Vox Populi Issue N014

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 014

Issue Date: 9 Jan 2023

Contents:

1. Revising Indian History

2. Kashmir Is Not Normal

3. Having The Rupay Debit Card Widely Accepted

4. Supreme Court Judgment On Demonetisation Only About Following Due   

     Process & Legality Not On The Basic Premise Of The Measure 

Revising Indian History : 8 Jan 2023

There have been calls from Prime Minister Modi and his henchman, Home Minister Amit Shah that Indian history as we see it in our books and records is distorted and this needs to be corrected. There is no doubt about the first part of this statement since most Indian history is projected prior to our Independence through British and/or foreign eyes. Thus it introduces a slant or bias which is favourable to the colonialists. Therefore this needs to be corrected. But the manner of doing this should be through an objective and impartial basis since in the process of re-writing our history we should not over-correct the bias and swing the other way. There is a great chance of this happening since the Saffron Brigade has almost all and sundry of its members coming out with incidents and stories that they claim to be history and insist upon its inclusion. They fail to realise that legend is not history. This was the deficiency of the bakhars maintained in the courts of our kings and emperors including that of the Mughal dynasty considered one of the line of royalty that ruled India somewhat like what we know it is today and for long. With the explosion of social media it is easy to perpetuate this wrong history and like they say if you keep repeating a lie a thousand times it becomes the truth. Thus it is best that a Board may be set up to revise Indian History which can take a correct view and project it in an appropriate manner.

Kashmir Is Not Normal : 6 Jan 2023

The Rajouri terror incident exposes the lie that everything is normal in Kashmir. However much the government tries it is not easy to restore normalcy in the State with the porous border that we have with Pakistan. Other than the terror incidents instigated from across the border we have the targeted killings of Hindus & Pandits that are a matter of concern. The Pandits who had moved back to Kashmir are wanting to flee which the State government is desperately trying to stop since it contradicts their official line that the Pandits are coming back and are living normally in the State. Some of the Pandits have moved from the Valley to Jammu fearing attacks and have asked that their jobs be given to them in Jammu which the government is refusing. In all this the State government recently had a festival to promote tourism to the State for which they had lit up the surrounding areas around Dal Lake. This when with the onset of winter the people of the Valley have 12 hour power cuts and low voltage problems. The local people are asking where does the government get the power when it cannot give it to domestic consumers and has also banned the use of electric heaters at home during the winter. Thus the Kashmir administration is pursuing the false narrative that everything is normal and in that process depriving the local people of essential necessities like electricity.

Having The Rupay Debit Card Widely Accepted : 5 Jan 2023

We have the Rupay Debit card which we find cannot be used with our own government agencies and websites. For renewing my Driving Licence the Goa government Transport Dept. told me that I should bring a Visa or MasterCard and that my Rupay Debit card is not acceptable. Finally I had to take a Visa card since the Transport Dept. has stopped accepting cash. This involved 2 visits to their office with consequent standing in queues etc. for a senior citizen like me which is a nuisance. Similarly, for linking your PAN Card with your Aadhar Card, the Income Tax Dept. website does not accept the Rupay Debit card or have our bank, Union Bank of India, a scheduled PSU Bank on the list of Banks that they accept though a number of private banks appear on the approved list. It is another matter that for linking your PAN Card with your Aadhar Card the newspapers said that you can do this free until 31 March 2023 and only after that there is a charge levied for the exercise, Rs. 500 until  31 March 2023 and Rs. 1000 after that. But the website asks for Rs. 1000 to be paid even now. As for the Rupay Debit card when we had to do some hotel bookings, the website booking.com also refused the card. Thus something has to be done so that the Rupay Debit card is accepted at all locations particularly government and commonly used websites. This is being advised since our FM Nirmala Sitharaman recently while abroad had plugged for the Rupay Debit card to be accepted internationally since it is an India origin card. But should she not see that it is used across the board in India particularly with government for the convenience of its users before she goes abroad with it.

Supreme Court Judgment On Demonetisation Only About Following Due Process & Legality Not On The Basic Premise Of The Measure : 3 Jan 2023

The Supreme Court in its judgment on Demonetisation cleared the mechanism of taking the decision by the government and whether due process was properly followed but it did not give a clearance on the necessity of Demonetisation and in the manner of its implementation. That Demonetisation was misconceived and not at all necessary has been brought out in many a forum. That the introduction of the Rs. 2,000 note created snafus at ATM's, was out of context with shopping practices resulting in many small shopkeepers refusing supply of goods when proferred this note and that instead of reducing black money it allowed more black money to be stored in the same space. These facts have now been implicitly proven since the Rs. 2,000 note is almost out of normal circulation. The government is not able to demonetise or withdraw this note since it would immediately attract attention to Demonetisation with accusations that no purpose was served by this measure. Apart from this the pain inflicted on common people during the withdrawal of the old currency notes and replacement with the new notes that led to many lives being lost even in the queues formed in front of banks to exchange the notes. Thereafter the disruption of businesses leading to the closure of many MSME's is a fact that cannot be denied. These aspects are not part of the legal scrutiny by the Supreme Court. Thus Demonetisation remains the most misconceived of policy decisions in independent India which had drastic ramifications on the people of this country from all walks of life without meeting even a single stated objective as set out by the incumbent government.

                                                           ****************

If you have any issues with the contents of this blog, you can respond to: 

S Kamat

Mob: 0 7218698906  

Email: kamatsrinivas@hotmail.com

Vox Populi Issue N013

 VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 013

Issue Date: 2 Jan 2023

Contents:

1. A Tale Of 2 Bridges In Goa & How Not To Do Development

2. China Starting Yet Another Circumnavigation Of Covid Around The World

3. BJP Should Stop Slandering Our Past Icons

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YE WHO VISIT MY BLOG. HAVE A GREAT 2023. 

