Congress Seva Dal’s article on Veer Savarkar sparks fresh row

Veer Savarkar has remained a controversial figure in Indian politics. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar or more commonly known as Veer Savarkar was an Indian independence activist, lawyer, politician and a writer who formulated the Hindutva philosophy.

Last month, Rahul Gandhi while taking a jibe at Veer Savarkar, refused to apologize for his ‘Rape in India’ remark, where he stated that he is not Savarkar to apologize for something which is right. It was after this that attempts to vilify Savarkar intensified and the critics went to an extent so as to call his clemency petitions as ‘apology letters.’

Also read: NPR row: Did Arundhati Roy make an irresponsible statement

In reality, nowhere did Savarkar ‘apologize’ in the clemency petitions that he wrote. After reading the petitions, would one realize that there is not so much as a “sorry” in the petitions. This can be corroborated by the note, dated November 23, 1913, written by Home Member Sir Reginald Craddock to Governor-General. An excerpt from the note reads:

Savarkar’s petition is one for mercy. He cannot be said to express any regret or repentance, but he affects to have changed his views, urging that the hopeless condition of Indians in 1906-1907 was his excuse for entering upon a conspiracy.

Savarkar showed no repentance but instead argued that his views had changed and that he would renounce the revolutionary activism and adopt peaceful methods if he were to be released. Revolutionaries and political prisoners, like Nand Gopal, Barindra Ghosh (brother of Aurobindo), Sachindranath Sanyal, etc, wrote similar petitions. In fact, Sachin Sanyal was released after he submitted his petition, but Savarkar was not. Sanyal wrote about it in his memoir:

“Why was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar not released but I was, although I wrote almost the same petition as him?”

Now, Savarkar’s promise of “loyalty to the English government” in the petition might raise a few eyebrows. Firstly, it was common for revolutionaries to make such promises. Secondly, it ought to be mentioned that the British government too was aware that the revolutionaries didn’t keep this promise of loyalty to the government after their release.

Also read: CAA Stir, How Citizens are resisting the controversial act

Lastly, the most common argument of the critics is that Savarkar wrote mercy petitions to save his life while other revolutionaries chose not to. This is absolutely false. There are innumerable examples of different revolutionaries convicted in different cases who submitted petitions. Writing petitions was a norm, a legal option, and Savarkar was neither the first nor the last to make use of that option.

The contemporary accounts and the government reports are enough to give the lie to the myth that Savarkar “apologized” and turned a “British stooge” in exchange for his release. Similarly, contrary to the belief that he propagated the two-nation theory, records show that Veer Savarkar, indeed, opposed the creation of Pakistan or a nation within a nation on the basis of religion.

Also read: Constitution and Democracy! Are we really following the boundaries

Savarkar was the first political leader to daringly set Independence as India’s goal in 1900, which was accepted much later by the Congress in its Lahore session in 1929. He worked relentlessly on abolishing the caste system. One must also not forget, that once Indira Gandhi, herself called Savarkar, the ‘Byword of patriotism and courage.’

However, the Congress Party, its president Rahul Gandhi and others of the ‘secularist’ school of thought have repeatedly insulted the great revolutionary and freedom fighter Swatantryaveer Savarkar. Time and again the Congress party and few like A G Noorani, have tried to hold Savarkar guilty in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi despite the fact that Savarkar was acquitted “honourably and without blemish” on February 10, 1949. Last year, Rajasthan Congress government removed “veer” from references to VD Savarkar from its textbooks.

In the latest development, the All India Congress Seva Dal stirred controversy with a booklet in which it claimed that the freedom fighter and Hindu Mahasabha co-founder Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was in a “homosexual relationship” with sage Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse. The Hindi book, titled “Veer Savarkar, Kitne ‘Veer’?” (How brave was `Veer’ Savarkar?) was distributed at an ongoing camp of the Seva Dal in Bhopal.

This has infuriated the BJP further, the party which had demanded Bharat Ratna for Hindutva ideologue in its election manifesto for Maharashtra Assembly election, held last year. The BJP has asked Shiv Sena’s stance on this issue. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha, was quoted as saying, “Shiv Sena must listen to Congress’ views on Savarkar and decide if they should remain in such an alliance or not.” Earlier, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in one of his tweets said that the name Savarkar denotes pride regarding nation and self. Raut further added that, Veer Savarkar is an idol of the whole country and not just Maharashtra.

Leave aside party lines, malicious attempts to malign the image of any freedom fighter, whether Veer Savarkar or someone else is utterly shameful for those involved in such acts and those who support them. Different ideologies co-exist in a diverse country such as India.

