This budget focuses on the respect and development of every Indian
“The future depends on what you do today” said Mahatma Gandhi ji. Country in last 5 years has witnessed a major development in basic infrastructure and facilities like roads, railways, housing, LPG gas connections, toilets, electricity. The further progress of nation depends on steps taken today. This budget correctly emphasizes on improving agriculture, infrastructure, ease of doing business, investments and banking. This budget also respects everyone from all sections of society from farmers, marginalized people to taxpayers. Importance is also given to climate and water conservation. These steps definitely will help in achieving a better India for every citizen.
India is agriculture-based economy. Present government has emphasized a lot on agrarian sector and set a goal of doubling farmer’s income by 2022.In this budget, 2.83 lakhs crores is allotted for agriculture and allied industries. 16 point formula for farmers is proposed. Government kept a goal to give 15 lakh crores loans to be given to farming and allied industries. Kisan credit cards to be given to farmers. Farm markets to be liberalized. On PPP basis Food Corporation of India (FCI) to build ware houses for storing farm products. Government is planning to build a cold chain of storage for milk, fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, flowers etc. for storage and easy transport of perishable goods. To achieve this more ware houses with cold storage facilities will be established.
For fast transport of perishable farm products, Indian railways to set up “kisan rails” -Trains with cold storage facilities to transport domestically and aviation ministry will launch “Krishi Udaan”-Aero planes with cold storage facilities to transport nationally and internationally. NABARD schemes to be expanded. Zero budget natural farming will be increased. Soil tests to be done. Portal for online natural organic products “Jaivik kethi” shall be strengthened. Nearly,6.11 crores farmers benefited from PM fasal bhima yojana. PM Krishi Sanchai Yojana promoted micro irrigation and farming of pulses. Solar pumps to be given to 20 lakh farmers. Solar energy production units in non-cropping rural areas shall be expanded. Measures to improve farming and water conservation in 100 water scarce districts. Integrated farming systems in rain fed areas shall be expanded. Dhanya laxmi seed banks will be started involving women. Special clusters for horticulture will be developed. Animal artificial fertilization measures will be promoted. Fisheries and exports to be promoted and youth to be trained in this aspect.
Government has taken steps to increase ease of doing business and create better environment for wealth creation. Banks deposit insurance raised from one lakh to five lakhs. Simplified GST will be implemented from 1 april,2020. Companies need not pay Dividend distribution tax. New investment clearance cell will be set up for entrepreneurs. Real estate tax holiday extended by one year. Policy for single window e-logistics clearances will be established. 27,300 crores allotted for encouraging industries and commerce.
To boost “Make in India” incentives will be given for encouraging exports and duties will be levied on some imports. For SMEs the turnover for audit has been increased from 1 crore to 5 crores. Increase liquidity support to NBFCs by government guaranteeing securities. Measures will be taken to provide SMSE more cash from banks and NBFCs. 3.5 lakh crores cash to be provided to government banks. Big boost is given to start ups. Tax holiday of 5 years will be given for startups with turnover up to 100 crores. 2.1 lakh crores to be raised by dis investment.
Budget aims at bringing relief and respect to tax payers of the nation. Simplification of filing taxes by removing 70 exemptions and deductions. Tax rate percentages reduced as below as per incomes between
2.5 to 5 lakhs from 5% to 0
5 to 7.5 lakhs from 20% to 10%
7.5 to 10 lakhs from 20% to 15%
10 to 12.5 lakhs from 30% to 20%
12.5 to 15 lakhs from 30% to 25%
Tax to be paid by a person earning 15 lakhs has decreased from 2,73,000 to 1,95,000. Gain of Rs.78,000 to the taxpayer. Amount of 8000 crores for quantum computing Income tax relief is giving 40,000 crores cash into the hands of middle-class people, thereby increasing purchasing capacity. 60 lakhs new income tax payers added last year. Tax payers charters to be started, India being the fourth country to do so after USA, Canada, Australia. New scheme for settlement of disputes of direct taxes announced which will bring more cash into the system. Disputed Income tax if paid before 31 march 2020 shall be settled without any penalties. Tax evasion charges to be decriminalized and converted to civil charges. Households saved around 4% on expenses due to GST. All these measures are expected to put nearly 1 lakh crores in hands of people increasing the purchasing capacity.
Government has given lot of importance to infrastructure. Strengthening infrastructure will provide more jobs and boost economy. Government has set a goal of “Water and net for all”. Amount of 3.6 Lakh crores is allotted for “Jaljeevan mission” with the aim of giving tap connection to every house by 2024. Measures for water harvesting and desalinization will be exclusively allotted 11500 crores. As a part of digitalization of villages, 6000 crores allotted for pan India internet services by Bharath net. In the first target 1 lakh gram panchayats will be provided internet and join national grid. Transport infra structure is allotted 1.7 lakh crores. This includes development of 2500 kms axis controlled highways,9000 kms of economic corridors, 2000 kms of coastal and port roads, 2000 kms of strategic high ways.
A road map is developed for investing 103 lakhs crores in infrastructure in next 5 years on 6500 projects in drinking water, safe and clean energy, health care, roads, railways, metros, housing, airways, education institutes, logistics, ware housing, irrigation projects. By 2024 100 new airports to be built under UDAN scheme. To develop Bangalore suburban railway 18600 crores allotted. This year 11000 kms railways to be electrified. Solar centers to be established along railway lines. More Tejas like trains to be promoted. National gas grid to increase from 13600 kms to 27000 kms. Tourism development is allotted 2500 crores.
The benefits should reach the needy. This budget has taken measures for the welfare of poor and marginalized. For education amount of 99,300 crores is allotted. Health sector is given 69,000 crores. Ayushman Bharath hospitals to be started in 100 more cities. Every district to have a medical college. TB to be eliminated by 2025.Swachh Bharath scheme is allotted 12300 crores. Pension fund Regulatory authority act will be amended to establish new Pension trust. Skill development is given 3000 crores. Nutrition improvement is given importance with 35000 crores budget. For the welfare of Scheduled castes 85,000 crores and Scheduled tribes 53,700 crores allotted. An amount of 28,600 crores allotted for women welfare. Manual scavenging to be abolished completely in a step wise manner. To provide clean air in metros 4400 crores allotted.
