Editorial, "IGNOBLE NOBEL PRIZES?", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 20, 31 OCTOBER 2021 issue

 IGNOBLE NOBEL PRIZES?

Established by the ‘merchant of death’ Alfred Nobel (it is said that in 1888, Alfred Nobel was astonished to read his own obituary, titled The merchant of death is dead, in a French newspaper, which was actually meant for his deceased brother; but, anyway, that changed his mind to make him write his Will of 1895 to institute this prize) the Nobel Prize comprises of five separate prizes that are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." However, many controversies have been raging over these decades since 1900 about the prizes awarded in Literature and Peace fields particularly, though there may be some discontent against such awards made in the other three fields – of Physics, Chemistry and Physiology (or Medicine) – too. We find many such awards in Literature or Peace mired in serious disputes. Especially, some of the Russian awardees like Pasternak or Solzhenitsyn seem to have been given those prizes mainly out of an anti-communist/anti-Soviet bias and consequent to imperialist manipulations; it is well known that Solzhenitsyn was a staunch supporter of the fascist Right. In the field of Peace Prizes, we can notice more shocking developments. War criminals like Henry Kissinger and Barrack Obama were awarded these prestigious prizes, filling disgusting hatred in the hearts of all humanists and democrats. Now come the latest awards of these Peace Prizes to Dmitry Muratov and Maria Ressa, Russian and Philippines journalists little known outside till now, and obviously both Russia and Philippines are now not in the good books of the US-NATO-Israel evil axis. May be these two are very competent and diligent journalists famous in their countries and fields to an extent but these Prizes contemplate and require universal importance and relevance. And it is quite sad that they are being used as pawns in political chess games. On the contrary we see genuine fighting journalists like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden who have taken so many troubles with daring and sacrifices for the protection and promotion of human rights the world over by their startling revelations of the US-NATO genocidal atrocities, etc. are languishing in prison/exile and very much suffering. Actually, such pioneers and activists deserve the Nobel Peace Prize very much and not any yes-persons or locally relevant activists. So, this editor is certainly not happy with these awards made mainly with an eye on the political equations of the day, that too to favor the imperialists and adversely affect the interests of not just the two sovereign states of Russia and Philippines only, but in fact, of the entire humanity. §§§

Editorial, "SAVARKAR CONTROVERSY ONCE AGAIN!", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 19, 15 OCTOBER 2021 issue

 SAVARKAR CONTROVERSY ONCE AGAIN!

With the recent assertions of our Home Minister Rajnath Singh, releasing the book, “Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition,” by Uday Mahurkar and Chirayu Pandit (3 above), that the image of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is being unjustly tarnished by the ‘leftists and liberals’, and his citing of a 1920 letter by Mahatma Gandhi in his support, the Savarkar controversy has raked up again with all the fury. This editor remembers to have earlier also once refuted some wild allegations against the great patriot V.D. Savarkar and pointed to the many laudatory references to Savarkar by stalwart communist leaders like Prof. Hiren Mukherjee, CPI MP, Indira Gandhi, then PM, etc. Firstly, it has to be made clear that much before the Rajnath-cited Gandhi’s letter, Savarkar had already submitted a few mercy petitions in 1911-1920. Then, it is also true that Gandhi was encouraging the revolutionaries to shun their violent policies/measures and surrender/submit such petitions. Gandhi had gone on record stating: “The Savarkar Brothers' talent should be utilized for public welfare. As it is, India is in danger of losing her two faithful sons, unless she wakes up in time. One of the brothers I know well. I had the pleasure of meeting him in London. He is brave. He is clever. He is a patriot. He was frankly a revolutionary. The evil, in its hideous form, of the present system of Government, he saw much earlier than I did. He is in the Andamans for his having loved India too well. Under a just Government, he would be occupying a high office. I therefore feel for him and his brother.” (Gandhi, CW, Vol. 23). Savarkar and Gandhi, two poles apart, knew each other well. Savarkar was a pioneer; much before Gandhi he organized the freedom movement. He even invited Gandhi to speak in one of the meetings at the India House, London. Gandhi demanded full independence only after 1929, but Savarkar was advocating it right from the 1900s. So, there was no question of Savarkar heeding Gandhi's advice to submit mercy petitions. Once sentenced to two life transportations, finding the life in the Andamans horrible and also realizing that unless they changed their policies, they could make no further headway except to languish and die in prisons, Savarkar thought it better to appeal to the British Government for his release declaring he had changed and wanted to follow the 'constitutional' path. And this change facilitated Gandhi's efforts for conducting his "release political prisoners" campaign also. Here Gandhi's and Savarkar's interests converged. Savarkar was a pioneer; a great patriot. As Lenin said of Roza Luxemburg – “sometimes eagles may fly quite low, lower than chicken - but mind it, chicken can never fly to the great heights of eagles” - so it applies to Savarkar too. He was a great eagle of the freedom movement. That he later drifted to Hindu religious trends to counter the Muslim League is an entirely different matter. §§§

