My Fellow Citizens,

I am overwhelmed with the support and positive response from so many of you since the introduction of my periodic newsletter. It has always been my endeavor to constantly update you on issues of national importance and seek your views and ideas on how we can work together on critical policy initiatives. Citizen empowerment, public accountability and transparency are at the top of my agenda and you will be hearing a lot more from me on the importance of adhering to these principles if we are to build a public-private partnership that truly makes a difference in people’s lives.

A lot has transpired since my last communiqué both within the halls of parliament and in my constituency of South Mumbai. A landmark Right to Education Act was passed in the recently concluded Monsoon session, we had a healthy and vigorous debate on the Indo-Pak Joint Statement and several important questions on issues of national concern were raised by me in the Lok Sabha. At the same time, I have launched a number of innovations that will involve NGO’s and citizen groups working alongside me and my team over the next few years. Causes such as climate change and creating environmentally friendly zones in our city, national security and encouraging young Indians to get more involved in public policy continue to occupy me both on a constituency and national level.

You will be pleased to know that I have taken immediate steps to curb and eventually eliminate dangerous ragging activities in colleges across Mumbai and have asked the CM and other relevant Ministries to intervene. I have also included for your ready reference an information brief on the roles of your MP, MLA and Corporator with a comprehensive ward-specific map of names and contact details. I urge you to read this carefully and understand the specific responsibilities and jurisdictions of your elected representatives so you know exactly who to contact if you have a complaint or a problem that requires government assistance.

Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times we live in that the swine flu pandemic and the specter of a looming national health crisis has overshadowed all else. It distresses me greatly that the H1N1 virus has claimed several lives in our country and city and shows no sign of abating. While conventional wisdom and medical opinion suggests there is no cause for panic, we must nonetheless brace ourselves for more challenging times ahead. It behooves me as a national leader and MP to confront this crisis head-on and make this an immediate priority for not only my constituency but indeed the city of Mumbai and the nation at large. The need of the hour is to put in place pro-active measures designed to deliver short-term results as well as contingency plans for the city of Mumbai based on projected scenarios. I have already written to the Chief Minister advocating an effective policy response that includes the active participation of private sector companies, private hospitals, relevant medical experts and specialized external actors.

On a happier note I trust you all had an enjoyable Independence Day weekend! On this proud occasion, let us be grateful for the freedom our founding fathers sacrificed so we could have ours. Let us also remember that the values and democratic principles this great country was built on are all-encompassing and apply to each and every Indian regardless of religious, political, social, economic or sexual orientation.

Stay safe, stay informed and as always, do email or write in with your thoughts and ideas on issues and causes you would like me to be involved in. It is always a pleasure to hear from you and a privilege to serve you everyday.


In Affinity,

Milind Deora

Jai Hind

The swine-flu pandemic is likely to get worse before it gets better but I am confident that with strong and sustained leadership at the helm we can mitigate this crisis.

India is one of the countries mandated by the World Health Organization as having the capacity to produce an H1N1 virus vaccine along with other major countries. An effective policy response on our part must include combating swine-flu from a public-private partnership perspective; and by that I mean building consensus on best practices with private hospitals, pharma companies and government. It is vital to develop a coherent and coordinated comprehensive Framework for Action that includes a range of strategies for immediate and longer-term action. Protocols for wide-scale immunization if and when a vaccine is developed should also be drawn up.

We must also ensure that drug stockpiles are adequate, production is commensurate with projections of a possible second wave and further spread of swine-flu and anti-virals like Relenza are freely available in the event of Tamiflu resistance. While I am satisfied that new testing centers and isolation wards are being created in private hospitals in the city, it is important to coordinate funding of these expensive centers through a consortium and guarantee world-class testing and treatment. Another challenge that must be met quickly is the procurement of US FDA and WHO certified Real Time PCR kits which are not yet commercially available in our country. Finally, it is critical to promote coherent and coordinated messaging and information sharing. I will do everything in my power to facilitate a national policy response that is best suited to address the issues above and meet the challenges ahead.

