MONTH-IN-PERSPECTIVE
NEW DELHI: Nine lives were lost on 2nd April for a cause which could have been addressed without violence. The alleged dilution of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, by the 20th March Supreme Court ruling is the reason for this violent protest.
Under pressure due to the sudden display of violent protest probably, the NDA government in Delhi approached the apex court for a review of the 20th March ruling, on 2nd April itself.
Appreciating the seriousness of the issue the Supreme Court deliberated upfront, however defended its ruling, stating “An innocent should not be punished. There should not be terror in society. We do not want any member of SC/ST to be deprived of his rights. We only want an innocent not to be punished” while asking, “Does the Act mandate the arrest of innocent person?”
It’s a good question and all political parties and their leaders should understand this. But sadly it’s the politics of opportunism that prompted these leaders to go to the town, literally instigating Dalits to protest violently. And see the result. Clearly these opposition leaders are responsible for this death of 9 persons. No wonder amicus curiae Amrendra Sharan reportedly stated that vested interest were fuelling protest.
Its indeed very unfortunate that these deaths have happened purely due to the completely avoidable competitive politics of leaders.
What next? Now that the apex court has turned down the review petition! Apex Court had in its ruling blamed SC/ST for the misuse of the provisions of SC/ST (PoA) Act. While we are about it, the blame that court thought to put squarely at the door of the misusers of the act, is fairly well grounded. There have been instances, where police had picked up people on mere compliant of using some derogatory words, which may not have been used at all.
Indeed while respecting the feeling of the affected section of society-there should not be any misuse of the provisions of the law as a means of settling some scores. Hope Kharges, Ghulam Nabi Azads and Mayavathis of India understand this. This violent protest has only weakened their cause.
NEW DELHI: Can you believe during a 10 year period between 1997 & 2007, BCCI enjoyed tax exemption to the extent of some 2170 crores of rupees. By any stretch of imagination, it is very huge money. This amount does not include the period before 1997 and years, 2007/8, 2008/9 and 2009/10, during which period, as a registered charity organization, BCCI enjoyed the state largesse including land at paltry lease amounts. It was only in December 2009, this income tax exemption was withdrawn.
So, if on an avarage, it had some 220 crores a year tax burden, how much it could have earned, spent and distributed among its officials and players? It would be really staggering.
Hence, if early this month, the Law Commission, the Union government’s highest law advisory body, has concluded and recommended that Board of Control for Cricket in India should be a public body, it is fully and completely justified.
Like a print media puts it “The board’s monopolistic activities, directly and indirectly, affect the fundamental rights of citizens, players and other functionaries”
Indeed BCCI indulges in monopolistic tendencies besides restrictive practices and is having non-transparent financial transactions. Being autonomous and in proximity to the power that be it has remained without any accountability for its acts of commission and omission. It is time that it is brought under the ambit of Right to Information Act so that all stake holders, especially the cricket crazy general public have a right to know what is happening in the world’s richest and most powerful cricket body.
Hope, the government of the day, its Ministry of Law, will take the call and ensure to act as quickly as possible to make BCCI a public body accountable to the state and its public in all its wheeling dealing which hither to had a cloak of secrecy. Two cheers to Law Commission for its path breaking recommendation.
NEW DELHI: As a nation we are passing through a phase of strong emotional responses. Of course every emotional outburst is not necessarily same in basics. Since about a month, the nation, as a whole, has been witnessing news about physical assault of minor girl children. We all recognize that these victims of time and circumstances are vulnerable both physically and mentally and thus become easy fodder to the animal lust of men, who could be at times as old as victim’s grandfather. Prima facie, such acts of physical violence of minor children is a crime punishable with stringent punitive measures. No wonder under the persistent public outrage on such attacks Union government cleared an ordinance to amend the POCSO- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, to include death for those who sexually attack children below 12 years of age. The ordinance has also made the existing provisions of imprisonment longer for ages above 12. Clearly there is an intention to address the seriousness of the issue. It is also true that many state governments have enacted similar initiatives earlier.
However, what is disturbing is the open show of differences with the government without suggesting alternatives to address the issue. No sooner the government passed an ordinance, Vrinda Grover, an activist lawyer, went to the market to state “Death penalty will deter reporting”, while adding that since most of the times these sexual assaults takes place within the family, the family may not report it to avoid death sentence to its wayward relation. Now this is outlandish. They wouldn’t have reported even if there is no death sentence, if their mindset is such. So it is, truly, their call, what can the government do? Another, one Bharti Ali of Centre for Child Rights, reportedly remarked “What is the hurry? Why can’t we have consultative process including constitutional process?” etc. You do not act, you are damned, you act, and you are damned! That is the tragedy of government in power. This is democracy or can we say Yeh Mera India.
NEW DELHI: In the middle of the cacophony surrounding the recent rapes in North India, a Union Minister Santosh Gangwar was reported to have remarked as the print media headlines suggested “Don’t create fuss over a couple of rapes”.
If true, it is indeed the lowest ebb to which political class can stoop to. It is patently wrong and height of insensitivity to reduce a physical attack on the persona of a woman or a girl child, to statistics as “one or two rapes”, as reported in the print media.
Although this Gangwar has gone to town telling that media has taken his ‘remark out of context’ and therefore misinterpreted, there cannot be any justification for such a statement at all. The remark is an indication of the lack of seriousness in appreciating the issue itself. There should be zero tolerance of rapes. Therefore this Santosh Gangwar should apologise for this utterly condemnable remark by him.
However, here the duplicity of media needs to be highlighted and exposed. How media could have forgotten the brazen statement of Erambala Krishnan Nayanar of Communist Party of India, knows as E K Nayanar, as the Chief Minister of Kerala, sometime in 2000? He had infamously remarked then, “In Kerala rapes happen every day”, and had dismissed a question from a journalist reporting on a rape happened in Kerala’s Wayanad area around that time.
So the political class, whether BJP or BJP hating Communists, are same, when it comes to serious issues of social concern.
