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Can Raj Thackeray sustain?

July 12, 2019

The meeting between MNS chief Raj Thackeray and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has raised speculations in the political circles whether Raj is going to have an alliance with the Congress for contesting the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls. The MNS had not contested the Lok Sabha polls but Raj Thackeray was involved in active campaigning for the Congress and the NCP. While campaigning for Congress-NCP, Raj had taken a jibe at the Modi government for its failure to provide good governance.

Mahila Pradesh Congress General Secretary advocate Manisha Rote said, “If MNS forms an alliance with the Congress-NCP, it will be strengthened. Rahul Gandhi will take the policy decision. When it comes to voting, people don’t take MNS seriously. Raj Thackeray’s rallies attract huge crowds but the same doesn’t translate into votes.”

The MNS which had won 13 seats in the 2009 assembly polls failed to make an impact in 2014 assembly polls where the party could manage to win only one seat. The voters which initially had huge expectations from the party remained disconnected with the outfit during the 2014 assembly polls. Thus, the MNS engine had derailed before it could make an impact in the state.

Political journalist Nilesh Khare said, “Raj Thackeray is trying to bring the anti-Modi front forward. Through this motive, the MNS can strengthen itself financially and at local level. It can only make a comeback in the state by defeating Shiv Sena and BJP. If the MNS wants to strengthen itself , it should target the ruling alliance.”

Now the MNS is making another attempt to revive itself ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls in the state. Thackeray had called on Sonia Gandhi in Delhi earlier this week amid churning in Maharashtra politics and possible political realignments in the poll bound Maharashtra. On the other hand, the BJP and Shiv Sena are confident of winning at least 220 seats out of 288 seats in Maharashtra after their impressive performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Political expert Abdul Wahab said, “There are lesser chances of the MNS strengthening itself. The MNS has lost its sheen in the state. Earlier, the party had come to power in Nashik Municipal Corporation. The party has weakened after its poor show in assembly polls. Raj Thackeray had held interactive sessions with the voters but it didn’t revive the party.”

Even though the MNS did not contest the Lok Sabha polls, Raj Thackeray had campaigned for the Congress-NCP in Maharashtra and he had managed to draw huge crowds at rallies held by him in the state. Thackeray attributed the BJP’s victory to the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar and rebels in the Congress and NCP besides the EVMs. According to him, Ambedkar and his Aghadi including Asaduddin Owaisi‘s AIMIM put up candidates to divide the opposition votes.

Thackeray began his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when most political leaders considered Modi persona non grata, given the 2002 riots in Gujarat while he was the Chief Minister. Thackeray changed his mind about Modi when he realised he had been taken for a ride on the ‘Gujarat Model‘ of development. Now, Thackeray seems to be convinced that Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are bad news for not just Maharashtra but for the entire country, and is trying to stop their juggernaut.

Thackeray ran the best election campaign across India against Modi and the BJP during the recent Lok Sabha elections. He was the only other political leader, apart from former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who full-bloodedly took on Modi, no holds barred and pulling no punches. This is the second and last chance for Raj to rejuvenate his party. Already many leaders have left MNS which has weakened the party. Moreover, Raj has been unable to expand the footprint of his party across Maharashtra. His party has just remained restricted to the urban areas like Mumbai, Nashik, and Pune. Thus, Raj Thackeray is once again trying to revive his party by attempting to forge an alliance with Congress. After the failed attempt in the Lok Sabha elections, it seems it is his last chance to do so.

By Suraj Chandran & Moumita Mukherjee

Population control in China and India: Similar Policy but different Results

Web Team

July 12, 2019

Population explosion is a matter of concern for the development of the nation. So, discussion on population control is natural among cautious citizens. On World Population Day, Union minister Giriraj Singh linked the rising population of the country with religion. He said that there should be a rule of having only two children per family in the country for every religion and those who violate it should be debarred from the right to vote. Giriraj Singh tweeted, “In India, population explosion is disturbing the balance of economy, social harmony and resources. One of the reasons (for failure to check it) is dharmik vyavadhan (religious obstacle).”

It is notable that China and India are the two most populous countries of the world. In China, population control was taken as a national issue and it has been successful because their intention was clear. But in India, this important issue has taken an ugly form of dispute due to hidden plans. The Union Minister Giriraj Singh targeted a religious group and politicised the issue for vested gains. The same issue of population control has been treated in different ways in China and India. On account of religious division, India could not take concrete steps and make rules for it so far. It seems that “Two children Policy” will have the same fate as that of “Triple Talaq”. The Modi government will never get the support of the opposition parties even on “Two children Policy”.