Badmouthing Veer Savarkar just because he shared a different ideology, displays a narrow mindset. It is sheer dishonesty on the part of our political figures, to paint a freedom fighter as a “British apologist”, only to suit their socio-political agenda. It is extremely important for the opposition leaders and especially Rahul Gandhi, to mull over, whether Indira Gandhi had once eulogized a ‘traitor’, ‘coward’ and a man complicit in Mahatma Gandhi’s murder.

राहुल के सावरकर वाले बयान पर विज ने कसा तंज

सावरकर: मायावती ने पूछा- अब भी शिवसेना के साथ क्यों कांग्रेस?

source: https://molitics.in/article/628/Congress-Seva-Dals-article-on-Veer-Savarkar-sparks-fresh-row

The CAA Narrative is a Watershed Moment for the judiciary not to falter

The recent enactment of the amendments to the Citizenship Act of 1955 has left many very disturbed.
The legislation itself is undoubtedly problematic and is when compounded by the linkages with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), creates a sense of fear in a particular community.

The CAA is touted as a “fast-track” means of granting citizenship by naturalization to what it identifies as persecuted minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) from three neighboring countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan). Those belonging to these communities from these countries will not, as per the law, be regarded as “illegal immigrants”.

It is arbitrary and violates the right to equality before law enshrined in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. It deliberately marginalizes Muslims as a minority community and uses religious identity as the basis for granting citizenship

The protests that have followed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, were not surprising, but how the protesters were treated certainly is. The nation is continuously witnessing hundreds of protests in many cities. Most of them are peaceful like in Shaheen Bagh, Jantar Mantar, Jama Masjid, Police Headquarters Delhi, and in many cities of India.

Also read: Can we have a corruption-free society?

These protests mainly started from the universities like Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim university but the way how the police tried to suppress the protests by brutally hurting the students in their campuses, by opening fire on them in university, sparked the anger among the whole student community across the nation. The students of various universities like JNU, DU, PU, BHU, IITs, IIMs, and many Indian students studying in different parts of the world also stood in solidarity with these students and protested in their capacity.

Many of them refused to receive their gold medals, their degree during the convocation ceremony in the presence of the dignitaries.

Police Actions Under Question

The reaction of the law and order machinery to what were essentially student-led peaceful protests has led to incidents of violence and loss of property across the country, which is unfortunate. The way in which UP police was seen misbehaving and abusing members of a specific community is condemnable and raised serious questions on the working of police.

Also read: Why is there an uproar over Citizenship Amendment Bill

Were they having the support of their political masters when they were targeting the peoples of Muslim community? The way in which the Firozabad administration sends notice to the person who died 6 years ago for causing violence during Anti-CAA protests, raises doubts. Does the police arrest the suspects by identifying them by their clothes?

Expectations From The Judiciary

The Judiciary should immediately step in and start hearing the petitions filed by many social activists to evaluate and infer upon the situation. In the wake of the CAA protests, the Chief Justice of India reportedly said that if people/protesters wanted to “take to the streets”, then they need not approach the courts.

Some could read this statement as a sort of warning that good behavior was a prerequisite for obtaining justice. In any event, in a democracy, protest and recourse to the judiciary are options that are legitimately available to the people. Dissent or protest is the lifeline of a democracy. But, what is the judiciary supposed to do when society as a whole is protesting? In such a scenario, there is no clear line that can be drawn between declaring protesters as good or bad.
This is a watershed moment for this generation of judges.

Tamil writer Nellai Kannan provokes Muslims to kill Amit Shah

This is for the first time in history, that a so-called ‘Scholar/Orator’ has openly called for the murder of a Country’s Home Minister Amit Shah. This really apprises us of the fact that “Intolerance” has really reached to its maximum in India. It seems the scholar is unaware of the fact that, the HM post is a constitutional body and through such provocative statements he is merely displaying his stupidity and parochial mentality.

On Saturday, in a meeting organized by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Tamil orator Nellai Kannan said that Home Minister Amit Shah is acting as the brain behind PM Modi and that if his story was ‘finished’, that of the PM would also be over too.

The statement made by Kannan, wherein he says, “If his story is finished, then the story of the PM would also be over. I was expecting something to happen, but no Muslim is doing it,” goes against national integrity and has all the potential to create a communal clash in the country. The inciting comments from Kannan come at a time when massive protests have rocked the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Intolerance debates are not new in India, especially after the BJP govt has come to power. The opposition, intellectuals, student fraternity, minorities and writers have been continuously writing on how the present Govt has curbed their ‘Right to freedom of Speech and Expression.’