Editorial, "CORPORATE STRANGLEHOLD IN INDIA", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 18, 30 SEPTEMBER 2021 issue

 CORPORATE STRANGLEHOLD IN INDIA

is tightening and enormously growing, much more so ever since the BJP Government under Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. Especially, the Gujarati corporate capitalists are receiving the largest/best part of the cake under the Gujarati Modi-Shah duo’s shameless open favoritism and disbursal of the spoils. True, even under the earlier Congress governments favor/promotion of corporate capitalism was very much there and they were also undermining the social properties oriented mixed economy policies/measures initiated under Nehru and continued for long thereafter. We also know how even in those days the ruling classes undermined the public sector by egregious corruption and channeling of public moneys to the private sector. Well, the then license-permit raj damaged the national economy too; and Manmohan Singh under the then PM PVNR succeeded in starting its dismantling and liberalizing the economy to favor/promote private/corporate capitalism. There were egregious corruption scandals too during the MM Singh rule till 2014, the furor created by which was adroitly used by the communal fanatic but not less corrupt-cum-capitalist oriented BJP to come to power in 2014 and since then we see the massive plundering of the country’s public properties to favor/promote super rich Ambanis, Adanis, etc. – a clear regional linguistic favoritism overlapping the other vices. Most recent disturbing news is that Adanis have grown like a leaping Octopus and now their daily income amounts to more than 1000 crores rupees overtaking Ambani’s daily income by at least 6 times – all this within these 7 years of BJP rule. Earlier Mr. Krishna Rao, of Andhra Jyoti, had questioned whether the country was being turned into an Adani Estate, with many ports in AP/other coastal regions, several airports and other public industries either transferred to or sought to be given over to Adani’s ownership/management. Even the Vizag Steel Plant, achieved by the prolonged arduous struggles of Andhras, is now decided for privatization and possible Adani takeover! Unless our people rise and conduct widespread, intense agitations to contain this privatization pandemic and save at least the main public sector industries, this editor sees no light at the end of the tunnel and the Modi-Shah duo who, apart from their undermining the social welfare ideals/measures, have already, without any discussion in parliament/public, joined India to the evil axis of the U.S. imperialists, giving up all pretensions of non-alignment, will ruin whatever autonomy the country’s linguistic groups now enjoy/are promised and jeopardize the country’s unity/integrity even. §§§

Editorial, "CORONA REAL, HARMFUL, DON’T NEGLECT!", in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 17, 15 SEPTEMBER 2021 issue

 CORONA REAL, HARMFUL, DON’T NEGLECT!

“All real knowledge comes through direct experience,” this aphoristic saying of the Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong is all the more correct in these Corona times. Affected, ill but recovering, this editor is constrained to pen these lines for the benefit of one and all. The real danger and harm of Corona is the intensification of any existing co-morbidities; and curative medicines are more essential on prescription from qualified, experienced doctors. On the efficacy or real need of vaccines this editor is undecided but in general such rushing of vaccinations and also, at least in India, very insufficient reporting of its adverse consequences that might [and should] have occurred, is a very alarming development. As Stephen Lendman made it clear in his articles in this journal, in general it takes years to test, get peer reviewed and then approve any such vaccines and also once more than 50 or so adverse events directly attributable to vaccination occur, it is generally stopped. In the current scenario the entire process seems to have been abandoned and reversed. But, they say though vaccination per se may not prevent affliction or spread of Corona, it certainly reduces the intensity of the disease when affected. This too is not a thoroughly tested proposition, though. However, there is no doubt that good curative medicines – no medicines generally used for flu, malaria, etc. communicable diseases are per se bad or avoidable, as all depends on the experience, wisdom and judgment of the prescribing qualified medical practitioners and their  hands are not to be barred. To ‘pun’ the famous lines of the great Telugu poet Sri Sri, we may say “kaadeadii cikitsa ku anarham!” [Nothing is ineligible for right treatment]! As such, effective multi-therapeutic treatment and use of immunity booster domestic foods and herbal medicines are always welcome and that’s why this editor in general supported the natural concoctions made by herbal medical practitioner Anandayya (of Nellore district), or advices given by Mallik Engineer, without any compunction. Without taking this or that as the panacea, one has to get tested and get used to treatment by various sorts of domestic, herbal medicines and concoctions even, but always on experienced medical advice. One has to be quite open-minded and also investigative/critical to the extent needed in this regard. Finally, heartily wish all Corona affected people, speedy and best recovery! §§§

