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Why we must acknowledge the flaws in V-Dem’s ‘Democracy Report’

prithwiraj1980
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<strong><em>Why we must acknowledge the flaws in V-Dem’s ‘Democracy Report’</em></strong>

Certain international organizations have made it their mission to rate various countries according to criteria like democracy, religious freedom, human development, and hunger, among others. Despite the fact that these rankings occasionally lack objectivity and typically favor rich nations, vested interests frequently exaggerate these rankings to portray a country in an unfavorable light.

When foreign agencies release reports or studies saying that “democracy is in danger” in developing countries like India and Bangladesh, oppositions lap it up. Moreover, international financing institutions and governments frequently utilize these rankings as input, which can help or hurt a country’s status internationally. So, before taking such rankings at face value, the methodology must be carefully examined.

The Sweden-based research institute V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), in its latest report titled “Defiance in the Face of Autocratization,” has estimated that today 72% of the population of the world—5.7 billion people—live in an autocracy of some sort, while only 13% live in a liberal democracy. The institute rated Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan as “electoral autocracies,” a claim many would find difficult to believe given the serious methodological debate over the ranking. The report’s top rankings are dominated by North American and European countries, with numerous African nations, including Senegal, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, etc.

What went wrong?

Questions have been raised earlier about the credibility of democracy indices that rank countries along various parameters based solely on subjective opinions. The method used by V-Dem is allegedly suspect, according to fact-checking and investigative platforms like DisinfoLab.

A working paper titled “Why India does poorly on global perception indices” has also raised serious doubts about the methodology applied by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Variety of Democracies (V-DEM), and Freedom House. Again, pointing out the biases in academia, the American sociologist Prof. Salvatore Babones further claimed that these rankings are done very cheaply, based on a very narrow evidence base, and sometimes used as weapons to meet political goals.

It is important to understand that the democracy rankings have an impact on the economic prospects of a country because they ultimately feed into bond rating models. According to economist Sanjeev Sanyal, these indices are inputs into the World Bank’s World Governance Indicators (WGI), which, in turn, have approximately 18–20% weightage in sovereign ratings.

Moreover, democracy indices influence investment decisions. So, while such ratings cannot be ignored as “mere opinions”, there needs to be a closer inspection of the methodology used to arrive at the data.

‘Problems in Methodology”

By design, V-Dem is significantly flawed. One-party dictatorships can and frequently do outperform true democracies in terms of the quality of their elections since electoral democracy’s metrics are unable to distinguish between genuine and “fake” democracies.

Again, the problem is that the design of the Democracy Index is not outcome-based, which would ask if the country is effective in delivering what its citizens need and not merely if it complies with the established standards and procedures. On the basis of the V-Dem report, this paper reached four broad conclusions.

Lack of representation: The methodology adopted by V-Dem makes it clear that their report is not based on a large-scale survey but on the opinions of a handful of experts—just 30 to be exact. Shockingly, they are considered authorities in countries with millions of people, and organizations such as V-Dem depend on them.

Another source of concern is that 8 or 9 of the 30 experts who provide assessments of a country’s democracy are foreigners. It is a reality that their perceptions without substantial ground knowledge can be inaccurate, misleading, and sometimes untrue. So, when V-DEM prepares a report based on their inputs, how can we attach any credibility to this conclusion?

Lack of transparency: One of the major failings of the institutions is the secrecy they maintain about the “experts”. There is no transparency on how the experts were chosen, what the basis of their observations, or how cross-country comparisons are made. The index does not reveal the nationality, credentials, or even field of expertise of these experts. It is known that the survey is conducted by intellectuals, journalists, think tanks, directors of NGOs, and human rights activists, clearly pointing towards a small and cozy group of people.

There are scopes in which this tiny group can bring their political biases into their evaluations of a country. For example, in America, where most of the university professors tend to support the Democrats and oppose the Republicans, if someone asked a bunch of academics to evaluate Donald Trump’s presidency, it is overwhelmingly clear that intellectuals will give a negative evaluation regardless of the real situation.

This same pattern would replicate in South Asia, and it should not surprise anybody. In the case of India and Bangladesh, unfortunately, there is a class of intellectuals who have a clear bias against present governments and regularly put forth false narratives to promote their own political agendas. So, unless it is known who these experts are, what their professional standing is, and more importantly, what their political background and motivations are, the conclusions will always be suspect.

Ambiguity: For the democracy index, another problem is the filtering of data. The institute does not send out fact-finding missions to 200 countries. Instead, they sent a survey. Again, the list of questions used was quite subjective and worded in a way that made it impossible to answer them objectively.

Many of the attributes of sub-continental society that appear from the perspective of Washington, London, or Göteborg to be failures of democracy may actually reflect the challenges of maintaining order in a low-resource environment.

V-Dem downgrades Bangladesh and India’s score on its ‘egalitarian democracy’ scale because both countries’ social programs tend to be targeted to help the neediest, whereas the V-Dem Institute’s political scientists believe that universal social welfare schemes are more inclusive.

