Home Blog Page 533

Deforestation of Chikmagalur: Ugly truth behind huge landslides & floods

RK Nayak
-
0

When we all are Busy in discussing about Amazon Rain Forest Fire, can we concentrate what’s happening in Our Country/Our State/Our District?

We See News daily that there’s a major flood, Landslide happening everywhere in India. But do we go behind it and do a bit of research on how this is all happening?

We are just “Satisfied” if Government (State/Central) gives compensation to affected people, but we need to have concern beyond this and see what is the reason behind it and what is the permanent solution.

Here is the Major Shocking reason for huge landslides and artificial floods in Chikmagalur, Madikeri, Kodagu I found out.

Last Week I Visited Sri Veeranarayana Swamy Temple (Trikutaachala) located in Belavadi, Karnataka. And on the way also visited Chikmagalur (Chikkamagaluru) and was Very very Shocked to See What was happening there.

Chikmagalur which forms one of the major Part of Western Ghats (Western Ghats contains a large proportion of the country’s flora and fauna, many of which are only found in India and nowhere else in the world.)When I was traveling I spotted many bulldozers, Dumpers, workers busy destroying mountains. I Just Stopped by and too Some Photos and Videos of the destruction of forest land/mountains.

◆Picture 1 : In this picture you can see a bulldozer working hard to destroy a mountain.

◆Picture 2: A Forest Mountain being Successfully Destroyed.

◆Picture 3: Half Destroyed Forest Mountain

◆Picture 4 : A Poor forest Mountain About to get destroyed.

◆Picture 5 : Another JCB Busy destroying mother Nature

◆Picture 6 : A Whole Forest Land/Mountain completely destroyed to ground level by 30×40, 60×40 Land Mafias

We have studied from our primary schools that trees hold the soil and avoid soil erosion(which results in landslides and floods ) but why are they not being stopped from committing such grave damage?

Is it because we are least bothered because it has got nothing to do with our daily life? This destruction of forest land are the direct reason for the ongoing landslides and floods which are happening more frequently in Chikmagalur, Madikeri and Kodagu district from past two years. This is just one such incidence. There are many such incidents happening all over India and we all must raise our voice against this.

We need to make everyone aware about this and by all means stop such things before any future catastrophe or Huge damage takes place and then it’s waste if we regret about this in future.

PS : Nature is like Mirror, it treats us in the same way we treat her. So if we try to destroy Nature then it will destroy us too.

-RK Nayak

5 Things we need to know about Kashmir

preity
-
0
5 Things we need to know about Kashmir

1. Kashmir is always a part of India

Kashmir is a legitimate and integral part of the Indian state. There was an Instrument of Accession signed on October 26th 1947, which merged the princely state of Kashmir into the Union of India right after partition. It is a part of India as any of the other states. Any claims made by adversaries that Kashmir is independent or not part of India is simply false. Pakistan has zero moral or legitimate claims on Kashmir. Even the UN resolution for plebiscite in Kashmir has only two options- India or Pakistan. An independent Kashmir is not an option. The resolution has as its first step that Pakistan will withdraw all troops, tribal and nonstate actors from the entire Kashmir area, including “Pakistan occupied Kashmir”- an area illegally held by Pakistan. This step never has and never will take place leaving no chance for any plebiscite.

2. It was a necessary and needed step

It’s a huge victory for not just India but for peace in the region in general, to remove Articles 370 and 35A. These were incredibly sexist, racist, discriminatory and bigoted which turned Kashmir into an Islamic enclave where Sharia law was followed and Kashmiri Hindus were kicked out of their homes and kept out of their own state. The removal of articles 370 and 35A removes the status of Kashmir as an apartheid state.

Article 370 gave Kashmir a special status with its own flag, anthem and constitution alienating it from the rest of India.

Article 35A did not allow a non-Kashmiri to buy land or own property in Kashmir. The majority of Kashmir is Muslim by design so this directly discriminated against citizens from the rest of the country. This Article allowed the J&K Government to decide who is a Kashmiri and who is not. It discriminated not just on religion, but also gender.

Apart from denying ‘permanent resident’ rights to Hindu refugees brought from other states, Article 35A also ensured that a Kashmiri woman who marries a non-Kashmiri man will lose all her inheritance and property rights. However, a Kashmiri man could marry a non-Kashmiri woman, even a Pakistani woman, and his wife would gain full rights.

Outside investment was also not allowed into the state, leaving the youth vulnerable to recruitment into ISIS and insurgent groups. But more important than the details of these bills, these articles isolated Kashmir from the rest of India creating lot of animosity, confusion of identity and rising radical Islamic terrorism.

3. Kashmir is an “Internal matter”of India

Due to the fact that there was an Instrument of accession of Kashmir into India in 1947, for all intents and purposes, Kashmir is an integral and legitimate part of India. Any matter concerning this region is a domestic issue of India and there is no space for third party interference. The claims made by both Pakistan and China regarding their concern over Kashmir has no legal or moral base. The UNSC- United Nations Security Council has deemed these claims void and that no line was crossed by India. It’s ironic that these two nations are interfering in India’s internal matter when Pakistan illegally owns the region of Gilgit and Baltistan. And China not only illegally owns Indian region Aksai Chin but has also illegally annexed Tibet.

4. This decision was made lawfully through a parliamentary vote

It must be noted that the removal of these articles was made in India’s parliament, in a completely democratic process with an overwhelming two-thirds majority. This demonstrates that it was approved across all party lines. Only a handful of political parties opposed this bill, mainly the Congress Party and the Communist Party of India as they had benefited from this political unrest in Kashmir, and integration of J&K did not serve their divisive ideology. It was a masterstroke by the Modi government, which was able to resolve this contentious issue by a simple parliamentary vote.

5. Now is the perfect time

The special status given to Jammu and Kashmir was “temporary and transient”. It was never supposed to last this long. It went on for 70 years because past governments did not have the political will to remove it. There were only a few families in Kashmir that were benefiting from this status and not surprising that upon its removal, the only parties that are crying foul are the separatists, terrorists, insurgencies and the dynast Kashmiri leadership.

