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गज-हत्या पे आक्रोशित हो तो दंगा-अभियुक्त को आजादी दो

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9 June 2020

गज-हत्या पे आक्रोशित हो तो दंगा-अभियुक्त को आजादी दो

क्यों! अचंभित हो गए? सोच रहे हो कि ये क्या कुतर्क है? तो बंधुओ-भगिनीयों ये उदगार मेरे नहीं प्रपंच-शिरोमणियों में गणमान्य लेखिका राणा अय्यूब जी के हैं। उनके वाशिंगटन पोस्ट में प्रकाशित लेख जिसका हिंदी अनुवाद कुछ इस तरह है “हाथी के क़त्ल की आलोचना करने वाले और अश्वेतों के जीने के अधिकार की बात करने वाले पाखंडी हैं क्योंकि “कश्मीर तेरे खून से इंकलाब आएगा” जैसे नारों के माध्यम से नौजवानों को दंगे के लिए भड़काने वाली सफूरा जरगर के लिए क्यों नहीं रो रहे हैं। वैसे ये उद्द्गार एकलौते उनके नहीं हैं, दिल्ली के हिन्दू विरोधी दंगों में अपने भाषणों (संभवतः कुकृत्यों के माधयम से भी) सम्मिलित होने वाले लगभग हर प्रपंच विषदंतधारी सर्पन्त के हैं।

अगर गजरानी (जिसकी तुलना सफूरा से की जा रही है) जिन्दा होती और अगर बोल सकती तो कह उठती, “हे देवी, एक निरीह निःस्वर पशु की निर्मम हत्या से दंगे जैसे संगठित अपराध में संलिप्त एक सुशिक्षित व्यक्ति की तुलना कुतर्क और प्रपंच की पराकाष्ठा है। मैं विद्यालय प्रांगण में खून पीकर इंकलाब लिखने वाली बुद्धिजीवी नहीं हूँ, मैं तो एक अनपढ़ हथिनी हूँ जिसका दोष सिर्फ इतना था की वो अपने पेट में पलने वाले शिशु के लिए आहार ढूंढ रही थी।”

राणा अय्यूब जी को भली भांति ज्ञात है कि सफूरादेवी को मुर्गी चुराने के अपराध में नहीं पकड़ा गया है बल्कि देश के राजधानी की सड़को को रक्त रंजीत कर देने वाले भीषण दंगों में नेतृत्व करने के आरोप में UAPA की धाराओं में पकड़ा गया है। इसलिए रतन टाटा जैसे लोग ऐसे लोगों की रिहाई की मांग क्यों करेंगे जिनके भाषण कत्ले-आम की वजह बनते हैं , जैसा कि राणा अय्यूब चाहती हैं। राणा अय्यूब ये भी जानती हैं कि तिहार कारावास एक ऐसा कारावास है जहां हर २.५ महीने में एक जन्म होता है और इन शिशुओं को जन्म देने वाली माताएं सफूरा जरगर की तरह हत्याकांड रचने की आरोप में कैदी नहीं होती हैं फिर भी उनको कैद में ही रहकर गर्भावस्था, जन्म, शिशु पालन की जिम्मेदारियों का निर्वाह करना होता है तो फिर सफूरा जरगर में ऐसा क्या विशेष हैं?

अराजकतावादी लेखिका राणा अय्यूब ये भी जानती हैं कि जिस देश में सुनैना पटेल जैसी वीरांगनाएँ कोख में बच्चा लेकर सघन जंगलों में नस्कलियों से लोहा लेती हैं, तो कश्मीर को अपने खून से इंकलाब लिखने का आवाहन करने वाली सफूरा जरगर में ऐसा क्या विशेष है जिसके लिए उनको रिहाई चाहिए?

घृणावादी लेखिका ये भी जानती है कि भारत के जेलों में पश्चिमी दुनिया की जेलों की तरह पांच सितारा सुविधाएँ भले न हों, मगर यहाँ मानवता है, गर्भवादी महिला को आदर मिलता है, उनके खान-पान, आराम, स्वास्थ्य का उसी तरह ध्यान रखा जाता है जिस तरह कोई अपने परिवार के सदस्य का रखता है।

ये मोहतरमा सब जानती हैं, लेकिन इसके साथ ही ये यह भी जानती हैं कि इनको अपना आदर्श मानाने वाला समुदाय विशेष का एक बड़ा तबका शुद्ध रूप से कट्टर-पंथी और घृणारस में सूक्त है। वो अपने बुद्धि से सोचने के बजाय भेद चाल चलता है और कई बार जान-बूझकर उनके पाखण्ड को सूंघने से मना कर देता है क्योंकि इससे उसकी हिन्दुओं के प्रति घृणा वाड़ी विचारों पर ओले पड़ते हैं।
लेकिन देवी जी को याद रखना पड़ेगा कि इसी सफूरा जरगर की जमानत याचिका रद्द करते हुए न्यायधीश महोदय ने एक टिपण्णी की है ““when you choose to play with embers, you cannot blame the wind to have carried the spark a bit too far.” जज साहब की इस टिपण्णी को न्याय-शास्त्र की पवित्र आयत माननी चाहिए और नफरतका खेल बंद करना चाहिए।

Secular India, an anachronism

Opinions

OliveGreens09

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9 June 2020

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India as a Democracy is a creation of the British who left a bleeding nation, broken into two sovereign states based on religion. Anyone who has a different take is not being honest. For often we hear that Pakistan is created based on religion but India is a secular nation where “all religions are equal”, the premise here is equality and not what secularism actually means, “indifference, or rejection, or exclusion of religion or religious considerations”!

And, who decided what shall be the nature, character of the new nation which was being forced upon the bleeding masses, torn apart by the bloodiest partition in history of mankind. Tens of millions were displaced, a million killed, a frenzy unseen, unheard in modern times. They tell us that the constituent assembly was the arbiter of the fate of the new nation, it would decide the destiny. Seems perfect, who else than the representatives chosen by the country. However, therein lies the catch. Independent India had only one arbiter, ie., the Congress party led by Gandhi, with his favourite acolyte Nehru, the father of secularism as his henchman. Gandhi was the overpowering figure, his word had by now gained coin in the country, thanks both to the British & the Muslim League.

The constituent assembly was dominated by the Congress party, the members of the states had no say, hardly a representation or anyone else who could oppose the hegemony. In such a scenario, it was pre decided that Secularism shall be the Mainstay of the new Constitution, interestingly, it wasn’t made a part of the original preamble.

But, we are told that secularism was the spirit on which the new nation shall rest. Secularism per se is not an attribute to be criticised nor it is bad in conscience. It is to be seen in the light of accentuating circumstances which followed the decision to break the Sub continent in India and Pakistan, forcing millions to leave homes of their forefathers, the leaving wasn’t peaceful, it was what historians say, a bloodshed not seen or heard in history borne out of the natural antipathy of the warring religions. Anyone who thought that the Partition would be anything else than bloody was either living in a fantasyland or was a fool. Two bloodied nations were born out of this, Pakistan was natural heir to the Muslim Nation so strongly espoused by the majority Muslims.

Anyone saying otherwise is a Liar. One Maulana Azad can’t be the talking point where destinies of millions was being decided on the streets of the nation. It would be futile to venture into the bloodshed, why, how and by whom was the first blow struck. Muslims of undivided India overwhelmingly voted for Muslim League, fighting the last general elections on the issue of formation of Pakistan. It got 90% of Muslim vote & 91% of Muslim seats. Congress walked away with 90% of Hindu votes & similar numbers of seats. The results were crystal clear. Muslims wanted a separate nation, dividing India into India and Pakistan. Hindus voted against Muslim League to save India, it will be prudent to call it “Hindustan“!

