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The pursuit of mediocrity

Kansaratva
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The pursuit of mediocrity

A typical day would start with waking up groggily trying to remember what happened the previous night, ambling down the bedroom towards the window, swooshing back the heavy curtains, and getting shocked by the brightness of the late morning Sun. “$^@%!” After that, opening the refrigerator aimlessly and finding it almost empty. “&%#@!” A moment later, switching on the TV and browsing the shows one after the other. “#&^%@&^%#$!”

If this is not how a typical day starts, then I would be curious to know what would explain the sheer level of mediocrity that one finds in stand-up comedies nowadays, at least from the ones who are thrust upon us as if they were the veritable experts and this is some high art. I am sure that out there, somewhere in this world instead of a parallel one, are stand-up comedians who are provocative, irreverent, rebellious, boisterous, but also, the reason for writing this article, somewhat intelligent and actually funny. Do you know anyone like that?

We know about their staid arguments on freedom of expression, and how it is also the freedom to offend, but that justification carries as much conviction as a statement from the Chinese media on Tibet. After all, when considering the freedom to grovel an apology, and the freedom to avoid a disjointed head, the remaining choice is not exactly rocket science. We know about their platitudinous claims that their art is showing a mirror to the oppressing majority, a mirror to the ruling government, because if not them, then who? If only politicians, journalists, activists, directors, actors, authors, poets, musicians, singers, painters, economists, and assorted artists joined them to show the mirror, they would not have to stand up all by themselves.

What exactly do their sponsors and promoters, who want to convince us on every digital platform that these are the very best, find in them to spend a portion of the billion that they have set aside? Do the promoters look at their audition tapes to find out whether their saffron allergy is superficial or spasmodic, and then decide whether they would be promoted on a local newspaper or on Netflix? Why, with all that can be talked about in this whole wide world, does the comedy, if that is what they want to call it, revolve around, for example, bovine micturition? I am not here to talk about equivalences, such as why ridicule bovine micturition but not divine parturition, for equivalences never work in an asymmetric world. Ironically, the more the asymmetry, the greater the equivalence – so the moment you are tempted to use an equivalence, stop yourself and ask what asymmetry is being hidden from you. Equivalence only leads to distortion of already dubious moral high grounds, such as secularism.

Are there not topics that can be lampooned and satirized without the need to invoke the Constitution? How bad is your comedy that you have to invoke the Constitution anyway? Could we not have one on the sad life of a rice bag as it changes hands; or a hebdomadal series on the final thoughts of goats as they bleed, I mean, bleat slowly; or the meaningless lyrics in songs written by dubious atheists; or the secret loves, or lives, of directors whose sons love to show around places to foreigners; or the travails of stand-up comedians in a land where they can be made to disappear like a blob of butter in a Surti omelet, if the idea is to make the comedy a tad darker?

A part of the blame also lies with the trigger-happy audience that guffaws and applauds at every mite of mediocrity. It is possible that half of them are drunk on more and more rounds, and the other half is drunk on dubious moral high grounds, such as secularism. However, it is just more likely that we have a fairly low threshold for accepting what we get instead of demanding something much better. I once attended an informal stand-up act where the opening line of the comedian was asking how many of us were from Bangalore, and when he found out that about half of us were, proceeded to talk about traffic jams. I was glad that I had not paid any money myself to listen to someone from Bangalore talk about traffic jams. I mean, what is Twitter for? If, instead of Bangalore, had we said Chennai, I am sure he would have talked about the auto drivers and danced in a lungi. I must say that this was still funny compared to what passes off as comedy from the more well-known characters who pop up everywhere nowadays like pimples on a hormonal teenager. I have rarely seen such levels of creativity except with politicians, journalists, activists, directors, actors, authors, poets, musicians, singers, painters, economists, and assorted artists who work hard in showing the mirror to the oppressing majority, to the ruling government.

The pursuit of such mediocrity, both by the torchbearers of this high art, whatever the meaning of high that we want to take, and those who support them, is baffling, to say the least. The mediocrity is only exacerbated by the single-minded hatred to anything saffron which, until now, they were able to wear like a crown on their bloated heads, strutting around the stage like a half-drunk pigeon that is paid to think that it is a peacock. Crowns, however, make for bad armors.

Dubey Encounter & revisiting Supreme Court guidelines on encounter killings

Manjunath Kakkalameli
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Dubey Encounter & revisiting Supreme Court guidelines on encounter killings

The encounter of the history sheeter Vikas Dubey by UP police welcomed by most of political leaders, public figures and the masses. However at the same time, questions have also been raised over the legality and appropriateness of the police action leading to the debate that ‘whether a democratic country should follow the constitutional norms and adhere to the due process of law or shall it adopt the measures of retributive justice to bring instant and speedy justice to the victims’.

After the encounter Vikas Dubey systematically eloped from Kanpur, went to MP then in open and public place at Mahakal Mandir, Ujjain, he surrendered himself to save himself from ‘being encountered’ from police but the incident took dramatic mode, before he could reach to Kanpur in the morning, he was killed in an encounter. 

The ‘encounter’ took place after Dubey tried to escape from one of the vehicles in the police convoy, which was to bring him to Kanpur, allegedly overturned on the road. According to the police, he tried to snatch a constable’s pistol and escape from the scene but was gunned down in the ensuing encounter.

Going through the entire story, the entire act of police encountering the Vikas Dubey creates a doubt at face of incident itself. It has given birth to many doubts in mind of a common man. Since Vikas Dubey was the history sheeter, was alleged of committed many crimes. In such back drop one thing is crystal clear, his surrender in public, that too in other state, clears that Dubey had good knowledge of Law and procedure. In such a case how come a man who surrendered himself to police, can attack on police when he is in the police custody only.

The incident paves the way to doubt on entire story of encounter and made to rethink the guidelines of Hon’ble Supreme Court on encounter killings. 