SNIPPETS AGAINST NEWS HEADLINES:

A. Headline in The Statesman 1/1/2023: 'BSF orders enquiry after sniffer dog gets pregnant'. This is Modi's India where officials do not know how to handle things and more so the media to interpret what is real news.

B. Amit Shah while speaking at an ITBP function at Bengaluru on 31/12/2022 said that we will not even give an inch of our land to China. The problem in the statement is one of units of measurement, the Chinese have taken kilometers of our land not inches. Amit Shah probably does not know that there are different systems of measurement!

A Tale Of 2 Bridges In Goa & How Not To Do Development: 2 Jan 2023

There are 2 major rivers : the Zuari and the Mandovi in Goa, and there are 3 bridges on them which are crucial for connecting South Goa to North Goa, 1 old and tottering bridge on the Zuari and 2 parallel bridges next to each other, one old and one new, though the latter is also more than 25 years old, on the Mandovi, both close to Panaji. All the bridges are on the National Highway that connects Kanyakumari to Mumbai.

The old Zuari bridge has been having regular problems given its age with periodic load bearing checks, repairs of the deck as also that of the structural members where cracks had emerged. With concerns on its stability a few years ago heavy traffic like trucks and even tourist buses were banned from use of the bridge. This meant that these vehicles would have to travel an additional 15 Km. on the detour between Panaji and Madgaon. The road on the detour was also none too good and there was also yet another bridge, the Borim bridge on the route which had structural issues. Thus traffic would muddle through over the old Zuari bridge with the authorities recognising that a new bridge was absolutely necessary.

As for the 2 parallel bridges over the Mandovi, the old bridge now considered weak was banned for heavy traffic including trucks and buses, even public buses for local commute. Randomly the old bridge would be made one way to ostensibly save it from the load of vehicles which continued to grow apace. Currently this bridge carries both way traffic. The new bridge in contrast would soldier on. Interestingly both bridges had fallen down at the time of construction and were re-built again. In Goa its a tradition that all bridges fall down first and are then re-built!

Thus this brought home the fact that something needs to be done about these bridges over the Zuari and Mandovi rivers. As for giving a priority as to which bridge would have to be built first to replace the ageing bridges, the logical choice should have been the 2nd Zuari bridge since if this bridge were to collapse the traffic on the national highway 17 would be severely disrupted and South and North Goa would be cut off leaving only the tenuous link of the detour via the Borim bridge. It was expected that the 2 bridges over the Mandovi would be able to pull along for the 5-7 years until the new Zuari bridge would be completed. Unfortunately logic had no place in the overcharged political atmosphere prevailing then in Goa.

The late Manohar Parrikar was then the Chief Minister of Goa and the 2014 elections to the Lok Sabha were looming. He got a bee in his bonnet that Panaji, the capital city, needed a showpiece bridge since the existing 2 bridges were crumbling particularly the old bridge which in his understanding was on its last legs. Thus the new 3rd bridge on the Mandovi was cleared with a budgeted expenditure of Rs. 400 crores and the contract placed with Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Mumbai. Operational and environmental concerns were swept aside since Parrikar wanted it at any cost to be inaugurated as the first project by Narendra Modi, the new Prime Minister after the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections. This was done and the construction of the bridge started apace. Many difficulties were faced by the citizens while the bridge was being built since on the road approaching the bridge from the North Goa (Porvorim) side the carriageway was on which the main pillars of the bridge were constructed that would support the road above. After initial troubles maybe because it was L&T being the principal contractor, the difficulties were eased and travel on these stretches became bearable. The bridge was stated complete with marginal delays but the cost had shot up to somewhere in the region of Rs. 600-650 crores. 

The completed bridge stands today with no connectivity to Panjim city from the North Goa side which was a major design flaw from inception, there are major potholes on the bridge with big portions of the tarmac coming off which neither L&T or the IIT's are able to figure the reason for, water collects on the bridge on some stretches and during the rainy season from the Merces or South Goa side you cannot climb onto the bridge since that stretch gets waterlogged. Apart from these serious issues which have led to multiple accidents on the bridge, there is hardly any traffic on the bridge since as said earlier the primary school and office traffic from North Goa to the capital city, Panaji in the morning and the reverse in the evening is diverted via the 2 old bridges. Thus the crying need to de-congest traffic in front of the Panaji bus stand is not served by the new Mandovi bridge and it remains as it was chaotic, accident prone and dangerous. 

Thus the new Mandovi bridge built at a cost of Rs. 650 crores handles a maximum of 500 vehicles in a day and at different periods is shut down for some sections for some reason or other. Yes, there is a use for the cable stayed bridge which is an imposing structure and that is for tourism promotion. On days like Republic Day, Independence Day or on festival days or on special occasion days the bridge is illuminated in different colours and is truly a beautiful sight. Thus we have an expensive toy to play with right at the entrance of the capital city of Goa, Panaji to exhibit our stupidity which serves no utilitarian purpose and all for the stubbornness of one man who is no more. 

Representations were made giving alternate suggestions right up to the next Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar, whose response was that this was decided by Manohar Parrikar and I cannot think of even changing it. A simple flat bridge like those existing and in between them, at the same deck level and with 2 arms connecting on one side the Panaji city and the other towards Merces and further on to South Goa would have been ideal. This would have been more compatible with the environment and merge with the scenario as existing and not look like a monstrosity that the present new 3rd bridge represents. With the limited utility of the new Mandovi bridge there is talk of a need for yet another bridge across the Mandovi in Panaji. There is also a proposal of a rope way across the river connecting Campal to Reis Magos. But all this will be disastrous for the capital city since there are not enough landing points on the Panaji side for these structures without creating major traffic problems. 

