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Will Rajinikanth’s entry into politics kill the Dravidian parties?

Naagesh Padmanaban
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Will Rajinikanth’s entry into politics kill the Dravidian parties?

The political situation currently obtaining in Tamil Nadu is akin to a rudderless ship lost in a stormy sea. The splits in the ruling AIADMK, the naked power struggles among the feuding groups, the holding of MLAs at secret resorts, cancellation of the bypoll for the deceased chief minister’s constituency due to corruption, income tax raids on an incumbent state Chief Secretary and more – all have only made a laughing stock of the state.

With all the drama and breaking news going on, the governance of the state does not appear to be on the agenda for the ruling party leaders. The state had a 62% deficit in monsoon rainfall as of December 2016. Further, the shortfall in Cauvery water receipts in 2016 has adversely impacted samba crop. The state’s own revenue (SOR) has shown sluggish growth thanks to years of populist schemes and handouts. The current state budget (2017-18) has a 2.9% revenue deficit i.e. of almost Rs. 16,000 crores. The government seems blissfully oblivious of the looming economic uncertainty as they are busy fighting for their political survival.

After the passing away of Jayalalitha, under circumstances still shrouded in mystery, the state is largely on administrative paralysis. The cause for this paralysis is only partly due to the splintering of the ruling AIADMK. The real culprit is the larger political and administrative ecosystem that has atrophied over the decades. The slow grind of the state has been long in coming. It is in this context of the state’s uneasy economic outlook and political disarray that the entry of film star Rajinikanth assumes significance.

But a brief review of the Dravidian politics over the last few decades that has eaten into the vitals of the state, will throw light on how the future is likely to play out. Dravidian politics as we see today, is a brain child of the old British divide and rule policy and has been spreading venom for decades disguised as a political ideology in south India. Based on the flawed and scientifically discarded Aryan invasion theory, it sought to divide the people into Dravidians or natives and non-Dravidians for short-term electoral gains. Regional separatism, anti-Hindi movement, rationalist movement etc. were thrown in to buttress this bogus ideology.

The resulting cocktail was in essence an unadulterated anti-national and anti-Hindu manifesto whose sole purpose was to fracture the polity and keep the divisions alive. The regimes of that two main Dravidian parties – that proffered varying shades of the above bogus ideology – is a shameless narrative of corruption, deception, loot, extortion, illicit businesses, voter fraud and what have you. It was a complete web of dishonesty that masqueraded as political ideology, very much like the case in any other state in India.

The people who have long been desperately yearning for a genuine alternative, were only given a Hobson’s choice – choosing between the lesser of two evils. The obvious casualty, over the years, has been the governance of the state. As a consequence, Tamil Nadu is today punching way below its weight in many areas nationally – infrastructure, healthcare, agricultural, digitization, GSDP or for that matter any developmental metric.

The ruling AIADMK dispensation is a house divided against itself and it is only a matter of time before it collapses like a house of cards. At the other end, the leading opposition party – the DMK is also in its last innings as a political entity. The party veteran, Karunanidhi, is 94 years old and in extremely poor health and unable to keep the party united. After Karunanidhi, political pundits expect a potential three-way split – one faction led by Stalin, the other by Alagiri and the rest by his daughter Kanimozhi together with party loyalists who would have nowhere else to go.

Apart from the steady erosion of public support due to anti-incumbency, it appears that the clean sweep by the BJP in the national elections of 2014 seems to have added to their discomfiture. The massive mandate in favor of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh is also a frightening development for the Dravidian parties since they know that the BJP is at their door steps.

But for the BJP, Fort St George in Chennai is still some distance away. It may have to wait its turn to run the state. For a safe entry, they have to tag along with a charismatic leader who is blessed with a mass appeal who can open the doors for them. Hence it makes perfect political sense for the BJP to align with Rajinikanth, at least for the time being or until he formally joins them.

Despite the shrill noises and entry barriers erected by the entrenched parties, Rajinikanth’s entry into politics has been widely welcomed. Many view it as probably the best thing that has happened to the state politics in decades.

However, Rajinikanth too will not have an easy path to the Chief Minister’s office. No doubt, in the current political conditions, he is a very charismatic leader who commands the biggest chunk of followers – hence votes – and could potentially emerge as the leader of the single largest party. But he has the onerous task of outwitting the entrenched political rivals. This could be a major challenge.

But therein lies the opportunity for the BJP to step in and assist Rajinikanth, at least in the initial days of its long war to win the rights to rule Tamil Nadu. A formal alliance between Rajinikanth and BJP could hold the secret recipe for winning the election. Indications are that either Rajinikanth will join the BJP or form a party that will firmly align with the BJP. The latter seems most probable. However, a lot will depend on how the BJP and Rajinikanth succeed in putting up a good partnership.

A change definitely seems in the offing, but only after the Presidential elections. The central government will probably give some more time for the rudderless AIADMK to make a complete fool of themselves and earn the fullest disgust of the people. President’s rule in Tamil Nadu will be imposed most likely a few months after electing the new President of India.

Decimation of the Dravidian parties appears certain and may be just around the corner. But the urgent need of the hour is the rebuilding of the state’s economy, particularly the agricultural sector. A huge challenge awaits the new Chief Minister. Rajinikanth will have the opportunity to transform and rebuild a new and resurgent TamilNadu.

“Nehru Conspiracy” & Dr. Mookerjee’s death

Ashish Shukla
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“Nehru Conspiracy” & Dr. Mookerjee’s death

Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee’s death which falls on Friday (June 23, 1953), and which Atal Bihari Vajpayee termed as “Nehru Conspiracy” was as turbulent as his heroic life.

The founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the precursor to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dr. Mookerjee had been arrested and kept without medical care in degrading conditions for over a month in Srinagar in May-June 1953  by the Sheikh Abdullah’s J & K government,

Despite his known heart condition which the rarefied air of Kashmir didn’t help, Dr. Mookerjee was finally offered the care of a hospital just a couple of days before his death—shifted in a small jeep instead of an ambulance and was kept in a gynecology ward, according to present BJP president Amit Shah- and administered penicillin injection despite his protestations that he was allergic to it, as BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asserted in a TV show, citing evidence of an eyewitness.

Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru refused to entertain a written appeal of Dr. Mookerjee’s mother for an impartial inquiry as she believed her son’s death was a murder as the family members hadn’t been allowed to meet him during his long confinement—nor his two companions allowed to visit him—apparently illegal for it was done without a formal, legal trial.

Dr. Mookerjee had decided to take on the prevailing political situation in Kashmir where the state not only had its own constitution, it’s own flag but even it’s own Prime Minister (Sheikh Abdullah) whose permission was necessary for other citizens of the country to enter the state! Dr. Mookerjee’s war-cry that “Ek Desh Mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan aur Do Nishan Nahin Chalenge” (One nation can’t have two constitutions, two Prime Ministers and two Flags) would resonate for decades to come.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the future Prime Minister, who had partly accompanied Dr. Mookerjee in that fatal march to Srinagar as a journalist, insisted it was a conspiracy to let Dr. Mookerjee enter Srinagar so as he could then be incarcerated and dealt with severely. As Vajpayee was to recall: “Later, we came to know that J & K government and Nehru government had entered into a conspiracy, as per which it was decided that Dr. Mookerjee would be allowed to enter J & K but not be allowed to leave.”

Dr. M.S. Gowalkar, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur, in a premonitory caution, had warned Dr. Mookerjee that he was putting his life to risk.

The academicians and historians over the years have provided several clues to Nehru’s antipathy towards Dr. Mookerjee who was his colleague in independent India’s first cabinet as industry minister not long ago.

However, three years into his job as a Union minister, Dr. Mookherjee had resigned on April 8, 1950 against the Nehru-Liaqat Pact. In Indologist Dr. Koenraad Elst’s words, the Pact was an “unequal treaty in which Nehru promised Pakistani Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan not to interfere in the treatment of the minority Hindus across the border, even while the latter were suffering large-scale atrocities in East Bengal.” The Indian part of the Pact didn’t hold water as a stable communal cease-fire had descended on India after the day of Gandhi’s murder.

Dr. Mookerjee was often at crossroads with Indian National Congress (INC) during the Freedom Struggle, including Quit India Movement (1942), which he didn’t support along with the Hindu Mahasabha of which he was a part.

Critics cite it as proof of Dr. Mookerjee and Hindu Mahasabha’s corrosive role in India’s freedom struggle. However a contrary view is that Hindu Mahasabha suspected Congress to have a “Muslim-appeasement policy” with no regard to the concern and well-being of the Hindus. They believed Quit India Movement was no better than a vent to let out the frustrations of Indians and was as phoney as the “non-cooperation” and “civil disobedience” movement. None of these achieved their objectives and were fake movements.

Dr. Mookerjee’s role in the partition of Bengal into West Bengal and East Pakistan is glorious beyond words. When the Muslim League government of Bengal in 1946 had butchered and raped minority Hindus by several thousands during the “Great Calcutta Killings” and “Noakhali Riots” of a genocidal nature, Mookherjee had championed the cause of Bengal partition so as Hindus could be safe in West Bengal rather than be subjected to genocide in East Pakistan. The Bengal Muslim League and its leader Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy had earlier sought to create an un-partitioned, an independent Bengal state—which won’t be part of either India or Pakistan! Suhrawardy was conscious that with its coal mines and jute mills, as well as Calcutta and its mighty port, would all go to Hindu-majority West Bengal.

The calamity of great Bengal famine of 1943 which cost 38 lakh lives also saw Dr. Mookerjee at his best. He led the Relief Coordination Committee which set up 5000 relief kitchens for famine-stricken people. He had then hit out at Food Minister of Bengal, Suharawardy, and his business friend Ispahani, with these words: “Bengal has not seen greater acts of official crime in its long history.”

Dr. Mookerjee, born on July 6, 1901, was also an illustrious scholar and became vice-chancellor of Calcutta University at the age of 33, like his father Ashutosh Mookerjee once was. Dr. Mookerjee was part of Congress and a member of the Bengal legislative assembly in 20s and 30s. Disillusioned by Congress and its policies against Hindus, he had joined the Hindu Mahasabha in 1939.

Dr. Mookerjee’s speech at Banaras Hindu University in 1940 is still relevant today:

“If I have understood the history of my country alright, a pacifism that refuses to take up arms against injustice and makes one a passive spectator of oppression and aggression, does not represent the real teaching of India…

“Disruptive forces are at work within the country itself…A divided India was always a prey to the foreign invader from the days of Alexander and Mahmud of Ghazni to those of Vasco de Gama, Dupleix and Clive.

“There is much disharmony and disunity in India today. Communal differences have taken such an acute turn that fanatic claims for the vivisection of our Motherland are widely asserted.”

These words ring a bell even today.

आम जनता से वसूले गए टैक्स पर हो रही है नेताओं की मौज

RAJEEV GUPTA
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आम जनता से वसूले गए टैक्स पर हो रही है नेताओं की मौज

समय समय पर सरकार, सरकार के मंत्री और सरकारी विज्ञापन जनता को यह नसीहत देते नज़र आते हैं कि लोग अपने हिस्से का टैक्स जमा करते रहें. “पर उपदेश कुशल बहुतेरे” की तर्ज़ पर दी गयी इस नसीहत के पीछे सरकार का तर्क यह होता है कि इस टैक्स के रूप में वसूली हुई रकम से ही सरकार और सरकार की योजनाएं चलती हैं. जहां एक तरफ सरकार देश की आम जनता से टैक्स वसूली पर जरूरत से ज्यादा जोर देती दिख रही है, वहीं खुद राजनेता बिना कोई टैक्स दिए किस तरह से जनता से वसूले गए टैक्स पर मौज काट रहे हैं, उसे देख-सुनकर आप हैरान हो जाएंगे.