Editorial, "KABUL BLASTS AND THE AFGHAN DANGER," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 16, 31 AUGUST 2021 issue

 KABUL BLASTS AND THE AFGHAN DANGER

are quite terrific and menacing, not just to Afghanistan but to the entire world. Truly as [the previous, 45^th] President Trump recently remarked, “Never in history has a withdrawal from war been handled so badly or incompetently as the Biden Administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. ... Nobody ever thought such stupidity, as this feeble-brained withdrawal, was possible!” This despite the American troop withdrawal being decided in February 2020 itself by President Trump through two Doha agreements (one with the Taliban and the other with the then Afghan Government). But the withdrawal, which could have been more orderly under a Trump regime, has turned into a very disorderly mess under Biden’s Administration. In the last editorial itself we have commented how dangerous the bedlam in Afghanistan – the ultimate result of the unwarranted invasion and oppression of that country by the U.S. imperialists – was, and how sickening the hasty and humiliating flight of American forces without any concern towards the horrible consequences to the anti/non-Taliban people/forces is. In a way, all this tarnished the reputation of America as a superpower and made it a virtual laughingstock with this joke said to be going viral on the Chinese Social media – “If you ever feel useless … Just remember that the United States took four presidents, thousands of lives, trillions of dollars and 20 years … TO REPLACE TALIBAN WITH TALIBAN!” So not irrational when about 200 people were killed in the recent ISIS-K terrorists’ conducted suicide bombing in Kabul in which 13 American soldiers were martyred, an angry Kathy McCollum, mother of a deceased soldier, Rylee McCollum, exploded in a radio talk which now goes viral on the net: “My son was one of the marines that died yesterday,” “Twenty years and 6-months-old, getting ready to go home from freaking Jordan to be home with his wife to watch the birth of his son, and that feckless, dementia-ridden piece of crap [Biden] just sent my son to die.” She sobbingly said, “I just want all you Democrats who cheated in the election, or who voted for him legitimately, you just killed my son. With a dementia-ridden piece of crap who doesn't even know he's in the White House, who still thinks he's a senator.” May be the Taliban also learnt some lessons, and would like to govern better now? But then, as already made clear in our last editorial, it is possible only by a real change of heart with a secular outlook and democratic policies/measures. Otherwise, as in the past, now also, the Taliban will stand as a great danger to the peace and progress of humanity in general and of us Indians in particular. §§§

Editorial, "THE BEDLAM IN AFGHANISTAN," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 15, 15 AUGUST 2021 issue

 THE BEDLAM IN AFGHANISTAN

is so shocking; it is quite dangerous to world peace, and particularly to us India; it is the ultimate consequence of the quite unwarranted invasion and suppression of that country by the American imperialists. And now the hasty and humiliating flight of American forces without any concern towards the horrible consequences to the anti/non-Taliban people/forces there is quite sickening. Taliban, a radical Islamic organization, was in fact created and nurtured by the US deep state for its sinister operations against the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in the late 70s; and then came to power after the Soviet withdrawal. The US Government was cozy with the Afghan Government and its Godfather-patron Pakistan later, but after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush, accusing Taliban of sheltering and acting under bin Laden and al Qaeda, invaded and toppled them. But this time too, the invaders never had a peaceful day. Actually no aggressor of Afghanistan ever escaped without the ultimate defeat. The British invasion of Afghanistan in the 19^th century ending in its humiliating defeat with only one soldier coming back (in fact deliberately spared) to report to his command is not too old to be forgotten. Mighty America, the much bragging ‘only superpower’ in the world, also meets a similar debacle now and we are still witnessing this utter humiliation faced by the US. Taliban returns to power with gusto but the masses of Afghans and certainly its neighbors (except Pakistan) are not at all happy as they know well about the fanatic horrors perpetrated by these merciless terrorists. It is very hard to believe the few songs of harmony and peace occasionally sung by Taliban now – of course, if they publicly apologize  for the destruction of, and re-erect, the Bamyan Buddhas, declare the country a democratic republic with basic rights including women’s freedoms, etc. then one may rethink about any such ‘change of heart’. But this editor feels our Indian Government failed miserably in this crisis to protect the thousands of Indian origin persons suffering there. We should have sent our air force/ army, occupied the Kabul airport and arranged a safe/orderly evacuation of all Indian origin, as also other helpless, persons there within a week or so, in which short time Taliban could not do any substantial damage to our forces. Even now it is not too late for us India to firmly intervene and save the distressed people there through effective evacuation.  §§§

Editorial, "THE SAD DEMISE OF STAN SWAMY," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 2, No. 13-14, 15-31 JULY 2021 issue

