Editorial, "HOW THE CHICKEN DISAPPEARED!?", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 30 September 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 18 issue

HOW THE CHICKEN DISAPPEARED!?

“All are Srivaishnavas, then how the chicken disappeared?” (అంతా శ్రీవైష్ణవులే, కోడిపిల్ల ఎలా మాయమైంది? – Srivaishnavas are supposed to be strict vegetarians) - so queries a Telugu axiom. That the disputed (Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi) structure was openly demolished by hundreds of vandals posing as Kar Sevaks aided and abetted by thousands of fanatic colleagues and scores of BJP/RSS/ VHP Shiv Sena leaders on 6 December 1992 is a too well-known, generally admitted fact and Justice Liberhan Commission, one of the longest inquiry commissions in India, setting out the sequence of events in sufficient detail, remarked (in the introduction to its 2009 report) that “…this demolition of the disputed structure was one of the worse catastrophes for the nation, mankind, good governance, socialism and for a society governed by the rule of law. …a defacement of the country at the international fora, an act of violence against ……fundamental rights and against the concept of reasoned argument…….” The Commission had specifically pointed out 68 persons including Advani, Vajpayee, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Bal Thackaray, V.P. Singhal, et al as culpable for this heinous act. Harsh observations were made by the Commission regarding the collusion, connivance, even abetment and aid by the then Kalyan Singh led BJP government in UP and the Masjid’s ultimate demolition also. However, though no such observations were made against the then Prime Minister, this editor asserts that then PM PV Narasimha Rao also aided and abetted this notorious enterprise by his calculated inaction. And, well, the less said of the failure and inaction of the judiciary the better. So, in that background, and in the context of the recent pervert decision of the Apex Court setting aside the wiser Allahabad High Court judgment and handing over the entire disputed structure plot to the same communal fanatics (now in government at the center also), it is no surprise that Sri SK Yadav, the CBI Court Judge, trying 32 accused – Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti et al for the demolition offences, chose it wise to acquit all of them. The communal fanatics may gleefully celebrate this occasion but it only portends the general fall of the nation – in terms of necessary morals, religious and ideological tolerance and basic respect to fundamental rights of citizens – and perhaps even the eventual ruin of the country a la Battle of Tallikota (which totally devastated the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire in 1565 AD) if any bitter struggles and wars ensue in future on this what may be termed a never-ending-sore-like-issue of the country. §§§

Editorial, "ABRAHAM ACCORDS: DAWN OF PEACE?", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 September 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 17 issue

 ABRAHAM ACCORDS: DAWN OF PEACE?

No doubt, they are the most happening events of the year, and have the potential to bring in durable peace in the region if other Arab States also follow/acquiesce in, Israel shuns aggression, Iran too tolerates this and is not attacked by the America-Israel evil axis. President Trump has to be certainly given much credit for brokering the deals and it seems he has even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for this achievement. Naturally Ivanka Trump was elated and tweeted: “The Abraham Accords are signed! Today's historic signing proves that the nations of the Middle East are breaking free from the failed approaches of the past. After decades of division and conflict, we mark the dawn of a new Middle East. Congratulations to all!” Well, will the failed approaches indicate the Camp David and Oslo Accords as also the two-state solution mooted when Arafat was alive and in charge of the PLO, the later coming into existence of the State of Palestine, UN grant of observer status to it and recognition of that state by several countries in the world, clear-cut condemnation by the UN of Israeli plans/efforts to annex the West Bank by driving out Palestinians and constructing more Jewish settlements, etc.? It is somewhat relieving to find the clarification that “This Treaty does not affect and shall not be interpreted as affecting, in any way, the rights and obligations of the Parties under the Charter of the United Nations,” in these accords and also the promise not to unilaterally construct any more Jewish settlements in the West Bank; but one would be quite anxious at not finding specific reference to the longstanding United Nations Security Council Resolutions that demand Israeli withdrawal from the 1967 war occupied territories and the two-state solution to the problem; we may further note that the states concerned recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Does that mean giving a go-by to the two-State solution once for all? Also reports are pouring in that even a war with Iran could be unleashed now in order to bolster up Trump’s re-election chances, which if happens, would be quite calamitous. Hope all such cataclysmic consequences won’t ensue but gradually all/most of the Arab/Muslim states agree for the existence of Israel ‘within secure borders’, the UN Security Council too unanimously consents and Israel also unequivocally accepts the Palestinian state with due recognition of its sovereignty and integrity and the needed just solution to the longstanding refugee problem. §§§

Editorial, "FREE CORONA CARE FOR ALL A MUST", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 August 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 16 issue