The mandate to Congress was manipulated by the leadership, Gandhi was a diehard secular. No one in the Congress could go against his will, we all know how Patel succumbed to Gandhi’s guile when Gandhi forced Nehru through the backdoor as the PM candidate despite his name not being nominated even by one PCC or Pradesh Congress Committee. Nehru was his chosen heir who would continue with his failed experiment of Hindu-Muslim Unity. And, Nehru didn’t disappoint. He was supported by likes of Maulana Azad in his pursuit of Gandhian Chimera of Unity among two people, lately two nations and forever two warring religions. Islam was an alien faith to the sub continent, it was very successful in establishing itself as a political ideology but it wasn’t so successful as a religion. It converted millions by force, slavery, killings but an overwhelming number remained true to their Faith in the Hindu heartland. Regions west of Indus were converted to the maximum, with Hindus a negligible minority but elsewhere Hindus stood strong and remained steadfast to Dharma.

One must remember that there were very prominent voices in India who wanted complete exchange of populations, that is Muslims should leave for Pakistan and all Hindus must return to India. Not very feasible but it was the only solution in the prevailing situation. Sardar Patel was one, Ambedkar was another, but it was turned down by Gandhi and Nehru followed suit. The idea to cite all this is an attempt to tell the reader that if the present generation feels that Secularism was only point of discussion, it wasn’t. Secularism was forced upon by the brutal majority of the Congress Party in the Constituent Assembly. Understandably, it did not resemble anything which can be called Secular. The State which should have delinked itself became the arbiter of the People’s Faith.

What followed is a classic example of democratic power grab. Nehru and ilk became the masters of nation’s destiny. The brute majority enjoyed by successive Congress governments was result of well orchestrated vote bank politics. Muslims were cultivated as distinct from the majority Hindus, there material and educational development was negligible but Congress made sure that the grip of the Ulama tightened on the Muslim masses. Over the decades, Muslims deteriorated as a community in almost all spheres but they were now completely under the spell of the Religious Leaders. The society degenerated, literacy abominable, poverty rampant but the Spell of Secularism was the glue which bound them to Congress and the other so called Secular Forces in the country.

Indira played to the gallery and inserted the word Secular in the Preamble during the Emergency and it stays even after all other amendments were repealed by the Janta Government of Morarji Desai. What’s wrong with it, argues the liberals and their political friends of the Left?

Nothing. But the fact is that this is the most abused term in Indian Democracy. It has been systematically employed by the secularist to forever damn the Hindu to the purgatory. It has been utilised by vested interests to paint the Islamic Invasions as benign, to justify the destruction of temples as their being centres of wealth. It has become the veritable Brahmastra to flog the Hindus with. In pursuit of Secularism, the Indian polity bent backwards to appease the minorities, read Muslim Ulama, who in turn held a sway over the Muslim Vote. Most obnoxious things have been done in name of Secularism in this country, maligning and demonising the Hindu is one of the most important.

India is a Nation which believes in Equality says its preamble but Secularism in India has served at cross purposes, it’s the yardstick of Inequality, where a PM says that Muslims have the First Right to nation’s resources! It has served the interests inimical to the majority Hindus. Rampant Conversions by Christians are overlooked under the guise of Secularism. Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits is brushed under Secularism and its co-brother Kashmiriyat. Murderous assaults on Hindus are remnants of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, specific areas have been made inaccessible to law enforcement agencies, veritable mini Pakistans can be seen in most of the states in India. The list is unending. All this is Secularism according to the votaries. How can a religious Country, home to largest and second largest population of Hindus and Muslims, plus a vibrant Christianity, add the Indic religions of Buddhism, Jains & Sikhs be Secular, when its political parties and its leaders are immensely religious?

Where the state has a Minority Affair Ministry looking after the affairs of the religious minorities alone? But, there is no ministry which looks after the majority. Where minority institutions are exempted from national obligations but institutions of majority Hindus must fulfill their obligation? Where religious places of Islam and Christianity are managed by the laity themselves but Hindu Temples will be governed by government? Where donations to Mosque and Church cannot be utilised for anything except for the propagation of Islam and Christianity but donations by Hindu devotees will be utilised for Secular purposes? Where it’s perfectly alright to give Fatwas against Hindus but a call for economic boycott of the minority brings the law on to you?

Secularism has destroyed the social and cultural fabric of India, because in our country its manifestation is the worst caricature of what Secularism is. It is alien to the Indian conscience and consciousness, it sounds like an empty vessel which makes enough noise to attract attention but has nothing to offer to the people. It is time to adopt and adapt Equality as the binding principle of our Constitution than this vague and abused terminology defined as Secularism.

Dharma deciphered

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dharmic

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9 June 2020

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Dharma is the most corrupted and misused word in the world. This article will make it clear once and for all regarding what Dharma is all about; what conforms to Dharma and what does not – and how it is relevant to each and every individual on earth for the well-being and evolution of mankind.

Dharma comprises of the following two components:

respecting, serving, upholding humanity, justice and nature;
thought process, ideology, principles, actions (karma) required for adhering to or holding on to Dharma->1

It is pertinent to note that the above definition of Dharma is something akin to how we describe the smallest substance, i.e. an atom consisting of inner core nucleus and outer electrons revolving around the nucleus. Similar perspective can be taken on larger manifestations of solar system with revolution of planets and their natural satellites around their core objects that are relatively far bigger in size.

In essence, Dharma is all about being sensitive towards life (all lives) and towards nature.

The Core of Dharma

Let’s analyze the definition further. If you closely observe the three entities mentioned as the core of Dharma – humanity, justice and nature – are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are the ones which are tightly coupled, the most valued entities of life by all of mankind, always talked about whenever any of these is disregarded. Over a period of time, societies across the world have evolved with respect to these three core entities by way of implementing and continuously improving upon their education, law and order systems.

In spite of systems in place, societies fail to uphold the core of Dharma. For instance actions against humanity that are committed even due to loopholes in the rule-book of society are still considered as crimes and justice is seeked as the actions committed violated humanity and/or justice was not served. If the set of law/rules itself is unjust, then a social pressure is created by wise people to amend the laws so as to uphold judiciary system and on serving justice humanity is upheld. Similarly, with regards to nature, man has started to realize the importance of trees, identified issues like global warming due to his exploitation of nature and natural resources in the past resulting in world leaders coming together – to uphold nature. This is how mankind evolved and continues to evolve.

Adharma

Any entity that disregards Dharma->1 in it’s principles and ideologies is adharma. Religions of the worlds, companies or organisations with their documented ideologies/vision and history can easily be evaluated for any dharmic violations or if they are adharmic in nature.

Dharma absolutely involves violence against adharmic forces for protecting mankind/humanity when all options of non-violence exhaust.

Salient features of Dharma

Dharma =>:
a) is inclusive (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् – world is one family), i.e. it’s not limited to any geographical boundaries – covers the world (loka) and bats for ‘loka kalyana’, i.e. wellbeing of mankind;
b) is performing duties towards self, family, friends, society and gradually expanding to nation and world – larger the expansion more Dharmic is the person;
c) is to oppose, fight and destroy adharma, i.e. any entity or ideology that violates or disregards Dharma->1;
d) encourages ‘live and let live’ policy, with due respect to Dharma;
e) focuses on karma (deeds/action/inaction in various situations) and not on beliefs or lack of it;

Holding onto Dharma

When the core of Dharma is so clear, why there is a need to make it sound incomplete without part 2, i.e. Dharma->2? The answer lies in the details – details of how to set up ways so uphold Dharma->1.

Bharatiya ancient civilization is all about Dharma (vs adharma) described and prescribed in its huge library of scriptures called Dharma shastras (scriptures). These Dharma shastras explain and provide prescriptions for upholding Dharma->1, i.e. how to set up Dharma->2. The Vedas are a vast set of scriptures containing the details of nature, universe, it’s creation and guidelines to uphold the core of Dharma. It takes years to master these scriptures, under a (Dharma) guru.