But would universal social programs really be more ‘democratic’ for a poor countries? By the way, a question on whether the country is a republic or a monarchy is not asked under any category. The northern European nations, many of which are constitutional monarchies, are clearly favored by this. Thus, an honest evaluation of the democracy of a country has to compare fairly to that of other countries around the world using the same metrics.

Credibility: No expert is unbiased. Given that V-Dem rely heavily on expert evaluations, it is difficult to escape the suggestion that they may have perhaps unwittingly been drawn into taking sides in domestic, regional, or international politics. It is important to note that the V-Dem Institute is funded by the Open Society Foundation, which is led by George Soros, a Hungarian-American investor who has officially declared war on nationalist leaders and conservative governments throughout the world. He is also a close ally of President Biden’s party and their biggest donor. So, the political affiliations of the people involved also indicate another layer to the questionable credibility of this report.

Paradox of rankings

There are some examples where the most oppressive, authoritative regimes have found a place way ahead of India and Bangladesh. The Swedish Institute placed Bangladesh one notch above Laos, a one-party communist state. It is interesting to note that V-Dem rated India and Bangladesh behind Nepal, an absolute monarchy as recently as 2006, where the democratic process has not yet established on a solid foundation. It is a real irony that India or Singapore can outperform Lesotho, which experienced a military coup in 2014 and has frequently been in a state of emergency. Some of the critics also raised questions about the ratings of countries like Iraq (122), which still stumbles repeatedly in establishing democracy, and Israel (39), where democracy has been strangled.

Surveys of this type, however dressed up, are always at risk of manipulation, which is why conclusions differ greatly. Thus, for example, shortly before the V-Dem Institute reported, the UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) issued its Democracy Index 2023, where it treated Bangladesh differently. According to this index, Bangladesh has improved its democratic standing from 75th in 2021 to 73rd in 2022. It ranked Bangladesh third in South Asia, ahead of Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. It is clear that when the strengths and weaknesses of particular democracies are inadequately assessed, wide fluctuations in conclusion are inevitable.

However, the weakness of the index doesn’t necessarily justify that the health of democracy or political systems are up to the mark; rather, it is a fact that democracy is in crisis globally and an array of countries, from newly democratized nations to consolidated democracies, are experiencing severe backsliding. But judging a country only by some instances of failure while ignoring numerous instances of success is unfair. As the rankings have a long-term effect on determining a country’s economic and social engagements internationally, the V-Dem institute needs to be careful about the methodologies and processes.

Pakistani jihadists seek asylum in Italy with false claims

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
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Pakistani jihadists seek asylum in Italy with false claims

Thousands of Pakistanis, most of whom are members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Sipah Sahaba, Haqqani Network and militants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well as members of Pakistani political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are entering Italy and seeking political asylum stating they are forced to flee Pakistan due to “war and hunger”. Similarly, Bangladeshis (most of whom are activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami) are also entering Italy and seeking asylum stating they have fled the country due to “war and hunger”.

According to data provided by UNHRC, only on February 28, 2023 1,342 Bangladeshi nationals arrived in Italy using rubber boats. On the same day, 1,175 Pakistanis also arrived in Italy. There has not been a single Indian national in the list of illegally arrived people on the day.

Italian newspaper Primato Nazionale in a report titled ‘Africans, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis in search of fortune in Italy’ said, thousands of illegal immigrants are entering the country while all of them are seeking asylum stating they were forced to flee due to war and hunger.

The report said: “Immigrants flee from hunger and war“, this was the story told to Italians for years by those who supported mass immigration, i.e. left-wing politicians, NGOs and the entire hospitality business chain. Also, in 2023, as in previous years, this lie was shattered by the statistics of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) which faithfully report the countries of origin of the immigrants landed in Italy.

According to sources, none of these illegal immigrants are fleeing their country due to war.

In 2023, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Bangladesh, Tunisia and Pakistan are the most declared nationalities by immigrants upon landing in Italy.

Of the 26,832 immigrants who landed on 26 March 2023, only 429 were Syrian, 389 Afghan, 191 Sudanese, 21 Iraqi, 12 Somali and 6 Libyan, i.e. they came from war-torn or destabilized countries. This means that 96 percent of immigrants were not fleeing war.

Another interesting figure published by UNHCR is represented by the demographic characteristics of the immigrants: 70 percent are men, 12 percent women, 4 percent minors accompanied by family members, 14 percent self-styled unaccompanied minors. As is known, in Italy, after the approval of the Zampa Law in 2017, it has become practically impossible to establish the real age of an immigrant who declares himself a minor at the time of landing and the presumption of minority always applies. 

Moreover, these data strongly differ from those published by Iom Libya (International Organization for Migration) relating to immigrants brought back to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard since the beginning of 2023: only 3 percent are minors (without distinction between accompanied and unaccompanied).

From January to February 2023, as many as 59 percent of the immigrants who landed in Italy left from Tunisia: the most numerous nationalities were Guinean, Ivory Coast and Tunisia. 35 percent of the immigrants left Libya. From the UNHCR data, it is understood that these, mainly originating from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt, all countries not at war, deliberately went to Libya, a destabilized country, moreover paying the traffickers handsomely.