THE SAD DEMISE OF STAN SWAMY 

in judicial custody is quite heartrending. True, the judicial branch is looked as the ultimate corrective to any excesses/evils in the system, but even it miserably failed to protect this octogenarian human rights activist, so much so that even Justice Deepak Gupta, retired SC Judge, shocked by Swamy, denied release on bail, meeting a horrid death in captivity in a hospital, was constrained to question: “Are we not Humans? Have we lost all touch of Humanity? Are we living in a Police State?” It is easy to say and demand that the UAPA and the sedition clause – Section 124A IPC – be struck down/repealed. We have been agitating for the same since long years. But this editor feels it is more necessary now that courts read down the repressive provisions in these laws – to uphold the presumption of innocence of the accused and to protect the right to life and personal liberty and freedom of expression. The phrase "exciting … disaffection towards the Government..." in S 124A can immediately be struck down or repealed and its scope may be limited only to the conduct of inciting, or committing acts for, the violent overthrow of the existing government. This sort of reading down can be easily and immediately done by the Apex Court or the laws amended suitably by the Parliament forthwith. §§§

Editorial, "THE TRI-POWER TANGLE," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 1, No. 12, 30 JUNE 2021 issue

THE TRI-POWER TANGLE 

Two important events of immense international impact occurred recently – the Putin-Biden Summit in Geneva on 16 June and the video meet of President Xi Jinping and President Putin on 28 June - exposing the tricky tri-power tangle now perplexing the world. This editor was quite averse to Putin of Russia, the real successor to the Soviet Union, meeting the warmonger President Biden of America even, without Biden saying even a formal ‘sorry’ for hurling a ‘Putin the killer’ abuse soon after his coming to power (by egregious electoral fraud). But, it seems Putin swallowed his personal pride for something beyond – an assurance of some degree of peace and stability and prevention of any further destruction spree by the belligerent superpower; but, in the end could not achieve substantial gains – we have seen how the US reneged on its solemn promises (made to the earlier Soviet Union) not to expand NATO to East Europe, also insidiously engineered a ‘regime change’ and installed a neo-Nazi vassal government in Ukraine but when Russia has taken the needed counter measures to protect its interests and rightfully merged Crimea in it as per the overwhelming YES vote in a popular referendum there, America and its lackeys have taken it as a serious affront and imposed strict sanctions on Russia. The sanctions were not lifted but just an agreement to exchange ambassadors, and to reopen the talks on strategic arms limitation agreements was made. Even after the summit vile efforts to assert the American camp’s right to pass through ‘Georgian’ waters made, when in effect those were ‘Russian’, as shown by the recent HMS Defender fiasco wantonly provoked by the British PM, Boris Johnson, as directed by his American masters. In contrast, Russia-China good relations, developed steadily since the bilateral Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation signed 20 years ago, were further promoted by extension of the treaty in the video meeting between Xi and Putin on 28 June. That serves as a bulwark against the US and NATO machinated aggressive and genocidal neo-imperialist invasions and mayhems; and as a solid booster to the development of third world countries and their commitment to an equitable world based on established international treaties and rules under the UN auspices instead of the chaotic so-called ‘rule-based world order’ sought to be imposed by the capitalist hegemonic powers of the West under the leadership of the American imperialists. §§§

Editorial, "TRUTH TELLING MUST NOT BE CRIMINALIZED," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, Vol. 17, Part 1, No. 11, 15 JUNE 2021 issue

 TRUTH TELLING MUST NOT BE CRIMINALIZED

YES, and especially in these worldwide Corona Crisis days when so many disturbing tragic phenomena are occurring, and governments possessing excessive powers are misleading the people with deceptive measures and untruthful propaganda, different sorts of truth speaking by scholars and social activists is quite essential to protect and promote the basic right to life of the people. In this context it was quite heartening to watch Engineer Mallik exposing the many loopholes/faults in the governments’/institutions’ policies and measures in this regard, on several YouTube videos, and learning so many new things from that. As such this editor was shocked at the news of the Director of Public Health, Telangana, filing a criminal complaint against the ‘false information’ spread by Mallik, “an individual [with] no official training in epidemiology or medical science, yet ... continued to spread panic,” who allegedly said on the [TV] show[s] that one person from every household would die in the third wave, averring that “in these testing times, spreading of rumors by P Mallik, which are unfounded and do not have any scientific backing, will definitely cause panic and distress among the common man. ......". It seems the Sultan Bazar P.S. has booked a case against Mr Paruchuri Mallik under S. 54 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 {Punishment for false warning: (punishable with 1 year imprisonment or fine)} and S. 505 of the IPC {Statements conducing to public mischief: (punishable with 3 years’ imprisonment or fine or both)}. This is nothing but severe harassment and vilification of a whistleblower who has honestly warned the public about the impending calamity. If this is taken as OK, then what one should say about the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who  stated (on 26-04-2021) that the Covid-19 (second wave) situation in India was “beyond heartbreaking” and about the British Government caused modelling report, which alerted about the third wave of COVID-19 spike that could kill/hospitalize 60-70% of the people who took both the vaccine doses even; or of the Nobel laureate virologist Monsieur Luc Montagnier who declared that ‘mass vaccination [for Covid-19] is a [unacceptable] medical mistake” and was even said to have warned about lakhs of deaths in future. We strongly feel that such criminal proceedings are but a stern suppression, by devious means, of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression of the people and demand that those be withdrawn or be quashed by a competent court forthwith. §§§