As for the 2nd Zuari bridge, the contract was placed after some time of the 3rd Mandovi bridge construction commencement on Dilip Buildcon, a Co. not heard of. Not only that the approach roads for the new bridge on both sides of the river was given to the same Co. Thus all eggs were put in the same basket. Considering that the existing Zuari bridge was the only link between South and North Goa, alternatives were talked about at various times. These involved having ferries operating on both sides of the bridge to take off some of the load of traffic on the old bridge. On the Cortalim side a road parallel to the existing one through the fields that would connect to Verna was also mooted that would release the pressure on the existing road. But surprisingly nothing was done and all the talk of alternatives died down leaving the travelling public with just the old Zuari bridge and the mess of construction of the approach roads right from Agacaim to Verna. Its been more than 6 years that the travelling public have been suffering day in and day out with traffic jams at the old Zuari bridge, the dust and pollution while commuting, the uncertainty of reaching their destinations and health hazards. To be fair the Covid pandemic contributed to a hold-up in the construction which was approximately 2 years and at that time traffic was also less and the nuisance to the people consequently tolerable. But when the pandemic eased people started travelling with a vengeance including tourists and the difficulties multiplied compounded by one or other traffic accidents on or near the bridge. These nuisances borne by the people cannot be forgotten easily. Personally the undersigned (author) was stuck in a jam on 26 Nov 2022 travelling from Verna to Agacaim which took us 3 and a half hours. We later understood that there had been 2 accidents on that day on the bridge. 

Thus with all the torture faced by the travelling public over the last 6 years between Panaji and Madgaon when the government opened the new Zuari bridge to the public on 28th for people to visit before the formal opening of the bridge on 29th and thereafter for traffic, the people should have boycotted this offer. Black flag demonstrations should have been held on the bridge in sympathy and commiseration of the travelling public's plight over the years. Instead with the lights put up at the bridge we had some band playing music while just below there was a 5 hour traffic jam in operation. This is the contradiction in Goa, call it stupidity or frivolousness but people fail to see the issue at hand in its reality. The message that the government takes out of this is that the people have forgiven them and once the facility is ready will forget the problems and will repeat the same nuisance at another place and at another time in the name of development. Even the timing of the inauguration and the manner of doing it could have been done differently as given in the content below. The Chief Minister during the inauguration said that in the last 60 years Goa has not seen such development. True and neither have the travelling public over the last 6 years between Panaji and Madgaon have seen such misery in the last 60 years! 

Concluding, the 3rd Mandovi bridge highlights the waste of public money when other urgent projects of the people are starved for money and resources and the new 2nd Zuari bridge represents the symbol of torture on the people by elected governments with their crass insensitivity and inability to handle large and critical projects. This is no way to handle development and the earlier the government understands it, it is better. 

The Mess On The Partial Inauguration Of The New Zuari Bridge

The incompetence and cussedness of our government in Goa is being repeatedly shown in the traffic woes that people have to face while crossing the Zuari bridge over the last few days and particularly since Christmas. The other day newspapers reported a 5 hour traffic jam at the bridge. Recognising the misery heaped on commuters over the last 5 years while the new bridge was being constructed and with plans to open one side of the bridge by end Dec 2022 for traffic, should the government not have examined expediting the opening to around 20th Dec before Christmas when the holiday season traffic increases? It is known that people including tourists arrive over the Christmas - New Year and thus anticipating this would have shown that our government had more sense and conveyed sympathy to the travelling citizens plight. Instead of that they took the approach that the people have suffered for so long and how does another few days matter. One also cannot understand how the date of 29th was chosen for Nitin Gadkari to inaugurate the bridge. Was it because of his tight schedule since he zips around the country with his last known position being somewhere in the Terai region of the Himalayas? If so the Goa government could have taken a decision to start the bridge traffic as soon as the facilities were ready by say around 20th Dec. Then Gadkari could have come at any time later and did a formal inauguration. This method would have shown that our government is responsive to citizen's woes and takes positive action to resolve them. Even now after Gadkari inaugurates the bridge on 29th, the papers say that the bridge will be thrown open to traffic the next day, on 30th. Why add another day? Let Gadkari inaugurate the bridge and let the traffic flow from 29th Dec itself. It is time also that the Goa government show that it has some spine and stands up to the Centre. After all it is for the people of Goa and even the PM the other day said that his is a people or citizen centric government. 

China Starting Yet Another Circumnavigation Of Covid Around The World: 30 Dec 2022

With China admitting that there is a Covid surge, we are back at square one. Not only that China has confirmed that it has given up the 'no Covid' policy in the wake of local public protests and has commenced processing passports and visas for its citizenship travel abroad. The Chinese newspapers lately reported that given the restrictions faced by them over the last 3 years and the current relaxations as above their citizens are planning to travel to foreign countries with a vengeance. This would mean that the Covid carried by some of them would spread around the world in another devastating repetition of what happened during the opening days of the pandemic where it all started in China and then circumnavigated the globe carrying in its wake disease, misery and deaths, though the Chinese government officially denies that the virus started in their country. We need to try and put in some strictures on China through the offices of the UN if necessary so that they exercise better and more improved methods to restrict the Covid virus to their own country. 

BJP Should Stop Slandering Our Past Icons: 28 Dec 2022

The slandering started by Narendra Modi against the Nehru-Gandhi family is coming back to roost on the BJP icons like Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Recently one of the Congress functionaries spoke ill of Vajpayee which was not desirable. This is like the old Hindi saying that if you throw a stone in muck a little of that is bound to fall back on you. Modi and his compatriots should stop this deliberate habit of insulting their opposite counterparts particularly those who are dead and gone for cheap headlines. Otherwise our youth and children will end up confused not knowing who are our true icons. 