Immigrants who don’t run away from hunger

As noted by the immigrants who survived the Cutro shipwreck and by the relatives of the disappeared, the people embarked on that old fishing boat had paid the traffickers from 8,000 to 15,000 euros per person for the journey. As documented by a report by IOM, Bangladeshis spend an average of around 8,000 euros to reach Italy, using planes that take them from Bangladesh to Turkey, the United Arab Emirates or Egypt, to then arrive in Libya and embark on a trafficker’s boat. On average, a sub-Saharan pay between 6 thousand and 10 thousand euros for the journey from the country of origin to Italy.

During the journey, immigrants, both African and Asian, pass through countries that could welcome them, also due to the presence of refugee camps run by United Nations agencies. Not only that: with the amount of money given to traffickers, immigrants could start a new life in countries neighboring their countries of origin. 

By now it is clear that these people come to Italy and Europe in search of Western-style well-being and to be able to take advantage of welfare. In fact, the phenomenon of asylum shopping is known, i.e. immigrants try to reach European countries with a stronger welfare state, such as the Scandinavian ones, by not filing an asylum application in Italy. For this reason, immigrants often remain in a sort of limbo because France, Switzerland and Austria have sealed their borders.

In a comprehensive report published in BLiTZ on March 31, 2023 it was stated migrants are paying over US$8,000 to the transnational human trafficking rackets for transporting them mostly through sea-routes to European countries, whereas organized traffickers from Turkey, Pakistan, Malta, Somalia, Tunisia, Myanmar, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Nigeria, Philippines, Syria and few other countries are behind handling of such illegal activities.

According to an investigative report published in Italian newspaper il Giornale, when Italian police investigated the cases of people illegally reaching the country mostly through boats, it was revealed that illegal migrants are required to pay a “fee” of eight thousand Euros to organized transnational human trafficking rackets mainly run by Turkish and Pakistani nationals.

The “Why” of communal riots in Ram Navami

Dr Jadabeswar Bhattacharjee
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The “Why” of communal riots in Ram Navami

The Hindu-Muslim clashes during end of March and beginning of April 2023 in different parts of India on the occasion of Hindu Ram Navami celebration have been painted by Left-Liberal-Islamist cabal as Hindutva-wadi terrorism. But the Hindu Rightists called those as Islamic Jihad upon Hinduism.

During that time, with about 30 videos and 15 blatant lies, actors to journalists and lawyers; – Islamist ecosystem spread hatred against Hindus in social media by shouting that only Hindus did violence on Ram Navami. The Islamists also dog-whistled (like in Nupur Sharma case) to enable the Organization of Islamic countries (OIC) to come out openly to criticize India, in a fake premise, for persecuting its Muslims.

An impression was given by the Left-Liberal-Islamist cabal, as if these communal riots were new in India or have increased in India after BJP came to power during 2014. But a record of Bareilly (present day Uttar Pradesh) riots on Ram Navami celebration during 1871 tells “the Mahomedan community had resolved at all cost to interrupt the Hindoo festival, to attack the procession, and to plunder the Hindoos in different parts of the city”. As per Historian R C Majumdar, such Muslim attack on Hindu Ram Navami procession has been an annual event in British India.

Going further back, Hindu Bengalis, under about 500 years of Muslim rule, were not allowed to celebrate the annual Durga Puja publicly. The Puja was to be celebrated privately only. Moreover, Bengali Vaishnava literature of the late medieval period is full of narratives where officials of Muslim rulers prevented or disrupted Hindu religious celebrations. After Robert Clive won Plassey in 1757, Babu Naba Krishna Deb of Calcutta organized the public celebration of Durga Puja for the first time. Today’s secular and Communist Bongs are stupidly oblivious of those facts.

Unlike Hinduism, Islam has all along been intolerant towards any religious performance or celebration which is un-Islamic. For Muslims, all Hindus are Boot-parast, that is, idolator and Kafir. Islam directs Muslims to destroy any form of Boot-parasti. Islam gives Kafirs only three choices: conversion, death or Dhimmitude. The Muslim destroyer of Hindu idols is regarded with high honour in Muslim community and called Boot Shikan.

When a Muslim destroys Hindu idols or disrupts Hindu religious celebration or kills Hindus performing any religious rites, he scores extra points from Allah to make his berth reserved in the Islamic paradise hereafter.

During about six hundred and fifty years of Muslim rule in India, majority-Hindu community was at the receiving end in general. They adjusted themselves and their religious celebrations under minority-Muslim rule and avoided confrontations with Muslims unless absolutely required.

With the coming of the British in 1757, the centre of power in India shifted from Muslim to British. That shift of power-centre released Hindus from the physical and psychological oppression of their religious activities, which they had to undergo in the hands of Muslim rulers. The Indian Muslims, particularly the elite class, became an angry and frustrated lot by finding the newly released Hindu religious zeal on one hand and loss of their ruling power on the other hand.

In demographic sense, Muslims were far behind Hindus. The British imposition of rule of law, however imperialistic that might be, also released Hindus from the status of Boot-parast Kafir in India. That historical transformation made Muslim-attacks on Hindu religious celebrations very commonplace in British India. And it is still going on.

