she said she must thank her grandmother for her increased hemoglobin level. She will be sorely missed next month when her second baby will come to life.

It was six months back that my mother showed the first signs of having to compromise with her fiery independence. She shifted to mybrother’s house, where she was extremely happy. Last month though she was diagnosed of having liver cirrhosis. She was unable to digest the simplest of food, not even a crocin tablet. She told us she was on her last journey and she did not want any doctors or medicines now and that she should be left alone. Then on she merely existed for the sake of existing. God took her away quite promptly I should say, leaving behind a trail of conscientious living through four of her offsprings. Whether they live up to it or not is another story – but her role of a gardener was of prime quality.

Vinita Deshmukh

Editor

Intelligent Pune

Maharashtra's natural world heritage site, Kaas Plateau, in trouble

This is my column in www.thenewsminute.com which appeared on Sept 1, 2014

http://www.thenewsminute.com/news_sections/1258

Maharashtra's natural world heritage site, Kaas Plateau, in trouble

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The picturesque plateau of Western Maharashtra that blossoms into breathtaking site of flowers of myriad hues between June and September is a bit barren this year

Vinita Deshmukh | The News Minute | September 1, 2014 | 9.19 am IST

Kaas Plateau, one of the most precious parts of the Western Ghats, about 25 km from Satara in Western Maharashtra and spread over 1792 hecatres, is home to 405 flowering plant species that are recorded in the Red Data Book and attracts more than 50,000 tourists per day between June and September as it transforms into a carpet of resplendent colors due to the blossoming of hundreds and thousands of different coloured flowers.

It is the unprecedented tourist influx since the last few years that has alarmed botanists and environmentalists, as an average of 50,000 tourists have been thronging to Kaas each day during the flowering season, bringing along with them, pollution from their vehicles and trampling of plants and shrubs with their feet.

Thanks to the untiring efforts of the forest department, the Satara district collectorate and environmentalists, Kaas plateau was declared anatural world heritage site by the UNESCO in June 2012. This has spurred efforts to conserve it by restricting the number of visitors per day; charging them entry fee and fencing off the entire area in order to preserve its sanctity. This is as per UNESCO's recommendation to ``Review and strengthen buffer zones or other measures to provide increased protection or buffering for the values within the nominated property.’’ Accordingly, expansive wire fencing has been built around this plateau.

All pictures courtesy- Srinivas Varunjikar

While the fencing may have restricted human and animal movement, local environmentalists are now blaming the fencing for the low activity in flowering this season, the trend of which began last year. States Srinivas Varunjikar, journalist and activist for Kaas, ``fencing has restricted movement of grazing animals that are responsible for cross pollination. This has resulted in lesser flowers blooming, since the last year. We are now in the month of September, when the entire plateau turns into paradise, but so many portions are still barren, which is a very dangerous sign. Fencing has also restricted movement of other animals like leopards who cannot now cross to the other side. Fencing needs to be removed if we have to save Kaas and restrictions should be implemented in various other ways.’’

Rajendra Shende, Chairman,TERRE Policy Centre and Former .Director, UNEP,Paris, who has taken up this campaign, is working towards engaging local communities by making them aware of the need to preserve Kaas. He states, ``It is not only for keeping this beautiful colourful carpet with endless variety of flora for the years as show piece, but also to ensure its continued contribution to the natural balance , the agricultural productivity through the enhanced pollination, nutrient cycle and biodiversity.’’ 

The importance of Kaas has been spelt out by Environment Department, Government of Maharashtra. It states: ``Kaas and the nearby Koyna area is home to about 1,500 types of plants – 156 botanical families, 680 genera, 1452 species, 400 medicinal plants, and about 33 endangered varieties

.

