So the digressed thread has been moved and we were talking about the JD(S) rally. did we forget it, since Mumbai blasts were occupying our minds more? Anybody has any idea of what is happening to those PILs? Or are we thinking if Mumbai repeats in Bangalore, these guys and their other party counterparts will go on a rally over the dead bodies?

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Perhaps we can procure a copy of that judgement from Mr Gerson Da Cunha. It could be used towards the PIL.

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Murali Sir,

Few days back I had raised the same question w.r.t contract service for Private companies in the morning and evenings. The point was why should BMTC/KSRTC be catering to the service at the expense of ordinary daily commuters. In order to cater to such services they are depriving the ordinary public the services they entitled for. I am 100% sure that these contract would not fetch any profits. They are tools to appease political bosses.

I think this is a fit case for filing a PIL

1. To stop this practice from BMTC/KSRTC

2. Ensure that BMTC/KSRTC buses run on normal schedule 365 days a year and 24/7.

3. If BMTC and KSRTC are interested in catering to contract business they need to compete with other players without disturbing the normal schedule.

4. There should be more buses on normal schedule for such special occasions.

Your thoughts on this would be most welcome.

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A group of concerned citizens did it successfully in Mumbai:

http://www.deccanherald.com/DeccanHerald.com/Content/Nov192008/city20081119101565.asp

"MUMBAI HC, Govt act tough In the aftermath of a number of terror bombings in Mumbai in 2003, the BJP-Shiv Sena called for a general strike in Mumbai on July 30, bringing the city to a halt. The parties claimed it a cent per cent success by spontaneous participation of the people. However, leading Mumbai citizens Gerson DaCunha, Alyque Padamsee, former union cabinet secretary B G Deshmukh and two others filed a public interest litigation, asking for a penalty.

They estimated that the day-long bandh had cost the city a loss of Rs 50 crore. On July 23, 2004, the Bombay High Court fined the two parties Rs 20 lakh each for organising the bandh. The division bench of the HC comprising Justice A P Shah and Justice S U Kamdar, ordered that the two parties deposit Rs 20 lakhs each with the State Government.

This amount, however, should not go into the general revenue fund but be earmarked for a specific public utility that would benefit the citizens of Mumbai. Since then, there had been no bundhs in Mumbai like in past."

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I think we can even file PIL against Devegowda who held rally in the city 2 days back which brough misery to people.

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Hi Murali, I totally diagree it.For example in EC, there are 2-3 big companies which uses its own bus system. At 6PM if you look at the condition of traffic near EC you will see 40% of the traffic will be these company buses, rest of them include BMTC, private buses and others.Its really pathetic. If all these companies take contract with BMTC so that it can be used for company also, company owned buses will be removed from road which will reduce the traffic. However BMTC should not divert public used buses to these company transport. This is my view.Please let us know what you feel.

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Macdambi, I am 100% agreement with you for filing a PIL against JD(s) and also against KSRTC/BMTC. Take the lead. You have my full support. You can not let some lunatics hold the entire city hostage to their political tamashas. My family lives close to the Palace grounds. They were virtually shut in house for the entire afternoon and evening. Every road that pass by my house was virtually jam packed and could not move out of the area. Not even to the doctor's clinic. PIL against BMTC/KSRTC to stop their existence policy of letting regular schedule buses to be ply on contract service. Not at the cost of ordinary regular commuters who rely on BMTC for their daily commute. Also time to address the issue of providing amenities for rallies, protests.

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Syed,

I am out of the country now and the last i read was the the High Court was taking some action:

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov202008/scroll20081120101787.asp?section=updatenews

It appears that Mr Amaranathan as stated above had already filed a PIL about political rallies.

However, it is best we get a copy of the judgement of the Bombay High Court. If we are to teach a lesson to the JD(S), going by the judgement of the Bombay High Court is the best way forward.

I haven't filed a PIL and do not know the core details of how to file one. However, i am willing to be a plaintiff or a co-plaintiff if someone does file one using the judgement of the Bombay HC as a template.

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The JD(s) rally, was more a display of shame then support. It shows, how easily our city can be locked up, by not even an in power politician. This is just plain stupidity! HDK's remarks were obscure and insane. he said something about farmers having a worse plight! And children walking 6 kms to school - well, he just made School Children in bangalore walk 6 kms home! We need a law barring any sort of rally in Bangalore that exceeds a certain number of vehciles/people. And yes, we definately need a law that can stop BMTC and KSRTC from giving out thier busses. In fact no govt vehicle should be used for a political rally.I think that law is already in place. I hope JD(s) gets what it deserves for ruining Bangalore. Right now they are probably laughing at all, having achieved thier goal - make sure we all remember them!