                                                           ****************

If you have any issues with the contents of this blog, you can respond to: 

S Kamat

Mob: 0 7218698906  

Email: kamatsrinivas@hotmail.com

Vox Populi Issue N012

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 012

Issue Date: 26 Dec 2022

Contents:

1. India's Economy In The Wrong Hands

2. The Recent Chinese Incursions At The LAC 

3. The Football World Cup 2022 at Qatar Was Messi's

India's Economy In The Wrong Hands : 23 Dec 2022

There is a pattern in being superficial with the BJP doing this all the time. The other day in Parliament the TMC MP Mahua Moitra raised the question as to who is the real 'Pappu' by citing real economic issues and demanding answers from the Finance Minister. But Nirmala Sitharaman replied a few days later turning on the heat and blaming Bengal for being the 'Pappu' for not accepting some of the Centre's supposedly people beneficial schemes. She did not utter a single word in reply to any of Mahua Moitra's arguments. This is typical strategy of a person when they cannot reply directly to accusations, to deflect and attack the other party on matters unrelated to the issues that are being raised. One also feels that the present Finance Minister is not up to the mark on her job and fails to comprehend matters that comprise her portfolio. She is also bound to be tongue-tied if and when she replies to P Chidambaram's revelations in the Rajya Sabha lately wherein he stated that the share of corporate taxes paid is dropping over the years from the total direct taxes collected. This is particularly so since 2014. With the economy growing at whatever rate, where it is expected that corporate taxes should also be growing, the reverse trend is rather disturbing. This would mean that the resource burden for spending on the economy is shifting more to the individual taxpayer than the corporate sector. Thus the corporate sector has been seeing its profits growing over the years and have also been retaining it. This means that the charge that BJP has been lenient to the corporate sector and has been in their pockets is more than true. This would also mean that the corporate sector has sufficient resources to invest in the economy but even then despite exhortations from the Finance Minister they are refusing to do so. There was another report in the papers that with the lakhs of crores of bad debts that the banking sector has written off to decorate their books the beneficiary of these loans are laughing all the way home for being let off the hook so lightly. Thus it is clear that with the economy in the wrong hands it will be difficult for the country to turn around in the post-Covid scenario and now with the virus rearing up its head once again. 

The Recent Chinese Incursions At The LAC : 21 Dec 2022

Our External Affairs Minister (EAM)Jaishankar has joined issue with Rahul Gandhi and raised in Parliament that the latter should not have used the word 'pithai' in the context of the clash between the Chinese soldiers and Indian jawans in the Tawang region recently. According to Jaishankar it disrespects our jawans. When will the BJP stop making plays with semantics rather than deal with reality. If there was a clash as reported with canes and sticks there would be 'pithai' on both sides. There is no question of disrespect since our jawans are at the borders to fight and give as much and more than they get. Thus giving 'pithai' and taking  'pithai' is part of their job. Therefore the BJP should say what is the actual reality and deal with it. This reality is also actually seen by our soldiers standing guard on the icy heights and it is only our BJP Ministers and leaders who with their words try and decorate it as if it is something else. Our Defence Minister talking of giving the enemy a bloody nose and the Chief of Army Staff saying that they are ready to meet any threat, should stop rattling their swords in the scabbards and take them out and show what they are capable of. The EAM also said in Parliament that the Army has scaled up its strength at the LAC in recent times but even then we get regular border incursions by China. Does this mean China does not even bother about our Army build-up? The consistent attempts to hide facts about the Chinese aggression on our borders is leading to the perception of a different reality than what is on the ground. Even in the Galwan incident with China sometime back initially it was said that there were no casualties on our side and that our soldiers had inflicted severe damage on the aggressors. But finally it came out that we lost 21 soldiers while the Chinese lost only 4. Our jawans are being used as cannon fodder from incidents ranging from Pulwama to the Galwan valley and now Tawang. This has to stop and India has to place action before words so that the enemy is more wary about us. Concluding we need a White Paper on the China aggression on our borders all along the LAC so that the country knows the true reality and not the manufactured one by the BJP that is diluted and wish-washy. The earlier the White Paper is presented in Parliament it is better. 

The Football World Cup 2022 at Qatar Was Messi's: 20 Dec 2022

From the scorn, derision and ignominy after their losing to Saudi Arabia in their opening match at the Football World Cup 2022 at Qatar, Argentina led by the indomitable Lionel Messi has risen from those ashes like a Phoenix to lift the Jules Rimet trophy by beating France in the final on the night of 18 Dec 2022. This achievement has been stupendous with Messi leading from the front to motivate and push his team to greater endeavour and leaving his mark on every single game that Argentina played at this tournament. One needs also to mention Lionel Scaloni, the Argentina coach, who kept the team fighting through the matches ringing in the changes to ensure victory for Argentina after the initial debacle. Even in the final match yesterday, that was played by both teams with rare spirit and indomitable courage and determination to combat the fluctuating fortunes Messi and Argentina showed fortitude in coming through the penalty shoot out at the end. France were brave losers with Kylan Mbappe not saying die until the very end when those missed penalties cost France the Cup. Penalty shootouts are not the best way to decide the winner but for lack of a better alternative, it has to be there. That the game dubbed as the best final ever at a World Cup should be decided on penalties was also rather unfortunate. But it was a fitting victory for Messi and Argentina after 36 years and which lifts Messi into the heady pantheon that is occupied by Pele and Maradona. 

The Football World Cup 2022 at Qatar that started on all the wrong notes like the inhuman treatment of workers who built the stadia and other infrastructure and the criminality in Qatar of the LGBT people threw up a lot of insights as it went along. That alcohol in the stadia is not important for great football. That Asia and Africa, with Morocco particularly showing rare skill, grit and determination to reach the semi-final stage, are rising stars of a game long dominated by Europe and South America, for which reason Germany was unable to move to the knockout stage in the tournament. Showing the door to the ageing stars like Ronaldo and an injured Neymar having to walk away in tears. This was also the World Cup that anointed Messi as King of Football but recognised in Mbappe a rising star chafing at the reins to take over. Everyone’s turn will come but ultimately this World Cup proved that it is football above all that won and the quality of the games at the tournament was nothing short of exceptional.