Encounter killings- Supreme Court- 

  • In 2014, the Supreme Court of India, in its judgment in PUCL vs State of Maharashtra, laid down 16 guidelines to be followed when it came to investigating encounter killings by the police. questioning the genuineness of 99 encounter killings by the Mumbai Police in which 135 alleged criminals were shot dead between 1995 and 1997.
  • The Supreme Court then laid down the following 16-point guidelines as the standard procedure to be followed for thorough, effective, and independent investigation in the cases of death during police encounters:
    • Record Tip-off: Whenever the police receive any intelligence or tip-off regarding criminal activities pertaining to the commission of a grave criminal offence, it must be recorded either in writing or electronic form. Such recording need not reveal details of the suspect or the location to which the party is headed.
    • Register FIR: If in pursuance to a tip-off, the police uses firearms and this results in the death of a person, then an FIR initiating proper criminal investigation must be registered and be forwarded to the Court without any delay.
    • Independent Probe: Investigation into such death must be done by an independent CID team or a police team of another police station under the supervision of a senior officer. It has to fulfil eight minimum investigation requirements like, identify the victim, recover and preserve evidentiary material, identify scene witnesses, etc.
    • Magisterial Probe: Mandatory magisterial inquiry into all cases of encounter deaths must be held and a report thereof must be sent to the Judicial Magistrate.
    • Inform NHRC: The NHRC or State Human Rights Commission (as the case may be) must be immediately informed of the encounter death.
    • Medical Aid: It must be provided to the injured victim/criminal and a Magistrate or Medical Officer must record his statement along with the Certificate of Fitness.
    • No Delay: Ensure forwarding FIR, panchnamas, sketch, and police diary entries to the concerned Court without any delay.
    • Send Report to Court: After full investigation into the incident, a report must be sent to the competent Court ensuring expeditious trial.
    • Inform Kin: In the case of death of accused criminal, their next of kin must be informed at the earliest.
    • Submit Report: Bi-annual statements of all encounter killings must be sent to the NHRC by the DGPs by a set date in set format.
    • Prompt Action: Amounting to an offence under the IPC, disciplinary action must be initiated against the police officer found guilty of wrongful encounter and for the time being that officer must be suspended.
    • Compensation: The compensation scheme as described under Section 357-A of the CrPC must be applied for granting compensation to the dependants of the victim.
    • Surrendering Weapons: The concerned police officer(s) must surrender their weapons for forensic and ballistic analysis, subject to the rights mentioned under Article 20 of the Constitution.
    • Legal Aid to Officer: An intimation about the incident must be sent to the accused police officer’s family, offering services of lawyer/counsellor.
    • Promotion: No out-of-turn promotion or instant gallantry awards shall be bestowed on the officers involved in encounter killings soon after the occurrence of such events.
    • Grievance – If the family of the victim finds that the above procedure has not been followed, then it may make a complaint to the Sessions Judge having territorial jurisdiction over the place of incident. The concerned Sessions Judge must look into the merits of the complaint and address the grievances raised therein.
  • The Court directed that these requirements/norms must be strictly observed in all cases of death and grievous injury in police encounters by treating them as law declared under Article 141 of the Indian Constitution.

The SC guidelines observed that the involvement of NHRC is not mandatory unless there is serious doubt that the investigation was not impartial.

Provisions on fake encounter- 

In India, there is no such law directly allows to encounter a criminal, however, there are certain enabling provisions which may be interpreted differently to vest police officers with certain powers to deal with criminals. The settled defence in all encounter is of self-defence. Section 96 of IPC speaks about anything done in exercise of private defence is not an offence, this section gives inherent right to an individual to defend for his life but what extent is defined under Section 99 of IPC. Section 99 of IPC says that right of private defence is not available for inflicting more harm than is necessary for the defence. It means one can harm someone the extend it is necessary & not beyond that.

Similarly, Section-100 of IPC, exception 3 of Section 300 of IPC, Section-46 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), etc. lay down similar provisions with regard to investigations in extra-judicial killings and cases of culpable homicide. 

Supreme Court on Fake encounter –

In Prakash Kadam vs Ramprasad Vishwanath Gupta, the Supreme Court observed that fake ‘encounters’ by the police are nothing but cold-blooded murders, and those committing them must be given death sentences, placing them in the category of ‘rarest of rare cases’. In paragraph 26 of the judgment, it was observed: “Trigger happy policemen who think they can kill people in the name of ‘encounter’ and get away with it should know that the gallows await them”.

Now, the question remains, will we follow the guidelines? Or they would just remain as guidelines.

Author is Cyber law expert, practising advocate at Bombay High Court. 

13 जुलाई 2002: भारत बनाम इंग्लैंड और आतंकी बनाम मज़दूर

ASHISH TRIPATHI
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13 जुलाई 2002: भारत बनाम इंग्लैंड और आतंकी बनाम मज़दूर

13 जुलाई 2002, ऐसा दिन जिसे कोई भारतीय भुलाना नहीं चाहेगा, एक रोमांचक मैच में लंदन के लॉर्ड्स के मैदान में टीम इंडिया ने अंग्रेजों द्वारा दिए गए 326 रनों के लक्ष्य का सफलतापूर्वक पीछा किया और उसके बाद सौरव गांगुली द्वारा जर्सी उतार कर हवा में लहराना आज भी याद है, तब से भारतीय क्रिकेट की दशा और दिशा दोनों बदल गई थी!

पर क्या यही बड़ी घटना थी उस दिन या कुछ और भी हुआ था? याद नहीं आएगा, हम बताते हैं, इसी मैच से जुड़ी वो काली घटना जिसको हमने भुला दिया।

जब यह मैच करोड़ों दर्शक अपने घरों में टीवी पर देख रहे थे तो जम्मू-कश्मीर राज्य के जम्मू शहर के बाहरी इलाके में कासिम नगर की झुग्गी-झोपड़ी वाली मज़दूर बस्ती में कुछ गरीब और मज़दूर झुंड बना कर एक रेडियो पर इस रोमांचक मैच को सुन रहे थे क्योंकि इलाके के ट्रांसफार्मर खराब होने के कारण वहां पॉवर कट हो गया था!

शाम को पौने आठ बजे साधुओं के भेष में लश्कर-ए-तैयबा के कुछ इस्लामी आतंकवादी आए और वहां के कच्चे घरों और सड़कों की तरफ एक के बाद एक ग्रेनेड फेंकने लगे, जिससे लोगों में अफरातफरी मच गई। फिर आतंकवादियों ने बिना कोई रहम दिखाए अपनी AK-56 बंदूकों से गोलियों की अंधाधुंध बौछार कर दी। जब इतने से भी मन न भरा तो आतंकियों ने इलाके के मंदिर पर भी हमला किया, जिसमें वहां छिपे कुछ बेसहारा भिखारी भी मारे गए। बाद में आतंकी इलाके से सटे जंगलों की तरफ भाग निकले, इलाके के लोगों ने रात में देर तक जंगलों की तरफ से गोलीबारी और धमाकों की आवाज़ सुनी। इस पूरे हमले में 30 लोग मारे गए और 30 लोग घायल हुए, मरने वालों में 1 बच्चा और 13 महिलाएं भी शामिल थे, सारे मृतक हिंदू धर्म के थे। इस हमले से 2 महीने पहले भी जम्मू के ही कालूचक फौजी कालोनी पर भी आतंकी हमला हुआ था जिसमें भी फौजी परिवारों के 30 लोग मारे गए थे।

उधर लंदन में टीम इंडिया की अप्रत्याशित लग रही जीत के बाद भारत के अन्य शहरों की तरह जम्मू शहर के गांधी नगर इलाके में भी कुछ लोगों ने खुशी में बम-पटाखे चलाए गए, उनको यह नहीं पता था कि जब वो मैच में लीन थे तो उनके ही शहर में इतना बड़ा आतंकी हमला हो गया था। जिन पत्रकारों को कासिम नगर हमले की जानकारी मिल चुकी थी, उनको बम-पटाखों के शोर से यह भ्रम हुआ कि शायद गांधी नगर में भी आतंकी हमला हुआ है। देश-विदेश के नेताओं ने कासिम नगर आतंकी हमले की कठोर शब्दों में निंदा की।

विडंबना की पराकाष्ठा देखिए, जहां लंदन में भारत की जीत के हीरो मोहम्मद कैफ रहे और भारतीयों ने उनको खुशी-खुशी सिर-आंखों पर बैठाया और उस जीत का दिल खोल कर जश्न मनाया, वहीं जम्मू के कासिम नगर में इस्लामी आतंकवाद ने गरीब और बेसहारा मज़दूरों को निर्ममता से मौत के घाट केवल इसलिए उतारा क्योंकि वो सब हिंदू थे। हम हर साल 13 जुलाई को नटवैस्ट ट्रॉफी का वो फाइनल तो याद रखते हैं पर शायद हमने कासिम नगर का वो दर्दनाक हादसा भी कालूचक आतंकी हमले की तरह भुला दिया है!