And how media has conveniently forgotten it? Was it because E K Nayanar was a communist? This is the blatant double standard of our friends in the media, take it or leave it.
NEW DELHI: Our social media is full of men and women, who take some cynical pleasure in portraying Narendra Modi and RSS very poorly; whether there is any reason or not. Of course they include Hindus, Christians and Muslims. Where it is due one can surely criticize and if there is any good to admire, one can be petty and not praise. But, for heaven’s sake do not condemn just for fun. Yes we are a free country and even fake news from media is passe.
Here comes this news “Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are meeting: No formalities and no assistants only interpreters”. The Summit between the two will be on Friday, the 27th April at Wuhan China. Xi Jinping is the most powerful Chinese of all times. Now, competing for Numero Uno status in the world, with Donald Trump of the U.S. But Chinese President is open to meet PM Narendra Modi without agenda. Surely it is not an invitation to have coffee or dinner together, because the Chinese President has some free time and it is a PR exercise! Clearly, it is a recognition that India cannot be taken for granted or brow beaten, and therefore it is apparently an attempt to start and develop “CONVERSATION WITHOUT CONFRONTATION! We have many areas of differences and concerns and yet Chinese leadership thinks we can do business with India. Do you think, the 4 year old leadership of Narendra Modi has something to do with this latest development?! This particular meeting can be the harbinger of a new and meaningful friendship between India and China of coming tomorrow.
NEW DELHI: Post Unnao case involving an MLA, on the charge of rape there has been nationwide debate about making these people’s representatives accountable for their crime. ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) is an NGO involved in suggestions for the improvement of governance. After the national outrage on Unnao rape incident and the accused MLA playing hide and seek with authorities and police themselves going slow and being unhelpful to victim, forced this NGO to carry a study of our MLAs and MPs and their wayward private life.
ADR found out, that there are 1580 MPs and MLAs with criminal cases against them of which 48 have declared cases related to crime against women. Of this 45 were MLAs and 3 MPs.
These 48 law makers are facing charges related to assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping, abducting or inducing women to force her into marriage, rape, domestic violence and trafficking.
Giving party wise details ADR has reported that the No.1 national party BJP is also No.1 with highest number of such cases registered against their MPs and MLAs. Reportedly BJP has 12 members accused of such wrong doings, followed by 7 from Shiv Sena and TMC with 6 at third.
In the absence of complete details, involvement of other parties is unknown. But this party with a difference has proved, it is indeed a party with a difference at least in this one respect. Clearly quite a few of BJP law makers are weak kneed when it comes to opposite sex. It is a matter to feel ashamed for those who are better and gentlemanly. Hope those who are better pull these rogues out of their sick state of mind. With no woman man NAMO being their top political leader in power it should not be difficult. Hope party leadership takes this sad state of affairs seriously.
UTTAR PRADESH: The reports of BJP MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is publicly accused of rape and now killing of victim’s father, remaining beyond the ‘reach’ of law in UP is a very poor reflection on NAMO/SHAH leadership of this ruling National Party.
The NAMO/SHAH duo combine do not seem to have learnt from the upfront response of Congress President Rahul Gandhi in treating a similar kind of politician in Mohammed Haris Nalapad, by suspending him from the presidentship of Karnataka Youth Congress. This Nalapad is in jail. What stops NAMO/SHAH combine in taking prompt and effective action instead of mouthing verbose by mere yelling at them. This, clearly biased approach, is going to hurt BJP, take it or leave it.
Of course, the Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adhityanath has proved once again an incompetent manager of issues of serious concern. With police acting completely partisan, administration in UP is being reduced to a laughing stock. Just encounter killing of anti socials including some small time criminals like pick pockets etc is not going to improve the law and order situation. Emboldened by these ‘encounters’, the police in UP have taken their partisan behaviour to next level. Police in UP failed to act against the MLA on this ‘rape of minor’, instead police arrested the father of this minor victim, on a counter complaint by the accused, despite him being badly beaten and injured by the brother of the accused. And this badly injured father of the victim died in police custody. It is a matter of extreme shame that police in UP have slipped to such poor levels of ignominy.
Now that the NHRC has taken a suo moto stand and asked the Chief Secretary of UP to report back on the entire episode, will CM Yogi and his bosses NAMO/SHAH in Delhi act with some sense of purpose!?
MAHARASHTRA: Shiv Kumar Dhige, the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra (CCM) needs to be congratulated for his singular initiative in attempting to make Maharashtra State- first beggar-free state in the country. Reportedly there are over 70,000 beggars all across Maharashtra and CCM plans to rehabilitate all of them, those who are physically fit and those who are handicapped as well. In an initiative joined hands with some governmental, NGOs and some 20/25 high net worth individuals, CCM is planning to set up vocational training units for these beggars being rehabilitated.
Among the government departments are Maharashtra police who have details of homeless living on the street, so also Department of Women and Child Development of Maharashtra government.
A pilot project covering some 20000 beggars in and around Mumbai is being targeted in the first phase. According to CCM Shiv Kumar Dhige, “Officials and all participating organizations will take forward this unique plan, involving both vocational training and education that extends not just to adults but also thousands of minor children. Several NGOs of the state will start skill development and train these impoverished persons into a new workforce and schooling for those below 18 years of age”. This kind of, suo moto, initiative is unheard of, and deserves all support from all who are concerned about the future of the most vulnerable in our society, the beggars. Hope and wish, this unique effort from an idealistic IAS officer from Maharashtra see fruition in the shortest possible time in the coming days and weeks.
MAHARASHTRA: When the opposition is looking for issues to fix the ruling government, an expenditure of Rs.3.34 crore, for tea and snacks for the Chief Ministers office, is surely a matter to be exploited.
No wonder, Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress has gone to the town asking ‘what kind of tea is Devendra Fadnavis is drinking? Could it be golden tea?’ was his acerbic response. According to the report datelined Mumbai, quoting Sanjay Nirupam, 18591 cups of tea was served in the CM’s office every day during 2016/17. By any stretch of imagination this is staggering.