भ्रष्ट राजनेताओं और अफसरों ने देश के टैक्स कानून इस तरह से बनाये हुए हैं, कि मध्यम वर्ग जनता और व्यापारी हमेशा टैक्स की मार झेलते रहें और भ्रष्ट नेताओं और अफसरों की हमेशा ही मौज लगी रहे. आइए देखे नेताओं और अफसरों द्वारा रची गयी इस साज़िश को कानूनी रूप देकर किस तरह से जनता को लगातार लूटा जा रहा है:

[१] आयकर कानून की धारा १०(१) के तहत कृषि से होने वाली आमदनी को पूरी तरह से आयकर कानून के दायरे से बाहर रखा गया है. सरकार दिखावा यह करती है कि वह किसानों की हितैषी है और किसानों को आयकर के दायरे से बाहर रखना चाहती है. लेकिन हकीकत इसके बिलकुल विपरीत है. देश की ज्यादातर कृषि भूमि पर भ्रष्ट नेताओं और अफसरों ने कब्जा किया हुआ है और वे सब के सब “नकली किसान” बनकर अपने सारे काले धन को “कृषि से होने वाली आमदनी ” दिखाकर उसे सफ़ेद धन बनाने में पिछले ७० सालों से लगे हुए हैं. कृषि से होने वाली आमदनी को आयकर के दायरे से बाहर रखने की सिर्फ यही वजह है, और कोई नहीं.

[२] आयकर कानून की धारा 10(13A ) के तहत सभी राजनीतिक पार्टियों को मिलने वाले सभी तरह के चंदे और सभी तरह की आमदनी पूरी तरह से आयकर के दायरे से बाहर रखी गयी है.

[३] आयकर कानून की धारा १०(१७) के तहत सभी विधायकों और संसद सदस्यों को मिलने वाले भत्तों को भी पूरी तरह आयकर के दायरे से बाहर रखा गया है.

गौर करने वाली बात यह है कि जिस आमदनी पर ऊंची दरों पर आयकर लगना चाहिए, उसे तो पूरी तरह से आयकर के दायरे से बाहर कर दिया गया है और जिस मध्यम वर्ग जनता को टैक्स में राहत मिलनी चाहिए, उसके पीछे सरकार और सरकार के अधिकारी हाथ धोकर पीछे पड़े हुए हैं. सरकार आज की तारीख में जिस तरह से इनकम टैक्स मध्यम वर्गीय जनता और व्यापारियों से वसूल रही है, अगर उसी तरह से टैक्स की वसूली नेताओं और अफसरों से भी करनी शुरू कर दे तो टैक्स से होने वाली सरकारी आमदनी में लगभग दस गुना इज़ाफ़ा हो सकता है.

पर सबसे बड़ा सवाल यह है कि भ्रष्ट नेताओं और अफसरों का यह जो गठजोड़ इस देश में पिछले ७० सालों से चल रहा है, क्या वह कभी ऐसा होने देगा? सभी राजनीतिक पार्टियां और उनके नेता इस लूट पर पिछले ७० सालों से पूरी तरह खामोश हैं और सब इस बात पर सहमत लगते हैं कि यह लूट आगे भी चलती रहनी चाहिए. काले धन को ख़त्म करने पर ज़ुबानी जमा खर्च करने वाली सरकारें ,आयकर कानून से क्या उन धाराओं को हटाने का साहस कभी कर पाएंगी, जिनकी वजह से देश में सबसे अधिक काला धन पैदा हो रहा है ? अभी तक तो मोदी सरकार ने भी इस दिशा में कोई कदम नहीं उठाया है.

(लेखक चार्टर्ड अकाउंटेंट हैं और टैक्स मामलों के एक्सपर्ट हैं.)

Identity in crisis

wishwalker
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Identity in crisis

This is something which has been playing on my mind for a while now, after observing a general pattern of political discourse mainly on the Indian Social Media, blogs or forums. There are groups of people who are finding it difficult to wholeheartedly identify with the nation they live in, or they want to see it from the eyes of a particular social group only. Examples of such crisis are some Kashmiri, few Naga tribes in the East, and some vile communists have recently been observed calling for “DravidaNadu” a new non-existent identity they want to forge! Then, ever since the partition, there is this perpetual tension with the country’s largest minority of Muslims (who by the way comprise a very diverse set of people, and are not a monolith as imagined).

There is also the whole other dimension of caste, out of which the Dalit & tribal cause is the most noteworthy one. There are some very radical Dalit outfits, who can be found demanding land as per the population percentage, but it would be wrong to club Dalits here as most of their demands are for social affirmation, and not a problem of identity or belonging.

These sorts of cranky but isolated voices are not uncommon though and are present in most of the world, in different forms, so there is no need to excessively obsess about them. They feed more on attention. In a curious case, a group of farmers/militants in the state of Oregon in US, wanted freedom from the federal government last year, and made a final stand against the government! (Read about the short lived revolt here)

But, where is this sense of not belonging, not identifying with the larger Indian identity arising from? Why is it that even today, there are elements among India’s Muslims, no matter how minuscule, who burst crackers on the country’s defeat in a cricket match against Pakistan? Some of it can be blamed on history, more so on the way colonial designs played out in the nation’s past. Even more can be blamed on the failures of the successive governments since Independence, of not addressing any of the underlying social faults effectively; in fact some of them can be accused of doing more harm to it by their collective omissions and lies, ably assisted by the elitist intellectual cabal of India.

If you really go to the depth of it, it’s all about building a narrative that suits you. A fragmented image of India suits the narrative of the left, they need victims to thrive – to show all those oodles of empathy, the saviors, and blind you with their blazing righteousness. So, they are constantly in search for newer and more exotic victims. I call it left’s victimphila, and this is true across the world. That hyping every incident for petty politics leads to exceeding alienation among these very weaker sections of society is of no concern to them.

It also suits agenda of certain socio-religious groups, like the increasing foreign funding for evangelical missionary work among the Dalits for a better “soul harvest”, which can work well if you instill some level of perceived hatred against another group; it is rarely a spiritual transformation that they aim for. Ultimately, all of these created perceptions and highlighted divisions are played upon by the left to gain sympathy and power, and implement their own agenda, an “Idea” of India, which for them is a paper concept as defined by them. On the face of it, leftism was about demolishing all traditional identities, and create one classless, non-sectarian identity, but in practice, it only leads to creation of more & more alienated groups. Many of these fault lines, and the role of agenda driven organisations in their exacerbation have been covered in the book Breaking India by Rajiv Malhotra.