For the world’s largest secular democracy, it only makes sense that every citizen in India should be treated equally and have the same rights as everyone else. The move was welcome by hundreds of millions of people across India and especially the Kashmiri pandits- Hindus who had been kicked out barbarically and genocide in the 1990’s. After 30 long years of being a refugee in their own country, they have an opportunity to go back to their homeland.

It is a class act by the Modi government to use article 370 to remove article 370! There may be critics who want to cry foul with the way the article was removed or the lockdown in Kashmir that ensued for 2 weeks after. But they may not have understood the historical past of this region and what the removal of these articles means for the rest of the country. It is a historic move that relegates the past 70 years of atrocious leadership to the dustbins of history where it belongs.

When would Mufti and Abdullah be set free?

Ashish Shukla
-
0
When would Mufti and Abdullah be set free?

India and Pakistan have started whipping up support in their corners as the Ring that is Jammu and Kashmir gets ready for a trade of punches.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wants his people on the streets in solidarity against the rearranged status of Jammu and Kashmir while Narendra Modi is reserving the month of September for his ministers’ outreach to people in 35 state capitals and 370 cities.

The momentum is with India where Modi has secured a cheque of gratitude from a billion people and possibly from history too on the once intractable issue of Kashmir.  He has second-guessed almost everyone including the global powers, jihadi nuts in the Valley and secessionists forces within India. It’s nearly a month and India hasn’t fired a single bullet in anger.

Imran Khan is relying on propaganda and the good offices of China without realizing that slaves could only stare at the feet, and not go at the throat of the masters. It has a good ranch of guerillas, terrorists and Talibani’s but to take on the world’s second-largest army, bigger than the United States, you need stallions and not jackass’. Mooting closure of airspace could only evoke yawn. His dream of becoming Prime Minister is now a raging nightmare.

India’s enemies are investing much in the hope that Muftis and Abdullahs would be free soon and hold court; Valley would be put to flame and Lutyens Media would manufacture sob stories. For the moment, they have nothing but the sham cry of violations of human rights and India’s federal-structure-in-danger to keep stoking the dying embers.

When would Muftis and Abdullahs be set free? My guess is not in the next four weeks. Modi government prefers embarrassment to harm. Half measures would come back to bite. You don’t do PR exercise with enemies. If the world can turn one eye away on Xinjiang in China; it could as well the other on Kashmir.

There is incremental easing up in Kashmir Valley. Landlines have been restored. Independence Day and Eid were celebrated.  Journalists, despite the brouhaha, are getting passes to move around at will. Schools and Colleges have been reopened. It’s not to say Valley would be quiet.  Muftis and Abdullahs could pay a heavy cost if flutes and music alone is the noise in their backyards.

There are a few things which the Modi government must follow as gospel. One, learn to ignore the barking dogs. Valley and Lutyens Media would be shooting from both sides of the mouth. They must not be allowed to set the agenda. Give them a damn. Two, this outreach to people in September can’t be a one-off thing. People need constant repeats on facts. Lose no opportunity, be it face-to-face, social media, spokespersons or editorials in newspapers. This is the only war your adversary would be engaging you in; so treat it as one. Three, name and shame the enemies within who run contrary to India’s interests. Three generations of this lobby have fattened itself on Kashmir. The cat is too fat now; it must be made to shed some weight.

I suspect Centre has hit upon an ace in raking up some high profile cases. So mournful is media on P. Chidambaram’s custody that Kashmir has been put on the backburner.  The cases against Sharad Pawar and Ahmed Patel’s son too would shrink space on Kashmir. The heat has been turned on against Trinamool Congress (TMC). Three state elections in three months would further pull the rug under Kashmir’s feet. Why, when was the last you heard on “Jai Shri Ram” crimes and “lynchings”?

But this is just the first phase of preparedness. Kashmir is serious. Heads could roll in Pakistan’s establishment. Imran Khan could invite a fate similar to Nawaz Sharif.  General Qamar Javed Bajwa has to justify his extension. The United States could change tack in case it can’t summon India against China, Iran and Russia. So don’t take your eyes off. India has to handle Kashmir in real-time. It could take months, years and even generations. But a start, a good one at that, has been made. And the nation can’t be thankful enough.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt weapons

Gaurav Sansanwal
-
0
Politics is the skilled use of blunt weapons

“Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects”.

These prophetic words by a Canadian statesman truly capture the essence of the most horrific side of realpolitik. The struggle for power is real, and what goes around, indeed comes around. The only saving grace is that our world is a tad bit better than the one in the Mahabharata; for our modern democracy has not one but many guardians, and there is always hope that at least one functionary would perform the role of Vidura. This is not to say that there are no aberrations, but I am arguing on odds here. A cursory look around the subcontinent, and up until the Mediterranean Sea at least, would reveal that we have done a lot better and that in our land, the crossing of ‘Lakshman Rekha’ is far from the norm.

Shashi Tharoor, in The Great Indian Novel, has given an interesting account of India’s first tryst with realpolitik. It is, however, another matter that today, he and his colleagues conveniently suffer from selective amnesia. The Congress Party is crying foul; and refuses to take credit for introducing the dictum of ‘Sama, Dama, Danda, Bheda’ to its political, and intellectual rivals. Those who are finding fault with Order’ of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, refusing anticipatory bail to P Chidambaram, are conveniently forgetting that they infamously managed to get the Bofors scandal buried not once, but five times. Such is politics.

To my mind, the rules of the game are clear, consistent, and considering that they could have been a lot worse- bearable. You know you have truly arrived as a public figure, when you are made to undergo an ‘Agni Pariksha’. The one who commands it is usually the one who is closer to the power corridors. But it takes much more than a command, for the ‘Pariksha’ to reach its logical conclusion. It usually starts with a multi-agency investigation, and the allegations are then required to be proven in Trial. This is followed by a relentless pursuit of scrutiny: by the Constitutional Courts, by the media, by the voters, and by future Governments. History has shown that not only do political leaders survive false charges, but also come back stronger.