 FREE CORONA CARE FOR ALL A MUST

and that should include free testing, treatment, food and other basic facilities/costs during treatment in all hospitals and approved laboratories – public or private, and that is the minimum any government should ensure to its citizens/residents and we know that this pandemic has grown to monstrous proportions in India now. Nowadays when jingoism is at its high pitch under the fake news spread and false propaganda of the fanatic communal central government and likeminded parties and governments in states too, and one too readily hates, despises and rivals China for all and sundry reasons, why can’t we rival with China in this field too and provide a better care and treatment facility to one and all. It may be underscored that in China not only the testing is free, but any cost related to COVID-19 including treatment or cost not covered by personal insurance is borne by the government. Why China, even the small African country Rwanda provides all Corona testing and treatment free to one and all and has been especially praised by the Director-General, WHO, in his media briefing on 10 August 2020: “… Rwanda’s progress is due to a … combination of strong leadership, universal health coverage, well-supported health workers and clear public health communications. / All testing and treatment for COVID-19 is free in Rwanda, so there are no financial barriers to people getting tested.” Then, there is the brilliant example of New Zealand, which the entire world knows. Further, the approved cost of testing in private labs in India runs up to Rs. 4500/- (charged costs may be much more) but it is only Rs. 500/- in Pakistan and moderate in Bangladesh too. We have seen so many videos of people virtually crying in agony when charged with lakhs of rupees for Corona testing/treatment in private facilities. It is utter shame on all of us that even after 70 years of so-called independence we have not been able to provide ourselves with any free, universal health care system. True, there is an Ayushman Bharat scheme for free treatment to economically, etc. disadvantaged sections, but it excludes too many categories and also the middle and upper middle income groups even, who have also gone broke in these times. So, this editor specifically stresses that whoever goes to any lab/hospital, for testing and treatment of COVID-19 at least, should be treated as a ‘guest’ and accorded all respect and care in consonance with the age old dharmic cum ethical principle of “athithi devo bhava” and the private facilities should seek and governments provide reimbursements at nominal/reasonable rates. §§§

Editorial, "CONTEMPTUOUS CONTEMPT?", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 August 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 15 issue

 CONTEMPTUOUS CONTEMPT?

perhaps so until the charge of ‘scandalization of court’ as contemplated and laid down in Section 2(c)(i) of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971 continues in the statute book. As far back as in 2005, we had published an illuminating article with the same title by late Justice P.A. Choudary, then an editorial adviser of ours, in which he decried the existence of this provision in the statute and asserted, referring to H.M. Seervai, that “…in the context of our constitutional provisions for impeachment of judges for misbehaviour and incapacity, the common law offence of scandalizing the court becomes incompatible with our constitution. …this common law contempt power, by making the allegation of misbehaviour itself a punishable offence, makes the working of those constitutional provisions nugatory and renders the whole constitutional scheme itself otiose. Thus this power running directly counter to the letter and spirit of the constitution must be taken to have been forbidden by the constitution” and that “It is the total absence of reasonableness in this class of contempt that tolls its death knell. This class of contempt assumes sub silentio that administration of justice is an absolute value. That is its fatal weakness.” It is good that, at last, the constitutionality of this provision has been challenged by the trio of human rights champions: Prashant Bhushan, Arun Shourie and N. Ram in the Supreme Court now, but it is quite bad, we feel very sad, that Prashant Bhushan should be charged and convicted under the same provision and awaiting his sentence now for just two tweets posted by him criticizing the Chief Justice of India. The first tweet concerning the CJI violating lockdown norms is a personal hit and cannot be reckoned as contempt of court, the remedy for CJI, if he is hurt, is, if he is so advised, to sue for defamation in a civil court. Of course, this editor doesn’t agree with Arun Shourie that the CJI mounting such a costly motor bike is itself an affront to his high public status and feels he can freely dance, dine and enjoy just like any other person, of course with due decorum and attention to his public status. The other tweet of course seems to be a bit too harsh and controversial, but the Court could close the case with an admonition or post it to be heard along with the constitutional challenge referred to above to a constitution bench. In any case, this editor feels and asserts that either the judiciary or legislature should intervene and remove this obnoxious provision of ‘scandalization of court’ as a ground for contempt to protect and promote freedom of speech in our country. §§§

Editorial, "SUICIDES OR MURDERS?," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 July 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 14 issue

 SUICIDES OR MURDERS?

