FM fails to impress senior citizens

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February 4, 2020

I am very happy with the financial budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. One because the income tax slab has been increased up to Rs.5 lakhs and no tax will be levied on it. This will be a big relief to a middle-class person. Besides, the FM has raised taxes on tobacco products. But I am astonished to see that no benefits have been announced for senior citizens. Thus, Sitharaman has failed to impress senior citizens.

The FM has also announced a package of Rs.9000 crore which would be used for the welfare of senior citizens along with the differently-abled citizens. However, senior citizens are not much impressed by these announcements. Most senior citizens, who usually survive on a limited income such as a pension, were expecting some more announcements so that they could cope with price hikes on almost every essential service.

As per the new tax slabs, senior citizens aged 60 years and above but below 80 years, with an income up to Rs.3 lakh, are exempted from tax. Similarly, the super senior citizens aged 80 years and above, with an income up to Rs.5 lakh, have been exempted from tax. Seniors appreciate the new tax slabs but at the same time they say that something more was expected for senior citizens. Like the medical expenditure, we are allowed to deduct Rs.50,000 from out of Income tax now. The amount ought to have been increased up to Rs.75,000/= for the senior citizens.

As the budget has no mention of any relaxation for senior citizens in terms of medical treatment, the government must understand that we have limited income and we are the ones who suffer from some or the other ailment. To get ourselves treated, we go to the hospitals and end up paying lakhs of bills altogether.

There is no hike in the interest rates of fixed deposits, which are mostly relied upon by senior citizens. I am satisfied with the budget with whatever has been allocated for senior citizens. I can say that the greed to have more would never go and thus we should accept whatever we have been given. The government obviously has other expenses too.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 04 February, 2020

By

Web Team

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February 4, 2020

1Coronavirus should not be taken lightly

Bill Gates prediction a year ago of a deadly virus hitting China has come true but the estimate of 33 million people dying in six months sounds alarming. Coronavirus should not be taken lightly and World Health Organisation (WHO) should declare an medical emergency across the globe. Prevention is always better than cure and infact an only remedy when the deadly virus has no cure at the moment. China might underplay the magnitude of Coronavirus as it may create panic but the situation seems grim and time for alarm bells to be pressed so that every available measure can be tried to prevent the disease from spreading.

The government should create awareness about the disease and respiratory ailments should not be neglected. Laboratories to test the disease should be set up in every city and citizens showing signs of the ailment should be shifted to special wards for wellness and treatment. The population of the world has multiplied enormously over the years in shocking proportion and diseases like Coronavirus could be nature’s way to control world population.

S.N.Kabra

2India divided on religious lines

Today, India is being blatantly divided on the basis of religion. We citizens have never faced this kind of problem during the Congress regime. Amit Shah and Narendra Modi are only dividing country on communal basis. Every citizen of India has the right to voice their opinion whether the duo likes it or not.

Jubel D’Cruz

3Limit number of pages in court-verdict

Courts especially Supreme Court are giving very lengthy judgements at times running into hundreds or thousands of pages like Supreme Court verdict of November 9, 2019 on Ram Janmabhoomi, which are practically not read by common persons including even litigants themselves and are even beyond understanding of commoners. Such lengthy court-verdicts are show-pieces for libraries and are read only by researchers and select lawyers. Need is that commoners including litigants may find short and precise court-verdicts so that they may not have to depend on lawyers to know salient features of the lengthy court-verdicts. Such an improved system will prevent media and commentators to twist court-findings according to their needs.

Things can improve a lot if India also adopts practice of countries where there is a limit on number of pages of court-verdicts which is different for Supreme Court, High Courts and Trial Courts in those countries. Or else, every lengthy court-verdict exceeding say 50 pages may be compulsorily accompanied by a precise version with a limit of say 50 pages to be simultaneously issued and posted on website on date of judgement itself.

