இந்தியா கம்பிகளுக்கு பின்னால்

India's biggest scams Worth over Rs.80 lakh crore! ($1.80 trillion)

               Compiled by Ceeteeyes

According to an estimate, the total amount of money involved

in various scams is estimated to be over Rs 80 lakh crore (Rs

80 trillion) or $1.80 trillion! While this figure is not claimed to

be a definitive calculation, it has been arrived at on the basis

of material published in newspapers over the years. Here is a

check-list of some of the major corruption scandals and

corporate frauds that hit the headlines and the estimated

amounts alleged to have been involved.

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2G spectrum scam: Rs 176,000 crore

At a mind-boggling Rs 176,000 crore (Rs 1.76 trillion), the 2G spectrum allocation scam is by far the biggest scam in India. The Supreme Court recently said the spectrum scam has put 'all other scams to shame'. The incident saw former telecom minister A Raja being forced to resign after the CAG indicted him in the 2G spectrum scam that resulted in a loss of about Rs 176,000 crore to the national exchequer. Even as investigations in to the scam -- which has now become a political hot potato with the Opposition gunning for the government, demanding a JPC and the ruling UPA adamant on not giving in -- are on, it has come to light that politicians, corporate lobbyists, business houses and even the media might have played a big role in it. The scandal revolves around the alleged irregularities in allotting wireless radio spectrum and licences by the telecom ministry to private operators -- some of whom were ineligible -- in 2007. Licences were given and spectrum allocation was done at an extremely low price leading to a gargantuan loss to the national coffers.

CWG Scam estimated to be worth Rs.700 Crores

Top bosses of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the Organizing Committee have

come under scanner with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sending notices to the Royal Bank of

Scotland in London and to its Indian representative for providing all transaction details of payments made by the OC. The ED investigation is now focused on trailing the ultimate beneficiaries of the payments made to four major CWG consultants – Event Knowledge Services, Fast Track Sales Ltd, Sports Marketing And Management (SMAM) and AM Films. Preliminary findings of the probe carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had revealed that undue favour had been shown to London-based Fast Track Sales Ltd “solely on the recommendation” of CGF president Mike Fennell and OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi. ED officials, who questioned sacked Kalmadiaide T S Darbari a few days ago on the payments made to little-known London firm AM Films, may also call suspended OC finance committee head M Jeychandren for questioning in the next few days. They are expected to seek details on payments made to all foreign consultants.

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Adarsh Land Scam estimated to be worth Rs.450 crores

Names of several top Indian Armed Forces officers, including two former army chiefs, have

cropped up in an alleged case of property grab in Mumbai. Some top politicians and senior

bureaucrats also occupy the disputed property located in the city’s Colaba area. What makes the

case even more sensitive is the fact that the complaint has been made by Western Naval Command flag officer commanding-in-chief Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin. The property that has come under question is a 31-storey building Adarsh Housing Society. The total plot area where Adarsh Housing Society has been constructed is 40,000 square metre. The building has 104 flats of two sizes, 600 square feet and 1,000 sq ft. The capital value of each 600 sq ft apartment is estimated at around Rs 2.4 crore, while the capital value of 1,000 sq ft flat is Rs 4 crore.

Ramalinga Raju: Rs 8,000 crore

The biggest corporate scam in India came from one of the best known businessmen. Satyam

founder Byrraju Ramalinga Raju resigned as its chairman after admitting to cooking up the account books. His efforts to fill the "fictitious assets with real ones" through Maytas acquisition failed, after which he decided to confess the crime. With a fraud involving about Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion), Satyam remains one of India's biggest ever corporate scams.

Harshad Mehta: Rs 5,000 crore

He was known as the 'Big Bull'. However, his bull run did not last too long. He triggered a rise in

the Bombay Stock Exchange in the year 1992 by trading in shares at a premium across many

segments. Taking advantages of the loopholes in the banking system, Harshad and his associates

triggered a securities scam diverting funds to the tune of about Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) from the banks to stockbrokers between April 1991 to May 1992. Harshad Mehta worked with the New India Assurance Company before he moved ahead to try his luck in the stock markets. Mehta soon mastered the tricks of the trade and set out on dangerous game plan. Mehta has siphoned off huge sums of money from several banks and millions of investors were conned in the process. His scam was exposed, the markets crashed and he was arrested and banned for life from trading in the stock markets. He was later charged with 72 criminal offences. A Special Court also sentenced Sudhir Mehta, Harshad Mehta's brother, and six others, including four bank officials, to rigorous imprisonment (RI) ranging from 1 year to 10 years on the charge of duping State Bank of India to the tune of Rs 600 crore (Rs 6 billion) in connection with the securities scam that rocked the financial markets in 1992. He died in 2002 with many litigations still pending against him.