Ithihaas, i.e. historical epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, highlights real life scenarios in the form of stories about Dharma vs adharma.

However, a very short comprehensive famous FAQ document about life and Dharma as a conversation between a confused Arjuna and Lord Krishna just before the famous Kurukshetra war in the Mahabharata known as Shrimad Bhagawad Geeta (or simply The Gita) – is strongly recommended.

The Gita – containing questions and answers – is a proof that Dharma encourages questions for clarity; because without clarity taking any step could be fatal. So continuous awareness and assessment of situations of life (consciousness) is essential to decide and take the dynamic decision of action (or inaction) towards Dharma. That is wisdom!

In the Gita itself, Lord Krishna explains that a self-realized yogi (person who experientially is in union with divinity) is already a conscious being and vice versa – in which contains all the Dharmic scriptures. That is why the content of Dharma->2 can vary as long as Dharma-> 1 is upheld.

Dharmic Paths

There have been many enlightened beings who devised their own ways or paths to uphold Dharma, the followers of whom have documented in their respective scriptures. These paths or ways are called as ‘sampradayas’ or ‘panths’ the famous three of which are:

Sikhism – founded by Guru Nanak Dev
Jainism – founded by Vardhamana Mahavira
Buddhism – founded by Gautama Buddha

The scriptures authored by these self-realized enlightened beings revolve around Dharma – none of these violate Dharma, but indeed protect it, uphold it and also prescribe guidelines for self-realization.

Dharma is also about discouraging, resisting and fighting adharmic forces/ideologies in a gradual manner (using the strategy of ‘saama/daana/bheda/danda’). Because if Dharma is not saved, i.e if the ratio of Dharmic to Adharmic dwindles, then the probability of living in peace and getting justice in that society drops proportionately.

Failure of Hindus in upholding Dharma!

Once a society moves away from Dharma, it starts gradually becoming weaker and hence victim of Adharmic forces; and eventually becomes Adharmic society (e.g. Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc).

Had the people of Bharatvarsh (ancient India comprising of Afghanistan, Pakistan upto Bangladesh and beyond) followed Krishna’s advise (mentioned in the Gita) to Arjuna to ‘go and fight adharma’, Islam wouldn’t have entered or remained in India. Nor the East India Company could have succeeded in cheating with eventual colonial rule. There were great warrior Kings like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Maharana Pratap, Guru Govind Singh who bravely fought and resisted the atrocities done by the islamic invaders; however there were Hindu traitors who betrayed the Hindu emperors thereby strenghthening the base of adharma those times. Because of which adharmic forces took over Bharatvarsh and did huge damage, the suffering of which is clearly visible even today. Hindus not only lost a huge chunk of land and population to these adharmic cults, but wrongly called these totalitarian, exclusive adharmic ideologies as Dharma!

It should be noted that:
Not every Hindu is Dharmic;
Not every Dharmic is Hindu

Finally, being dharmic is what matters. For that one doesn’t need to convert. Consciousness is the key and ignorance will again lead to giving into adharma.

My criminals are not criminals

ankit

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9 June 2020

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The latest string of scintillating attacks on the government from the left ecosystem is quite amusing. This time they aren’t demanding withdrawal of any bill or grant of special privileges for a community or reservations or funds or resignations. The appeal or rather ultimatum this time is that the criminals, or to say insurgents more aptly, charged of planning, sponsoring, executing, and participating in anti-CAA riots and violence be exonerated and freed. The frontrunners of this agenda are again the same set culprits who often play devil’s advocate for any violence in the nation leading to damage of property and threat to lives – few out of work Bollywood chaps, some sold-out journalists, attention-seeking comedians, anti-government warriors, opposition spokespersons and IT cells.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Openly Defends Anti-CAA Rioters In Uttar Pradesh
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx7nAnX4vxs)

The narrative is once again baseless and hypocrite. I am sure none of the following bizarre reasons is enough to absolve criminals of their transgressions, especially for crime related to national security and peace: a rioter getting pregnant during the protests, their belief that Modi is a dictator, or the riots mastermind belongs to a special religion. Comrades are worried that their counterparts who are now facing jail time might prove to be good examples for anybody and everybody who partakes in violence, riots, murders, and loot under the shield of right to dissent.

The process is fairly straight-forward. Blame, disregard, and vilify the judiciary and investigative authorities when decisions aren’t in your favour; spread fake news and hateful content when truth doesn’t suit your agenda; play victim and minority card when you are straight up guilty of heinous deeds; invoke sympathy and pity on your condition when nothing else can save you from the consequences of your actions. Masses are very vulnerable to fall for such tactics.

Jamia student Safoora Zangar, charged under UAPA, denied Bail by the Delhi Court
(Image source: https://lawsisto.com/legalnewsread/NTQzMA==/Jamia-student-Safoora-Zangar-charged-under-UAPA-denied-Bail-by-the-Delhi-Court)

The shamelessness and audacity is startling – all sympathetic notions arise only when the pawns of left-liberal propaganda are at stake. The murderer of IB officer in Delhi is suddenly reminded of his religion, and an ISIS operative inciting hate and violence all of a sudden wants mercy for pregnancy. For them, Afzal Guru should have been set free on humanitarian grounds and a blind eye be turned on Chidambaram because he is old and ill. Ironically, the same set of PR agents still want a cancer patient Sadhvi Pragya behind the bars despite a clean-chit from the courts. Same gang of Luteyans media wants hate-mongering fake news of Vinod Dua to be pardoned while giggling when Sonia Gandhi’s government in Maharashtra harasses Arnab Goswami.

The laws are clear and constitutional in every case – there is no need to debate about why one should or should not be persecuted for one’s actions based on the outrage among their sympathizers. You lose any right to ignite protests in India demanding justice for Blacks in the United States when you openly mock well-wishers of Kashmiri Pandits disregarding their decades of plight as non-existent. You should not have any face to defend allegations on Mrs. Vadra or Mehbooba Mufti in the name of feminism when you openly show middle fingers to Meneka Gandhi and Smriti Irani on social platforms. Don’t bring up regionalism when Kerala and West Bengal are accused of political killings when criticising and cursing Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat is your favorite pass-time. If Deepika Padukone floors you when she applauds the hooliganism in JNU, you are no one to question why Kangana Ranaut has strong opinions on any political issue.

‘Beaten up by male cops, electric shocks, made to listen to porn’: Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s torture story in jail
(Image source: https://www.awaaznation.com/social-issues/sadhvi-pragya-thakur-bjp-congress/)

It is such a paradox to have to argue the basic tenets of ‘equality’ with foot soldiers whose day and night job is to fuel anger and rally support against the ‘supposed’ intolerance and marginalization in India since 2014. We need to understand that our agreements or disagreements set aside, our adherence to judicial verdicts or administrative directives cannot be selective. Our compassion cannot be discriminatory if it is based on genuine emotion and not a selfish agenda. We are free to express solidarity with any individual or community but we cannot guilt-trip others of ‘whataboutery’ when we are questioned on our silence or opposite stances for others.

It is natural to have opinions and biases. It is also okay to choose sides. What is not okay is when we move beyond supporting ideologies, parties, and leaders to supporting and indulging in their criminal activities: spreading fake news, defending rioters and rapists, abusing and bullying online, raising voice for terrorists, slamming other religions, and other hate crimes. If we can’t hold our favorite leaders and governments accountable for their fallacies and wrongdoings, let us at least not jump the guns to defend their sins.