Recommendations of meeting of Chairpersons of Computer Committees of High Courts chaired by the then Supreme Court Judge Justice Madan B Lokur (Judge in-charge of e-Committee of Supreme Court) on 2-3 August 2014 emphasised that for sake of uniformity, A-4 size paper-sheets should be used in preparing orders, judgements and depositions should be adopted abolishing British legacy of legal-size paper in courts.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

4AP government once again wants to abolish Legislative Council

It refers to Andhra Pradesh cabinet once again deciding to abolish useless provision of Legislative Council in the state. Andhra Pradesh has a unique record of setting and abolishing Legislative Council with first time set up in the year 1958 and then again in the year 2007 after being abolishing in the year 1985 and now decided to be abolished in the year 2020.

There was a post-emergency era in the year 1977 when Legislative Councils remained in just five states, but now being again constituted in other states. Presently apart from Andhra Pradesh, five other states Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have Legislative Councils, while proposals to create Legislative Councils in Rajasthan and Assam are pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Parliamentary Committee that examined the Rajasthan Bill advocated for the evolution of a national policy for creation or abolition of Legislative Councils rather than at the whims and fancy of a newly elected Government in the State.

Best is to altogether abolish constitutional provision of having Legislative Councils. These serve no practical purpose other than rehabilitation of family-members and other favourites of political rulers including several rejected ones of general elections to be employed at public-expense just to provide an expensive feather on caps of those elected. Ruling parties in states also manipulate winning of its candidates in elections to Legislative Council by misuse of power.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Over 50 booked in sedition case for chanting pro-Sharjeel Imam slogans at Azad Maidan

By

Hema Singh

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February 4, 2020

The Mumbai police have booked over 50 people on a charge of sedition for allegedly raising a slogan in favour of JNU student Sharjeel Imam on February 1 during a protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai by Queer Aazadi.

Among this booked was one who has been identified as Urvashi Chudawala who is a student of second-year MA in media and culture at Tata Institute of Social Science. He is also associated with TISS Queer Collective.

Pranaya Ashok, Deputy Commissioner of Police said that apart from Chudawala, 50 others were also booked under Sections 124 (A) (sedition), 153 (B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 34 (Common Intention) of the Indian penal code (IPC). “We have registered an FIR against Chudawala and 50 others. We will call them to (Azad Maidan) police station for further investigations,” he added.

Earlier in the day, home minister Anil Deshmukh also referred to the slogans raised at the LGBTQ event. He said that a group led by Urvashi Chudawala had chanted “anti-national slogans”.

He said, “The event organisers told us that they have nothing to do with the slogans that were raised by Chudawala and the others. We will be taking action against chanting of such anti-national slogans.”

On January 28 Sharjeel Imam was arrested from Jehanabad in Bihar for making seditious comments at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi and in Aligarh. He said, “Assam should be cut off from the rest of India”. The Delhi Police had earlier lodged an FIR against Imam for sedition.

Tatas moving close to acquire Air India

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 4, 2020

For some time now, the Central government has been looking out for a buyer and initiated the bidding process for the sale of the entire 100 per cent stake in Air India. After the first bidding process failed the government formally began the second bidding process on January 27.

Now, it is heard that the Tatas appears to be ‘moving closer’ to partner with Singapore Airlines to make an offer for Air India.In fact they are inching towards a final decision and are working on the deal’s structure. The company may merge Air India Express with AirAsia India for the acquisition of the government-owned airline. Interestingly, the non-compete clause in the agreement between AirAsia and Tata Sons does not permit either party from being involved in another low-cost airline.

Here, it may be recalled that Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines own full-service airline Vistara as a joint venture (JV). While Tata Sons owns a 51 per cent stake in AirAsia India, Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad owns the remaining holding.

Let’s not forget that the Tatas founded Air India in 1932 as “Tata Air Services” and owned it till it was nationalised in 1947.

Protest rally turns into sloganeering: Opposition corners govt

By

Hema Singh

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February 3, 2020

The Queer Azaadi Mumbai organised a protest against the CAA and NRC on February 1 at the Azad Maidan. But to everyone’s surprise, suddenly the protest turned into slogan shouting in support of Radical Islamist Sharjeel Imam.