Hassan Ali Khan: Rs 39,120 crore

Pune-based real estate consultant Hassan Ali Khan was the main accused in a case involving alleged money laundering to the tune of $8 billion (Rs 39,120 crore), and suspected tax evasion. The Mumbai Income-Tax department had sent him a notice demanding Rs 40,000 crore for not

disclosing funds in several foreign bank accounts, including $8 billion in an account in UBS AG,

Zurich.

Money stashed away in Swiss banks: Rs 21 lakh crore

Post-Independence, India lost a staggering $462 billion, or about Rs 21 lakh crore, in illicit financial flows due to tax evasion, crime and corruption, a research and advocacy group has said in a report. The report released by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI) found that the faster rates

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of economic growth since economic reform started in 1991 led to a deterioration of income

distribution which led to more illicit flows from India. According to the primary findings of the

report titled 'The Drivers and Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows from India: 1948-2008', India lost a total of $213 billion in illicit financial flows (or illegal capital flight). These illicit financial flows were generally the product of: tax evasion, corruption, bribery and kickbacks, and criminal

activities. "The present value of India's total illicit financial flows (IFFs) is at least $462 billion.

This is based on the short-term US Treasury bill rate as a proxy for the rate of return on assets.

India's aggregate illicit flows are more than twice the current external debt of $230 billion," the

report said. Based on the last five years of the study, 2004-2008, India lost assets at a rate of US $19 billion per year.

Teak plantation swindle Rs 8,000 crore

The plantation scam took thousands of investors for a ride and is said to be of the order of Rs 8,000 crore.

Dinesh Singhania: Rs 120 crore

Another major scam involved Dinesh Kumar Singhania, the former president of Calcutta Stock

Exchange. Singhania was accused in the Rs 120 crore (Rs 1.2 billion) CSE scam. Singhania was

president of the exchange for two terms and also a director when the scam was unearthed in March, 2001, Mitra said.

Ketan Parekh: Rs 1,000 crore

Ketan Parekh followed Harshad Mehta's footsteps to swindle crores of rupees from banks. A

chartered accountant he used to run a family business, NH Securities. Ketan however had bigger

plans in mind. He targetted smaller exchanges like the Allahabad Stock Exchange and the Calcutta Stock Exchange, and bought shares in fictitious names. His dealings revolved around shares of ten companies like Himachal Futuristic, Global Tele-Systems, SSI Ltd, DSQ Software, Zee Telefilms, Silverline, Pentamedia Graphics and Satyam Computer (K-10 scrips). Ketan borrowed Rs 250 crore from Global Trust Bank to fuel his ambitions. Ketan alongwith his associates also managed to get Rs 1,000 crore from the Madhavpura Mercantile Co-operative Bank. According to RBI regulations, a broker is allowed a loan of only Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million). There was evidence of price rigging in the scrips of Global Trust Bank, Zee Telefilms, HFCL, Lupin Laboratories, Aftek Infosys and Padmini Polymer.

Fertiliser import scam Rs 1,300 crore

The fertiliser import scam cost the national exchequer over Rs 1,300 crore.

Similar scams which cost the nation hugely include:

Sugar import scam of 1994: Rs 650 crore

Meghalaya Forest scam of 1995: Rs 300 crore

Urea scam of 1996: Rs 133 crore

Bihar fodder scam of 1996: Rs 950 crore

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The Fodder Scam - Rs.900 crore

If you haven’t heard of Bihar’s fodder scam of 1996, you might still be able to recognize it by the name of “Chara Ghotala ,” as it is popularly known in the vernacular language. In this corruption scandal worth Rs.900 crore, an unholy nexus was traced involved in fabrication of “vast herds of fictitious livestock” for which fodder, medicine and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured.