The ‘Kerala-model’ secret and the inevitable fall of Kerala state

Opinions

eash

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9 June 2020

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The ‘Kerala-model’ secret and the inevitable fall of Kerala state

It is not long back since we started seeing the term “Kerala-model” in media. The Kerala-model of literacy, the Kerala-model of development, the Kerala-model of handling Nipah-virus outbreak, The Kerala-model of handling floods and currently the Kerala-model of handling the Coronavirus spread. Kerala tops many of the indices in all of India in various fields like Sex-ratio, Primary-education, Lowest pregnant mother mortality rate, foreign remittance etc… Kerala achieved the best numbers in all these indices and development mainly because of the foreign remittance it received from expats across the world; mainly the Gulf. It is estimated that more than 35 lakh expats working in Gulf countries are from Kerala.

Gulf, Expats and Kerala Politicians

Huge oil wells were discovered in Eastern Arab regions back in 1930s. Commercialisation of Oil extraction which began later made these countries the largest exporter of oil. A region handicapped by small population and labour forces sitting on a pile of gold had to open its gates for labourers from around the world. India, particularly Kerala capitalized this golden opportunity.

The money-orders from Keralites started flowing-in since the 1970s. Remittance from Gulf to Kerala crossed INR one trillion in the year 2019 which accounts to 36% of state revenue. The schools, colleges, hospitals, resorts and roads flourished in the state with these earnings. Kerala excelled in many indices through which the state-performance is usually monitored which made it one of the best states in India. The communist and congress governments which ruled the state since Kerala’s birth in 1957 shamelessly took credit for this growth. Communists leaders often compare these positive indices with national average to degrade the central governments and other states. Their cadres echo the same to the public and astonishingly people in the hundred percent literate state believe that all this is the result of administrative excellence displayed by their representatives in Kerala Assembly.

“It’s going to rain in Gulf and Kerala will catch the cold.”

In a report called “The Future of Oil and Fiscal Sustainability in the GCC Region” released by IMF, the organization warns “Oil-exporting countries may need to be ready for a post-oil future sooner rather than later.” Gulf is staring at the greatest challenge it has come across in a long while. One, they are going to run out of oil. Two, there could be a concerted global effort to address climate change issues soon and faster improvements in energy efficiency could lead to Gulf countries run out of financial wealth sooner before it will run out of oil. IMF recognizes that the Gulf countries are aware of this issue and all six countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE have launched ambitious plans to diversify their economies away from oil and gas. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is the high-profile of them all. So far none of these countries seem to have found solid ways to rebalance their economies. Without significant reforms than those already announced, the financial wealth of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE and others could be depleted by 2034.

Oil wells will become empty because it is a known finite resource. Economy of Gulf will fall because they do not have solid plans and the world is marching towards renewable energy era. Governments will cut their spending, they may downsize its structure and more taxes will be collected from people henceforth. When this happens, along with people of Gulf all the expats from around the world who earns a living in the region will feel the heat. The governments will do everything in their power to safeguard the jobs and life of their people. The expats will be forced to go back to their own countries. Oman which ordered firing of expats from its state sector companies recently for a mere and temporary economic break-down due to Coronavirus pandemic is a sign of things to come.

Kerala, an economy majorly depended on these wealthy countries for a living will see a drastic fall. 35-50 lakhs of people could come back to the state. Industries, Research & Development wings, Factories, Corporates etc… are not something Kerala is known for. Gulf remittance, Liquor, Lottery and Tourism contributes lion’s share to the state economy. State Planning Board, Governments, Politicians and even Medias do not seem to discuss this inevitable threat.

There is no Kerala-model

Whatever the state has achieved is because of its expats and expats didn’t go to Gulf to save their state but only to earn a living and save themselves. It indirectly helped their home through investments and indirect taxes. The politicians, media, the universities who usually dance to the tune of government and mainly communist parties which is the largest political party in the state has successfully made their cadres and people Frogs in the well. Easy money from Gulf have created a lazy community. Kerala is one of the states which tops in diabetics, heart diseases, liquor consumption, depression and suicides in all of India which could be due to laziness and inactivity. The laziness of people, the carelessness of governments and communist parties who work against development have pushed the state to such poor self-sufficiency that it cannot even feed its people without support from neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and others. Kerala-model is nothing but a bubble waiting to burst and when it does, it will shatter the very base of the state and may even lead to civil unrest, suicides, depression and crime.

Conclusion

Kerala State Planning Board should start working on war-foot basis and submit reports on this to the Government of Kerala. Media should stop boasting about the non-existing Kerala-model and push the opposition parties to pressurize the government. Government should take this seriously and open doors for industries and corporates. Universities in Kerala should conduct research on possible restructuring of state economy and submit the findings to the responsible authorities. Politicians should stop fooling the students and public with unnecessary strikes, protests, hartals, bandhs etc… for petty reasons. People should read more and learn that even communist countries like China have adopted capitalist-model.

Otherizing the self: Minorities and Indians in Pakistani media

Reports

Jonathan Doyle

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9 June 2020

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Otherizing the self: Minorities and Indians in Pakistani media

Introduction

South Asian affairs have a knack for turning India vs. Pakistan issues, and there would hardly be any sphere that is untouched by it. When it comes to media portrayals, one of the argument that crops up often is that Pakistani movies and TV series portray their minorities regularly and in a light it’d be unfair to call evil. This is an important argument to consider, especially as the (usually) leftist intellectuals who peddle this narrative claim that Bollywood portrays minorities in a negative light, or stereotypes them negatively. The same intellectuals argue that Pakistani TV series and movies are progressive (usually to compare with regressive Indian ones).

This article assesses the validity of the claim by analyzing Pakistani TV and movies, which, in my view, play a major role in “otherizing” the minorities in Pakistan as well as portraying India and Indians in a bad light. My focus is on the facts rather than how they are put, so I hope my readers will forgive my (more than) occasional bluntness.

Specific (dis)Honorable Mentions

Although it cannot be compared to the scale of Bollywood, Pakistan’s film and TV industry is enormous. Obviously, I do not claim to have watched each and every work out there. Readers may comment more examples as they desire.

Argument 1: Conversions for marriage. (Or more precisely: “Embrace Islam for the sake of your marriage.”)

Explanation: A lot of TV series have done this – two star-crossed lovers who belong to different faiths, their religious differences and conservative families being the most clichéd plotline. It is a genuine issue to tackle through fiction, and TV series are an effective way to put the message across. However, the resolution in these makes a mess of the message.

Ruswa, Meri Adhuri Mohabbat, Khuda Aur Mohabbat (the last one was also syndicated overseas as Love and God) – three of the most popular series to depict minorities – end with the non-Muslim converting to Islam for the sake of their marriage.

Even series that do not center on this theme make passing references to it. E.g. A typical dialogue: “Why cannot I marry her? The boy belongs to a cultured household, nor is he a follower of a different religion.”

I do not really blame Pakistan or even the writers, directors and producers for this. It is the Islamic doctrine that has been fed to them as gospel truth, and humanistic values lost in-between.

وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِي أَخْدَانٍ ۗ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
(And [lawful to you] in wedlock are chaste and free women from among the believers and from among the People of the Book [Jews & Christians], provided you give them their dowries and desire chastity, neither committing fornication nor taking them as secret concubines. Anyone who denies faith [through dishonorable acts] will be one of the losers in the Hereafter [for] all his good deeds will be in vain.) (Al-Ma’ida 5)
Conclusion: Marriage of a Muslim man to a woman of a Semitic tradition (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) is permissible.

وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ ۚ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا ۚ وَلَعَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ ۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
(Marry not the polytheist women until they believe; a believing slave woman is better than an unbelieving woman even though she may be more attractive to you; likewise, marry not polytheist men until they believe; a believing slave is better than an unbelieving man even though he may be more pleasing to you; these polytheists invite you to Hell’s fire while God invites you to Paradise and forgiveness by His grace; He makes his revelations clear to mankind so that they may bear them in mind.) (Al-Baqara 221)
Conclusion: Marriage of a Muslim (man/woman) to a polytheist (woman/man) is forbidden.