How digital India is changing the education sector

Md Badshah Ansari
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How digital India is changing the education sector

The power of technology can never be underesimated. Here With the huge population of 1.31 billion people in a country. The ratio to technology has highly increased in last few years. With around 140 million mobile phone users and being a country for the second most social site users. India has an huge opportunity to grow in this field and to grasp the positive vibes of technology. Which is in the field of education, medicine, defense, business and much more.

With huge responsiblity in digital technology, Prime Minister introduces initiatives like Digital India. This is to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Digital India is a concept to change the education system in India. It is a program that highlights to bridge the literacy slippage.

This is by delivering education to  digital platform to children and teachers. It gives an opportunity to acccess learning sources to a global plaform. This is by providing reachability to teachers and braking the barriers. Which is to gain quality education through physical classes. Some of the schemes declares under the Digital India concept in the country.

Benefits of Digital India

Kids are growing up too fast. That too in a very different world than that of their parents. Cell phones, computers, YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook are like in their daily lives. Even toys are digital, and many are programmable. When we talk about digital India a dream by Mr Modi, we can have a thought of complete digitalization.

Each and every Indian citizen starting with children should be independent digitally. Which is for we need to create a digital infrastructure as a utility to every child. It is one of the most important thing to know how to use these technologies.

The importance of technology in schools is so evident in today’s generation.  That students who are not computer savvy will struggle in their future, as most tasks in competing with others require some type of computer work.

There are huge benefits of digital learning in transforming a child’s life. Some of these are like: Motor Skills, Decision Making, Visual Learning, Cultural Awareness, Improved Academic Performance, Inventiveness, sarkari naukri portal etc. Moreover coding is also proving to be a magic of technology. Which is among kids.

Digital literacy is one component which makes a child responsible. And be dutiful and dedicated towards work. This is for how they utilize technology to interact with the world around them, what are the new knowledge gaining areas that they can be well-versed with etc. Also there are so many online websites that have competitions. That are knowledge gaining platforms for kids where they can compete as well as learn intellectually and will be helpful for their future.

Celebrating lawlessness

Vinod Kaul
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Celebrating lawlessness

Vikas Dubey was shot dead while trying to flee the police custody on the way to Kanpur for his custodial interrogation. After hearing the news of his death, there seems to be widespread rejoicing among common people claiming that justice has been served. While the people have the reason to feel so, because Vikas Dubey was one of the most hated and a cruel hardcore criminals, but still can death in an encounter be called the real justice even for a criminal like him? What has made a civilized and a tolerant society like ours to erupt in joy, even though there might be a small chance for it being extra-judicial?

Vikas Dubey had more than 50 cases lodged against him in courts around Kanpur and other places. These are not petty cases, they are cases with very serious charges ranging from intimidation, land grabbing, assault, dacoity, robbery, attempt to murder and actual murders. Anything and everything that can be associated with a hardened criminal, he was involved in those. He is alleged to have killed a person inside the police station in front of 25 people in broad daylight and yet he was roaming freely outside on bail. He is purported to have had several high caliber weapons and guns and when the approval files of the same are sought, they seem to be missing from the relevant departments. Who is responsible for licensing him to amass such huge fire power at his disposal?

Everyone knows that he has committed all these heinous crimes and yet has not been convicted so far in any of the cases. He was enjoying committing more crimes day-in and day-out with such impunity that we commoners shudder to even think about. The killing of 8 police officers just a few days back was another of his continued belligerence and nonchalance in defiance of law and humanity at large. While we all might have questions on the death of Vikas Dubey in an encounter but no body can grudge the common man for delighting at seeing him dead in whatever manner because they feel that the karma has served him right. But this very innocuous exhilaration of people is an indicator of a trend to ponder about and also its implications on our society and democracy at large.

So what is that which makes for such outright aberrations in our public law and order systems, and hence the travesty of our judicial system?

The answer is that Vikas Dubey was a criminal with abundant patronage from different political parties. His crimes were overlooked as long as it benefited one party or other in their lust to garner power. He had very close links to the police personnel even at high levels otherwise the information he was recipient of could not have been possible to source. Our judiciary proved every bit incompetent, if not outright corrupt in asking the right questions of the investigating officers.

How do 25 eye witnesses after having deposed against him, turn hostile and clear way for the criminal to get bail? Why did the learned judge not ask the question of investigating authorities as to how they were sure that witnesses had not turned hostile because of threats or allurements? Why did not the most revered justice ask the investigating authorities if not him, then who committed the murder because the murder was real? Why did the police force side with the criminal when they were witness to the crime as it happened inside a police station? How did he and his family get tickets or a platform to contest elections under party symbols, when they were clearly aware of his criminal record?

You see there are many questions and trust me I am not the first to be asking these, yet there are no answers forthcoming.

There is failure at every stage in the life cycle of crime and criminal system. It starts with a criminal committing crimes and getting noticed as one. Then the political parties use these criminals for their nefarious activities for dominance both monetarily from crime proceeds as well as muscle flexing to subdue others. Then It moves to recruiting and nominating them into the political parties. Further, sadly but true, people vote for them to put them into power either because of allurements or intimidation. Police for their greed and other reasons, side with them for petty or even big benefits. Even though purportedly independent, the criminal investigation system turns a blind eye to their crimes, since police is subservient to the political masters.

It is therefore not very difficult to understand, how then are these investigations compromised. But the final arbiter of law in our country is our judicial system, they are meant to interpret laws and give justice so that it can be administered irrespective of class, creed, gender or religiosity. It is supposed to be an independent institution so that there is no political interference, what-so-ever. They have powers to take up cases even suo moto, which they do many times only for judicial activism that supports their ideology. So even if the other systems have failed for whatever reason, the judicial system should be very robust because that is the final resort for the common man for hope of any justice.

Seeing the number of cases that are lingering in lower courts, high courts and supreme court of India, one will immediately know that the wheels of our justice grind excruciatingly slow. There are cases pending for over 35 years, what sense of justice is there in a case that is pending for so long? Sometimes the original complainant is no more and the cases are followed up by his/her progeny when it is no more relevant. In a very recent case of an ex-cabinet minister getting bail over 20 times shows, what is actually wrong with our judicial system.