It is quite disturbing that so-called suicides of bright stars on the film skies, and of other arenas too, are occurring often; many of those alleged as murders, sought to be passed off as suicides, and some successfully so. Perhaps it is easier for the investigating agencies to close cases of suspicious deaths as suicides than to take up the onerous task of forensic research and thorough investigation to arrive at the truth. We had, about 2½ years ago, rued the case of what appears to be a patent murder of Sridevi, a most famous Indian heroine, being passed off as a suicide amidst allegations of hushing up the matters at the highest political levels. Citing the instance of the death of another star actress Priya Rajvansh that was also sought to be so passed off but due to public outcry and on closer investigation tried as a deliberate murder, this editor had expressed several doubts on Sridevi’s suspicious death, as also the earlier such deaths of Telugu film heroes Udaykiran and Ranganath, and hoped that “someday, somehow and by somebody the real truth would come out.” Now, the same holds good for the recent death of Sushant Singh Rajput, the lively rising star of Bollywood, and possible rape and murder of his secretary Disha Salian a week before; her autopsy report indicates some injuries to her private parts even. Seems the Bombay Police are not proceeding properly with the investigation and very surprising to know that even a FIR has not been registered by them since the last 6 weeks. Even for the cases taken up under S 174 of Cr.P.C., as suspicious deaths, the filing of a FIR is quite essential. Much furor and outcry from various circles arose and his own father filed a complaint in Patna, Bihar, the police there registered a FIR and took up investigation on the charges of murder by Sushant’s new lover Rhea Chakravarty/her family members. One famous hero-actor, Shekhar Suman, openly shouted ‘murder’ and has given a representation to the Maharashtra Governor, requesting the investigation to be handed over to the CBI. There is an urgent need to hand over both the cases to the CBI or any independent investigating agency, under the monitoring of some High Court, especially since allegations of involvement of persons in high political echelons, like the minister, Aditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena, is alleged in connection with both the cases. We also opine that it is essential for Section 174 Cr.P.C. to be suitably amended for handing over all cases of suspicious death to a Sessions Judge/Judicial Magistrate for necessary inquiry. §§§

Editorial, "INDIA-NEPAL RELATIONS AT A NEW LOW," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 July 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 13 issue

 INDIA-NEPAL RELATIONS AT A NEW LOW

now and that, no doubt, due to the chauvinistic attitude and measures of the current Nepali government led by K.P. Sharma Oli. It is very sad that entire Nepal Parliament stood behind this pervert PM as against India though for the last about 200 years the current control and arrangements, to say the least, are being followed in the Limpiyadhura- Kalapani-Lipulekh triangular sector. An insightful write-up by Naresh Koirala in The Khatmandu Post (4 June 2020) itself has refuted the bellicose statements/measures of the Nepalese PM and it may be sufficient to quote some salient portions of the same: “Nepal’s publication of a new map showing the Limpiyadhura-Kalapani-Lipulekh area within its territorial boundary has raised passions here and across the border in India. The area in question, a 370-square-kilometre strip located at the north-western corner of the country, has been under Indian administration for a long time. But Nepal argues that, under the terms of the 1815 Sugauli Treaty, it is her land and should be returned. It looks like the newly unveiled map will bring India to the negotiating table.” “The territorial boundary of modern Nepal was defined by the Sugauli Treaty signed with the British East India Company in 1815. It said that the course of the Kali River, called the Mahakali downstream, marked Nepal’s western boundary which is the subject of the current row. …… The Mahakali has two tributaries – one starting at Lipukekh and the other at Limpiyadhura. The treaty did not specify which of these two tributaries would be considered the Kali for the purpose of delineating the boundary. India says the Kali starts at Lipulekh, and Nepal says Limpiyadhura is the river's source.” “In the early 1960s, King Mahendra gave consent to Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to continue the use of the Lipulekh-Kalapani area, according to the then Home Minister Biswabandhu Thapa. In 1961, Mahendra signed a boundary treaty with China, which says, ‘The boundary line starts from the point where the watershed between the Kali River and the Tinkar River meet the watershed between the tributaries of the Mapchu (Karnali) River on the one hand and the Tinkar River on the other hand’. This treaty makes Tinkar, about 10 kilometres south of Lipulekh – the tri-junction where the China-India-Nepal borders meet – and supports India’s current position.” Further, the UN map of Nepal, the CIA facts book map, and the various maps by Nepal itself till now, do not claim the triangular portion and China entered into an agreement with India in 2015 for opening a trading post at Lipulekh, in effect recognizing the trijunction as within Indian jurisdiction. A shorter, more convenient route to a most sacred pilgrimage site, Manasarovar Lake, lies through Lipulekh, to facilitate which India has built a new road up to Lipulekh recently, which raked up the entire controversy now. However, it seems there is strong opposition to Oli in the ruling Nepal Communist Party itself and the faction led by Prachanda, who stood foremost in the militant struggle against monarchy and for achievement of democracy in Nepal, is bitterly opposed to the fanatic and perverse policies and actions of Oli, especially his rabid anti-Indian stance. Hope the Nepal Communist Party will oust Oli and install a saner, liberal leadership in that government, which then can mend relations with India for the better. §§§

Editorial, "A NEW COLD WAR!?," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 30 June 2020, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 12 issue

 A NEW COLD WAR!?