NPR row: Did Arundhati Roy make an irresponsible statement?

However, given the recent statement made by the Tamil scholar, none of these sections have come forward to the debate on either intolerance or whether such inciting statements are really required for in, a healthy democracy. Now, questioning the present govt about infringements of basic rights, as per our own convenience, makes the whole thing revolving around ‘Intolerance’, political propaganda.

How civil society, opposition & students responded to the CAA

There were anti-CAA protest flare-ups across the country after the Modi Govt introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act. During these protests, we witnessed violence, irresponsible statements by our political leaders, students setting ablaze the public property, and all this compels us to think if our country is marching towards becoming ‘Intolerant India.’

How can someone endanger life and property under the garb of their fundamental right? The outrage over the issue, that the CAA excluded minority community, raises an important question, that can these protestors just risk the lives of those fellow Indians with whom they have been living since years, at the cost of those who are still unknown to them and only because the community issue is there.

After SC refuses stay on implementation of CAA, All eyes set on next hearing

Has religion become so important to the Indians, that we can compromise with the peace of the land, just because the Hindu/Muslim term is there? Under the prevailing circumstances, it has become even more difficult to answer to the question, as to who, the Indian Govt or the citizens, have become more intolerant?

In a democracy, everyone is entitled to their views, but one should never forget the limits. Kannan is popularly known for using abusing language in his speeches which does not amount to decent criticism and is against public tranquility.

The Tamil Nadu BJP unit has filed a complaint against Nellai Kannan. The police should take strict action against the writer as his remarks are an “open threat to the lives” of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, which amounts to criminal intimidation, and abetment to murder. Meanwhile, the second phase of elections to rural local bodies on Monday ended mostly on a peaceful note. The Tamil Nadu assembly elections will take place in Mid 2021.

source: https://molitics.in/article/627/tamil-writer-nellai-kannan-provokes-muslims-to-kill-Amit-Shah

Prashant Kishor calls JDU a ‘bigger party’, demands larger share of seats

The recent statement on seat sharing formula by the JD(U) Vice President Prashant Kishor, has increased worries for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Prashant Kishore, a well-known poll strategist, who helped Modi win 2014 Lok Sabha elections, is one among those who strongly opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). On this, he even urged the non-BJP chief ministers to “save the soul of India” by saying no to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill [CAB].

Prashant Kishor was the first JD(U) leader to publicly express disappointment over his party’s support to CAB in the Lok Sabha, holding that the legislation discriminates against people “on the basis of religion”.

If this is an act of vengeance, who else can tell this better than him? It is an established fact that after Modi’s victory in 2014 general elections, Prashant departed from the Modi camp, after there were disagreements over the lateral entry of people into government. The election strategist actively joined politics last year, where he was inducted into Janta Dal United (JDU), by his close friend Nitish Kumar. At present, he is the Vice President of JD(U).

The JD(U) leader asserted that his party should contest more seats than the BJP in the upcoming Bihar assembly election, scheduled to be held next year. The poll-strategist-turned-politician said, “The JD(U) is a bigger party, has close to 70 MLAs while the BJP has just over 50. Nevertheless, the Assembly elections are to be fought with Nitish Kumar as the NDA face.”

The JD(U) had fought the 2015 assembly elections in alliance with the RJD and the Congress, where the RJD won 81 of the 101 seats it fought on. The BJP had the poorest strike rate with victories on just 53 seats out of the 157 it contested, whereas the JD(U), as part of the grand alliance, contested 101 seats and won 71. In 2019, Lok Sabha elections, Allies JD(U) and BJP had contested 17 seats each, where six seats were allotted to Ramvilas Paswan’s, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). By 2020-end Nitish Kumar would be seeking a fourth term.

After having lost crucial allies and the poll debacle in key states like Maharashtra and Jharkhand, BJP is more likely to walk extra mile to keep Nitish Kumar in the NDA pavilion. Here are few challenges, which the BJP is facing in Bihar.

Anti-incumbency for Nitish

One of the reasons behind the defeat of BJP in neighbouring Jharkhand has been the anti-incumbency factor against former CM Raghubar Das. Political observers in Bihar are busy making calculations whether the same factor will affect Nitish Kumar, who has been in power for the past 15 years.

By poll results a wake-up call for JD(U) and BJP

The NDA in Bihar suffered a major setback in the by-polls to 5 assembly seats, held this year. The NDA managed to win just one with JD(U) begging the Nathnagar assembly seat. JDU was worst hit as it lost three of the four seats it contested. The bypoll results came as the much needed-fillip to RJD, which had drawn a blank in the Lok Sabha polls, as it wrested Simri Bakhtiarpur and Belhar from the JD(U) by impressive margins.