When charged by the CBI in the Hawala case, Lal Krishna Advani voluntarily resigned from the Lok Sabha, and vowed to never step foot in the People’s Parliament, until he was cleared of all charges. Two years later, in 1998, the Supreme Court dismissed CBI’s Appeal, and Advani took oath as the Home Minister of India. But gone are the days when leaders took a call for ‘questioning’ and ‘investigation’ sportingly, and are now often found to be using political, and legal clout to engage in high-voltage drama.

For ten years between 2004- 2014, New Delhi ran a campaign to demonize and punish the duo of Mr Narendra Modi, and Mr Amit Shah. That they survived each and every attack and made their way from Ahmedabad to New Delhi is a testimony to the fact that they were either completely innocent or very smart. Congress lawyers from Lutyens’ Delhi want the world to believe that Mr Chidambaram is both. There is, in that case, no cause to worry- much less to flee, and even lesser to interrupt important Constitution Bench sittings to obtain a VIP hearing.

For the long term though, it wouldn’t hurt to have a better system in place. Public memory is said to be short. Why not make use of that by mandating time-bound, and Fast-track Trials for charge-sheeted political leaders? This would make the process leaner, cleaner, and meaner.

कश्मीर-धर्मांन्ध्ता व सेक्युलर इंडिया

भरत का भारत
-
0
कश्मीर-धर्मांन्ध्ता व सेक्युलर इंडिया

वर्तमान समय में संसार में कहीं भारत या इंडिया के संबंध में चर्चा होती होगी तो कश्मीर उसका अभिन्न विषय बनकर जनसामान्य के मस्तिष्क की रेखाओं पर उभरता होगा! आखिर है क्या कश्मीर? हम इस बात पर तर्क व चर्चा कुछ सामान्य प्रश्नों से करेंगे “कहा जाता है जो प्रश्नों की अभिलाषा व प्रश्नों की गंभीरता को नहीं समझता वह उन प्रश्नों के सही सत्य यथार्थ उत्तरों से वंचित रह जाता है।”

“कश्मीर”

(अ) अनुच्छेद 370 को संसद द्वारा निष्क्रिय किए जाने पर अधिकतर कश्मीर ही क्यों मुद्दा बन कर सामने आता है अपितु जम्मू व लद्दाख अभिन्नता के साथ कश्मीर से जुड़े हैं व थे?

(व) पाकिस्तान जो कि धर्म के आधार पर या कहें सातवीं सदी से चली आ रही गजवा ए हिंद की 21वीं सदी में नवीन आधारशिला है वहां की आवाम क्या धर्मनिरपेक्ष सर्वधर्मसंभाव और लोकतंत्र से प्रेरित या प्रभावित थी या हैं?

(ख) भारतीय जनता पार्टी के मुख्य विरोधी दल या हम कहें इस्लामिक सेकुलरवाद के रचयिता ईसाई मुस्लिम वामपंथी जो इंडिया को भारत नहीं मानते क्योंकि उनके अनुसार 1947 से पहले हमारी स्वयं की सभ्यता व संस्कृति नहीं थी और थी भी तो indo-european क्या वे जम्मू लद्दाख की जनता को मानव योनि में नहीं मानते या उनके अनुसार वहां की सारी जनता संघपरिवार से जुड़ी है ?

(ग) भूतकाल में कश्मीर कैसे भारत का हिस्सा बना कहां कैसे इत्यादि चर्चा का विषय हो सकता है परंतु जिहादी बहावी कट्टरपंथी आतंकवाद की जड़ें कश्मीर के 10 जिलों तक ही क्यों सीमित हैं क्यों ISISI पाकिस्तान वह अन्य भारत विरोधी गतिविधियों का 99.9% प्रकरण वहां की धरती से ही कार्यान्वित होता रहा है ?

(घ) कश्मीरी पंडितों का निष्कासन या कहें अमानवीय-बलात्कार पैशाचिक-हिंसा धर्मपरिवर्तन का मृत्युरूपी-धंधा इत्यादि इन सब का आधार क्या धर्म नहीं था ?

(ड़) धारा  370 अनुच्छेद 35a की समाप्ति के साथ क्या कश्मीरी जनता के मौलिक  लोकतांत्रिक अधिकारों को पूर्णता ही छीन लिया गया जो वहाँ की परिस्तिथिवश उत्पन्न स्थिति को पक्षिमी व भारतीय मीडिया Syria और Yemen के संदर्भ में चित्रित कर रही है ?

(ह) विदेशी सत्ता शक्तियों की विचारधारा व प्रभुत्व पर चर्चा हमारा विचार नहीं परंतु लोकतांत्रिक धर्मनिरपेक्ष देश की जनता क्यों इस मुद्दे को धार्मिक रंगों में saffron व green के रूप में अंदर ही अंदर व्यक्त कर रही है ?

निष्कर्ष – सत्य तो यह है अनुच्छेद ३५ ए व धारा ३७० असंविधानिक व भूतकाल में स्वार्थपिपाषा से पूर्ण सत्तारूपी यश व विश्वशांति के नोबेल पुरस्कार की आकांक्षा का एक राष्ट्र विरोधी व घृणित अलोकतांत्रिक पक्ष था जिसे वर्तमान देशभक्त संवैधानिक लोकतांत्रिक निस्वार्थ सरकार ने निष्काम भाव से विपक्षित किया। कश्मीर का इतिहास पूर्णता भारत वैदिक सभ्यता व संस्कृति के जीवाणुओं से प्रत्येक भौगोलिक व मानवीय परमाणुओं में पारितोषिक था व है परंतु कलियुग की अपुरुषार्थ नामक चक्र में  बीते 14०० वर्षों में अखंड भारत के भू भाग की तरह यहां भी गजवा ए हिंद की कुत्सित अमर्यादित अमानवीय धर्मांन्ध्ता रक्तमय अशोभनीय अविवरणीय अकथनीय व अशोभनीय सुनामी चली जिसका स्रोत व गुणसंस्कार विगत 5000 वर्षों में स्थानांतरित विभिन्नाल्विंत परिवर्तनों के  शोधपत्रों में लिखित व अंकित है।