Old thermal projects to take steps decrease carbon emissions. Defense budget is increased by 6% to 3.37 lakh crores. For developing Jammu and Kashmir 30757 crores and Ladakh 5598 crores have been allotted. A common way of entrance for recruitment of non-gazette jobs is proposed.
This government is determined to boost economy by reviving agriculture and promoting investments. This budget is a part of continuous process in measures taken in that direction. Understanding the difficulties, this government has brought reforms in the middle of year after budget session like decreasing corporate tax, removing surcharge on FPIs, etc. Central government’s loan burden has decreased by 48.7%. FDIs increased to record high of 284 billion dollars.
For the past 3 months GST collections have crossed one lakh crores. Fiscal deficit target for this year has been set at 3.8% which is reasonable. These are the difficult times with global economic recession and this budget aims at increasing trust factor and promoting investments. It also has goals of strengthening agriculture, infra structure, health and education sectors. This budget respects wealth creators and decreases tax harassment. Utmost importance has been given to the welfare of marginalized people and preserving environmental resources. Government wants to see that ever rupee spent shall reach deserved. This echoes the principle of Gandhiji. Today efforts are being made to build a better and safe India for every citizen.
‘Mind your language’ time for Amit Shah?
Is Modi 2.0 guilty of demonetising citizenship of we the people? Compared to the present avatar, Modi 1.0 was innocuous and unimpactful. Is the induction of Amit Shah, as Union Home Minister, the difference? The first 100 days and beyond, has been one helluva Big Bang after another. If RSS grapevine is to be believed, Modi 2.0 is on missionary mode in its first year.
Yes, the economy stupid is facing the great slowdown, as former chief economic adviser, Mr. Arvind Subramanian, to Modi 1.0 argues, in the Harvard University paper, he has co authored. The Government did slash corporate income tax bigly, before Modi’s trip to US of A for Howdy Modi with Donald J Trump. Ms. Nirmala Sitaraman, new finance minister, is faced with a challenge, far more difficult than what Manmohan Singh, possibly faced in 1991, as P.V. Narasimha Rao’s, with a make or break Budget 2020.
Under Modi 2.0, the core agendas of BJP manifesto are on assembly line. Triple Talaq, as mandated by Supreme Court in Shayara Bano verdict, is now a legislative reality. Arts. 370 and 35A of the Constitution are off the Constitutional radar, to ‘integrate Kashmir with mainstream India’. The series of legislations that Modi 2.0 has parliamentarily managed, with a cobbled majority in the Rajya Sabha, is a historic high. The functional efficacy of Parliament, as envisaged by our framers in Art.245 to ‘make law’ has been stunning, statistically. All adopting a constitutional course.
Be that as it may, even as one thought that it was time for economics to trump politics and take over, Modi/Shah, in any order, as is your won’t, came out with, seemingly, the most impactful of them all – Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) now an Act (CAA) with overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha and not so underwhelming one in Rajya Sabha. It has been on the legislative agenda for a long, long time, literally, as old as Independent India. Pre Independent Indian National Congress passed a resolution for its enactment. No less than Mahatma Gandhi advocated a protective umbrella, to recognise those affected, by the mayhem of Partition dislocation. So, it was nothing new and/or a devious genie that Modi 2.0 let loose, out of the blue, in the jurisprudential lore.
And as providence would have it, Lord Ram blessed the dispensation with a unanimous 5 Judges’ Bench verdict in Ramjanbhoomi verdict. The quiet dismissal of 16 Review petitions from the contesting parties suggests that the nation has largely accepted the verdict and there appears to be calm, with no storm prognosticated. A huge and humongous bonanza for Modi 2.0, to accomplish one of its most high profile promises to build a Grand Temple for Maryada Purushotham Ram, fell in its lap, with a unanimous imprimatur from the top court.
Emboldened by these fortuitous set of sequential successes, Modi 2.0 embarked on CAB and morphed it into CAA, in no time. The wording of the language of legislation is accused of being provocative . Whether it is a fault line, left there by the bureaucracy or an intended choice to provoke, only Lord Ram would know. The minority Muslim community was by name excluded while others as Hindus, Sikhs, Budhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, were by name included. Could the naming names have been avoided to reach the same effect? CAA is under the scanner and Supreme Court may have the last word on it.
Language matters. Citizenship, at the best of times, is too sensitive a subject. It relates to the very core of a being. It is intertwined with the heart, mind and soul. It has an umbilical connect, which is never severed or severable. The emotional contours are undeniable and BJP with its core agendas relatable to Hindutva, ought to have seen the ‘national outrage’ coming. Just as Modi 2.0 moved a posse of armed forced into Kashmir, before Art.370 evisceration, what was the CAA equivalent?
As it is, the Media is mostly in the hands of the voluble liberals, who have no love lost for Modi. And his disdain for mainstream media though, a lot less vociferous than Donald J Trump, who christened it as ‘Enemy of The People and purveyors of #Fake News’, was a godsend for the Media to keep the agitational pot boiling.
The entry of student community was concluded to be spontaneous. And the central government was accused of suppressing basic civil liberties. Social Media platforms can never be trusted for their authenticity or truth in Post Truth era. The spin was based on which side of the divide of Liberals -Vs- Populists’ teams, one’s allegiance may lie. Credibility has gone for a full toss. The entire national turf has become a spinners’ paradise and the ball is spinning fast, furiously and viciously. With doosras galore, which the common people cannot decipher at all. The cacophony in the drawing rooms has meant that even dinner table conversations at home, are risk borne.
While Modi was trying to soothe tempers with his cautious construct on CAA as protective of those persecuted and not intended to throw out any ‘citizen’, Amit Shah was going on a tangent. The whole CAA/NRC/NPR syllabus – had its recent origins, in more than one verdict from the Top Court. The most critical of them being the one dt.17th Dec,2014, in Assam Sanmilitia Mahasangha vs Union of India, presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi who himself is from Assam and a Ahom, which is in the eye of storm, as it were.