Scorpene submarine scam Rs 18,978 crore

In what is billed as one of the biggest defence scandals in India, huge kickbacks were alleged in the planned purchase of 6 French Scorpene submarines.

Bofors Scam - $16 million

The Bofors scandal is known as the hallmark of Indian corruption. The Bofors scam was a major

corruption scandal in India in the 1980s; when the then PM Rajiv Gandhi and several others

including a powerful NRI family named the Hindujas, were accused of receiving kickbacks from

Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India’s 155 mm field howitzer. The Swedish State Radio had broadcast a startling report about an undercover operation carried out by Bofors, Sweden’s biggest arms manufacturer, whereby $16 million were allegedly paid to members of PM Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress. Most of all, the Bofors scam had a strong emotional appeal because it was a scam related to the defense services and India’s security interests.

Other scam that hit the national exchequer include:

Army ration pilferage scam of 2008 Rs 5,000 crore

Bihar land scandal in 1997: Rs 400 crore

Bihar flood relief scam of 2005: Rs 17 crore

Sukh Ram telecom scam in 1997: Rs 1,500 crore

SNC Lavalin power project scam in 1997: Rs 374 crore

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C R Bhansali: Rs 1,200 crore

The Bhansali scam resulted in a loss of over Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion). He first launched the

finance company CRB Capital Markets, followed by CRB Mutual Fund and CRB Share Custodial Services. He ruled like a financial wizard 1992 to 1996 collecting money from the public through fixed deposits, bonds and debentures. The money was transferred to companies that never existed. CRB Capital Markets raised a whopping Rs 176 crore in three years. In 1994 CRB Mutual Funds raised Rs 230 crore and Rs 180 crore came via fixed deposits. Bhansali also succeeded to to raiseabout Rs 900 crore from the markets. However, his good days did not last long, after 1995 he received several jolts. Bhansali tried borrowing more money from the market. This led to a financial crisis. It became difficult for Bhansali to sustain himself. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) refused banking status to CRB and he was in the dock. SBI was one of the banks to be hit by his huge defaults.

IPO scam: Rs 1,000 crore estimated

The Securities and Exchange Board of India barred 24 key operators, including Indiabulls and

Karvy Stock Broking, from operating in the stock market and banned 12 depository participants

from opening fresh accounts for their involvement in the Initial Public Offer scam. It also banned

85 financiers from capital market activities.

Abdul Karim Telgi: Rs 500 crore

He paid for his own education at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya by selling fruits and vegetables on trains. He is today famous (or infamous) for being he man behind one of India's biggest scams. The Telgi case is another big scam that rocked India. The fake stamp racket involving Abdul Karim Telgi was exposed in 2000. The loss is estimated to be Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion), it was initially pegged to be Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion), which was later clarified by the CBI as an exaggerated figure. In 1994, Abdul Karim Telgi acquired a stamp paper license from the Indian government and began printing fake stamp papers. Telgi bribed to get into the government security press in Nashik and bought special machines to print fake stamp papers. Telgi's networked spread across 13 states involving 176 offices, 1,000 employees and 123 bank accounts in 18 cities.

The Jharkhand medical equipment scam Rs 130 crore

Major irregularities were alleged in the UPA government's free healthcare services programme in

Jharkhand.

Other notable scams include:

Punjab's City Centre project scam in 2006: Rs 1,500 crore

Taj Corridor scam of 2006: Rs 175 crore

State Bank of Saurashtra scam in 2008: Rs 95 crore

Rice export scam of 2009: Rs 2,500 crore

Orissa mine scam in 2009: Rs 7,000 crore

Madhu Koda mining scam of 2009: Rs 4,000 crore

Preferential allotment scam of 1995: Rs 5,000 crore

Yugoslav Dinar scam of 1995: Rs 400 crore

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Cobbler scam: Rs 1,000 crore

Sohin Daya, son of a former Sheriff of Mumbai, was the main accused in the multi-crore shoes

scam. Daya of Dawood Shoes, Rafique Tejani of Metro Shoes, and Kishore Signapurkar of Milano Shoes were arrested for creating several leather co-operative societies which did not exist. They availed loans of crores of rupees on behalf of these fictitious societies. The scam was exposed in 1995. The accused created a fictitious cooperative society of cobblers to take advantage of government loans through various schemes. Officials of the Maharashtra State Finance Corporation, Citibank, Bank of Oman, Dena Bank, Development Credit Bank, Saraswat Co-operative Bank, and Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait were also charge sheeted.

