Run riot by Rohit and Rahul
Team India after losing the first game against West Indies came back strongly to beat the Caribbean side rather convincingly. A 107 runs win against all odds to level the three match series 1-1 and go to the final game at Cuttack with their head high. The architect of India’s win was Rohit and Rahul’s rollicking opening wicket stand, which saw the team putting up a mammoth total against a resurgent West Indies side. A double century partnership for the opening wicket gave the momentum to put up a sizeable score of 387. In reply, the touring team was under tremendous pressure and started losing wickets at regular intervals and a fine hat-trick by Kuldeep Yadav saw the Indian team finishing the formalities in style. Mohammed Shami took 3 wickets and became the highest wicket taker for the year 2019 with consistent bowling display.
Gundu K. Maniam
No law and order in country
It is shocking to learn that after Hyderabad and Unnao’s cases some more rape incidents happened in Haryana, Kerala, Chattisgarh. It seems that no law and order is prevalent in the country. All governments had failed to wake up. I think that governments need to strengthen law and order, take strict action against the
accused so that rape victim will not loose her life while awaiting justice and security.
M Hasan
Raise retirement-age of High Court judges to 65 years
Central government should implement earlier demand of ruling BJP when it was in opposition for imposing a two-year ban on post-retirement appointment of retired judges of Supreme Court and High Courts including at National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to avoid chances, if any, of pro-government decisions especially towards end of tenure. NHRC Chief can be selected from amongst retired Supreme Court judges after two years of their retirement rather than present system of appointing only retired Chief Justice of India at the post. Present system has at times caused vacancy at the post for long like happened when Justice RC Lahoti declined to accept the post, and Justice YK Sabharwal was not considered fit to head NHRC
Simultaneously central government should accept recommendation of Chief Justice of India CJI made to Prime Minister in June 2019 for raising retirement-age of High Court judges to 65 years. Raising retirement-age of High Court judges from present 62 years to 65 years will make it at par with that of Supreme Court judges. It will effectively check tendency, if any, amongst some of High Court judges for lobbying to be elevated to Supreme Court for availing maximum tenure in judiciary. Also it should be made compulsory to appoint all High Court judges compulsorily from outside their home-states to check any influence on them by their local relations or former bar-colleagues.
Madhu Agrawal
Centralisation of power in PMO not good for economy
Shiv Sena on Tuesday said centralisation of power in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was one of the main reasons for the “poor” economic health of the country. The central government wants the finance minister and RBI governor under its control, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana claimed, adding that the present BJP-led dispensation is not ready to listen to economists as it considers the economy as a “share market gamble“.
A Abuzar
Silver line an exemplary proof of state – central coordination
Though the Pinarayi government in Kerala and the central led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi maybe at loggerheads in political ideology and some other matters when it comes to development and progress it is for sure that they are ready to cooperate and help one another. When issues regarding centre state conflicts and misunderstanding prevail the way in which the Union government and the Kerala government is all set to begin a dream project -a semi high speed rail corridor called the silver line is an exemplary proof of state – central coordination.
The central government has given in-principle approval to the rail project between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, which will reduce travel time between northern Kerala to the south from 12 to four hours. The project will be implemented by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd , a rail company powered by Indian Railways and Kerala state. The joint venture was earlier examined by the Ministry of Railways which found the project to be feasible will help passenger and freight traffic. The 540 km double line will help commuters to reach the state capital from Kasaragod, in the northern end, in four hours. At present the fastest train takes eight to ten hours to cover the distance. Though now there are flight connections from the city of Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram the fare is too high that middle class business men and passengers find it unaffordable.
The silver line therefore is envisaged as the most affordable solution for the transport problems of the state. It would help fast- track the economy of Kerala besides creating a huge number of job opportunities. The project which would be a game-changer in Kerala’s infrastructure and economic development is to be implemented with minimum land acquisition. Semi high speed trains would be used which run at a speed of 200 km per hour connecting eleven districts and touching almost all the major towns of the state. The project will be a perfect solution to the heavily congested traffic problem witnessed in the state and slow running trains which are always jam packed. The project will be environmental friendly and shall be using natural energy including solar. State of the art stations will be constructed and various modes of connectivity will be implemented to connect them with the cities and nearby towns. The silver line, no doubt, is sure to change the face of the coastal state and will be a model for the other states to follow.
M Pradyu
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