Accordingly the news paper had titled the report “Storm in the tea cup or yet another scam” in the making?
In the year 2015-16, expenditure as per the RTI query was Rs.58 laks and it increased Rs.3.34 crores, close to 6 times or some 580% rise in 2016/17.
Is it a case of inflated billing by the CMO? Or at least that is what opposition Congress is accusing CMO of. Seeing the amount of reported expenditure and no response from the Chief Ministers office to the accusation by the opposition Congress leader, some creditability is lent to the RTI expose.
MAHARASHTRA: In every system of government there are those who do not need help from the government. Then there are those who need help but are not dependent on government. They manage to remain afloat with their own sources and resources without complaining. Then there are those who need help and expect the government to help them and make noise for help. Then there are those who are nowhere people. They have nobody to look after them, nor do they have any expectation of help from government or any other sources. They are children of God, destitute, orphans, homeless and those mentally and physically challenged with no relations taking care of them.
These children of God, as Bombay High Court observed the other day, “mentally challenged relying on God’s mercy”.
A report datelined Mumbai informed that some 350 mentally challenged children and some adults are in seven correction homes of Mumbai with no basic amenities in those homes. There is no separate dedicated shelter home for these unfortunate victims of time and circumstances, in the entire city of Mumbai.
Reportedly the HC was hearing a PIL regarding the callous misuse of one of the correction homes for drink parties with dancers in attendances and inmates were made to serve liquor etc. An upset court pulled up the government in Mumbai Sachivalay and had reportedly remarked “Looking at the record placed before us, we think these children are at the mercy of God. It is shocking to see only one attendant and two house keepers were there to look after these 350 children, when there are so many vacancies lying vacant for years”. Angered at being told that there is no land in the city free for shelter homes, court ordered the government to construct and provide a shelter home for these children as soon as possible and asked the government to submit its programme of rehabilitation of those mentally challenged children as soon as possible. If only courts were not there, the selfish political class with the active participation of insensitive babus could have killed the humane side of governance. This is Yeh Mera India.
ANDHRA PRADESH: Opportunistic politicians have an uncanny ability to create issues where there is none! Or else, how can a board constituted by the government to manage one religious institution have a member from an alien religion? It is patently wrong, except to create an issue which is truly speaking not there, by making the faithfuls upset.
A Tirumala datelined news said “Anitha’s nomination to TTD board kicks up row”. Reportedly, the inclusion of a person belonging to a faith other than Hindu in the newly constituted TTD ( Tirumala Tirupathi Devaswom) Board, Payakaraopeta MLA Vengalapudi Anitha, has raised serious doubts against the very principles on which the TTD board was formed. According to TTD Act, any pilgrim who belongs to an alien faith has to give a written declaration stating that he/she has got faith in Lord Venkateshwara before being allowed for darshan into the temple. When this is the case, how can this MLA be made a member of the highest decision making authority of TTD, who has publicly and openly proclaimed that she does not belong to Hindu religion and belongs to other religion?
Now this is clearly fishing in the troubled water by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. He should not be doing this only to spite the Central government led by BJP, to serve his political ends of scoring brownie points, especially when he had accused in the past Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy, the former Andhra CM, of defiling the environment around TTD. Just a day before the sad end of Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy in a helicopter crash, Chandrababu Naidu was reported to have remarked “Balaji is a powerful deity; Reddy will pay for his sins”. The incumbent CM of Andhra has the benefit of history and his own wisdom to act fairly and squarely in matters of this nature. Hope he acts, in the larger interest of unrest-free atmosphere in his state. It is an issue involving the faith of locals.
KERALA: Kerala was the first state to have an elected Communist government in India. It had its issues relating to the people from lower caste. But due to the high literacy rate, it acquired a logo of being a progressive state, for its fight for equity in social intercourse. Thus over a period it emerged as a 100% literate state with better health indices, better condition of women and children, increased awareness of rights of its people etc. It was a model state in the empowerment of ordinary people.
However, occasionally Kerala gets into news for some wrong reason. Some months ago Kerala was in the news for one such wrong reason. ‘Communism as a form government believes in equality where all are equal but some are more equal than others’, theorised George Orwell in his seminal work ANIMAL FARM. Reportedly Kerala Assembly Speaker, belonging to the ruling Communist Party of India, P. Sriramakrishnan, had purchased a spectacle for some Rs.50000/- and got the amount reimbursed by the state government. For a cash strapped state like Kerala, it was a burden that could have been avoided. Report also informed that in the past he had Rs.4.25 lakh got reimbursed for an earlier period of 15 months. Clearly Communists in Kerala were proving George Orwell right.
Now this man P. Sriramakrishnan who is from communist cadre, should have known that Kerala had likes of Namboodiripad, who as a chief minister went to his office in a bicycle. How can he charge the state exchequer such huge sums of money, which truly speaking state could ill afford? And communists are talking about equity! This is naked double standard. Surely all are aware, that best branded spectacles are available for less than 5000 rupees both for lens and frame. In this case reportedly, the lens cost Rs.45000/- and Rs.4900 for frame. Clearly this is outlandish. Hence this Kerala Assembly speaker P. Sriramakrishnan should be made accountable for his irresponsible financial conduct. Report had also informed that the RTI activist DB Binu had asked for copies of bills for this expenditure, but was not given. He is planning to approach the state information commission for the incomplete information received from legislature secretariat. Hope SCC would accede to his request and make available all relevant particulars of this speaker’s medical bills. But the question is, when shall politicians be made accountable for their wayward profligacy?
WORLD: Writing from Stuttgart Emran Feroz writes on “A spectre is haunting Germany”. He was generally commenting on the kind of attacks on Muslim migrants in Germany. He was accusing Right wing violence for the attack.
Surely, nobody anywhere should be violently attacked, why only in Germany. According to him Horst Schafer, German Home Minister, had said “Islam is not a part of Germany” and that German politicians and government official are apathetic to this issue. Emran Feroz also accuses German media as well for the growing Islamophobia.