                                                           ****************

If you have any issues with the contents of this blog, you can respond to: 

S Kamat

Mob: 0 7218698906  

Email: kamatsrinivas@hotmail.com

Vox Populi Issue N011

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 011

Issue Date: 19 Dec 2022

Contents:

1. China Starting With Covid All Over Again?  

2. Launch 'Surgical Strikes' Against China To Clear Them Off Our Land

3. Of Corruption & Criminality in Politics

4. The State of India's Democracy

China Starting With Covid All Over Again? : 18 Dec 2022

Sometime back there was a forward doing the rounds on WhatsApp that finally Covid has decided to - WFH : Work From Home, referring to the surge in Covid cases in China and  to the fact that as commonly believed the virus commenced its journey around the world from that country and it had gone back finally. However, it is surprising that with rigid government control and their 'Zero Covid' policy towards the virus, China who was so successful in controlling the spread of the pandemic in the initial stages and during successive waves should now fail to bring the current surge under control. Newspaper reports and pictures show deserted streets in Beijing which highlights the risk to the world of the pandemic getting ready for yet another circumnavigation of the world from where it all started in the first place. This will be a disaster and it is high time that China got its act together to bring the virus under control. 

Launch 'Surgical Strikes' Against China To Clear Them Off Our Land : 16 Dec 2022

In the context of the recent incursion of China’s soldiers in the Tawang sector and their skirmish with Indian troops, now is the time for Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, to 'walk the talk' and give the enemy eyeing Indian territory and intruding into it - 'a bloody nose'. He has said that he would do this many time while talking about our defence preparedness. So this is the time for him to show that he means what he says and can take action. The last time that China intruded at Galwan we lost some 21 soldiers. Thus with the repeat incursion which is provocation enough, this is the time for Rajnath Singh to retaliate. He has also said that India will not hesitate to launch 'surgical strikes' against the enemy. Let him do that now and clear the entire LAC from Chinese soldiers, encroachments and defensive installations that they have built there. The Chinese strategy has always been to intrude into Indian territory and then declare the area that they have secured control as a DMZ (De Militarised Zone) and say that Indian soldiers cannot patrol these areas and need to stay out of there. By putting this stratagem to work China has now control of hundreds of square Km. of our territory all along the LAC and India is doing nothing about this. It is in fact hiding this fact and claiming that this is is not true to quell the likely uproar within the country. So Rajnath Singh, come out with the truth and take back our lands that have fallen into the hands of China.

Of Corruption & Criminality in Politics : 15 Dec 2022

The candidates standing for elections in India file an Asset Declaration with the Election Commission in which they list their property and other assets that stand in their name. This practice has been in force for quite some years now. in the latest Assembly elections, among the MLA's declared elected, more than 80% crorepatis were found in both the Gujarat & Himachal Pradesh assemblies. At the same time 22% of these MLA's had criminal cases against them in Gujarat while in Himachal Pradesh 41% had criminal cases against them. This is the pattern across India with the figures deteriorating as you go through the Hindi belt of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Now one cannot understand if the candidates regularly file Asset Declarations, then surely these are not for record purposes and some action is expected against them. Why the Election Commission does not refer these for investigation to the Income Tax Department to find out if these assets were acquired through their declared source of income or are disproportionate and have been illegally acquired, is anybody's guess? In the same manner many a time we have been told that candidates with criminal cases should not be allowed in our Legislatures but sadly nothing is being done in this regard. There needs to be legislation brought in disallowing candidates with criminal cases from standing for elections. This will hopefully cleanse our Legislatures from disreputable characters. Unfortunately in the recent elections to the 2 States and the MCD it was found that upcoming parties like AAP had more candidates with criminal cases than other political parties. Thus one would assume that this trend is not on the wane but is here to stay. 

The State of India's Democracy: 13 Dec 2022

The state of India's democracy is reflected in the many instances where it is infringed with impunity. Apparently we have all the freedoms as given in the country's Constitution. But in reality everything is conditional. We have the Home Minister of the country say the other day that after 2002 the troublemakers will not 'dare' raise their head in Gujarat again. The Election Commission finds nothing wrong in this since no community was named by Shah and ignores the implied reference to the Gujarat riots. The lesser version or the more grievous version of this, you take your pick, is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh who presides over Bulldozer Raj meaning the houses of rioters are demolished without any recourse allowed to them on the plea that they are illegal. State terrorism is another word for this where intimidation of citizens is executive policy. Interestingly the majority of those whose houses are demolished are that of Muslims. The bulldozer policy has reached Kashmir where the other day a terrorist's house was razed to the ground. One does not know whether it was illegal or not. One does not know whether his family is having alternate shelter. One does not know whether in the height of winter where temperatures in the Valley have been plummeting below zero degree, it is humane and proper to do this if his family was staying there. 

Inspite of the horrendous Nirbhaya rape case in Delhi in 2012 which raised the question of women safety, where a woman could be raped by a group of men in the heart of Delhi, the nation's capital, we have similar cases occurring with clockwork regularity across the northern States of the country. A decade has passed by but women safety remains as much as a concern as it was earlier. Recently Bilkis Bano, the pregnant woman who was raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots, has decided to go to the Supreme Court against the State government's decision to release her rapists from jail on grounds of 'good behaviour'. She fears for her life if the rapists are allowed to roam free in Gujarat. It is not only Bilkis but also a woman in Karnataka who had accused a seer in Chitradurga of raping her 2 minor daughters. The seer is also believed to have sexually assaulted other girls and on these charges has been arrested. But now the woman who had accused the seer of rape is being charged with being involved in a conspiracy to defame the seer. The woman who was without her husband had taken shelter in the seer's ashram when the rape incident of her daughters had occurred, was forced to leave the ashram. Those who tried to provide help to her were threatened to stay away. The police also seem to be involved in supporting the conspiracy charge and have been harassing the woman. Now this woman is a Hindu. Thus women of any religious persuasion are fair game today in 'democratic' India.