The only difference is, Hindus have now learnt to show their strength and retaliate after BJP came to power in 2014. Thus, the recent Ram Navami riots were between the aggressive followers of a violently-exclusionist desert cult and Hindus following Dharma Rakshati Rakshitaha.

After partition of India, Hindus in Pakistan have gone back to the status of Kafir, while in Bangladesh Hindus are called Malaun (accursed), an utterly abusive term. The Muslims of Pakistan and Bangladesh, as per Islamic commandment, have been attacking Hindu temples, destroying Hindu idols and disrupting or not allowing Hindu religious celebrations all along, However, Hindus in India do not disturb the religious practices and celebrations of Muslims.

Muslims in India are allowed to give Azan five times a day in loudspeakers from mosque-top across the country. They can perform their annual Muharram procession without any problem. They can perform Jummah Namaz in any place including railway lines, roads, highways, inside planes and train coaches and even on the runway. Their public celebration of Iftar has never been disturbed by Hindus.

But Indian Muslims have all problems with Hindu religious celebrations, be it Holi or Dewali or Ram Navami. Stone-pelting is their monopoly (as Sunnah of Muhammad) along with loot, arson and putting vehicles on fire.

Morally, they justify such violence by resorting to their scriptures and do not show any sign of guilt. So, what may appear as a Law-and-Order problem (created by Muslims) is actually their religious duty. The Desert Cult is so vicious. Hindus must understand that fact.

On top of this, pampering of Muslims by ignorant Hindu Leftists, Secularists and Liberals has worsened the situation. In this context it is pertinent to look at what Churchill said: “while the Hindoo elaborates his argument, the Moslem sharpens his sword”. However, such riots are no longer one way in India and that is causing pain in the heart of Left-Liberal-Islamist cabal of India.

If stones are pelted on any Hindu religious procession by the Muslims, t is a natural phenomenon to the cabal. If Hindus remain silent victims, then the cabal is happy. But if Hindus protest against stone pelting, they are labelled as Intolerant towards Muslims and Islamophobes. Hindus are also questioned for not remaining miles away from the Muslim Areas.

If Hindus retaliate, then all hell breaks loose and Modi, Amit Shah, BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal all are accused of being Hindu-terrorists by the same cabal. The cabal wants the Indian Muslims to win in all such situations and go back to home with a smiling face to prepare for the next move to Islamize India.

About the author: Dr. Jadabeswar Bhattacharjee served in the Government of India and retired as Higher Administrative Grade Officer after 35 years of service. After retirement from the service, he developed interest in writing on contentious issues and topics. His published books are (1) Politically incorrect Point of View, (2) Politics, Bong and Faith, (3) The Alternative Narrative, (4) The West Bengal Saga and (5) Political Islam and India.

Modi’s agenda for India: What to expect in the 2024 elections

Vivek Pandey
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Modi’s agenda for India: What to expect in the 2024 elections

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has been a prominent figure in Indian politics for several years now, and his agenda for the country is likely to be a key issue in the upcoming 2024 elections. Modi’s government has undertaken several initiatives and reforms aimed at transforming India’s economy, infrastructure, national security, and social welfare. In this article, we will delve deeper into Modi’s agenda and what to expect in the 2024 elections.

Economic Development: Modi has consistently emphasized the importance of economic development in India. Under his leadership, the government has launched several initiatives aimed at boosting economic growth, including the “Make in India” campaign, which aims to promote domestic manufacturing and create job opportunities.

The government has also implemented various reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), and the Startup India initiative aimed at creating a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and business. Modi’s economic policies are aimed at making India a $5 trillion economy by 2024.

Infrastructure Development: Modi has also emphasized the importance of infrastructure development in India. Under his leadership, the government has launched several initiatives aimed at improving India’s infrastructure, including the “Smart Cities” project and the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” campaign, which aims to improve sanitation and waste management.

The government has also launched various schemes aimed at providing affordable housing, building highways, and developing airports. In the 2024 elections, Modi is likely to continue to emphasize infrastructure development as a key priority.

National Security: Modi has been a strong advocate for national security and has taken several steps to strengthen India’s defense capabilities. The government has launched several initiatives aimed at improving border security and combating terrorism, such as the “Surgical Strike” against terrorists in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in 2016 and the Balakot air strikes against terrorist targets in Pakistan in 2019. The government has also implemented various reforms in the defense sector, including the establishment of a Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) and the formation of a new department for military affairs. In the 2024 elections, Modi is likely to continue to emphasize national security as a key issue.

Social Welfare: Modi has launched several initiatives aimed at improving social welfare in India, including the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana” scheme, which aims to provide banking facilities to all households in India. The government has also implemented various schemes aimed at improving healthcare, education, and rural development. The government has also launched the “Ayushman Bharat” scheme, which aims to provide health insurance to millions of poor and vulnerable families in India. In the 2024 elections, Modi is likely to continue to focus on social welfare as a key issue.