Ideological differences

Ideology has remained a major bone of contention between the BJP and the JD(U). The two parties have not been on the same page on contentious issues like triple talaq, NRC, Ayodhya and Article 370 and Citizenship Amendment Act. In 2013, Kumar parted his ways with BJP owing to the Ideological differences, which cost his party dearly in the Lok Sabha elections the following year and did the same to BJP in the 2015 assembly polls.

Though the BJP leaders have time and again maintained that Nitish has benefitted from the Modi wave, however the ground reality makes it evident that the Bihar Chief Minister has created a strong base among the extremely backward classes and Mahadalits through his work as well as social engineering.

The road ahead for NAMO and Nitish doesn’t appear to be smooth given the ideological difference and the anti-incumbency factor. As the year draws to a close, election fever brews in the state. Elections to the 243 assembly seats in Bihar are expected to take place in the last quarter of 2020. Meanwhile, Kishor’s demand for a lion share for JD(U) in Bihar has drawn sharp reactions from the BJP. The BJP has also made it clear that decision on seat sharing was a prerogative of the NDA’s top leadership.

Triangular contest in Delhi: political parties gear up for assembly polls

As the session of the current Kejriwal government expires on February 22, election campaign by the major political parties for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections is in full swing. The Aam Aadmi Party which is the ruling party, has hired Prashant Kishore’s Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), to manage its election campaign. Few days back Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal announced that I-PAC has come on board with the party. Delhi is set for a triangular electoral contest that will see three parties the ruling AAP, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress fighting it out. While both the BJP and the Congress party do not have strong contenders for the chief ministerial post, Arvind Kejriwal is looking for a third consecutive term as CM.

On Thursday, the election commission held a review meeting to review the preparedness ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections 2020. In the meeting, Delhi CEO, Ranbir Singh gave the status with regard to the electoral rolls, manpower availability, EVMs & VVPATs and training of all the election officials. Ways to increase the number of voter turnouts in the Delhi Assembly polls were also discussed in the meeting.

BJP banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election-winning formula

The Bharatiya Janata Party is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election-winning formula to take Delhi. PM Modi kicked off the BJP’s campaign at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, where he focused both on national and local issues. The BJP would want a repeat of its 2019 lok sabha election performance, in Delhi, where it won all 7 parliamentary seats with massive margins. However, after the party’s poor performance in Maharashtra, Haryana and just concluded Jharkhand assembly election, this seems an uphill task.

Since December 2017 Gujarat assembly election, BJP has faced anti-incumbency in almost all the State polls. Delhi is the only state in North India where the BJP has not won the Assembly elections for the last 21 years.

Another bigger challenge for the saffron party in Delhi is factionalism. Several MPs are reportedly not very comfortable working under the leadership of Manoj Tiwari. Tiwari, who successfully led the party in MCD and Lok Sabha election, Union Minister and Chandni Chowk MP Dr Harsh Vardhan, West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma, East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir, and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel are the probable candidates for the BJP’s Delhi face.

Congress has become weak after the demise of Sheila dikshit

While for the Congress party, a vacuum in Delhi Congress has been created after the demise of the former CM Sheila dikshit. So far, the Congress too has not fielded any candidate against Kejriwal. The possible contenders from the Congress party, for the CM post include former Delhi Pradesh Congress chiefs, Ajay Maken and Arvinder Singh Lovely apart from Subhash Chopra, the present chief.

The Congress party is fighting a prestige battle in the city, it ruled for 15 years. However, the party’s higher vote share in 2019 should worry AAP, a party that decimated it in the 2015 Delhi elections by winning 67 out of the 70 seats.

‘Modi for PM, Kejriwal for CM’

At present, the AAP’s vote share is 18.1%, according the results of the 2019 polls – down from 33.1% in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. However, the Delhi voter also maxes out an old proverb about voting differently for assembly and Parliament: ‘Modi for PM, Kejriwal for CM’, is what defines politics in national capital. Arvind Kejriwal has very well understood the mindset of Delhi voters, he knows what the residents want, and as such all the freebies, policies and schemes announced by him make mass appeal which ultimately turn voters in his favor. Moreover, beyond things like bijli, paani, school and clinic, Kejriwal has also adopted ‘Hindutva’ approach.

In order to target the voters, the CM has made everything free including the pilgrimages. The Aam Aadmi Party, enjoys a disproportionate support base specially among the poor and marginalised class, auto and taxi drivers, middle class and the slum clusters. The party has successfully limited its entire political messaging and advertisement to its policy successes in health and education sector.

