World now in early days of 2009 influenza pandemic

World now in early days of 2009 influenza pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on 11 June 2009 that 'swine' flu (or influenza caused by H1N1 virus) is a pandemic.

"On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6" said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO in a press statement issued on 11 June 2009. "The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic" further said Dr Chan.

"We are in the earliest days of the pandemic. The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch. No previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched so closely, in real-time, right at the very beginning. The world can now reap the benefits of investments, over the last five years, in pandemic preparedness. We have a head start. This places us in a strong position. But it also creates a demand for advice and reassurance in the midst of limited data and considerable scientific uncertainty" cautioned Dr Chan.

The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries.

This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.

Spread in several countries can no longer be traced to clearly-defined chains of human-to-human transmission. Further spread is considered inevitable.

"Thanks to close monitoring, thorough investigations, and frank reporting from countries, we have some early snapshots depicting spread of the virus and the range of illness it can cause" said Dr Chan.

"We know, too, that this early, patchy picture can change very quickly. The virus writes the rules and this one, like all influenza viruses, can change the rules, without rhyme or reason, at any time.

Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity. As we know from experience, severity can vary, depending on many factors, from one country to another" said Dr Chan.

On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.

Worldwide, the number of deaths is small. "Each and every one of these deaths is tragic, and we have to brace ourselves to see more. However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections" said Dr Chan.

The H1N1 virus preferentially infects younger people. In nearly all areas with large and sustained outbreaks, the majority of cases have occurred in people under the age of 25 years.

In some of these countries, around 2% of cases have developed severe illness, often with very rapid progression to life-threatening pneumonia.

Most cases of severe and fatal infections have been in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years.

This pattern is significantly different from that seen during epidemics of seasonal influenza, when most deaths occur in frail elderly people.

Many, though not all, severe cases have occurred in people with underlying chronic conditions. "Based on limited, preliminary data, conditions most frequently seen include respiratory diseases, notably asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and obesity" said Dr Chan.

At the same time, it is important to note that around one third to half of the severe and fatal infections are occurring in previously healthy young and middle-aged people.

"Without question, pregnant women are at increased risk of complications. This heightened risk takes on added importance for a virus, like this one, that preferentially infects younger age groups" added Dr Chan.

"Finally, and perhaps of greatest concern, we do not know how this virus will behave under conditions typically found in the developing world. To date, the vast majority of cases have been detected and investigated in comparatively well-off countries" cautioned Dr Chan.

"Let me underscore two of many reasons for this concern. First, more than 99% of maternal deaths, which are a marker of poor quality care during pregnancy and childbirth, occurs in the developing world. Second, around 85% of the burden of chronic diseases is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries" said Dr Chan.

Although the pandemic appears to have moderate severity in comparatively well-off countries, it is prudent to anticipate a bleaker picture as the virus spreads to areas with limited resources, poor health care, and a high prevalence of underlying medical problems.

"A characteristic feature of pandemics is their rapid spread to all parts of the world. In the previous century, this spread has typically taken around 6 to 9 months, even during times when most international travel was by ship or rail" said Dr Chan.

Countries should prepare to see cases, or the further spread of cases, in the near future. Countries where outbreaks appear to have peaked should prepare for a second wave of infection, according to Dr Chan's statement to the press.

Guidance on specific protective and precautionary measures has been sent to ministries of health in all countries. Countries with no or only a few cases should remain vigilant.

Countries with widespread transmission should focus on the appropriate management of patients. The testing and investigation of patients should be limited, as such measures are resource intensive and can very quickly strain capacities.

"WHO has been in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers. I understand that production of vaccines for seasonal influenza will be completed soon, and that full capacity will be available to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come. Pending the availability of vaccines, several non-pharmaceutical interventions can confer some protection" said Dr Chan.

WHO continues to recommend no restrictions on travel and no border closures as per Dr Chan's statement.