Now, what narrative does the Right have to make it all work? Their case is simpler. They make the argument that culturally, there is a common base from which the entire Indian Civilization has arose. Genetics has already proved that most Indians have native ancestry, for many thousand years. This includes all of the minority population as well. Even going by the Aryan “Conspiracy” theory (final nail would be the Rakhigarhi ancient DNA), for the sake of argument, 4000 years is a good enough time to mix up and establish nativity. Up until 2500 years ago, humans on British Isles were just hunting and gathering!

So, secondary to the personal faith or the choice of “God” and the way of worship, or the regional biases of language and ethnicity or caste, is the identity as a citizen of this nation, which for Indian nationalists is a living civilization, metaphorically like a mother, on whose lap we learnt our languages, honed our culinary skills, and formed most of our customs. They see this shared heritage as the ultimate identifier & their goal is to downplay any sub-identities, and make people feel part of that larger continuing story, with small role of everyone that went into it’s making. They tend to prefer icons who stood for defending native traditions. This whole concept has been, not suavely enough for many, encapsulated in the concept of Hindutva. How much of this degenerates into extreme traditionalism is a thing to watch out for.

And then this interminable tussle between the two goes on, and actually works against each other all the time, like the yin and the yang. This also leads to a constant tension in the society, which hampers the whole nation’s happiness quotient. If I be truly idealistic and philosophical, I’d say that even nationalities and any sub-identities don’t matter in front of equality of man. That’s the ultimate ideal, that every life is equal, but that would be too much of a dreamworld! It’s for the people to decide on what do they see themselves as, and the best course for this ship of the sovereign Republic they’re sailing.

Jammu Kashmir: Victim of misinformation and lack of information

Dr. Pankaj Gupta
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Jammu Kashmir: Victim of misinformation and lack of information

The problem of Jammu and Kashmir is the result of spreading of selective information, or in more precise words presenting the manipulated information, so that it will keep the majority in dark and benefit a few. The problem is not only of misinformation but it is a clear case of backstabbing that has been perpetuated by few disgruntled people to meet their own myopic ambitions. Specially, Kashmir, which is called ‘the heaven on earth’, has been marred by the continuous struggle, which has been manifested sometimes in the form of arms struggle or, as presently, stone-pelting.

The venom against the secular and democratic country i.e. India, of which J&K is a part, has been instilled among the youth of the valley because of which they despise their own country. The dubious Azadi slogan is raised in the valley to instill fear and anger against India. It is essential to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir has been an integral part of India. Even before India’s independence the state was very much part of India and culturally and historically quite significant for it. The entire Bharat, inclusive of today’s Pakistan, was governed by Britishers with 65% of Bharat was directly ruled by Britishers and the remaining 35% was the princely state, which were under the treaties with the British, and J&K was one such princely state at that time. It is important to mention here that the concept of British India and princely states were administrative mechanisms and both were under the administrative control of Britishers.

At the time of independence, British India was partitioned into two dominions, viz. India and Pakistan, due to certain people, belonging to one religion, bent upon creating two nations on communal lines. Since, there was no provision of remaining independent as per Indian Independence Act, the princely states had only option was to choose either of the two dominions, through the instrument of accession. It was a standard instrument of accession that was used in the case of J&K, like any other princely state.

It was on 26 October, 1947 that the instrument of accession was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh, the then Maharaja of the State. On 27th October, 1947 Mountbatten, the then Governor General of India, signified the IOA and J&K became legally a part of India. The State of J&K was spread in a geographical area of 2,22,236 sq. km. at the time of independence. Now, a major portion of this state has been illegally occupied by Pakistan and China. The state is strategically important as it shares boundaries with Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and Tibet. It has been traditionally a vital route for commercial activities and it was used in spreading our culture in Asia and Europe.

The country India is renowned for her unique features in the form of land, flora and fauna, and also people following the divergent religious faith.  It has 29 states and 7 union territories that have been inhabited by the people of different religious beliefs and practices. Some of these states are rich in terms of natural landscapes and other tourist and religious destinations. One such state is Jammu & Kashmir, which is famous for its mesmerizing natural beauty. Apart from this, the state is also blessed with a number of holy shrines in Jammu and the Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh. Vaishno Devi and Amarnath are two most revered religious places that observe the influx of Lakhs of Hindus every year. Also, Gulmarg, in Kashmir is famous for its mountainous beauty and ski resort. It is the summer capital of the state whereas Jammu is the winter capital of the state. The entire state is so fascinating that a lot many people may wish to visit the state again and again.

This beautiful state was the princely state, which acceded to India, after independence, through a legal instrument. At present, some parts of the state have been illegally usurped by Pakistan and China. The state is historically, geographically and culturally important for India. I think it is important to understand the historical facts of this state to understand the wrongs that had happened and how they are being misused by certain miscreants, who are spoiling the beauty of this state and its people.

After accession of J&K to India, Sheikh Abdullah, the then Prime Minister of J&K anointed by Maharaja Hari Singh to administer the affairs of the state, backstabbed him. He was a political opportunist who wanted to keep the state of affairs into his own hands. He wanted to dethrone the Maharaja and was succeeded in getting the things done the way he wanted to do. It is unfortunate that Maharaja Hari Singh was to be credited to include J&K with Bharat yet due credit has not been given to him for it.

It is also unfortunate that the wishes of Sheikh Abdullah, who had spread the venom against India, were accepted by our then Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. He accepted many unconstitutional things through Nehru-Sheikh accord in 1952. A few of these things were election of governor in the state rather president of India appointing him, prime minister and governor of the state would be called Wazir-e-Azam and Sadr-e-Riyasat, J&K will have separate flag than India, Supreme Court of India will not have jurisdiction in the state, no Indian IAS and IPS for the state etc. which clearly manifest the appeasement policy being adopted by Nehru.

Also, Article 370 was a temporary provision and the constituent assembly debated it as draft Article 306 A. Article 370, is one of the controversial and mostly misused constitutional provision in the Indian history. The provision of 370 was included in Indian constitution as a temporary provision yet even today this Article is there in the constitution. Even today, the issue has been unresolved due to past mishandling and submission to the wishes of only one man.