When the justice moves so slowly, we can only attribute it to the willful complacency of the judiciary if not being outright corrupt. It is rightly said that, “justice delayed is justice denied”. By the time a criminal is convicted he has become a corporator, then MLA, then a minister and even chief minister sometimes, and in the bargain he has created a whole ecosystem of complicit police, complicit bureaucracy and even complicit judicial system. He even runs his empire from within the confines of the prison with the help of pliant system. And the cycle goes on and on.

Therefore, it is not very difficult to understand the frustration of common people when they see no justice for crimes whenever high and mighty are involved. Similarly it can be very exasperating when one sees a case which is seemingly open and shut, to either linger for years or being simply closed by citing lack of evidence. And eventually when they see someone meted justice like this by being shot in an encounter, they feel a sense of elation. This does not mean that our people are sadistic or vicious in any way, but it only serves as a vent to their pent up frustration that Karma will eventually catch up and the criminal will be served justice, however crudely.

People see what a mother of a rape victim has had to go through to get justice for her daughter even after conviction by various courts. When It takes more than seven years for a rape convicted to be finally punished after all the harrowing experience, you will see the anger palpable in the people. It is then like in a recent case of rape accused in Hyderabad, wherein all are shot dead in an encounter, the police are showered with flowers even before the actual wheels of justice had started to move. So celebrating this kind of lawlessness is a trend that while seeming totally justified for all the reasons stated, may yet not be the real justice at all.

A democracy is dysfunctional if it is not participative, hence people will have to ensure that they elect the right people to government. And during the tenure, people have to hold their elected representatives responsible for proper functioning of the law and order system, their bureaucracy for right policies and finally their governments for delivering the promises made to the people. At least in the case of polity, there is a 5 year cycle wherein they can be booted out if found wanting in their conduct and the promises they made to the people.

Similarly there should be a public outcry when judiciary is found in dereliction of their duties for whatever reason. We have been hearing a lot about police and judicial reforms for decades but these seem to be still gathering dust in the respective departments. There is absolutely no accountability on our judiciary and judicial system.

Today the way cases are proceeding in our courts and the way our judiciary functions, we will continue to see, trigger happy criminals and trigger happy police, and mind you that is very dangerous for our society and our democracy at large. In both the cases, the innocent common man is the victim. So it is clarion call for our judiciary to wake up, reform and perform.

India: Where a strand of hair transcends the plight of Lakhs

Ankit Saraswat
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India: Where a strand of hair transcends the plight of Lakhs

The world knows, how the worship of idols and relics (shirk) in Islam is considered as one of the sins which even the all-forgiving Allah fails to forgive. But in 1963 the whole of Kashmir plunged into despair and wrath over the loss of a holy relic, a strand of hair, a facial hair.

It was on the morning 27th of December 1963 when the people of Srinagar woke up they felt the ground slipping under their feet. Something sacred, dearer than their life the strand of holy hair of Prophet Muhammad, went missing from the ‘Hazratbal shrine’. The hair was said to be the strand of the beard that has been trimmed from Muhammad’s face by his favoured barber Salman the Persian in the presence of Abu Bakr, Ali and several others. Later individual hairs were taken away as relics. The news spread like wildfire and in no time thousands of Kashmiris poured into the streets wailing and shouting slogans in plea to the unknown perpetrators of the pilferage so that they find it within themselves to return the holy relic to its abode for the last 250 years. The fury of the people on the streets was illimitable. It was hard for them to have the ‘deedar’ of the hair on normal days, but now that they have lost it they mourned and cried. The thousands of people who surrounded the shrine refused to move a single inch in the bitter cold until the Moi-e-Muqqadas (the Prophet’s hair) was recovered.

The news soon reached Delhi. Telegrams were received by the government and the newspapers, following which even Delhi was in turmoil. Receiving the news, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had yet to recover from the defeat in the war against China, felt that Kashmir was now gone for good. His declining health did not help either, he could do nothing but watch. Jawaharlal Nehru took to the All India Radio to express his grief over the sacrilege and assured the Kashmiris that he will leave no stone unturned in the recovery of the holy relic. And fair enough, Jawaharlal Nehru in this moment of despair turned to his lifeline the most prominent member of the Congress, Lal Bahadur Shastri who was at that time a minister without portfolio. Since Shastriji had to have a team, the then Home Secretary V. Vishwanathan along with a group of competent men were sent to Srinagar. Jawaharlal Nehru even assigned the Director of the Intelligence Bureau B.N. Mullik, when he felt that the situation might get out of hand. All of these high profile portfolio holders were in Kashmir at the same time, why? To find a strand of hair that seemed to have left its centuries abode the ‘Hazratbal shrine’.

With each passing day, the unrest in the valley was rising. Thousands of people refused to go back home, they encircled the shrine, crowded the roads at the peak of the winter. The situation took a turn for worse on 28th December, when while addressing a large gathering of people at Lal Chowk, Bakhshi Abdur Rashid, the General Secretary of the ruling National Conference and relative of the former Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammad said something ‘objectional’ which incited the gathering. Moments later, what started off with a peaceful protest turned violent. The angry mob marched towards the two cinema houses, Amresh and Regal, owned by the Bakhshis at the Residency Road, and along with them, some other buildings were torched down.

The angry mob also attacked Police Station in Kothi Bagh and further marched towards the Radio Kashmir building to set it ablaze. In retaliation to the aggressive protest by the mob, the police fired bullets and tear smoke shells at agitators, resulting in the death of two persons and injuries to few. The Government in its defence alleged that the mob attempted to burn alive a Superintendent of Police and the Additional Deputy Commissioner who were trapped in a burning police station. In response to the increasing tension in the valley, a 14-hour curfew was imposed in Srinagar which was extended for equal hours next day. But were the people willing to listen? The answer is that the whole Valley plunged into chaos. 

But this chaos also saw the affection and solidarity extended by the Non-Muslim communities in the valley to their fellow muslims in their time of sorrow. Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists in places joined the protests as a gesture of strengthening the bond between communities across the border of religion. As a result, despite all the financial loss the state had to suffer and a few murder attempts on the police and civilians the number of casualties remained zero.

In the wake of all this, even the international media and press flew to New Delhi and Srinagar to report the unfolding of the situation. Newspapers wrote elaborate reports on the situation and our peaceful neighbour tried to fan the flames amidst the chaos. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto requested an urgent meeting in the Security Council, for what he called as the ‘grave situation’ in Jammu and Kashmir.

As the days passed by a reward of Rs. 1,00,000 and an annual payment of Rs. 500 for life was announced for anyone who could trace or help in tracing the holy relic. And soon the prayers of the people were heard and in the midst of all the mourning and political upheaval, the miraculous recovery of the holy relic was announced on 4th of January 1964. Though the announcement of the recovery of the holy relic sent a wave of joy in the heart of the people of the valley, demands for the authentication of the hair grew among the masses. Initially, the government rejected the demand, but when the masses refused to budge the Government of India yielded. On 3 February 1964, the government allowed a group of prominent religious and political leaders headed by the revered spiritual personality, Syed Meerak Shah Kashani, to view and identify the ‘recovered’ relic. Syed Meerak Shah attested to its genuineness. 