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So having said all this, who is responsible now? Is it only JDs? or are many responsible? a/ JDs for being apathetic to public issues and being arrogant to decide to do it even when they knew these problems will sprout? (They must be supremely confident that they can handle that or kick the a** of people who speak against them.?) b/ KSRTC- for supporting them with all the transport infrastructure needed, when they did not have any business doing so, going by their mission statement; they were completely apathetic to the public needs. So who did take the call to supply JDs with all the buses? c/ All people who attended the rally showing their support to what was happening? Can the indian majority ever have some brains? d/ All the people like you and me who cry out loud only after all has happened; we were not bothered when HDK told all of us to go a different way that day and not come there. (imagine someone telling you that on the road when you are going somewhere, maybe home). Did we do something when he told us that or did we let him tell us that?.......................... Whos responsible? and how does one handle this now?

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Hi Ananth

Very much like you, most PRAJA members are not content just discussing and debating these issues. We would very much like to pursue some action to see if we can help effect some changes.

But, PRAJA is only a platform as of now. We need to build capacity. We are working towards that.

In the meanwhile, if anyone wants to pursue a PIL in his individual capacity, or as a group, PRAJA can lend technical support.

But, even as a platform, I dare say, we are beginning to make an impact. So, do pitch in.

Muralidhar Rao

PS: As far this specific matter is concerned, like Cadambi has stated, some people have already filed PILs. We will keep a look out for the progress.

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Hi Murali, i did expect more from our team to comment on the clarity of perspective on this issue. Sure, great work 'Team Praja'.. but what about actively seeking sponsorships or grants from brands/ NGOs to conduct survey among various citizen profiles in the city to understand the citizen's anger/thought/connect to such rallies or that rally in particular.. this can then become clearly the voice of people, and no court can dare speak against it then. I am sure newspapers can of great help.. especially TOI.. This survey can help anyone who has filed PILs on this regard. We can become more if we want to become more. Not that i have done much to say this, but nevertheless, that is the truth. In my opinion, democracy can be the big culprit (for people to tolerate mistakes) and the big tool (to set the situation right). can we do this?

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Anant sir, If you are willing to come forward and help carry out this survey, some of us here are willing to fund it.

But I have limited time, not ready yet to give up my day job and do all this fulltime. So I am making use of my limited time to do what I feel most driven about.

Praja, or any such tool, can never do much if it does thing for "others". Nobody can do anything for you if you don't feel driven enough to do it yourself. And then, there is the question of what is the right level at which we should do things, as in spend our time on?

Praja, or whatever becomes of it in the future, can do anything meaningful only if it aims to become a DIY (Do It Yourself) platform or tool. It should be like, come here, find help, tools and friends, and just do it. Or else, if some of us here start doing the running around for everyone who suggests action, it will all just die after initial enshusiasm.

Also, remember, that running around on the ground is not the only way of doing. A detailed report with constructive suggestions is alos "doing it", for someone may read and get inspired. Filing just an RTI and telling all about what you learned is alos "doing it". At the lowst level, the fact that I or you chose to spend precious time reading and commenting here is "doing it", because that tells us all that you and I care, we have some energy inside of us, which, someday and in someway can be tapped.

About TOI etc helping out, I am not too hopeful. There is a reson we have not converted Praja into a commercial venture yet. We would just become another TOI, pressured to sell news and make some, rather than reporting things.

For an example, we asked Lokayukta office yesterday about the recent BDA engineer bribery case involving a construction company. We were told how after spending a few days in the jail, and spending a few lakhs via lawyers and bails and *****, almost all parties are out and about. Did you know this? When the BDA engineer was caught, hundred and one newspapers of this city reported it with pictures and pomp. How many reported what eventually happened to the caught parties!?

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SB's summary is quite perfect.

Mr.Ananth,

Let me try to put it this way - Praja is a "platform" for people waiting to "take-off", & this "platform" is open to anyone at anytime & at any place at his convenience !

What we learn or discuss from here might assist to go about with our interests in fighting for our rights & making public servants accountable.

Of course, some topics which are of common interest & sees much participation are being handled by many together, too, in groups.

Thus, actionable items on the ground that obviously needs people's time & some efforts, resources, etc. must be either invested by the individual or pooled in by two or more individulas.

I think if we continue this way, we will at some point become a strong collective voice that the authorities cannot ignore - we have already made some progress & will continue towards these endeavors with support from you, as also others.

Cheers to Praja !

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This comment has been moved here.

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"What was govt doing that day", asks Bench when the JD(S) Rally Caused Extreme Inconvenience. "We are only interested in the general public. But we want parties to be accountable,” a division bench headed by Chief Justice P D Dinakaran observed. It adjourned hearing of a PIL filed by city-based Janagraha Centre For Citizenship and Democracy and its co-founder Ramesh Ramanathan. For the full story, click on:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAwOC8xMi8wNiNBcjAwNTAx&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

That's interesting, and indeed commendable.

Muralidhar Rao

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