Mainstream Weekly

Satyagraha and Political Power

Era Sezhiyan — 2012-09-02T11:58:55Z

On August 2, 2012, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer and several other eminent citizens made a statement calling upon Anna Hazare and his associates to end fasting and “focus their energies on creating an alternative political force that is democratic, accountable, ethical and non-violent and capable of leading an electoral revolution to democratise and decentralise power and make the power structures of the country more accou-ntable to the people”.
Accepting the sober advice of Justice Krishna (…)

- 2012

The Writing on the Wall

Era Sezhiyan — 2012-04-02T20:27:51Z

The Congress should see the message that stands out in the form of the Assembly election results, on the portents it holds.
Addressing the media on March 7, a day after the results of the five Assembly elections were announced, Congress President Sonia Gandhi attributed the outcome against the party to “wrong candidates, organisational weaknesses, party members not taking serious responsibilities, and too many leaders in the party”. Further, she observed that the electoral rever-ses would (…)

- 2012

PAC: Its History and Relevant Facts

Era Sezhiyan — 2011-05-24T17:18:39Z

STATEMENT
The following is a statement by Era Sezhiyan, a former MP and erstwhile Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). It reached us late; but we are still using it in view of its continued relevance.
It is unfortunate that there had been reports about the unprecedented disquiet and discord in the deliberations of the PAC on April 28, in consideration of the Draft Report on the 2G scam. A Parliamentary Committee enjoys all the powers, privileges and immunities of the Houses (…)

- 2011

Deceptive Diplomats and Disloyal Officials of India

Era Sezhiyan — 2011-04-14T11:44:15Z

WikiLeaks was founded in 2006 by Julian Assange, an Australian software developer and internet activist. As a computer programmer and hacker, he exposed some of the secret documents on extra-judicial killings in Kenya, toxic waste dumped in the African coastal regions and the misdeeds of some international banks.
In setting up WikiLeaks, Assange wrote about the objectives of his venture: “To radically shift regime behaviour we must think clearly and boldly for if we have learned anything, (…)

- 2011

Right to Information versus Might of Disinformation

Era Sezhiyan — 2010-02-22T15:47:28Z

The sine qua non of a functioning democracy is free and fair elections of the representatives by an enlightened citizenry. However, conduct of free and fair elections depends more on having a free and fair electoral machinery, free from the influence and control of the executive and the party in power.
When the Draft Article 289 on Elections was taken up for consideration on June 15 and 16, 1949 in the Constituent Assembly, several Members severely criticised the dangerous (…)

- 2010

Genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils

Era Sezhiyan — 2009-06-13T13:58:23Z

Era Sezhiyan, a former Member of Parliament, has brought to light the documents relating to India's co-sponsoring and supporting the Sri Lankan resolution to the UN Human Rights Council on May 27, 2009, commending the acts of the Sri Lanka. Below is given a summary of the relevant portions of his appeal and the note to Members of Parliament and the scanned copies of the Human Rights Council's documents relating to India being a co-sponsor and voting in support of the Resolution of Sri Lanka. (…)

- June 2009

Credit Cards Under Discredit

Era Sezhiyan — 2009-04-09T19:32:56Z

A credit card named after the small plastic card issued enables its holder to buy goods and services based on the holders' promise to pay for those goods and services. In this system, the issuer of the cards, whether a Bank or Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), grants a line of credit to the user from which the user borrows money for payment to the vendor and thus it becomes cash advance to the user. Normally, the purchases made by the card holder are to be paid in full each month. The (…)

- April 2009

On Limitations of Pre-Election Interim Budget

Era Sezhiyan — 2009-02-23T12:31:50Z

The last session of Parliament before a General Election is normally intended to present Interim Budget and get Vote on Account to provide the government with necessary funds for the following financial year, pending the vote of final supply..
The procedure of Vote on Account which was not there under the British regime was introduced by the Constituent Assembly. While introducing the first Interim Budget of independent India for 1952-53 before the first general election, Finance (…)

- February 2009

Deceptive Presentation of Government Accounts

Era Sezhiyan — 2008-11-04T16:29:44Z

The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the administration of the finances of the Central Government. The Budget has become an important part of the general economic policy. If a government department makes serious mistakes in classification of expenditures or receipts, it may seriously distort in the budgetary allocations made by Parliament and affect the economic and financial matters of the country as a whole.
The government accounts are kept on cash basis and most of its (…)

- November 1, 2008

Appointment of CAG

Era Sezhiyan — 2007-12-11T16:02:16Z

About the importance of the Comptroller and Auditor General in the parliamentary system of governance, Dr B. R. Ambedkar said in the Constituent Assembly on May 30, 1949: “I am of opinion that this dignitary is probably the most important officer in the Constitution of India. If this functionary is to carry out the duties-and his duties are far more important than the duties even of the judiciary-he should be certainly as independent as the Judiciary.”
Prof K. T. Shah was against (…)

- December 8, 2007