Now that the relic was found, did the matter came to an end? NO! After the recovery of the relic, the demands to ‘hand over the real culprit’ and ‘expose the conspiracy’, started to rise. Many theories have been put forward all these years, but the one most widely accepted is where it is said that a terminally ill lady in the Bakhshi family wanted to have a last ‘deedar’ of the relic. The relic was removed for the same, but when the caretakers could not place the relic on time, they kept their mouth closed in the fear of getting exposed. Later a disciple of Noor Sahib who shared this incident, was present when the caretaker reportedly also revealed that it was not the first time that the sacred relic was secretly removed from the shrine for a special ‘deedar’. 

In a span of that week, though the ground zero of all the chaos witnessed no communal riots, other parts of the country and our neighbour was not so peaceful. What was supposed to be a retaliation of losing a case in the court, turned into the ethnic cleansing of Hindus in East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh) under the guise of the holy relic. The 1964 riots which started on the 2nd of January in East Pakistan saw the inhumane mass slaughter and rape of thousands of Hindus which continued over the span of months even after the relic was recovered. Hindus left their homes only to find refuge in courts and civil institutions. Soon even they could not accommodate all of them. People migrated in large numbers and queued up for days in front of the Indian Embassy in Dhaka. As a result of this migration, Khulna, the only Hindu-majority district in East Pakistan became a Muslim-majority district. The refugees from East Pakistan were settled in West Bengal, Odisha and then Madhya Pradesh (Now Chattisgarh).

Now when we sum up the events, what do we have?

A strand of hair was “harmlessly and temporarily removed” from the shrine by a caretaker so that a lady of the prominent Bakhshi family could have a last deedar of the strand. The caretaker failed to place the strand of hair back in the shrine on time and its absence was noticed by the people. The caretaker got scared and then all the drama of theft was orchestrated. People holding high profile portfolios in the “New India” under the “Visionary Prime Minister” rushed to Srinagar. International Media, without the internet, flew from across the globe to report the mourning of the people in Kashmir, but none of them bothered to visit East Pakistan. Thousands of Hindus lost their lives, lakhs of them lost their homes and had to live the life of pity and constant fear, because of this “harmless and temporary removal” of a strand of hair.

And after the chaos came to an end, comes the praising remark of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for B.N. Mullik: “You have saved Kashmir for India”.

Why is India getting dangerously polarized?

Jai prakash Ojha
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Why is India getting dangerously polarized?

The nation just can’t seem to agree. We, as a society and as a nation, have simply lost the art of consent, so essential, for the smooth functioning of a democracy. There are issues that should have brought the nation together; there should have been broader political consensus and the political parties should not have worked at cross purposes. Common prudence would have required all parties to work together in the fight against the Corona pandemic putting aside their differences and the entire political spectrum talking in unison against the act of Chinese aggression against India at Ladakh but just look at the prevailing situation in the country. Has this happened? The answer is a straight no.

The opposition is throwing tantrums even on issues of national security. It is criticising just for the sake of criticism; it is opposing just for the sake of opposition. In its bid to tear apart Modi, it is not even reluctant to appear anti national and at times, insane. On the Corona related health emergency that has spread panic waves all across the globe, some of the  opposition ruled states and Centre are not often on the same page and instead of finding an amicable way-out, they are simply finding faults with each other and blaming each other for the spread of the pandemic. Abolition of Article 370 and Passing of CAA act shouldn’t have been so divisive. Military shouldn’t have been asked to provide proofs of its strikes. Matters get further chilled up when you see leaders who talk as if they represent Pakistani/Chinese interests. 

In the heat and fury of divisive political rhetoric, even the institutions of the state that were supposed to facilitate the working of the democratic process & safeguard democracy like Election Commission, Judiciary, CAG and Armed Forces are not spared. Parliament passed CAA and people took to the streets, protested violently as if Parliament had done something illegal. The proper course should have been to approach the courts to get the act nullified. Supreme Court ordered that certain changes have to be made in SC/ST act to make it more humane and remove all chances of misuse. What happened? People took to streets and parties supported them if not directly, indirectly. Ultimately the change in the act suggested by the apex court was not accepted by the government.

Street power threatens to triumph over Parliament and Supreme Court. If institutions lose their credibility and collapse due to political viciousness, what avenue will be left for the beleaguered democracy & common citizenry to resurrect? Indian polity is deeply polarized. Poisonous rhetoric, sharp ideological divides and vicious propaganda machinery have led to deep chasms not only in polity but also in the society. Political parties can go to any extent for the sake of power; they are guided more by short term gains and vote bank than by any genuine concerns for the people and the nation. Political ethics or Morality in politics are defined as per political convenience; means don’t matter if the end is political power. This has further sharpened the socio-political polarization in the nation. Democracy has, no doubt, deepened but in the process, it has unleashed rabid identity politics.

The problem with identity politics is that it is like an amoeba taking several forms. Community mobilizations can take place around several poles; the pole can be caste, it can be religion, it can be language or quite simply, it can be local vs outsider. Cases of communities being hostile to each other and constantly at each other’s throats are not uncommon in the nation. The social fabric is torn, communities don’t gel well and remain suspicious of each other.

No community wants to think of the welfare of the entire society but is more concerned about benefits flowing to it. Group identity is shaping the thought process, the political and the ideological bent, the pattern of social interactions and the social behaviour norms. Identity politics has killed public opinion, it has killed public charity and it has killed public solidarity. The outcome is a deeply polarized society where people co-exist in uneasy relationship. Despite, more than 7 decades of independence, we are still a nation of identity obsessed individuals rather than citizens. The society is being torn apart by forces of the left and right, by the forces of nature and market and by various “Ism” or ideologies. It can be Gandhism, Ambedkarism or Lohiaism and it can be communism, socialism or capitalism. Lesser the number of Isms, the better it is for the society. More the number of Isms, the more the fragmentations and the divides in the nation.

Polarization is a phenomenon that is confined not only to India but is visible all across the globe in most of the societies. There are multiple reasons that have led to rise of polarization. The end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin wall has removed the ingrained fears of an invisible enemy from the minds of the people who no longer feel the need to remain united. There were certain values that were linked to democracy like freedom, rights, equality and dignity of individuals but now, these unifying values that brought societies and nations together have been replaced by group identities. And problem begins when group identities threaten the ideas provided in the constitution.

According to Amy Chua, “Leftists believe that Right wing tribalism like bigotry, racism is tearing society apart. The Right believes that left wing tribalism like identity politics, political correctness is tearing society apart. They are both correct.” India has today become the battleground of ideological contestations. Left & Right are no longer distinguished from each other by economics because more or less, there is an undeclared consensus on economic reforms among all the parties right from the onset of market economy in India in the early nineties.