Influenza pandemics, whether moderate or severe, are remarkable events because of the almost universal susceptibility of the world’s population to infection.

"We are all in this together, and we will all get through this, together" said Dr Chan.

- Bobby Ramakant

World now in early days of 2009 influenza pandemic

World now in early days of 2009 influenza pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on 11 June 2009 that 'swine' flu (or influenza caused by H1N1 virus) is a pandemic.

"On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6" said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO in a press statement issued on 11 June 2009. "The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic" further said Dr Chan.

"We are in the earliest days of the pandemic. The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch. No previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched so closely, in real-time, right at the very beginning. The world can now reap the benefits of investments, over the last five years, in pandemic preparedness. We have a head start. This places us in a strong position. But it also creates a demand for advice and reassurance in the midst of limited data and considerable scientific uncertainty" cautioned Dr Chan.

The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries.

This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.

Spread in several countries can no longer be traced to clearly-defined chains of human-to-human transmission. Further spread is considered inevitable.

"Thanks to close monitoring, thorough investigations, and frank reporting from countries, we have some early snapshots depicting spread of the virus and the range of illness it can cause" said Dr Chan.

"We know, too, that this early, patchy picture can change very quickly. The virus writes the rules and this one, like all influenza viruses, can change the rules, without rhyme or reason, at any time.

Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity. As we know from experience, severity can vary, depending on many factors, from one country to another" said Dr Chan.

On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.

Worldwide, the number of deaths is small. "Each and every one of these deaths is tragic, and we have to brace ourselves to see more. However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections" said Dr Chan.

The H1N1 virus preferentially infects younger people. In nearly all areas with large and sustained outbreaks, the majority of cases have occurred in people under the age of 25 years.

In some of these countries, around 2% of cases have developed severe illness, often with very rapid progression to life-threatening pneumonia.

Most cases of severe and fatal infections have been in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years.

This pattern is significantly different from that seen during epidemics of seasonal influenza, when most deaths occur in frail elderly people.

Many, though not all, severe cases have occurred in people with underlying chronic conditions. "Based on limited, preliminary data, conditions most frequently seen include respiratory diseases, notably asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and obesity" said Dr Chan.

At the same time, it is important to note that around one third to half of the severe and fatal infections are occurring in previously healthy young and middle-aged people.

"Without question, pregnant women are at increased risk of complications. This heightened risk takes on added importance for a virus, like this one, that preferentially infects younger age groups" added Dr Chan.

"Finally, and perhaps of greatest concern, we do not know how this virus will behave under conditions typically found in the developing world. To date, the vast majority of cases have been detected and investigated in comparatively well-off countries" cautioned Dr Chan.

"Let me underscore two of many reasons for this concern. First, more than 99% of maternal deaths, which are a marker of poor quality care during pregnancy and childbirth, occurs in the developing world. Second, around 85% of the burden of chronic diseases is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries" said Dr Chan.

Although the pandemic appears to have moderate severity in comparatively well-off countries, it is prudent to anticipate a bleaker picture as the virus spreads to areas with limited resources, poor health care, and a high prevalence of underlying medical problems.

"A characteristic feature of pandemics is their rapid spread to all parts of the world. In the previous century, this spread has typically taken around 6 to 9 months, even during times when most international travel was by ship or rail" said Dr Chan.

Countries should prepare to see cases, or the further spread of cases, in the near future. Countries where outbreaks appear to have peaked should prepare for a second wave of infection, according to Dr Chan's statement to the press.

Guidance on specific protective and precautionary measures has been sent to ministries of health in all countries. Countries with no or only a few cases should remain vigilant.

Countries with widespread transmission should focus on the appropriate management of patients. The testing and investigation of patients should be limited, as such measures are resource intensive and can very quickly strain capacities.

"WHO has been in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers. I understand that production of vaccines for seasonal influenza will be completed soon, and that full capacity will be available to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come. Pending the availability of vaccines, several non-pharmaceutical interventions can confer some protection" said Dr Chan.