Editorial, "DECLARE HEALTH EMERGENCY!" in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 10, 31 May 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

 DECLARE HEALTH EMERGENCY!

YES, especially in the context of the gory second wave and imminent more horrendous third wave of Covid-19 in the country, with affected cases and deaths mounting to lakhs within weeks with not even facilities to dispose of the dead and hundreds of bodies thrown out into and floating along the rivers all over, especially Ganga and Yamuna. Ours is perhaps the only country in the world where this gruesome health calamity is exploited for the greed and profit by the all sorts of evil elements in and out of the governments, people in general are virtually left uncared for and turned destitute. This editor has all along been demanding universal health care for one and all; but now stresses – what is urgently needed is effective all-round FREE CORONA CARE, and also construction and maintenance of hundreds of hospitals with copious oxygen and ventilators facilities in the entire country. This crisis has to be taken as an opportunity and all efforts must be directed to this end. Even after 74 years of independence we are still in the lowest ranks of the world community in health expenditure: “WE INDIA are spending only some 3.6% of the GDP for health care [in 2018, now 4% or so] compared to the U.S. (16.9%) and China (5%). Further the government/ compulsory expenses in the U.S. are about 14% of GDP and in China it is about half (2.5%) whereas it is only 1% or so of the GDP in our country. Moreover from 2000 to 2018 it is almost a constantly descending graph of healthcare expenditure in our country …. This Corona Crisis should be taken as an opportunity and we must immediately enhance the healthcare expenditures to the tune of at least 5% of GDP - … build hundreds of good hospitals all over India, recruit thousands of doctors and paramedical staff, etc. pay them good salaries with better incentives and create an excellent infrastructure to counter any further calamities ….” Also it is reported widely that so many hundreds are dying mainly due to their contracting Covid-19 in mass gatherings in course of elections to various local bodies/institutions, etc. It is strange that even though lakhs have died, daily 3-4 thousand deaths are reported, a stark undercounting of the dead also being alleged in national/international journals/newspapers, the central/state governments are shirking from their responsibilities/duties to take vigorous steps to handle this calamity. THE ONLY WAY NOW IS FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO FORTHWITH DECLARE A NATIONAL HEALTH EMERGENCY and take, also guide State Governments to take, ample remedial measures to combat and defeat this disaster. §§§

Editorial, "MAY DAY AND WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 9, 15 May 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

 MAY DAY & WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

May Day, the international labor day, arising out of the sterling sacrifices and noble ideals of the Haymarket Square labor martyrs of Chicago in the 1880s – most of us know now, but many of us may not know about the World Press Freedom Day celebrated on 3 May every year, pursuant to the Windhoek Declaration formulated in a seminar held by UNESCO at Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, from 29 April to 3 May 1991 and gradually accepted by most of the countries in the world.  The United Nations General Assembly in December 1993 proclaimed the 3^rd of May as World Press Freedom Day, thus embodying the proposal made by the Windhoek seminar participants and taken over later by UNESCO's General Conference. The Windhoek Declaration underscored that “consistent with article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development.” And Article 19 of UDHR reads: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” It was clarified in the Windhoek Declaration that “2. By an independent press, we mean a press independent from governmental, political, or economic control or from control of material and infrastructure essential for the production and dissemination of newspapers, magazines and periodicals” and that “3. By a pluralistic press, we mean the end of monopolies of any kind and the existence of the greatest possible number of newspapers, magazines and periodicals reflecting the widest possible range of opinion within the community.” It was also noted in the declaration that “5. The worldwide tendency towards democracy and freedom of information and expression is a fundamental contribution to the fulfillment of human aspirations.” Truly, “the Windhoek Declaration is the African contribution to the edifice of human rights.” Both these Days remind us of the enormous importance of the basic rights of labor and the freedom of press for the general welfare and equitable development of the peoples. Particularly, in the current Covid-19 crisis days, with governments all over the world acquiring a whole lot of powers, and with some even neglecting/abusing them leading to lakhs of avoidable deaths even, these occasions offer us an opportunity to dedicate ourselves to, and strive to protect and promote, these essential liberties. §§§