This strategy has turned voters in its favor as it reminds the core voters of the party’s achievements. Taking into account, the current political scenario in the national capital, one would rightly say that AAP is at an advantage over the other two grand old parties i..e BJP and Congress.

Local issues and party manifesto

In order to win elections, a party’s manifesto should appeal to a greater number of people. Past precedents show that in Delhi, elections are fought on issues. Pollution, clean water, full statehood for Delhi and women safety are few issues which all political parties are likely to raise ahead of upcoming Delhi assembly elections.

BJP’s Poll Debacle: How BJP Failed to Understand the mood of voters

The manifesto of the AAP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, was also based on full statehood for Delhi. Similarly, demand for full statehood had also been a poll promise for BJP and Congress. Moreover, the impact of last minute sops to voters by caliberation of electricity bills and their cancellation are yet to be seen specially because the credit war between BJP and AAP for residents of unauthorised colonies continues.

Role of caste and community

Caste and religion would be major factors in the selection of candidates for the coming election. Punjabis and the Baniyas are the two dominant castes in Delhi that constitute nearly 50 per cent of total votes. In December 2018, AAP had accused the BJP of knocking 50 per cent of Delhi’s Baniya voters off the electoral rolls ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In 2015 assembly elections, BJP fielded nine while seven of the AAP’s 70 assembly candidates were from Baniya community. BJP is often considered as a party of upper caste, however the party is believed to have lost support of the trading community in the wake of demonetisation and GST.

This time, the BJP is focusing on a dozen reserved Assembly constituencies in the city to strengthen its chances of returning to power in the national capital. The Scheduled Caste Morcha of the Delhi BJP has been holding public meetings with individual SC’s, since November, to penetrate among voters in view of the Assembly polls due early next year.

Caste, local issues dominate Jharkhand assembly polls

After the Punjabi and Baniya community, the poorvanchali voters will play an important role in Delhi elections. Of the 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi, there are at least 10 constituencies where this community plays a decisive role. Vikaspuri, Laxmi Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Kirari, Burari, Badli, Patparganj, Dwarka, Palam and Karawal Nagar constituencies have a large population of poorvanchali voters.

Considered to be a sizable vote bank, these voters are people hailing from the contiguous region of eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar. They make up nearly a third of Delhi’s 20 million population. In 2015, over a dozen members of the legislative assembly were from Purvanchal.

This is also the reason why the BJP has Manoj Tiwari, a Bhojpuri singer-turned-politician, as its Delhi unit president. All political parties are leaving no stone unturned to influence voters of the dominant caste/community and caste will be an important factor in ticket distribution for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.

source: https://molitics.in/article/625/triangular-contest-in-delhi-political-parties-gear-up-for-assembly-polls

NPR row: Did Arundhati Roy make an irresponsible statement?

After protests over CAA, NRC continue to make news headlines, this time it’s a fresh row over National Population Register (NPR) and what has highlighted this issue even more is the recent statement made by Arundhati Roy over NPR. Arundhati Roy is a well-known writer, Booker Prize winner and an activist.

In 2015, she had joined the league of writers and filmmakers who had returned their awards as a protest against the growing intolerance in the country. A case was filed against her, in 2010, for sedition for saying Kashmir was not an integral part of India. In her defence, Arundhati claimed that she “spoke about justice for the people of Kashmir who live under one of the most brutal military occupations in the world”.

Roy, a booker prize winner, even accused the Narendra Modi-led government of “promoting Brahmanism” in the name of “Hindu Rashtravad”.

On Wednesday, the writer-activist Arundhati Roy, urged Indians to furnish wrong information to the government when it asks for data for the National Population Register (NPR). Arundhati Roy said, “Whenever the officials come to collect your information for NPR, you can give wrong names like Rabga-Billa or Kungfu-kutta and also give wrong address like 7, Race Course Road.”

Her comments over NPR haven’t gone down well with the BJP leaders. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan slammed the writer and said, “If this is the kind of intellectuals we have in this country, then we should first get a register of these people… Arundhati Roy should be ashamed of herself. If such statements are not betraying the nation, what is?”

Firebrand BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has demanded arrest of the author under National Security Act (NSA). Swamy said that Roy’s comments over NPR amount to sedition and called her a danger for the society.

BJP leader Uma Bharti too, in one of her tweets, slammed the author for using Ranga and Billa names, who were hardcore criminals, instead of men like Ashfaqullah Khan or Ramprasad Bismil.