WHO continues to recommend no restrictions on travel and no border closures as per Dr Chan's statement.

Influenza pandemics, whether moderate or severe, are remarkable events because of the almost universal susceptibility of the world’s population to infection.

"We are all in this together, and we will all get through this, together" said Dr Chan.

- Bobby Ramakant

Council of folly - MCI

Council of folly - MCI

Ketan Desai is in news again. This time for the huge capitation fee sting operation by the Times of India in two of the Tamil Nadu based Medical colleges. Interestingly, it has been found that in addition to being the President of the Medical Council of India, he was also in the board of both these disgraced institutions.

Going in the past, we come to know that in May 2001, the Delhi high court had asked the then MCI president Ketan Desai to step down on the ground that his term as council member was already over and elections were approaching. Desai's continuance in the office was challenged on the ground of holding two memberships - one of the council and other of the University of Gujarat . As per MCI rules, he can not continue as president while holding two positions. When it could not get complied with for certain reasons, this head of the urology department of the prestigious B J medical college, Ahmedabad was again removed as the president on charges of corruption by the Delhi High Court in November 2001. This was generally welcomed by the medical community.

At that time, Dr Arun Bal, secretary of Forum for Medical Ethics, welcomed the HC verdict and said it was long overdue. "Everybody knew he was corrupt, but no doctors or doctors' associations came forward to demand that he step down. What is worse is that the Indian Medical Association has made him their national president despite the fact that he was under a cloud for a long time." He had also asked the election procedure for MCI to be changed.
An Income tax raid on the residence of Dr Desai was also conducted in 2000 where he had reported Rs five crore as undisclosed income and gifts of Rs 65 lakh. The Delhi High Court in addition to removal had also directed the CBI to initiate prosecution proceedings against him for his involvement in corrupt practices as the division bench of Justice Arun Kumar and Justice R C Chopra had found Dr Desai guilty of misusing his official position and observed that the apex body for doctors was a den of corruption.

In another case, a division bench of the Uttaranchal High Court comprising Chief Justice A A Desai and M C Jain had already passed an order restraining Dr Desai from participating in the functioning of the MCI on a petition filed by Dr Suresh Upadhyaya alleging that Dr Desai had accepted donations for affiliation of medical colleges and recognising medical degrees as also in admitting and passing medical students.

The Supreme Court had stayed further proceedings in the writ petition before the Uttaranchal High Court on a petition filed by the Centre seeking transfer of the proceedings from the Uttaranchal High Court to the Delhi High Court as a similar petition was pending before the Delhi High Court and it would be appropriate that both the petitions were hired and disposed off by the Delhi High Court to avoid conflicting verdicts.

In a recent article titled “Is Ketan Desai king of capitation fee?” by the TOI (8 Jun 2009) it says- “He has had a vice-like grip over the Medical Council of India (MCI) for almost 20 years now.”
There are an estimated 2,500 countrywide ‘management quota’ seats available in MBBS colleges, where despite an explicit Supreme Court ban on capitation fee, a rate on the upper side of Rs 20 lakh per seat is being sought making it a staggering Rs 500 crore annually. This business is completely in the hands of Dr Desai. The TOI Article shows the influence of Dr Desai through various examples of how ministers and Prime ministers have been lying in queue to have a meeting with him. After 2001, he controlled the MCI through his nominees till he returned as chairman in March 2009, after winning a prolonged legal battle. The Article shows how people like former state health minister Ashok Bhatt and former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss tried to curtail and regulate his and MCI’s powers but failed miserably.

Dr Sunil K Pandya from Mumbai and. Dr Samiran Nundy of Delhi, who are waging a long-battle for enforcement of medical ethics wrote an Article “Dr Ketan Desai and the Medical Council of India: Lessons to be learnt” where they said- “As is common knowledge, elections to our national and state-level medical councils are fought with just one aim: to enrich oneself personally. Expenditure of huge sums; a total lack of scruples; political connections; a compulsive desire to grab power by any means, both fair and foul and finally, ruthless pursuit of the goal of personal enrichment are absolute necessities.” He estimated the expense on the election of Presidentship to be around one crore rupee at that time, which must have gone by many times now.