Overall, Modi’s agenda for India is likely to focus on economic development, infrastructure development, national security, and social welfare. These issues are likely to be key issues in the 2024 elections, and voters will have to decide whether they believe Modi is the right leader to take India forward in these areas.

However, there are also several challenges that Modi’s government will have to address, such as rising unemployment, farmer protests, and economic inequality. How Modi’s government tackles these challenges will likely determine its success in the 2024 elections.

“India’s silent pain: The men hurt by false dowry and rape cases”

sourabh86
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“India’s silent pain: The men hurt by false dowry and rape cases”

India is a country where traditional values and customs still hold strong, and one such tradition is the giving of gifts in form of cash or other material at the time of a woman’s marriage. However, in recent years, the practice has been misused by some women and their families to extort money and goods from the groom and his family, leading to an increase in false dowry cases.

Similarly, there has been an increase in false rape cases in recent years, with women using the threat of rape allegations to extort money or to settle personal scores with men. This has had a devastating effect on innocent men who have been falsely accused, leading to their social and financial ruin, and even suicide.

The impact of false cases is not limited to the accused men themselves but extends to their families. False accusations can lead to the accused losing his job, being disowned by his family and friends, and being denied basic rights and privileges. The accused’s family also faces social ostracism, and they may be forced to bear the brunt of the community’s anger and outrage.

Moreover, the trauma of a false accusation can have a profound impact on the mental health of the accused and his family. They may suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, and the emotional toll of the false accusation can be long-lasting.

The effects of false dowry and rape cases are particularly pronounced in India, where the social and cultural stigma attached to these crimes can lead to the ostracization of the accused and his family. False accusations can lead to the accused losing his job, being disowned by his family and friends, and being denied basic rights and privileges.

The Indian legal system is known to be slow and cumbersome, and it often takes years for cases to be resolved. This means that innocent men who have been falsely accused can spend years fighting a legal battle, while their lives are put on hold, and their reputations and social standing are tarnished irreparably.

The impact of false cases goes beyond the individuals involved, affecting the entire society. It undermines the trust between men and women, and leads to a breakdown in the social fabric. It also diverts precious resources and attention from genuine cases, diluting the focus on the real problems facing women in India.

The solution to the problem of false dowry and rape cases lies in a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, there needs to be stricter punishment for those who make false accusations, to act as a deterrent for others. Secondly, the legal system needs to be reformed to ensure that cases are resolved quickly, and that innocent men are not left to suffer for years. Finally, there needs to be a greater awareness among the public about the negative impact of false accusations, and the need to support innocent men who have been falsely accused.

In conclusion, false dowry and rape cases have had a devastating impact on innocent men and their families in India, leading to social and financial ruin, emotional trauma, and even suicide. The solution lies in a multi-pronged approach, including stricter punishment for those who make false accusations, legal reforms to ensure that cases are resolved quickly, and greater awareness among the public about the negative impact of false accusations. By taking these steps, we can ensure that justice is served, and that innocent men and their families are not made to suffer needlessly.

The epic elections of 2024

Shitiz Srivastava
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The epic elections of 2024

There is without a doubt extreme amounts of optimism everywhere about the future of India. In the last 9 years, we have seen a rise in respect, trust, and brand of India among other countries of the world. It is not something that cannot just be documented and read but it is something that one can feel and compare when one thinks about the past and present.

It was all about the powerful leadership of someone of the caliber of Modi to think about India first and everything else later. We never got a leader with such austere and selfless love for the nation.  

With Narendra Modi, India got that leadership.

For the last 9 years, the fate of India changed within itself and around the world.

India got the most powerful payment system in the name of UPI, a new tax regime; gas, and electricity everywhere in the poor homes; new road infrastructure built at a rapidly fast rate; living facilities and employment for the poor. Clean, better, and fast railways, double the number of airports and change in the outlook of the foreign market to look at India as an alternative to China and a global market.

Technology has been boosted to new levels. Indian software engineers are the highest paid and fastest to get employment anywhere in the world. Most of the top companies like Google, Microsoft, Adobe, etc., and, many more have CEOs of Indian Origin.

We have got more than 100 unicorns during this tenure. Finally, the youth has started looking for career options other than government, IITs, IIMs, and Medical jobs. The horizon has broadened up.

Despite the demonetization and the Covid pandemic, there was still a rise in Indian GDP. The rise of world ranking to the fifth position beating the United Kingdom, a country that once ruled India, and a country whose current head of state is an Indian named Rishi Sunak, a Hindu by religion, and son-in-law of Narayan Murthy, founder of Indian tech giant Infosys’s.

It appears that we are going in the right direction in all directions.

But the most crucial question that is being asked today can be –

What would happen in 2024? Will there be a return of Modi or will there be a power imbalance?

There is no doubt as of now of the popularity of Modi in India. With recent winnings in North East elections and with no strong face from the opposition, it appears Modi will easily win the next Lok Sabha elections.

The question is whether he will gain a majority or whether there will be some kind of strong opposition as the entire opposition has now started a campaign to stand together against the juggernaut called Modi.  