The dispute over two children per family

The Union minister, without naming any community, said that the rising population was posing threats to resources and harmony. He said that it is ruining the economy. Singh’s tweet in Hindi said, “Population explosion in India is disturbing social harmony and balance. Religious interference is also a reason related to population control. Like in 1947, India is heading towards division on the basis of culture. Every political party should come forward to make laws regarding population control.” He asked all parties to consider over the issue seriously. He said, “A strict law should be made to control the population. There is a need to raise the issue in Parliament.” Three years ago, Giriraj Singh had demanded laws for sterilization in the country. The firebrand BJP leader has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. During the parliamentary elections, he had demanded a ban on green flags. He said, green tends to create hatred in society and gives one a feeling of being in Pakistan.

If that was not enough, he triggered another row during the Lok Sabha polls when during an election meeting he said, “Muslims will have to say Vande Mataram if they need three yards of land for a graveyard.” A comment that had angered key ally JD(U) which in turn asked the Election Commission (EC) to take cognizance of his comments.

Giriraj Singh has been known for his controversial remarks in the past too. Only last year, he had embarrassed the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar, when he demanded to rename Bakhtiarpur town, where Nitish Kumar was born. The minister also wanted the name of Akbarpur in his current Lok Sabha constituency of Nawada changed, saying it was named after Mughal emperor Akbar.

JD (U) MLA, Lallan Paswan comes in support

Giriraj Singh’s latest comments on population found support from NDA MLAs in Bihar. “For the sake of the country, we need to control the population, irrespective of religion. If not controlled today, it is bound to create food and water scarcity in the country,” said JD (U) MLA, Lallan Paswan. BJP’s MLA Sachindra Kumar, too, supported the Union Minister’s demand for population control.

The opposition, however, criticised the demand. “This shows the narrow-mindedness of the Union Minister,” said RJD’s MLA, Bhola Yadav. Congress MLC Premchandra Mishra wondered how one can seize anybody’s voting rights.

The success of one child per family policy in China

According to the United Nations’ “The World Population Prospects 2019” report, India’s population will surpass that of China by 2027. China is currently the world’s most populous country, with India at the second spot. The 2011 census had put India’s population at 1.21 billion. The next census will be carried out in 2021. China has a population of 1.42 billion, according to 2017 figures from the United Nations. The country had feared that population growth was hindering economic development. Therefore, in 1979, the Chinese government implemented a one child per family policy. It also implemented birth control programs and offered economic incentives to families with fewer children. In 2016, China abolished its decades-long one-child policy to combat an aging society and shrinking workforce. Married couples can now have two children and no longer have to apply for a family planning service certificate.

The method of implementation of One Child Policy

The one-child policy requires married couples to apply for a family planning service certificate once they learned of a pregnancy. Applying for this government-issued birth permit was complex and required navigating a maze of bureaucracy, including obtaining official stamps from a minimum of 16 different entities. The requirements involved so many steps that some couples feigned unemployment to alleviate at least one of the steps.

The Chinese government subjected the applicant mother and father to intense scrutiny, including posting their names and home address on a public bulletin board. Along with this information, they posted the mother’s identification number. This identification number is how the Chinese government keeps track of the wombs in China. They also listed the last known method of contraception the couple utilized. If parents did not acquire the certificate before the child was born, the hospital would not issue a birth certificate so there would be no legal record of the child’s birth.

Contraception and Peer Pressure

The Chinese government sees reproduction as a privilege that is granted by the state. According to officials, once a couple has been granted the right to have a child, they then have a duty to make use of contraception to prevent further pregnancies. Because China’s society has deeply ingrained patriarchal customs, the responsibility for contraception falls primarily to the woman.

Officials typically allowed certain types of contraception, namely intrauterine devices (IUDs) and tubal ligation. These methods are easily verified, lasting and offer bureaucratic convenience. Regulations encouraged women with one child to use IUDs, and those with two children to undergo tubal ligation. In many instances, a woman needed to have an IUD inserted to register a second child with the local public security bureau, which is essential for the child to have access to health care and public education.

Punishment for those who have two or more children

In certain locations, family planning officials, essentially agents of the government, used a type of neighbourhood crime watch structure that encouraged neighbors to spy on one another and report any children who may be unregistered. In some instances, those reporting suspicions were monetarily rewarded.

Local family planning authorities also imposed peer pressure from coworkers. Authorities placed a collective responsibility on the work unit of a couple at a government-affiliated place of employment. If a member of the unit had more than the government-allowed number of children, then every employee working in that unit was denied an annual bonus, a form of government-sanctioned blackmail.

It is unclear how China’s relaxation of its one-child policy will affect birth rates. The birth rate in China in 2017 was 1.62 births per woman, according to the United Nations Population Division. The birth rates are similar for other industrialized nations. Because China’s economy is becoming more Westernised, it’s unlikely that the Chinese birth rate will rise significantly.