दोहरी नागरिकता दोहरा संविधान दोहरा न्यायतंत्र दोहरा…दोहरा सबकुछ दोहरा ही था जिसे अब एका: कर दिया गया है।अत्याधिक जनसंख्यानुकूल धन का आवंटन हुआ उसका धर्म-देश की दलाली करने वाले मौक़ापरस्त इस्लामिक जिहादी अलगाववादी नेता व उनके समर्थक सभी देश विरोधी होने पर भी देश भक्तों से अत्याधिक सुख सुविधाओं व मान-सम्मान से परिभाषित होते आ रहे थे।

याद रखिए है यह देश-राष्ट्र का नवीन या प्राचीन या राजनीतिक मानवाधिकार का मुद्दा नहीं इन सारे शब्दों को तो आवरण की भांति उपयोग किया गया है जो सूक्ष्म मानसिकता में जिहादी बहावी विचारधारा व गजवा ए हिंद को आज भी नए इंडिया से विस्तृत रूप से जुड़े हुए हैं। आशा है और कश्मीर या नए पाकिस्तान को हम ना बनने देंगे अन्यथा 100 करोड़ बराबर 35 करोड़ प्लस 20 करोड़ (१०० करोड़= ३५ + २० करोड़) आपकी कल्पनाओं से परे है यह सिद्धांत इसकी गहराई को नापने के लिए यथार्थ इतिहास व आदर्श वर्तमान को समझिए अन्यथा कोई अन्य ही अग्रिम पीढ़ियों को इसका सजीव विस्तृतीकरण दे रहा होगा। अग़म भविष्य में काश भविष्य कभी “सुगम” भी होता।

जय हिंद
जय माँ भारती
सनातन धर्म जयते यथा :

हॉकी का जादूगर राष्ट्रप्रेम से राष्ट्रीयखेल तक! भारत रत्न एक खोज?

भरत का भारत
-
0
हॉकी का जादूगर राष्ट्रप्रेम से राष्ट्रीयखेल तक! भारत रत्न एक खोज?

कोई विशिष्ट स्थान अथवा व्यक्ति से संबंध नहीं आप कई प्रकार की लाभान्वित व्यक्तित्व की श्रेणियों से इसे प्रायोजित कर सकते हैं, उदाहरण के लिए कोई राजनीतिक संगठन के श्रीमान जो हर आयोजन को निज-स्वार्थ प्रयोजन में परिवर्तित कर कुछ जड़शब्दों को चेतन भाव के अभाव में प्राकृतिक पुष्पांजलि अर्पित कर जनता समूह को संबोधित कर हास्य, अपने-अपने गुण धर्म के अनुसार रोमांचित कर, श्रद्धांजलि देकर बे भी व वह भीड़ भी, व्यक्ति हम नहीं कह सकते क्योंकि व्यक्ति के अपने विचार अपने भाव अपनी मर्यादा व जागरूकता होती है, इत्यादि, इन्हीं गुणों से उसका व्यक्तित्व बनता है इसलिए क्योंकि ना तो उन्हें श्रद्धांजलि प्राप्त मनुष्य के जीवन की जानकारी होती है ना ही मन हृदय में कोई भाव ना ही मस्तिष्क ही कोई सत्यतथ्य को स्वीकारता है।

जीवनियाँ व जयंतियों का प्रयोजन सिर्फ भीड़-भाड़, दीपक, पुष्पमाला कुछ प्रवचन भाषण ही नहीं अपितु त्याग समर्पण राष्ट्रप्रेम खेलप्रेमी व्यक्तित्व को आत्मसत कर स्वयं में भी परिवर्तन लाना होता है, फिर अगले वर्ष यही राग-आडंबर शुरू होगा व साल में बचे दिनों की व्याख्या वर्तमान भारत के जनसामान्य व विशिष्ट कहे जाने वाले लोगों की दिनचर्या व वैचारिक आदान-प्रदान से दिखता ही है।

भारत मां के वीर निष्कामी खेल-समर्पित रत्न मेजर ध्यानचंद को कौन सी सरकार कब कैसे क्यों भारत रत्न देगी या नहीं यह विषय उपयुक्त नहीं है, राष्ट्रीय वलिदेवी पर अत्याधिक वीर क्रांतिकारियों को क्या भारत रत्न से भी सम्मानित किया गया है? कितनों को तो सम्मान से वांछितीकरण के लिए लाखों टन ऐतिहासिक शोधो-साक्ष्यों को वासियों को ब्रिटिश-इंडिया-ऐंग्लो की अग्नि में ब्रह्मलोक में प्रज्जवलित किया गया है धन्य है देश की जनता व देश के प्रथम प्रधानमंत्री!

अंत में ध्यानचंद जी की जीवनी का स्वयं अध्ययन मनन करिए जहां देश गुलामी की जंजीरों में वहीं रेलवे की पटरियों पर श्यामाचंद्र की मनमोहिनी तरंगों के प्रकाश में एकाग्रता व त्याग समर्पण का निस्वार्थ कलात्मक प्रेम जो ध्यानचंद्र जी को हॉकी से था वह स्वयं में एक अनमोल रत्न है जिसे किसी अन्य वाहवाही या राजकीय सम्मान की आवश्यकता नहीं।

समस्या बस इतनी है वर्तमान में त्याग समर्पण राष्ट्रप्रेम महानता इत्यादि की परिभाषा द्गुणात्मक स्वार्थलिप्सात्मक समाज में भावभंगित हो चुकी है अन्यथा ना पहनने के लिए सही कपड़े जूते हॉकी स्टिक इत्यादि सुविधाओं से वंचित होने पर भी तीन बार लगातार ओलंपिक में गुलाम ब्रिटिश इंडिया को भी स्वतंत्रता का अनुभव कराया चाहे नाज़ीविश्व प्रसिद्ध हिटलर हो चाहे ब्रिटिश क्राउन की उस समय की रानी,फिर चाहें हॉकी देखने वाली अन्य देशों की जनता हो या सम्मानित राष्ट्रामुख व्यक्ति सभी प्रकार से हर खेल में प्राणों तक ऊर्जा  का योगदान देने वाले इस हॉकी के जादूगर को जो यश सम्मान ख्याति प्रेम समूची दुनिया से भूतकाल में उस समय चक्र में प्राप्त हुआ मुझे नहीं लगता आज तक पिछले 100 वर्षों में किसी भी खेल से संबंधित खिलाड़ी को प्राप्त हुआ होगा!