Law and order is another area where the situation is becoming progressively alarming. After the ghastly murder of Shradha by her live-in partner Poonawala in Delhi, there have been a spate of 'me-too' kind of murders across northern India including Bengal where close family or with those with relationships have been killed, dismembered and disposed off in suitcases, gunny bags and the like. Safety of people which is one of the cardinal principles of democracy is given the go-by in 'democratic' India today.

Not only that the minorities and lower caste people are being systematically attacked more so those of the Muslim community. Starting from students to journalists Muslims find themselves in jail for the flimsiest of reasons and once there the net of their offences is deliberately widened to ensnare them in the judicial process as long as possible. We even had a student being called 'Kasab' by a professor at the reputed Manipal University in Karnataka since ostensibly he had a name sounding similar to that of the terrorist and when objected to by the student said it was a joke! The head scarf worn by Muslim women, the hijab, was not only in the news in Iran but had hit headlines in India too as also the matter had reached the Supreme Court. The issue here was very simple where the hijab is particularly worn in the Malabar and Dakshina Kannada region for generations and is an external covering and has nothing to do with education which is a matter of the mind. People who are agenda-driven raise these issues and matters come to a head with the hands of the courts being forced like in this matter the Supreme Court finally ruled that the school or college uniforms need be strictly followed. This issue disrupted classes and the lives of some of the protesters who were rusticated from educational institutions and others who were dismissed from jobs. In such matters nothing happens to the instigators who go about their normal lives. It is the simple students and others who suffer. 

It is not just the minority community but also the lower castes and tribals are being treated shabbily and shame and insult is being heaped on them if they deviate an inch from the track laid out from them. One feels ashamed that this continues even today in the 75th year or Amrut Mahotsav of India's independence from the British, our principal colonial rulers. We according to Modi speaking to the media before the opening of the winter session of Parliament said that India in its Amrut Kaal will show the way to the world. But one thinks that he has to look back at his own home and country and put it in order before he attempts to give lessons to the world. 

The problem with our leaders and our governments is that they remain in denial and refuse to accept even if world leaders and other countries highlight the issues in India that relate to the minority communities and the underprivileged as also women. UN Secretary General Gutteres on his last visit to India had mentioned these issues but was met with a rebuttal from our Foreign Minister that it is all an attempt to show India in a bad light to the world. The USA had also raised the issue of human rights atrocities sometime back on the minority communities and women at the level of the Secretary of State but India responded by saying that the USA need concentrate on its own human rights record relating to the black, Hispanic and the underprivileged which is pretty bad. Similarly the other day when India took over the helming of the UN Security Council for this month - Dec 2022 - and in the media briefing for that the India UN Permanent Representative responding to a question about the state of democracy in India in the context of reported atrocities on the minority community and weaker sections of society, said that India does not need lessons in democracy from anybody since Indian democracy has sustained through the ages and will remain strong and vibrant. These are semantics played around with by diplomats and politicians that is intended to deflect and hide the deeper malaise that is eating away at the roots of Indian democracy and converting it into an autocracy of a small minority of doggedly communal minded people. 

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Vox Populi N010

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 010

Issue Date: 12 Dec 2022

Contents:

1. Vice-President Dhankar In Feisty and Combative Mode 

2. Modi's Insolent Democracy

3. Bilkis Chali SC - Supreme Court

Vice-President Dhankar In Feisty and Combative Mode : 11 Dec 2022

Vice-President Dhankar in his first address to the Rajya Sabha stoked controversies by raising issues like the doctrines of separation of powers of the 3 arms of government that must be respected and that the judiciary should not have struck down the National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) bill overwhelming passed by Parliament as it went against the will of the people and Parliamentary democracy. One thinks that all this was unnecessary for his opening address and he should have treaded the path of caution and followed decorum. Dhankar has thus opened his innings in the Rajya Sabha continuing in the same vein as in Bengal where he was constantly creating nuisance to a democratically elected government of the TMC. 

Thereafter on the Rule 267 issue where declared business of the House can be stopped or postponed to take up any issue raised by one or more members of the House is a time honoured procedure allowing members to take up matters of perceived urgency. Now Dhankar has said that this will be allowed only if more full clarifications are given by the member/s on the matter that they want to take up. This negates the urgency aspect by instituting another process to be complied with before the matter can be heard in the House. 

Further Dhankar is echoing the stand of the BJP and the present government on matters like India's low standing on the the World Hunger Index claiming that this is done by a private body and its credibility is suspect. Little does he realise that almost all rating agencies around the world are private who build their credibility over years by their methodology and acceptance from other institutions including governments. That they have rated our neighbours in South Asia higher than us using the same methodology is something that Dhankar is missing and that there is no reason for them to pick on India and deliberately show it in a bad light. If we have any issues with the processes followed by the rating agency then we should engage with them and bring to their notice what India has done during Covid particularly to alleviate hunger like giving 5 Kg. of rice free to each BPL household etc. That majority of this rice finds its way back to the black market channels since the beneficiaries sell this to generate cash for their daily needs other than rice, which is something which Dhankar may not be aware or if aware is deliberately keeping his eyes away from it. Concluding, Dhankar has probably not heard of the tradition in Indian Parliament that Vice-Presidents are to be seen but not heard. Maybe with a quiet President Murmu, Dhankar wants to come out on his own and into the limelight and therefore showing his feisty and combative mode from the beginning. 