Strengthening Defence against Two Sinister Neighbours

R K Sinha

July 12, 2019

One should not expect India to cut down its Defence Budget when its border meets the borders of two hostile nations. We fought a war with Pakistan in 1947, 1965, 1971 and in 1999 (Kargil). India fought a major war with China in 1962. Last year standoff with China in Doklam had created a war-like situation. The crisis in Doklam was averted due to the diplomacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi aided by former Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar (now Minister for External Affairs). A war that took place over border dispute remains unresolved. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has wisely allocated 3.18 lakh crores in her budget proposal for defence. If you remember, the same amount was proposed in the interim budget presented before elections.

Now, let us compare the budget allocation of China with India. China has increased its defence budget by 8.1 per cent raising it to 175 billion dollars in continuation of the modernisation policy of its defence forces. It goes without saying that the defence budget of China is more than that of India. China spends the highest amount on its defence after the United States of America. Even after increasing its defence expenditure to 175 billion dollars, China had said that in the past two years the increase in defence was nominal.

It is known that Pakistan has also its ‘share’ in China’s defence budget. Some so-called secular intellectuals say that India should reduce its expenditure on defence ignoring the ground realities of China and Pakistan. Who will tell them and make them understand that only a strong nation can talk of ‘peace’? This world does not give the right to live to the poor.

We also discuss the defence budget of Pakistan which is four times smaller than India. In 2018-19, Pakistan’s defence budget was Rs 1.26 trillion (Pakistani currency), equivalent to 11 billion US dollars. Pakistan is relentlessly engaged in strengthening its defence forces. In view of this India has to take care of its defence preparedness. We have to keep in mind the hostility of the two neighbouring countries.

During the Doklam crisis, we had seen intimidating posture of China. Some leaders of Pakistan always say ‘we will see India’ indirectly referring to beat India in war. Earlier it was Nawaz Sharif and now Imran Khan; their anti-India stance is discernable. Maybe our new generation not remember how Pakistan had captured our Aksai Chin area in the war of 1962 when Congress was in power at the Centre under Nehru. This area measures 37,244 square kilometers. It is full of glaciers. The area is equal to the area of Kashmir valley. We have to take back our area in Aksai Chin. One should not forget that China has a vulture’s eye on Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, we have to increase our defence budget regularly.

When we talk of Pakistan, it is worth taking note of the way Pakistan released our Wing Commander Abhinandan after the Balakot strike, it (Pakistan) must have realised the strength of India. The operation in Balkot was like a thunder strike in which our fighter jets after striking target in Balkot returned safely to our bases. Pakistan bowed down and sent Abhinandan back to India. You also must have seen how Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was making a statement in his Parliament on Balkot strike and release of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan.

After the Pulwama attack, Pakistan was demolished by Indian diplomacy. Pakistan and China don’t like economic growth of India. Foreign Direct Investment in India is continuously increasing. No other country is having FDI as India is getting. India is getting FDI more than countries such as China and the United States. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been successful in inviting investments in India from The United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and Singapore by his diplomatic approach. Foreign investors have shown confidence in India’s story of economic growth under the Narendra Modi government. Without FDI quantum jump in industrial growth is not possible.

India should send a message to the world that we are not undermining other sectors of the economy by strengthening our defence preparedness. We also have to address the problem of growing unemployment in the country. It is a big challenge. For this, we have to immediately check the population growth which is eating into our resources at a much faster pace. Unemployment and population explosion are inter-related. We have to wage a long battle against it.

We can’t become Pakistan; the country has been spending money on defence forces ignoring other vital sectors of the society like education, health, and poverty alleviation.

(The writer is a Member of Rajya Sabha)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Hard days ahead for chit fund companies in Maharashtra

Web Team

July 12, 2019

As per Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) data, four years ago, 162 bogus chit fund companies had duped the investors in Maharashtra to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore. In such a situation, Modi 2.0 government’s decision of banning of “Unregulated Deposit Schemes” will be a boon for the common man of the state. Innocent people can be saved from fraud by these chit fund companies.

It is worth mentioning that the Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the banning of unregulated deposit Schemes Bill, 2019. It seeks to prevent unregulated entities from collecting deposits and duping the poor and innocent people of their hard earned savings. The bill aims at plugging gaps in existing laws and giving powers to the government to prohibit companies from taking such funds from the public. People running such illicit deposit-taking schemes can face jail terms as well as a stiff penalty if the bill becomes a law. In the 2017-18 budget, former finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced a draft bill to curtail the menace of illicit deposit schemes to protect poor and gullible investors from dubious schemes.

According to the central government, the bill will help tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking activities in the country, which at the present is exploiting regulatory gaps and the lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and innocent people of their hard-earned savings. It will replace the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019. The bill will be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019 was promulgated on February 21, 2019.

There are three different types of offences — running of unregulated deposit schemes, fraudulent default in regulated deposit schemes, and wrongful inducement — in case of unregulated deposit schemes, according to the bill. The proposed law provides for appointment senior government officials or a ‘competent authority’ that can attach assets or properties and subsequently realise the assets towards repaying depositors, the government said earlier this year. There will also be a provision for creating an online central database to collect and share information on deposit-taking activities in the country.