While, he has all narration about who all add to the woes of Muslims in Germany, he never tries to explain, could there be any reason for this attacks on Muslims? Nor does he make any attempt to find out why only Muslims are attacked in Germany, while Germany could have taken in people from different ethnic background as immigrants. They seem not to be complaining, or they are comfortable living in Germany. There is no news about anybody attacking them in Germany. So logically there must be some reasons why Muslims guests as immigrants are not welcome in Germany! Emran Feroz as a free lance journalist has a responsibility to go to the depth of the issue than just accuse Germany and Germans. Every problem has two sides. We have heard only one side and the other side needs to be heard as well. Emran Feroz could you please enlighten why Germans are doing what you accuse them of doing?
WORLD: During the annual press conference on the sidelines of parliamentary session, early this month, Chinese Foreign Minister made a significant statement in Beijing, referring to India. “With political trust, not even Himalayas can stop us from friendly exchanges. Without it, not even level land can bring us together. Indian elephant and Chinese dragon must dance together”. Foreign Minister Wang Yi was responding to a question; how China views relation with India in 2018, despite the turbulence of 2017? According to him “If China and India are united, one plus one will become eleven instead of two”, he had added.
It isn’t as hunky dory as is made out by Wang Yi! Many years ago, when George Fernandes was the NDA government’s Defense Minister of India, he had made a very startling observation that “China is India’s enemy No: 1”. The entire country expressed outrage of disbelief, especially all opposition parties including Congress. But all subsequent development has proved him largely nearer truth.
With many large infrastructural investment by China, in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and now in Maldives, China’s CPEC projects of over US $50 billion, passing through disputed Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, and the Belt & Road Initiative are expression of their huge financial clout and they want India to be part of it.
Yes, China wants India to be friendly with it, but on its own terms. It will never accept India as its equal politically, if not economically. While it does recognize that India is not a push-over and that Pakistan is not a match for India, it will never take Indian sensitivities against Pakistan seriously and yet it harps India should be friendly with China.
While it is true that any association between the two can be eleven (11) instead of two (2), it has it serious dimension of hick-ups. And China is not likely to address them, unless it is completely disillusioned with Pakistan. As of now, it is unlikely; hence any meaningful friendship with China too looks distant.
WORLD : So, the Muslim world is opening after all, led by the indomitable Saudi Arabia itself. It is indeed commendable.
In a latest of liberalization on shifting of its rigid stands, the crown prince and defacto leader of Saudi Arabia has reportedly remarked “Israel has right to its land” attributing to Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
Speaking to the editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, a US news magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg, Prince was reported to have remarked to a question whether the Jewish people have a right to a nation state in at least part of their ancestral homeland? “I believe that each people anywhere, have a right to live in their peaceful nation”. Both Israel and Palestinians have the right to have their own land”, was his considered reply.
This was a clear shift, in an otherwise moribund, no diplomatic contact environment, ever since Israel was created in 1948.
Earlier last month Prince Salman had declared that ‘women in Saudi Arabia need not wear head cover black abaya-the loose fitting full length robe-as long as their attire is decent and respectful?
Clearly, these initiatives will auger well for Saudi Arabia, the Muslim world and of course the world at large. Hope such liberal steps by the future king of Saudi Arabia can inspire other leaders as well to make the life of men and women in their respective countries better, leading to a world of co-operative co-existence.
WORLD: There is this man called Sanjeev Chawla, an accused in the ‘2000 Cricket Match Fixing Scandal’. Like many, who evade the law, this Chawla too ran away, ran away to the UK, home to some of the Indian fugitives from India’s sovereign laws. UK as a democracy, must respect the request of another democracy. The comfort level in India may not be as it is in the United Kingdom. Here we need not get into debate how the UK/Britain made its fortune from its colonies or how India was made poorer by colonial regimes. India with its huge population and mind blowing diversity with its limited resources and yet managing to remain democratic with regular exercise of adult franchise is commendable by any standard. On national level it is a huge exercise, even the UK may find it difficult to manage. This one exercise alone makes western world envious of the steadfastness with which it is practiced and managed for all these 70 years of post colonial era.
So, here we have a crook Sanjeev Chawla, who cheated the nation and ran away from being accountable. Now close to 20 years. He has no case. A prima facie case has been made and the court has accepted the wrong doing by this fugitive Chawla and yet refusing to extradite him. For what?, because, the defense lawyer of this crook told the court that condition in India’s Tihar jail is bad, and court wants to trust this crook and not concerned about the crookedness of an individual trying to brow beat the authority of a sovereign nation. According to the defense lawyer of this crook Sanjeev Chawla, Tihar jail is overcrowded, there is endemic violence, lacks medical facility. These may be partly true. But how can an alien court allow a criminal wanted in his country to brow beat the normal legal process by invoking spurious arguments?! This is bizarre!
WORLD: Republic of Ghana is a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea. It should be commended for a far reaching initiative in controlling noise pollution especially in cities. It has over 28 million populations with 75% Christian 16% Muslims, and 6% local faith. Recently, authorities in Accra, the capital city of Ghana took an unprecedented step to order the use of Whats App for prayer calls by Churches and Mosques. It was truly the 21st century tech savvy move, not by any western or European nation but by a country, which is 139 in UNDP Human Development Index. But surely it is an out of box thought.
Ghanaian authorities in capital Accra on 14th April 2018 ordered the mosques and churches to restrict the use of the loudspeakers and instead make use of the social networking app Whats App to initiate prayer calls to its faithful. One of the reason advanced for this move was the increased suffering of people residing nearby churches and mosques, as reported by Deutsche Welle, a German media group datelined Accra.
Its environment minister Kwabena Frimpong Boateng justified the move saying that Imams would be sending Whats App messages to the people informing them of the prayer time. That would help reduce the noise. So also the Church bells would stop the noise level.