More than 450 species of wild flowers bloom in and after monsoon season and most of them are endemic herbs. More than 850 species of flowering plants are reported from Kaas plateau, out of these plants 624 species have entered in the Red Data Book and most importantly 39 species from these Red Data Book species are found in Kaas Region only. The endemic species approximates 6 percent of the Red data species. It has become very urgent to take effective measures to protect this whole area in order to conserve the diverse, rare and endangered flora of Kaas plateau. ‘’

It further states that, “In recent years the popularity of Kaas Plateau, Satara has increased many folds and the increase in numbers of tourists have resulted in a direct or indirect impact on its bio-diversity. According to keen observation and analysis of experts, there are number of threats affecting to the biodiversity of Kaas. Among which Tourism is the biggest threats to Kaas which brings lakhs of tourists and thousands of vehicles every year. Due to the increase in numbers of vehicles; the tranquillity and peace of Kaas is highly disturbed resulting in breakdown of flora and fauna of ecosystem.’’ 

Kaas is an integral part of the ecology of the Western Ghats and again experts and local stakeholders need to further define, how Kaas can be saved, given that it is in trouble once again.

Some of UNESCO’s important recommendations:

• Take measures to reduce the impact of existing and planned infrastructure as well as disturbed areas on the values of the property,
• Review and strengthen buffer zones or other measures to provide increased protection or buffering for the values within the nominated property, and strengthen the ecological connectivity measures to ensure consistency and greater functional linkages between component sites,
• Improve coordination and integration between component parts of the property, particularly through the existing mechanisms of the Western Ghats Natural Heritage Management Committee and the preparation and implementation of an overarching management framework, for the serial property as a whole
• Facilitate increased engagement with all stakeholders to build awareness and support, foster participatory governance approaches, and ensure equitable sharing of benefits
• Harmonize arrangements between the 'Western Ghats Natural Heritage Committee' and the 'Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel' and strengthen community membership and input through the establishment of the proposed 'Western Ghats Natural Heritage Conservation Authority' and other relevant advisory committees.
• Highly commends the State Party for its on-going commitment to ensure a comprehensive approach to conserving the globally recognised high biodiversity values of the Western Ghats, noting the scale and complexity of this area.

My article in Pudhari today on Clean Ganga and sanitation prog on occasion of 100 days of Modi govt http://epaper.pudhari.com/epapermain.aspx

ख्यातनाम पत्रकार चित्रा सुब्रमण्यम ड्यूएला यांचे

प्रकाश कर्दळे स्मृती व्याख्यान पुण्यात होणार

पुणे:

आंतरराष्ट्रीय पातळीवरील ख्यातनाम पत्रकार चित्रा सुब्रमण्यम ड्यूएला या सेनापती बापट रस्त्याजवळील भारतीय विद्या भवन सभागृहात शनिवार दिनांक २३ ऑगस्ट २०१४ रोजी सायंकाळी ६ वाजता ‘माध्यमे, समाज आणि प्रशासकीय कारभार’ या विषयावर ७वे प्रकाश कर्दळे स्मृती व्याख्यान देणार आहेत.

प्रकाश कर्दळे फ्रेंडस् फोरमच्या वतीने प्रख्यात पत्रकार आणि द इंडियन एक्स्प्रेसच्या पुणे आवृत्तीचे माजी संपादक असलेल्या कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांच्या स्मृत्यर्थ दरवर्षी प्रकाश कर्दळे स्मृती व्याख्यान आयोजित करण्यात येते. अरुणा रॉय, अरविंद केजरीवाल,विनिता कामटे, शैलेश गांधी, किरण बेदी, अण्णा हजारे, राजदीप सरदेसाई आणि एन. राम या पत्रकारिता आणि समाजसेवा क्षेत्रातील दिग्गजांनी यापूर्वी पुण्यात येऊन प्रकाश कर्दळे स्मृती व्याख्याने दिली आहेत.