Both these commandments are Koranic, i.e. the “literal word of God.” There remains no scope in Islamic law or Islam as a tradition for reinterpretation or modification in these, for God and His law is supreme, perfect, and timeless, and is the final word on any matter.

Argument 2: Interfaith marriages end in disaster.

Explanation: Picking up from the second of the commandments above, Parsa, Saya-i-Dewar Bhi Nahi, Mastana Mahi are infamous for showing non-Muslim spouses who are hostile, vindictive, adamant, and totally alien or even averse to the concept of a compromise. The message is clear – women who marry outside their religion are going to suffer.

Ahista Ahista comes off as something of an exception, with a man suffering from it. This series takes a political overtone, for the short-tempered and to a degree, psychopathic, wife is shown to be an Anglo-Indian.

Pyarey Afzal – not much memorable otherwise – had a character named Mehtab Chawla. The reason the name stuck with me is because instead of the Leftist interpretation of the name representing harmonious coexistence, a thorough sociological study of Pakistani society reveals something else – this character represents a very real trend. A Hindu, as his last name should be telling, taking on an Islamic first name. This is a common tactic used by Pakistani Hindus to make an attempt at getting accepted in the Muslim-majority society, which is through taking on Islamic names and mannerisms. Mehtab’s characterization shows more than enough about the stereotypes on Hindus – he’s a constant subject of ridicule, a male chauvinist and misogynist, and to some extent, acts foolishly. Not to mention he’s a semi-negative character overall.

I can debate more on what this conveys and what it does not, or what the most optimistic interpretation of “a coincidence” can tell about the reader, but I find that unnecessary.

Concerning points 1 and 2, a TV series announced by one of the top production houses of Pakistan titled ‘Maria bint Abdullah‘ (Maria, daughter of Abdullah) reifies the hatred for the Christian community that resurfaced some time ago with reference to the Asia Bibi Blasphemy Case (see below), projecting basically that a “good Christian” is defined by his/her acceptance of Islam. Its trailer, complete with the quote, “I’m Maria. My mother – Jenny D’Souza – is a Christian, but I am a Muslim, for I am Maria, daughter of Abdullah,” and soft music kicking in when she says “but I am a Muslim” – plays out like an advertisement that children of Christians should embrace Islam. The channel and production house denied both the accusations, issuing a clearly false statement that it would evaluate the content based on the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and the show has been shamelessly broadcast despite the protests and objections made. What makes the incident of this TV series even more appalling is the fact that such a large cast of some of Pakistan’s finest actors and such a well-known production house got involved in anti-minority bigotry. It is also important to think whether the guidelines of the Supreme Court permit such objectionable content or whether the court simply does not care if writings like this one bring it a bad name it does not deserve. The final blow comes as a petition by a Pakistani Christian calling for a ban on this series, but unfortunately, not a single person has signed it, most probably out of fear that all who sign will be accused of insulting Islam and hurting religious sentiments under Pakistan’s infamous Blasphemy Laws.

This is the ugly face of Imran Taliban Khan’s Naya (New) Pakistan. You can even strike that epithet of “New” off and just say it shows “the ugly face of Pakistan,” and no one will even notice in the slightest because such bigotry along religious lines is not really new if you look at the nation’s history.

(*Asia Bibi’s is a typical case in Pakistan – a false accusation of “blasphemy” leveled against someone belonging to a religious minority (here, a Christian) over a trivial neighborhood quarrel for which she’d been sentenced to death. Asia Bibi herself has been more fortunate than others like her in that ten years after the initial accusation, she’s been acquitted. However, her acquittal has met with widespread protests across Pakistan where the general public demanded her execution.)

Argument 3: India and Indians are the worst lot on the earth, and are the enemies of Pakistan and Pakistanis. (+ A similar point for Hindus and non-Muslims in general.)

Explanation: Dastan is a work of historical fiction which presents this very message. It is based on the division of the subcontinent in 1947 and the violence and chaos that followed. The message is clear in the distinction between the positive Muslim characters and the negative Hindu and Sikh characters. As if the typecasting did not convey enough, the line “We want a Pakistan where we can live safe from the Hindus” should be the icing on the cake. What is shocking, however, is that a somewhat “edited” version of Dastan was actually broadcast in India. I dare not imagine how the Indians themselves would have reacted to this.

A similar case is to be made for Hindus in general (beyond the events of 1947, for which each side throws exclusive blame on the other). The negative characters routinely take on Hindu manners and terminology (e.g. puja – which literally means “prayer” but has a Hindu connotation in popular imagination – being the word of choice for a character who is shown as a coward and a miser). The terminology of kafir (infidel/nonbeliever)and kufr (an act of disbelief)is often used with reference to negative characters and their acts. There is also a certain obsession with the metaphor of war between India and Pakistan, and you find no shortage of jokes with India at its wrong (and sometimes semi-derogatory) end. Funny for a country which lost four out of five times it went to war with India (the fifth ended in mutual ceasefire).

Argument 4: Indian immigrants are vile and loathsome lowlifes, and their caste names are worthy additions to your dictionary of expletives.

Explanation: Too many TV shows are guilty of this, and I consider it unnecessary to name them. Pick one at random and you’d most probably find this issue in its writing. I don’t want to limit my readership to South Asia, so let me elaborate: Just like in India, someone’s last name can tell about their caste, and very often, their geographic lineage or ethnicity, in Pakistan, there are certain “castes” you can identify through last names. Unlike India, it’s not just with Hindus – your last name, even with Muslims – can identify to a Pakistani whether the person is a descendent of the Islamic invaders themselves, or otherwise an Arab/Turkish/Persian/Afghan immigrant, or a native convert, and also whether they were refugees who migrated to Pakistan or were native to the regions that became Pakistan.

Now, on what “this” meant when I said that “[t]oo many TV shows are guilty of this:” caste and ethnic slurs, and using the names of the castes of refugees or of native converts to Islam (as opposed to Arabs/Turks/Persians/Afghans) are liberally sprinkled and used as abusive words – yes, you read it right, as expletives. E.g. “Look at yourself! You look and act like a [insert caste slur here].” – a typical dialogue (in translation)

Argument 5: Urdu is pure while Hindi is not.

Explanation: Evident through an analysis of the language of positive and negative characters from various works. The negative characters tend to Sanskritize the language more, which can only be seen as an insult to the original, pristine language of Hindi. The same character may transition linguistically as well as his morality evolves in the story. Maybe the enmity is not to the language itself, but out of its association in popular imagination – when a large chunk of negative characters are Hindu, it should not come as a surprise that they speak the language commonly associated with the Hindus… But then, I’m just speculating optimistically.

The Exception that Proves the Rule

A name that is often cited as an “exception” to all of the above is a little-known show Seeta Bagri. While admittedly it stars a minority community (viz. Hindus) in the central position, I really do not see how the series is really different from the lot that has contributed to a systemic “otherization” of the Hindu community in Pakistan. Seeta Bagri serves the exact opposite of its intended purpose, serving more than anything to exoticize the Hindu community and their traditions, and enforce the notions that their customs, traditions and lifestyles – right from the obvious things like prayer traditions and mythology to things that really aren’t that different, such as mannerisms and linguistic register – are unusual and distinct from mainstream Pakistani culture.

Such a media portrayal does not serve the purpose of integration into the national mainstream but rather serves to further widen the already enormous rift between the Pakistani mainstream and the Hindu community. The story depicts a Hindu woman’s struggle to set up a school in her neighborhood, and the end demolishes the purpose of the entire series, because it is a Muslim character that turns this vision into a reality. Whether intended or simply a coincidence that is just as telling as regards the Pakistani subconscious imagination, the image of these knights in green armor always ready to help the minority communities is more clear than I’m comfortable with.