Sound pollution, especially during early morning sleeping hours, has been a subject of complaints in recent times. This move by Ghana can lead to ripple effect elsewhere worldwide, slowly but steadily. Hope it happens.
J. Shriyan
Under pressure due to the sudden display of violent protest probably, the NDA government in Delhi approached the apex court for a review of the 20th March ruling, on 2nd April itself.
Appreciating the seriousness of the issue the Supreme Court deliberated upfront, however defended its ruling, stating “An innocent should not be punished. There should not be terror in society. We do not want any member of SC/ST to be deprived of his rights. We only want an innocent not to be punished” while asking, “Does the Act mandate the arrest of innocent person?”
It’s a good question and all political parties and their leaders should understand this. But sadly it’s the politics of opportunism that prompted these leaders to go to the town, literally instigating Dalits to protest violently. And see the result. Clearly these opposition leaders are responsible for this death of 9 persons. No wonder amicus curiae Amrendra Sharan reportedly stated that vested interest were fuelling protest.
Its indeed very unfortunate that these deaths have happened purely due to the completely avoidable competitive politics of leaders.
What next? Now that the apex court has turned down the review petition! Apex Court had in its ruling blamed SC/ST for the misuse of the provisions of SC/ST (PoA) Act. While we are about it, the blame that court thought to put squarely at the door of the misusers of the act, is fairly well grounded. There have been instances, where police had picked up people on mere compliant of using some derogatory words, which may not have been used at all.
Indeed while respecting the feeling of the affected section of society-there should not be any misuse of the provisions of the law as a means of settling some scores. Hope Kharges, Ghulam Nabi Azads and Mayavathis of India understand this. This violent protest has only weakened their cause.
NEW DELHI: Can you believe during a 10 year period between 1997 & 2007, BCCI enjoyed tax exemption to the extent of some 2170 crores of rupees. By any stretch of imagination, it is very huge money. This amount does not include the period before 1997 and years, 2007/8, 2008/9 and 2009/10, during which period, as a registered charity organization, BCCI enjoyed the state largesse including land at paltry lease amounts. It was only in December 2009, this income tax exemption was withdrawn.
So, if on an avarage, it had some 220 crores a year tax burden, how much it could have earned, spent and distributed among its officials and players? It would be really staggering.
Hence, if early this month, the Law Commission, the Union government’s highest law advisory body, has concluded and recommended that Board of Control for Cricket in India should be a public body, it is fully and completely justified.
Like a print media puts it “The board’s monopolistic activities, directly and indirectly, affect the fundamental rights of citizens, players and other functionaries”
Indeed BCCI indulges in monopolistic tendencies besides restrictive practices and is having non-transparent financial transactions. Being autonomous and in proximity to the power that be it has remained without any accountability for its acts of commission and omission. It is time that it is brought under the ambit of Right to Information Act so that all stake holders, especially the cricket crazy general public have a right to know what is happening in the world’s richest and most powerful cricket body.
Hope, the government of the day, its Ministry of Law, will take the call and ensure to act as quickly as possible to make BCCI a public body accountable to the state and its public in all its wheeling dealing which hither to had a cloak of secrecy. Two cheers to Law Commission for its path breaking recommendation.
NEW DELHI: As a nation we are passing through a phase of strong emotional responses. Of course every emotional outburst is not necessarily same in basics. Since about a month, the nation, as a whole, has been witnessing news about physical assault of minor girl children. We all recognize that these victims of time and circumstances are vulnerable both physically and mentally and thus become easy fodder to the animal lust of men, who could be at times as old as victim’s grandfather. Prima facie, such acts of physical violence of minor children is a crime punishable with stringent punitive measures. No wonder under the persistent public outrage on such attacks Union government cleared an ordinance to amend the POCSO- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, to include death for those who sexually attack children below 12 years of age. The ordinance has also made the existing provisions of imprisonment longer for ages above 12. Clearly there is an intention to address the seriousness of the issue. It is also true that many state governments have enacted similar initiatives earlier.
However, what is disturbing is the open show of differences with the government without suggesting alternatives to address the issue. No sooner the government passed an ordinance, Vrinda Grover, an activist lawyer, went to the market to state “Death penalty will deter reporting”, while adding that since most of the times these sexual assaults takes place within the family, the family may not report it to avoid death sentence to its wayward relation. Now this is outlandish. They wouldn’t have reported even if there is no death sentence, if their mindset is such. So it is, truly, their call, what can the government do? Another, one Bharti Ali of Centre for Child Rights, reportedly remarked “What is the hurry? Why can’t we have consultative process including constitutional process?” etc. You do not act, you are damned, you act, and you are damned! That is the tragedy of government in power. This is democracy or can we say Yeh Mera India.
NEW DELHI: In the middle of the cacophony surrounding the recent rapes in North India, a Union Minister Santosh Gangwar was reported to have remarked as the print media headlines suggested “Don’t create fuss over a couple of rapes”.
If true, it is indeed the lowest ebb to which political class can stoop to. It is patently wrong and height of insensitivity to reduce a physical attack on the persona of a woman or a girl child, to statistics as “one or two rapes”, as reported in the print media.
Although this Gangwar has gone to town telling that media has taken his ‘remark out of context’ and therefore misinterpreted, there cannot be any justification for such a statement at all. The remark is an indication of the lack of seriousness in appreciating the issue itself. There should be zero tolerance of rapes. Therefore this Santosh Gangwar should apologise for this utterly condemnable remark by him.
However, here the duplicity of media needs to be highlighted and exposed. How media could have forgotten the brazen statement of Erambala Krishnan Nayanar of Communist Party of India, knows as E K Nayanar, as the Chief Minister of Kerala, sometime in 2000? He had infamously remarked then, “In Kerala rapes happen every day”, and had dismissed a question from a journalist reporting on a rape happened in Kerala’s Wayanad area around that time.
So the political class, whether BJP or BJP hating Communists, are same, when it comes to serious issues of social concern.
And how media has conveniently forgotten it? Was it because E K Nayanar was a communist? This is the blatant double standard of our friends in the media, take it or leave it.