The proposed law has provisions of punishment as well as repayment of deposits if such schemes raise deposits illegally, the release said. For instance, accepting unregulated deposits will be punishable and can also lead to imprisonment, along with fines ranging between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Repeat offenders could face imprisonment between 5 and 10 years, along with a fine amounting to Rs 5-10 crore.

Four years ago, in June 2015, BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya had sought stringent action by the Maharashtra government against 162 ‘bogus’ chit fund companies. He claimed that these chit fund companies had duped investors in the state to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore. After submitting a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said, “I have a list compiled by Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) which states that 162 ‘bogus’ chit fund companies duped investors in the state to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore. In all, these companies collected Rs 1 lakh crore in India, out of which Rs 40,000 crore was collected from investors in Maharashtra.

According to Kirit Somaiya, major companies in the list include Samrudh Jivan, Sai Prasad, Twinkle Group, Citrus Resort Group, Scenic Land Group, and Mirah Pvt Ltd Group, Somaiya said. The SEBI has already banned Samrudh Jivan and Sai Prasad.

It is remarkable that in June 2017, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached assets worth Rs 207 crore, including a helicopter, in connection with a multi-crore Ponzi scheme involving accused Mahesh Motewar and his family. Chairman and managing director of Samruddha Jeewan Group, Motewar has been under arrest for duping investors since 2015. His assets had been attached in four states, indicating the magnitude of the scam. It included a Bel 206 B3 helicopter worth Rs3.43 crore, Hotel Orchard at Apte road in Shivaji Nagar, Pune Hotel Le Royale residency in Hinjewadi, Pune, Orchard resorts at Kalewade on Pune-Satara highway. The ED said that the money from the scheme was passed on to various group companies for expansion of other businesses like construction, media, hospitality, software and for personal comforts.

According to the CID, Pune, Motewar and his two wives had duped more than 20 lakh small investors across India through business schemes like rearing, sale, and purchase of live stocks. They lured people to invest money by falsely promising unreasonably high returns and generated funds more than Rs 3,500 crore. A lot of farmers had invested in the schemes and were cheated.

Motewar floated M/s. Samruddha Jeevan Foods India Ltd. (SJFIL), which purchased these properties. A huge amount was collected as deposits from investors and was never refunded. This was a smokescreen to collect huge funds from lakhs of investors, mainly in cash.

Investigations revealed that the illegal collection and laundering through a web of 34 companies. These properties were purchased in the name of the main company M/s. SJFIL Pune, and many of its associated companies like M/s. Prosperity Agro India Ltd (PAIL), M/s. Samruddha Jeevan Multistate Multipurpose Co-op. Society Ltd (SJMMCSL), M/s. Samruddha Jeevan Constructions Pvt. Ltd., M/s. Jeevan Jyoti Construction Pvt. Ltd., M/s. Samruddha Jeevan Orchard Resort Pvt. Ltd., SJ Hotels and Hospitality Pvt Ltd. Various properties were purchased in the name of Mahesh Motewar and his family members.

In December last year, Maharashtra police have filed cases against six employees of a private firm for allegedly duping investors of Rs 10 crore through a Ponzi scheme. The racket was unearthed after investors approached the economics offences wing (EOW) of Thane police, claiming they were cheated by ‘Aatharv4U Infra And Agro Limited. After these investors filed a complaint at the Naupada police station in Thane, an offence was registered against the six persons, including company chairman Shivaji Niphade, managing director Ganesh Hazare and directors Lukman Shaikh, Sachin Gosavi, Mukesh Sudesh and Sulindra Chavan.

Karnataka Crisis

C K Subramaniam

July 12, 2019

No self respecting head of family cries when the wife and grown-up children run away and accept it as some serious flaw in self. It is only logical to find the flaw and put the rest of the family in happy and not make self a laughing stock. Here we cannot apply anti-defection law as the MLAs first resigned then joined BJP. Resignation letters were submitted prior to joining BJP. Therefore, the Speaker has to accept it. If the Speaker now receives letters from Congress or JD(S) parties for disqualifying MLAs for defection, the speaker cannot disqualify the MLAs as the MLAs have resigned already.

The JD(S) government in Karnataka has lost its credibility which they themselves know. Dissolve the house and go for a fresh mandate. Why are they hesitant? Since there is scant respect for Constitutional morality or even the semblance of compliance with existing statutes, rogue legislators should be subjected to people’s boycott – no matter where they contest under whichever political banner they should be defeated by the voters. These legislators were elected by the voters with specified political affiliations and explicit poll promises made by them for a specific period to serve their respective Constituencies. Any attempt at betraying that sacred electoral mandate should be met by the stern displeasure of the electorate. Citizens and voters boycott such politicians.