It should also be noted that Seeta Bagri makes no hesitation in mocking and criticizing India when it gets the chance, and the possibility that the show is merely propaganda to paint a false picture of Pakistan’s acceptance for its minorities is further highlighted in a line where a character goes on to say, “This is not India; this is Pakistan, where Hindus, Muslims, Christians, or Sikhs all live in harmony as brothers.” If anything could be further from the truth, please let me know in the comments.

Conclusion

Given the five arguments with examples above, there remains little doubt that the Pakistani film and TV industry does little to spare its minority and “national enemy” (as it were); these antics come as no surprise given the foundational doctrine of Pakistan – Pakistan meant “not India” and being Pakistani meant being Muslim and “not Hindu, Sikh, Christian (and so on).” The other minorities of Pakistan – those within the Islamic tradition (Shias, Ismailis, Ahmadiyyas) – get no mention in this article because the TV and film industry simply denies their existence. If you assess it by these standards, as the Leftists would assert you should, Pakistan comes off decently for a country founded on hatred for India and the kafirs. This article is an attempt to counter the dominant narrative of assessing everyone by their standards and using more universal ethical and moral standards instead.

#AllLivesMatter

Atul Goyal

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8 June 2020

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Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. As of 07.06.2020 India has overtaken Spain and has grabbed the 5^th spot in terms of Corona Virus cases and also observed the highest jump in the number of cases in a single day, as it crossed the mark of 10,000. There have been instances where patients are unable to find a bed in a hospital and some of them have even died while waiting outside the hospitals gasping for breath.

We have come a long way from observing “Janta Curfew” to “Unlock 1.0”. To put things in perspective India had around 650 cases when the first lockdown was announced on 25^th March, 2020, whereas on 31^st May 2020 when the 5^th phase of lockdown began allegedly called as “Unlock 1.0” the total number of cases in India was around 1,90,650 out of whom around 93,350 were active cases. On 02^nd June, 2020 India crossed it’s tally of 1,00,000 active cases. The Press Information Bureau, New Delhi while citing the notification of Ministry of Home Affairs dated 30.05.2020 had stated “Unlock 1 to have an economic focus.”

In time of COVID staying healthy comes at the price of social distancing and lockdown, and apparently lockdown comes at an expensive cost in terms of loss of economic activity. In the legal sector also lockdown meant closing of Courts and for a lawyer when the Courts do not work, their economic situation becomes precarious. But in a democracy the gates of justice can never be closed and hence the Courts around the Country were swift to embrace technology including cases to be heard through Video Conferencing while at the same time restricting hearings to only critical cases.

Now when the rules relating to lockdowns are being relaxed all over the country despite growing number of cases, the demand for opening the courts for physical hearing is also gaining strength. In-fact Bar Council of India through its chairman M.K. Mishra has urged CJI S.A. Bobde to resume physical hearings of the matters with appropriate social distancing norms. Similarly Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has passed a General House resolution regarding resumption of work by starting physical and actual hearing of cases in the Courts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Various Associations including Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) have also requested chief justices of High Courts and Supreme Court to resume physical hearing. The argument for opening Courts for physical hearing is based on three factors: economic difficulties being faced by the lawyers, technological challenges and declaration of Unlock 1.0 by the Government.

Well desperate times call for desperate analogies. The ‘unlock 1.0’ by the Government is purely based on economic necessity rather than medical liberty. The argument for opening Courts relying on Government’s notification for “Unlock 1.0” is as helpful as the 20 Lakh crore package is to the legal community.

Secondly the argument that the lawyers are facing technological difficulties in presenting their cases online is absolutely correct for the trial lawyers mainly. Most of the lawyers in High Courts and Supreme Court are quite adaptive to the technology. In-fact most of the work in High Courts and Supreme Court is argumentative and does not involve recording of any evidence and the same is fairly non-technical, whereas it is the Courts at District level where the entire action is taking place. The procedure is extremely technical especially recording of evidence where physical appearance would serve the ends of justice in a far better manner.

However lawyers apart from District Courts are seeking opening of High Courts and Supreme Court as well. More than the technological aspect, the reasoning is financial in nature. It is true that it is a testing time for legal fraternity. To quote the words of Mahatma Gandhi “How am I to talk of God to the millions who have to go without two meals a day. To them God can only appear as bread and butter.”

In-fact it’s a trade-off between health and economy. But many of us believe that you can revive economy and even seek help but we can’t bring back life. The situation is so unprecedented that your decision not only affects you but everyone else around you including your loved ones. This virus is so vile that the moment you step out your situation is no less than a ‘Schrödinger’s cat’ (both dead and alive).

Imagine sending your child to school in these times. Students, teachers and staff from all walks of life will gather there. The risk is at the optimum. Similarly in Courts: Judges, lawyers, police officials, staff, para-legals, clients and witnesses will assemble in a “normal” working of Courts. One will be putting his life in the hands of decision-making authority of others.

The infrastructure, especially at District level is in a dilapidated situation. Most of the Courts at District level are a cry for help. It is insufficient to accommodate all the stake-holders while observing social distancing. In-fact bringing a file from record room and to present it before the Judge itself poses such a serious risk. For lawyers to appear in Courts everyday physically and to be around so many persons in congested places is a recipe for disaster. The Courts can easily become the new hotspots.

During these days, despite de-congested Court rooms and limited number of cases, the judicial officers have contacted COVID. Three of Madras High Court Judges have been tested to be COVID positive. Two Delhi Court Judges were tested positive after one of them came in contact with a COVID positive patient who was produced before him for recording his statement on May 6, 2020. District and Sessions Judge, Rohini Court has also been tested positive. In-fact on 03.06.2020 ‘barandbench.com’ published the response of President, Rohini Court Bar Association about the videos on social media calling for lawyers to sit on strike from 08.06.2020 onwards for opening of Courts for physical hearing to which he specifically stated “Our motto is stay home, stay safe. Allowing Courts to start physical hearing would be disastrous. Till now there have been no cases of lawyers getting infected at work only because at present, there are no physical hearings.”

Even at Barnala, Punjab at-least 4 judicial officers along-with their staff have been asked to self quarantine themselves at home after the accused arrested under the NDPS case turned to be COVID positive. Two judges at District Civil and Sessions Court in Alipore, West Bengal have also been tested positive. Even in Supreme Court the Judge and his family had to quarantine themselves when their cook was tested positive. News of police personnel requiring quarantining themselves on account of positive result of any Court employee or accused in a matter has become a common one.

Grim times are also the time to recall our strengths and think of how to apply them innovatively. There are businesses who have no alternative except to go on the conservative way whereas the Courts are already taking up matters through video conferencing and as far as the issue of efficiency is concerned, we must utilize our resources and energy in innovating new ways to tackle this issue and enhance the efficiency rather than giving up and running back to the old ways because they are more comfortable and easier to access. If Charles Babbage had believed in old ways, you wouldn’t have been reading this today. Bar Councils can instead create technology awareness amongst various bars by creating different channels.

The Bar Associations in collaboration with State authorities can utilize various Offices/Centers like Suvidha Centre for recording of evidence through video conferencing. The process may be inconvenient but at-least safe. Once we start having a grip over the technology, Courts may start taking up more matters which would help the lawyers financially as well. Economic argument has a flip side also. In-fact there is food for thought that in these times when people have lower paying capacity they may rather opt for young counsels than engaging a high profile Counsel. We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.

You are safe because you are home. I don’t think so courts should be opened physically, at-least for now. Unpopular to say these days but yes #Alllivesmatter.

दिल्ली के रंग फीके..