The public understands the ulterior motives of the opposition, which is not just to oust Modi but to remove him for their personal benefit rather than the benefit of the poor people.

If Modi wins the elections in 2024, there will be definitely more progress which India would see in the coming years.

The 2024 election in India is not the only election that is going to bring huge turmoil in the world of politics. There is the Presidential election for the top post in the United States as well.

There are chances Biden has to say goodbye to the coveted post considering his handling of the Russia-Ukraine war and the dwindling of the US economy.

It can’t be judged today whether Biden has been a good President or not, but surely he has not been a President who embellishes a Superpower like the United States.

With his dull speech-delivering skills, lazy personality, and old age, he lacks the dynamism and charismatic personality like Obama who would get away with anything. With his sober looks, calculated personality, educated charm, and polite demeanor of speaking, he had won the hearts of Americans like a rock star for two elections. He would have made it to the third term if there was a provision for it in the US constitution.

There is also a huge chance that the previous President Trump might make a comeback. With the rise in right-wing politics all over the world and citizens of the US frustrated over the Ukraine War, which had nothing to do with the United States directly but may have an over involvement in it, there appear chances that States will vote for the person who would resist sending their people on war ground to die for a war which is not even on their turf.

Trump has already started his campaign aggressively all across the United States.

With all that, there is a tremendous impact on the world economy as well. The world economy is suffering from the European wars, however, Asian countries are taking huge advantage of it and becoming more powerful. There is nothing wrong with that. It was supposed to happen sometime and finally, the time has come.

There is a power shift that can be easily seen and felt. With the rise of China as a major superpower and an equivalent to the United States in power and finance, there has already been a power imbalance; first since 1992, after the Russian disintegration happened and weakened Russia.

The economies of countries who were developing nations are increasing multifold day by day.

Indian Economy is getting investments from all sides as India too is emerging as a major power hub of Asia. India has a huge population and thus has a huge consumer base.

An American YouTuber, who is a chef by profession gets ten times more views when he shares the recipe for an Indian recipe than the recipe of any other country.

Lots of small-time YouTubers from the US are making reaction videos on the Indian blockbuster movie RRR to gain more views, simply because Indians, especially from South India take extreme pride in their own culture and films. It results in massive traction on otherwise unknown channels.

This is also happening because the Internet is quite cheap in India compared to other countries. Everyone has a smartphone in their hands and everyone is a potential consumer of heaps of content online.

Indian labor may not be cheaper than in China but is more skilled at less cost which makes it a perfect combination of value and money.  

With the help and motivation from the Government, a lot of countries that other powerful countries overlooked earlier are now investing in India.

The economy will get a boost from manufacturing projects which have started with rapid speed in India.

The manufacturing units which are getting installed in India by Apple and other companies will be functional within a year or two, increasing the manufacturing power of India manifolds.

More manufacturing means a higher export-to-import ratio which is a huge sign for the rise of the GDP of a country. With this rate, hopefully, India will achieve its ambition of 5 trillion economies sooner than expected. 

Sometimes it appears as if everything is happening for the betterment of India and is aiding to make India a superpower. With a nation-loving government at the center and the Russian-Ukraine war at one corner of the world, India is benefitting from everything.

India’s stand on Russia Ukraine war is a huge win for diplomacy. Not just India benefitted from it, but it also proclaimed in front of the world that it cannot be subjugated on the basis of morals, ethics, and, values which are missing from the countries that point fingers at India.

When the talk about world relations starts there is one topic that cannot be escaped. The topic of India and Pakistan. The topic brings an immense amount of moolah to the cricket boards and is a reason for the livelihood of every terrorist in Pakistan for years.

After all these years, it should have been established that there can be no friendship between India and Pakistan. There has never been an instance of two countries that fought with each other, had different ideologies, and later became friends forever. Peace can only be maintained when the countries in dispute decide to live within themselves unbothered about each other.  

Peace will never happen between India and Pakistan and one shouldn’t sit in the optimism of hoping it would ever happen. Pakistan refuses to learn from its past mistakes and is now facing a dire economic crisis. There is no country that would help them now because countries help only those countries whom they can expect anything in return. There is no expectation of a return of any kind from Pakistan.

In between all this, India and Modi have become synonymous with each other.

With the promise of the inauguration of Ram Janam Bhoomi by the year’s end, the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, and reclaiming POK; the BJP under Modi has lots of promises to fulfill from their manifesto. Looking at their track records, it appears they will fulfill it too.

2024 is not just an election but the future of India in the hands of the voters. One can just hope that the country makes the right decision.

Celebrating the 100th edition of PM Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat

saurabhk4u
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Celebrating the 100th edition of PM Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat

Mann Ki Baat is a radio program hosted by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, where he addresses the nation and shares his thoughts on various issues. Launched in 2014, the program has completed 100 episodes, and it has become a platform for the Prime Minister to connect with the masses and inspire change.

In episode 100 of Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister talks about how his program has sparked mass movements and inspired social change. This article explores the impact of Mann Ki Baat and how it has become a platform for connecting with the masses.

