ASLID: making a second home in Delhi

Hawala is a Hindi word which means a transfer of property or information via a third party or fiduciary. On May 3, 1991 India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while probing the case pertaining to funding of Jammu and Kashmir militants raided a house in Delhi and seized two diaries and two note books. These diaries were account books, which contained details of payments to top politicians and bureaucrats over a two year period. Bureau chief of Blitz Newspaper Sanjay Kapoor first broke the Hawala scandal in August 1991.

He called the Hawala story the first smoking gun evidence of mafia operations in India with the presence of agents of Multi-Nationals. Political heavy weights and public sector executives. In April 1996 Kapoor wrote a book titled 'Bad Money, Bad Politics. The Untold "Hawala's Story." It was reprinted in May 1996.

It was alleged that Hawala dealers N.K. Jain, S.K. Jain, B.R. Jain all brothers made payments to political leaders and political parties to gain favours. The diaries and note books contained the names of heavy weights such as former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi receiving 200 lakhs, present Home Minister L.K. Advani Rs. 60 lakhs, former Union Minister Madhav Rao Scindia 100 lakhs. In January 1996 the Central Bureau of Investigation charge-sheeted several politicians under Prevention of Corruption Act.

But now many years later, the Hawala case has been laid to rest. Jain brothers discharged, Central Bureau of Investigation pulled up and important politicians namely L.K. Advani, V.C. Shukla, Yashwant Singh, Arjun Singh, Madhava Rao Scindia, N.D. Tiwari, Buta Singh, Kalpanath Rai, K. Natwar Singh and many others discharged. Proceedings against Home Minister L.K. Advani and former Minister V.C. Shukla were quashed by the High Court in 1997 as holding the diaries alone in the absence of an corroborative evidence were not admissible as evidence under the law.

Former Union Minister Arif-Mohmed Khan became the 26th politician to be discharged last Monday and with this almost all politician are free of the Hawla shame. With the 'Release Order' special judge V.B. Gupta pulled up the CBI for not conducting proper investigation into the case.

However, Sanjay Kapoor, Bureau Chief of India's Blitz Newspaper, who broke the story to the Indian public speaking to Sunday Times, Delhi Street Walk said, "This is not the end of the Hawala case.

The whole case has to be re-investigated. It concerns democracy, we cannot allow few people to hide the truth and hijack parliament and the mandate of the people".

ASLID decade

Association of Sri Lankans Living In Delhi (ASLID) celebrated its Tenth Anniversary this week at a function held at the Sri Lankan High Commission Premises in New Delhi.

ASLID which described themselves as an organization dedicated to make the Sri Lankan students feel more at home in a city that is often unforgiving and lonely welcomed the freshers to New Delhi, mainly the students from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Ranier Harding was elected as the new president and young Delhi university Student Sanjana Hattotuwa was elected as the General Secretary.

I found former Thomian Hattotuwa who believes in the Royal motto with one addition 'Learn, Cooperate or Depart' to be a no nonsense student leader. He reminded the senior and junior students gathered, "we have not come to Delhi to go on shopping sprees, or trips throughout the year.

It may be true that in Delhi we may have found love, but we have not come to Delhi to bathe in the love-struck happiness whilst neglecting our studies.

Which brings to my point that all of us have come to Delhi to study." Patron of the association, High Commissioner Mangala Moonesinghe requested all Sri Lankan to get the best out of the great Indian civilization and not to waste one single moment in Delhi.

Stop Over: At the Indian Habitat Centre. Unexpected meeting with Ashok Parthasarathi, Secretary National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Government of India and son of G. Parthasarathi, former trouble shooter and special envoy of Indira Gandhi. He said, "Don't we know Buddharakhita and the rest in Sri Lanka.

Wait till I write a book titled 'The Book my Father couldn't write' I asked when? He said may be tomorrow when I retire'. So, river Cauvery is still flowing.

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