Shivam Sharma

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8 June 2020

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बशीर बद्र का शेर याद आ रहा है, “दिल की बस्ती पुरानी दिल्ली है, जो भी गुज़रा है उस ने लूटा है”

कोरोना जैसी घातक चीनी महामारी से दो चार रही दिल्ली को तंज कसने का मन नहीं था मेरा. पर जब दिल्ली में बिलखते चेहरों और सुन्न पड़ी लाशों के सामने डकार मारते ‘आम आदमी’ को देखता हूँ, तो कलेजा कांप जाता है. आप बिल्कुल निश्चिंत रहिए ना तो मेरा किसी राजनीतिक दल से कोई संबंध है, और ना ही मैं किसी ऐसे बाॅलीवुड समूह का सदस्य हूँ जिसके किस्सों के किरदार इन शासको के घर में अभ्यास किया करते हैं.

दिल्ली में सड़क पर रोते चिंघाड़ मारते विधुर की आवाज़ और चूंड़ियां फोड़ती विधवा की सैकड़ों वीडियोज़ सोशल मीडिया पर देखने के बाद यहां कुछ खास बचा नहीं है. दिल्ली के लोगों ने खास से हटकर आम पर विश्वास किया था. चाहा था कि भले पूंजीवादी खास बनकर हम ऑडी में घूमें, पर सरकार आम होनी चाहिए. सरकार आम ही बनीं. और कोरोना काल का समाधान भी आम किस्म का है.

पर आज सवाल करने का मन है!

जब चंद महीनों पहले दिल्ली चुनाव होने वाले थे तो चिर परिचित अंदाज़ में बसड्डों, मेट्रो और खम्भों पर करोड़ों के पर्चे चिपके थे. आज शायद उनके कुछ चीथड़े या पुरातात्विक अवशेष प्राप्त भी हो जाएं. उन पर दिल्ली को लंदन बनाने के दावे और उन दावों के साथ कुछ प्रमाण दिए गए थे.

उनमें बताया गया था कि भारत में विश्व स्तरीय स्वास्थ्य ढांचा कहीं है तो सिर्फ दिल्ली में. कहीं यदि चौबीस घंटे बिजली आती है तो सिर्फ दिल्ली में. कहीं यदि पानी पीकर प्यास बुझाई जाती है तो सिर्फ दिल्ली में. (और भी सैकड़ो)

पर कोरोना काल की विभीषिका ने मानो दिल्ली का दिल चीरना चाहा था. क्योंकि दिल्ली से किसी ने दिल में बहुत कुछ छुपाकर दिल्ली का दिल जीता था. पर दिल तो दिल है.. आज दिल ने सबकुछ जान भी लिया है. दिल कुछ करना भी चाहता है. पर दिल सिर्फ चाह सकता है, कुछ नहीं कर सकता.

चंद रोज पहले दूसरे राज्य से दिल्ली गए पूर्व आइ आर एस अधिकारी और अन्ना आंदोलन में माइक थामकर नारे लगाने वाले, कभी ना चुनाव लड़ने की सौगंध खाकर चुनाव लड़कर जीते मुख्यमंत्री जी ने कुछ कहा. उन्होंने कहा कि भइया हम तो दिल्ली सील कर देंगे और दिल्ली सिर्फ दिल्ली वालों की रह जाएगी. खैर वे तब भी वहीं थे और अभी भी दिल्ली में हैं.

वे शायद ये भूल गए थे कि उनकी कृपा से दिल्ली आज इस हालत में आ गई है कि यूपी, हरियाणा से कोई स्वत: आने को तैयार नहीं है. दिल्ली जाने वाला और दिल्ली में रहने वाला प्रत्येक भारतवासी इस बात को लेकर कभी चिंतित ही नहीं हुआ था कि राजधानी में रहकर इलाज के लाले पड़ेंगे. आपने स्वयं सोशल मिडिया पर दम तोड़ते लोगों की खबरे सुनी या पढ़ी होंगी. यह सहायता और निर्बलता की पराकाष्ठा है.

पर इसी बीच कुछ राहत देने वाली खबरें आईं. यह सच तो है ही कि मेरी दिल्ली का मालिक जनता की इच्छाओं को पूरा भी करता है. जब मालिक की पसंदीदा पत्रकार ने बाल बड़े होने और सैलून बंद होने की भावुक अपील की. तो इस आपदा में राउंड द क्लाॅक कार्य कर रहे मुख्यमंत्री की सक्रियता से इस जटिल समस्या का हल मिल गया. साहब ने फौरन ट्वीट कर उत्तर दिया. अबतक बाल काटे भी जा चुके होंगे. मुख्यमंत्री औचक निरीक्षण भी कर सकते हैं.

दयालुता का उदाहरण प्रस्तुत करते हुए उत्तर प्रदेश के सुल्तानपुर से ताल्लुक रखने वाले सांसद महोदय ने चमत्कार किया. उन्होंने दिल्ली से श्रमिकों को बिहार हवाई जहाज में बैठाकर भेजा. एक चैनल पर पत्रकार ने इसे करिश्माई कह डाला. कहा कि दिल्ली से दिल जीतने वाली खबर आई है. खैर सामान्यज्ञ पत्रकार से सांसदों को प्राप्त हवाई यात्रा की बारीकियां जानने की अपेक्षा कैसे की जा सकती है. सांसद ने अपनी चौंतीस हवाई यात्राओं का हस्तान्तरण कर दिया, जो नियम कायदे में है ही नहीं.

खैर दिल्ली में अस्पतालों की कमी नहीं है, मोहल्ला क्लीनिक है भी है. दिल्ली का पेट अब विज्ञापन से भरता भी है. इधर दिल्ली में कर्मचारियों को वेतन नहीं दे सकने वाली सरकार ने केंद्र से मार्मिक अपील की है. केंद्र को मदद देनी भी चाहिए.

क्योंकि भले ही दिल्ली में विज्ञापनों के पेड़ लग चुके हैं. विज्ञापन कढ़ी, फ्राई विज्ञापन , विज्ञापन चूरमा, लच्छा विज्ञापन पराठा, विज्ञापन अचार, और रायता की व्यवस्था हो. कर्मचारियों को वेतन देने में दिल्ली सरकार समर्थ नहीं है.

अंत में दिल्ली के लिए अपनी संवेदना प्रकट करना सबका कर्तव्य है. सो ट्विटर पर कुछ ‘ शेम ऑन’ हैशटैग दौड़ेंगे. फिर उनके विरुद्ध ‘आई स्टैंड, आई सपोर्ट ‘ सरीखे ट्वीट दौड़ा जाएंगे. पर दिल्ली में ग्यारह महीने के बच्चे की मां सो गई है. बच्चा अब डिब्बे का दूध पीकर बड़ा हो सकता है. और बच्चे की दुहाई देकर पत्नी की जान बचाने की मिन्नते करता युव विधुर बन गया है.

“दिल्ली में मुफ्त बिजली का बिल, मुफ्त पानी, मुफ्त राशन और मुफ्त मौत भी है.”

अरे अरे अरे! माफ कीजिएगा मौत नहीं …

दिल्ली के मालिक का डैमेज कंट्रोल?