It seems so as the Trump administration in the U.S., hard pressed by the fast spread of the Coronavirus contagion making America the No. 1 in that field too, as also by the countrywide George Floyd memorial “I can’t breathe” protests, which have in many places degenerated into mere chaos, is concentrating its guns on China now, spreading all sorts of malicious lies and inciting its protégés and ‘allies’ to attack it by all means. The Democrats in America, piqued by the shocking defeat of their candidate in 2016, tried all vicious tricks to first spread Hate Russia campaign under the directions of the deep state in America, shooting Trump with wild, false RussiaGate allegations and prolonged impeachment proceedings all of which boomeranged to their utter dismay. Now they are in the main leading the George Floyd protests also though, queerly, all the anarchy is concentrated in their controlled States. So now Donald Trump has targeted all his guns on China – against which there seems to be bipartisan unanimity in the U.S. in terms of wild hatred borne out of sheer jealousy at its phenomenal growth in the world economy despite all sanctions and vile measures of the U.S.-NATO coteries. They are spreading a venomous propaganda against China mainly on the issues of the so-called repression of ‘democracy’ in Hong Kong and their new National Security Law, of the allegedly deliberate spread/non-information on the spread of Coronavirus pandemic, and alleged ‘persecution of Uighur Muslims’ in China. More recently, America is trying to make best advantage by meddling in our [India’s] border clashes with the Chinese in an effort to shoot it over our shoulders. However, all the lies and schemes in their vicious propaganda and aggressive measures have been exposed by reputed scholars and wise statesmen all over the world and we Indians must realize that just as America had severely damaged the interests of world peace and progress by its stubborn cold war against the Soviet Union, it is again imperiling the welfare, even the very survival, of humanity by such confrontational moves in collusion with other Western coteries and trying to use us India as a pawn in their wicked game; we should strongly reject all such offers and moves, and build bridges of friendship and peace with China and Russia, as also other developing countries in the world, to foster not only our own national interests but also world peace and progress at large. §§§

Editorial, "DISPUTES LEFT BY HISTORY: SOLVE AMICABLY," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 June 2020 issue, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 11 issue

 DISPUTES LEFT BY HISTORY: SOLVE AMICABLY

It is very sad that first time after 1967 Nathu La clashes, serious violence erupted again, this time in the Ladakh-Tibet border, specifically in the Galwan River Valley area, between Indian and Chinese armed forces though not with firearms but by the use of ordinary incendiaries, clubs and fists, etc. It is reported that at least 20 Indian soldiers have died and about 40 casualties [both dead and injured included] occurred on the Chinese side too, but given the usual recourse to lies in warfare, we can never know the real figures and situation it seems. E.g. the contrast between rival versions about the 1967 Nathu La [Sikkim-Tibet border area] clashes: “According to Chinese reports, the number of soldiers killed were 32 on the Chinese side and 65 on the Indian side in Nathu La incident, and 36 Indian soldiers and an 'unknown' number of Chinese were killed in the Cho La incident … [but] the Indian Defence Ministry reported: 88 killed and 163 wounded on the Indian side, while 340 killed and 450 wounded on the Chinese side, during the two incidents.” {Wikipedia}. Well, whatever be the real status of exact figures, it is doubtless that loss of human lives in hankering for these desolate border regions is extremely painful; and also harmful to the interests of the entire humanity, not just our two countries. There is also a danger that given the astounding levels of chauvinism and jingoism rampant in our country subsequent to these May 2020 clashes, the enmities which have so far remained under strict control may escalate further, with our country already joining the America-Israel evil axis and perhaps may be falling into the American trap and design to shoot China over Indian shoulders. Luckily, there is no such chauvinism apparent in the English media of the other side, though they assert their contentions and deny ours. It seems our government and people have not learnt anything much from the humiliating defeat in the quite unnecessary 1962 border war and even the official Henderson Brooks (-Bhagat) Report delineating in detail the miscalculations and blunders of our government and our army at that time has not been made public even after 60 years in this “world’s largest democracy”! This editor asserts and appeals, as he did time and again, that such disputes left over by history have to be solved through peaceful negotiations, with a friendly and liberal ‘give and take’ approach, but not further complicated by inflaming an irate people’s revanchist passions of revenge and retaliation. §§§

Editorial, "‘KNEE ON THE NECK’ TO TAKING A KNEE," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 May 2020, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 10 issue

