A Legitimate Demand

Started a week ago, the students’ protest against the alleged leak of question paper of Staff Selection Commission that is SSC’s competitive exam, has now taken a political turn. Thousands of students from across the country are staging a mammoth protest, opposite to Staff selection Commission office in Delhi, alleging that question paper was leaked on social media before the exam.

Though, the SSC’s chairman, said, he has not received any strong evidence, pertaining to the alleged leak and also asked protestors to furnish the proofs establishing the leak so as to initiate the probe. But, Delhi’s chief Minister and congress leaders’ call for a CBI probe of the matter, gave the incident a political shape.

Thus, Delhi BJP Chief entered the furor and tried resolving the issue by holding talks with Union Home Minister and SSC chairman, but, students remained persistent and signaled for continuing the outcry until they are shown a written order of CBI probe about the leak. 

An unfavorable siege

A government’s congenial relations with its administration reflects its positive attitude, propensity to shape an ideal work culture and to maintain constancy in work proceedings. But, the recent development in Delhi is unfortunate and does not befit a democratic structure. It is significant that Delhi chief secretary Ansh Prakash, during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, was allegedly assaulted by AAP leaders.

The unfavorable siege between the Delhi government and bureaucrats after the incident brought the entire government system to a dogmatic halt. Despite their demands of apologies and legal actions, senior officers attended a meeting of Delhi cabinet and bureaucrats in the last week of February. But, undoubtedly the impasse is intact, so far. Because, this was for the first time, perhaps, the cabinet meeting of a state government was held under the security circle.

Indeed, Chief Secretary Ansh Prakash, coupled with Delhi Home Secretary Manoj Parida and Finance Secretary SN Sahay,  was given a security cover of more than a dozen cops, when he arrived at a meeting to discuss Delhi’s budget format for next fiscal year. 

Pakistan's 'NaPak' acts

Obligated by its profane objectives, our cumbersome neighbor Pakistan is going all out to pump in a spate of its domesticated terrorists into Kashmir, The chief commander of Indian Army confirmed. Pakistan exported terrorists –aided by Pakistan army and Intelligence agency ISI-have been attempting to intrude into the Indian side and targeting civil locations.

Undoubtedly, Indian soldiers are fighting tooth and nail to foil their bid to sneak into Indian border, but still sometimes intruders, making hay while the sun shines, succeed in their endeavor. The ambush on army camps at Uri, Pathankot and Sunjwan, getting the terrorists freed by attacking a hospital in Srinagar and ambuscades on police stations & many residential areas are some of the cowardly attacks carried out by Pakistan exported fear-mongers.

According to Intelligence, a string of Pakistan terrorists is plotting to intrude through the Indian border. The recent rise in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan, substantiate the fact that the Pakistan’s plans make terrorists pass through the border are in full swing.

The right move!

There is an old saying that goes like “better late than never”, and this perfectly fits the NDA govt’s most recent step towards the institution of special courts to speed up the hearing process of criminal cases against the tainted MLAs and MPs-- though it should’ve been taken much earlier. Significantly, the credit for the recent development does not go to the cognizance of government, but to the Supreme Court’s last year rap on the Modi government. Two of such special courts have been formed in Delhi, which are to start the process from 1 March.

A total of twelve such courts is to be instituted to facilitate the fast-track hearing process of the years-long cases against the tainted lagislators. Aiming to dispose each case within a year, these courts will operate as fast-track courts.

Despite the fact that the govt’s move to set up special courts followed the Supreme Court order; it is significant that the MPs and MLAs who’ve been found indulged in various criminal acts will no longer enjoy the immunity due to tedious judicial proceedings.

A pact that no longer act

Even after a ceasefire pact in 2003 between India and Pakistan, Indian troops, almost every day, has been struggling with the bullets and grenades coming from across the border, unmasking Pakistan’s feigning stand behind its claim of being a peaceful nation. The recent violations do not imply that the pact was an unproductive move, given the fact that the era after the pact witnessed the less exchange of fire than the era before the pact. But, the unprovoked violation of ceasefire from Pakistan in the past few years and heavy shelling on the border villages, that left hundreds of innocent people died unwarrantable, has put all the ceasefire pacts and hopes to rekindle the relationships between the two nations on the shelf.

The relations of the two nations, since partition, has witnessed a spate of drastic turns,  discontents and plots, often, took the shape of wars and resulted into heavy physical and economic loss bore by both the nations, consequently. With this unfortunate history, the sour relationship can’t be described as a surprise. What more piercing is that how could a nation, to pump in the terrorists in another, resort to firing and shelling?

It’s been exposed umpteen times that how Pakistani troops have been, irrelevantly, opening fire at Indian posts and villages, adjacent to the border. But, practically the firing is not irrelevant as it has the relevance to helping out the terrorists and intruders infiltrating into Indian borders.