“Sharjeel tere sapno ko manzil tak pahunchayenge (Sharjeel we will make your dreams come true),” the protesters shouted in a video during a pride gathering. This very slogan has created a controversy amongst the political parties.

Senior BJP leader, Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “Strict action should be taken for chanting anti-India slogans. If current laws don’t permit, new laws should be enacted to stop such nuisances.”

The organisers of the event had initially planned to hold the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) implemented by the BJP. However, it turned out into something else. According to the organiser, the group that had raised this slogan was not known to them. Also, they were not aware about the content of the slogans till it went viral on social media.

PRO, Police, Pranay Ashoka said, “When it was brought to our notice that protesters were slogan shouting during the LGBTQ Parade, we took a strict action against the same. We are verifying the entire incident from the sources. Our main intention is to find out who all were involved in this and whether it was planned. And the investigation will take some time.”

When the controversial video went viral on social media on Monday, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya lodged a complaint at the Azad Maidan police station against pro-Sharjeel slogans that were raised at Azad Maidan during the LGBTQ parade. He also stated through his tweet that if the police failed to take action on the same within three days, he will sit on a “Dharna”.

On the other hand, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis hopped onto his Twitter handle and questioned the Uddhav led government, what is this going on in Mumbai? And why is the Maharashtra Government tolerating this?”. He also accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi for entertaining such an act.

Soon after the clip caught the eye balls of the citizens, they raised many questions about the organiser and Mumbai police.

After the video, the organiser released a letter on February 2 stating that they had taken orders from the Mumbai police to conduct the rally and have completely disassociated themselves with the slogan mongers further adding that they strongly condemn the radical slogans in support of schedule or any other slogan again the integrity of India.

The organiser claimed that the people indulging in sloganeering during the protest were not known to them and the shouting was stopped as soon as it was brought to their notice. In the letter, it was also mentioned that it will cooperate with the legal processes that may be required by the law.

Sharjeel Imam, a JNU student and anti-CAA activist was arrested on January 29 by the Delhi Police from Bihar’s Jehanabad district over his recent controversial comments on Assam. He said, “Assam should be cut off from the rest of India”. The Delhi Police had earlier lodged an FIR against Imam for sedition.

On its part, the Opposition is busy finding ways to corner the Uddhav Thackeray-led govt and take pot-shots at it.

Nirbhaya gang rape convicts taking legal system for a joy ride

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 3, 2020

After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Delhi High Court that there was a “deliberate, calculated and well thought of design” by the convicts of Nirbhaya gang rape and murder to “frustrate” mandate of law by getting their execution delayed, the Court has reserved its verdict on the Centre’s plea challenging the stay on the execution of the four death row convicts.

Incidentally, a single-judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait reserved the order on the matter. He said it will pass an order after all the parties concluded their arguments.

During the hearing, advocate AP Singh, (appearing for convicts Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma) asked, “Why was there a hurry to execute the death sentence in this case only? “Justice hurried is justice buried,” he observed.

“They (convicts) belong to rural areas and Dalit families. They come to Delhi and get implicated. Mukesh and Ram Singh are Dalits. Both are brothers who came from a rural part of Rajasthan. It is not convicts’ fault. They cannot be made to bear brunt of ambiguity in the law,” Singh told the Court.

Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for convict Mukesh said that the “Centre has sought the setting aside of the order of the Patiala House Court” when “an earlier Delhi High Court order has clearly said that any order of the trial court could be challenged in the Supreme Court only.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had earlier alleged that the convicts were deliberately delaying the execution adding that any delay in the death sentence will have a de-humanising effect on the convicts.

A Delhi court had last week stayed the execution of the four convicts Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma till further orders. The execution was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1.

The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutal murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people, including a juvenile, in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case.