Though the said Article itself reads as “Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir” yet it is quite unfortunate that the State constituent assembly got dissolved without abrogating this controversial provision. It is also unfortunate that the democracy is being compromised since India’s independence. The secular fabric, that has been an integral feature of the country, has been severely affected by not timely abrogating the temporary constitutional provision. This provision has not only affecting the development of the state but also keeping the innocent Kashmiris in limbo.

Presently, 1,01,387 sq. kms of geographical area of Jammu & Kashmir is administered by India, which is comprised of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladak regions. Out of these three regions Ladak is one of the biggest among them, and it is a Buddhist majority region, but having only one Lok Sabha seat and four state assembly seats. Jammu on the other hand, is the second largest region, and it is a Hindu majority region, having a total number of 37 state assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats. Lastly, Kashmir, the smallest region, and has Muslim majority population, yet it has a total number of 46 state assembly seats and 3 Lok sabha seats. It is unfortunate that the fate of the entire state is decided by only a few handful ill-minded people. The appeasement policy that has been adopted by the then central government can be gauged from the fact the centre of power was kept with two families only.

It is the irony that Pakistan has been found on religious lines and illegally occupied the part of J&K, and it wants to divide India on communal lines again. Also to meet its vicious agenda, it actively supports the separatists in the valley. It is also a known fact that there are certain groups, which are sympathetic to Pakistan and wanted the integration of Kashmir with it. It is important to understand that the entire Kashmir valley is not a problematic area but only five districts i.e. Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Shopian, and Pulwama are problematic. Also, not the entire population is anti-India but a few handful people, who instigate the otherwise innocent people of the valley.

These people receive funds from Pakistan. It is quite unfortunate to see that the separatists do not engage their own children or their kins into the separation agenda and the innocent people are used as expendables. Such things are clear as various videos (sting operations) are in public domain. They lure the innocent Kashmiris to support their (separatists) vicious ambitions. It is quite unfortunate that the state that has legally acceded to India, through a legal instrument, is still a matter of debate and a few people with vested interest are trying to make it an issue for debate.

The Azadi hypocrites, whether in Kashmir or in any other part of India, are bent upon provoking the youth. And if someone understands their tricks and follow the developmental path, he/ she will be brutally murdered the way Lt. Ummer Fayaz, a resident of Kulgam, was murdered. But the time has been changing and the youth of Kashmir are coming out of the clutches of the traitors. We only need to have a dialogue with Kashmiri youth to correct their misconceptions about history and the present situation.

आहार से उपजे विचार ही शिशु के व्यक्तित्व को बनाते हैं

डॉ नीलम महेंद्र
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आहार से उपजे विचार ही शिशु के व्यक्तित्व को बनाते हैं

भारत सरकार के आयुष मन्त्रालय द्वारा हाल ही में गर्भवती महिलाओं के लिए कुछ सुझाव दिए गए हैं जिसमें कहा गया है कि गर्भावस्था के दौरान गर्भवती महिलाओं को माँस के सेवन एवं सेक्स से दूर रहना चाहिए।

इस विषय पर जब आधुनिक विज्ञान के डाक्टरों से उनके विचार माँगे गए तो उनका कहना था कि गर्भावस्था में महिला अपनी उसी दिनचर्या के अनुरूप जीवन जी सकती है जिसका पालन वह गर्भावस्था से पूर्व करती आ रही थी। अगर शारीरिक रूप से वह स्वस्थ है तो गर्भावस्था उसके जीवन जीने में कोई पाबंदी या बंदिशें लेकर नहीं आती।

आधुनिक चिकित्सा विज्ञान की सबसे बड़ी समस्या यह ही है कि वह इस मानव शरीर के केवल भौतिक स्वरूप को ही स्वीकार करता है और इसी कारण चिकित्सा भी केवल भौतिक शरीर की ही करता है।

जबकि भारतीय चिकित्सा पद्धति ही नहीं भारतीय दर्शन में भी मानव शरीर उसके भौतिक स्वरूप से कहीं बढ़कर है। जहाँ आधुनिक चिकित्सा विज्ञान में स्वास्थ्य की कोई निश्चित परिभाषा नहीं है, वह रोग के आभाव को ही स्वास्थ्य मानता है उसके अनुसार स्वस्थ व्यक्ति वह है जिसके शरीर में बीमारियों का आभाव है और शायद इसीलिए अभी भी ऐसे अनेक प्रश्न हैं जिनके उत्तर वैज्ञानिक आज तक खोज रहे हैं।

लेकिन भारतीय चिकित्सा पद्धति की अगर बात करें तो आयुर्वेद में स्वास्थ्य के विषय में कहा गया है,
समदोषा: समाग्निश्च समधातु मलक्रिय:।
प्रसन्नात्मेन्द्रियमन: स्वस्थ इत्यभिधीयते।।
अर्थात जिस मनुष्य के शरीर में सभी दोष अग्नि धातु मल एवं शारीरिक क्रियाएँ समान रूप से संचालित हों तथा उसकी आत्मा शरीर तथा मन प्रसन्नचित्त हों इस स्थिति को स्वास्थ्य कहते हैं और ऐसा मनुष्य स्वस्थ कहलाता है।

1948 में विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन ने भी स्वास्थ्य या आरोग्य की परिभाषा देते हुए कहा है कि, “दैहिक, मानसिक और सामाजिक रूप से पूर्णतः स्वस्थ होना ही स्वास्थ्य है”। कुल मिलाकर सार यह है कि मानव शरीर केवल एक भौतिक देह नहीं है वह उससे बढ़कर बहुत कुछ है क्योंकि आत्मा और मन के अभाव में इस शरीर को शव कहा जाता है।

और जब एक स्त्री शरीर में नवजीवन का अंकुर फूटता है तो माँ और बच्चे का संबंध केवल शारीरिक नहीं होता।