How shameless these politicians are. They are elected to serve the citizens of the country instead they are selling their soul for sake of money and power! Criminal level of conduct at people’s cost indeed! They all should be banned from assembly for five years. The coalition has been rocked by the resignations of 14 MLAs — 11 of Congress and three of JD(S). The Constitution of India weeps in anguish on hearing the war cry and Karnataka people, who failed to give a clear mandate, now the feel the heat.

The BJP has the best claim to the form the Karnataka government. The opportunistic JD(S) and Congress have no legitimate claim over this state. The governance has been an absolute sham in Karnataka. With breakdown of the most basic services, government departments are being run as personal fiefdoms. Contracts are being awarded not with public good in mind, but the opportunity for rent seeking. You may have a grouse against what the BJP stands for, but good riddance to this illegitimate government. It is time to send them home.

Kumaraswamy’s coalition government never functioned constructively; it remained engaged in holding on to the chair and saving from drowning. The present Congress-JD(S) combine is neither a love marriage nor an arranged one. It is a live together arrangement of day to day convenience as long as mutual pampering serves the purpose of greed. Such a greed-based relationship that does not deliver what ought to be delivered to the people, i.e. stable governance is bound to collapse. The earlier it does, the better for the people.

In India, no political party can be expected to remain as Sanyasi. BJP is not to be misconstrued as a party of Sanyasis. With just a few numbers falling short of what is required to form a comparatively stable government with no need to bring in President’s rule and give what the people need without wasting public money on another election will try to form a ministry by taking the support of dissidents by throwing crumbs.

The events in Karnataka are only symptomatic of the malady in India. The public is emotional when it goes to the hustings, corruption is accepted as a way of life, administrators have become obedient servants of those in power, the judiciary keeps talking about ‘guilty beyond doubt’ and fails to administer juster by inordinate delay. The Congress-JD(S) coalition is against the mandate of both assembly and Lok Sabha polls. The BJP is morally correct to topple this scam government.

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

Letters to the Editor: 12 July, 2019

Web Team

July 12, 2019

Indian captain’s display of sportsmanship

The Indian team’s captain was very humble to accept ‘devastating’ defeat as announced during the press conference post completion of semi final loss game. The maturity demonstrated during the press conference of having accepted the defeat is overwhelming especially when a team with successive win records and being notable favourites to claim the title lost the semi final match only by a whisker.

Unlike the previous World Cups, the team has achieved a notable and magnificent performance with exception of only 2 major losses including the semi finals and injuries to key players. Team’s opening batsmen were at the right occasion building a formidable partnership without giving much room by losing wickets at tense moments, with the exception of semi final game. Bowling department too performed well with a hat trick by Mohammed Shami and spinners/pacers snatching away the crucial game from opponents through important wickets- a key highlight of the team.

Finally the support staff mentored by Coach Ravi Shastri needs to be lauded for their efforts made to reach the semi-finals and also by staying focused on players performance and fitness during the tournament. BCCI should now take a stand on the exceptional performance demonstrated in the world cup only to retain the support staff and coach or perhaps may start afresh with the selection process.

Varun Dambal

Reduction in bus fare won’t help BEST

BEST is not the best bus in the world or in India, as the name suggests as their services are not good. Their drivers and conductors are sometimes rowdy and use filthy language not only to men but even against women. The drivers also does not halt the buses at the actual bus stop; they take it further on. Most of the drivers also never leave their buses in time from the depot. Sometimes, one has to wait for over an hour for a bus. And when it does arrive, it is crowded. This is the reason why most people prefer to travel by the Mumbai Metro or share autos or share taxis. Some bus conductors also never return the change to passengers in spite of having it with them. The reduction in bus fares will not help them gain profit.

Jubel D’Cruz

Kudos to Nirmala Sitharaman

The first-ever full-term woman Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman deserves all compliments for presenting Union Budget for the year 2019-20 in Lok Sabha on July 5 truly in Indian style wrapped in traditional red cloth. It was indeed heart-winning when while quoting some special benefits though not of much significance, she was over-joyed pointing out to highest number of women members (78) ever in Lok Sabha cutting across party-lines quoting the budget to be – Nari to Narayani.

Political ideologies and differences apart, women Parliamentarians from TMC having sent maximum number of women in Lok Sabha have exhibited their talent in their respective maiden speeches. Women politicians in other parties especially in ruling BJP are also equally talented to deliver their best if given chance to become Parliamentarians.

The ruling BJP should give women constituting 50-percent of total population their due by legislating longest-pending Women-Reservation-Bill to provide them 33-percent reservation in legislature. Or else, Election Commission formula to make it compulsory for every political party to give at least 33-percent party-tickets to women may be immediately enforced.

Madhu Agrawal

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

Is BJP aiming One Nation One Party?

Rajesh Choudhary

July 11, 2019

While the Congress struggles to save the coalition government with JD(S) in Karnataka, it suffered a major jolt in Goa with 10 of its 15 MLAs joined the BJP. The Congress is left with only five MLAs in the state where the party had emerged the single largest outfit in the 2017 Assembly elections. Reacting to the defection of the party MLAs, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said the BJP’s goal was to create “one nation one party” situation in India.