Impact of Mann Ki Baat:

Since its launch, Mann Ki Baat has become a significant platform for the Prime Minister to communicate with the masses. The program has gained immense popularity among the people of India, and it has helped in creating a positive image of the government.

One of the most significant impacts of Mann Ki Baat has been the inspiration it has provided to people. The Prime Minister has used the program to share his thoughts on various social issues, and he has urged the people to take up initiatives to bring about change. His words have inspired people to come forward and work towards building a better society.

Mann Ki Baat has also been instrumental in spreading awareness about various government schemes and programs. The Prime Minister has used the program to explain the benefits of these schemes and encourage people to take advantage of them. This has helped in increasing the reach of these programs and ensuring that they reach the people who need them the most.

Mass Movements sparked by Mann Ki Baat:

One of the most significant impacts of Mann Ki Baat has been the mass movements it has sparked. The Prime Minister has used the program to urge people to take up various initiatives, and these initiatives have led to mass movements that have brought about significant social change.

One such movement is the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which was launched by the Prime Minister in 2014. The Prime Minister used Mann Ki Baat to urge people to take up the initiative and work towards making India clean. The initiative gained massive support, and it has led to a significant improvement in the cleanliness of the country.

Another movement sparked by Mann Ki Baat is the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative. The Prime Minister used the program to highlight the issue of female foeticide and urged people to take up the initiative to save the girl child. The initiative has gained massive support, and it has led to a significant improvement in the sex ratio in various parts of the country.

Mann Ki Baat has also played a significant role in the success of the Digital India initiative. The Prime Minister used the program to urge people to embrace digital technology and take advantage of the various government schemes and programs that were available online. The initiative gained massive support, and it has helped in bridging the digital divide in the country.

The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023- A reflection of international India

Naman Shukla
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The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023- A reflection of international India

On March 29, 2023, the Lok Sabha adopted the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2023, marking a significant advancement. The Bill was subsequently approved by the Rajya Sabha on April 3, 2023, and on April 11, 2023, it was promulgated and published in the Indian Gazette as The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 after getting the President’s signature.

Highlights

  1. The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, amend the Competition Act, 2002, to add transaction value-based merger and acquisition regulations. Any deal worth more than Rs 2,000 crore must have CCI approval, and to reduce the CCI’s timeframe for doing so from 210 days to 150 days.
  2. Furthermore, the scope of entities that can be considered a part of anti-competitive agreements is widened. While currently, only enterprises or persons engaged in similar businesses can be held liable, now includes those not involved in similar businesses as well.
  3. To speed up the resolution of investigations into anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position, the act now  introduces a framework for settlement and commitment.
  4. Finally, certain offences under the Act are decriminalised, with a shift from imposing fines to civil penalties as a form of punishment. These offences include failing to comply with orders from the CCI or directions from the Director General concerning anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position.
  5. Digital market acquisitions are valued based on data or specific business innovations of the target company.  The acquisition of such firms might not be subject to the usual asset or turnover requirements for assessing their impact on competition.  According to the proposed legislation, the value of the transactions would be used to assess such arrangements.
  6. The Director General’s authority to look into Act violations is increased.  This also includes the authority to ask legal counsel for information and paperwork.  This could be in conflict with section 126 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872’s regulations about attorney-client confidentiality.
  7. The Bill requires 25% of any sum imposed by CCI to be deposited before an appeal against a CCI ruling is brought before the NCLAT.  It is debatable whether a required deposit should be specified in the legislation.
  8. New Section 6(4) of the Act introduces the “Green channel” or “deemed approval” for some kinds of combinations unlikely to obtain AAEC. Upon the recommendations of the Competition Law Review Committee (CLRC) Report, 2018, this was formally incorporated by CCI suo motu into the Combination Regulations, 2011 before the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and is now officially incorporated into the substantive law, the Act. Naturally, the Central government will now need to establish the standards for these “categories” of combinations through rules that have to be drafted in accordance with Section 63(i)(ac) of the Act.
  9. Limitation on when information or a reference on any anti-competitive agreement or market behaviour of a dominating firm may be submitted to CCI – The Act now specifies a 3-year window in which anybody may file an information with CCI under Section 19(1) of the Act following the accrual of a cause of action. This aims to prevent the filing of vexatious or delayed cases before CCI. CCI may, however, excuse the delay in justified circumstances.

How to exploit people if you are a Trinamool Leader in West Bengal

Marmikh
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How to exploit people if you are a Trinamool Leader in West Bengal

The recent outbreak of people in Siliguri covered by team Marmikh, has turned the entire political situation of West Bengal towards a big question. Is the ruling government of West Bengal completely based on corruption only?

Don’t like reading? Switch to the podcast instead. Tap the play button below.

How to Exploit People If You Are a Trinamool Leader in West Bengal ( Podcast)

From the primary teacher scam to the coal fraud, the list just keeps on going.

Post Demolition Pictures

But on top of that, the party now is showing a remarkable double standard when it comes to the people struggling to hold their own.

On the 18th of March, 2023, near the Himalaya Kanya Abasan area, popularly known as Sawaria Kata in the Eastern Bypass area of Siliguri, the roadside local stores were completely diminished on a 24-hour intimation.