The NRC was whiplashed by the apex court, literally, into compliance, Modi 1.0’s protestations notwithstanding. This aspect ought not be lost sight of, even as the Supreme Court, is slated to hear the present CAA challenge. 1.9 million of Assam populace were left out of NRC. All sorts of stories were circulated, invented, spun, spread, with love, poison and venom, from all sides, with no clarity, to even the well informed. It is in such a vitiated environment that Amit Shah entered with his ‘termites’ quote and tweak that CAA was a precursor to NRC/NPR. Modi tried to douse the fire by ruling out such a link. Yet, Shah is on his own trips with challenging language, thanks to the visceral hatred, the opposition spews selectively and reserves for him and him alone. Amit Shah’s very presence is infuriating to the opposition, and his pronouncements even more. And Shah is giving as well as he is getting.
Narendra Damordas Modi has a huge responsibility, on his shoulder and his 56’ inch chest may need to be on full stretch. He is the Prime Minister of India. Not of those who voted for him. He agrees it to be so. So far so good. The absence of Arun Jaitley has meant that the BJP is struggling on the perception front. Jaitley had the skillset for a suave packaging, instead of the Amit Shah’s on your face responses. A nuanced defence of a constitutional CAA is wobbling on the political front. Nation deserves better. Is it Time for Modi to counsel Amit Shah first, before he counsels us We The People?
(Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan-Author is practising advocate in the Madras High Court)
The masters of SELECTIVE outrage, who maintain pin drop silence on other issues
Many Indians growing up would know about king “Dhritharashtrsa” from Mahabharata and would have thought “How can he be so partial to his sons Kauravas, not considering their mistakes and blind to the sufferings of Pandavas?”. Dhritharasthra’s selective denial of not agreeing mistakes of his sons is nothing in front of the selectivity shown by these elite masters of selective outrage. Criticism is important aspect of democracy. Trying to oppose everything done by one group and remain silent on similar issues related to others shows the biased nature of these masters. These actions expose their hypocrisy and malicious agenda. Such actions have increased exponentially in recent past.
A section of Bollywood has been actively vocal in some issues. Leading in this brigade are Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Dadlani, Prakash Raj etc. who abuse the present government on many issues. Swara Bhaskar thanked Pakistan for supporting Jamia students in their anti CAA stand. Previously, some more Bollywood stars like Shahrukh Khan, Amir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah expressed feelings about growing intolerance and fear of living in India. There are some liberal social activists like Suzanna Arundathi Roy, Medha Patkar, Rmachandra Guha who took similar stand. Some gave back their awards also. There are some more elite authors and movie artists who wrote letters on intolerance, article 370 abrogation, CAA enactment and voting against Mr. Narendra Modi in general elections.
Next comes a set of politicians. Congress party leaders lead the group. Mrs. Priyanka Vadra visited the house of a social activist of anti CAA protests in Meerut,U.P. Within just few hours of JNU violence in December 2019, she was seen standing along the side of leftists in JNU. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi also supported them. Mamata Banerjee herself went on rallies recently and demanded UN referendum on CAA. All leftist leaders are seen on roads organizing rallies and protests. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan came hurriedly to Delhi to meet Aishe Gosh and said they will inspire rest of students all over India to do similar protests.
AAP Manish Sisodia has expressed solidarity with Shaheenbagh protestors. NCP, Samajwadi party, BSP,TRS, DMK, RJD leaders followed the same route as above. Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMM is always at the fore front in many issues like abolishing Triple Talak, article 370 abrogation or CAA enactment. He is organizing rallies and supporting the protesters. All of them condemned the actions of UP, Kerala and central government’s actions in dealing with the CAA protesters and said that protests are part of democracy.
Protests in Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) turned very violent with mob burning 100 two wheelers, 20 private cars, shops, 4 public buses with civilians inside, targeting police post and injuring around 30 police men, 2 of whom were critical in ICU. These masters loudly supported, stood by students and said that government was blocking their freedom of expression and democracy. They were silent on AAP MLA Amanatulla Khan who made provocative speeches and mobilized crowd for Jamia violence. They asked why did police enter campus? Police entered after proctor of Jamia asked police intervention. None of them spoke about those civilians, police who were injured and lost their properties.
In the recent JNU violence, in few hours they supported left wing students and declared that the violence was initiated by ABVP students. But there was absolute silence on videos and photos showing leftist leaders damaging server rooms of JNU, not allowing students to register, leading masked mobs into JNU campus and inciting violence. No one questioned JNSU president Aishe Gosh how her 16 stitches critical head injury became a minor wound of few centimeters in few days. This time they shouted why did police not enter campus? Police entered soon after official intimation and controlled situation in few hours.
They started CAA protests and supported rioters who damaged public properties. Many innocent civilians and children were trapped in riots. They condemned the police who tried to stop the damage and saved innocent children. But they were mute on evidences showing rioters planning attacks by gathering stones, damaging CCTVs and using guns. In Meerut alone 54 police men had injuries due to native gun shots fired by rioters. This time no one visited the police injured in riots.
In West Bengal police chased the rioters who were damaged railway lines to derail train and IPS officer got fatally injured in the bombs hurled by rioters. West Bengal CM said that It was not her responsibility to protect railways. No one questioned, if it was her responsibility to sit on road to prevent CBI from enquiring a corrupt official involved in Sharada scam.
Pindrop silence was maintained by the elite lobby in many other incidents related to CAA like:
• A soft ware engineer was stabbed in Pro CAA rally in Bangalore by terror outfit SDPI members. They were actually planning to assassinate BJP MP.
• Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants rioted at Seelampur, Delhi and blocked a bus of school kids who were rescued by police.
• Terror linked PFI activists involved in initiating violence in UP using explosives and guns.
• ED investigation revealed that money from foreign terror groups through PFI was used for anti CAA riots. In this 120 crores transaction lawyers Kapil sibal, Indira Jaising, Dushyanth Dave allegedly recieved money.
• JNU scholar Sharjeel Imam, main coordinator of Shaheen Bagh Protests, openly provoking protesters to divide north east from India by blocking sensitive “chicken neck”.