Editorial, "SECOND WAVE OF CORONA: STUDENTS’ EXAMINATIONS," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 8, 30 April 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

SECOND WAVE OF CORONA:

STUDENTS’ EXAMINATIONS

Unexpectedly for most of us, but also as a shock to experts as also central/ states’ governments’ leaders, never sufficiently cautious/efficient in Covid-19 management, the second wave of Corona has smashed on ‘we the people’ with the force of a nuclear explosion! We had one full year of preparatory and remedial processes to combat Corona, yet failed to create sufficient infrastructure to cope with this killer disease – no construction of emergency hospitals, nor any adequate storage of Oxygen and lifesaving ventilators etc. In contrast, when Covid-19 first hit the Chinese people in Wuhan in January 2020, how quickly they built the Huoshenshan Hospital with a 1000-beds facility (in just 10 days)! Today China is almost free of Corona but the rest of the world, we Indians all the more, are suffering – even America that still peaks in persons affected/ patients dead is recovering but in our case much worse is now feared. By May ending we may even cross the American tally. Well, our governments have so many powers under colonial and post-independence laws that, given the requisite will and determination, it is not difficult to use those appropriately and bring the situation fully under control. The Epidemic Diseases Act empowers the governments to take all emergency measures to control and suppress such vicious epidemics; all the lockdowns, social distancing norms, curfews etc. have been ordained with these powers. The Supreme Court also suggested that governments explore all possibilities and make use of these powers to quickly suppress this pandemic. And so, States’ Governments also have heavy responsibilities; in fact they are to be the field warriors in the battles against this pandemic. But, it is quite regrettable that, in this delicate situation, the Government of Andhra Pradesh is adamant on conducting the SSC and Intermediate examinations despite furious protests from the students, their parents and people at large, which measure can turn out to be a super-spreader, putting the lives of the students and through them the entire people to the great risk of an enormous health disaster. It seems the High Court of A.P. too has seriously suggested to the State Government to think of postponing or cancelling the examinations, especially as the CBSE exams, as also the Board exams in several states, were also cancelled/postponed due to this menace. Hope at least now the Government of A.P. will reconsider and save the people of Andhra, and India, from any such calamity. §§§

Editorial, "WEST BENGAL ELECTIONS & MODI’S BANGLADESH TOUR," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 7, 15 April 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

WEST BENGAL ELECTIONS &

MODI’S BANGLADESH TOUR

Elections in this eastern State play a critical role in redrawing the political map of that traditionally left and centre dominated State with the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party now making piercing inroads into the seething socio-economic milieu there. Placed in a crucial geostrategic position, and given its historic traditions and its great contributions to the cause of Indian freedom struggle, the state of West Bengal holds a key position and the outcome of the elections there can be a game changer for the country’s immediate future even. We know that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamta Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, are at loggerheads with each other on almost all main issues of our socio-economic, political development and, though once allies there, have now become bitter rivals. The election campaign and the polling going on there, strangely in eight phases, are marred by intense emotions, name-calling, and even violence and anarchy at some places. The Chief Minister herself complains of a sordid physical attack on her and moves along with her leg bandaged in the election campaigns but, of course, the rival parties pooh-pooh it as just another election gimmick. In this background it seems the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh Liberation have come as a big aid to the Prime Minister Modi and he rushed to this first ‘foreign’ tour in a year or so after the Corona crisis onset. He talked there of his participation in the struggle to aid Bangladeshi freedom struggle even – this heckled by the opposition leaders as mendacious boasting. However, this editor feels there is no need to taunt the PM on this point since it was certainly probable that he could have participated, as an RSS activist, in the then Jana Sangh/RSS organized demonstrations, courted arrest/suffered short imprisonment. Well, Modi’s tour also seems to have been stained by Islamic fanatics’ demonstrations/riots in Bangladesh too, but that can certainly have some sympathetic impact on the Hindu voters of Bengal and Assam who are not happy with the intrusions/settlement of lakhs of illegal immigrants in their States. This editor always held that country more dangerous to the interests of security and integrity of our country, than Pakistan, and also opines that strict action should be taken against the illegal immigrants to West Bengal or other regions in our country. Let us hope and wish the present tenacious situation and acerbic campaigns there would not further deteriorate but the people would be more cautious and considerate in exercising their choices. §§§

Editorial, "TO TAKE A JAB OR NOT?," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 5-6, 15-31 March 2021 special issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

TO TAKE A JAB OR NOT?