NEW DELHI: Our social media is full of men and women, who take some cynical pleasure in portraying Narendra Modi and RSS very poorly; whether there is any reason or not. Of course they include Hindus, Christians and Muslims. Where it is due one can surely criticize and if there is any good to admire, one can be petty and not praise. But, for heaven’s sake do not condemn just for fun. Yes we are a free country and even fake news from media is passe.
Here comes this news “Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are meeting: No formalities and no assistants only interpreters”. The Summit between the two will be on Friday, the 27th April at Wuhan China. Xi Jinping is the most powerful Chinese of all times. Now, competing for Numero Uno status in the world, with Donald Trump of the U.S. But Chinese President is open to meet PM Narendra Modi without agenda. Surely it is not an invitation to have coffee or dinner together, because the Chinese President has some free time and it is a PR exercise! Clearly, it is a recognition that India cannot be taken for granted or brow beaten, and therefore it is apparently an attempt to start and develop “CONVERSATION WITHOUT CONFRONTATION! We have many areas of differences and concerns and yet Chinese leadership thinks we can do business with India. Do you think, the 4 year old leadership of Narendra Modi has something to do with this latest development?! This particular meeting can be the harbinger of a new and meaningful friendship between India and China of coming tomorrow.
NEW DELHI: Post Unnao case involving an MLA, on the charge of rape there has been nationwide debate about making these people’s representatives accountable for their crime. ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) is an NGO involved in suggestions for the improvement of governance. After the national outrage on Unnao rape incident and the accused MLA playing hide and seek with authorities and police themselves going slow and being unhelpful to victim, forced this NGO to carry a study of our MLAs and MPs and their wayward private life.
ADR found out, that there are 1580 MPs and MLAs with criminal cases against them of which 48 have declared cases related to crime against women. Of this 45 were MLAs and 3 MPs.
These 48 law makers are facing charges related to assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping, abducting or inducing women to force her into marriage, rape, domestic violence and trafficking.
Giving party wise details ADR has reported that the No.1 national party BJP is also No.1 with highest number of such cases registered against their MPs and MLAs. Reportedly BJP has 12 members accused of such wrong doings, followed by 7 from Shiv Sena and TMC with 6 at third.
In the absence of complete details, involvement of other parties is unknown. But this party with a difference has proved, it is indeed a party with a difference at least in this one respect. Clearly quite a few of BJP law makers are weak kneed when it comes to opposite sex. It is a matter to feel ashamed for those who are better and gentlemanly. Hope those who are better pull these rogues out of their sick state of mind. With no woman man NAMO being their top political leader in power it should not be difficult. Hope party leadership takes this sad state of affairs seriously.
UTTAR PRADESH: The reports of BJP MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is publicly accused of rape and now killing of victim’s father, remaining beyond the ‘reach’ of law in UP is a very poor reflection on NAMO/SHAH leadership of this ruling National Party.
The NAMO/SHAH duo combine do not seem to have learnt from the upfront response of Congress President Rahul Gandhi in treating a similar kind of politician in Mohammed Haris Nalapad, by suspending him from the presidentship of Karnataka Youth Congress. This Nalapad is in jail. What stops NAMO/SHAH combine in taking prompt and effective action instead of mouthing verbose by mere yelling at them. This, clearly biased approach, is going to hurt BJP, take it or leave it.
Of course, the Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adhityanath has proved once again an incompetent manager of issues of serious concern. With police acting completely partisan, administration in UP is being reduced to a laughing stock. Just encounter killing of anti socials including some small time criminals like pick pockets etc is not going to improve the law and order situation. Emboldened by these ‘encounters’, the police in UP have taken their partisan behaviour to next level. Police in UP failed to act against the MLA on this ‘rape of minor’, instead police arrested the father of this minor victim, on a counter complaint by the accused, despite him being badly beaten and injured by the brother of the accused. And this badly injured father of the victim died in police custody. It is a matter of extreme shame that police in UP have slipped to such poor levels of ignominy.
Now that the NHRC has taken a suo moto stand and asked the Chief Secretary of UP to report back on the entire episode, will CM Yogi and his bosses NAMO/SHAH in Delhi act with some sense of purpose!?
MAHARASHTRA: Shiv Kumar Dhige, the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra (CCM) needs to be congratulated for his singular initiative in attempting to make Maharashtra State- first beggar-free state in the country. Reportedly there are over 70,000 beggars all across Maharashtra and CCM plans to rehabilitate all of them, those who are physically fit and those who are handicapped as well. In an initiative joined hands with some governmental, NGOs and some 20/25 high net worth individuals, CCM is planning to set up vocational training units for these beggars being rehabilitated.
Among the government departments are Maharashtra police who have details of homeless living on the street, so also Department of Women and Child Development of Maharashtra government.
A pilot project covering some 20000 beggars in and around Mumbai is being targeted in the first phase. According to CCM Shiv Kumar Dhige, “Officials and all participating organizations will take forward this unique plan, involving both vocational training and education that extends not just to adults but also thousands of minor children. Several NGOs of the state will start skill development and train these impoverished persons into a new workforce and schooling for those below 18 years of age”. This kind of, suo moto, initiative is unheard of, and deserves all support from all who are concerned about the future of the most vulnerable in our society, the beggars. Hope and wish, this unique effort from an idealistic IAS officer from Maharashtra see fruition in the shortest possible time in the coming days and weeks.
MAHARASHTRA: When the opposition is looking for issues to fix the ruling government, an expenditure of Rs.3.34 crore, for tea and snacks for the Chief Ministers office, is surely a matter to be exploited.
No wonder, Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress has gone to the town asking ‘what kind of tea is Devendra Fadnavis is drinking? Could it be golden tea?’ was his acerbic response. According to the report datelined Mumbai, quoting Sanjay Nirupam, 18591 cups of tea was served in the CM’s office every day during 2016/17. By any stretch of imagination this is staggering.
Accordingly the news paper had titled the report “Storm in the tea cup or yet another scam” in the making?