• Protestors of Shaheen Bagh insulting Indian army and giving calls to boycott products of Reliance and Patanjali.
• Mr. Firoz Ahmed Bakht, Chancellor of Maulana Azad National University, was threatened and gheraoed by students for his pro CAA stand.
• Governor of West Bengal, Sri. Jagdeep Dhankar, was rounded and gheraoed by students of Jadavpur University and Kolkata University for forced to leave without adequate protection, because he said CAA was law passed by parliament as per constitution.
• Governor of Kerala, Sri. Arif Mohammad Khan was physically stopped by Irfan Habib on stage and was hounded and heckled by MLAs in assembly for his views on CAA.
• In West Bengal anti CAA protests turned violent with Congress and TMC workers clashing and 2 people died due to gun shots.In Jarkhand an idol maker was killed for attending pro CAA rally.
• Shiv sena chief Uddhav Thackarey compared Jamia incident with Jallianwallah Bagh massacre.When a person posted on social media opposing this,he was beaten badly and his head tonsured by Shivsena supporters.
• In the name of anti CAA protests when slogans like “Jinna wali Azadi”, “Kashmir ki Azadi” raised.
• Crores of public property, shops, buses, police vehicles, motor cycles were burnt and people were forced to close shops and businesses. This is not new trend. This has been happening in the recent past. These some incidents expose selectivity and hypocrisy of the lobby in the past.
• Whole group protested when JNU students were arrested in 2016.But No one questioned why JNU students conducted an event supporting terrorist Afzal Guru,master mind of Parliament attack, and raising slogans like ‘Afzal hum sharminda hain, tere qatil zinda hai’ [Afzal, we are ashamed that your killers are still alive].
• Bollywood heroines stood with and campaigned for leftist JNU leader Kannaiah Kumar. No heroine condemned about Kannaiah molesting a female co student and getting fined in JNU or assaulting doctors in AIIMS.
• All of them protested against Union government over the suicide of Rohith Vemula in 2015 for a long time. No one spoke when 20 intermediate students committed suicide in Telangana in 2019 due to announcement of wrong results. No one spoke when SFI office bearers, who became toppers of state police exam by faking, stabbed mortally Akhil in Thiruvananthapuram University campus. Later, a scam was unearthed in Kerala police entrance exam about which again none spoke.
• They did not start “Not in my name” movement when Farooq from Tamilnadu was lynched for a social media post declaring himself atheist. They did not return awards when Kamlesh Tiwari, Prashanth Pujari and Ramalingam were killed for their faith.
• They remained mute on atrocities and brutal killings of Tribals by maoists in Jarkhand recently. They were also mute on atrocities on dalit women in Rajasthan in 2019 and a dalit man burnt alive by minorities in MP recently.
• They never comment on leftist kerala government’s failing to take action or even file a proper charge sheet on Father Franco Mullakal in kerala nun rape case or diluting the case of Walayar minor dalit sisters’ rape case.
• The entire gang does not care about the latest violent clashes in Bhainsa, Telangana where 14 houses were burnt and Hindus were forced to flee. Owaisi and KCR behave as if Bhainsa is in another continent.
• They and media went around shouting Rafale corruption when there was no proof and court asked Rahul Gandhi to apologize for telling lies. Still this lobby allies with the corruption charges proven Lalu Prasad Yadav for elections.
• Bollywood stars,except Preity Zinta, backed off from testifying in court on extortion charges by Dawood gang. They were silent when Bushan Kumar was killed and Rakesh Rohan mortally injured by the mafia. They were not scared of intolerance or return awards then.
• The gang praised Deepika Padukone when she stood with leftists who allegedly incited JNU violence. Same gang protested against Rajnikanth when he said that Periyar disrobed idols of Rama, Durga and garlanded with sandals. Their logic is “Whatever Rajnikanth said is truth, but he should not speak truth”.
• They never support army or visit the homes of martyrs. They never condemned the abuses hurled at army or police.They insult army and police.They said that the terrorists were innocent students,did rallies and abused police in Batla house encounter or Ishrath Jahan encounter.When truths and judgments come out they vanish and media becomes mute.
Supreme court came down heavily on the rioters saying “Just because you happen to be students, this does not give you right to riot.”. Chief Justice of India said “What option police has when someone breaks the law and pelts stones? Why were buses burned?”. Still they continued with their version of Police and government suppressing the peaceful students. Supreme court also refused to put ban on National Security Act (NSA) applied on CAA riots saying. Court observed that it cannot tie down the hands of authorities when property is being burnt in the ongoing protests.”These are law and order issues. How can we interfere?”
This batch protested against CAA saying it was unconstitutional. How is a law enacted by both houses of parliament unconstitutional? If they still think so they can approach court and proceed. Already pleas are in court. Court refused to stay CAA or NPR process and gave 4 weeks time for center to reply.
All of them have a near similar narrative of government acting against constitution or damaging secular fabric or suppressing freedom of expression. They also come to judgement of who is the convict even before police inquiry is done or judgement is given. Most of the times they don’t believe police or army or courts. They think they are above judiciary or constitution. They act selectively, not thinking about the disastrous consequences nationally and globally. Dissent is a part of democracy, destruction is not. India is a democratic country and they can criticize.
Unbiased and constructive criticism is good for democracy. But, why are they so selective? Why shout at the top in some cases and remain mute on similar other cases? This selective biased nature of King Dhritharashtra and others has brought down fall of the mighty kuru kingdom. History repeats itself.
Modern day Don Quixotes
Many of us are familiar with Don Quixote. If not, it is well worth reading. Don Quixote in his most famous of adventures, tilts at windmills imagining them to be giants. You get the picture.
Our modern day Don Quixotes are activists without a cause. They are mostly Hindus. They are out to save secularism. From Hindus. Er. What does that mean? They are fighting persecution. Of whom? Of others (wait). By Hindus. They have always been doing it – the episode in question is the CAA act of a long story that has been commissioned since 2014 May.