They had wished that- “The workings of these councils must be totally transparent both to members of the medical profession and to the public at large.” and that- “Honest, dedicated and sincere doctors must be encouraged to stand as candidates to these councils.”

One hopes things actually start moving the way people like Dr Pandya and Dr Arun wish. Till that time, it is the day of the Desai.

Dr Nutan Thakur
(The author is the Editor of Nutan Sattah Pravah, based in Lucknow)

Council of folly - MCI

Council of folly - MCI

Ketan Desai is in news again. This time for the huge capitation fee sting operation by the Times of India in two of the Tamil Nadu based Medical colleges. Interestingly, it has been found that in addition to being the President of the Medical Council of India, he was also in the board of both these disgraced institutions.

Going in the past, we come to know that in May 2001, the Delhi high court had asked the then MCI president Ketan Desai to step down on the ground that his term as council member was already over and elections were approaching. Desai's continuance in the office was challenged on the ground of holding two memberships - one of the council and other of the University of Gujarat . As per MCI rules, he can not continue as president while holding two positions. When it could not get complied with for certain reasons, this head of the urology department of the prestigious B J medical college, Ahmedabad was again removed as the president on charges of corruption by the Delhi High Court in November 2001. This was generally welcomed by the medical community.

At that time, Dr Arun Bal, secretary of Forum for Medical Ethics, welcomed the HC verdict and said it was long overdue. "Everybody knew he was corrupt, but no doctors or doctors' associations came forward to demand that he step down. What is worse is that the Indian Medical Association has made him their national president despite the fact that he was under a cloud for a long time." He had also asked the election procedure for MCI to be changed.
An Income tax raid on the residence of Dr Desai was also conducted in 2000 where he had reported Rs five crore as undisclosed income and gifts of Rs 65 lakh. The Delhi High Court in addition to removal had also directed the CBI to initiate prosecution proceedings against him for his involvement in corrupt practices as the division bench of Justice Arun Kumar and Justice R C Chopra had found Dr Desai guilty of misusing his official position and observed that the apex body for doctors was a den of corruption.

In another case, a division bench of the Uttaranchal High Court comprising Chief Justice A A Desai and M C Jain had already passed an order restraining Dr Desai from participating in the functioning of the MCI on a petition filed by Dr Suresh Upadhyaya alleging that Dr Desai had accepted donations for affiliation of medical colleges and recognising medical degrees as also in admitting and passing medical students.

The Supreme Court had stayed further proceedings in the writ petition before the Uttaranchal High Court on a petition filed by the Centre seeking transfer of the proceedings from the Uttaranchal High Court to the Delhi High Court as a similar petition was pending before the Delhi High Court and it would be appropriate that both the petitions were hired and disposed off by the Delhi High Court to avoid conflicting verdicts.

In a recent article titled “Is Ketan Desai king of capitation fee?” by the TOI (8 Jun 2009) it says- “He has had a vice-like grip over the Medical Council of India (MCI) for almost 20 years now.”
There are an estimated 2,500 countrywide ‘management quota’ seats available in MBBS colleges, where despite an explicit Supreme Court ban on capitation fee, a rate on the upper side of Rs 20 lakh per seat is being sought making it a staggering Rs 500 crore annually. This business is completely in the hands of Dr Desai. The TOI Article shows the influence of Dr Desai through various examples of how ministers and Prime ministers have been lying in queue to have a meeting with him. After 2001, he controlled the MCI through his nominees till he returned as chairman in March 2009, after winning a prolonged legal battle. The Article shows how people like former state health minister Ashok Bhatt and former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss tried to curtail and regulate his and MCI’s powers but failed miserably.