कायद्याच्या अभ्यासिका, २६/११ च्या मुंबईवरील दहशतवादी हल्ल्यात दहशतवाद्यांशी झुंजताना शहीद झालेल्या अतिरिक्त पोलीस आयुक्त कै. अशोक कामटे यांच्या पत्नी आणि या माहिती अधिकाराचा वापर करून हल्ल्याबाबतचे सत्य शोधून त्यावर लिहिलेल्या ‘टू द लास्ट बुलेट’ पुस्तकाच्या लेखिका विनिता कामटे याप्रसंगी प्रमुख पाहुण्या असतील.

भारतातील दिग्गज पत्रकार असलेल्या चित्रा सुब्रमण्यम या बोफोर्स घोटाळयाच्या तपासात अग्रस्थानी होत्या. या घोटाळ्यामुळे १९८९मध्ये तत्कालीन पंतप्रधान कै. राजीव गांधी यांना सत्तेतून पायउतार व्हावे लागले होते. स्वित्झर्लंड येथील सीएडडी कन्सल्टिंगच्या त्या संस्थापिका आहेत. भारतात आणि युरोपात तब्बल तीन दशके शोधपत्रकारिता करत असताना चित्रा सुब्रमण्यमयांनी स्वत: अनेक धोक्यांच्या सामना केलेला असून त्यांनी फॉर्च्युन ५०० कंपन्यांच्या अनेक मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकाऱ्यांना धोका व्यवस्थापन, गुंतागुंतीच्या वाटाघाटी याबाबत तर विविध आंतरराष्ट्रीय संघटनांना जागतिक पातळीवरील वेगवेगळ्या कारणांसाठी अभियाने राबवण्यासाठी मदत केलेली आहे. जगात महत्वाकांक्षा वाढत आणि स्रोत कमी होत असतानाच आपण सर्वजण घसरत्या विश्वासार्हतेला बळी पडत आहोत असा त्यांच्या विश्वास आहे.

दक्षिण आशियातील कर्तृत्ववान महिलांच्या सूचीमध्ये स्थान मिळवलेल्या चित्रा सुब्रमण्यम यांना अनेक सन्मानांनी गौरवले गेले आहे. यामध्ये पत्रकारितेतील गुणवत्तेसाठीचा बी. डी. गोएंका पुरस्कार, सर्वोत्तम भारतीय महिला पत्रकारासाठीचा चमेली देवी पुरस्कार आणि पत्रकारितेतील सर्वांगीण कामगिरीसाठीचा द हिंदू पुरस्कार यांचा समावेश आहे. ‘इंडिया फॉर सेल’ आणि ‘बोफोर्स: द स्टोरी बिहाईंड द न्यूज’ यासह अनेक पुस्तके त्यांनी लिहिलेली असून त्यांच्या पुस्तकांचे स्वीडिश, मल्याळम आणि मराठी भाषांमधील अनुवाद देखील प्रकाशित झालेले आहेत.

कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांनी द इंडियन एक्सप्रेस वृत्तपत्रात तब्बल चाळीस वर्षांची कारकीर्द गाजवली. ते द इंडियन एक्स्प्रेसच्या पुणे आवृत्तीचे निवासी संपादक म्हणून १९८९ ते २००० याकाळात कार्यरत होते. त्यानंतर २००७पर्यंत द इंडियन एक्सप्रेस मध्ये वरिष्ठ संपादक (एक्सप्रेस इनिशिएटिव्हज) या पदावर काम करताना त्यांनी माहितीच्या अधिकाराबाबत जनजागृती करण्यासाठी विपुल प्रमाणात लेखन केले आणि नागरिकांसाठी अनेक कार्यशाळा आयोजित केल्या.