Dinesh Dalmia: Rs 595 crore

Dinesh Dalmia was the managing director of DSQ Software Limited when the Central Bureau of

Investigation arrested him for his involvement in a stocks scam of Rs 595 crore (Rs 5.95 billion).

Dalmia's group included DSQ Holdings Ltd, Hulda Properties and Trades Ltd, and Powerflow

Holding and Trading Pvt Ltd. Dalmia resorted to illegal ways to make money through the partly

paid shares of DSQ Software Ltd, in the name of New Vision Investment Ltd, UK, and unallotted shares in the name of Dinesh Dalmia Technology Trust. Investigation showed that 1.30 crore (13 million) shares of DSQ Software Ltd had not been listed on any stock exchange.

Virendra Rastogi: Rs 43 crore

Virendra Rastogi, chief executive of RBG Resources, was charged with for deceiving banks

worldwide of an estimated $1 billion. He was also involved in the duty-drawback scam to the tune of Rs 43 crore (Rs 430 million) in India. The CBI said that five companies, whose directors were the four Rastogi brothers -- Subhash, Virender, Ravinder and Narinder -- exported bicycle parts during 1995-96 to Russia and Hong Kong by heavily over invoicing the value of goods for claiming excess duty draw back from customs.

Uday Goyal: Rs 210 crore

Uday Goyal, managing director of Arrow Global Agrotech Ltd, was yet another fraudster who

cheated investors promising high returns through plantations. Goyal conned investors to the tune of over Rs 210 crore (Rs 2.10 billion). He was finally arrested. The plantation scam was exposed when two investors filed a complaint when they failed to get the promised returns. Over 43,300 persons had fallen into Goyal's trap. Several criminal complaints were filed with the Economic Offences Wing. The company's directors and their relatives had misused the investors' money to buy properties. The High Court asked the company to sell its properties and repay its investors.

The UTI scam: Rs 32 crore

Former UTI chairman P S Subramanyam and two executive directors M M Kapur and S K Basu

and a stockbroker Rakesh G Mehta, were arrested in connection with the 'UTI scam'. UTI had

purchased 40,000 shares of Cyberspace between September 25, 2000, and September 25, 2000 for about Rs 3.33 crore (Rs 33.3 million) from Rakesh Mehta when there were no buyers for the scrip. The market price was around Rs 830. The CBI said it was the conspiracy of these four people which resulted in the loss of Rs 32 crore (Rs 320 million). Subramanyam, Kapur and Basu had changed their stance on an investment advice of the equities research cell of UTI. The promoter of Cyberspace Infosys, Arvind Johari was arrested in connection with the case. The officals were paid

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Rs 50 lakh by Cyberspace to promote its shares. He also received Rs 1.18 crore (Rs 11.8 million)

from the company through a circuitous route for possible rigging the Cyberspace counter.

Sanjay Agarwal: Rs 600 crore

Home Trade had created waves with celebrity endorsements. But Sanjay Agarwal's finance portal was just a veil to cover up his shady deals. He swindled a whopping Rs 600 crore (Rs 6 billion) from more than 25 cooperative banks. The government securities (gilt) scam of 2001 was exposed when the Reserve Bank of India checked the accounts of some cooperative banks following unusual activities in the gilt market. Co-operative banks and brokers acted in collusion in a bid to make easy money at the cost of the hard earned savings of millions of Indians. In this case, even the Public Provident Fund (PPF) was affected. A sum of about Rs 92 crore (Rs 920 million) was missing from the Seamen's Provident Fund. Sanjay Agarwal, Ketan Sheth (a broker), Nandkishore Trivedi and Baluchan Rai (a Hong Kong-based Non-Resident Indian) were behind the Home Trade scam.

The Hawala Scandal - $18 million bribery scandal

The Hawala case to the tune of $18 million bribery scandal, which came in the open in 1996,

involved payments allegedly received by country’s leading politicians through hawala brokers.

From the list of those accused also included Lal Krishna Advani who was then the Leader of

Opposition. Thus, for the first time in Indian politics, it gave a feeling of open loot all around the

public, involving all the major political players being accused of having accepted bribes and also

alleged connections about payments being channelled to Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Kashmir.