Dr Sunil K Pandya from Mumbai and. Dr Samiran Nundy of Delhi, who are waging a long-battle for enforcement of medical ethics wrote an Article “Dr Ketan Desai and the Medical Council of India: Lessons to be learnt” where they said- “As is common knowledge, elections to our national and state-level medical councils are fought with just one aim: to enrich oneself personally. Expenditure of huge sums; a total lack of scruples; political connections; a compulsive desire to grab power by any means, both fair and foul and finally, ruthless pursuit of the goal of personal enrichment are absolute necessities.” He estimated the expense on the election of Presidentship to be around one crore rupee at that time, which must have gone by many times now.

They had wished that- “The workings of these councils must be totally transparent both to members of the medical profession and to the public at large.” and that- “Honest, dedicated and sincere doctors must be encouraged to stand as candidates to these councils.”

One hopes things actually start moving the way people like Dr Pandya and Dr Arun wish. Till that time, it is the day of the Desai.

Dr Nutan Thakur
(The author is the Editor of Nutan Sattah Pravah, based in Lucknow)

Judiciary in Questioning?

Judiciary in Questioning?

Justice Mehtab Singh Gill is a honoured Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In 2002 when the infamous Punjab Public Service Commission Recruitment scam came into limelight and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau caught hold of stacks of money, going into crores from the Banks lockers of Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu alias Ravi Sidhu, a former journalist and the then Chairman of the PPSC, of the many startling facts that came out in the open was that Justice Gill was also a beneficiary of the free-job boom where one of his relatives was wrongly provided job in Punjab civil service. He was not alone. There were also Justice Amarbir Singh Gill and M L Singhal to give him company.

These sad news had pained the then Chief Justice of the High Court, B L Saharya so much that he had got a detailed and discreet in-house enqiuiry conducted. While his enquiry proved the complicity of the above three Judges, it also showed him that Justice Mehtab Singh had the habit of "flaunting his official position" and "tendency to interfere in matters of local administration" and much more seriously "in judicial matters too." He sent a detailed report regarding the three Judges to the then Chief Justice of India, B N Kirpal.

The result was that J Amarbir Singh was asked to proceed on leave as he had only a few days of service left, while J Mehtab Singh got a reprimand and J Singhal was absolved. Thus, there was hardly any substantial action against any of the Judges.

Again, when the Forest Hill case came in light in Punjab, names of a few Judges of the High Court came to have taken favour from the owner of the Hill Reorts which was totally illegal and had been constructed by giving a sidekick to all kinds of rules and regulations. Yet, while action was taken against a few administrative and forest officers, the Judges got completely scot-free.
When Rs. 15 lakh got delivered at the doorsteps of Justice Nirmal Kaur which supposedly was for another High Court Judge Justice Nirmal Yadav, much hue and cry was made. The case finally got transferred to the CBI. As per the reports published by the HT (07/06/2009) , while the CBI sent a report to the Union government to grant prosecution sanction against the High court Judge, having enough evidence against her, the Union government has turned down the request saying that the evidence was insufficient. For all that it seems the case will also peter down and will eventuallu=y meet its end. Thus Justice Nirmal Yadav will remain safely ensconced on her chair of Justice.

Now, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has come up with taped conversations in which names of a few High Court Judges has popped up in some highly objectionable contexts on a regular basis. The phone tapping confirms existence of all kinds of malpractices in the lower and higher judiciary in Punjab which would have been sufficient enough to indict and charge-0sheet any other person than a mighty Judge of a High Court. J Mehtab Singh `s name features here once again.