क्या यूरोप में फुटबॉल के प्रति पागलपन वाला रोमांच क्या इंडिया में क्रिकेट का असंतुलित सीमाओं को तोड़ता टीआरपी का आंकड़ा,यहां एक बात और कि तथाकथित आजादी के उपरांत हॉकी में राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर व्याप्त राजनीतिक व धनात्मक भ्रष्टाचार से हॉकी के सम्राट की भावनाओं पर जो आघात लगा वह उनके इस मानव योनि के पंचभौतिक शरीर के साथ अंत समय तक व हो सकता है उसके बाद भी रहा होगा।

बस इतना हमेशा याद रखिए “अभाव में ही गुणों का निखार होता है परंतु यह भी सर्वदा सत्य है आवश्यकता पूर्ति के साथ उन निखरित गुणों का उचित उपयोग व्यवहार होता है” हॉकी को याद तो राष्ट्रीय खेल से बचे शाब्दिकरूप से हटा दीजिए क्योंकि बिना गूगल सर्च किए हॉकी के वर्तमान खिलाड़ियों का नाम तक भीड़भाड़ वाली जनता नहीं जानती और जो जानते भी होंगे वो क्या क्रिकेट की तरह हॉकी को भी प्रोत्साहित करते है जैसे टि्वटर # ट्रेंड होते हैं वैसे ही असली जीवनकाया में राष्ट्रीय खेल को फॉलो करते हैं?

A write up on Article 370

sanalkumar
-
0
A write up on Article 370

AN OVERVIEW ON ABROGATION OF ARTICLE 370

Article 370 of the Constitution has come to an end heralding the emergence of a new Jammu and Kashmir. The Presidential Order abrogating the special status to J&K and its bifurcation into two Union Territories is by and large accepted by the Nation. But the frail voices of dissension from opposition parties, describing the move as undemocratic and a treachery on the people of Kashmir, spell doom for its full grandeur and glory.

The Background of the Instrument of Accession:

Maharaja Hari Singh was the Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir princely state at the time of independence.  Even before the ‘Quit India’ movement in British India, there arose revolt against Maharaja by National Conference under Sheik Abdulla and Muslim Conference in 1938, as ‘Quit Kashmir Movement’.  With the end of Second World War, decolonisation started with Britain declaring its intention to accord complete Independence to India. The Cabinet Mission visited India on March 23, 1946, and issued Memorandum containing guidelines for the native States to follow regarding the future course of action on independence. Provincial Governments under British sovereignty and princely States ruled by dynasties, and under the suzerainty of Britain were dealt with according to the memorandum issued. The Princely States could opt to join as a federal unit under the proposed Dominion or could remain as Sovereign State. The Memorandum brought to an end the paramountcy of crown over princely States.

Following this, the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed by the British Parliament dividing India into Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan. By Section 9 of the Independence Act, the Princely States were given the option to accede to either of the dominions as per Section 6 of the Government of India Act 1935. Full freedom was given to Principalities in joining with emerging Dominions or to remain as independent sovereign States. The Indian Independence Act contemplated a referendum to ascertain the wishes of people only in respect of North-West Frontier Province and Sylhet in Assam (Section 2(2)(e) and3(2) of the Act). The dominion of Pakistan was carved out from British India with West Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan, East Bengal and North-West Frontier Province with remaining British India to become the Dominion of India. But sourcing power from Section 9 of Independence Act read with Section 6 of Government of India Act, as many as 500 and more princely States executed Instrument of Accession with India or Pakistan, as the case may be before 15th August 1947. The princely state of Junagadh, Kashmir and Hyderabad were diplomatically dithering to take a decision on accession.

Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir wanted to remain as a sovereign state, opting not to sign the Instrument of Accession.  But when the revolt against Maharaja by Pushtun Tribesmen with the aid of the Pakistan army was about to dethrone the King, the assistance of India was sought by the Maharaja. With the signing of Instrument of Accession on October 27, 1947, by the Maharaja, which in, form and substance were like 140 other instruments of Accession signed by other States, the princely State of Kashmir became an integral part of India.

It did not contain any clause for a referendum to be conducted for its full integration with Dominion of India. Archives on Constitutional literature say that Dr Ambedkar was averse to the incorporation of Article 370 into the Constitution as according to him, it was against the terms of Instrument of Accession and the intent of full integration of Kashmir with India. The task of drafting Article 370 was undertaken by Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, a Minister in Nehru’s cabinet without portfolio.

When Pakistan sponsored insurgency continued, India moved a motion in the U.N. Security Council in 1948 under Article 35 of U.N. Charter terming Pakistan’s intervention as a disturbance to international peace as also the tranquillity in Kashmir valley.  This paved the way for `entanglement’ of India with UN diktat. It appears from records that the UN by Resolution No. 97 asked the Pakistan Military forces to demilitarise the area.

As regards India it gave a direction to conduct a plebiscite in Kashmir to ascertain the wishes of Kashmir people regarding accession to India.  [C.N.Agrawal Memorial Lecture by Dr A.S. Anand, former Chief Justice of India reported in (1996) 4 SCC Journal 11) Later, in 1951 when National Assembly was Constituted in J&K, its representatives were elected through democratic process where the total 75 seats went in favour of the National Conference and its leader Sheik Mohamed Abdulla was elected as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Constituent Assembly, by its resolution dated February 15, 1954, ratified the State’s accession to India in unequivocal terms.  The National Assembly, while adopting its Constitution on November 7, 1956, declared in Article 3 that Jammu and Kashmir are and shall be an integral part of Union of India. Further Article 147 of J&K Constitution unequivocally says that Article 3 and 5 shall not be amended in any manner in future.  It is also further laid down in Article 147 of J&K Constitution that the provisions relating to the relations with Union of India are also not liable to any change by way of amendment.  Though technically no plebiscite as instructed by UN was conducted, still the declaration by the elected representatives of the J&K Constituent Assembly gives a democratic imprimatur to the accession of J&K to India.  The Constitution of J&K was adopted on 7/11/1956.