LIC Housing Finance scam

The chief executive officer of LIC Housing Finance Ramachandran R Nair and seven others,

including three top officials of public sector banks, were recently arrested in connection with a

multi-crore housing finance racket recently. Apart from Nair, those arrested are Naresh K Chopra, secretary (investment), LIC; R N Tayal, general manager of Bank of India (Delhi); Maninder Singh Johar, director (chartered accountant) of Central Bank of India; and Venkoba Gujjal, deputy general manager, Punjab National Bank (Delhi). Rajesh Sharma, chairman and managing director of Mumbai-based firm Money Matters Ltd and two of its employees -- Suresh Gattani and Sanjay Sharma-- were also among those arrested, CBI said. Money Matters was allegedly acting as a middleman for loans. The officials allegedly colluded with the firm to sanction large scale corporate loans, overriding mandatory conditions for such approvals along with other irregularities.

IPL Scam

Well, I am running out of time and space over here. The list of scandals in India is just not ending and becoming grave by every decade. Most of us are aware about the recent scam in IPL and embezzlement with respect to bidding for various franchisees. The scandal already claimed the portfolios of two big-wigs in the form of Shashi Tharoor and former IPL chief Lalit Modi.

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There are other scams too confined to respective States like Karnataka Land grabs, Tamil Nadu

Burial ground shelter scam and the recent Citibank fraud which run into several crores. Scam

after scam is surfacing every year. Once the dust settles on the current scandals, new ones will

break out, with equal vehemence and of same size. The main reason for the sordid state of affairs

is that the country has no serious laws to punish the guilty. Resignation from the ministerial

position is considered the biggest punishment, while the culprits loot millions of dollars and are

left to enjoy them in peace.

The year 2010 is little different from the past with so many scams and scandals hitting the

headlines during 2010, virtually pushing other national issues to the background. Will there be a

respite at least in 2011?

ஆறாது ஆறாது அழுதாலும் தீராது..

- ஏ.பாக்கியம்

     

     தோழர் நாகம்மா.. அதிலும் மதுரை நாகம்மா என்றால் நிறைய பேருக்கு தெரியும். பாட்டாலே இவ்வையத்தை பாலித்திட நினைத்த பாரதியின் வரிசையில் வந்தவர்தான் இவரும். பாடல், ஆடல், நடிப்பு, களப்பணி மூலம் இந்த சமூகம் பாலித்திட பாடுபட்டவர். தோழர் என்.சங்கரய்யாவின் 94வது பிறந்த தினத்தையொட்டி வாழ்த்து சொல்வதற்காக கடந்த ஜூலை 15ம் தேதி சென்னை வந்திருந்த தோழர் நாகம்மா, தன்னுடைய மலரும் நினைவுகளை பகிர்ந்து கொண்டார்.

அந்த மங்காத நினைவுகளில் இருந்து சில துளிகள்...

     என் பேரு நாகம்மா. நான் பொறந்தது.. வளந்தது.. வாழ்ந்தது எல்லாமே மதுரைதான். அப்பா மதுரை நகர் கமிட்டி உறுப்பினரா இருந்தாரு. அவர் என்னை கட்சி ஆபீசுக்கு கூட்டிட்டு போவாரு. அப்படித்தான் கட்சி எனக்கு அறிமுகமாச்சு. அங்க கே.பி.ஜானகியம்மா, அவரது கணவர் குருசாமி, என்.சங்கரய்யா, ப.ஜீவானந்தம், சீனிவாச ராவ், பி.ராமமூர்த்தி எல்லாம் வருவாங்க. அவங்களோடவும் எனக்கு பழக்கமாச்சு.