Modi's Insolent Democracy : 10 Dec 2022

Modi's road show in Gujarat on Election Day is again that in-your-face pugnacious attitude of his, saying I will do this. Let me see what you can do about it. Insolence is Modi's hallmark. This message is to the Opposition considering that the Election Commission is in his pocket and they would not dare take any action. Where it is expected that the Prime Minister of the nation would set an example by following the election norms. Modi does the complete opposite. He goes out and publicly and brazenly flouts the Election Commission guidelines. Where the lead as the custodian of democracy is with the Prime Minister, Modi makes light of it. That is the problem. 

Bilkis Chali SC - Supreme Court : 6 Dec 2022

We talk of justice for women in India. This is the story of Bilkis who while pregnant in 2002 was raped by a group of men during the then riots in Gujarat. She had to go through many pains to register the case and get it to come to the courts. Fearing that she would not get justice in Gujarat courts, the case was transferred to Maharashtra. After due process of hearings, the rapists were given life sentences. Bilkis though not happy since she had wanted the death penalty for the attackers had to be content with the life sentences. She would have preferred incarceration for life as punishment for her attackers, but that was not to be. Bilkis went back to her normal life thinking the black memories of that fateful day in 2002 were over. Flash forward on the case to 2022. Bilkis receives a jolt in her humdrum life with the news that all the rapists involved in her case have been released from jail. Unknown fears haunt her now. Will the rapists seek revenge against her for having put them in jail? Bilkis has heard that the State government has released them under some amnesty. She has also been told that upon the rapists release from jail, they were felicitated with garlands at a public function. This makes Bilkis worry more. Since 2002 it has been a BJP government in Gujarat and if the rapists have its support, then Bilkis has nowhere to hide. Earlier she had never thought of hiding. But then now her adversary is powerful and is all around her. In every passing shadow that she notices around her, she sees a lurking attacker and fears for her life. Her peace of mind has been shattered for herself and for that of her family. Bilkis has heard that the Central government had given a general amnesty in this year, the Amrut Mahotsav of our Azadi, to release prisoners from jail but this did not cover rapists to be specific. Then how was it that her rapists were released. She has again heard that they walked out of jail on the same day the Central government circular as mentioned above was received in Gujarat. Some people have been telling her that the Gujarat government had made some committee earlier and that it recommended that the rapists be released for good behaviour.  The Gujarat government had referred to the Central government this committee's report but then no one seems to know what the Central government had said on the matter, whether to release them or not. But in any case all this does not matter now since the rapists are roaming free in Gujarat. All this uncertainty and fear about what would happen to her, has aggravated Bilkis' apprehensions. To resolve this Bilkis has decided to go to the Supreme Court to seek succour, re-assurance and relief that justice is still alive and kicking in India. Will Bilkis be successful in her mission? Will India give her justice? 

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If you have any issues with the contents of this blog, you can respond to: 

S Kamat

Mob: 0 7218698906  

Email: kamatsrinivas@hotmail.com

Vox Populi Issue N009

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 009

Issue Date: 5 Dec 2022

Contents:

1. Modi as Ravana

2. BJP Should Think Before They Speak

3. Modi Should Lead By Example In Following The Constitution

Modi as Ravana : 4 Dec 2022

Kharge's Ravana comment about Modi has brought him & also Rajnath Singh seek apology. Rajnath's sycophancy in recent times is also stunning. What a change from a one-time contender for the PM's post against Modi to a meek follower now. While Modi & the BJP speak what they like about our past and present leaders who hold contrary positions to them but then there is no question of an apology from them about what they say. Even Amit Shah the other day had said that during election times, people say many things but we should not stretch them too far. This was in the context of some BJP leader saying Rahul Gandhi now looks like Saddam Hussein. Should Modi not heed Amit Shah's advice. Oh! Sorry! One got the perspective wrong. It is not that the Great Leader follows his close advisers but it is the followers who dumbly heed the sayings of the Great Leader.  In fact Modi should have been happy to be called Ravana since he is elevated into a mythological epic while on the other hand his penchant is that he like a crab keeps pulling down his political opponents. When Modi speaks leading up to any elections, the language  that comes out of his mouth is that of an uneducated, uncouth and illiterate person. Is he not aware that in this he is being hurtful? While when others speak about him which is not to his liking, he is quick to assume the robe of the PM and claim umbrage by saying that this is what they talk about the PM! Is that double standards or a psychiatric disorder like that of a schizophrenic personality? Modi should better consult a  psychiatrist and get his mind reordered.

BJP Should Think Before They Speak: 2 Dec 2022

Amit Shah has in a friendly avatar been saying that Rahul Gandhi should not take seriously the comments made by the BJP people about his present appearance which they claim looks like Saddam Hussein. Smriti Irani has also pitched into the matter saying something very obtuse which no one has understood. Amit Shah has clarified that during elections many people say many things, people enjoy them. But it does not affect the voting pattern and such comments need not be stretched. Firstly, who is stretching the matter it is the BJP and that too a Central Minister. So should BJP not put their own house in order and put a stop to these things? Secondly, we all recall Modi saying that Rs.15 Lakhs will be credited into every Indian's bank account after bringing back the black money from abroad. At that time also Amit Shah when reminded that this did not happen had said that during elections many people say many things. That is the credibility of Modi & the BJP. Thirdly, with Rahul Gandhi the equivalence with Saddam Hussein is only the supposed appearance but with Modi & Amit Shah the similarities with the Iraqi dictator run deeper. Saddam Hussein had launched many pogroms at many times against his enemies amongst the Shias and the Kurds in Iraq. The same thing was done by the infamous BJP duo of Modi and Amit Shah in the 2002 Gujarat communal riots. The recent statement by Amit Shah that the 2002 riots have taught a lesson and that there would be no more riots in Gujarat is the pugnacious face of the BJP built on the foundations of erroneous pride and completely wrong action. On such attitudes is the worry for the country as to what would happen to India. Thus there is a more direct relationship between Saddam Hussein and the top BJP leadership in thought, word and deed than Rahul Gandhi which is what the BJP cadre should remember. There is a saying - Look Before You Leap, apart from which for the BJP another saying applies - Think Before You Speak.