Present Constitutional therapy done

Running with the tumultuous years in Kashmir after independence, the framing of the Constitution of Union of India was taking place. The then Industries Minister in the Nehru Cabinet, Dr Shyamaprasad Mukharji, resigned from the Cabinet on account of the decision to give special status to Jammu and Kashmir. His death in custody by the J&K Government under Sheik Abdulla is still a mystery to be unravelled. When Article 306A (now 370), was introduced by Gopalaswami Ayyangar in the Constituent Assembly it is curious that the opposition came from a Muslim member, Maulana Hasrat Mohani (United Provinces: Muslim).  He termed the granting of special status as discriminatory.  In Hasrat Mohani’s own words in the Constituent Assembly (debates held on 17th October 1949):

Honourable Shri. N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar: 

……..Maulana Hasrat Mohani: Sir, I want to make it clear at the very outset that I am neither opposed to all these concessions being granted to my Friend Sheikh Abdullah, not am I opposed to the acceptance of the Maharaja as the ruler of Kashmir.  And if the Maharaja of Kashmir gets further powers and concessions I will be very glad.  But what I object to is this.  Why do you make this discrimination about this Ruler? Mr Ayyangar has himself admitted here that the administration of Kashmir State is not on a very good basis……

Now the time was overdue for the Government of India to bring to an end Article 370 for ensuring constitutional parity of States.  Article 370(3) was invoked by the President for causing cessation of the Article itself.  By invoking Section 92 of the J&K Constitution, the power of the Legislature of the State was assumed by the Governor.  By the amendment of the proviso to Article 370(3) with the effect of substituting ‘Constituent Assembly’ with ‘legislature of the State’, the Constitutional task was deftly done by the Government of India within the legal framework. Article 370 was in fact the placenta in the birth of Jammu & Kashmir. The gestation period of Jammu & Kashmir is over and the birth of J&K has taken place as twins. An excellent Constitutional gambit indeed it was.

Self Determination:

The Presidential order and Bills moved by the Government are termed as undemocratic by Opposition mainly on the premise that a recommendatory resolution of Legislature of the State is lacking as mandated by the proviso to Article 370(3).  The position is conceded by all concerned regarding the power of the President to issue a notification to cause cessation of operation of Article 370 of the Constitution.  But argument based on lack of concurrence of the elected representative is one essentially boiling down to the issue of self-determination. The Independence Act made it peremptory the holding of the referendum only in the North-West Frontier Province and Sylhet in Assam.  It provided that these parts of British India could be made part of Pakistan subject to ratification by the people of the province through a referendum.  The princely States under the suzerainty of the British Empire were returned their sovereign power by the British Crown to decide the issue of accession in accordance with the provisions in the Independence Act.  The Independence Act contemplated a carte blanche to be given to only the Rulers of Princely states, and no right of self-determination of its people was conceded to, as far as accession to dominions is concerned.  The J&K Constituent Assembly was formed on October 31, 1951.

On February 15, 1954, the Assembly ratified State’s accession to India. The J&K Constitution came into being on January 26, 1957. The Constituent Assembly of J&K was dissolved on November 17, 1956.  Though initially Sheik Abdulla was elected Prime Minister, he was dismissed by Head of State (Sadr-e-Riyasat), Karan Singh, son of Maharaja Hari Singh on August 1953 and was put in prison. The declaration in the J&K Constitution that J&K is an integral part of India makes the self-determination of people of J&K complete in itself. The abrogation of the temporary provision, Article 370, makes the integration a constitutional reality whereby a uniform Constitution is made applicable to the whole of India.

Territorial Integrity, Sovereignty and Self Determination

The concept of Nation-State is the product of the Treaty of Westphalia 1648.  When cultural boundaries match up with political ones, the emergence of Nation-State is the natural fall out. The creation of uniform national culture by State intervention will naturally augment the formation of Nation-State.

Uniform language, ethos, State emblems etc. are contributing factors for the formation of Nation-State. The adoption of national policies on education, cultural affairs, civil relations among citizens by a responsible Government followed by its successful implementation eventually leads to Nation-State formation. Territorial integrity and territorial sovereignty, not for Nation-State alone but for all States, are a necessary concomitant of Statehood. UN Charter enumerates territorial sovereignty and political independence as a precondition for recognition as State. It is surprising that India, with its crippled sovereignty over an integral part of it, was nevertheless recognised as a Member State by UN so far. India’s territorial integrity and full sovereignty over its component States were an absolute necessity for its assertion as a State entity with full statehood in its conceptualisation. Now it is turning out to be axiomatic in International Law that when the clash of logic is based on territorial integrity and sovereignty on the one hand and right of self-determination on the other end, the former takes precedence over the latter.

Indian Episodes of the annexation of territory

The annexation of Hyderabad to India is a classic example of the assertion of territorial integrity and territorial sovereignty. Though Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to join with Pakistan, through a military intervention, called `Operation Polo’, the princely state of Hyderabad was made part of Union of India in September 1948.  The Nawab of Junagadh desired to accede to Pakistan but Junagadh was annexed to Indian territory by military action.  The referendum done in Junagadh under the supervision of Indian Military troop was only a farce, designed to give it the flavour of self-determination. The annexation of Sikkim in 1975, which was a Protectorate of Union of India till then, is also another example of the assertion of territorial integrity. A referendum done after the conquest in Sikkim was, in fact, a smokescreen to give legitimacy to the conquest.  The liberation of Goa and Pondicherry were done by way of similar military conquest.

The conquest for the preservation of rights of ethnic groups

On the international arena, the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 is another instance, where even a conquest is justified in the name of territorial integrity and preservation of rights of ethnic groups.  Israel’s occupation of Galon Heights is now accepted by the US as an assertion of territorial sovereignty and integrity.  Justice Anand, in his lecture (1996) 4 SCC Journal 11) draws a parallel from the US annexation of Texas in 1845 from Mexico, when he talks about the accession of Kashmir to India.  The common feature of all these annexations is its justification for protection of rights of ethnic groups. The Ethno-linguistic issues of Russians in Crimea, the sufferings of the US settlers in Texas were the propelling factors for the intervention of respective countries.  The large scale exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, following the oppression by the majority religious groups in the late 1990s is a legitimate reason for the Government of India for a complete military suzerainty over Kashmir. The resettlement of the Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland is a constitutional compulsion for India for its intervention.