    அப்போ கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சி இளம் தலைவரா இருந்த ஐ.வி.சுப்பையாவுக்கு முறைப்படியான சங்கீதமும் தெரியும். நாட்டியமும் தெரியும். அவர் கட்சி குடும்பங்களை சேர்ந்த சிறுமிகளான எனக்கு, சுப்புலட்சுமி போன்றவர்களுக்கு பாட்டுப் பாடவும், நடனமாடவும் பயிற்சி அளித்தார். நாங்கள் கட்சி சார்பாக நடைபெறும் தெருமுனை பிரச்சாரக் கூட்டம் ஆரம்பிப்பதற்கு முன்பு பாட்டுப் பாடி நடனம் ஆடுவோம். பாரதியாரின், ‘‘ஆடுவோமே.. பள்ளுப் பாடுவோமே..’’ என்ற பாட்டு, மதுரை மணவாளன் எழுதிய, ‘‘புவிதனில் புகழ்வளர் இந்திய நாடே பிறிதொன்று எமக்கில்லை ஈடே’’, ‘‘விடுதலைப் போரினில் வீழ்ந்த மலரே தோழா.. தோழா’’ போன்ற பாடல்களுக்கு எல்லாம் நடனம் ஆடுவோம். எங்க நடனத்தைப் பார்க்க பெரும் கூட்டம் கூடும். நடன நிகழ்ச்சி முடிந்ததும், என்.சங்கரய்யா, ஜானகியம்மா, செல்லையா போன்ற தலைவர்கள் பேசுவார்கள்.

       கே.பி.ஜானகியம்மா நாடக நடிகை என்பதால் அவரும் எனக்கு பாட்டு, நடனம் எல்லாம் சொல்லித் தந்தார்கள். நானும் அவருடன் சென்று கட்சி மேடைகளில் பாடுவேன். நடனம் ஆடுவேன். அப்புறம் மதுரை மணவாளன் குழுவுல சேர்ந்து எங்கே கட்சி பொதுக்கூட்டம் நடந்தாலும் நாங்கதான் பாடுவோம். அப்ப எனக்கு 14 வயசு இருக்கும். அப்போ எல்லாம் ரேடியோ, ஸ்பீக்கர் எல்லாம் கிடையாது. நாங்கதான் பாடுவோம். அப்படியே 1945ல கட்சி உறுப்பினரானேன்.

     1940கள்ல அரிசிப் பஞ்சம் ஏற்பட்டது. மதுரையில் பெரிய பெரிய முதலாளிகள் எல்லாம் அரிசி மூட்டைகளை பதுக்கி வைச்சாங்க. சுமைப்பணி தொழிலாளர் சங்கத்தை சேர்ந்தவங்க மூலமா, அரிசி மூட்டைகளை பதுக்கின இடம் எங்களுக்கு தெரிஞ்சது. கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சிக்காரங்க அந்த அரிசி மூட்டைகளை கைப்பற்றி பொதுமக்களுக்கு விநியோகம் செஞ்சாங்க. இதுல நான், ஜானகியம்மா, மீனாட்சி, என்.சங்கரய்யாவோட மனைவி நவமணியும் கலந்துகிட்டோம். அப்பதான் ரேஷன் முறையை கொண்டு வர கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சி போராட்டம் நடத்திச்சு. அதன் பலனாத்தான் வீடு வீடா கணக்கெடுத்து ரேஷன் முறையை கொண்டு வந்தாங்க. அப்பவே ரேஷன்ல அரிசி மட்டும் இல்லாம கம்பு, கேழ்வரகு உள்ளிட்ட தானிய வகைகளையும் போட வச்சோம். ரேஷன் முறையை கொண்டு வந்ததுல கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சிக்கு மிகப் பெரிய பங்கு உண்டு.

    அப்போ ஏ.கே.கோபாலன் (ஏகேஜி) மதுரையில் தங்கி இருந்து கட்சி கட்டும் வேலையில் ஈடுபட்டு வந்தார். ஹார்வி மில்லில் சுமார் 15 ஆயிரம் பேர் வேலை பார்த்தனர். அதில் 5 ஆயிரம் பேர் பெண்கள். அங்கு வேலை பார்க்கும் வாலிபர்களை ஏகேஜி சந்தித்து பேசுவார். அவர்களிடம் புத்தகங்களை கொடுத்து படிக்கச் சொல்வார். படிக்கத் தெரியாதவர்களை வைகை ஆற்றங்கரைக்கு அழைத்துப் போய் வகுப்பெடுப்பார். எழுதப் படிக்கச் சொல்லிக் கொடுப்பார். அப்படி ஏகேஜியால் கட்சிக்கு வந்தவர்தான் பாலு. 1946ல எனக்கும் பாலுவுக்கும் ஏகேஜி தலைமையில கல்யாணம் ஆச்சு. அப்ப பாலு கட்சி செயலாளரா இருந்தாரு.