The Goddess of bizarre statements has drawn criticism for her irresponsible statement, across the political spectrum. This time even the Congress party, which had been opposing the current BJP led govt on issues such as NRC, NPR and CAA, has hit back at author Arundhati Roy, over her remarks on NPR.

Congress media panelist Shama Mohamed in one of his tweets, said, “What nonsense is Arundhati Roy speaking! It’s one thing to ask people to refuse to participate in the NPR, but to ask them to give out incorrect details is completely wrong. Who does she think she is! We don’t need unsolicited advice from someone who insults our Indian Army.”

The National Population Register, introduced by the UPA government in 2010, is a register of citizens in the country that will contain demographic and biometric details. On Tuesday, funds of more than Rs 3,900 crore were approved by the Union cabinet to update the register. On the same day, Amit Shah denied any link between the NPR and the NRC and said their databases could not be used for the other.

Who are Ranga and Billa?

In August 1978, Kuljeet Singh alias Ranga Khus and Jasbir Singh alias Billa, murdered two teenagers (Geeta and Sanjay), children of a senior naval officer, after subjecting them to sadistic torture. The two kidnappers were convicted and sentenced to death. The execution was carried out in 1982.

The Ranga-Billa comment made by Roy has created a stir in the country. Internet users trolled Arundhati Roy for her recent remark. However, this is not the first time Ranga and Billa’s name has been used. In 2019, even Congress leader P Chidambaram’s counsel while seeking bail in the INX Media money laundering case had brought up names of Ranga and Billa.

At home, though, Arundhati is ridiculed as a terrorist sympathiser, a Naxalite, a communist, and secessionist. The lady never skips any opportunity to take an anti-govt stand, whenever the Indian govt comes under scanner. Though, questioning the Government is not at all an easy task as it requires a lot of sacrifice and courage, but criticism just for the sake of criticizing is also not an appreciable thing to do. It is unacceptable for an author like Arundhati Roy, who enjoys such a high stature, to say such things in public.

The writer-activist should be cautious with the usage of her words. It is highly required for our politicians, activists, intellectuals and writers to first think before they speak out anything in public. Criticism should be constructive and this should not be confused with any kind of manipulation. One should always question the Govt of the day in a healthy democracy, and in a country like India we as citizens are empowered enough to accept and oppose any decision of our elected representatives.

CAB: हिंदू पाकिस्तान बनने की राह पर भारत!

source: https://www.molitics.in/article/624/npr-row-did-arundhati-Roy-make-an-irresponsible-statement

Shame of the week | Ajit Bharti | OpIndia | Ravish Kumar | NDTV | Molitics

अपने आप को पत्रकार कहने वाले अजीत भारती ने अपने ऑपइंडिया नाम के चैनल से पूरी पत्रकारिता को ही शर्मसार कर दिया है। न सरकार न विपक्ष बल्कि उनका एक पूरा शो पत्रकार रवीश कुमार के खिलाफ चलता है।

source: https://www.molitics.in/news/139447/Shame-of-the-week-molitics-news

How civil society, opposition & students responded to the CAA

Amidst growing uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Act across the country, the police on Saturday, arrested the Bhim army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, outside the Jama Masjid in Delhi. Though Azad was denied a permission to protest, he was spotted in a huge crowd which gathered in front of Jama Masjid after the Friday prayers. During the protest the dalit leader was seen holding the photograph of B R Ambedkar. Slogans of ‘Jai Bhim’ rang out from the steps of Jama Masjid.

Recent crackdown by police officers on peaceful protesters is uncalled for in a healthy democracy. Earlier to this several protests and the subsequent arrest of the protesters took place in the National Capital region.

Days have passed, however, the anger against the contentious law doesn’t seem to calm down. On Friday, eleven persons were killed in several clashes between protestors and police in parts of Uttar Pradesh. Several other States which include Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Gujarat remained hotbed for protests against the CAA.

After incidents of violence were reported in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Thursday, said that his govt will take ‘revenge’ on those involved in violence over the amended Citizenship act by auctioning their properties to compensate for the losses. Whether, this warning will act as a deterrent for those protesting against the act, is yet to be seen.

The current situation in our country compels us to ask whether the Govt has failed in discharging it’s duties and is this govts failure that scores of students are forced to come on streets to protest against the controversial bill, which is believed to be against the Indian Constitution.

One cannot deny the fact that from day one, the Modi govt was aware of the fact that the CAB once passed will lead to widespread protests in the country. However, to its failure it did not take any precautionary measures to ensure proper law and order situation in the Country. Debates over whether the CAA is an attempt by BJP to build ‘Hindu Rashtra’ have already taken place and nothing more can be said or written about the same.