Ironically the matter has already got the notice of the Chief Justice of India. All that is recommended as an action-taking attempt is to transfer Justice Mehtab Singh. That is way back in Mid 2008. The transfer file gets struck in the Law ministry and J Mehtab Singh still remains the Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The purpose of describing these incidents is not to single out a few persons. The purpose is to show the real situation of the Judiciary today and how much revamping and cleansing it needs. It is a fact that Judiciary today is under attack. But much of the discredit for this must vest with the Judiciary itself. In all these cases and in many other cases like the PF scam case of Ghaziabad or the Justice Sen case of the Calcutta High Court where J Sen refused to oblige the suggestions of even the CJI, a signal is going around that the Supreme Court is proving highly ineffective in dealing with the corruption cases of the High court Judges. It is being seen that each one of those Judges against whom there are ample proof of corrupt practices are firmly placed in their seats and no punitive/ legal or even administrative action is being taken against them. This is a dangerous sign and is the most damning for higher judiciary in India.

Judiciary hinges completely on trust and once this trust gets eroded, all the public influence the higher judiciary has, will get completely eliminated. The Supreme Court, being the custodian of Judicial system in India will have to realize that the time has come when out of Judicial protections and privileges on one side and public perception and trust on the other, it would be better if it chose the later one.

Otherwise, it might be too late.

Dr Nutan Thakur
(The author is the Editor of Nutan Satta Pravah, and based in Lucknow)

Judiciary in Questioning?

Judiciary in Questioning?

Justice Mehtab Singh Gill is a honoured Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In 2002 when the infamous Punjab Public Service Commission Recruitment scam came into limelight and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau caught hold of stacks of money, going into crores from the Banks lockers of Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu alias Ravi Sidhu, a former journalist and the then Chairman of the PPSC, of the many startling facts that came out in the open was that Justice Gill was also a beneficiary of the free-job boom where one of his relatives was wrongly provided job in Punjab civil service. He was not alone. There were also Justice Amarbir Singh Gill and M L Singhal to give him company.

These sad news had pained the then Chief Justice of the High Court, B L Saharya so much that he had got a detailed and discreet in-house enqiuiry conducted. While his enquiry proved the complicity of the above three Judges, it also showed him that Justice Mehtab Singh had the habit of "flaunting his official position" and "tendency to interfere in matters of local administration" and much more seriously "in judicial matters too." He sent a detailed report regarding the three Judges to the then Chief Justice of India, B N Kirpal.

The result was that J Amarbir Singh was asked to proceed on leave as he had only a few days of service left, while J Mehtab Singh got a reprimand and J Singhal was absolved. Thus, there was hardly any substantial action against any of the Judges.

Again, when the Forest Hill case came in light in Punjab, names of a few Judges of the High Court came to have taken favour from the owner of the Hill Reorts which was totally illegal and had been constructed by giving a sidekick to all kinds of rules and regulations. Yet, while action was taken against a few administrative and forest officers, the Judges got completely scot-free.
When Rs. 15 lakh got delivered at the doorsteps of Justice Nirmal Kaur which supposedly was for another High Court Judge Justice Nirmal Yadav, much hue and cry was made. The case finally got transferred to the CBI. As per the reports published by the HT (07/06/2009) , while the CBI sent a report to the Union government to grant prosecution sanction against the High court Judge, having enough evidence against her, the Union government has turned down the request saying that the evidence was insufficient. For all that it seems the case will also peter down and will eventuallu=y meet its end. Thus Justice Nirmal Yadav will remain safely ensconced on her chair of Justice.

Now, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has come up with taped conversations in which names of a few High Court Judges has popped up in some highly objectionable contexts on a regular basis. The phone tapping confirms existence of all kinds of malpractices in the lower and higher judiciary in Punjab which would have been sufficient enough to indict and charge-0sheet any other person than a mighty Judge of a High Court. J Mehtab Singh `s name features here once again.