Indian leftists no longer talk about the rights of the workers, they no longer champion the cause of trade unions, they are least bothered by capitalism but are interested more in rants against Brahminism & Hindu religion. The ascendancy of BJP post 2014 in the country has further given impetus to polarization as the Left/Congress/Social justice camp has not been able to reconcile to the emerging consolidation of Hindus and the arrival of BJP to the national mainstream from the margins.

Globalization and the rise of several liberal democracies in Europe, Asia and Americas have led to the growth of multicultural plural societies and religious ethnic diversity which have engendered social distrust. Though societies are plural, communities live in segregated areas. Absence of mixed and heterogeneous neighbourhoods and prevalence of homogeneous societies having the same socio-political thought have further worsened the situation. Spreading of media ghettos, decline in ethics of journalism and the rise of social media in a big way have worked more to widen the social chasms, than to bridge them.

Polarization has deeply impacted societies all around. Rising tide of nationalism has resulted in popular resentment against immigrants and minorities. Brexit is a manifestation. Liberal democracies are on the verge of collapse and Right-wing parties have taken control over many countries in Europe. The rise of Trump, the rise of Modi, the rise of Boris Johnson and the rise of Erdogan in Turkey can be seen in this context. Parties like the Labour Party in UK, the Congress in India and the Democrats in USA have become so rattled by the rise of Right-wing ideology that they have turned more left than the leftists themselves. Globalization was already under threat due to Trade war between China and USA & adoption of trade protection policies by several countries; it now runs the risk of reversal due to the Covid pandemic that has disrupted international supply & manufacturing chains. The Indian PM wants the people to think local and be vocal about local. His motto is simple – a Atmanirbhar Bharat.  Multilateral arrangements like WHO, WTO and UN have lost teeth and credibility.

What lies ahead? Too much socio-political polarization, in India or any country, is dangerous portend for any democracy. Opposition has an important role to play in India, no wonder we have a shadow Cabinet and a shadow PM in UK. Not only has the opposition to debate and discuss issues in the Parliament, it is a part of several Parliamentary committees that examine several issues related to welfare, security, finance etc. The Leader of Opposition enjoys a cabinet rank and is a member of high-profile committees that select important functionaries of the nation like CVC, Chief Election Commissioner, CBI Director etc. Pity that the main opposition party of India is behaving as a fringe group causing disruption, not construction. Too much Polarization may result in parliamentary non-functioning, deadlock over policy matters and anarchy on the streets. It will sound a death blow to the institutions that were devised to protect democracy.

The national landscape will be dotted with social war zones and the people will be divided into numerous tribes headed by tribal chieftains not leaders. Whether it’s the society or it’s politics, we need to stop viewing things in binaries. Solution is not either in black or in white but in between the two and it’s the grey zone. The moment we learn to engage, interact and debate, most of the problems of democracy will vanish. The time is ripe to review policies of Secularism and Social Justice as these twin forces have created divisions in the nation. Secularism has bred communalism, minority-ism and ridicule of Hindu values & culture. Social justice politics has prevented the unification of Hindus by pitting one group against the other. Entitlement has been ingrained so much so in the minds of reserved communities that any talk of parity seems blasphemous to them. Moreover, any affirmative action plan for deprived communities can only continue up to a definite period till they attain parity with other communities. If this policy continues unhindered and indefinitely, it loses its relevance and simply, perpetuates the domination of deprived communities in the long run.

First Past the Pole System needs to be examined seriously as any candidate with a mere 27-28 percentage of votes polled can win in a multi cornered contest. Nothing can be better than making it mandatory for winning candidates to secure 50 percent votes to win. This will compel him to seek votes from a wide array of castes and communities. Policies of exemptions, incentives & concessions based on identity, subsidies & dole outs for purpose of vote bank and creation of special categories of citizenry have to stop immediately. Only inclusive policies that desist from other-ment of sections of population and does not benefit one community at the cost of another community will work.

Manmohan Singh: the superhero who wasn’t

Dipti Ojha
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Manmohan Singh: the superhero who wasn’t

It is amusing how Congress and team portrays Dr. Manmohan Singh as the saviour of Indian economy, a messiah, a superman who with a cape of his economic wisdom saved the drowning Indian economy.
Let us have a reality check in the simplest words possible.

The newly independent India’s economy was Socialist and it was called as “Nehruvian Socialist model”, it had been followed for decades but this model was not generating capital.

Then comes the year of 1989, a year of political instability, battling the charges of corruption, Rajiv Gandhi had lost the general elections. The new government was incapable.

During this time only, The IMF, The WORLD BANK AND The US DEPT OF TREASURY came up with “Washington Consensus”, a set of 10 economic policies for developing countries that could shape the economy, India here failed to apply those policies properly. India entered into a turbulent decade. The great economic crisis was caused due to the fiscal imbalances over the past years. Several issues made the economic situtation worse.

India’s imports were higher than its exports resulting in having the problem of Balance of Payments (BoP). India’s oil import cost went up due to Gulf war, export was almost nil causing a large fiscal deficit. It was year 1991 when the existing government had fallen and Rajeev Gandhi campaigned to become the new Prime Minister of India. On 21st may 1991, he was assassinated.

Due to a country wide sympathy, Congress rose to power again with PV Narsimha Rao as the new Prime Minister of India and Manmohan Singh as the new finance minister. The new government started to rebuild the economy but there was no money.

The government had to knock the door of IMF.

Under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Programme of the IMF, countries got external currency support from the fund to mitigate their BoP crisis, but such supports had some obligatory conditions.
And the conditions put forth for India were:
1. Devaluation of rupee by 22%
2. Reduction in peak import tariff from 130% to 30%.
3. Excise duty to be hiked by 20%
4. All government expenses to be cut down by 10%.

So, at this point of time, IMF dictated India’s economy and FM was just a puppet in the hands of IMF. Interestingly, a lot many conditionalities related to IMF loan was not disclosed to the public.

On June 29, Dr. Singh had sent a letter of Intent to IMF, but no one cared to ask what was in it. The government did not even table the Letter of Intent in Parliament, not even a single MP cared to ask.
Press closed its eyes and wrote columns congratulating the government for its “bold steps” and for opening up the economy.

I, here, will not go into the details of the timeline and amount of loans or about the tonnes of gold that were pledged for the loan. The main intent of writing this post is to convey the fact that these loans were acquired on conditions which were presented to masses as economic reforms, the LPG- Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation.

Finally, FM added cherry on the cake in his poetic budget speech in 1992, receiving applause and patting on the back, but I believe that he was at the right place at the right time taking advantage of the worsening economic situation, and political consensus moving towards some bold reforms which was absent in the earlier decades.

Why China, why?- The various explanations on what prompted the Chinese incursions in Ladakh

Kashish Mahajan
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Why China, why?- The various explanations on what prompted the Chinese incursions in Ladakh

The military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh has finally shown signs of a peaceful resolution with both sides agreeing to an expeditious and complete disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (‘LAC’). An analysis of what caused this sudden breakthrough will soon be done by experts on the issue and made available in the public domain. Prior to this mutual compromise however, much of the public and intellectual discourse in India has centred around identifying the rationale for China’s unanticipated adventurism along the LAC.