 ‘KNEE ON THE NECK’ TO TAKING A KNEE

Well, now we see American ‘exceptionalism’ not only in its imperial hubris but in the cruel, inhumane practices of its police officers also, queerly trained by the Zionist terrorist state of Israel, to adopt all the genocidal repressive policies and tricks against their own people. The ‘knee on the neck’ perhaps deliberately pressed by the police officer Derek Chauvin on the felon-turned-a-caring-family-man (‘gentle giant’) George Floyd, an Afro-American for many minutes amidst cries and pleas of “I Can’t breathe” and wails of ‘Daddy, mamma,  they are going to kill me’ – is a common method used by the Zionist police. Chauvin appears to be a psycho but this could also be a calculated murder out of some personal hatred – searching investigation needed. President Trump responded seriously condemning this excess, as massive people’s protests broke out this time, but also brashly hit out at looting and killings by vandals/felons in that process in many cities and for that has earned, still earning, the ire of the masses. But, it is interesting to note that this tragedy occurred in a stronghold of Democrats and most of the violence, looting etc. during the massive protests which virtually set America ablaze have also occurred in the Dems’ ruled States and cities. So, a vicious ploy against Trump’s reelection, as also the hands of the Antifa radicals/Islamic terrorists behind all the violence, cannot also be ruled out. As a netizen Shannon Lucas wryly commented: “Since we are honoring George Floyd [albeit his past felonious record] for his memorial .... The biggest memory of him dying will be the rioters who brought hammers, axes, ball bats, and two by fours and how they were beating the life out of and stomping their heads in concrete of innocent people. When will the innocents who were killed by the criminal rioters be memorialized... What was done to George Floyd was wrong but guess what – people get done wrong every day; he’s not the only one that shouldn’t have lost his life....... We all get done wrong in our lives, time and time again. That don’t give you the right to damage property, to steal, to commit arson; nor does it give you the right to beat innocent people down and stomp them to death." Also, it is true that more numbers of innocent whites were shot dead in police excesses than blacks in recent years. And, the protests also seem to be genuine outbursts of various sections of the people against such police excesses, and we see even police in some places taking a knee in memory of Floyd. Overall, what is needed direly in the American situation is to frame and strictly implement relevant police reforms to curb all forms of police excesses against all persons – as ‘All lives matter’. §§§

Editorial, "TOTALLY AVOIDABLE GAS TRAGEDY," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 May 2020, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 9 issue

 TOTALLY AVOIDABLE GAS TRAGEDY

at Vizag intensely torments our hearts. If only a few basic, mandatory precautions were taken by the Government and the culprit company i.e. LG Polymers Ltd., the accident or at least its intensity could have been certainly avoided. This was not so calamitous, highly poisonous gas leak as in the shocking Bhopal Gas Tragedy of the 1980s and if the people could have been alerted by a siren before/even just after the gas leak almost all the lives lost could have been saved. But that a multinational company did not do so only points out to their reckless conduct and blatant violation of all environmental and pollution control norms too. The State Government also appears to be in cahoots with the corporates as evidenced by the Chief Minister himself arriving at Vizag, his camaraderie with the company management, assuring them of no harm, and declaring the same to the public too. What was needed was the immediate closure of the unit, sealing off the entire premises so that no evidence relating to this egregious human rights crime could disappear in any way. Instead we find the Government continuing their collusion, as they did in permitting its reopening during a lockdown, that too with no pollution control/public health officer taking the risks into concern and supervising, by now facilitating the shifting of Styrene tanks by shipping to their home country – a blatant erasure of evidence, and not even informing the National Green Tribunal, or the State High Court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of this tragedy. This editor had commented in social media on 7 May itself that “Like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy some decades back, today morning we hear of this Vizag Gas Tragedy and it seems these profit-oriented capitalists/corporations learn nothing. And the Governments do nothing to control them virtually. When a Chemical Factory is to be reopened, should not the govt take utmost precautions?” Later the irresponsible and dangerous conduct of the management in not blowing a siren even, on occurrence of the accident was decried. On 12 May this editor appealed to the people to not let any evidence disappear and demanded that not only the Company be closed down but also attached immediately and called for a thorough judicial inquiry into all aspects thereof. The same needs to be reiterated here with the hope that the National Green Tribunal and the High Court of AP would comprehensively consider about the accident and strictly punish the concerned culprits of the company, and also of the government, and reach full justice in the matter. §§§

Editorial, "CORONA CRISIS AMERICA: TRUMP'S ANTICS," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 30 April 2020, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 8 issue