Cut to pre-1947. India was always a secular nation, notwithstanding the hijacking of the constitution in the late 70s to include the word secularism
Why is India secular? Because without the word itself, India is a mix of religions, languages, tribes, dialects. It is the very nature of Hinduism – ekam sat, viprah bahuda vadanti – there is one truth, the roads are different. Thus, from a philosophical level itself India and Hindus are inclusive. As are religions that originated with this ethos. Think about it – if you are arguing about one god (your god) that is the greatest and not other – you cant really be plural about other things right. Even if that is so, if you can worship any god with gusto – there is a higher likelihood that you have a plural belief system? You can argue about it, but you can see how it is around the world and come to a conclusion. Whether there is any genuinely plural Islamic country or Christian country that does not put ‘Christian first’? I will wait for your answer.
Granted the latter is more plural than the former. In this situation read the laws of India – it is beyond equal – it actually puts Hindus at a disadvantage. This must be corrected no doubt, but I digress. This is how secular India is. [I am not saying we were peaceful, we did not discriminate, there was no violence – but there is a tremendous capacity of the religion to look within and change and it continues on a daily basis with reform and change.]
Cut to history. In pre-1947 India, there was a demand for a separate nation. Not from the Buddhists, Jains or the Parsis (who ironically escaped persecution from Islam in Iran to come here), but from another community (clue, not Christians), who got a country named Pakistan. And that country split into another country Bangladesh. The CAA purports to enable persecuted Hindu refugees to come into the country from these countries (and Afghanistan) – because it is on record that Hindus are persecuted in Islamic nations. [Note, if you have found a truly plural Islamic nation, here is the time to present your case and rebut my argument]
Now I am not arguing that in India there is no discrimination. It exists as much as it exists in any other place – give or take a few. The point I am trying to make is that institutionally discrimination has been practically eliminated. If any there is pro-discrimination in terms of favourable laws to Christians and Muslims (and a few others listed as minorities) – not even to historically discriminated SC/ST/DT/NT – except in reservation in non minority institutions.
Now these Don Quixotes have risen to attack the windmills of discrimination. Because according to them this CAA law (and something else that has not yet been created) is discriminatory. And of course, there is persecution of the largest minority in India – a population of about 25 million – way more than any single caste group in India. More than the tribals. More than the nomads. More than all of them a global religion is being persecuted. This is the crux of the argument. The same religion has its personal laws, its cultural practices, autonomy for institutions, special government spending for schemes, scholarships and a board for its own land. All protected by the constitution.
The fact that Hindus are persecuted in Bangladesh and Pakistan is ignored. The fact their population has reached single digit percentages is ignored. The fact that this was a promise made to Hindus during partition – those who are on the wrong side of geography can always come back to India – their home is ignored. And going by the law – hardly 10000 people will be eligible for fast track citizenship. The fact that we harbour lakhs of Bangladeshi/Rohingya – who are infiltrators (not persecuted refugees, note) is ignored.
The CAA law has not been passed in the dead of the night by hijacking an institution. It has been passed by the rules of the very constitution of India that our Don Quixotes want to protect. And for this they are aiding those who shout for a second partition, the supremacy of their god, the protection of laws that are severely anti women and sometimes in a moment of enlightenment throw in freedom of Kashmir and freedom from Hindus.
So, what are these Don Quixotes fighting? They are fighting themselves. They are the object of their own hate. Why? Because somehow tilting at those windmills isnt helping. Every other day a new video of Islamic supremacy comes to the fore. A video of the police being attacked comes to the fore. A video demanding somewhat of partition comes to fore. And who do these supremacists hate? They hate the same Don Quixotes.
Our Don Quixotes believe that India shouldnt divide on the basis of religion. But on humanity. This I agree. Then we should repeal all religion based laws – like the HUF act, Article 29/30, separate religion schemes and bring in a Uniform Civil Code. But no, our Quixotes are neither aware of these laws, nor do they want these laws to be repealed and they surely dont want a UCC. But they want CAA to be repealed for sure.
Our Quixotes believe that Hindus cause all riots and Muslims are at the receiving end of all riots. Their clock stops at 2002.
They believe that stealing cows should be allowed and cow slaughter celebrated with abandon across the country. They believe that gau rakshaks (who are saving their own cows from thieves) are a greater threat than ISIS and that a private property owner choosing to rent his property to a person of his choosing is a greater discriminator than persecution in the neighbouring country. They do know that if someone steals their precious iPhone regulary, they will slap the offender or if they see a man in a women’s railway compartment – he too shall be slapped, but people who see their cows being stolen, must take a deep breath and look inward.
Such are our Quixotes….You will meet many of them and sigh in wonder at how they can lazily arrive at belief systems only by seeing Instagram posts and Facebook memes (or was it the other way round?).
Bonus: There was a Don Quixote by the name of Jogendranath Mandal. Read about him.
Combatting Communism
If anyone thinks we have actually got rid of communists, you are wrong. The mindset is still there in campuses, media, intellectual shops, literary Fests, Bollywood, comedians, NGOs, research,activism… the list of their front organisation is too long. The fight is on.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) March 4, 2018
Vivek Agnihotri’s tweet makes us cautious about the extent and expanse of the communist ideological empire. Since the communists are so alarmingly entrenched with our diverse sociocultural productions, we need to seriously think of clearing this political weed from our social and cultural gardens.
The communist theory proposes for an equitable society based upon the common ownership of the means of production. The communist practices are otherwise. The history of all hitherto existing communist practices is the history of bloodshed and violence. This history is written from Moscow to Mexico and from Bolivia to Bengal. Unfortunately enough, the communist practice has evolved as a philosophical monster. It is cancer that kills a healthy system. It is high time that we the people should resist the proliferation of communist activism and desist promulgation of communist ideology in different front organizations.
Except for a few poor souls, most Indians have realized that the communists cannot contribute to any constructive growth of the country. The communists have produced noted anti-nationals who publicly give secessionist slogan- “Bharat ki barbadi tak jung rahegi (Will fight till India is ruined)” and “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge, Insha Allah Insha Allah (India will break to pieces, God willing)”. They publically celebrated the death anniversary of Mohammad Afzal Guru, a terrorist who was hanged for carrying out an attack on the Indian Parliament. They support the Kashmiri stone pelters who are instigated by the separatists. They sympathise with the stone pelters who get injured when Indian Army and Police Department take the effective initiative in neutralizing the separatist agitation.