Eastern Bypass Demolition

As team Marmikh tried to consolidate the facts, a few things were very clear from the stand-alone point:

The structures were built illegally and were bound to be removed eventually.

The locals were notified earlier in a very vague way but yes, there was a notice nonetheless.

As part of the standard construction process, the government needed to remove the construction.

As of now, whatever has happened is a remarkable point to be applauded. The government did what was right for the development of the area.

Ruins after Demolition

But there is also another side of the story. Here are a few questions that we need to ask if the destruction of the property was indeed justified:

Why only a small area was targeted while there are multiple constructions left aside? At the beginning of the road, there is a party office of the AITMC, isn’t that an illegal construction? Can the government assure the fact that the multi-story constructions in the area are not illegal as well?

If the constructions were illegal in the first place, how did the local Trinamool leaders charge an amount of twenty-five thousand for their settling in the first place?

Siliguri Stores Demolition Near Eastern Bypass | Marmikh | March 2023

In the end, I have one more question to ask. The constitution says that every citizen has equal rights. If so, the link that I am sharing below compensates to what point?

https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/illegal-construction-pay-rs-5-mn-each-to-33-house-owners-sc-tells-haryana-118112801109_1.html

Finally, thank you for reading. Team Marmikh is just trying to neutralize social and political injustice. We want your support to make this reach as much as possible so that unbiased news and media start emerging once again in this glorious country, Bharat.

Team Marmikh

A closer look at home: Does the Congress need to reflect internally?

Aryan Deshmukh
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A closer look at home: Does the Congress need to reflect internally?

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar continues to be one of the most controversial figures in the history of India. Despite the rest of his contributions to the freedom struggle which ultimately led to the Empire handing an independent country back to India, he is still notoriously remembered for the 6 mercy petitions he wrote to the Empire while being lodged in the Cellular Jail in Andaman infamously known as “Kaala Pani”.

These mercy petitions have become a talking point again in recent days due to Ex-Member of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi’s comment that he will not apologise for his remarks on the Modi surname since his surname is “Gandhi” and not “Savarkar”. This comment comes in light of his recent conviction by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Gandhi guilty under Sections 499 and 500, Indian Penal Code, 1860 over his allegedly defamatory remark, “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”.

However, before insinuating that his ancestors are not ones to apologise for their supposed courage to speak the truth, Mr. Gandhi seems to have forgotten about the story of his own great grandfather’s release from Nabha Jail in 1923.

The Story of Jawaharlal Nehru’s arrest in Nabha.

Jawaharlal Nehru, K Santanam and AT Gidwani were lodged in Nabha Jail for defying an order dated 22nd September 1923 banning entry into the princely state of Nabha. According to Prof Chaman Lal, renowned historian and former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, “Nehru was detained for a few hours in the Jaitu police cell, while he was kept for around two weeks in the Nabha jail.””.

K Santanam, in his memoir “handcuffed with Nehru” briefly described their arrests and the harsh conditions prevalent in Nabha Jail. He stated the 3 revolutionaries were “lodged in a separate and secluded part of the jail which was constructed with mud walls. The room itself was 20 feet by 12 feet and both walls and roof were built with mud and the flooring also was of mud.

The other gate was permanently locked and even the entries were not allowed to speak to us. At stated times, food consisting of chapati and dal was put in our cell and no arrangements were made for our bath. Our clothing also was not given to us. Mud was falling from the roof all the time.” These conditions have also been described in the chapter “An interlude to Nabha” in Jawaharlal Nehru’s own autobiography. K. Santanam also went on to mention how these conditions were harsh enough to irritate even a seasoned revolutionary like Nehru.

According to Santanam’s memoir, Pandit Motilal Nehru got worried and tried to ascertain the trio’s whereabouts from various officials and non-officials in Punjab since their arrests were not publicly known. Failing to get any reply, he approached the Viceroy himself who got the information from Nabha. In the days following this, the conditions for 3 revolutionaries bettered in Nabha Jail. Hence, it is believed that there were some recommendations made by Pandit Motilal Nehru to the Viceroy regarding betterment of conditions at Nabha Jail and also negotiation for the release of the 3 revolutionaries from Nabha Jail.

Just 2 weeks post his arrest, Jawaharlal Nehru was released from Nabha Jail on supposedly signing a bond with the British that he would never enter the Princely State of Nabha again.

Need for reflection

In contrast, V.D Savarkar was lodged in one of the most dreaded jails in the country for almost 10 years where he was, reportedly,” restrained in chains, flogged, and resigned to six months of solitary confinement.” and only started writing these mercy petitions 6 months post his lodging in Kaala Pani.

The Congress has attempted to malign Savarkar’s reputation on various occasions by referring to him as a pro-colonialist on account of the abovementioned petitions for clemency written by Savarkar during his time at the Cellular Jail in Andaman.

While the authenticity of the information regarding Savarkar’s petitions for clemency is not questioned, a closer look at home would reveal that similar arrangements were entered into by the Congress themselves back in the day when prisoners were kept in extremely harsh conditions and tested to their breaking points.

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