Below is a list credible websites that provide substantive and updated information on the H1N1 virus. I would urge you to browse through them and educate yourselves on the facts.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

http://www.mohfw.nic.in/SWINEFLU.htm

http://www.swinefluindia.com/

The highlight of the Monsoon Session of Parliament was the UPA government passing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act on 4th August, 2009. The Act which serves as the implementing Legislation for the 86th Constitutional Amendment which made free and compulsory education for 6-14 year olds a fundamental right is a critical turning point in the history of education in India.

The Act calls for the establishment of the requisite number of neighbourhood schools within a period of three years, and aims for a ratio of one teacher for a maximum of 40 students within six months of its commencement. It makes it incumbent on the government to ensure that no discrimination of weaker or disadvantaged sections takes place which prevents them from completing their education. Local authorities are to facilitate admission of children of migrant families as well.

I am particularly happy that the HRD Ministry has given assurances that ‘differently abled’ children will be included in the RTE Act and be integrated into mainstream schooling. I lobbied hard for the inclusion of differently-abled children in this landmark Act and am delighted that those efforts contributed to these children gaining access to the same educational rights that every able boy and girl enjoy. The spirit and fight I have seen while addressing disabled rallies on my campaign trail and working with pioneering organizations like the Spastics Society of India leave me in no doubt that this is a community and a cause I will long continue to advocate and lobby for.

In case you have a grievance or believe the fundamental right of your child is being denied, you will be able to approach the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights which will now have the power to move the High Court/Supreme Court to ensure that law is implemented.

For more, go to http://www.educationforallinindia.com/right-to-education-bill-2008.pdf

Ministry of Human Resource Development Website: http://www.education.nic.in/

The link below will take you to a select group of questions I asked in the recently concluded Monsoon Parliament Session that may be of interest to you. Many more were asked on a wide range of issues and directed at various Ministries. My office will be happy to provide you with a comprehensive list of these if you want one. All these issues are important and bring clarity and purpose to policy-shaping at the national level. The answers to my questions also help me understand the complexities of specific issues and very often prompt further research. All of this is geared towards enabling a comprehensive and accurate response to my constituency and country’s concerns and allows me to constantly update myself on current and future trends. Simply put, I make it a point to be fully informed before informing you.

Click Here to view the issues I raised in Parliament

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, made a signal speech to Parliament and the country to clarify the misinterpretation spread by the Opposition on the Indo-Pak Joint Statement released at the Non- Aligned Summit in Egypt in July, 2009. The biggest development has been that for the first time Pakistan in its dossier has admitted that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) inspired, executed and financed the Mumbai attacks of 26/11.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that while India wants good relations with its neighbors, ‘the zero tolerance policy towards terror’ cannot and has not been compromised. Indo-Pak ties cannot improve if terror attacks continue. The Prime Minister said that- “Pakistan has to act effectively in tackling terrorism against India before any dialogue can resume. The impression that talks will continue irrespective of whether it takes action against terror organizations operating against India or not is not correct. It is impossible for any government in India to work for full normalization of relations with Pakistan unless that country fulfills commitment to not to allow its territory to be used for terror against India.”

The Prime Minister has also made it clear that India has nothing to hide in its activities in Baluchistan and Pakistan should put as much effort in fighting terror groups targeting India as it is in fighting terror in its Western region. In December, 2008, India’s foreign policy efforts led to the banning of the LeT and the Jammat-du-Dawa as terrorist outfits by the United Nations.

I have expressed to the CM and relevant Ministers of State my dismay and deep concern with the recent spate of dangerous ragging activities in our country resulting in the tragic deaths of numerous innocent students. If this unacceptable practice is left unchecked it will allow the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to act with impunity and strengthen their hand. University administrators can no longer afford to be callous and indifferent to this menace and dismiss it as merely “routine or harmless fun”.

The need of the hour is to involve relevant NGOs and student bodies such as Vidyuth, who are working hard to develop a monitoring system to check ragging activities in Mumbai’s colleges. Mumbai city with its hundreds of colleges needs to tackle this spiraling problem on a war-footing.