For a State to survive and progress, the territories in its corridor and contour are to be held in contiguity with complete sovereignty, which essentially is territorial integrity in political science.  For India to be a nation with full sovereignty over its territory, the complete integration of Jammu & Kashmir is indispensable. Fortunately, we have done it through constitutional means, though with a few fulminations over procedural niceties.  Given the international scenario on Crimea and Galon Heights, even military deployment to secure peace and complete integration cannot be objected to. Territorial integration to secure peace is being accepted as a norm in international law as a means to curb terrorism thriving on the platform of separatism.

Surgery by Constitutional means is now over. Political chemotherapy has to commence yet. Let us be hopeful for our Paradise on Earth to re-emerge with its full splendour and gaiety.

Is the goal of a 5 trillion dollar economy realistic?

pranabbhandari
-
0
Is the goal of a 5 trillion dollar economy realistic?

After re-election to power via a landslide mandate, the Modi government has made its mission to double the size of Indian economy within the next 5 years. But, is it achievable?

Modi 2.0 government is keen on catapulting India to a 5 trillion economy by 2025. While PM Modi has been vocal about achieving the ambitious goal on various platforms like NITI AAYOG’s governing council meet 2019 and World Economic Forum’s annual event earlier in 2018, the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, categorically echoed similar sentiments in her maiden budget speech. Per the budget news 2019, doubling the GDP within the next five years is a tall ask, given the mounting fiscal deficit and slow down the Indian economy is experiencing lately.

To put everything in perspective, let’s consider some stats. The present size of the Indian economy is $2.67 trillion while it was $1.85 trillion in 2014, at the start of Modi’s first stint in the office. Within 5 years, the economy’s size was up by $0.82 when the annual growth rate was a healthy 8% annually. If the economy has to grow twice its current size within the next 5 years, a higher annual growth rate, preferably in double figures, is needed. So, how realistic is the goal of a 5 trillion dollar economy in such a short time frame? Let’s discuss.

Per PM Modi, the Indian economy is not walking but running. His focus is on doubling the per capita income, which will lead to a higher purchasing power and rise in demand, reported Dainik Bhaskar Plus, a top-rated newspaper app. The rise in demand is supposed to drive the manufacturing and services sectors, which in turn will create more jobs and steer India towards the socialistic goals of equitable growth, and health and education for all. The overly simplistic vision has to be backed by strong, impactful long term policy initiatives to reverse the economic slowdown before it gains criticality, reduce the fiscal deficit and ensure inclusive growth.

Now, it all boils down to providing impetus to infrastructure development at scale and the Union budget 2019 has allotted Rs 100 lakh crore to this end. That’s a huge leap on infrastructure development spending, up from the present Rs 7 lakh crore to Rs 20 lakh crore in the next five years. As the breaking news in Hindi has it, a major chunk will go to upgrading the rural roads, and building national highways at unprecedented speed, nationwide. The “Housing For All” mission is also prioritized in the budget, as the government will build 19.5 million affordable houses by 2022. Scheme to ensure piped water is also in the pipeline.

The investment logjam and farm distress have been a fact of life for the Modi 1.0 government. The first budget after re-election aims to better up the previous performance, it seems. Rs 70,000 crore has been allotted to re-capitalize banks while Rs 1 lakh crore will be utilized to revive the NBFCs reeling under financial stress. There’s been an allocation of Rs 70,000 crore under the income support program for distressed farmers while the separate amount will be spent on fast-tracking irrigation projects, promoting the next phase of blue revolution.

NITI Ayog needs ‘two-eyed’ approach to achieve doctor-population ratio of WHO by 2024

S Ranganathan
-
0
NITI Ayog needs ‘two-eyed’ approach to achieve doctor-population ratio of WHO by 2024

The statement of Prof. Vinod Kumar Paul, Member of NITI Aayog on the occasion of 10th convocation of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research that India is about to achieve doctor-population ratio of 1 physician for 1000 population by 2024 and government headed by Narendra Modi is on such mission; as prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO).

Further he stated that “overall, the number of doctors does not address the problem of distribution, skills and locations but nonetheless we have now a trajectory to achieve this great goal which at times looked very illusive”. According to him, India also facing acute shortage of specialists and for example, India need 3 lakh Obstetrics and Gynaecology experts but India has only 60,000 such specialists practicing.

The major challenge in providing effective health care delivery system lies predominantly in our rural areas where the specialists and not even MBBS doctors are instantaneously enthused to settle and practice both due to the lack of infrastructure and rural practice is not that lucrative. In India, even today the greater proportion of health care delivery is being addressed private players than by PHC’s, CHC’s etc.

The efforts of government to achieve the doctor-population ratio as prescribed by the WHO should not cause new set of problems. Government and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare must look for near permanent solution and not quick fix remedy by converting AYUSH vaidyas as equivalent of MBBS doctor through some crash course.

Knowing the brand names of several drugs and broad indications for which such drugs are given is quite easy to acquire. Already many AYUSH vaidyas in private practice, especially some Siddha vaidyas are engaged in cross pathy by having third or fourth hand wisdom from advertisement manuals like CIMS etc.

Treatment of any disease not likes just in prescribing the right medicine, but knowing the nuances of diagnosis and other health aspects of the patient. If the real health condition of the patient is not understood, sometime even the right drug may harm the life of the patient as revealed by the case of Poonam Agarwar’s where an AYUSH vaidya adventures into cross pathy illegally and that resulted in the death of the patient.

Subsequently the Honourable Supreme Court of India defined the term quackery and made cross pathy illegal. Such judgment also vindicated the ultra-virus status of the attempt of CCIM to misinterpret the term integration of modern science as permission to prescribe and practice allopathic drugs by AYUSH vaidyas.

More than doctors to treat various diseases or to offer specialist consultation or surgery, we need experts to provide wellness and health consultations. The present day generation has breached all norms of food discipline, diet, exercise, mind-body balance, and healthy way of life, seasonal re-adjustment of our personal habits, spirituality and humility. Unfortunately our present day life also demands from people to be on their toes as life is full of tension, pressure and anxieties etc.