Opposition is also at blame since it miserably failed to show some responsibility towards maintaing peace of the land, irresponsible/inciting speech given by our elected representatives worsened the situation further. Coming to the students role on the whole issue, it is always appreciable that the youths of our country are enlightened enough to raise their voice, whenever they feel that the Govt is misleading them.

However, the way the studenst of Jamia Milia University have protested and indulged in a large scale violence has no place in a civilized society. Students setting ablaze the buses and two wheelers and resorting to stone pelting on security persons is highly condemnable. The matter is now lying before the Supreme Court and it is now the Court that will decide the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

The apex court has scheduled January 22, as the date to conduct hearing on nearly 60 petitions challenging the Act. Nonetheless, law and order should be maintained at all costs and no one should be allowed to take law in its hands.

source: https://molitics.in/article/622/how-civil-society-opposition-students-responded-to-the-caa

After SC refuses stay on implementation of CAA, All eyes set on next hearing

After a lot of hue and cry and widespread protests across the country over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, refused to stay implementation of CAA and has scheduled January 22 to hear 59 pleas.

The bench issued notice to the Centre on the batch of pleas seeking stay on the operation of the law as well as on the main petition challenging the constitutional validity of the contentious law.

The amended citizenship bill which excludes migrants of the Muslim community from availing citizenship benefits in India, has continued to dominate headlines since past few days. Past precedents show, when a bill is passed in both the houses of parliament and gets SC’s nod, no State can refuse it’s implementation, no matter how much they oppose it and how many supporters they have backing their decision.

After the CAB got presidential assent, flare-ups in premier educational institutions and north-eastern states resulted in law and order problem in the country. There was news regarding the brutalities of police, provocative speeches by our elected political leaders and student unrest. Delhi’s Jamia University and Aligarh Muslim University were among those who witnessed massive protests. Nevertheless, the agitations will soon pass, no matter how strongly the protesters are protesting, the reality lies with the fact that the CAA has fulfilled all the formalities which are required for any bill to become an Act.

The only one institution that can stop CAA is the Supreme Court. Among those who filed petitons against the controversial act in the Supreme Court are Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Trinamool Congress MP (TMC) Mahua Moitra, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Tripura’s erstwhile ruling family scion Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and others.

The Bharatiya Janta Party has made it very clear that nothing can stop it from the implementation of this act. Recently, at a rally Amit Shah said, “Come what may, the Modi Govt will ensure that these refugees get Indian citizenship and live as Indians with honour.” Shah also used an oft-repeated justification for the CAA and maintained that because partition was done on the basis of religion and the minorities who are in Islamic states are suffering, that is why the amended citizenship act plans to give citizenship to minorities from other countries.

Given the current scenario, now all eyes are set on Jan 22, the day Supreme Court has scheduled to hear 59 pleas, filed by those opposing the CAA.

For more detail see other articles:

CAA Stir, How Citizens are resisting the controversial act

Why is there an uproar over Citizenship Amendment Bill?

CAB: हिंदू पाकिस्तान बनने की राह पर भारत!

source: https://molitics.in/article/620/after-SC-refuses-stay-on-implementation-of-caa-all-eyes-set-on-next-hearing

7 years down the line, we find out as to how effectively the Govt has dealt with the women safety issue

Seven years have passed, however, Nirbhaya is still awaiting justice. On the intervening night of December 16-17, a 23-year-old paramedic student who came to be known as Nirbhaya, was gang-raped inside a running bus in south Delhi by six people and was later thrown out on the road. The deceased later succumbed to her injuries. Asha devi, the mother of the victim, has yet again on Monday, appealed the government and judiciary to hang the four convicts. Whenever, this day, December 16 arrives, one question which probably hits all of us, is, whether anything related to women safety has really changed in our country, or the situation is still the same?

Nirbhaya incident and other such instances of brutal rape have given India the dismal reputation of being one of the worst places in the world to be female. To answer the question if India has become safer for women in all these years, the statistics present a bleak picture. Statistics, bear out the stark reality faced by women in India, a country where feminine form is worshipped as the mother Goddess.

Nirbhaya case sparked widespread public protests and soon there were demands to award death penalty to those involved in the heinous crime. The horrific incident shook the entire nation and the Indian govt. realized that time has come to take stringent measures and bring in new laws to effectively deal with the rape issue.

Can we have a corruption free society?

Protests, candle march were carried out in the national capital post-Nirbhaya in protest against the rise in rape cases. In order to placate the angry public the govt announced a host of measures like setting up of fast track trial courts, women helpline number, Nirbhaya fund and one stop center scheme.

