When Democracy Fails in Its Temple: Behind the Suspension of 146 MPs
Manoj Kumar Sharma, Kartikey Singh, and Abhinav Partap Singh Sachdeva, in their piece for The Indian Express, discuss the recent suspension of 146 Opposition MPs from Parliament, opining that by doing so, the ruling party is muting the "voices of nearly 34 crore Indians."
"In Ashish Shelar, the Supreme Court clarified that suspension is a 'self-security mechanism' of the House and not a punitive tool. When the majority has its way, the minority must have its say. However, when the party in power uses suspension to stifle dissent, evade collective responsibility, and silence opposition, it amounts to a political process failure in a parliamentary democracy. The remedy then rests in a healthy dialogue across the floor of the House."Manoj Kumar Sharma, Kartikey Singh, and Abhinav Partap Singh Sachdeva, in their piece for The Indian Express
Shadow of Colonial Policing on Crime Bills
Mark Tully, in his piece for Hindustan Times, points out the irony in the three criminal law reform Bills replacing the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act. While the new Bills with 'Indianised' names aim to remove all colonial traces from the existing laws, Tully opines that one of them – Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita – gives India's police force sweeping powers that could only be described as "colonial."
"All three are being replaced by laws with Indian names, with the word Indian replaced by Bharatiya. But despite the nominal Indianisation, there is little evidence in them of the much-needed, fundamental reforms in the functioning of the police. While it would be wrong to suggest that there is no value in any of the reforms introduced by the new laws, they don't appear likely to lead to fundamental changes in the attitude to criminal law and consequent changes in people's attitude to them, without which police reforms will flounder."Mark Tully, in his piece for Hindustan Times
Jats in the Modern World
In his piece for The Indian Express, Suraj Yengde traces the chequered history of the Jat community in the Indian subcontinent – a discussion that finds relevance amid the 'mimicry' controversy surrounding Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, a Jat, and the struggle of India's female wrestlers from the community against sexual harassment.
"Though they are mostly found in north India, there is hardly any intimate exchange between the diverse Jat groups. Religious divisions have created a radical rift between them, turning the former clansmen into archrivals. However, they present a united front on issues that gain national political momentum, such as farmers' issues, land legislation and bargaining with the government for their rights. And despite being a predominantly North Indian group, they have managed to provide national leaders."Suraj Yengde, in his piece for The Indian Express
What Is It Like To Be a Muslim in India?
Drawing from Ziya Us Salam's new book, Being Muslim in Hindu India: A Critical View, Karan Thapar, in his piece for Hindustan Times, writes about the diminishing representation of Muslims in government and civil services, paramilitary forces, the army, as well as politics – despite accounting for 15 percent of the population of the country.
"...no party has turned its back on them as squarely as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Neither in 2014 nor 2019 did it have a Muslim Lok Sabha MP. Today, it doesn't even have a Muslim Rajya Sabha MP. In Karnataka and UP, with 14% and 19% Muslim populations respectively, it doesn't have a single Muslim MLA. In Gujarat, it hasn't fielded a Muslim candidate in any election, Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha, since 1998. In fact, this April, KS Eshwarappa, a former deputy chief minister of Karnataka, boasted that the BJP doesn't need Muslim votes."Karan Thapar, in his column in Hindustan Times
After Witnessing Sakshi Malik's Fate, a Question: Should I Speak Up Against Harassment?
In her piece for The Indian Express, Aishani Menon asks a pertinent question that women of all age-groups are often posed with in their lives – whether to speak up against sexual harassment or not. This is pertinent especially because of the recent instance of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) electing a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of harassing several women wrestlers, as its chief.
"Speaking up is important to me but with all that is unfolding before our eyes, I often seem to pendulate between two choices. Either I speak up, take action and ultimately risk having a career at all. Or I keep quiet, tolerate and risk giving up my voice. Both choices leave me on edge. In early December, Mahua Moitra, a Trinamool Congress MP, someone who was always seen speaking up and questioning the social milieu, was expelled from Parliament. If this is the fate we are likely to meet for speaking up, then which option is better?"Aishani Menon, for The Indian Express
The Long and Short of Kharge's Prime Ministerial 'Candidacy'
Sunil Gatade and Venkatesh Kesari, in their piece for Deccan Herald, discuss INDIA bloc leaders Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal's collective and individual strategies behind batting for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which the writers claim is a "masterstroke."
"...the two non-Congress leaders plumping for the Dalit leader is undoubtedly a masterstroke to keep Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose supporters have given more than ample hints that their leader is cut out for much larger things, out ... But it also signals that they would not settle for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if one presupposes that he is dying to become the next Prime Minister."Sunil Gatade and Venkatesh Kesari, in their piece for Deccan Herald
Listening and Learning To Heal History's Wounds
On the Supreme Court ratifying the extinguishing of Article 370, Rajmohan Gandhi opines in Hindustan Times that while the "verdict may have made the federal limb of India's body politic more vulnerable than ever before," Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul's call for a "humanised and personalised process enabling people to share what they have been through uninhibitedly" is a welcome recommendation.
"History's lesson seems to be that when citizens and leaders cease listening to one another, mistrust grows. People in Kashmir (Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs) didn't listen enough to one another. Kashmiris and leaders in Delhi didn't listen enough to one another. That rather than Article 370 may have been the real reason for 'the Kashmir problem' to grow. If Manipur's Meiteis, Kukis, and Nagas don't talk to one another, if New Delhi does not listen to Manipur's diverse voices, Manipur's problems will only grow."Rajmohan Gandhi, in his piece for Hindustan Times
Gone Girls and Boys
Gopal Krishna Gandhi, in his piece for The Telegraph, addresses the ugly reality of kidnappings in India – and the lack of necessary outrage over it. He points out that despite the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report suggesting "that in 2022 India has experienced a surge in kidnapping and abduction cases," no one has "howled in protest."
"True, kidnappings and abductions are only one among a plethora of crimes. But the fact that they involve children, including (and mainly) girl-children, must make us, well, scream. William Blake’s lines come to mind: 'A Robin Red breast in a Cage/ Puts all Heaven in a Rage.' This is no ordinary crime that we are living with. This is not just a crime against humanity but an outrage against humanity."Gopal Krishna Gandhi, in his piece for The Telegraph
Weapons of Choice in Emerging Human-AI Battle
Geetha Ravichandran, in her piece for The New Indian Express, discusses the long-debated question of 'what's more superior: human intelligence or AI?'. She argues that while artificial intelligence's potential danger to humanity and its ability to outperform humans are still being studied, there are some (philosophical) things that AI possibly couldn't do.
"I was making a list of the things AI can never do. Topping the list is sleeping and dreaming. AI will never know or appreciate the serendipity of August Kekulé, who discovered the structure of the benzene ring in a dream. AI may never be able to write a poem. It may flounder around with rhymes and line length or manage a few stanzas of 'found poetry.' But will it ever match the felt thoughts of an Emily Dickinson or a Subramania Bharati?"Geetha Ravichandran, in her piece for The New Indian Express
More From The Quint
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)