BJP MLA from Mandrem Dayanand Sopte told Afternoon Voice, “Those who cannot control their MLAs and party, will speak like that. It is a failure of the leadership. Congress MLAs and party workers are in opposition for a long time. They have to take care of their constituency and ensure the development of the area and employment of the youths. That is why they quit the Congress and joined the BJP.”

Five leaders left in the Congress are Ravi Naik, Luizinho Faleiro, Pratapsingh Rane, Digambar Kamat, and Alex Reginaldo. As per internal sources of the Congress, the MLAs took this decision on account of the poor leadership within the party.

It is worth mentioning that a group of 10 Congress MLAs led by the Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar merged with the ruling BJP on Thursday evening. After this, the BJP’s strength has increased to 27 in the 40-member Goa Assembly. The MLAs who joined are Chandrakant Kavlekar, Atanasio Monserrate, Jennifer Monserrate, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Nilkanth Halarnkar, Francisco Silveira, Clafasio Dias, Isidore Fernandes, Wilfred D’Sa, and Tony Fernandes. The anti-defection law makes it mandatory that two-thirds of the strength of a party should agree for a ‘merger’. The amendment, which came into force in January 2004, does not recognise a ‘split’ in a legislature party and instead recognises a ‘merger’.

Commenting on Óne Nation One Party’, Goa Forward Party’s MLA from Saligao Jayesh Salgaonkar said, “Congress has lost and the BJP has gained. We are a coalition partner in the NDA. We are committed to the Gathbandhan Dharma (Coalition commitment). We have supported the BJP government and we abide by it. I cannot comment on the move of 10 Congress MLAs to join the BJP.”

After joining the BJP, Kavlekar said, “Everyone wanted a Congress government to come to power. But we are frustrated being in the opposition and development of the constituency was also suffering. We have been in the opposition for long and to continue with no development of the constituency was not acceptable. We have joined the BJP to ensure development in the constituency and provide jobs for our youth.”

On the other hand, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who was present in the Assembly house to welcome the MLAs, said, “They have come for the development of the state and their constituency. They have joined the BJP unconditionally.”

Girish Chodankar alleged that Congress MLAs joined the BJP after falling prey to blackmailing or allurements. He said, “BJP really wants ‘One Nation One Party’. The BJP has exposed its intense insecurity by poaching Congress legislators.”

“Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s unethical act of luring Congress MLAs displayed his fear of facing a united opposition in the upcoming assembly session. The entire episode reflects the utter misuse of power adopted by BJP which is full of arrogance and was finding itself on a sticky wicket after certain MLAs within its camp were unhappy with the government,” Girish Chodankar said.

All MLAs of the Congress in Goa are tight-lipped, no one is speaking anything. They have either switched off their phones or not responding. When contacted, Congress MLA Digambar Kamat from Margoa denied commenting anything about the current political scenario of Goa. Digambar Kamat instead asked to contact Chellakumar who replaced Digvijaya Singh in April 2017 as the person in charge of the party’s affairs in Goa. He is considered to be close to former Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

According to the sources in BJP, a Cabinet reshuffle may follow soon and most allies may be dropped. At present, five of the 12 ministerial berths are held by the allies. Now new entrants will be included in the cabinet. Speaker Rajesh Patnekar said, “They came with the resignations and I accepted. The monsoon session of the Assembly will commence as per schedule on July 15. Only their seating arrangement will change.”

Atanasio Monserrate, the MLA who just two months ago had snatched the Panjim seat from BJP winning on the Congress ticket said, “We just decided this on Wednesday. We are all colleagues and old friends. After two years I came to Assembly and I told them (Congress) these are the promises I made to the people which need to be fulfilled. I am not any negotiator. We are just friends. We had a good cup of tea. We got together and said this is the best way out as far as development is concerned. I am not looking out for any ministry and no demands were placed at all.” On being asked if the timing of Karnataka and Goa was planned, he said, “It’s a coincidence. Nothing is pre-planned.”

By Dipti Joshi

Ram Mandir for BJP is the “Hen that lays golden eggs”

Vaidehi Taman

July 11, 2019

A Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on July 11 decided to commence hearing the Ayodhya title dispute appeals from July 25 if the mediation committee gives the word that talks with Hindu and Muslim parties to heal minds and hearts are not working. The Bench asked Justice (retired) F.M.I. Kalifulla, who heads the Supreme Court-appointed mediation committee, to submit a report on the progress made in the Ayodhya dispute mediation by July 18. The court added that if Justice Kalifulla, on behalf of the committee, concludes that there was no reason to continue with the mediation, the Constitution Bench would commence hearing the cross-appeals from July 25.