The horrific gangrape and murder of a 26-year-old woman veterinarian in Telangana indicate that women are as unsafe and fearful today as they were on the eve of Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Nirbhaya fund and its utilisation

Nirbhaya Fund was created in 2013 in the aftermonth of December 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case. Giving in to popular sentiments, the government announced a separate fund for meeting expenditures to ensure safety of women. The govt proposed an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore under Nirbhaya Fund to ensure safety of women. However, hardly any woman can today claim that Nirbhaya Fund has made her fearless.

According to the latest data, presented in Parliament by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani – in the wake of questions raised over safety and security of women following the Hyderabad gangrape and murder case – the ministry has allocated Rs 2,050 crore to various states from the Nirbhaya Fund.

The Union home ministry on its part has released Rs 1,656 crore in the last five years to states and Union Territories. But utilisation rate of Nirbhaya Fund has been very dismal.

For the funds released by the Union Women and Child Development Ministry, only about 20 % has been used by the states. In the case of Union home ministry, the states have submitted utilisation certificates of less than 9 per cent money released under Nirbhaya Fund.
Six states and UTs – Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura and Daman & Diu – have not spent a single rupee from the Nirbhaya Fund allocated by the Union home ministry.

Why is there an uproar over Citizenship Amendment Bill?

Big state like Maharashtra had been under the BJP rule for five years, from 2014 to 2019. Yet the BJP-led govt of the Centre could not put enough pressure on Maharashtra, which recorded 4,306 incidents of assault on women in 2017.

ONE STOP CENTRE SCHEME

Launched in 2015, it provides integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence. Not fully operational in all states.

DIAL 112

This pan-India phone number (like 911 in the US) was launched in 2019, under the Emergency Response Support System, aimed at improving women’s safety. It is not functional in several states.

Death penalty: Will it really deter rape

Given the current context, People from all corner of the nation are demanding a death penalty for rapists. This remains a highly debatable issue between those who advocate death penalty and for those who are against capital punishment. Death penalty violates Article 21, i..e Right to life and as such this cannot be done, if we go by the logical argument.

Onion price likely to fall over next few days

No studies prove that awarding death penalty to rapists will in anyway deter them from committing such acts. The problem lies somewhere else, probably in our justice delivery system. It is right said, that justice delayed is justice denied.

A report, submitted in 2017, pointed out that the average time of finishing trial in rape cases was eight months in the fast-track courts. Not all rape cases in India are tried in fast-track courts.
The study also found that in most cases, even the deposition of the rape victim does not take place within 60 days. The fast tracked Nirbhaya gangrape case was disposed in nine months.
Delay in trial of rape cases occur due to various reasons – from receiving forensic lab reports to huge burden of pending cases.

Constitution and Democracy! Are we really following the boundaries?

What can be the possible solutions-
The real issue appears to be the time taken in the final disposal of cases of rape and murder. What is required for any law to act as a real deterrent is bringing about long pending police and judicial reforms.

Over 32,500 cases of rape were registered with the police in 2017, about 90 a day, according to the most recent government data. Laws become ineffective in the absence of adequate support from its many arms. Police often face allegations of insensitivity while handling rape cases. Once the case reaches the courts, they drag on and on. NCRB data also show that conviction rate in rape cases is just 32 per cent, which is attributed mainly to delay in completion of trials. Regardless of the crime, understaffing is a major driver of pendency in both courts and police forces.

CAA Stir, How Citizens are resisting the controversial act

Moreover, Indian courts disposed of only about 18,300 cases related to rape that year, leaving more than 127,800 cases pending at the end of 2017. Nevertheless, this week, as a debate raged in Parliament over the Hyderabad case, Rajya Sabha speaker and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said: “What is required is political will, administrative skill, change of mindset and then go for the kill of social evil.”

source: https://www.molitics.in/article/619/7-years-down-t

Can we have a corruption free society?

Nirbhaya fund and its utilisation

The Union home ministry on its part has released Rs 1,656 crore in the last five years to states and Union Territories. But utilisation rate of Nirbhaya Fund has been very dismal.

Why is there an uproar over Citizenship Amendment Bill?

Launched in 2015, it provides integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence. Not fully operational in all states.

DIAL 112

Onion price likely to fall over next few days

Constitution and Democracy! Are we really following the boundaries?

CAA Stir, How Citizens are resisting the controversial act

source: https://www.molitics.in/article/619/7-years-down-the-line-delhi-rape-case-women-safety-issue

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