आज विभिन्न अनुसंधानों के द्वारा यह सिद्ध हो चुका है कि हम जो भोजन करते हैं उससे हम न सिर्फ शारीरिक पोषण प्राप्त करते हैं अपितु हमारे विचारों को भी खुराक इसी भोजन से मिलती है। जैसा आहार हम ग्रहण करते हैं वैसा ही व्यक्तित्व हमारा बनता है। इसलिए चूँकि गर्भावस्था के दौरान शिशु माता के ही द्वारा पोषित होता है जो भोजन माँ खाएगी शिशु के व्यक्तित्व एवं विचार उसी भोजन के अनुरूप हो होंगे

इसी संदर्भ में महाभारत का एक महत्वपूर्ण प्रसंग का उल्लेख यहाँ उचित होगा कि किस प्रकार महाभारत में अभिमन्यु को चक्रव्यूह के भीतर जाने का रास्ता तो पता था लेकिन बाहर निकलने का नहीं क्योंकि जब अर्जुन सुभद्रा को चक्व्यूह की रचना और उसे भेदने की कला समझा रहे थे तो वे अन्त में सो गई थीं।

इसलिए माँ गर्भावस्था के दौरान कैसा आहार विहार रखती है कौन सा साहित्य पढ़ती है या फिर किस प्रकार के विचार एवं आचरण रखती है वो शिशु के ऊपर निश्चित ही प्रभाव डालते हैं।

जिस प्रकार माता पिता के रूप और गुण बालक में जीन्स के द्वारा पीढ़ी दर पीढ़ी स्थानांतरित होते हैं उसी प्रकार गर्भावस्था में माँ का आहार विहार भी शिशु के व्यक्तित्व विकास में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान देते हैं। प्रकृती में भी किसी बीज के अंकुरित होने में मिट्टी में पाए जाने वाले पोषक तत्वों एवं जलवायु की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका होती है। इसलिए गर्भावस्था किसी महिला के लिए कोई पाबंदी या बंदिशें बेशक लेकर नहीं आती।

हाँ लेकिन (अगर वह समझें तो) एक अवसर और जिम्मेदारी निश्चित रूप से लेकर आती है कि अपने भीतर पोषित होने वाले जीव के व्यक्तित्व निर्माण में अपनी महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका और उसकी गंभीरता को समझें। क्योंकि यह जीव जब इस दुनिया में प्रवेश करेगा तो न सिर्फ उसके जीवन का अपितु उस समाज का, इस देश का भी हिस्सा बनेगा।

भरत को एक ऐसा वीर बालक बनाने में जिसके नाम से इस देश को नाम मिला उनकी माँ शकुन्तला का ही योगदान था। शिवाजी की वीर छत्रपति शिवाजी बनाने वाली जीजाबाई ही थीं।

तो ईश्वर ने स्त्री को सृजन करने की शक्ति केवल एक शिशु के भौतिक शरीर की नहीं उसके व्यक्तित्व के सृजन की भी दी है। आवश्यकता स्त्री को अपनी शक्ति पहचानने की है।

How Express “curated’” Roy’s tweet

Ashish Shukla
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How Express “curated’” Roy’s tweet

Indian Express could barely suppress its glee and smirk when today it front-paged a tweet by Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy which stated that “Hindu-Muslim problem won’t be solved without a Civil War.” (see the image below).

The front-page story was neatly curated. The report omitted that Roy had mentioned “The Great Calcutta Killings’ of August 1946 and the “Noakhali Hindu Genocide” of October 1946 as a backgrounder to the tweeted quote.

What Express needed to do was to dwell on these two tragic incidents of pre-Independent India and not take the tweets out of context.

About “The Great Calcutta Killings” it would’ve surely found out in Wikipedia that the call for “Direct Action Day” on August 16, 1946 in Kolkata by the Muslim League, in order to secure partition, “resulted in 4,000 dead within 72 hours in Calcutta.”

That the “Noakhali Hindu Genocide” began on October 10, 1946 and left “more than 5,000 Hindus killed.” Further, “Hundreds of Hindu women were raped and thousands of Hindu men and women were forcibly converted to Islam.” That Hindus were forced to pay subscriptions to the Muslim League and Jiziyah, the protection tax paid by Dhimmis in an Islamic state.”

It would’ve prevented Express from appearing sensationalist and mischievous if it had informed the readers that Hindus were in a minority in Bengal in 1946 which was then being run by the Muslim League. But perhaps to put out these facts would have hurt the agenda of making Roy appear as one seeking a Civil War between Hindus and Muslims in the country.

Roy ostensibly had tweeted in relation to the incendiary situation in Bengal where violence against Hindus has often been reported in recent times, including attacks when the community celebrates its major festivals such as Durga Puja. Muslims receive a preferential treatment. The incidents in Darjeeling has further stoked fires. Such tweets from a son of the soil that Roy is, reflects his anguish. Instead of projecting him as an extremist, it was worthy to analyse why a distinguished scholar of Roy’s stature, if not a celebrated engineer, had chosen to tweet so.

Even in relation to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, Express could’ve found out that all he wanted was to stop a repeat of these violent acts against Hindus and ensure that Bengal was partitioned so that the two communities could live in their own spheres without bloodshed. His ceaseless effort finally led to the creation of East Pakistan and West Bengal.  Mookherjee had sought the Bengal partition to avoid the “Civil War” which had looked a reality in those dark days of 1946.

News reports such as these could incite communal violence and  endanger the lives of millions, if not outright break-up of India. It’s time the Press Council of India, if not the laws of the land, take a definitive stand on this mischief and call off this dangerous game. To stoke the fear of one community and project another as seeking violence through their leaders, all on the basis of “curated” tweets, is criminal and seditious.

And when the accusation of “muzzling the freedom of Press in India” comes in the wake of a punitive action, it ought to be a badge of honour shared by all conscientious citizens of this country.

Presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind announcement triggers media meltdown

Atma Desai
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Presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind announcement triggers media meltdown

Just the way “Why did Kattappa killed Bahubali” was catching nation’s interest; “Who will be next president” was much speculated in last few months. There were many names floated including Mohan Bhagwat, Sushma Swaraj, Venkiah Naidu, Rajaneekant, Draupadi Murmu, M S Swaminathan, TV Mohan Pai, Sudha Murthy, etc. Each one of them have excelled in their selected field and have managed to carve themselves high regard in public life. However BJP choose Ramnath Kovind as presidential candidate.