Nowadays this seems to be a most worrying question to rational thinking persons the world over, watching all the ‘hulla’ (uproar) the pharma industry and the governments making in favor of hastily manufactured Covid vaccines touting them as a panacea in the current circumstances. Even the World Health Organization declares, “The world is in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic. As WHO and partners work together on the response ...... are racing to develop and deploy safe and effective vaccines. // Vaccines save millions of lives each year. Vaccines work by training and preparing the body’s natural defences – the immune system – to recognize and fight off the viruses and bacteria they target. After vaccination, if the body is later exposed to those disease-causing germs, the body is immediately ready to destroy them....” But one wonders how and why such fast-tracking of vaccine-production is permitted at all when usually their manufacture-cum-approval take 7-20 years. Certainly the vast profits accruing to the Pharma industries are a main factor with even Bill Gates being alleged to have made billions in this business and a Korean executive, Jerome Kim, Director General, International Vaccine Institute, stated that “Investment in vaccines is investment in the future,” and “Investment in vaccines can bring a 16-fold return, and $1 investment can result in $16 in saving through disease prevention.” Those who doubt this ‘distilled wisdom’ are branded as conspiracy theorists and some spirited anti-vaccination activists (e.g. Dr. Bradstreet and Brandy Vaughan) in America die in suspicious circumstances with their deaths passed off as ‘suicides’! Brandy had founded a “non-profit organization LearnTheRisk.org [countering] the pharmaceutical industry's agenda to make and keep people sick for profit ...” and declared: “In addition to pharmaceutical drugs and medical error, vaccines are put into the mix. Vaccines do not create immunity, they create customers. It’s the best business model in the world. ...There are multiple toxic ingredients in vaccines... [that]create health issues that in turn create customers. / The best defense against disease is a healthy, strong immune system, not overloaded with toxins from food, water, air, and pharmaceutical products.” She had left a sort of a dying declaration even: “If something were to happen to me, it’s foul play and you know exactly who and why – given my work and mission in this life.” Then, whistleblowers like Dr. Roger Hodkinson (a Canadian top pathologist and expert in virology), even go to the extent of saying that the COVID-19 pandemic is the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting public.” And now some deaths have also been reported due to the side effects of these vaccines the world over and the AstraZeneca vaccine is barred [paused] in several European countries. This editor tends to agree with the anti-vaccination advocates, advises caution but, of course, notes that the final decision is for the readers’ rationale; all the while emphasizes that such vaccination, in any case, should not be mandatory. §§§

Editorial, "BAIL MUST BE THE RULE, NOT AN EXCEPTION," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 4, 28 February 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

 BAIL MUST BE THE RULE, NOT AN EXCEPTION

is a near axiomatic rule so pronounced in the landmark order in State of Rajasthan v. Balachand, AIR 1977 SC 2447, of course with the rider, “except where there are circumstances suggestive of fleeing from justice or thwarting the course of justice or creating other troubles in the shape of repeating offences or intimidating witnesses and the like, by the petitioner who seeks enlargement on bail from the court.” Normally our first-instance courts take into consideration prima facie allegations and then even routinely order for the remand in judicial custody of the accused on their first production, consigning their pleas of innocence/requests for release on bail, to the ‘discretion’ of the courts in various tiers in the course of criminal proceedings, which can stretch for years. Even the above dictum of Justice Krishna Iyer bases upon the longstanding rule of our criminal jurisprudence, a legacy of the colonial rule, of the presumption of innocence of the accused until their guilt is proved beyond all reasonable doubt. And this editor did not find any discussion of the matter linking it to the basic or fundamental right of the accused to life and liberty (Article 21) and/or his freedom of movement and association (Article 19) in that decision. However, it is comforting to find such linking to Article 21 in the relatively recent Sanjay Chandra v. CBI, (2012) 1 SCC 40, decision of our Apex Court. In contrast, we find that the European Court of Human Rights, generally looks up such matters from the angle of their Convention Article 5 basic rights, which can be found in the Buzadji decision published in this issue; further, that Court clarifies that such right exists right from the time of first production of the accused. Hope our courts too begin to look up this grave matter primarily from the angle of human rights to liberty, etc. rather than relegate it to their merciful discretion. Here, the ASJ Sri Dharmender Rana, New Delhi, who boldly granted bail to Disha Ravi standing in favor of personal liberty and stating categorically that “[the alleged] 'Toolkit' reveals that any call for any kind of violence is conspicuously absent. In my considered opinion, Citizens are conscience keepers of government in any democratic Nation. They cannot be put behind the bars simply because they choose to disagree with the State policies. The offence of sedition cannot be invoked to minister to the wounded vanity of the governments,” deserves a big Kudos from all of us. Further the very sedition clause in the IPC, often misused by the power-intoxicated governments, needs to be repealed altogether – which, by the way, has been a sort of our ‘national demand’ evolved during our freedom struggle.   §§§