अत्यंत विश्वसनीय, विचारप्रवर्तक आणि विविध विषयांवरील प्रेरणादायी बातम्यांमुळे कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांची पत्रकार म्हणून स्वत:ची आगळीवेगळी ओळख होती. शोधपत्रकार म्हणून ते खूप गाजले होते. प्रत्येक पत्रकारात कुठेतरी एक कार्यकर्ता लपलेला असतो असा ठाम विश्वास असलेल्या कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांनी १९९०च्या दशकाच्या सुरुवातीत एक्सप्रेस सिटीझन्स फोरम या जनतेच्या दबावगटाची निर्मिती केली. त्यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली एक्सप्रेस सिटीझन्स फोरमने पुणे शहराला बंद नळाद्वारे पाणीपुरवठा, गणेशोत्सव मंडळांच्या मांडवाचे रस्त्यांवरील अतिक्रमण, पुणे कँटोन्मेंट भागातील बांधकाम नियमावलीचे उल्लंघन, लॉ कॉलेज टेकडी फोडून रस्ता बनवण्याचा प्रकल्प, रस्त्यांच्या बांधकामातील गुणवत्ता, अपघातात जखमी झालेल्यांना वेळेत वैद्यकीय मदत मिळणे, कोरेगांव पार्क परिसरातील ड्रग्ज पार्ट्या, पाणी टंचाईमुळे होणारे ग्रामीण भागातील महिलांचे हाल अशा विविध विषयांना हाताळले.

कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांनी एक्सप्रेस सिटीझन्स वॉर मेमोरियल कमिटी स्थापन करून डिसेंबर १९९६मध्ये १९७१च्या भारत-पाकिस्तान युद्धात भारताने मिळवलेल्या विजयाचे रौप्यमहोत्सवी वर्ष साजरे करण्यासाठी एक व्याख्यानमाला आयोजित केली. त्यातूनच नागरिकांच्या पुढाकाराने पुण्यात एक राष्ट्रीय युद्ध स्मारक बनवण्याच्या संकल्पनेने जन्म घेतला. दिनांक १५ ऑगस्ट १९९८ रोजी राष्ट्रार्पण झालेले हे मोरवडा येथील स्मारक नागरिकांच्या सहभागाने बनलेले आणि जेथे स्वातंत्र्योत्तर सर्व शहिदांची नावे संगमरवरी पाट्यांवर कोरलेली आहेत असे दक्षिण आशियातील पहिलेच युद्धस्मारक आहे. कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांनी १७७९मध्ये वडगांव येथिल लढाईत मराठा सैन्याने इंग्रजांवर मिळवलेल्या विजयाचे ‘भारतीय श्रेष्ठतेमध्ये  अन्य कुणापेक्षाही उणे नाहीत’ या संकल्पनेवर आधारित स्मारक उभारण्यात देखील मोलाची भूमिका बजावली. श्री. अरुण फिरोदिया, डॉ. शां. ब. मुजुमदार यासारखे सन्मान्य नागरिक या स्मारक समितीचे सदस्य होते.

सन २००० नंतर कै. श्री. प्रकाश कर्दळे यांनी स्वत:ला माहितीच्या अधिकाराच्या प्रसारासाठी वाहून घेतले होते. त्यासाठी त्यांनी राज्य, देश आणि आंतरराष्ट्रीय पातळीवरील अनेक कार्यकर्त्यांबरोबर काम करत चळवळीची बांधणी केली. केंद्रीय माहिती अधिकार कायद्याचा मसुदा बनवण्यात देखील त्यांचा सहभाग होता. माहिती अधिकार चळवळीतील श्री. अण्णा हजारे, श्री. अरविंद केजरीवाल यांच्यासह अनेक कार्यकर्त्यांना आणि माहिती आयुक्तांना त्यांनी वेळोवेळी मदत आणि मार्गदर्शन केले होते. कारभारातील पारदार्शितेसाठी कायद्याच्या वापर करण्याबाबत जनजागृती करण्यासाठी त्यांनी राज्यात ठिकठीकाणी अनेक कार्यशाळांचे आयोजन केले. त्यांनी माहिती अधिकार चळवळीतील कार्यकर्त्यांना आपापसात वैचारिक चर्चा करता यावी या उद्देशाने त्यांनी ‘हम जानेंगे’ या इंटरनेट ग्रुपची देखील निर्मिती केली.

