Go after NDA men, hammer & sickle: CPM

Kher’s removal CPM’s senior Politburo member Sitaram Yechury tried to downplay the CPM’s role in Kher’s removal. He said that the article merely describes Kher as an appointee of the previous government. What Yechury omitted carefully is that in the article, Surjeet marks him out to be one of the ‘‘RSS men.’’

Surjeet’s article has created a flutter in Shastri Bhavan which houses the ministries of HRD, Information and Broadcasting, Culture, Social Justice and Empowerment—officials and nominees of these ministries have been targeted in the article. With even IAS officers not spared, the bureaucracy is also shaken.

The letter lists nine specific names, mostly heads or senior officials of different departments and ministries. It also mentions the names of 15 institutions which it wants purged apart from universities where RSS people have been appointed during the NDA government’s six year tenure.

Some officials felt that the article was directed more at Jaipal Reddy, the Information and Culture Minister than anyone else.

Reddy is perceived as someone who has not done enough ‘‘detoxification.’’

Apart from Reddy, Shivraj Patil, currently the Left’s favourite whipping boy, has also been targeted for not taking action against Census Commissioner J K Bainthia for not sacking him and instead waiting for his term to expire.

Some HRD departments and organisations have been named but it does not seem that Arjun Singh is on the CPM’s hit-list in any way. Already the PD has published articles singing Singh’s paens.

And today, some of the nine persons on Surjeet’s hitlist were puzzled at being singled out. Said Tarun Vijay, Editor, Panchajanya also on the review committee of the Executive council of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, whom Surjeet wants out: ‘‘Hate was never an Indian virtue. Surjeetji has witnessed Partition and its outcome. What is being done now is de-Indianisation of the country once again. Even Nehru invited Shyama Prasad Mukherjee to join the Cabinet. Though a Government usually picks on the people it trusts, the UPA is on a revenge-killing spree. I think even the NDA had senior Congress people in various committees.’’

Even Tarlochan Singh, chairman, National Minorities Commission, who is the obvious target when Surjeet calls for a cleansing of the commission was amazed. ‘‘I am not facing any pressure from the Government. All governments have to appoint people (to commissions) and there was nothing unusual about being appointed by the BJP.’’

M V Kamath, chairman, Prasar Bharati Corporation, whose head has also been demanded by Surjeet said: ‘‘Let them say what they wish to say. I am not going to react to their statements.’’

The chairman to the Corporation is appointed by a three-member committeed chaired by the vice-president of India and can only be impeached for impropriety. Surjeet’s objection is that Kamath is a columnist for Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece.

There were others mentioned in the list who were equally peeved. Here are some of their reactions:

• Sonal Mansingh (Chairperson Sangeet Natak Akademi): ‘‘Surjeet’s allegation that I have campaigned for the BJP is false. However, the party did use my name in some election propaganda without my permission. My friends extend from Mani Shankar Aiyer to Vasant Sathe to A B Vajpayee and LK Advani. It is childish of Surjeet to make these allegations.’’

• L M Singhvi (President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts): ‘‘I was a BJP MP but I have no links with the RSS. Surjeet is deliberately oblivious of the all-party approval I received when I was appointed High Commissioner to UK in 1991. I was elected by the Board of Trustees at the IGNCA. Jaipal Reddy extended all courtesy when I met him. I have resolved I must continue in the IGNCA, my term ends around 2009-10.’’

• Sudhakar Sharma, (Secretary, Lalit Kala Akademi): ‘‘I am a government officer for the last 28 years and, therefore, not a political appointee. I am on deputation here since 2001, after serving as Keeper, NGMA, for 15 years (1986-2001).

• Sarita Prasad, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Surjeet has also mentioned 15 organisations which needs to be purged. Here are some of the names of officials facing the sack or transfer.

• University Grants Commission: V N Rajashekharan Pillai (Vice Chairman) and Ved Prakash (secretary).

• National Council of Educational Research and Training: K K Vashist (chief, elementary education) and Savita Sinha (chief, social sciences). The Left also wants a probe into the selection of Sarla Rajput (wife of the last director, J S Rajput) as head of political science department.

• Indian Council of Social Science Research: After the secretary, IAS Bhaskar Chatterjee has been sent back to his parent Orissa cadre, the Left wants chairperson V S Panchmukhi to go. A probe is on and is expected to identify ‘‘pro-BJP elements.’’

• Indian Council of Historical Research: Since chairman D N Tripathi cannot be thrown out because of his fixed tenure, the Left has demanded the removal of several ‘‘pro-RSS’’ persons on the council: historians B B Lal, Makhan Lal, S C Mittal, G S Khanna, R S Bisht among others.

• Prasar Bharati: Besides chairman M V Kamath, part-time board member, Chitra Mudgal figures high on the Left’s hitlist.

• National School of Drama: Anupam Kher, the chairperson, is likely to lose the second government job he had.

• Nehru Memorial Museum and Library: Here the target is chairman of the executive council and Karnataka governor T N Chaturvedi.

• Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla: Already, the HRD Ministry has started a probe into the affairs of IIAS. Former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi’s friend from Allahabad University days, chairperson G C Pandey is on the hit-list. The director, Bhuvan Chandel, is also under the scanner. (with bureau reports).

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