Himanshu Singh

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8 June 2020

0

दिल्ली के मालिक अरविंद केजरीवाल को खाँसी और बुखार की शिकायत है। इसके बाद उन्होंने खुद को आइसोलेटेड कर लिया है। बात तो ये भी हो रही है कि लोगों को हॉस्पिटल न जाने का सलाह खुद ही दे चुके है तो किस मुह से उठ के हॉस्पिटल चले जाएं। टीवी पर आकर रोज भाषण देना और जमीन पर काम करना दोनो ही अलग बात है; खुद गाजियाबाद में थे और मालिक बन बैठे दिल्ली के अब दिल्ली में बस दिल्ली वालों का इलाज होगा।

दिल्ली सरकार को ये सोचना पड़ेगा कि जमीनी हकीकत कुछ और ही है रोज एक दिल्ली वासी उनके खोखले दावो का पोल खोल रहा है अभी कुछ दिन पहले अमनप्रीत की बात की जाए या सिद्दीकी की दोनों की मामलो में वो अपने प्रियजन को खो चुके है और दिल्ली सरकार को बता चुके है कि कहा कमी हो रही है- रिपोर्ट देर से आने, पर्याप्त सामग्री न मुहैया होने की स्थिति उत्पन्न हो गयी है, अभी ये हालात है तो अभी कोरोना का पीक आना बाकी है तब क्या होगा तब किसपे दोष मढ़ा जाएगा किसको बली का बकरा बनाया जाएगा।

खोखले वादे ज्यादा समय तक जमीन पे नही टिकते उनको उजागर होने में ज्यादा समय नही लगता। कभी अरविंद केजरीवाल कभी सत्येंद्र जैन डॉक्टरों को हॉस्पिटलो को धमकी दे रहे है पर इन्हें ये भी समझना पड़ेगा कि यह समय धमकी खोखले वादों को बचाने का नही है। गलतिया स्वीकार करिये और उससे सीखते हुए व्यावथाओ को दुरुस्त कीजिये लोगो की पहुच से सरल बनाइये।

सिखना चाहिये चाहे वो कोई भी हो आप बगल के राज्यो से सीखिए कैसे ओवर क्राउडेड होने के बावजूद उन्होंने मैनेज कर रखा है ना आप सीखना चाहते ही ना हेल्प लेना चाहते हो। बस दोषरोपण और बेवजह के मुद्दों में भटकना और फ्री की मलाई खाना जैसा आप करते थे वही सीखा दिए दिल्ली वालों को। अगर दिल्ली के सरकारी और प्राइवेट होस्पिटल केवल दिल्ली वालों के लिए है तो माफ् कीजिये न आप न आपका आधा मंत्रिमंडल दिल्ली का नही है और उसी तर्ज पर हरियाणा उत्तर प्रदेश पानी सब्जिया अनाज देना बंद कर दे तो आप क्या करेंगे फिर वही दोसरोपण। पहले उकसाइये अपने कर्मो से अपने वाणी से फिर उसपे कोई उत्तर दे तो उसे दोषी बना दीजिये।

केजरीवाल जी दिल्ली को स्टेट ऑफ वार की मुद्रा में ले जा रहे हैं। घने ही लम्पट बने फिर रहे हैं और आज डैमेज कंट्रोल में इसोलेट हो गए धन्य हो विधाता जिसने आप जैसा प्राणी भी धरती पर प्रकट किया।

Hysteria and corona: Two viruses killing Delhi

Opinions

ankit

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8 June 2020

0

Hysteria and corona: Two viruses killing Delhi

Politicians won’t miss an opportunity to play dirty even during national crisis. It is an undeniable fact and no party is untouched by this. It is hence advised not to let the news channel debates, social media mudslinging, and news bytes cloud one’s judgement. We would often expect an opposition to accuse and criticize the government irrespective of the ground reality. We would also expect the government to defend, counter-blame, and deceive citizens despite its failures. This is from our years of experience of living in India. Not just India, it is true everywhere in the world. So we now know better not to lose senses over whatever is published and broadcast about the prevailing corona virus disaster in Delhi. Be cautious and safe should be the mantra.

However, it is for the first time that politicians are relatively quiet but common citizens are flooding the social media space with harrowing tales of their experiences in Delhi. Numerous first hand reports have emerged depicting how the ground reality of Delhi healthcare infrastructure is collapsing and failing the helpless citizens. It is for the first time that we are unable to pass off an alarm as a political innuendo. Our neighbors, relatives, and friends are telling us how they struggled to get tested for the virus, how they were turned back by the hospitals citing multiple excuses, how their parents were kept hungry in the hospitals, how they lost their loved ones, and how they could not even get them dignified last rites. These are real stories with real characters and not just fancy blog articles. We are lucky that, unlike Maharashtra, Delhi hasn’t yet imposed gag orders on citizens and medical staff.

Facebook user narrates the harrowing tale of his struggle to get tested for Coronavirus in Delhi
(Image source: https://www.opindia.com/2020/06/facebook-user-narrates-the-harrowing-tale-of-his-struggle-to-get-tested-for-coronavirus-in-arvind-kejriwals-delhi/)

Corona virus is not yet curable nor is it easy to prevent transmission in a developing nation with a dense population. We have seen cases and deaths from asymptomatic infection as well; ergo, it becomes hard to discard the possibility of infection within our homes leading to doubt and anxiety. All this coupled with information asymmetry between the government, doctors, and citizens adds to the chaos. Contrasting statements from the CM on almost daily basis and silence of the rest of the ministers and MLAs has mounted confusion and misinformation. The protocols for testing and admission have become a joke. Citizens trusted a government which prides itself on its public health reforms to utilize the lockdown period effectively and prepare for the worse. As it turns out, we didn’t prepare at all.

There are clear issues of mis-coordination between the government and private labs and hospitals, availability of testing kits, facilities for respectful and timely post-mortem customs, transparency about beds and ventilators, etc. Ideally, all these shouldn’t happen despite allocation of tremendous funds, resources, and time for preparation. Energy spent on advertisements could certainly be better spent elsewhere. Blaming private hospitals, doctors, or leaders who aren’t in the government is helping either. The much hyped ‘Delhi Corona’ app launched with fanfare is changing numbers overnight to exactly match the numbers recited in next day’s rosy talk show by the CM. It doesn’t help either. It wipes the remaining traces of trust and confidence in the health infrastructure of the revolutionarily transformed national capital. However, who are we to blame governments? A dying person doesn’t want to be branded a bhakt, IT cell member, or chamcha.

Panic spreads faster than viruses in a community which loses trust in the administration. People are frantically digging out contacts for approach and recommendations. Once again hoarding of essentials has started. People are rushing to doctors and labs for minor cough, sneezes, and fever. Some are even organizing their finances and assets for liquidity in case they need to bribe for a hospital bed. And, they aren’t wrong to do so. Concern for safety of self and family surpasses any other logic.

An adverse side effect of the prevalent situation is disturbance to community mental health. Stress, tension, and fear can be seen in the eyes on masked faces, worry can be sensed in voices, and another level of anguish can be surmised from social media trends. People are looking for answers, sadly there are none. Incidents of depression, home-sickness, rage, and hopelessness are on rise. Not too far when all this would take away the remaining sanity of the society.

When there is no solution, what can we do about this? Foremost, calm down. Don’t look for symptoms. Don’t go out to doctors and hospitals when there is no dire need to do so. Even if you are mildly infected, chances are minimal that the government or even private hospitals would cater you. If something is beyond our control, then it is beyond our control. Take chances of stepping into crowded hospitals only when conditions are in concerning stages. Remember, even getting a hospital bed doesn’t get you a ventilator on standby which is the only additional aid a hospital has to offer and is not needed unless you have respiratory symptoms. Stop watching the TV news channels. There is no bigger catalyst to mass hysteria than Indian news channels. Their reporting is anyways devoid of facts and full of bias. Everything is a breaking news – without any component worthy of being called a news, which ends up breaking public morale, if at all anything it does.

Many of us are drowning ourselves in social media viral trends and debates, forgetting how staying cooped up in a 5-inch screen the whole day is another form of lockdown. And, this one is far too dangerous than being trapped in a house. Keep yourselves busy with office work, some hobbies, or games. In this era of texting and tagging, take some time to call your friends and family. Talk to your them about anything but Corona. Those who wanted to switch their jobs, take this time to prepare yourself for the market whenever economic conditions get back on track. Those who wanted to become entrepreneurs, refine your business ideas and pitch presentations.

When government is helpless, has practically shrugged of its responsibility, and is using every diversion tactic to shift the blame and the medical professionals are clueless, let us not torture ourselves by stressing about something which is now out of our hands. When there’s no remedy, then precaution, hope, and life have to survive in unison. Dilli needs to live ‘dil se’!