My first thought was who is Ramnath Kovind? He is 71-year-old leader from BJP. Born on October 1, 1945 in Kanpur, UP.  He has commerce & law degree from Kanpur university. Practiced law in high court & supreme court. He was also PS to ex-prime minister Morarjee Desai, Rajya sabha member from 1994 for 12 years. He has also represented India in United nations.  Served several boards including IIM, Kolkatta. He belongs to Dalit community, he was president of BJP Dalit Morcha 1998 -2002. On Aug 2015 he was appointed as governor of Bihar.

Now let’s look at what is the eligibility criteria for president post in India? Article 58 of the Indian Constitution says that the presidential candidate must:

  • Be a citizen of India.
  • Have completed the age of thirty-five years.
  • Be qualified for elections as a member of the Lok Sabha.
  • Not hold any office of profit under the Union or any State government, or any local or other authority.

On above note, Ramnath candidature seems fairly well. Lets look at media reaction. Few prominent journalists were giving their first reaction, in the hurry they compared Ramnathan Kovind to Pratibha Patil! Agree both weren’t famous but media people are conveniently forgetting Mrs Patil’s alleged corruption case. On the contrary there was nothing to pin point against Mr. Ramanathan. There is no discussion on merit of his nomination. Just sledging in the name of freedom of expression.

Media picks only Dalit card to dismiss the BJP nomination. Where is research to go beyond obvious? Rather than creating conductive environment around president election they are in feeding their biases through the media. But as expected once again mainstream media shows blatant hate against BJP. Thus they are failing themselves.

With Ram Kovind nomination BJP has outsmart opposition. He has positive feedback from Nitish Kumar government, being UP dalit BJP has answered all the supporters of Bhim Army, Mayawati, Akhilesh and ilk. TRS, BJD have already extended support for BJP nomination. Couple of opposition are buying time to discuss in the party panel.

Media fails to expand their horizon beyond their limited myopia. Ideally they should convey voice of people but they have turned themselves as voice of some. This selective mentality is making them lose credibility. Though one can argue, biased views do generate buzz but one look at response shows most of the Indian Twiteratti reacts to negatively. Not all of them are troll. But people are kind of enjoying the media meltdown.

I can only imagine these selective outrage if Mohan Bhagawat were selected for top job!

Are we inching towards New India?

Tripti
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Are we inching towards New India?

New India is a golden buzz word that’s gone viral these days. But, what is this New India exactly? Some say it is the strength and skills of 125 crore Indians, some describe it is the strength of the poor, the young and women, while some call it the India that fulfills the Indian dream of young people and some others say it’s a dream to make in India.

India has an unrivaled youth demographic: 65% of its population is 35 or under, and half the country’s population of 1.25 billion people is under 25 years of age and comprises of 14% of eligible voters. We witnessed a new record of 66.4% of voting in 2014 for the first time in the country, which was likely due to large participation by young voters.

Taking a holistic view one can elucidate that New India is the Young India aspiring to live a dignified and corruption-free life by transforming India into a land of opportunities and inclusiveness using their own strength and skills. Young India is also unclouded of the fact that they can only metamorphose the country by changing their attitudes on their own along with some support from the Government.

This aspiration of young people to live a dignified and corruption-free life is unlike a conventional Indian mind set. They want to stand on their own feet to create jobs not seek jobs and want to become entrepreneurs who can employ many more like them. Already, a silent entrepreneurial revolution has been sweeping the country for many years and many young Indians with great ideas have been writing their success stories by launching digital, agricultural, industrial and other products and services. Now their expectations have gone a notch above with government schemes like Skill India, Start up India, Digital India and Clean India that complement the mood and inclination of Young Indians.

About 10 million youth enters into job market every year and mostly poor, who cannot afford higher education and do not have enough money to get professional training to get a job or start any business of their own. Skill India aspires to skill and train 40 crores of Indians in different skills by 2022 through financial and hand holding support. Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana already 18 lakh people have been trained. For e.g.  Some 60,000 in leather sector, 1.37 lakh in agriculture sector, 1.28 lakh in beauty and wellness sector. Most of the people trained are absorbed by the industry facing shortage of skilled people. SBI and other banks offer loans up to Rs.1.5 lakhs for adding skills.

As per data 6003 skill accounts were opened in various banks and Rs.38.663 crore was sanctioned. Oracle has enhanced the number of students in its training facility in India to train them in digital skills. Japan’s private companies are also investing in training institutions for Japan style manufacturing in rural areas in some states like Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is quite clear that young poor Indians are taking support from these government schemes. However the biggest challenge will be to provide jobs after skill training by placing them in domestic and global manpower needs. Recently, 500 startups were recognized by the government. It gave tax exemptions to some of them, handhold support and funds to others. Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana more than 7.45 crore entrepreneurs received collateral loans of 3.17lakh crore to establish their own set ups.

New India deserve new, simple, stricter, less time consuming, transparent and implementable laws. GST, will make one tax law with a common national market and reduced tax burdens on young and new entrepreneurs. Another positive action through new wage amendment law will be that a large section of poor youth working in IT, Health and other unorganized sectors shall be paid wage in a transparent manner and not face any  unwarranted cuts by their employers. For the young mothers who want to become entrepreneurs or get absorbed in the industry the new maternity law will really benefit and empower them to balance their work life with the taking care of their new born babies. New York Times recently reported that new insolvency and bankruptcy law is already working well in India to check the enormous bad debts, making it easier to dissolve a company and recover money, thus, becoming attractive to even international investors.

Digital India is transforming India especially the youth into digitally empowered society. In its recent report on internet use in rural India New York Times stated that despite lack of basic infrastructural facilities in villages mobile users have increased in leaps and bounds. Young rural people are accepting the positive use of the new technology of internet. Now, the very challenging task is to digitize the rural areas. Till now, optical fiber connectivity which was only for 59 Gram Panchayats in 2014 has reached to 90,996 Gram Panchayats in last three years. 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats will have common service centers for internet use. 1,50,000 post offices are also proposed to be used as common points for digital services.