Accordingly, various strategic scholars, former military personnel and foreign policy experts have made attempts at demystifying the trigger behind the People’s Liberation Army’s actions to alter the status quo along the LAC ever since it precipitated the standoff in early May this year. This exercise in speculation serves three vital objectives. First, it initiates an open discussion on the other side’s larger political motives which gives individuals in the upper echelons of the military or government access to the views of experts on the outside and can therefore help steer the formulation of policy and strategy bearing in mind the other side’s motives.

Second, it serves to educate the public of the larger geopolitical implications at play in keeping with the principle of free flow of opinions and information in a robust democracy. Third, it can prove useful in predicting or even preventing similar such incidents going forward. Thus, before public memory fades and public debate moves on to other pressing issues, this piece is aimed at collating and summarizing the different explanations for why the Chinese may have created military tensions along the LAC in Ladakh to begin with and which of those explanations seem the most accurate two months on.

Heightened Domestic Political Pressure on Xi Jinping

The Chinese incursions along the LAC may be explained in the context of the internal political dynamics in China. One may recollect that the Chinese government’s early response to the coronavirus outbreak involved the suppression of information relating to the virus from its own citizens, detaining citizens on the grounds of spreading rumours about the virus and the censorship of a group of doctors that had sought to inform the people of China of the virus. One of those doctors, Li Wenliang, ultimately succumbed to the infection, thereby unleashing widespread public outrage on Chinese social media against the political leadership’s gross mishandling of the situation. The gravity of this public resentment became all too evident as an online letter calling for Xi Jinping to step down as President started doing the rounds.

Furthermore, as Mr. Jayadeva Ranade, President of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, notes in his piece, several children of senior members of the political leadership are believed to have summoned an emergency meeting to discuss the successor of Xi Jinping around the third week of March. Therefore, the deliberate stirring up of tensions along the LAC may be seen as a calculated effort by Xi Jinping to reignite nationalistic sentiments and subdue public anger against his leadership by diverting attention towards an external enemy. In turn, this would give Xi Jinping much needed breathing space to reassert his power and authority within the Chinese Communist Party.

Global Backlash due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

China’s failure to take prompt action to contain the spread of the virus domestically was coupled with its negligence in not sending an early warning signal to the rest of the world during the initial days of the pandemic. Therefore, the widespread perception that the Chinese leadership allowed the virus to easily escape its borders along with its seeming disregard for international cooperation has placed China at the receiving end of a global pushback spearheaded by the United States. Donald Trump’s repeated jibes of ‘Chinese Virus’, diplomatic statements from other world leaders calling China out, the adoption of a resolution requiring an impartial investigation into the origin of the outbreak, increasing demands for the return of Taiwan as an observer at the WHO and calls for the exit of foreign businesses and global supply chains from China is likely to have ruffled Chinese feathers. On the other hand, China has chosen to respond fiercely to this backlash by vehemently denying and refuting its role in the spread of the virus and additionally imposing trade sanctions on Australia who initiated the call for an inquiry into the origins of the virus. This assertiveness has manifested itself in what is now being widely referred to as the ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy. The boldness displayed by Chinese diplomats apart, the belief is that the Chinese leadership has sought to further tackle its vulnerabilities stemming from China’s loss of face in the world owing to the Covid-19 pandemic by adopting a policy of muscular toughness and open defiance. Therefore, the Chinese actions along the LAC may only be one part of its larger game plan to counter the flak it has received on account of the coronavirus outbreak and can be viewed in tandem with the recent Chinese exploits in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The US-India-China Equation

The incursions along the LAC can also be linked to India’s increased proximity to the US given that it could potentially isolate China and hurt its strategic interests in the region. Indo-US cooperation in the formation of the Quad, for instance, is clearly directed at containing China’s rise in the world. Chinese concerns and fears over greater Indo-US collaboration may have also intensified in light of China’s own relationship with the US that is presently at an all-time low. US opposition (or expected opposition) to the extension of China’s national security law to Hong Kong, the ongoing trade war between the two nations and the constant rhetoric emerging from Washington in relation to Beijing’s role in the spread of the coronavirus may even signify the onset of a “new Cold War”. Consequently, the crisis along the LAC may have been triggered to serve as a reminder of China’s potential to create problems for India if it chooses to align too closely with the US thereby compelling India into adopting a more equidistant foreign policy approach amidst the rising hostility between the world’s two superpowers.

Infrastructure Building near the LAC

The local level army talks between the two sides highlighted China’s unhappiness over India’s construction and infrastructure building activities on its side of the LAC in recent times. In particular, the construction of the Darbuk-Shyokh-Daulat Beg Oldie road, which was completed in April 2019, appears to have caused great consternation among the Chinese political and military leadership. This road connects Leh to Daulat Beg Oldie which is at the base of the Karakoram Pass and gives India access to the portion of the Xinjiang-Tibet highway that cuts across the disputed territory of Aksai Chin. Accordingly, Chinese presence in the Galwan Valley restricts the ability of Indian troops to access this road and may therefore be seen as an attempt to quell any prospective Indian threat to the Xinjiang-Tibet highway and to further get India to limit its construction activities near the LAC.

Securing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor

The Chinese incursions in various places along the LAC also suggests a well-planned and calibrated effort designed at securing China’s larger financial and strategic interests in the region, as has been noted by Mr. Jayadeva Ranade. He further states that the Chinese over the last few years had been trying to convince India through diplomatic talks at various levels to resolve the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan and thereafter focus on mending ties with China. Thus, while a festering India Pakistan conflict is ordinarily in China’s best interests, the shift in Beijing’s foreign policy can be attributed to its desire for peace in the region so as to ensure the safety and security of its investments in Pakistan as part of the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Notably, the Thakot-Havelian highway, an Early Harvest Project under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was at a distance of only 40 kilometers from Indian hit terror camps in Balakot. Further, whilst India has firmly maintained its objections to the CPEC on the ground that it passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, there has also been a growing clamour over reclaiming these territories in recent times. For instance, apart from statements by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar to this effect, the symbolic decision to include the areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir under the ambit of India Meteorological Department’s daily weather forecast additionally signifies renewed political intent in this regard. Therefore, as former Lt. Gen. HS Panag argues in his piece, one of the larger political aims behind China’s military actions along the LAC might have been to avert any danger to the CPEC by negotiating a peace deal between India and Pakistan or alternatively obtaining certain peace guarantees from India.

Abrogation of Article 370

The abrogation of Article 370 which repealed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir within the framework of the Constitution and the consequent bifurcation of the (erstwhile) State of Jammu and Kashmir into two separate Union Territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has also been cited to explain China’s actions along the LAC. Notably, Home Minister Amit Shah also stated in Parliament at the time that the Centre’s definition of Jammu and Kashmir included Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Chinese controlled Aksai Chin. These moves immediately witnessed protest from China who described it as a unilateral attempt to undermine its territorial sovereignty. Additionally, in November last year, India issued new maps of Jammu and Kashmir which showed Aksai Chin to be a part of the new Union Territory of Ladakh.