However, they never sympathise with and support the soldiers and police personnel who die fighting against the terrorists and the separatists. These instances evince the fact that communist activism is incapable of bolstering growth and development of the country, rather such kind of pernicious activism is evangelizing degeneration and destruction.
Certain parties and student organizations have loudly raised voices and potentially offered resistance to communist insidious intentions and malicious motives. Notably, BJP, as a political party, and ABVP, as a student organization, have offered resistance to the communist degeneration. Although BJP and ABVP have mobilized a fierce resistance to the deleterious strategies and insidious intentions of the communists, it should be noted that it is not the only responsibility of BJP and ABVP to offer resistance. It is a collective responsibility of every citizen devoted to the growth and development of the country. All nationalist citizens should participate in a resistance movement against the regressiveness of communist political ideology and activism which desecrates and sneers at the cultural heritage and tradition of our country.
Perjurious journalism promulgated by left-leaning Lutyens Media or Khan Market Gang is a major threat before India. Since the journalists are obsequious to their masters of the Lutyens Media coterie, they mislead the nation fueling biased information. No one has any problem with the reports of the left-leaning media, but the problem arises out of their fact twisting and selective reporting. They twist facts to malign the ruling party and select only those reports which are subservient to their Lutyens Media masters.Strong resistance against the left-leaning media has been built up by OpIndia, My Nation, HinduPost, Swarajya, Postcard News and other such nationalist news networks. Social media also plays a vital role in the dissemination of facts from the ground reality and in exposing the falsity of the paid media.
In this regard, nationalist pages and handles such as the Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter handle of Troll Indian Politics, Defence Flash, and The Nationalist have an immense contribution. However, there is a need for more participation of citizens in the dissemination of information using websites, blogs, and social media. Citizens should come with contents exploring the diverse aspects of Indian culture, politics, history, economy, eminent personalities, etc. Such citizen journalism would engender greater participation of common people in the democratic process. Thereby, we can nourish and nurture the roots of our nation which the cunning communists have put under erasure for a long time.
The recent JNU incident of students indulging in violence and vandalism sends a cold sweat down our spine. Undoubtedly, with direct and indirect support from students, faculty members, and non-teaching officers, the communists have created a vast ideological empire in the campuses for several decades.
In the context of communist-dominated academic milieu which is hell-bent on stifling the diligent and meritorious students’ crave for acquiring advanced knowledge, the nationalists have a major role to play in the academia for knowledge creation and dissemination. It is unfortunate that the best brains go to foreign countries and brain-drain is a potential challenge for India. While the communists are raising blinding headwinds to the academic growth of the country, the nationalist academicians in India can acquaint students with the latest technology and advanced research methods, can strengthen the relationships between industry experts and academia, and can engender policy shifts, partnerships and collaboration with different institutions and industries in India and abroad.
The communists have conditioned the mindset in campuses, media, intellectual shops, literary fests, Bollywood, comedians, NGOs, research, and activism. However, our nationalist commitment shall certainly offer potential resistance to the regressive and degenerative impact of communist practices. We the people need to commit to the propagation and promulgation of nationalist ideology in diverse front organizations. The fight is on and we are winning.
Anti CAA protests; a Khilafat redux
The parallels are easily seen between Khilafat Movement of 1920 and Anti CAA protests of 2020!
Khilafat was consequent to the Caliph of Islam, Sultan of Turkey being reduced to mere figurehead in the aftermath of WW-I, the various treaties of war greatly reduced both geographical and cultural supremacy of the Sultan of Turkey. Interestingly, his subjects were more than happy to be rid of the despotic Turkish yoke. But, surprisingly the pain of loss of Caliphate was more acute in the Indian Sub continent than elsewhere. The fact that Maulana Azad was among the protagonists of the Khilafat Movement is testimony to the truth that it was always about Islamic identity and supremacy. Muslims in sub continent who fought for the British were now rallying against their masters in show of solidarity with the Islamic Caliphate. Maulana Azad assiduously recruited Gandhi who was then a fledgling politician but saw tremendous potential into the world of Khilafat as the glue which could bind the disparate communities, Hindus and Muslims.
It must remembered that while Turks had abandoned their Sultan in support of democracy and secularism, the Indian Muslims were leading protests against British for the same Sultan, nothing can be more ironical than this factual inconsistency. Treaty of Sevres took away the territories of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon from Turkey, the People of these territories formed their national homelands asserting their rights as a nation not merely being part of an Islamic Caliphate. While, Turkey was dismembering itself, the Muslims in India were forming a grand alliance with the Congress under the leadership of Gandhi to save the Caliphate. Gandhi was devoured by the Idea that this movement will bring unity between the two major communities, ie., Hindus and Muslims in India which will help in establishing, remember, both Khilafat and Swaraj. It is inconceivable that Gandhi could be so naive to believe this fundamental incongruity was an achievable goal!
What happened is a historical nightmare. The Khilafat achieved only one thing, the hardening of Muslims into victimised people who saw a threat to Islam where none existed. The idea of Muslim nation was always festering ever since Syed Ahmed came up with his Hindi-Urdu divide.
Incidentally, Congress and Gandhi played the most important role of facilitators in fostering this feeling of otherness among the Muslims in India. The period of Khilafat 1919-24 played out the fears of Hindus being the target as Muslim fury in their inability to take on the British, Hindus became the lambs to slaughter. Moplah riots in Malabar were direct consequence of Khilafat Movement, it took a bloody turn and even bloodier toll on the Hindus of Malabar. Unofficial accounts speak of hundreds of Hindus being killed by Moplahs or Muslims of Arab descent, unreadable atrocities committed upon Hindu women, thousands forcibly converted, the carnage is vividly documented by both British and vernacular accounts.
This lesson in history is reminder of things to come. Khilafat was an out and out Islamic Movement to save the despotic Caliphate, Muslims recruited the gullible Hindus led by Gandhi to fight its battles against the British.