CORONA CRISIS AMERICA: TRUMP’S ANTICS

It is amply clear now that American ‘exceptionalism’ has given rise to a cruelly devouring Corona Crisis therein, mainly due to the criminal negligence of the authorities there. Even on 9 March Trump tweeted that more people died of Flu in America for years but no shutdowns were imposed and Covid-19 had but 546 cases with 22 deaths i.e. took it very lightly, failing to take note of its more contagious, asymptomatic nature. Then, this editor reply-tweeted that it may be so but, yet, quarantining the suspects was essential as also treating people kindly. True, once the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 as a world health emergency on 30 January 2020, Trump banned all flights to and from China to be effective from 2 February, but later again fell asleep; showed much negligence and ignorance, but even the Democrats were worse – only busy with framing up false evidence to impeach him, caring the least for public health, and others no better. Sadly, America has become a divided house with ugly wrangling for partisan interests rather than sincere care for people’s health. And when the disease broke out in all fury, with thousands dying like fleas, there were not even enough masks, PPEs, ventilators, etc. to save them. This editor was constrained to comment on 29 March that “America, boasting to be No. 1 power in the world, is now also No. 1 in Coronavirus contamination! President Trump's arrogance and buffoonery is also a cause for this astronomical rise but hope he comes to senses and as indicated by recent tweet makes up with China, benefits from Chinese experience, ....... If President Trump succeeds in tackling this problem well, he is sure to get reelected but otherwise it is very doubtful.” And on 15 April again caustically commented: “Trump acting like a deranged clown. He, the Republicans, the Dems, all authorities of US, Congress and Senate have been criminally negligent and are solely responsible for this human tragedy in the US, and not WHO or China. ... America is no longer a superpower ... ... has not even the gratitude that Russia and China have flown emergency aid for Corona victims in the US.” The situation is no better now, Trump and others, even his opponents, are wildly accusing China as also WHO yet; are even thinking of lifting the lockdowns, which by the way were never implemented meaningfully. Trump talks much of ‘God’ nowadays, though he never was a sincere devotee it seems, and with such foolish measures of his, and worse such conduct by his opponents, one may hope ‘God’ alone can save America, and the world from America! §§§

Editorial, "CORONA SPREAD AND TABLIGHI JAMAAT," in 15 April 2020, Vol. 16:Part 1, No. 7 issue

 CORONA SPREAD AND TABLIGHI JAMAAT

True, there is a definite connection between the two though it cannot be said the latter is the only causative factor for the former. But, it has been amply confirmed that at a time when Delhi was complacent about the corona spread there and confident that it could be contained fully to set an example even - due to and since the general lockdown in the entire country from 24 March 2020 onward, this Jamaati explosion of Corona affliction had upset all calculations and the Jamaati Corona spread even affected Nepal, not just other States in India. Earlier inside the large Markaz buildings in Nizamuddin, Delhi also they did not implement self-isolation and social distancing measures and it is alleged that Maulana Saad, the Head, himself exhorted the participants to congregate and be not afraid. Anyway, they - some 2300 persons found inside – were vacated by 1 April and most of them were shifted to quarantine and some disease afflicted to the Covid19 hospitals. Later from various states also the dispersed and hiding Jamaati participants, including several foreigners, were traced and caught but by that time much harm was done by their transmissions. So much so that even Arvind Kejriwal, the liberal CM of Delhi, himself stated on 6 April that most of the then spurt in Delhi was due to Jamaat sources, some 67.4% [259/384 as on that date]; the same was the course in Telangana [about 80%], in AP also, in Tamil Nadu, etc. This was a very unfortunate defiance of lockdown and consequent increase in Corona spread, and the other violators are the migrant labor exoduses and occasional birthday/ religious celebrations at some places. Though Tablighi Jamaat is not a terrorist organization, studies point out that it is a very orthodox Islamic propaganda/conversion association with no formal structure and no membership details etc. reported to the governments. Considered in many countries as an extremist organization with links to terrorists, it is banned outright/officially discouraged in some like Russia, Uzbekistan, even Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc. Its annual conferences (‘ijtema’s) in India (its origin-country) and other countries draw lakhs of people (including thousands of foreigners). Recently Pakistan also found them quite harmful, had to close their Sind headquarters and arrest some of them too. Such rigidly orthodox religious extremist organizations [‘antechambers of fundamentalism’], dreaming of a religious-power-seizure, should be harshly dealt with, strict sanctions must be placed on, and due transparency demanded of, them. §§§

Editorial, "WAR ON CORONAVIRUS", in 15-31 March 2020 special issue, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 5-6 issue

 

WAR ON CORONAVIRUS

the world over is going on now. We humans have been coexisting with lakhs of viruses all along, but some virulent ones played havoc with our lives. For example, Influenza is attributed to the work of a virus - the 1918 Spanish Flu had taken crores of lives all over the world [>1.5 crores in our country alone]. Earlier to that we were struck by Bubonic Plague in which also millions died; the arbitrary and cruel plague control measures by the British colonialists had even led to counter attacks by extremist nationalists [e.g. Chapekar Brothers] during 1897-99. In the recent past, we had HIV-AIDS, then SARS-Swine Flu and Ebola etc. killing lakhs of people – starting from the 1980s. The current coronavirus began since November-December 2019 in Wuhan, China it seems. But, suspicions as to whether from October 2019 itself it was there in the US, and if that was due to bio-war experiments conducted in the US Labs, later outsourced to the Wuhan Lab, also exist. Whatever it be, China imposed a very rigid lockdown in January 2020 in the entire Hubei province (capital Wuhan), also speedily built several hospitals and, mobilizing the health staff and medical resources of the entire country, has been able to contain it by now. The genome details, the danger of human to human transmission and the asymptomatic, highly contagious nature of the disease were quickly communicated to WHO when it declared a world health emergency on 30 January 2020 concerning this ‘2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease’; later it was named COVID-19 and declared a pandemic. The European countries and the US did not yet wake up and so are horribly suffering now with the attacks of COVID-19 in gargantuan proportions. Luckily, we Indians have taken to a nation-wide lockdown from 24 March, a bit belatedly though, which has helped us reduce the speed of the spread considerably. However, the lack of adequate prearrangements, prevalence of reckless orthodoxy [e.g. Tabligh Jamaat related spread], rumours and stupidity [e.g. migrant labour exoduses] have become main hurdles. Anyway, lockdowns can only limit the spread. We need to take feverish measures for the cure and eradication of the disease, for raising the civic consciousness, and helping the economically and socially most suffering sections with a wide range of workable schemes/measures; especially supply at cheap rates, or even free of cost, of masks to the people and PPE kits to the doctors, nurses and other paramedical medical staff, as also to other civic staff, is a MUST. Perhaps we have to live with this disease for a long time to come, pending invention of the right cures and creation of a scientific spirited, hygienic and enviro-friendly climate all over the country, but we have to march in earnest and unitedly to reach that goal. §§§