Ironically the matter has already got the notice of the Chief Justice of India. All that is recommended as an action-taking attempt is to transfer Justice Mehtab Singh. That is way back in Mid 2008. The transfer file gets struck in the Law ministry and J Mehtab Singh still remains the Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The purpose of describing these incidents is not to single out a few persons. The purpose is to show the real situation of the Judiciary today and how much revamping and cleansing it needs. It is a fact that Judiciary today is under attack. But much of the discredit for this must vest with the Judiciary itself. In all these cases and in many other cases like the PF scam case of Ghaziabad or the Justice Sen case of the Calcutta High Court where J Sen refused to oblige the suggestions of even the CJI, a signal is going around that the Supreme Court is proving highly ineffective in dealing with the corruption cases of the High court Judges. It is being seen that each one of those Judges against whom there are ample proof of corrupt practices are firmly placed in their seats and no punitive/ legal or even administrative action is being taken against them. This is a dangerous sign and is the most damning for higher judiciary in India.

Judiciary hinges completely on trust and once this trust gets eroded, all the public influence the higher judiciary has, will get completely eliminated. The Supreme Court, being the custodian of Judicial system in India will have to realize that the time has come when out of Judicial protections and privileges on one side and public perception and trust on the other, it would be better if it chose the later one.

Otherwise, it might be too late.

Dr Nutan Thakur
(The author is the Editor of Nutan Satta Pravah, and based in Lucknow)

Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!

Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!

CHHATTISGARH GOVERNMENT IGNORES SUPREME COURT, STILL SUPPORTING KILLINGS, DRIVING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES

In October 2008, the Government of Chhattisgarh assured the Supreme Court that it would rehabilitate all villagers who had been affected and displaced by Salwa Judum and Naxalite violence. Till date nothing has been done. Instead, the government continues to encourage and support killings, rapes and the destruction of people's homes and villages.

• The Supreme Court's orders to register cases for the atrocities committed in the area, as well as to engage in rehabilitation, have been totally ignored. The Chhattisgarh government has not rehabilitated a single village in the seven months since the rehabilitation order was passed.

• On May 17, 2009, the offices of the only organisation that has attempted any rehabilitation at all – Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, run by the Gandhian Himanshu Kumar – were demolished by over 500 policemen with a few hours' notice.

• Mr. Kumar has since been warned by the SP of Dantewada that the government intends to implement a “Sri Lanka model” in the area and that he should leave the district if he values his life.

• A fact finding team of the People's Union for Civil Liberties that visited the area in the wake of the demolition, including senior journalists and well known human rights lawyers and activists, found that the demolition was clearly unwarranted and intended to penalise the organisation for its opposition to Salwa Judum and its efforts in rehabilitating villagers. The interim report of the fact finding team is being released at this press conference.

• Meanwhile, the Salwa Judum continues to engage in rapes, killings and arson, such as the attack on the villages of Biayampalli and Badepalli on April 25, 2009 when 10 and over 20 houses were burnt respectively, the looting of residents of village Gorkha on 23 february 2009, and the burning of grain stores of village Chinger on March 9 2009. Most recently, in June, village Kamaram was attacked.

• Even though the Government has admitted in the Supreme Court that the Salwa Judum is an armed organisation that has burnt houses and destroyed property, it continues its support for this illegal militia. The Chhattisgarh government has till date not made a single statement dissociating itself from the Salwa Judum, nor have the police taken any action against its members or leaders.

The Chhattisgarh government continues to engage in open, brazen and unconstitutional attacks on the rights of lakhs of innocent men, women and children.

Himanshu Kumar from Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, Dantewada, Sumit Chakravarthy, Veteran Journalist and Editor Mainstream, Arundhati Roy, the booker prize-winner and social activist and Prof. Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi, addressed the media representatives. An open letter to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh protesting these atrocities is also being released at this press conference. Simultaneously, an open letter to the CPI (Maoist) is being released, asking them to desist from acts of abduction and killing, and anything, which could interfere with the process of peaceful return and rehabilitation of villagers.

A fact-finding report conducted in October 2008 by a group of independent women professionals detailing cases of rape is also being circulated, as background information. Let the new UPA Government which says it believes in widespread participation by women take note of what it is helping to support in Chhattisgarh.