Nagpur: Man sets woman on fire after not getting response to his proposal, held

By

Hema Singh

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February 3, 2020

A man named Vicky Nagrale who must be in his 30s has been arrested by the Nagpur police for allegedly trying to kill a woman by setting her on fire on Monday in Nagpur. The incident took place at Nandori Chowk in Hinganghat around 9:30 am.

According to the police report, the accused poured petrol on the woman’s face and set her on fire. However, a passerby doused the fire and rushed the woman to a nearby hospital.

Police said that Nagrale was after the woman who is a teacher by profession. After not getting any response from her, Nagrale committed the crime in a fit of rage. Reportedly, the woman who sustained 30 per cent burns is said to be in a critical condition.

Shaheen Bagh Movement: A Symbol of Unity

By

Web Team

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February 3, 2020

Shaheen Bagh has become a symbol of resistance, a pan-India template which has been replicated in other parts of the country. It has emerged as a platform of freedom of expression for dissenting voices to air their grievances and express solidarity.

The locality came into prominence due to the presence of a large number of women protesters of various age groups. In fact, the movement is led by Muslim women, who are being supported by women from other communities as well.

The protest at Shaheen Bagh began with the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December last year, and the ensuing police intervention against students at Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University on December 15. Growing in size by the day, it has now become the longest ongoing protest against CAA-NRC-NPR, triggering similar movements in different parts of the country,

Initially some courageous women have come out in droves to challenge the might of the government and protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Camping under open skies and braving the capital’s coldest winter in a century, these protestors, mostly women from neighbouring areas, have turned what was a student’s movement into national movement.

The movement started with few Muslim men and women, the protest is no longer limited to Muslims. Every day, hundreds of people of different religions come and join protesters in what they call a movement to “save the country and its constitution. The women wave anti-CAA placards but the one that is the most powerful is a copy of the Constitution and the frequent readings of the preamble by volunteers. This is a unique moment and a unique movement. The women seated, many holding hands, are inside a protective circle of young men.

The new citizenship law violates the Fundamental Rights of Equality, Life and Liberty, as mentioned in the Constitution. The law will grant Indian citizenship to “persecuted minorities: Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parisians and Christians, from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but it blocks the naturalization of Muslims.

The protesters believe in that making religion a condition to grant anyone citizenship. Also, we strongly condemn the violence that has been unleashed on students.

The people at the “peaceful protest” against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) held posters, placards and the tricolour in their hands. The slogans like ‘azaadi’ and ‘reject CAA-NPR-NRC’ are visible on one side; on the other there are posters displaying the Sanskrit phrase ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ (The world is one family).

Except National Flag, no other flag of any hue or any political party is visible. “We the people of India” has become an anthem for protesters, who read aloud the Preamble to the Constitution every day.

It is interesting to note that there were no politicians and that this was a spontaneous movement without any leader. It was also entirely and spontaneously peaceful. One month long protest will continue to fight against new citizenship law that discriminates against Muslims.

Now, Shaheen Bagh became a symbolic home of the movement, with a prominent role in the country’s history of change and tumult. The protest won’t end unless the government gives us in writing that no harm would be done to us after the CAA-NPR-NRC process. The basic agenda of this movement led by the women is clearly to pressurise the government to rollback the black law of citizen ship.

-By Dr. Meraj Ahmad Meraj

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 03 February, 2020

By

Web Team

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February 3, 2020

1FM Sitharaman’s visionary budget

Around a 1000 point fall on the Sensex was a knee-jerk reaction on budget day by market participants. FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s hands were tied amidst the economic slowdown, rising fiscal deficit and the dwindling resources which makes a balancing act to budget nation’s assets and liabilities all the more difficult. The tax liabilities of most citizens would rise in the coming days but that is small sacrifice one should readily accept to see our country grow and progress for future. Indian citizens enjoying tax holidays abroad comes under the tax net but is it not their duty to contribute for nation building if they prefer to keep their Indian citizenship status intact?