Modi Should Lead By Example In Following The Constitution: 30 Nov 2022

We have our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Constitution Day, 26th Nov, exhorting citizens to be conscious and perform their fundamental duties. Now who will remind Modi to do the same since day in, day out we have him and his government infringing and deliberately eroding the values enshrined in the Constitution. The glaring example being the Demonetisation exercise he did in Nov 2016 which was essentially in the RBI's domain according to the Constitution. And the latest being the appointment of the Election Commissioner Arun Goel at breakneck speed of 24 hours where there were other capable candidates who could have served for longer tenures. Not only that where the Election Commissioners are expected to have a term of 6 years according to the Constitution, none of them appointed by Modi's government until now have had tenures more than 2-3 years. The tearing hurry to appoint Goel as Election Commissioner is possibly with an eye on the Gujarat elections. If any matter is referred to the Election Commission then with just two members there could be a deadlock and hence the hurry to send another Commissioner quickly, a man committed and obliged to the BJP, who can resolve matters in favour of the ruling party. And these are the people like Modi who lecture us on performing our fundamental duties. 

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If you have any issues with the contents of this blog, you can respond to: 

S Kamat

Mob: 0 7218698906  

Email: kamatsrinivas@hotmail.com

Vox Populi Issue N008

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 008

Issue Date: 28 Nov 2022

Contents:

1. Protect Our Women From Male Homicidal Perverts

2. Of 'Pariah' Nations & 'Pariah' Parties

3. Saudi Arabia Stun Argentina at World Cup

Protect Our Women From Male Homicidal Perverts : 27 Nov 2022

The Maharashtra Police pursuing the complaint filed by Shradha Walkar with the Vashi police in Nov 2020 against Poonawala which claimed that he was physical assaulting her and had threatened to kill and cut her into pieces, could have saved a young life curtailed so cruelly in its prime. Though Shradha had withdrawn the complaint later, the police could have still organised a joint meeting of the two and given both some sane advice from the experience of the police in such cases. This hopefully would have drilled some caution into Poonawala. The problem with the police in our country is that they are overworked and they rarely look beyond what is obviously apparent. Going the extra mile is never done unless there is a pecuniary self interest involved. However, in such cases further enquiries should have been undertaken. Or there should be a procedure set up that complaints or cases related to violence against women should be referred to the nearest All Woman Police Station. Hopefully, the woman police would go into the matter more exhaustively. This is of utmost necessity since on the heels of the Shradha Walkar killing we have had a series of horrifying murders of women and unless quick exemplary punishment is not given, we will continue to see our women getting killed in most brutal circumstances. The Nirbhaya rape case and in its aftermath has not seen the rape cases against women particularly north of the Narmada reduce in any case, thus we need an attitudinal and cultural shift of mindset in our society of protecting our women from unbalanced and perverted men with homicidal tendencies.

Of 'Pariah' Nations & 'Pariah' Parties : 25 Nov 2022

The North Korean President's sister made the following comments about South Korea the other day, that they are 'idiots' and 'a running wild dog gnawing on a bone given by the US' & their previous presidents a 'rat' and a 'prostitute'. The BJP leaders in the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections have said that they will strip Kejriwal naked and send him back to Delhi and also saying that Rahul Gandhi's appearance now during the Bharat Jodo Yatra is like Saddam Hussein and that he should have tried to look like Vallabhai Patel or Nehru or even Gandhiji. The latter comment about Rahul Gandhi is the typical make-believe games that the BJP plays of faking things and covering up reality. Rahul Gandhi if he has grown a beard during his padayatra will look like himself, if anyone thinks he looks different then it is in that person's imagination. These BJP leaders try to outdo each other in saying outrageous things to catch the headlines without applying their minds to logic and reason. Thus our BJP leaders are making statements equivalent to those made by North Korea a 'pariah' nation thus putting them on par to being called a 'pariah' party.

P.S. The BJP has taken umbrage of Narendra Modi being bracketed with MBS of Saudi Arabia who was accused of murdering a journalist Khasshogi but allowed to visit the USA since being the Head of State he gets diplomatic immunity. Narendra Modi had not been allowed into the USA because of being an accused in the Gujarat riots cases that happened in 2002 but was exempted after 2014 once he was elected Prime Minister. The honours list of those accorded this facility includes the Heads of State of Haiti and 2 countries from Middle Africa. Eminent company our Prime Minister keeps in a special and exclusive club!

Saudi Arabia Stun Argentina at World Cup : 23 Nov 2022

With the stunning defeat of Argentina by Saudi Arabia at the football World Cup, the game is turning to be a great leveller. Reputation and form have this year in football been tossed aside and the best side on the day have won showing the door to the big names across Europe. In the EPL teams like Brentford, Leeds United and Brighton have shown the door to the giants like Liverpool and Manchester City. Manchester United has been a pushover currently for any team so they do not count. In Italy, Juventus has been struggling as also teams like AC Milan and Inter against the lesser teams. In Spain, Real Madrid has had unexpected defeats while Barcelona is a pale shadow of its past greatness and are anybody's to overcome. In France, PSG is the only team that has maintained its top reputation. Lets see what more the World Cup brings!

P.S. The very next day Japan upset mighty Germany. Both Argentina and Germany were humbled against the run of form. Keep watching the World Cup for more unexpected results.

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If you have any issues with the contents of this blog, you can respond to: 

S Kamat

Mob: 0 7218698906  

Email: kamatsrinivas@hotmail.com