I will work with Govt to develop an acceptable via media and soon lead an ad-hoc Committee consisting of eminent personalities drawn from different walks of life, relevant NGOs and responsible student representatives to tackle ragging on multiple levels and action effective anti-ragging monitoring mechanisms. We would need to act upon this initiative swiftly to once and for all end the physical and mental trauma of countless ragging victims and ensure that no parent loses a son or a daughter to this evil practice. I welcome your active support and help in battling this menace.

Milind Deora's support to VidYuth in championing the cause of eradicating ragging in Mumbai and Maharashtra in terms of both, the authoritative and moral backing has been extremely motivational. He has been very approachable, a trait lacking in today's leaders. The most important aspect of his leadership according to me is the fact that he is open to new ideas, to change, to inducting fresh blood into the system if it creates a positive and effective impact on society. VidYuth is certain to achieve success in its endeavors with his support.

Anshuman Sinha
Founder and President, Vidyuth.

The campaign to protect and preserve our environment is clearly no longer a choice but an imperative. I urge all of you to join me in my continuous efforts to create environmentally friendly zones for our citizens and especially our children whose future continues to be compromised by self-serving interests and narrow-minded political ideologies. Milind Deora.

Protecting our environment is a global challenge but each one of us can make a difference that will result in a great cumulative effect of preserving what we have today so our children can reap a better tomorrow. It is important to combine adventure with learning and teach kids to respect our environmental heritage from an early age so they pass the same values down to future generations. The many wonderful parks and gardens in our own city are under-appreciated and undiscovered by many. I will update you in the weeks to come on exciting environmental initiatives I hope to action for young people, especially underprivileged kids who don’t otherwise have access to their city’s natural habitat and many wonders.

Speaking of which, there was a recent attempt by the BMC to revive a misguided “Caretaker” proposal that would transfer control of Mumbai’s few public recreation grounds, playgrounds and parks to private clubs resulting in an infringement of the common citizen’s right to enjoy that public space. This is a disturbing development that could deplete public grounds in a city already starved for green open spaces. I have responded immediately by communicating my views and objections to the Chief Minister and will oppose the passage of this potentially harmful proposal.

It is heartening to note Milind’s response to the Caretaker proposal, being espoused by the Mayor under BMC, for reserved open spaces. His letter to the Chief Minister was immediate and incisive. He has clearly taken note of the adverse environmental and sociological impact of such a policy on Mumbai city. We are hopeful that this concern, shared with all elected members of the Congress Party, will prevent the loss of Mumbai’s last few reserved Recreation Grounds, Playgrounds, Parks and Gardens. If lost to the Caretaker Policy and private clubs our city and the common citizen will be poorer indeed.

Meher Rafaat
Environmental activist and member, Citispace.

Over the years, many of you have approached me for assistance on legitimate and pressing issues. While I shall go out of my way to resolve your difficulties and be as accessible as I possibly can, it would be useful and ultimately beneficial to understand the roles of your elected representatives. As an MP, I will always be the voice of my constituency in Parliament and advocate issues that impact my constituents. I am also accountable to the country at large for shaping national policy and ensuring its effective implementation. A demarcation of your MP, MLA and Corporator roles has been mapped out for your easy reference and will come in handy if and when you require government assistance. Please take the time to peruse this brief and be informed about your rights and who to contact in your area and ward should the need arise.

Click Here to view the roles of My Elected Representatives (MPs, MLAs and Corporators)

Click Here to view the list of MLAs in South Mumbai

Click Here to view the list of Corporators in South Mumbai

I am in the throes of working out the modalities of an Annual Winter Parliamentary Visit for students in my constituency and hope to launch this in December this year. This will present an exciting educational opportunity for my younger constituents to understand and appreciate how their country and Government functions. I will take the delegation on a personalized tour through the halls of parliament, introduce them to national leaders across the political divide and make their visit as enjoyable and memorable as I can. My team and I will keep you posted on this event and more in the pipeline.