Dalveer Bhandari

China

BRICS

BRICS summit kicks off in China

भारत और चीन की जारी तल्खी में किसका फायदा

भारत, भूटान और चीन को जोड़ने वाले त्रिकोणीय स्थल डोकलाम में भारतीय सैनिकों और चीन की पीपुल्स लिबरेशन आर्मी (पीएलए) के बीच बीते एक महीने से गतिरोध जारी है। भारत और चीन के बीच बरकार इस तल्खी ने यदि कोई भीषण रूप धारण नहीं किया है तो इसका श्रेय भारत के संयम व धैर्य को जाता है। चीन के विपरीत, भारत की ओर से असंगत बयानबाजी पर नियंत्रण रखा जाना प्रशंसनीय है। इन परिस्थतियों की गंभीरता को समझने और संयम बनाए रखने के लिए, सभी विपक्षी दलों को राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा सलाहकार और विदेश सचिव द्वारा घटना की पूर्ण जानकारी देना भी सहायक रहा है।

इसके विपरीत, चीनी पक्ष बेतुकी बयानबाजी और राष्ट्रवादी भवना दोनों को उच्च स्तर पर बनाए रखते हुए, अपना आपा खोए हुए है। चीन की ओर से भारत को प्रत्यक्ष और अप्रत्यक्ष चेतावनी दी गई हैं।

चीनी मीडिया द्वारा भारत को 1962 के युद्ध का स्मरण कराना और कथित तौर पर घटना स्थल के पास सैन्य  अभ्यासों की सीसीटीवी वीडियो का प्रसारण, स्पष्ट रूप से भारत को भयभीत करने के चीनी पैतरे हैं। भारत के धैर्य को बेशक इसकी अतिसंवेदनशीलता का संकेत माना जा सकता है, लेकिन तर्कसंगत रूप से, चीन को भी इस तल्खी को बढ़ाकर कुछ खास हासिल नहीं होगा। भारत और चीन दोनों को ही द्विपक्षीय वार्ता के माध्यम से इस संकट को हल करने की दिशा में कदम बढ़ाने चाहिए।

Emergency: the black history

The proposal to usher in a specific chapter on emergency in the curriculum at the school level by Minister of State for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Nakhvi is extremely welcome and must be propelled by those having staunch faith in our constitutional and democratic system. While honouring democratic fighters at the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the ill-famed emergency in the country, Nakhvi articulated that the 19 months long clamouring narration of emergency that, pitilessly, almost eclipsed the democracy should be prefaced to our successors as 75 percent of our generation still unacquainted about the grounds and formidable circumstances before and during the emergency. The students must be cognizant about disreputed history of independent India as there are about revolutionary movements and freedom fighters before the independence.

After the Illegitimisation of the stellar victory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from Gandhian's bastion Raebareli in 1971 by Allahbad high court in 1975 observing the forgery in the election, India snowballed into the massive tyranny. Indira Gandhi junked the entire constitution and democratic system in order to straddle the power and battered the country whimsically with internal emergency. And, it enabled her to, Imperiously, infuse the cells with her critics and political opponents, bringing cruel laws and, indeed, inexorably, pursue the whole country through a tyranny. When people would get the winds of disservice that excruciatingly inflicted by emergency to our ultimate constitution and the pristine pillars of the democracy, they'll, then, recognise the ingraining importance of Nakhvi's proposal. The tyrannical emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi almost trampled upon the parliament, judiciary, executive and even media. In a move to recount the current contemporaries the actual significance of intolerance, they must be cognizant about the brutal distortion of Indian constitution and  how the Institutions were grievously imperilled.

Scaling down the constitutionally-supreme parliament into a pint-sized rubber-stamp, that passed the amendments, which left even alternative judiciary hamstrung, and deterring judiciary to take up pleas against the Prime Minister that reflected by 39th constitutional amendment. Dramatically, it was not the end of vicious authoritarianism, but the beginning. Now, Indira Gandhi introduced the 41st constitutional amendment, aiming to project the Prime Minister the super citizen of the country, and that will elevate the PM above the law. The law stated, the Prime Minister would not be subjected to any criminal proceedings for any of his/her work before or after assuming the office. Then, the country saw the 42nd amendment of Indian constitution, that included most of the implacable provisions based on Indira Gandhi's whimsical fancies. The most-usual perception is, the then President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed played as rubber stamp, indeed, he, without any objection, signed the notification apropos to imposing emergency. It defies comprehension that President Ali Ahmed didn't consider to even asking Indira Gandhi once that,  what led her to take up such a crucial motion without the mutual consent of her cabinet. Significantly, if he did so, Mrs Gandhi would have taken the parliamentary route for the motion.


The way, Indian Parliament and President, itself, were turned into a puppet of Indira Gandhi's hand and, simultaneously, judiciary and the media were genuflected, the school students must be taught about. The whole exercise led most of the judges to kowtow to the pressure inflicted to the judiciary. The distinguished Shivkant Shukla vs SDM, Jabalpur case would be a worthwhile example, wherein five judge bench of Supreme Court accepted the argument that, any Indian citizen would be devoid of the right to challenge against his/her house arrest or to file a Habeas Corpus plea, by Indira Gandhi government, concurrently, it was argued also by then Attorney General that any citizen would be deprived of any legal relief from the court until the end of emergency, even if a citizen is shot dead by a policeman.