Editorial, "INTERNET FREEDOM A MUST FOR HUMANITY," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 3, 15 February 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

INTERNET FREEDOM A MUST FOR HUMANITY

The recent arrest of an environmental activist of Bangalore, Disha Ravi, for her some edits of Greta Thunberg’s ‘tool kit’ on the current farmers agitation in North India all over the world, has once again brought to focus the utmost need for almost absolute non-interference by States plus solid assurances/ arrangements by nations to ensure the freedom for speech and expression on the internet. It is doubtless that some American corporate companies are the actual managers of the entire internet and we have seen how corporate social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. have misused their powers, and blocked the accounts of even the U.S. President Trump when he was in and now even after he is out of office. They have developed into dangerous censors undermining the freedom of speech on the net. In India we often see this or that person being arrested for trivial ‘offences’ relating to speech and expression on the internet and even charged with ‘sedition’. In the B.J.P. ruled States this revolting phenomenon is quite frequent though those run by others also no less prone to this dictatorial mentality. We may note that with the great developments in telecommunications and related technologies, entire world has become much smaller – like a global village – with more facilities for people of various nationalities, races, communities etc. to interact easily as also feel the pleasures and pains of the others and respond to those too. As such now onwards general human concerns would result in worldwide protests; the nation state itself may soon become redundant – though, of course, the ruling cliques everywhere would not let it vanish that easily. Then, we found nothing objectionable in the tool kit for which Disha Ravi was arrested; naturally, people post/share many links in their posts on the net to enable others follow their thoughts and programs. Moreover, internet speech is also a sort of blurting out of the subconscious feelings and conduct of the persons and so utmost privacy should be assured to the netizens, not such savage repression. Ultimately any reputed international organization, with the consent of many/most of the nations, may have to take charge and ensure that Internet is shifted to a headquarters outside America and, preferably, located in Geneva or Stockholm etc. to be managed under the UN auspices, with other useful changes in its conduct, but, firstly, our people must seriously protest and agitate against such repressive policies and measures of the corporates/ governments undermining the basic freedoms of the netizens.  §§§

Editorial, "REPUBLIC DAY RALLIES AND WRANGLINGS," in Vol. 17: Part 1, No. 2, 31 January 2021 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD.

 REPUBLIC DAY RALLIES AND WRANGLINGS

The farmers agitation around Delhi seems to have grown quite intense and gave rise to some awkward developments on the Republic Day with a section of farmers, mainly Sikhs, breaking away from the permitted route for their tractor rally and going on rampage near the Red Fort premises, and are even alleged to have hoisted a Khalistani flag at a vintage point on the Red Fort – or at any rate all admit that a Sikh religious flag (Nishan Sahib) was hoisted. It seems the Sikh farmer agitators were very aggressive and rode roughshod over their tractors and injured hundreds of policemen too, and in the melee, police say, a tractor overturned and a Sikh farmer (tractor-driver) was killed in the accident. Of course, no dearth of counter-allegations that his tractor toppled and he died because of police shooting him down in the first instance. One Deep Sidhu, admittedly a BJP man till recently and don’t know whether he continues so since this agitation, was the main person behind this hoisting of the ‘Nishan Sahib’ it seems and he has gone viral on the net through a video posted by himself explaining the circumstances in which the struggle took that shape; he stresses that it was to emphasize the ‘unity in diversity’ of the Indian nation that he chose to hoist that Sikh religious flag. However, a Sikh Congress MP (Ludhiana) Mr. Ravneet Singh Bittu had earlier exposed the Khalistani separatists’ involvement and incitement in the farmers agitation though he himself is camping there as one of the activist agitator leaders and even stated that the Khalistanis are spending crores of rupees for the purpose. But he seems to have kept diplomatic silence on this Republic Day melee at the Red Fort and also about the role of the alleged ‘false flag’ of BJP, Deep Singh Sidhu. However, OpIndia, a pro-BJP website, openly accuses that the Sikhs for Justice, a banned pro-Khalistan US-based group that has been attempting to ‘build a campaign for secession of Punjab’ since its inception in 2007, and which came to notice in August 2018 pro-Khalistan rally at Trafalgar Square, London, releasing the “Referendum 2020’ declaration, is very much behind these tractor rally riots and a Khalistani flag was hoisted on Red Fort with insult to the national tricolor. We have made already clear in our previous editorials that we decry this Khalistani hand but at the same time demand that suitable amendments be made in the farm laws as suggested by us earlier and this burning problem be satisfactorily resolved at the earliest. §§§