The court’s order to seek a progress report from the committee in a way jump-starts the case as the panel was earlier given time till August 15 to engage in talks with the parties for an amicable settlement to heal hearts and minds. The immediate trigger for the July 11 hearing is an urgent plea made by a claimant to the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land that the mediation proceedings were making no headway whatsoever.

Since then the Ram temple always remained an unfulfilled agenda of the BJP because once the mission is accomplished, it will be tough to mobilise people on emotive issues. The Congress’s 2019 campaign has almost entirely been about Modi’s Hindutva and divisiveness. This is partly because the Congress doesn’t have much of a story to tell about it, but also and perhaps more importantly because it is desperate to unite the Muslim vote and keep the BJP’s tally in the Hindi belt. That was the crux of the Congress strategy—to keep the BJP out of power in 2019 by any means, while the election outcome is known to all. The BJP and Modi were aware of this. So, the positive part of the Modi’s LS poll campaign had been built on the need for economic prosperity and that Hindus and Muslims should make this common cause.

The negative part, of course, was constant attacks on the UPA government and the Gandhi dynasty. Even worst was that they miscommunicate the historical facts and figures. BJP and PM went aimless on shooting allegations on all side opposition but if you look at the Party, 80 per cent of the leaders that BJP has now are joined leaving all those parties to whom BJP is allergic. As such BJP is not only short of issues but short of leaders too. This is the reason why Modi has kept scrupulously away from the Ram Mandir and the other big divisive issues in his speeches.

Modi campaigned in the name of development, black money, and employment but in his first tenure as the Prime Minister, he could not deliver his promises.

When the party was in its most dire state of affairs, issue of Ram Mandir was a trump card of the party to consolidate the Hindu votes and generate such a feeling. The issue of Ram Mandir for BJP is the “hen that lays golden eggs”, they will not build the temple and move on because this is an issue, and they can whip up emotions even in moderately rational people. This time it was development gimmick, it worked well. Temple issue could be exploited, but building it would be like killing the hen. These two communal passion, whipping issues would not be solved because when they are solved they have to come up with new ones. So, Ram Mandir will not be built, Kashmiri Pundits would not be rehabilitated.

In case BJP is serious about constructing the temple, this is the perfect time they can expedite the matter. They will keep Babri Masjid issue for the rainy days when Indian people would be disgruntled by false promises. If BJP has willed, it can easily draft a constitutional amendment or a bill to override the Supreme Court and do the needful. The question of Rajya Sabha is also simple; they will always find people to support it. Once the procedure starts, any party opposing the bill will leave itself highly vulnerable in the hands of the majority.

If the bill gets stalled in RS, the Congress will be thrashed to the core good being anti-Hindu and if it passes, BJP will make itself extremely strong as the savior of the Hindu Majority.

There are many arguments of building a hospital, dividing the land between Hindu and Muslims, constructing a mosque and so on and so forth. The matter is already in the court and there is polarisation for vote on the same topic. BJP pledged to build a Ram temple at Ayodhya, besides promising to gather views on the issue of triple talaq, ban mechanised and illegal slaughterhouses, form ‘Romeo Squads’ to check eve-teasing and prevent forced migration of Hindus from Muslim-dominated rural areas, if voted to power in Uttar Pradesh. BJP president Amit Shah opted for caution. He said if voted to power, the BJP would make all efforts to build a ‘grand’ Ram temple but would conform to the constitutional and legal framework.

With the overwhelming mandate in central government, the moot question is whether the BJP will deliver on the long-unfulfilled promise. Indeed, the question will acquire greater importance as we come closer to December 6 this year, as it marks a quarter century since the mosque – ‘disputed shrine’ for some – was demolished by rampaging Kar Sevaks mobilised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

There is a need to understand that the Ram Mandir will not be built in the near future because there is a legal injunction since 2011, when the Supreme Court stayed the Allahabad High Court verdict on title suits related to the Ayodhya dispute. The High Court, in September 2010, had ordered division of the disputed land in Ayodhya into three parts – 1/3 for the temple, 1/3 for the Sunni Wakf Board and the remaining to the Nirmohi Akhara, one of Ayodhya’s militant sects.

The second reason why the Ram temple is unlikely to become a reality for long is that the Sangh Parivar was not keen on undertaking the construction of a temple. This is because the temporary structure that stands in place of the demolished mosque is a convenient symbol that can be used as a political tool for mobilising support. There is also a need to understand that temple construction was never the main objective of the VHP agitation. But now Bhagwat took U-turn stating that the Sangh has been associated with sentiments of crores of countrymen in the efforts for construction of a magnificent Ram temple at the birthplace of Lord Rama, who is the personification of life energy of the nation and icon of upholding the dharma.

Only time will tell what happens, but in the end, till the time BJP is enjoying a majority in the Lok Sabha, you should get a Ram Mandir.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Is it the end of Gandhi family in Indian politics?