Editorial, "DELHI RIOTS: A DANGEROUS TREND", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 4, 29 February 2020 issue

DELHI RIOTS: A DANGEROUS TREND

that the national capital should be convulsed by ugly communal riots which seem to have never occurred since the notorious 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the wake of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, and that too the current riots occurring right at the time of the American President Trump’s visit to India, especially Delhi. This does not appear to be any sudden and unexpected eruption but reveals a deliberate and inhuman sort of plotting behind to intentionally provoke, attack, injure and kill persons of other communities, even the law enforcement officers, and in this editor’s opinion reveals the utter incompetence of the Union Government and its Home Minister who should have well anticipated all this mess and geared up the security and law and order mechanism to meet such dangers. Of course, one cannot condone the roles of various parties/ groups either. The anti-CAA protests indefinitely going on at Shaheen Bagh, a nerve center of the city, and a total roadblock due to it, was a standing provocation, aggravated by demands of the Hindu fanatic leaders to get it vacated even by force. Though the Supreme Court had to and did interfere to solve it by sending negotiators to persuade the protesters see reason, lift the roadblock and close/shift their protests, the situation was further intensified by extremists trying to extend the protests to block other centers, especially when they occupied the roads in Jaffrabad-Maujpur area and even barred entry/exit to/of a metro rail station. This generated a lot of discontent, strong provocation to the irate opponents and exacerbated the situation. But all this was only a preparation of the soil, and the real gory work of riots was deliberate and well planned and it seems the hands of Islamic terrorists are behind it if the free use of acid tanks, petrol bombs, country made pistols, guns, etc. be taken into note as also that a big number of police personnel got injured and a high ranking intelligence officer and a senior constable were cruelly killed even. Nearly 50 human lives and crores of properties have been lost and the communal atmosphere has been much vitiated. Now people should rise above petty communal considerations, do all to get law and order situation restored to normalcy first, get vacated all protests pro or against the CAA/NPR/NRC tangle and mandate that any protests can take place at only some indicated maidans for a limited period and never permitted to block roads and cause troubles to the public and inflame communal/inhuman passions. §§§

Editorial, "BUDGET AT OUR GLANCE" in Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 3, 15 February 2020 issue

BUDGET AT OUR GLANCE

It may be the longest ever speech (160 minutes) in Parliament by a Union Finance Minister, but this presented on 1 February 2020 does not look any better than the previous ones. In fact, the budget does not take into account the continuous slide down of the growth for the last six quarters and projects somewhat unachievable target of 6.5% growth rate and creates a delusion in the minds of the people. There is no substantial increase in the immediate welfare benefits to the people and DownToEarth laments that in reality the funds for women welfare programs got constricted and Chidambaram slams it for doing nothing to create jobs for the youths in the country with the growing unemployment rate now and terms the budget as a ‘laundry list of old programs’. The Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has termed it repetitive and with no strategic idea to uplift the country, Shashi Tharoor said there is nothing stimulating in it to give the kind of development we need and the Marxist party concentrated mainly on the flawed thoughts and measures on education, health care and inflation control. To us it seems largely private corporate sector oriented, further reducing the corporate tax burdens, in false belief that it will lead to growth and trickle down processes for the country’s good, ever doubtful assumption. There is no reason why corporate taxes cannot be significantly increased in a graduated scale at least to a 40% cap and as also why income taxes cannot be increased likewise to a 60% cap even. Whereas the US Federal Budget receives 50%, and UK about 28% from income taxes, we just receive 17% indicating the need to widen tax base as also increase at the higher slabs. For lower income tax payers obviously the said concessions given prove damaging when removal of standard exemptions taken into note. There should be a way and measure to have all incomes taxed, with lower incomes taxed still less, and higher still more in a graduated scale. Also expenditures on provision of basic necessities, education, public health, employment and infrastructure for strictly necessary ends need to be increased and streamlined and agriculture and industry promoted by incentives at the start up phase but taxed well after they pick up and enter the profit phase. Now almost all the agricultural landlords and capitalists are going tax free and especially the government lavish spending and the Nawab style living of the leaders at public expense have to be eliminated. Maybe this is just a thinking aloud.  §§§

Editorial, "Peace to Prosperity? Scheme of the Century?" in Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 2, 31 January 2020 issue

PEACE TO PROSPERITY? 