Youth are getting involved in collaborating, influencing and sharing government policies at www.India.gov.in  and around 42 lakh people use this website to put forth their views. Further, there are 4.55 Million data downloads from this site. Digital transactions have increased 3-folds in last 6 months from 96 lakh per day to 3.5 crores per day in March 2017. There are 2 crore downloads of the BHIM app which proves Young people are comfortable with dealing in cashless transactions. E-governance is able to deliver services to the citizens in particular youth in a transparent, convenient and efficient way. Around 114 crore population have Aadhaar which provides digital and biometric identity to all citizens to deliver government services and subsidies to poor without any middleman in between. By digitally linking PAN and Aadhaar terror financing and circulation of black money is aimed to be curbed.

The most important transformation youth want to see is clean surroundings. The general mind set is to clean one’s own house and throw garbage on the road, rivers or any public place in the country. Young people who work in western countries love to talk about the clean surroundings and how they also contribute to keep the surroundings clean and hygienic, but when it comes to India they put their head in shame. A report was published in The Washington Post in 2009 that Indian girls refuse to marry if there was no toilet in groom’s house. For several years Social Media has been used by the young people to create awareness in cleaning public places by displaying their pictures to inspire many more.

Many youth voluntarily participated in cleaning the public places. This youth endeavor became one of the inspiration for Swacch Bharat mission to make cleanliness everyone’s business. Separate Toilets for girls in schools have got constructed to a large extent in last few years ensuring dignity and safety of women. This has increased enrollment of girls in school. Open defecation has come down from 550million villages to350 million villages. Some 1, 90,000 villages, 130 districts and 3 states have declared themselves open defecation free, sanitation in our villages has gone up from 42% to 63%. A lot of challenge still remains in keeping the country clean on permanent basis by changing the mind sets and also vigorous involvement of local government.

The above examination provides a simpler but, more perspicuous understanding that the Young India is positively and fully inching towards New India. The scene is very constructive and vivid. The various missions that complement youth aspirations have lot of challenges to overcome and their progress has to match the youth fervor. Along with these schemes and implementation of new and strict laws government will also have to lessen its controls and create a system where the cost of being corrupt and dishonest is so high that every citizen aspires to do right and live an honest life. That can be a gift of a new Indian Dream to New India.

Independent Kashmir: A fantasy created by the local politicians

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Independent Kashmir: A fantasy created by the local politicians

Kashmir issue is largely a legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime-Minister of independent India. Nehru promised plebiscite to the citizens of Kashmir on multiple occasions. All these talks by Nehru about holding a plebiscite in Kashmir un-necessarily raised the expectations of Kashmiris.

In a letter dated 11 September 1951, to the U.N. representative, Nehru wrote, “The Government of India not only reaffirms its acceptance of the principle that the question of the continuing accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India shall be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations but is anxious that the conditions necessary for such a plebiscite should be created as quickly as possible”.

In 2008 state assembly elections, Congress and National Conference formed a coalition government. National Conference chief, Farooq Abdullah nominated his son, Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister of this coalition. Another sad example of dynastic politics in India.

The author would like to point out the mass unrest under the government of the aforesaid political parties during 2010. More than 100 people died in that phase of turmoil besides huge destruction of public as well as private property.

In view of this, what right does Abdullah’s have of criticizing the current coalition of BJP and PDP?

If, Congress and National Conference use force then it’s justified but when the present administration does it then, suddenly the Abdullah’s get concerned. This is sheer hypocrisy on the part of Abdullah family. Chidambaram, the former Home Minister of India and a prominent Congress party politician has said that ‘Kashmir is nearly lost for India’.

It’s not lost. He and his party are largely responsible for this mess. What was Chidambaram’s contribution as Home Minister of India from 2008-2012 to resolve the Kashmir issue? The answer is a big zero. Does any Congress politician has the guts to criticize the failed policies of Nehru which created this Kashmir problem in the first place?

Regional political parties of Kashmir like PDP, NC and Hurriyat just wish to maintain the ‘status quo’ in Kashmir. This way, when they come to power in the state, they misappropriate the central funds and indulge in blatant corruption filling their coffers. When they are in opposition, they try to blackmail the government and enjoy the funds coming from Pakistan in the name of Kashmir struggle.

Indian army is one of the largest in the world. In any armed conflict there are collateral damages. The security forces cannot be blamed. They have a job to do and ensure law and order. One cannot expect a soldier to discharge his duty effectively with imposed conditions; like don’t use force, do not retaliate against the locals etc.

The stone-pelters of Kashmir are misguided people. Their stones will never win against the guns of the security forces commanded by the central government of India. If these Kashmiri protesters possess a death wish, then no one can help them. In an over populated country like India, nobody gives a damn about the trouble makers in Kashmir being shot dead by the Indian security forces.

Special status like article 370 has alienated an average Indian residing in other states of India from Kashmiri citizens. There is no sympathy for Kashmiris among Indian masses in the rest of the country. The only ‘pseudo-liberals, who raise their voices for the Kashmiris, are the frustrated lot of politicians like Abdullahs and Chidambarams, whose parties are out of power. They thus seek ways to stay in the news and limelight.

There is no question of Kashmir’s independence. Even if the long promised and pending Plebiscite promised by Nehru is conducted in Kashmir. It would only consider the situations and options available to all states at that time, which was either merge with India or Pakistan. There will never be a separate nation of Kashmir. If Kashmiris wish to live in a ‘fool’s paradise’ and die in this ‘game of thrones’ played by their local politicians, then it’s their inane choice.

Kashmiri residents should seriously ponder the astronomical amount of money minted by politicians like Abdullahs, Sayeeds, Geelanis and Maliks in the name of this ‘so called’ Kashmir agitation. Their children and grandchildren are all well established in politics and businesses. What has an average Kashmiri person got in return?

It’s high time that the common Kashmiris experience a paradigm shift and focus on improving their life through education and joining the mainstream of India rather than being a ‘pawn’ in the hands of their selfish, corrupt, and opportunistic local Kashmiri politicians.

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