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 Chitra Subramaniam Duella to speak in Pune

at The 7th Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture

Pune:

Internationally acclaimed journalist Chitra Subramaniam Duella will speak on ‘Media, Society and Governance’ at the 7^th Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Hall, off Senapati Bapat Road at at 6 p m on Saturday, August 23, 2014.

Organised by the Prakash Kardaley Friend’s Forum, The Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture is one of the most prestigious annual lectures being held in the city in memory of Late Mr. Prakash Kardaley, a doyen of journalism and former Editor of The Indian Express, Pune.  Eminent speakers who have given this memorial lecture in the past include Aruna Roy, Arvind Kejriwal, Vinita Kamte, Shailesh Gandhi, Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare, Rajdeep Sardesai and N Ram.

Vinita Kamte, who is a law graduate, wife of Late Ashok Kamte, the Additional Commissioner, Mumbai, Eastern Region, who laid down his life while bravely fighting against the terrorists in the 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack and author of the bestseller book `To the last bullet' will be the chief guest at the occasion.

One of India’s prominent media personalities, Chitra Subramaniam was the lead investigator in the Bofors-India arms deal scam that contributed to the electoral defeat of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. She is the Founder of CSD consulting, Switzerland. With high end experience of working in media, communications and advocacy at the highest levels in India and Europe for over three decades, she has experienced personal risk as a journalist, managed risk for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, assisted in complex multi-party negotiations, developed and run global campaigns for international organisations and writes speeches and think pieces for agenda-setters. She believes that in a world of growing ambitions and shrinking resources we are all staring at a trust deficit.

Listed in the ‘’Who’s Who’’ of south - Asian women, Chitra Subramaniam has been the recipient of several prestigious awards including the B.D. Goenka Award for excellence in journalism, Chameli Devi Award  for the best Indian woman journalist of the year and The Hindu award for outstanding all-round performance in journalism. She has also authored books including India is for Sale and Bofors: The Story Behind the News’’. Her books have been translated into Swedish, Malayalam and Marathi.

Late Mr. Prakash Kardaley, who had a 40 year stint with The Indian Express, was the Resident Editor of the Pune Edition of The Indian Express from 1989 to 2000 and later, as the Senior Editor (Express Initiatives) with The Indian Express, he spread knowledge and awareness about Right To Information (RTI) through news columns and citizen workshops until early 2007.

Late Mr. Prakash Kardaley’s news stories were highly credible, innovative, thought-provoking and inspiring for the people to wake up and do something about the issues he raised. Investigative journalism had been his forte. A staunch believer of the principal that every journalist must have a flare of activism in him, Late Mr. Prakash Kardaley founded the Express Citizens Forum (ECF) in the early 1990s and made it a very formidable citizen pressure group. The ECF picked up issues related to environment; drinking water pipeline for Pune; encroachment of pandals on public roads during Ganesh Festival; violation of building byelaws in Pune cantonment; road development through the verdant Law College Hill; poor construction of roads; plight of accident victims who do not get help from citizens and hospitals; drug orgies in the backyards of Koregaon Park; eliminating hardships of rural women during summer which brings in water supply crisis, and many more.

He also formed the Express Citizens’ War Memorial Committee, which held a lecture series to celebrate the silver jubilee year of the victory of the Indo-Pak 1971 War in December 1996 and culminated in the birth of the idea of erecting a national war memorial through civilian citizen initiative. The National War Memorial, which was inaugurated on August 15, 1998, is the only one of its kind in South  Asia built through citizen contribution and has the names of all soldiers from Maharashtra who laid down their lives in action since the country's independence, engraved in marble.