In the year 2015-16, expenditure as per the RTI query was Rs.58 laks and it increased Rs.3.34 crores, close to 6 times or some 580% rise in 2016/17.
Is it a case of inflated billing by the CMO? Or at least that is what opposition Congress is accusing CMO of. Seeing the amount of reported expenditure and no response from the Chief Ministers office to the accusation by the opposition Congress leader, some creditability is lent to the RTI expose.
MAHARASHTRA: In every system of government there are those who do not need help from the government. Then there are those who need help but are not dependent on government. They manage to remain afloat with their own sources and resources without complaining. Then there are those who need help and expect the government to help them and make noise for help. Then there are those who are nowhere people. They have nobody to look after them, nor do they have any expectation of help from government or any other sources. They are children of God, destitute, orphans, homeless and those mentally and physically challenged with no relations taking care of them.
These children of God, as Bombay High Court observed the other day, “mentally challenged relying on God’s mercy”.
A report datelined Mumbai informed that some 350 mentally challenged children and some adults are in seven correction homes of Mumbai with no basic amenities in those homes. There is no separate dedicated shelter home for these unfortunate victims of time and circumstances, in the entire city of Mumbai.
Reportedly the HC was hearing a PIL regarding the callous misuse of one of the correction homes for drink parties with dancers in attendances and inmates were made to serve liquor etc. An upset court pulled up the government in Mumbai Sachivalay and had reportedly remarked “Looking at the record placed before us, we think these children are at the mercy of God. It is shocking to see only one attendant and two house keepers were there to look after these 350 children, when there are so many vacancies lying vacant for years”. Angered at being told that there is no land in the city free for shelter homes, court ordered the government to construct and provide a shelter home for these children as soon as possible and asked the government to submit its programme of rehabilitation of those mentally challenged children as soon as possible. If only courts were not there, the selfish political class with the active participation of insensitive babus could have killed the humane side of governance. This is Yeh Mera India.
ANDHRA PRADESH: Opportunistic politicians have an uncanny ability to create issues where there is none! Or else, how can a board constituted by the government to manage one religious institution have a member from an alien religion? It is patently wrong, except to create an issue which is truly speaking not there, by making the faithfuls upset.
A Tirumala datelined news said “Anitha’s nomination to TTD board kicks up row”. Reportedly, the inclusion of a person belonging to a faith other than Hindu in the newly constituted TTD ( Tirumala Tirupathi Devaswom) Board, Payakaraopeta MLA Vengalapudi Anitha, has raised serious doubts against the very principles on which the TTD board was formed. According to TTD Act, any pilgrim who belongs to an alien faith has to give a written declaration stating that he/she has got faith in Lord Venkateshwara before being allowed for darshan into the temple. When this is the case, how can this MLA be made a member of the highest decision making authority of TTD, who has publicly and openly proclaimed that she does not belong to Hindu religion and belongs to other religion?
Now this is clearly fishing in the troubled water by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. He should not be doing this only to spite the Central government led by BJP, to serve his political ends of scoring brownie points, especially when he had accused in the past Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy, the former Andhra CM, of defiling the environment around TTD. Just a day before the sad end of Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy in a helicopter crash, Chandrababu Naidu was reported to have remarked “Balaji is a powerful deity; Reddy will pay for his sins”. The incumbent CM of Andhra has the benefit of history and his own wisdom to act fairly and squarely in matters of this nature. Hope he acts, in the larger interest of unrest-free atmosphere in his state. It is an issue involving the faith of locals.
KERALA: Kerala was the first state to have an elected Communist government in India. It had its issues relating to the people from lower caste. But due to the high literacy rate, it acquired a logo of being a progressive state, for its fight for equity in social intercourse. Thus over a period it emerged as a 100% literate state with better health indices, better condition of women and children, increased awareness of rights of its people etc. It was a model state in the empowerment of ordinary people.
However, occasionally Kerala gets into news for some wrong reason. Some months ago Kerala was in the news for one such wrong reason. ‘Communism as a form government believes in equality where all are equal but some are more equal than others’, theorised George Orwell in his seminal work ANIMAL FARM. Reportedly Kerala Assembly Speaker, belonging to the ruling Communist Party of India, P. Sriramakrishnan, had purchased a spectacle for some Rs.50000/- and got the amount reimbursed by the state government. For a cash strapped state like Kerala, it was a burden that could have been avoided. Report also informed that in the past he had Rs.4.25 lakh got reimbursed for an earlier period of 15 months. Clearly Communists in Kerala were proving George Orwell right.
Now this man P. Sriramakrishnan who is from communist cadre, should have known that Kerala had likes of Namboodiripad, who as a chief minister went to his office in a bicycle. How can he charge the state exchequer such huge sums of money, which truly speaking state could ill afford? And communists are talking about equity! This is naked double standard. Surely all are aware, that best branded spectacles are available for less than 5000 rupees both for lens and frame. In this case reportedly, the lens cost Rs.45000/- and Rs.4900 for frame. Clearly this is outlandish. Hence this Kerala Assembly speaker P. Sriramakrishnan should be made accountable for his irresponsible financial conduct. Report had also informed that the RTI activist DB Binu had asked for copies of bills for this expenditure, but was not given. He is planning to approach the state information commission for the incomplete information received from legislature secretariat. Hope SCC would accede to his request and make available all relevant particulars of this speaker’s medical bills. But the question is, when shall politicians be made accountable for their wayward profligacy?
WORLD: Writing from Stuttgart Emran Feroz writes on “A spectre is haunting Germany”. He was generally commenting on the kind of attacks on Muslim migrants in Germany. He was accusing Right wing violence for the attack.
Surely, nobody anywhere should be violently attacked, why only in Germany. According to him Horst Schafer, German Home Minister, had said “Islam is not a part of Germany” and that German politicians and government official are apathetic to this issue. Emran Feroz also accuses German media as well for the growing Islamophobia.