Bold divestment programmes incuding LIC going public as well as government selling some stake would generate unbelievable revenue for it to undertake enormous infrastructure development that would generate lot of jobs apart from aiding business and industry. Sitharaman’s budget seems visionary but a lot depends on the execution part which is difficult as politicians make promises which are seldom fulfilled. PM Modi and FM Sitharaman should form an top level committee of India’s top economists which should guide the nation so that whatever promised in the budget can be executed in future. It is difficult to please all in the budget and citizens should stand united when it comes to nation building even if some sacrifices are required.

S.N. Kabra

2Mumbai 24×7 gets a tepid response

Aaditya Thackeray’s grandiose plan to keep Mumbai open 24 x 7 has got a tepid response from all quarters. The idea hasn’t yet got into the system of shopkeepers around the city because they are wary of the future outcome; cinema hall owners too are wary whether they would get enough audience for the late night and the early morning shows.

Coming to the malls, while they are ready to implement the idea, but the shopkeepers inside are not yet ready as they feel that they would not be able to get enough resources to keep them going. Now, the last and vital point, both the BEST and the railways have not made up their mind whether to keep their services going all night.

Then what happens to the plan to keep Mumbai open 24×7? It is up to the government to make necessary arrangements to keep the city going all night to the fulfillment of all.

Ashish Mitra

3Allocate funds for MNREGA

It is bad to hear that the Centre is on the verge of running out of funds for the crucial Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. In fact, the situation on the ground may be worse as States do not always enter pending payments into the information system. While there is a high demand for work this year as the rural economy is in distress and informal employment has also collapsed.

M Qasmi Nadwi

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Shoot Out: For Hindutva Says Shooters

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2020

Shaheen Bagh has been in the limelight since some time now. The protests at Shaheen Bagh is an ongoing 24/7 sit-in peaceful protest led by women that began after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in both houses of Parliament on December 11, last year and the ensuing police intervention against students at Jamia Millia Islamia who were opposing the Amendment.

The protestors mainly consisting of Muslim women have blocked a major highway in New Delhi using non-violent resistance for 48 days now. As of February 1, it has now become the longest ongoing continuous protest against CAA-NRC-NPR.

The leaderless protest is not only against CAA and brutality of the police, but is also against the BJP government in general. The protesters have also supported unions opposing the government’s ‘anti-labour policies’ and have protested against recent happenings such as the 2020 JNU attack as well as shown solidarity with Kashmiri Pandits.

The protest took a violent turn when a man named Kapil Gujjar opened fire near the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh on Saturday February 1. According to eyewitnesses, Kapil shouted “Hindu Rashtra Zindabad” and fired two rounds. Kapil had threatened Shaheen Bagh warning them to vacate the premises from where they have been protesting against CAA and NRC. The shooter has since been taken into custody. The firing took place near Jasola red light. No one was injured in the incident which occurred at around 4:53 pm. Among the slogans the gunman shouted before pulling the trigger was “Dilli Police zindabad”(Long Live the Delhi Police).

While the cops claimed they overpowered the man while he was shooting, the agency said that he was overpowered by locals and handed over to the police. Kapil is a Class 12 dropout and has denied being associated with any group. The accused informed the police that he was miffed with the continous protest and wanted to frighten protestors. He used country made pistol for shooting. He has been sent to police remand for two days by Delhi Court.

Similarly, on Thursday January 30, a gunman named Rambhakt Gopal opened fire at a protest rally near Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi in front of at least 20 police personnel. A student sustained injuries in this incident. Video footage shows a phalanx of policeman looking on as the gunman waves his weapon and then opens fire. The inaction of the police seemed quite in contrast to the vigilance they have displayed towards other demonstrations in the Capital over the past six weeks, as peaceful protestors have been beaten and detained.

The protesters at Jamia were holding demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that seeks to amend the definition of illegal immigrant for Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist and Christian immigrants’ from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who have live in India sans documentation. They will be granted fast track Indian citizenship in six years. On Thursday evening, the Delhi police defended their seeming inaction. Explanations have ranged from being blind sighted to claiming that the incident “happened too quickly” for the shooting to have been prevented.