Web Team

July 11, 2019

Finally, after a lot of speculations and rumors, Rahul Gandhi stepped down as the President of the main opposition Indian National Congress party, taking responsibility for its second-straight landslide defeat in India’s national elections. The right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, returned into power after winning more than 302 of the 543 parliamentary seats in May.

The elections of 2019, surely termed a severe jolt for Rahul Gandhi as his party suffered a crushing defeat and shrunk to 52 seats. Moreover, he lost his seat in the famous family’s long-held home constituency to BJP’s Smriti Irani by a margin of 55,000 votes. Though it was clear from the beginning that Congress cannot come with an absolute majority in comparison to the arch-rival of BJP, but it was expected to be one of the closest contest in India’s parliamentary history particularly after it grabbed the victory in three Hindi heartlands rousing from four years of glooms, just before the general elections but the results on May 23 were totally shocking.

This poor performance of Congress had put a question mark on the quality of leadership of Congress President Rahul Gandhi as a result at last Gandhi has resigned from his post. It is high time for Congress to evaluate why people are not ready to believe in Congress. How did PM Modi succeed to persuade the people despite Mr. Gandhi leveled multiple corruption charges against Narendra Modi ranging from the Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi fraud cases to demonetisation and the Rafale deal?

The Congress party tried to counter the BJP on the current issues which had affected the common man such as unemployment, poverty, rape, mob-violence and rapidly declining economy but all went in vain. And BJP very easily achieved its target above 300.

Was it the failure of leadership of Gandhi or there are some other causes? Some people are terming it as Rahul Gandhi’s collapse but many other political pundits are saying that there are some other reasons led Congress to such miserable defeat. They believe that it was the result of mismanagement and carelessness of Congress workers who made their efforts in the elections for their vested interests instead of the party’s progress. One of the big factors was an internal dispute amongst the top leaders to seek tickets for their kids whether they deserve or not.

Now the big question arouses that, is it the end of politics in the Gandhi family who was battling rather ruling in this field for decades? Does Rahul Gandhi’s resignation mean a permanent halt on his political career of Rahul Gandhi or he can emerge again? Is the resignation of Rahul Gandhi a solution for the party as it is in desperate in need to do serious soul-searching about why it has fared so poorly in recent elections? Yes, of course, a president flourishing of policy experiments followed by a ruthless winnowing out of failed experiment will break the grip of the dictatorship of no alternatives.

By Faheem Usmani Qureshi

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

Letters to the Editor: 11 July, 2019

Web Team

July 11, 2019

Celebrating World Population Day through newspaper-advertisements

Some government-departments from central and state governments have given newspaper-advertisements on 11^th July desiring people to stabilize population. But this formality is of no use till strict enforcement may be done to curb population-explosion through legislation like is demanded through a PIL presently pending in Supreme Court, and demanded by 125 Parliamentarians of earlier Lok Sabha cutting across party-lines. Central government should support PIL in the Apex Court.

All government-facilities including all types of subsidies like on LPG and ration, reservation-benefits, promotion and appointment in government-jobs, right to contest elections etc should be abolished on having a third child in the family. It should be mandatory for every hospital, private or government, to compulsorily sterilize the woman on birth of third child, where husband or wife have more than three children. It is also time to follow other Islamic countries where only one wife may be permissible for a man.

Madhu Agrawal

Team India crumbles under pressure

It was difficult for Team India to chase 239 from 5-3 but hats off to Ravindra Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni who put up a commendable fight though we fell short of the target by 18 runs. Everybody has criticised Team India for their overconfidence and poor cricket in the Semi-final but let us be humble and congratulate the winner who played brilliant cricket when nobody gave New Zealand a chance to win against the favourites. Low scoring games can be tricky more so when interrupted by rains and Team India were crushed under nerves and pressure but full marks for the Kiwis for their biggest win World Cup history.

MS Dhoni would have wished to end his international career with a World Cup win which was not to be but Colonel Dhoni did win the cup for India in 2011 and every Indian is proud of him. Winning and losing is part and parcel of every sport and let us applaud the winner than find faults with our team.

S.N. Kabra.

BJP should expel Akash Vijayvargiya

It was on expected lines that BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya who is son of top BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya would get easy bail for his crime of beating a dutiful officer of Indore Municipal Body, and thus obstructing performing his official duty. But soon after being released on bail, he looked defiant when he commented that he was not ashamed of his act and wished that no such opportunity may be created in future that he may have to repeat his batting-skill. This is beyond doubt a threatening tone for officers performing their duty. What more supporters of Akash Vijayvargiya added fuel to fire of crime when they unlawfully celebrated bail to culprit leader by firing bullets in air.

BJP leadership should ask Akash Vijayvargiya for unconditional public-apology and commitment of not repeating any such unlawful act in future. He should also be directed to file case against his supporters who celebrated his release on bail by unlawfully firing in air. Otherwise he should be expelled from the party.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

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

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