Kardaley also played a pioneering role in building the Wadgaon Victory Memorial with the theme `Indians are second to none' off the old Pune-Mumbai highway to commemorate the Battle of Wadgaon, 1779. Prominent citizens like Mr Arun Firodia and Dr S B Mujumdar were Members of the committee that erected the victory pillar off this highway.

Since the year 2000, he totally devoted himself to the promotion of a law on Right To Information in Maharashtra and in India and had been networking with activists at the state, national and international levels. He was one of the silent participants in drafting the national Right To Information Act and was the wisdom master for prominent RTI activists in the country including Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and information commissioners. He conducted several workshops for citizens on the use of the transparency law in Maharashtra. He started the most popular and well-respected RTIe-group called`Hum Janenge' which provides a common platform for RTI advocates throughout the country to exchange information and share experience.

Till the last minute of his life, he was working like an ant for the society. He suddenly passed away on July 15, 2007. The memorial lecture is a way of paying tribute to the man who remained low profile and lived with the philosophy of `just do it.’

Chitra Subramaniam Duella to speak at The 7th Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture

Welcoming all to this prestigious public lecture

The 7^th Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture.

Date: Saturday, August 23^rd, 2014

Venue: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Hall, Off Senapati Bapat road, Pune (Turn right after

Hotel Marriott if you are coming from Symbiosis side on Senapati Bapat Road; turn left at Om Super Market if you are coming from Deep Bungalow Chowk on to Gokhale road; Turn left at Axis Bank if you are coming on Senapati Bapat Road from Aundh or Pashan side)

Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker: Chitra Subramaniam-Duella

President of the function: Vinita Kamte

Topic:  Media, Society and Governance

Organisers:
Prakash Kardaley Friend’s Forum

Prakash Kardaley Friend's Forum organizes an annual lecture in honour of Late Mr Prakash Kardaley, a renowned journalist and a pioneer in the RTI movement of India. Mr Kardaley was known for his incisive, citizen-oriented and public-empowerment journalism. He was also a stalwart RTI activist who awakened the urban masses of Maharashtra in using RTI, when the law was at its nascent stage. He worked very closely with Anna Hazare during the implementation and for propagation of RTI in Maharashtra. He was one of the crusaders who was part of the team to draft the National RTI Act. At a time when e-networking was relatively new, he had networked activists throughout the country through the humjanengeyahoo discussion group. He had also worked very closely with Arvind Kejriwal in the RTI movement.

The Prakash Kardaley Memorial Lecture is one of the prestigious events in the city’s calendar for socially aware citizens, media students and professionals. The eminent speakers for this memorial lecture have been: Aruna Roy, Arvind Kejriwal & Vinita Kamte, Shailesh Gandhi, Kiran Bedi& Anna Hazare, Rajdeep Sardesai and N Ram.

This year we are privileged to have internationally renowned journalist, Chitra Subramaniam-Duella as the chief guest and keynote speaker.

About Chitra Subramaniam-Duella

One of India’s best known media personalities, Chitra Subramaniam was the lead investigator in the Bofors-India arms deal – considered India’s Watergate – that contributed to the electoral defeat of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1989.

 Chitra Subramaniam is Founder, CSD consulting, Switzerland. She has some three decades of experience working in media, communications and advocacy at the highest levels in India and Europe. She has experienced personal risk as a journalist, managed risk for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, assisted in complex multi-party negotiations, developed and run global campaigns for international organisations and writes speeches and think pieces for agenda-setters.

Subramaniam believes that in a world of growing ambitions and shrinking resources we are all staring at a trust deficit. Some career highlights:

• Senior Advisor to CEO and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the flagship company of the Indian conglomerate the TATA Group. Designed and drove innovative strategies for market-share in Europe. Negotiated the marketing contract with Ferrari making TCS the first Indian company to enter the Formula 1 circuit. Led on the

work of TCS’s presence and CEO relations in Davos, the annual meeting of global business and political leaders in Switzerland.