Therefore, this theory is premised on India’s sudden boldness in asserting its claim on all of Jammu and Kashmir including Aksai Chin which seems to have made the Chinese suspicious of India’s actual intentions in the region. Resultantly, irrespective of whether India actually possesses the military capabilities to reclaim Aksai Chin, there exists the possibility that China may have viewed such internal constitutional changes and statements as serious messaging that warranted not just a diplomatic but also a military response in order to comprehensively weaken India’s new found resolve and conviction over Jammu and Kashmir at large and Aksai Chin in particular.

Widening Power Imbalance & Sense of Opportunism

The Chinese political leadership’s foreign policy goal of making China a “world power with pioneering global influence” may also have had a role to play in driving its military aggression along the LAC. The last decade or so has witnessed the rise of China as an economic and military superpower that is now starting to spread its tentacles across the globe. Consequently, the argument is that the China of today under Xi Jinping strongly believes that its economic and military superiority over its neighbours (including India) gives it the leverage to push them around be it along the LAC in Ladakh or in the disputed islands of the South China Sea. Resultantly, the widening gulf in regional power in favour of China, the Chinese leadership’s burgeoning self-belief in its own capabilities and its instinctive belief that the distraction caused world over by the ongoing pandemic provides it with the perfect opportunity to re-organize its land and maritime borders may indeed be at the heart of the military crisis in Ladakh.

The Most Probable Explanation(s)

What then did the Chinese actually want given their sudden decision to agree to an expeditious disengagement? It may well be the case that the military activism witnessed along the LAC was an outcome of all or at least some of the reasons aforementioned. After all, none of these explanations are mutually exclusive and can be read together to derive a holistic understanding of the bigger picture at play. However, analyzed individually and separately, some of the explanations listed above are not without flaws or free from possible counter arguments.

The argument that the standoff was a calculated attempt to assuage growing domestic dissatisfaction with Xi Jinping’s leadership seems slightly dodgy when compared to the risks arising from such an operation. Apart from the possibility of the situation escalating and leading to a localized war entailing high costs, a solid military pushback from India or even a deadlock at the LAC with no tangible gains for the Chinese leadership to show for would only result in further loss of political face for Xi Jinping.

Additionally, as some scholars have noted, even the rhetoric of the Chinese State media relating to the present crisis has been kept to a minimum. It is also difficult to believe that the Chinese leadership would not have foreseen an economic retaliation from India which would only exacerbate the condition of China’s already slowing economy. Thus, the decision to agree to a tentative disengagement after a long drawn effort on the part of the People’s Liberation Army to move men, equipment and material to unprecedented areas seems to vindicate the argument that the military escalation was not motivated by political gains.

The argument that China acted out due to the global backlash on account of the spread of coronavirus is prima facie counter-intuitive for two reasons. First, given that India hardly had a role to play in the backlash against China, targeting India so specifically would make little sense. Second, such unprovoked military aggression would only further worsen China’s global image of a country that has little regard for international rules and regulations. Similarly, with respect to the explanation that New Delhi’s closeness to Washington was proving to be uncomfortable for Beijing, the crisis in Ladakh is likely to drive New Delhi even closer to Washington or alternatively make it even more wary of Beijing moving ahead. In fact, this standoff may even force the Modi government to reconsider its policy of indulging in the unconditional appeasement of China.

While the abrogation of Article 370, the resultant change in the status of Ladakh as a new Union Territory and the issuance of fresh maps may have come across as a strong statement of political intent, the Chinese leadership could not have been unaware of the fact that the ground realities of India retaking Aksai Chin is a different matter altogether. It therefore seems difficult to accept the argument that the Chinese leadership saw these stated moves as a real threat to its presence in Aksai Chin given the military clout and resources at its disposal. Additionally, India’s stance on Aksai Chin being a part of Indian territory is nothing but a mere restatement of a well-established historical position.

I would therefore contend that the purpose behind the Chinese orchestration of the standoff in Ladakh was in all likelihood to coerce India into exercising restraint in relation to its development of infrastructure near the LAC and to safeguard the China Pakistan Economic Corridor from any prospective Indian threat. However, the dramatic nature of the mutually agreed disengagement has meant that the possibility of this entire crisis being mere Chinese posturing to gauge India’s response whilst it simultaneously coped with the Covid-19 pandemic internally cannot also be ruled out. Time will reveal to us in more detail what China’s true objectives were, whether it managed to achieve any of them and whether India made substantial strategic concessions for obtaining peace in Ladakh. For now though, we must be content with the truce that has been negotiated.

Changing the way we travel post pandemic

Anushi Jain
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Changing the way we travel post pandemic

Dreaming of Paris? So am I. Is London calling? Me too! Goa state mind? Definitely! Yearning for the mountains? Yes!

Before the world went into a lockdown frenzy, my friends and I were planning a trip to Sharm-El-Sheikh and Cairo. Unaware of what was awaiting us, we sat together on the couch wide-eyed and hopeful of all the things we would do and places we would see. Four months into the lockdown, Cairo sems like a distant dream.

I don’t know when we’ll be able to travel safely again but I know when I do, it won’t be the same. Conscious living is a new chapter in my life, I’m still adapting to the changes I need to make and I’m learning about how to extend these changes to travel.

Our travels leave a remarkable carbon footprint on the planet. In an ideal world, we would reduce our carbon footprint to zero, stop travelling altogether and stay at home. But for most people this is not an option.

So, what is the alternative? Not just sustainable travel but social impact travel.

Travel is the biggest source of income for many developing countries, but according to a 2013 WTO study, only $5 of every $100 spent by a traveller, remains in the destination country. This is where social impact travel comes in. It is a way to support local economies and make a positive impact on the host communities by opting for local services and homestays.

By opting to stay locally you can curate your own unique holiday and experience the culture instead of merely dipping your toe in the periphery of the full range of opportunities available to you. Is there a better way to travel and create a positive impact?

As Marcel Proust said ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.’ This is the new lens we need to see our travels with. To seek meaningful conversations, understand different cultures and assimilate ourselves with the beauty of the knowledge different encounters bring us.

How Can You Travel With A Positive Impact?

  • Locally sourced travel is all about discovering local restaurants, staying at boutique hotels, and shopping from local markets to contribute to the growth of the local economy.
  • Opt to stay ecolodges or sustainable hotels so you be surrounded by greenery and have an infinitely more enriching holiday. As Emerson said ‘Nature wears the colours of the spirit’.
  • Conservative travel is popular in wildlife rich areas; you can choose to travel with companies that contribute to safeguarding the ecosystem and work to protect the wildlife.
  • You can combine your travels with volunteer activities by working with organizations that are trying to make a difference on the ground level.

I understand everyone’s busy trying to go about their lives to really research and find ways to travel sustainably but the good news is that there are tonnes of travel companies out there who are providing this service without you having to do all the groundwork. So the next time you’re booking a holiday, the least you can do is Google the companies that are trying to make a difference in the region you’re travelling to and become a part of a win-win situation!

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