VOX POPULI
by
S Kamat
as
Aam Admi
Issue: 286 Date: 17.06.2019
Contents:
1. U.P. Fitter For President's Rule Than Bengal
2. Of Demo 2 & The Need To Make The OSA Applicable For Ex- CEA's
3. It Takes Two Friends To Do The Tango
4. Legislation For Bore Wells To Be Mandatorily Closed
U.P. Fitter For President's Rule Than Bengal
The BJP meddling in Bengal over the issues of the recent political killings there seems to be misplaced since UP seems to be the better candidate for President's rule. While in Bengal it is only the fights between the TMC and the BJP akin to the RSS-CPM fights in the Malabar region of Kerala, though the Bengal problem has not risen to that level of intensity and severity, in UP there does not seem to be any law and order across the entire State with rape, murder and killings including that of an infant lately. Thus if the Centre wants to impose President's rule anywhere it should be first in UP and then any other State including Bengal.
Of Demo 2 & The Need To Make The OSA Applicable For Ex- CEA's
Shaktikanta Das, the incumbent Governor of the RBI, thought, probably as is the want of the many secretaries of the Central government who have a penchant for pontificating and who specialise in telling people on what should be done rather than do anything themselves, that tinkering with interest rate cuts would get the faltering economy to move forward from its redolent position and boost it on the path of growth. That is why in a cartoon that appeared in some of the national dailies days before the last rate cut the drawing was that of Das looking interestingly at a placard saying - Demo 2??!!, which message probably was that he should realise the futility of rate cuts and think beyond. One hopes he does not take the cartoon literally and goes whole hog on a Demo 2! India is a complex economy and it needs serious and accomplished economists to man the posts of Governor, RBI & the CEA. People like Das occupying these posts will be hamhanded and only make a bigger mess in the Indian economy than what is existing. Concluding, one must say that the Official Secrets Act (OSA) should be made to cover the posts of the CEA, in fact all posts starting with C like CIC etc. if not already covered, considering Arvind Subramaniam's outburst lately on the controversy on the India GDP figures story. He ostensibly went back to the US to perform granddad duties and within a year he is writing on the India economy! Bad form that. We may have a problem with our numbers but Arvind Subramaniam needs to hold his tongue. Maybe the Official Secrets Act can be back dated and Modi can seek the extradition of the ex-CEA from Trump on charges of opening his mouth once too often!
It Takes Two Friends To Do The Tango
Why we indulge in asking Pakistan for allowing our flights to overfly their territory after the recent Balakot strikes which prompted both countries to close their airspace for the other country's plane, is not understood. First we did in mid-May when the then Foreign Minister, Sushma Swaraj was flying to Bishkek for the preparatory SCO meetings, which Pakistan allowed. Then again for Modi's flight to Bishkek for the SCO meeting to overfly Pakistan we asked them to open their airspace. Pakistan after a longish delay acceded to our request. But then Modi very correctly did not overfly Pakistan and took the longer route. There is no need to take the risk with a rogue nation like Pakistan and have our senior government functionaries overfly their territory since they are very capable of claiming that a non-State actor or a rogue militant fired the missile that brought down the Indian plane down. This incident could and will trigger off a war needlessly between the two nations which could move up to a nuclear confrontation between both the countries who have nuclear capability. India should realise that false bravado in such matters is actually sheer stupidity and playing tango with Pakistan on such matters only demeans our position.
Legislation For Bore Wells To Be Mandatorily Closed
We have had the recent death of a child who fell into a bore well and could not be rescued from a depth of around 120-150 feet. Considering that we have been seeing bore well deaths from across the country with mostly infants and minor children falling into them, can we not have legislation that the bore wells are to be mandatorily secured and covered and kept locked at all times other than when they are being used. This should apply to all bore wells from those under construction, to those functioning and those unused or dormant. We can thus make an attempt to save the lives of budding children who meet an untimely death even before they flower in life.
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