SCHEME OF THE CENTURY?

Having failed to deliver his pre-poll promises to American people to prove himself a Messiah of peace and prosperity instead of a Moloch of war, and having taken to failed attempts to forge peace with some, and incite coups against some other, sovereign states also, President Trump seems to have finally bowed down to the belligerent bipartisan deep state of the U.S. and its main provocateur-beneficiary the Jewish lobby and in cahoots with the Zionist terrorist Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu invented a new Peace to Prosperity Scheme of the Century purporting to solve the more than a century old conflict in the Middle East. Perhaps all this servility to the base Zionist interests may not serve him, ultimately the Mossad may cause or aid his assassination even and then put the blame on Iran, or Russia, etc. to provoke another bigger and more calamitous war to gain more advantage to Israel at the expense of American blood and money! But, with the thousand ‘NO’s by the Palestinian President Mr. Abbas, and its rejection by the Arab League too, this seems to be a non-starter for the present, though there is no guarantee that its essence would not be pushed brutally through one-sidedly. A cursory analysis of it shows that Palestinians are now left with only some stray patches amounting to less than 10% of the territorial area within a Greater Israel, instead of the original 46% of the area awarded to them by the UN Partition Plan of 1947, and except for the narrow Gaza strip under constant bombardment by the Israeli IDF, the entire State will be landlocked, and in any future conflict with Israel could be closed by the Israeli forces in no time, with no ways of retreat/escape even. Moreover, placing the entire security concerns of Palestine in the hands of Israel as per this Scheme, means it would have to languish as a vassal state forever. All this is totally against the innumerable UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and self-determination to the people of Palestine. This editor opines that only if and when Israel withdraws from the occupied territories as per the UN Resolutions, and Jerusalem itself is made a corpus separatum under UN auspices; real justice and self-determination accorded to the Palestinian people and Israel itself freed from the stranglehold of the Zionist terrorist state with its apartheid policies and measures, peace and prosperity can actually dawn in that ‘accursed region’ and this Scheme of the Century is only fit to be thrown out into the Mediterranean Sea. §§§

Editorial, "The American Deep State Is Leading Us" in Vol. 16, Part 1, No. 1, 15 January 2020 issue

THE AMERICAN DEEP STATE IS LEADING US

to a collective ruin, if not to total extinction, it seems to us watching the aggressive actions by it through whoever be its puppet president at the helm. Only now it happens to be President Trump who had won the people’s hearts by his caustic criticism of the Middle East wars and solemn promises to pull the country out of wars and make it Great Again through innovative policies/measures. So was Bush who used the 9/11 false flag operation for his venture into an ‘international war on terror’ and devastated Afghanistan and Iraq, and so did Obama, who grotesquely extended the wars to more countries, causing the utter ruin of Libya and the gory murder of Qaddafi, as also contributed to the creation of the ISIS, the cruelest religious fanatic terrorist state in Iraq and Syria. It is now revealed that several US presidents lied to the people to draw them into various wars – Truman and Roosevelt leading them into two world wars. Well informed/conscientious intellectuals/veterans disclose that all this is the work of a neo-conservative deep state, the evolution of which was forewarned by the U.S. President, General Dwight Eisenhower way back in January 1961: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” Dancing to the tunes of such a CIA-Mossad driven deep state, Trump ordered the assassination of the Iranian Major-General Soleimani, a very popular fighter-genius who planned and achieved the near-total destruction of the dreaded ISIS, trapping him by asking the Iraqi PM to invite him to peace talks. That the Iraqi PM was incensed, got a resolution passed in their Assembly to expel all foreign troops and asked the US to withdraw was of no use as ‘vote what you want, we’ll not go’ is the stubborn U.S. reply. Only the statesmanly conduct of Russia/China, the restrained retaliation of Iran, have averted a catastrophic war for the present. But, unless these greedy imperialists with their ‘destructive self-deception’ of American indispensability, are put down by the powerful voices and actions of billions of peace loving people all over the world, perhaps as Paul Edwards apprehends, it is “not impossible that the murder of Soleimani could result in a disaster of greater magnitude than did that of the Archduke Ferdinand, and that we may, in the days ahead, suffer our own 1914 and its dreadful aftermath.” §§§