While, he has all narration about who all add to the woes of Muslims in Germany, he never tries to explain, could there be any reason for this attacks on Muslims? Nor does he make any attempt to find out why only Muslims are attacked in Germany, while Germany could have taken in people from different ethnic background as immigrants. They seem not to be complaining, or they are comfortable living in Germany. There is no news about anybody attacking them in Germany. So logically there must be some reasons why Muslims guests as immigrants are not welcome in Germany! Emran Feroz as a free lance journalist has a responsibility to go to the depth of the issue than just accuse Germany and Germans. Every problem has two sides. We have heard only one side and the other side needs to be heard as well. Emran Feroz could you please enlighten why Germans are doing what you accuse them of doing?
WORLD: During the annual press conference on the sidelines of parliamentary session, early this month, Chinese Foreign Minister made a significant statement in Beijing, referring to India. “With political trust, not even Himalayas can stop us from friendly exchanges. Without it, not even level land can bring us together. Indian elephant and Chinese dragon must dance together”. Foreign Minister Wang Yi was responding to a question; how China views relation with India in 2018, despite the turbulence of 2017? According to him “If China and India are united, one plus one will become eleven instead of two”, he had added.
It isn’t as hunky dory as is made out by Wang Yi! Many years ago, when George Fernandes was the NDA government’s Defense Minister of India, he had made a very startling observation that “China is India’s enemy No: 1”. The entire country expressed outrage of disbelief, especially all opposition parties including Congress. But all subsequent development has proved him largely nearer truth.
With many large infrastructural investment by China, in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and now in Maldives, China’s CPEC projects of over US $50 billion, passing through disputed Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, and the Belt & Road Initiative are expression of their huge financial clout and they want India to be part of it.
Yes, China wants India to be friendly with it, but on its own terms. It will never accept India as its equal politically, if not economically. While it does recognize that India is not a push-over and that Pakistan is not a match for India, it will never take Indian sensitivities against Pakistan seriously and yet it harps India should be friendly with China.
While it is true that any association between the two can be eleven (11) instead of two (2), it has it serious dimension of hick-ups. And China is not likely to address them, unless it is completely disillusioned with Pakistan. As of now, it is unlikely; hence any meaningful friendship with China too looks distant.
WORLD : So, the Muslim world is opening after all, led by the indomitable Saudi Arabia itself. It is indeed commendable.
In a latest of liberalization on shifting of its rigid stands, the crown prince and defacto leader of Saudi Arabia has reportedly remarked “Israel has right to its land” attributing to Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
Speaking to the editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, a US news magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg, Prince was reported to have remarked to a question whether the Jewish people have a right to a nation state in at least part of their ancestral homeland? “I believe that each people anywhere, have a right to live in their peaceful nation”. Both Israel and Palestinians have the right to have their own land”, was his considered reply.
This was a clear shift, in an otherwise moribund, no diplomatic contact environment, ever since Israel was created in 1948.
Earlier last month Prince Salman had declared that ‘women in Saudi Arabia need not wear head cover black abaya-the loose fitting full length robe-as long as their attire is decent and respectful?
Clearly, these initiatives will auger well for Saudi Arabia, the Muslim world and of course the world at large. Hope such liberal steps by the future king of Saudi Arabia can inspire other leaders as well to make the life of men and women in their respective countries better, leading to a world of co-operative co-existence.
WORLD: There is this man called Sanjeev Chawla, an accused in the ‘2000 Cricket Match Fixing Scandal’. Like many, who evade the law, this Chawla too ran away, ran away to the UK, home to some of the Indian fugitives from India’s sovereign laws. UK as a democracy, must respect the request of another democracy. The comfort level in India may not be as it is in the United Kingdom. Here we need not get into debate how the UK/Britain made its fortune from its colonies or how India was made poorer by colonial regimes. India with its huge population and mind blowing diversity with its limited resources and yet managing to remain democratic with regular exercise of adult franchise is commendable by any standard. On national level it is a huge exercise, even the UK may find it difficult to manage. This one exercise alone makes western world envious of the steadfastness with which it is practiced and managed for all these 70 years of post colonial era.
So, here we have a crook Sanjeev Chawla, who cheated the nation and ran away from being accountable. Now close to 20 years. He has no case. A prima facie case has been made and the court has accepted the wrong doing by this fugitive Chawla and yet refusing to extradite him. For what?, because, the defense lawyer of this crook told the court that condition in India’s Tihar jail is bad, and court wants to trust this crook and not concerned about the crookedness of an individual trying to brow beat the authority of a sovereign nation. According to the defense lawyer of this crook Sanjeev Chawla, Tihar jail is overcrowded, there is endemic violence, lacks medical facility. These may be partly true. But how can an alien court allow a criminal wanted in his country to brow beat the normal legal process by invoking spurious arguments?! This is bizarre!
WORLD: Republic of Ghana is a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea. It should be commended for a far reaching initiative in controlling noise pollution especially in cities. It has over 28 million populations with 75% Christian 16% Muslims, and 6% local faith. Recently, authorities in Accra, the capital city of Ghana took an unprecedented step to order the use of Whats App for prayer calls by Churches and Mosques. It was truly the 21st century tech savvy move, not by any western or European nation but by a country, which is 139 in UNDP Human Development Index. But surely it is an out of box thought.
Ghanaian authorities in capital Accra on 14th April 2018 ordered the mosques and churches to restrict the use of the loudspeakers and instead make use of the social networking app Whats App to initiate prayer calls to its faithful. One of the reason advanced for this move was the increased suffering of people residing nearby churches and mosques, as reported by Deutsche Welle, a German media group datelined Accra.
Its environment minister Kwabena Frimpong Boateng justified the move saying that Imams would be sending Whats App messages to the people informing them of the prayer time. That would help reduce the noise. So also the Church bells would stop the noise level.
Sound pollution, especially during early morning sleeping hours, has been a subject of complaints in recent times. This move by Ghana can lead to ripple effect elsewhere worldwide, slowly but steadily. Hope it happens.
J. Shriyan
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