Right to Speak, Duty to Hear
Arguing that democracy is being diminished in India because "those who have the right to speak (the Opposition) are not allowed to speak" and "those who have the duty to hear (the government)" are plugging their ears, veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram raises several questions in The Indian Express about the suspension of 12 members of the Opposition from the Rajya Sabha this Winter Session.
"Can members be suspended in a new session for alleged disorderly conduct in the previous session? Can members be suspended when none of them was ‘named’ on August 11? Can members be suspended on a motion that was not voted upon by the House? While 33 members were accused of disorderly conduct, why were only 12 suspended? Why was Mr Elamaran Kareem, who did not figure in the list of 33, suspended? These questions were not allowed to be raised in the House, and hence there is no option but to raise them in the public domain."P Chidambaram in The Indian Express
Give Them Circuses
Columnist Tavleen Singh comments in The Indian Express that "not much has changed in any real way in UP since the ‘double-engine government’ came into existence in 2017", and says that is the reason why the BJP finds it important to divide Hindus and Muslims ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections early next year.
"The Lok Sabha election in 2019 was a defining moment for the BJP. It taught them that it was possible to win a full majority without needing a single Muslim vote. This explains why Modi no longer hesitates to remind Hindus that Aurangzeb destroyed many temples and that the wounds of history must never be forgotten. The problem is that when semi-literate, ahistorical Hindus are reminded of these wounds, the message they take home is that every living Indian Muslim is to blame for what happened centuries ago."Tavleen Singh in The Indian Express
Under-age Marriage: Policing No Answer
Amita Pitre, Lead Specialist in Gender Justice at Oxfam India, writes in The Indian Express that the well-intentioned move of the Union Cabinet, to increase the minimum age of marriage for women to 21 years, may have unintended consequences.
"When 18-year-olds can vote, sign contracts, work, then why should they not decide when to marry? In fact, empowering the young with information, sexual health services, higher education and linkages to income can delay the age of marriage without any coercion. This has happened globally, with no change in the law. Criminalisation of youth sexuality has already wreaked havoc in the lives of the young. Making all sex under the age of 18 years a crime only denies recognition of youth sexuality, contraception, maternal health care and safe abortion."Amita Pitre in The Indian Express
A Rose at Risk
Former diplomat and governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi recalls in The Telegraph two headlines he saw in this week's newspapers, one on the Cabinet's nod to raise girls’ marriage age to 21, and the second on a Class 12 girl identifying coins dating back to the 12th century. He then writes that it will take more than just the passing of laws to fix the problem of child marriages in India.
"The legal age of marriage being settled by law is one thing; the reality of daily life is another. We have a National Commission for Women and every state and Union territory has a State Commission for Women. Their work needs to be recognized. But more, they need to become dynamos of restless energy, of impatience with the status quo. They need to help her know the law pertaining to her rights and to fight to see they are implemented."Gopalkrishna Gandhi in The Telegraph
History’s Ironies
Historian Ramachandra Guha writes in The Telegraph that in the fifty years since its founding, Bangladesh has made much progress in economic and social terms but in political and religious terms, the country has not lived up to the vision of its founders as "minorities have continued to feel insecure, while there have been a series of attacks on writers and intellectuals."
But Guha argues that, unlike in 1971, Indians today are not well-placed to preach the virtues of tolerance and pluralism to the Bangladeshis.
"For since Narendra Modi became prime minister in May 2014, the ruling party has aggressively promoted a Hindu majoritarian agenda. From the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaque in September 2015 to the violence against Christians in Karnataka in December 2021, the story of the Modi regime is one of repeated attacks on minorities in different parts of India. To her credit, Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, has publicly condemned the attacks on Hindus in her country. Our prime minister, however, has stayed resolutely silent on the persecution of minorities in his country."Ramachandra Guha in The Telegraph
Nagaland killings: An Apology Will Raise the Army’s Stature
Veteran journalist Karan Thapar asks in his Hindustan Times column whether the Army should apologise for killing 13 innocent fellow citizens in Nagaland.
"The need to apologise is also corroborated by the belief that it will placate emotions in Nagaland. In other words, an apology is required both because it’s a moral imperative but also because it’s practically helpful. Of course, the generals I spoke to viewed this matter from the perspective of the Army. I’m an Army son myself but I believe in a democracy there’s a more powerful reason why you must apologise when innocent citizens are killed. You owe it to them. An apology cannot restore them to life, but it’s the least that’s expected. No institution is too powerful, too important, and too critical to be exempted. If anything, the opposite is true. The more important an organisation, the more necessary the apology."Karan Thapar in Hindustan Times
To Protect Democracy, Remove Inequality
Author and journalist Mark Tully writes in Hindustan Times about the links between societal inequalities and the health of democracies. He argues that inequality is "a riddle no one has yet solved." His comments come in the backdrop of US President Joe Biden inviting 110 world leaders to participate in a virtual summit to discuss democracy.
"India would be a more equitable country if the barriers to social mobility erected by caste, religion, social status, ethnicity, and sex were lowered. Governments should realise their limitations in achieving this and seek advice and help from civil society. But recently India’s national security adviser said: “The new frontiers of war — what we call the fourth-generation warfare — is the civil society”. A leading member of civil society described this statement to me as “declaring war on your own people”. To protect democracy, the war should be against inequality. Biden’s summit has made it clear that democracy must be seen to deliver greater equality if it is to win the battle against authoritarianism."
The Challenge of Achieving 9.5% Growth Rate
Former RBI Governor C Rangarajan and economist DK Srivastava write in The Hindu about the hurdles that need to be overcome in order for India to achieve a growth rate of 9.5%.
"The key to attaining a 9.5% real GDP annual growth in 2021-22 lies in the government’s ongoing emphasis on infrastructure spending as reflected in government’s capital expenditure. This is also seen in the high real growth in public administration, defence and other services of 17.4% in the second quarter of 2021-22. It is imperative that this momentum is sustained in the remaining part of the fiscal year."C Rangarajan and DK Srivastava in The Hindu
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