• Advisor, Wallenberg Group (Sweden) on specific projects in India including developing key networks and engaging appropriate marketing and communications strategies for their Investor Group of companies.

• Media advisor to former Norwegian Prime Minister Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland’s campaign team for the post of Director General, World Health Organisation (WHO)

• Head of Policy Analysis and Communications for the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI), WHO’s Cabinet Project under Dr. Brundtland. Developed a multi-country, multi-purpose communications and advocacy strategy to underpin the political work of negotiating the

world’s first health treaty The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) between 199 countries. This included a media campaign, another designed for civil society and the organisation of the first public hearings in the United Nations system.

• Developed and delivered India-entry political and communications strategy for the Global Alliance for Nutrition (GAIN), Geneva.

• Lead investigator in the Bofors-India arms deal – considered India’s Watergate – that contributed to the electoral defeat of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1989.

• 2002 – Geneva University. Completed doctoral course work on the role of communications as a determinant of public health. Incomplete thesis.

• 1981-1982: Master’s in Journalism, Stanford University, California, USA.

Fellowship student. Master’s thesis: "The political economy of transfer

of telecommunications to the third world." Electives included developmental economics and international trade and their impact on societies embarking on trade liberalization.

• 1978-1979: Post-graduate diploma in mass communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi.

• 1975-1978: Bachelor’s (B.A. Honours) in English Literature, Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi University.

 Awards, recognition, membership

• Listed in the ‘’Who’s Who’’ of south - Asian women.

• B.D. Goenka Award for excellence in journalism (1990). This is India’s

highest journalism award.

• Best Indian woman journalist of the year 1990 (Chameli Devi Award).

• Past Member of the by-invitation-only Washington based Centre for Public Integrity – resigned after joining the WHO

• The Hindu award for outstanding all-round performance in journalism,

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi (1979).

• Global Media Leader, World Economic Forum (WEF), Switzerland.

• Member of the Board, University of California in San Francisco (UCSF)

Tobacco Documents Research Library (2000-2002)

• Making News, Breaking News, Her Own Way (Tranquebar Press 2012)

Chapter in book on major woman journalists in India

• The Big Story (Penguin, 2003). Chapter in Penguin anthology on 10

media stories that shaped Indian democracy. Edited by B.G. Verghese

• India is for Sale (1997, UBSPD). Listed in the New York Times as an Indian

bestseller. Translated into Malayalam and Marathi.

• Bofors: The Story Behind the News’’ (1993, Viking). National bestseller.

Translated into Swedish, Malayalam and Marathi.

About Vinita Kamte

Vinita Kamte is a law graduate and wife of Late Ashok Kamte, Additional Commissioner, Mumbai, Eastern Region, who was killed by terrorists while bravely fighting them in the 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack. Vinita's courageous nature and one which does not tolerate injustice led her to investigate into the circumstances that led to her husband's death along with two other stalwart police officers, ATS Chief Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar. Through the tenacious use of the RTI Act, she along with her twin sister Revati, came upon some scandalous and revealing information through call log records that showed negligence of the Control Room on that fateful night, that allegedly led to the death of these three officers. She penned a book based on these findings titled `To the last bullet' which to date is being widely read. Vinita continues to carry out her crusade with dogged determination.

About Prakash Kardaley

Prakash Kardaley  had a 40 year stint with The Indian Express. He was the Resident Editor of the Pune Edition of The Indian Express 1989 to 2000. Thereafter he was the Senior Editor (Express Initiatives) until early 2007, spreading knowledge and awareness about Right To Information (RTI) through news columns and citizen workshops.

Armed with a sharp news sense, a keen analytical mind and a forceful writing style, his byline enjoyed the kind of stature, which few others in the national press, then, did. His news stories were highly credible, innovative, thought-provoking and inspiring for the people to wake up and do something about the issues he raised. Investigative journalism had been his forte. A man of impeccable professional integrity, he had spotted and groomed several budding journalists who occupy senior positions in the profession today.