     கல்யாணத்துக்கு பிறகும் மேடையில் பாடுதல், நடித்தல் என கட்சிப் பணிகளில் ஈடுபட்டேன். அப்போ வங்கப் பஞ்சம் பற்றி கே.பி.ஜானகி அம்மா ஒரு நாடகம் தயார் பண்ணாங்க. அதுல நானும் அவங்களும் நடிச்சோம். பல இடங்கள்ல அந்த நாடகத்தைப் போட்டு நிதி வசூல் பண்ணி வங்கப் பஞ்ச நிவாரண நிதிக்கு அனுப்பினோம். கல்யாணம் ஆன 40வது நாள்ல என் கணவர் பாலு, போராட்டத்துல ஈடுபட்டு ஜெயிலுக்கு போனார். ஒரு மாசம் கழிச்ச ரிலீஸ் பண்ணாங்க. திரும்பவும் கொஞ்ச நாள்ல மதுரை சதி வழக்குல அவரை கைது பண்ணாங்க. இந்த வழக்குல பி.ராமமூர்த்தி, என்.சங்கரய்யா, கேடிகே தங்கமணி, ப.மாணிக்கம்னு நிறைய பேரை கைது பண்ணாங்க. அப்ப ஜானகியம்மாள்தான் எனக்கு ஆதரவளிச்சாங்க. அவங்களோட கட்சிப் பணிகள்ல ஈடுபட்டேன்.

     பெண்களுக்கு என்று ஒரு சங்கம் வேண்டும் என ஜானகியம்மா நினைச்சாங்க.. அப்படி 1973ல உருவானதுதான் ஜனநாயக மாதர் சங்கம். அப்போ மதுரை நகர் தலைவராக சீதாலட்சுமி இருந்தாங்க. நான் பொருளாளராக இருந்தேன். அதன் பிறகு மாதர் சங்க செயலாளராக நான் தேர்வு செய்யப்பட்டேன். பரவலாக பெண்களை அணி திரட்டும் பணியில் நான் ஈடுபட்டேன். கிராமப்புறங்களில் ஆணுக்கும், பெண்ணுக்கும் சம ஊதியம் தருவதில்லை. சமவேலைக்கு சம ஊதியம் என்ற கோரிக்கையை முன் வைத்து கிராமப்புற பெண்களை திரட்டினேன். நகர்ப்புறங்களில் வரதட்சணை கொடுமை தலைவிரித்தாடியது. வரதட்சணைக் கொடுமைக்கு எதிராக நகர்ப்புற பெண்களை திரட்டினேன். 

        இந்த பிரச்னையை நாடாளுமன்றம் வரையிலும் எதிரொலிக்க செய்தேன். மதுரையில் பல இடங்களிலும் மாதர் சங்க கிளைகளை கட்டினேன். அப்போ பிரேமானந்தா சாமியாருக்கு  எதிராக போராட்டம் நடத்தி அவர் மேலே வழக்கு போடறதுக்கு காரணமே மாதர் சங்கம்தான். மாதர் சங்கத்தின் தொடர்ச்சியான போராட்டங்களால்தான் அவருக்கு தண்டனையும் கிடைச்சது. இப்ப எனக்கு 87 வயசாகுது. ஏதோ என்னால முடிஞ்ச அளவுக்கு மாதர் சங்கத்துக்கு ஆலோசனை சொல்லிகிட்டு, அதன் இயக்கங்கள்ல பங்கெடுத்துகிட்டு இருக்கேன் என்று அந்தப் பாட்டுக் குயில்.. தன் நினைவுகளில் மூழ்கிப் போனது.

      நாங்கள் கேட்டுக் கொண்டதற்கிணங்க, ‘‘விடுதலைப் போரினில் வீழ்ந்த மலரே’’ பாடலை சில வரிகள் பாடியது. அதைக் கேட்ட எங்களுக்கு அப்போதும் கண்ணீர் வந்தது. நீங்கள் மறைந்ததை கேட்ட இப்போதும் கண்ணீர் வருகிறது. ஆறாது.. ஆறாது.. அழுதாலும் தீராது தாயே!

- ஏ.பாக்கியம்

6.9.2015 தீக்கதிர்.