Time has come the government of India must appropriately use the AYUSH resource to impart moral and health awareness and consciousness among our society. Instead of defining and promoting AYUSH as yet another medical science, AYUSH must be promoted as superb paramedical system essential for health and wellness of every individual. Further the AYUSH recipes must be re-defined as health and wellness preparations so that the Licence Raj for all such products can be removed completely.  

Today the unnecessary licensing norms, the financial burden of both the state and central government in having licensing officers, drug inspectors etc., also can be avoided. 

Essentially most of the AYUSH products use herbs which are reasonably safe or their safety profile is known.

While setting target to achieve the one doctor per 1000 population by 2024, the government also must re-define the role and responsibility of AYUSH system for providing paramedical wellness cum health discipline to our society.

Making our society healthy, conscious of all health titbits and morally and spiritually responsible is equally important as achieving WHO prescription of doctor-population ratio.

We must integrate AYUSH into our moral, philosophical, spiritual and cultural practices than medical science.  Paramedical tag would set the growth of AYUSH possible more effectively than repeatedly describing AYUSH as scientifically proven medical system.

The clear differentiation between AYUSH expert and duly qualified doctor must be made visible and vivid even to the last man in the society.  Similarly the AYUSH vaidyas must be made conscious of the fact that they can serve the society effectively and also can earn their livelihood through engaging in AYUSH practice than cross pathy and resulting in medication health fraud.

Short-cut methods, quick fix solutions and remedial approaches should not be adopted to mitigate the challenge in our health care delivery system or achieving WHO prescription. We must promote the science and philosophy of healthy living than offering plenty of medical experts, drugs and treatment centres, no one would deny the want of such facility.

Bimal Jalan Committee Recommendations: Why it is a step in the right direction but still inadequate

Saurabh Patel
-
0
Bimal Jalan Committee Recommendations: Why it is a step in the right direction but still inadequate

Imagine the horrors if a stingy family patriarch sits on his bank FDs while starving the already malnourished child of the family. An inexplicably unpleasant situation that should never arise you say? Well, then neither should RBI be hoarding excess reserves while the Indian economy stutters to a stand-still with a paucity of investments. Unfortunately, though, we may soon find the usual suspects crying a river over Modi government impinging the sovereignty of institutions with the recent RBI Central Board accepting the recommendations of the Bimal Jalan Committee for surplus transfer to the government.

This acceptance gives the government a bonus transfer of Rs. 86,000 crores over and above the budgeted Rs. 90,000 crores, and hence there are bound to be voices alleging a pliant RBI with a “Modi Man” at its helms bowing down to the government pressure of loosening its purse and compromising the steadfast hawkish stance that a central bank should be taking. There will also be opinions floated that such a step combined with good monsoon can create inflationary pressures and give the government leeway for its ill-thought-out plans like reviving BSNL.

Some of the noise in the guise of “well-founded” concerns is guaranteed to be due to the potential of government’s enhanced spending power creating a stimulus that could derail the fledgeling economic slowdown narrative. It is in this backdrop that it’s imperative to lay bare some facts on the issue:

Independence of RBI: It’s no secret that every Modi appointee has had to face the ire of liberal media as a Sanghi plant. This was true for Urijit Patel who went from being an Ambani mole (damaad?) in the RBI to the epitome of impartiality during the length of his truncated tenure and is also true for Shaktikanta Das who is seen to be more pliant than his predecessor. The current set of recommendations that enables this payout, however, comes from a committee of six experts headed by ex-Governor Bimal Jalan. While we are going to see later in the article how not all the recommendations are music to the Government’s ears, Bimal Jalan himself is anything but a Modi’s Man.

The recommendation: The panel has recommended a range of 5.5%-6.5% of the total balance sheet size to be maintained for Contingent Risk Buffer (CRB). A quick look at the contingency fund (Schedule 3 (i) on page 206) tells us that the reserves RBI holds are already more than sufficient to tide over any rate hike (which will devalue RBI’s current holding of US Bonds) by US Fed, hence at a time when President Trump is asking for rate cut (which will result in a higher valuation of the US bonds we already hold), RBI doesn’t really need to be increasing its Contingency Fund. This means that the proposed CRB range doesn’t warrant the doubts cast by India’s Ex-Chief Statistician here.

Conventional Wisdom: The rule of thumb says corporates borrow in the debt market when they say to see the opportunity to invest in productive assets and earn a return for their shareholders that is higher than the interest paid on that debt. When they do not see such an opportunity, the treasury department of the company distributes the surplus as dividend or parks the fund in low yield safe assets. While the purpose of RBI is not to earn any kind of stipulated return for its shareholders, but if there are opportunities to earn a higher return for the government than the meagre 1-2% coupons of US bonds, by investing in our growing economy’s capital assets, common sense dictates that a part of such reserves can easily be parted with.

Could the Jalan Committee have done more? In a way yes. We see the Currency and Gold Revaluation Account (CGRA) increased from Rs. 5.3 trillion to almost Rs. 7.0 trillion years on year for 2018 (Schedule 3 (i) on page 206). The CGRA reserve is created as a provision to safeguard against any drastic devaluation in the US dollar (or gold) reserves we hold. The committee has observed that this reserve once created cannot be cancelled to be used as a payout to the government. In their words –

“There was only a one-way fungibility (between them) which implies that while a shortfall, if any, in revaluation balances vis-à-vis market risk provisioning requirements could be met through increased risk provisioning from net income, the reverse, i.e., the use of surplus in revaluation balances over market risk provisioning requirements for covering shortfall in provisions for other risks is not permitted.”

This essentially means the reserves (which already have ballooned to an amount which may not be justified given the stability in US economy) is going to keep on increasing till there is a next committee that realises and accepts (to the policy hawk’s chagrin) that we might be being over cautious. But that remains a battle for another time.

For now, we can sit back and hope the government utilises the funds to tide over the NBFC crisis and recapitalise our battered banks, which will result in a much-needed credit offtake revitalising private sector investments.

1...532533534...889Page 533 of 889