CAA is out and out Islamic Protest to oppose citizenship to Hindus from Islamic Countries and to bring in Muslims from these countries to change the demographics of India. The NRC when it is implemented identifies the illegal immigrants who do not belong to the category enunciated in the CAA, 2019. In 1920s Maulana Azad, Ali Brothers and others fooled the Hindus led by Gandhi to believe that Khilafat was against the British, where as it was the majority Hindus who felt the wrath of Muslim anger. Similarly, every anti CAA protest has targeted the Hindus by opposing their status as citizens, by targeting their properties. The protests are singularly Islamic in nature, with Allah hu Akbar and La ilaha lil la being the War cries.
The protests are supposedly against the law brought in by BJP which according to the protesters is against the Idea of India. It has galvanised many of the Left Liberals into hyperactivism, it has the support of all those in opposition who feel sidelined by the electorate. Interestingly, none of the opponents have been able to articulate a coherent opposition to the CAA which is logical and sees reason. The protesters and the protests are fundamentally Islamic both physically and culturally, the language, the motifs, the slogans reek of Islamic Supremacy and contempt for Hindus. Abuse of Hindu icons, gods and goddesses, burning of pictures of gods is the favourite method of protests around the country.
Onlookers with no idea of the protests can safely guess that the protests are led by Muslims for the Muslims specifically against the Hindus such is the visible evidence of the entire orchestrations since 12 December 2020. There are voices calling for an Islamic State, calling for annihilation of Hindus, calling for Balkanisation of India. Moplah Killings took place in Muslim majority areas of Kerala then, it is sought to being replicated in many parts of the country today by Muslims. The fears being expressed that Khilafat Movement led to formation of Pakistan are very real even today and the realisation that these protests are nothing but an exercise in making anti CAA protests into yet another Khilafat Movement.
“Shaheen Bagh was only a test case”, warns Major Gaurav Arya
In an interview to the YouTube channel, “Defensive Offence”, Major Gaurav Arya warned that the fiasco at Shaheen Bagh was merely a test case. The grand plan is much more pernicious.
He says:
Sharjeel Imam is understood to have done his PhD on the topic of riots. Now, there is a lot of research involved in PhD. He is understood to have collected data on pre-independence and post-independence riots, political parties involved, who instigated them, methods of controlling riots etc.
With this PhD, he has become an expert-of-sorts on riots. Accordingly, he went to AMU and gave a speech, and recommended that the 22 km wide Siliguri Corridor (informally known as Chicken Neck) be blocked. Should it so happen, the Army would not be able to enter the Northeast, and the Corridor figures in China’s war plans. We may transport troops by air, but it limits the numbers that can be deployed, and heavy equipment can only be moved through the ground.
He asserts that even a 12th grade is aware of the Corridor’s significance. That Sharjeel made a reference to it, therefore, should not be construed as a worry to the effect of, “Oh! He is a strategist! He must have been trained by the ISI.” The latter part may be true, but it does not make him a master strategist.
Major Arya continues:
To whom was Sharjeel Imam giving a clarion call? The demography of the Corridor has changed in the past few years. Bangladeshi Muslims have settled in the area. Chicken Neck is the land route for moving troops. The grand plan is that in times of conflict, any leader, a la Sharjeel Imam, would give a clarion call and thousands of people would block the strategic Corridor. They would do it the way they did it at Shaheen Bagh. To those of us who live in Noida and Ghaziabad, this blockade at Shaheen Bagh is a major inconvenience. Half an hour of travel time gets extended to three hours. I, therefore, say that Shaheen Bagh was a test case.
Major Arya is unequivocal in saying that the Shaheen Bagh protests have nothing to do with the CAA and NRC.
He says:
The residents of Delhi now face inconvenience. It is prudent to note that there is no Army movement in Delhi. The same, however, does not hold true for Siliguri. Should it be blockaded it for a month, the effects would be catastrophic. In war, even a day is quite momentous. Sharjeel Imam is calling for blocking it for a month!
Major Arya turns to Bollywood, and unhesitatingly debunks its sanctimony. He is keenly aware that a few actors think of themselves as thinker-philosophers should they be involved in a unique film.
I would say to any of them, “No, boss! You are a filmmaker. You are not a thinker-philosopher. You neither had the intellect to be a thinker-philosopher, nor do you possess the same now. Assuredly, you would not possess the same for the future as well!”
He points out that Anurag Kashyap and Anubhav Sinha, along with several others, in front of the Gateway of India, had a video shot of themselves singing the Anthem. He clarifies that they do have the right to do so. However, the same group had said, as recently as two years ago, that it is not necessary to stand for the Anthem, for they have respect for India in their hearts. Why are they, therefore, agreeing to show respect for the Anthem by standing for it and waving the Flag today? Because, it suits their political narrative today.
Major Arya further exposes this sanctimony:
Isn’t Sharjeel Imam better than them? He openly calls for the vivisection of India. I would openly say he is a terrorist. However, he has, at least, the temerity to be honest. I do despise people like Sharjeel Imam, but I despise the duplicitous bunch more, for they talk of India only on the face of it. I challenge the likes of Anurag Kashyap and Anubhav Sinha to be firm on their earlier stance of not standing up for the Anthem no matter what. I challenge them not to not shift their stance to suit some political narrative.
He proceeds to recite a quote from his Commanding Officer Colonel Pathak, “If it happens once, it is an accident. If it happens twice, it is a co-incidence. But if it happens thrice, it is definitely a conspiracy.”
This, too, is a conspiracy. He points out to Sunjuwan in Jammu, where, to one side of a road there is a cantonment, and to the other, is a settlement full of Rohingyas. They settled when J&K was a state, under the tenures of the Abdullahs and Muftis. They allowed them. Apparently, Article 370 and 35A were only for us Indians. Why have they settled them in Sunjuwan? Because there is a cantonment nearby. The same Shaheen Bagh trick. Blockade of roads to prevent the movement of the military.
