Referendum
Shri Narendra Modi,
Chief Minister of Gujarat,Block No. 1, 5th Floor,New Sachivalay,Gandhinagar - 382 010
Shri Narendrabhai,
Namaste !!!
With reference to your proposed plan for referendum, I hereby take an opportunity to share my views as under:
- I am a strong canvasser and a staunch supporter of the referendum for decision making in a democratic manner in the country that is governed "by the people, of the people, for the people".
- Referendum need to be extensively used at local, State and National level for the contemplated administrative / legislative measures concerning the lives of the citizens and the development issues.
- In my personal assessment, though a developing nation, we are developed enough to arrange such referendums in a cost-effective manner using electronic means covering all the citizens. Technologies are available to carry out this exercise frequently for different issues of importance / issues having far reaching consequences.
- Further, I strongly hold the view that the Constitution of India that came into existence without national referendum is arbitrary, illegal and undemocratic. The amendments to the Constitution of India that followed thereafter also fall in the same category since done without national referendum. This change is long overdue for all-inclusive and not-in-pockets human development by the new Constitution of India that should be common man centric.
With this background, I hereby seek your kind assistance in using your good office for arranging a national referendum on creating a national body that could be termed as National Commission of Removal of Castes and Tribes.
I elaborate the concept as under:
- Reservation has been & remains a contagious issue in our country though the expected benefits of the reservation has reached the intended sections of the society, that has been socially & economically less developed, remains a moot question with too much subjectivity involved in the matter.
- There have been demands of removing reservation by different segments of the society and there appears need for removing reservation but it has not materialised for want of consensus among the political parties on this aspect and the matter gets lingered / gets politicised and the word reservation has become a maligned word.
- That being the case and with a view to create caste-less society in India, I suggest national level data based objective studies on the social / economic development of the Castes that are covered in the list of Scheduled Castes and Tribes that are covered in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
- After carrying out the suggested studies with involvement of all the major political parties of India, and periodically continuing it, the Castes and Tribes that have developed well should be removed from their respective lists.
- While the completion of the entire process may take a substantial time, once the beginning is made, India should be in a position to abolish the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes altogether and also get rid of the incidental problems related to reservation.
- With this in mind, I shall be grateful if you can kindly arrange for a national level referendum on creating the proposed body in larger public interest.
Awaiting considered and studied response at your earliest.
With warm regards,
-- Babubhai Vaghela
(Administrator - Google Group - Right to Information Act 2005)
The Times of India Ahmedabad 5th April 2009 Front Page
Modi plans referendum on black money
2,000 Mobile Booths At Public Places Soon
TIMES NEWS NETWORK Ahmedabad: This April, Gujaratis will cast their votes twice. A fortnight before they go out to decide who they think should rule the country, people of this state will cast their votes to decide whether black money should be brought back from foreign banks.
BJP plans to hold a referendum on the issue in the second week of April in Gujarat. The party will organise polling at 2,000 booths across the state after creating awareness on the issue. The mobile polling booths would be placed at public places, railway stations, multiplexes, malls etc.
The results would be announced at a suitable date. The referendum would be later held in other parts of the country as well.
“We have been hearing of black money parked in Swiss Banks since our childhood. There is an anger among common people,” Chief Minister Narendra Modi told TOI.
However, he said this was never meant to be an election issue. “Advaniji had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh almost a year ago. But, nothing moved. At an agenda meeting for G20 summit the issue was raised again. It seems something is stopping the government from acting,” he said.
He said various estimates suggest more than Rs 25 lakh crore Indian money is lying in various Swiss banks. “At a time when Swiss banks are ready to reveal secret details to some countries, why should we be left out,” he said.
Modi is also planning an aggressive cyber campaign on the issue. “I want to swamp cyberspace with this issue,” he is learnt to have told a meeting of IT professionals, members of his fan community and people who host his websites to devise new ways to unleash the e-campaign.
Narendra Modi
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