Justice H.R. Khanna, the only judge out five judge bench, strenuously, expressed his dissent, though Justice Khanna was in the reckoning to be the Chief Justice but, Imperiously, detached from the reckoning by Indira Gandhi. Unlikely, rest all judges wrote down the verdict to do away the citizens of their fundamental rights, and elevated as Chief Justice, thereafter. The awareness of the preternatural judges like Justice Khanna, that stood stoutly for citizen's fundamental rights, though, sacrificing their career, must be spread among the youngsters, today, simultaneously, about those journalists, writers and artists who bulldozed the democracy back into the existence, even after being subjected to the cruel tyranny while putting up a fight against it, and that will, significantly, inspire the students to struggle, now, for their own independence.

A good move for farmers

Amid the fear of being branded as anti-farmer, the NDA govt has seamlessly embarked to reap its vote-share among the country’s farmers who played significant role in its overwhelming victory in 2014 general election, by subsequently rolling out schemes like Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Fasal Bima Yojna, among others. The NDA's softball came close on the heels of the government cutting down the prices of major fertilisers including DAP and NPK in the impending Monsoon season, and most significantly, that too, with immediate effect.


Certainly, the decisive step, taken under "Jameen Bachao- Kisan Bachao" campaign, points to an instantaneous profit to the farmers splendidly worth 4500 crore but wavering the fact if the agriculture could appear lucrative, given to the sharp decrease in prices of fertilisers. Furthermore, The govt is also mulling over loan waiver to sugarcane farmers. The schemes and plans, though, would, potentially, benefit the farmers, but despite the menacing facet, that the agricultural wage has severely deprived farmers of a better livelihood, the government must also ferret out if its plans are working out to salvage them through that stinking untidy modus vivendi.


Low-interest crop loans carry their own significance, but the agriculture could not be lucrative to farmers until they are necessitated to bear burdensome baggage of loans even to sow seeds. With a prodigious section of farmers today, absurdly, bound to bulldoze its livelihood in farms, and forlornly,  gazing for other options, the policymakers must chew over profoundly to recognize and weed out the ingraining causes with view to make them self-dependent.


The prevailing political interests and vote-bank politics,  perhaps, have prevented government, hitherto, to bring out farmers of that minacious vessel of dependence, given the fact that even the farmers from the advanced harvesting states are, though reluctantly (because of dearth enough money) habituated to the free electricity and water. Accompanying the waivers and formulation of plans, government must also ensure the self-dependence of farmers by modernizing the harvesting and ridding the farmers of those traditional tools for agriculture with a view to expand agricultural growth and leveraging the farmers to their self-dependence. 

The great wall of "Resistance"

Time to act for India to uproot Chinese hurdlesome wall from India's growth Itinerary


India returned from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) annual plenary session embarked in Seoul, with nothing in its hand and it's bid to join NSG group unsurprisingly Scuttled by the China's brazen hindrances. With the antecedent balky activities, China has appeared to be a hurdlesome baggage of India's elevating growth that this country unwarrantedly bearing. The questions, though, were put up subsequently by other countries like Austria, Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and Turkey, astonishingly, over the process being followed to induct India to NSG group, as an MEA spokesperson excused, "it is self- evident that process issues would not arise if these countries were actually opposed to our participation." By apparently disallowing India's bid to be even hashed out in the first halve, China demonstrated a subaltern strategy of obstructing India's move.

China's hard-line agenda, Nonetheless, reflected in to the President Xi Jinping christening China and Pakistan "Iron Brothers." In order to circumvent Chinese logjam, President Pranab Mukherjee's eschew to Xi Jinping for his personal intercession on the NSG issue, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's visit to Beijing and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal appeal to Chinese President at Tashkent either failed to dull the sharp edges of the great wall of resistance raised by China.


 By simply tantalizing India's hope, Beijing is just playing delatory maneuver while being persuaded. In such case, India must grope for other options to find a way out by unraveling Chinese unkempt net. Its the time to act for India to uproot chinese hurdlesome wall from India's growth Itinerary. It must relook on its Chinese strategy and reformulate the roadmap in which it should deal with Beijing.

To start with, By just mulling over the forums like WTO and climate change where both are simultaneously embarking as unison, secondly, it may take a terse stance on South China Sea dispute, third, by beefing up its relationship with Taiwan as it itself a Chinese business hub, fourth and most substantially, by reconsidering its business ties with China as being the biggest trade partner of India with bilateral trade worth $70 billion, It may necessitate China to rethink before taking a hurdlesome stance in India' growth. Because as the trade scale tending towards China Exorbitantly, India has nothing to lose in its hand.