He founded the Express Citizens Forum (ECF) in the early 1990s and made it a very formidable citizen pressure group. The ECF picked up issues related to environment; drinking water pipeline for Pune; encroachment of pandals on public roads during Ganesh Festival; violation of building byelaws in Pune cantonment; road development through the verdant Law College Hill; poor construction of roads; plight of accident victims who do not get help from citizens and hospitals; drug orgies in the backyards of Koregaon Park; eliminating hardships of rural women during summer which brings in water supply crisis, and many more.

His affection for the defence fraternity reflected in the formation of the Express Citizens’ War Memorial Committee, which held a lecture series to celebrate the silver jubilee year of the victory of the Indo-Pak 1971 War in December 1996. The culmination of this was the birth of the idea of erecting a national war memorial through civilian citizen initiative. Kardaley through the dedicated committee members comprising stalwart former defence officers collected Rs.15 lakh mostly through individual contributions. The National War Memorial, which is a premier homage/tourist site of Pune was inaugurated on August 15, 1998. This war memorial, the only one of its kind in South  Asia built through citizen contribution and has the names of all soldiers from Maharashtra who laid down their lives in action since the country's independence, engraved in marble.

Kardaley also played a pioneering role in building the Wadgaon Victory Memorial
with the theme `Indians are second to none' off the old Pune-Mumbai highway to commemorate the Battle of Wadgaon, 1779, which he said had been deliberately suppressed by the British because they had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Marathas. He dug deep into history along with history scholars and researchers and resurrected this forgotten chapter of  Maratha history. Prominent citizens like Mr
Arun Firodia and Dr S B Mujumdar were Members of the committee that erected the victory pillar off this highway.

Since the year 2000, he totally devoted himself to the promotion of a law on Right To Information in Maharashtra and in India and had been networking with activists at the state, national and international levels. His incisive articles in the Express Initiatives page first introducing the Maharashtra Right to Information Act and then highlighting successes and failures, triumphs and tribulations of the users had a major impact on readers. He was also one of the silent participants in drafting the national Right To Information Act and was the wisdom master for prominent RTI activists in the country including Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and information commissioners. He conducted several workshops for citizens on the use of the transparency law in Maharashtra

Extremely net-savvy, he started the most popular and well-respected RTIe-group called`Hum Janenge' which provides a common platform for RTI advocates throughout the country to exchange information and share experience.

Till the last minute of his life, he was working like an ant for the society. He suddenly passed away on July 15, 2007. The memorial lecture is a way of paying tribute to the man who remained low profile and lived with the philosophy of `just do it.’

Members of Prakash Kardaley Friend’s Forum

The committee members of the `Friends of Prakash Kardaley Forum' are:

1.     Amol Kardaley, son of Prakash Kardaley who is a software
engineer in Australia

2.     Anand Agashe, veteran journalist who has held senior editorial
positions in Times of India, The Indian Express, Loksatta, Gomantak
and Sakal group.

3.     Vinita Deshmukh, senior journalist and RTI activist and
Consulting Editor, Moneylife

4.     Vijay Kumbhar, leading RTI activist who was the first person in
the country to inspect documents in a govt office under Section 4 of
the RTI Act

5.     Vivek Velankar, leading RTI activist and author

6.     Jugal Rathi, civic activist working for non-motorised transport,

7.    Shashikant Mehendale, leading transporter and war history scholar

8.     Sanjay Pawar, former Vice-President, marketing, DNA newspaper

9.    Sandeep Khardekar, social activist and politician

10.     Prof (Col) A Balasubramaniam, Founder Director, Balaji group
of educational institutes

11.     Vishwas Deshmukh, metallurgist, Vice President (HR), S N Joshi Consultants

12.     Anant Nadkarni, former senior Corporate leader. Tata group of companies

13. Nandakumar Kakirde, senior journalist and secretary, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan