Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Flow of Black Money in West Bengal Elections

Kolkata: April 23, 2011, As West Bengal is passing through one of its toughest battles in the political arena, with all sorts of forces from extreme Left- Centre- Extreme Right aligning to defeat the Left, the issue of huge influx of black money (read corporate entry) has become a prominent one in the state. Thanks to the people of this state who have responded positively to this issue. This is remarkable given the fact that efforts are on by some neo-liberal sections to legitimise bribe-giving, as highlighted in an article written by P Sainath in The Hindu recently. The people of Bengal rightly recognise that this foremost issue is also connected to their livelihoods.
Unlike in any previous election in the state, the present assembly polls are witnessing rampant use of money power. As sections of print and electronic media have pointed out this rampant flow of black money is taking place with the Corporate houses backing the TMC. The revelations made regarding the burning of fraud receipts by Trinamool Congress have thoroughly exposed the massive inflow of such money. In constituencies that went to polls in the first and second phases there are reports of allurements offered by Trinamool that ranged from umbrellas, cash , CD players to Colour television sets. This is apart from the massive flow and distribution of free liquor in targeted colonies along with hard cash. The widespread use of helicopter services by Trinamool leaders is also an expression of this. No surprise that even US imperialism has set its eyes on the election to ensure that the agenda of neo liberalism is carried on unhindered in the Indian nation state with the removal of Left Front government from one of the foremost outposts of the struggle against the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.
After all where does this money comes from?
Gautam Deb, one of the ministers in the West Bengal, has recently made a scathing attack on the Trinamool and some of the sources from where this black money is pouring in. There is another source which has relatively not been underlined and in fact underestimated its strength. I am talking about the person who was caught with Rs 57 lakh in cash while travelling from Delhi to Assam in a chartered aircraft. Somehow he was let off by the concerned authorities though a complaint has been made with the Election Commission as well. He also happens to be the owner of Alchemist company and his name is Kanwar Deep Singh i.e. K D Singh. What is his relation with Bengal election? Apart from having business interests in the region, he is the one who hails from Punjab became and independent Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand. How? It does not require any description – he bought votes. And now is a member of Trinamool Congress. This KD Singh not only is one amongst the largest sources of funding and providing black money in the elections, he also has a dubious history and methodology of creating this money bypassing the law of the land and cheating the people.
I have a case to the point that connects his to my state of Himachal Pradesh as well. The state of Himachal Pradesh has a peculiar qualification in the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act. Accordingly, non-agriculturist, even if one is from Himachal what to talk about non-Himachalis, cannot purchase land in the state. But K D Singh wanting to expand his business interests entered into an agreement with the management of a prestigious school named Himalayan International School’ (HIS), Charabra just 7 kilometers from Shimla that he will buy the school and the 30 bighas landed property along with it for a sum of Rs 12 crore. However it is not admissible under the provisions of law. Then a dummy agriculturist in the garb of a buyer was created and a sale deed was registered  for Rs 6 crore only the rest amount given in Black. This money was paid from the account of Alchemist/KD Singh. Immediately thereafter, the school management was changed with a congruency of Alchemist management taking over. The first task it performed was to shut the school down and ask the parents to withdraw their children and the staff and the teachers were asked to resign as the school was now to be re-designed into a hospitality department i.e a multi star hotel.
However with the intervention of the parents and the people of Himachal Pradesh, the High Court was knocked and it is with such an intervention that stayed the evil intentions of the TMC Member of Parliament. The civil writ petition in High Court has asked for snatching the aforesaid property from KD Singh and vesting it with the state of HP as the deal has taken place in contravention to the provisions of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act.
The move has thoroughly exposed the sinister designs of the TMC MP and it is this exactly what best the TMC can offer to the people of West Bengal with such high profile’ tainted people in its coterie of bandwagon.
Tikender Singh Panwar for INN

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