Major Arya speaks of a certain politician, still alive, whom he does not name, who had done the same in the war of 1965. He had instigated stone-pelting on the trucks and buses of the Indian Army and tried blocking roads. This is, evidently, a pattern.
The Rohingyas can also go to China. Why do they not go there? It is comparatively nearer. They can also go to Thailand. Why, then, do they come to India? Because there are people here ready to welcome them with open arms in order to settle them here. You would be shocked how quickly they receive Aadhar cards. They are even given voting cards!
The analyst in him is too observant to miss the fact that no millionaire or billionaire is to be seen among the protesters at Shaheen Bagh. The people who are over there belong to either the lower class or the middle class. He asks us to pause to ponder over whether it is possible for a poor or a middle-class person to continue blocking the road for over a month leaving aside his job. Recently, there were photos and videos depicting biryani being fed to the protesters. Mutter-kulchas, tea, fritters were being handed out almost free of charge. Who is financing this picnic?
Recently, journalist Deepak Chaurasia visited the area. Naturally, being a journalist, he tried enquiring the reason behind the month-long agitation of the protesters and sought to know of their demands from the government. They heckled and manhandled him.
Major Arya points out:
The protesters have put up photos of Babasaheb Ambedkar, and are calling for freedom of speech, are lecturing on the Constitution, equality, justice etc. Some journalists, whom I would not name, are welcomed at the protest site with such enthusiasm, as if the journalists were long-lost brothers of the protesters. But another journalist, like Deepak Chaurasia is not welcomed. Evidently, the protesters have nothing to do with freedom of speech and expression. All they want is their kind of expression. Why, then, do they quote the Constitution?
We all agree that India is secular. Secularism is a good concept. This country belongs to all of us irrespective of religion. Babasaheb Ambedkar passed away in 1956. The protesters who swear by the Preamble forget that that the words, “secular” and “socialist” were added to the Preamble in 1976. That makes it twenty years after the demise of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Why do they invoke Babasaheb’s name in the context of secularism? What is the rationale behind putting up the poster of a man who did not write the word, “secular” in the Preamble?
To him, the amicability between the Left and the Islamists in India is interesting. Both the Left and the Islamists are fooling one another. Those who claim to follow Allah are fooling those who follow Mao and Lenin, and vice-versa. One only needs to look at the fundamentals. From the lens of Sharia, the Leftists are wajib-ul-qatl (worthy of being murdered). The literature of the Left rejects the existence of Allah. To them, religion is the opium of the masses. Ideally, the Left and the Islamists should be at war with one another, such is the extent of contradiction in their fundamentals. Both are wajib-ul-qatl for one another.
There is, however, a relationship of convenience between the two, for there is one thing common to both: Hatred of India.
Major Arya further analyzes the reason behind the failure of the Left. He says:
The poor does not identify with the voice of the Left, for it does not intend to emancipate him. It seeks to downgrade the rich. It celebrates poverty. The industrious poor man of India, however, wants to emancipate himself. The Left does not allow it. It does not understand the mindset of the poor, and tries to intellectualize everything. To be frank, no one in the real world is interested in its harebrained ideas. People are busy with their jobs and lives.
Finally, he says:
They will never understand the language of consideration and diplomacy. They are pre-decided, not misguided. It is necessary to stop them. The country has to do this together. Lawfully. Constitutionally. Under the IPC. You may criticize Modi, Amit Shah and RSS, but when you call for secession, it cannot be categorized as freedom of expression. This is sedition, and the sedition law must apply.
It is impossible to not agree with him. The watchful citizen, undoubtedly, shall witness further events keenly, and shall do his own part in not letting anti-national forces succeed.
AAP as replacement of Left?
Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections are getting more interesting as each day passes. Why Kejriwal became popular in Delhi and was rejected elsewhere except few Lok Sabha seats in Punjab? What does AAP stand for? We need to search answers for these questions and we have not done enough.
Left cannot even dream of winning elections in Delhi. But AAP say similir things with more strategy and without directly mocking Hindus.
Left which had strong hold in West Bengal now just remain confined to Kerala and JNU. AAP follows similiar path but with more care.
Kejriwal’s political legitimacy revolves around how an IITian who was also a civil servant left his job to serve people through politics. This phenomenon is equalized to some sainthood and political moksh.
Even Lenin made tall promises in Russia by declaring himself high class intellectual who exactly knows what society needs. But fter getting into power Lenin only followed policy of bloodshed.
But Kejriwal’s potential is low as he is CM of only half state. In reality many politicians were former civil servants. Even Ajit Jogi left his IAS job, Congress gave him Rajya Sabha berth and eventually he became Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh. During his rule the Naxal problem intensified.
Only an IITian can serve nation was blown out of proportion. Even decades after setting up of IITs, India was forced to import massive chunks of Defense equipment, we lagged in crucial technology of Artificial Intelligence and much more.
Studying from premium institute does not give you certificate of honest politics.
AAP promises like Left but does not abuse Hindu Gods regularly and openly like Left.
There was no action to clean Yamuna by Delhi State Govt but somehow AAP promised free 20000 litres water to everyone.
He got support from Delhi police to implement Odd Even but pollution levels of Delhi goes down only after natural rain-shower.
Delhi Govt rejected Ayushman Bharat scheme of Central Govt and played a gimmick of mohalla clinics. It’s a typical demonstration of Left revenge politics where they do not care about people in order to score political points.
They fought for Lokpal bill but Delhi still has Lokayukt or Lokpal. AAP is new avatar of Left wing. They promise everything for free but will give you deteriorated quality and after sometime complete chaos.
Amantullah Khan was seen with Islamic radicals who wish to break India but Kejriwal is distancing himself from any controversy during election campaign.
Remember even Mulayam Singh Yadav promised freebies in the name of socialism. Uttar Pradesh witnessed ground water depletion and breakdown of law and order machinery.
[Cartoon] The reason why noise cancelling headphones are necessary
![[Cartoon] The reason why noise cancelling headphones are necessary](https://i0.wp.com/myvoice.opindia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/01/20200130_NoiseCancel.jpg?fit=659%2C498&ssl=1 "[Cartoon] The reason why noise cancelling headphones are necessary")
