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Created on Thursday, 12 August 2021 06:15
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(Image Courtesy: Lok Sabha)
The gulf between the ruling party/alliance and the Opposition is unbridgeable. Whatever little hope of consensus politics existed has been buried by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling the Opposition’s demand for debate, transparency and accountability on Pegasus and other contentious issues as anti-national politics.
Mr. Modi took pot shots at the Opposition the day India won the men’s hockey bronze medal. Without referring to disruptions of monsoon session of Parliament, Mr. Modi said “this great country cannot become hostage to such selfish and anti-national politics”.
A day prior to that at a meeting of BJP MPs, Mr. Modi described the Opposition’s protests in Parliament as an “insult to the Constitution, democracy and the people”.
What PM didn’t tell the Nation was disruption is like clap for which two hands have to clash. The Ruling party/Executive has always served as the trigger for disruption of Parliamentary proceedings. If the Government of the day practiced good governance, it won’t be scared of debate and scrutiny by the Opposition a and other stakeholders of democracy. It won’t hide anything, except national secrets. Many of these too can be shared with Opposition MPs subject to oath of secrecy.
What Mr. Modi didn’t disclose was that he has trashed his promise of pursuing consensus politics and avoiding vendetta politics. Recall what he said in his maiden speech from ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August 2014. “We want to move ahead on the basis of strong consensus”.
Remember his quote in the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha polls: "I don't take a vindictive approach towards anything”. What happened later every Indian knows.
Read more: Parliament ruckus - Ambedkar's Prophecy may come true!
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Created on Friday, 20 March 2020 08:22
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(Image Courtesy: Congress Party)
“The major problem of human society is to combine that degree of liberty without which law is tyranny with that degree of law without which liberty becomes license”.
Greek Philosopher, Heraclitus of Ephesus, stated this about 2600 years ago. His balanced vision is highly relevant to India where Freedom of Expression has blossomed into protest culture. This, in turn, endangers the liberty of others who want to carry on with their daily struggle for survival.
Disruption, when accompanied by destruction, wreaks havoc on economy as happened during countless instances of riots since 1947.
This right to disrupt other citizens’ right to work is best exemplified by Shaheen Bagh-branded protests across India. The hall-mark of these protests is grabbing of public spaces for days or months in total disregard for rights of other citizens.
The protest culture is also articulated by Members of Parliament during each session. They do so by posing in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s Statue within Parliament complex.
The peaceful protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 & CAA, 2003 often morph into riots and arson across India in recent months. CAA, 2003 envisaging creation of National Population Register (NPR) & National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC). NPR already exists & has to be updated. NRIC rules have not yet been notified.
The first and the original Shaheen Bagh dharna on a major road was launched immediately after arson and stone-pelting indulged in a demonstration called by Jamia Millia University students. There were in fact two separate demonstrations – one from Jamia & other from Shaheen Bagh on 15th December 2019, if we recall news stories.
After riots & police’s entry into Jamia to chase & arrest rioters, protesting women sat on dharna on Shaheen Bagh road. Under a parallel initiative, hundreds of citizens gheraoed police headquarters for release of arrested accused rioters. The rest is history about Shaheen Bagh protests – dharna by women at strategic public places in several cities.
Read more: Protest Culture Overshadows Work Culture In India
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Created on Tuesday, 06 August 2019 07:22
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(Image Courtesy:jktdc.co.in)
“If it is the intention to amend, the process of amendment is simpler. The process are provided in Article 370. I think it was beautifully conceived. The normal process of amendment is subject to stringent conditions. The process of amending, made available to article 370, are very simple,” stated Gulzarilal Nanda, Union Home Minister on 5th December 1964.
Replying to a debate on a private member’s bill to abrogate article 370 in Lok Sabha, Mr. Nanda explained: “I do not think it is necessary to bring in an amending Bill for amending the Constitution - I do not think it is necessary, if ever it were, it will have to be a very different kind of thing”.
He added: “Article 370, whether you keep it or not, has been completely emptied of its contents. Nothing has been left in it. We can regulate, we can do it in one day, in ten days, ten months. That is entirely for us to consider”.
Mr. Nanda, who twice served as Interim Prime Minister, also explained the way to exorcise Satan of Disunity from the Indian Constitution.
No one has had the courage to act on roadmap laid down by Mr. Nanda, a congressman to the core. It was left to Home Minister, Amit Shah, to do “a very different kind of thing”, to borrow late Nanda’s words.
Before explaining constitutional compliance of Mr. Shah’s initiatives to reform & enliven Kashmir, reckon the fact Mr. Nanda was merely articulating what Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s stand on Article 370. It was temporary and of transitional value as specified in the Constitution.
Read more: Article 370 Reform So Simple & Beautiful as Visualized by Nanda
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Created on Sunday, 02 June 2019 04:03
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(Image Courtesy: PIB)
“You can imagine that when work on such large scale would start then how much iron ore, how much cement factories, how many men will be needed and it will generate employment for many a people. We can get an answer to the concern of the GDP of the country”.
Mr. Narendra Modi visualized this growth model while speaking on the need for India to develop 100 new cities. He spun this dream four months before he led BJP to win historic mandate in 2014 lok sabha polls.
Addressing BJP’s national executive Council on 19th January 2014, Mr. Modi stated: “Why should not there be 100 new cities in our country, modern cities, in accordance with the concept of walk to work, smart cities, health city, sports city and many other such specialized cities as per the need..! Friends we can realize the dream of 100 new cities for this country..!”
In the same meeting, he expounded his 17 ideas of India. An idea in point is Sarvey Bhavantu Sukhin, Sarvey Santu Niramaya (May all be happy, May all be healthy). This is a variant of much-awaited Achhe Din that figured in Mr. Modi’s tweet on 15th May 2014 – “India has won! भारत की विजय। अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।”
Neither new cities nor his Utopian Ideas of India figured in his campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The idea of building new cities was downgraded to a mission to transform 100 existing cities into smart cities. Not one smart city is visible today.
Read more: ‘Walk the Talk’ Should be Agenda for Mr. Modi & his Govt
