In a move to counter "radicalization" of Muslim institutes, Modi cabinet committee seeks to enhance IB capacity

By Our Representative
In an effort to what is being interpreted as a clampdown on supposedly “errant” Muslim-run educational institutes, the Government of India (GoI) wants Intelligence Bureau (IB) to create capacities that would go a long way to counter “radicalization” taking place among them.
Wanting the involvement of several government ministries and states for this, a GoI circular wants the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to play the pivotal role, even though it concerns educational institutes – which is the prime concern of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Signed by an official of the MHRD’s National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), the circular is reported to have been sent to all government-accredited madrassas and other Muslim-run institutes in India.
Issued in mid-January, the circular says, the Task of National Security, which falls under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, wants implementation of such a decision, which has been “approved” by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The circular says, “The Task Force recommends that the IB should develop capabilities for detecting and countering radicalization efforts and to take counter measures through government and non-government structures.”
Insisting “countering radicalization” and “deradicalization” are “multidisciplinary efforts”, the circular says, this would require “inputs from intelligence agencies, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the State Police Forces, and all the development departments.”
Reportedly prepared by the Secretary (Internal Home Divisions), Ministry of Home Affairs, it has also been sent to the chairman, Universities Grants Commission, UGC and director-generals police (DGPs) of all states.
It underlines, “The Ministry of Home Affairs will take the lead, but this requires the involvement of the entire government.”
The circular asks Muslim-run educational institutions to “look into the matter, even as insisting that they send “action taken report through email by maintaining security”, as these are “accredited” with the government.
It also seeks telephone and mobile number, and email address for the delivery of “letters and messages”.
It is not known if any such circular has been, if at all, issued for institutes run by trusts run by other religions – Hindu, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, and Parsi.
A top site claiming to stand for the marginalized sections of society, which is possession of copy of one such circular sent to the Centre In Charge, Urdu/Arabic/Persian Study Centre, Farogh-e-Urdu Bhawan, Jasola, New Delhi, quotes the official who signed the circular to say that the GoI effort is “to maintain the records of the students studying there”, and also “make sure that they don’t get involved in any anti-social activities.”
The official has also been quoted as saying that all the centre in-charges who had received the notice will have to comply with recommendations and should reply back to NCPUL on the steps taken by them for “national security” purposes concerning their places of learning.
Across India, there are about 1,000 “study centres” – 586 Arabic, 759 Urdu, 27 for advance computer training, 53 for calligraphy and design, and 50 for diploma in electronic appliance.

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World Bank clarifies: Its 26th rank to India not for universal access to power but for ease of doing business

By Our Representative
In a major embarrassment to the Government of India, the World Bank has reportedly clarified that it has not ranked India 26th out of 130 countries for providing power to its population. The top international banker’s clarification comes following Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal’s claim that India has “improved to 26 position from 99” in access to electricity in just one year.

Mental health: India's 95% patients "deprived" of medical care, treatment gap 70%

By Moin Qazi*
Among the many challenges India faces, the most underappreciated is the ongoing mental health crisis. Mental illness is actually India’s ticking bomb. An estimated 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million from anxiety disorders. For those who suffer from mental illness, life can seem like a terrible prison from which there is no hope of escape; they are left forlorn and abandoned, stigmatized, shunned and misunderstood.

Modi model? "Refusal" to build Narmada's micro canals, keep Kutch dry; help industry

By Medha Patkar*
This is the latest photograph of the Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) of the Sardar Sarovar, as of April 8! What does it show, expose, and what memories do you recall? Is it dry or dead? Is it a canal or a carcass of the same?

Bill Gates "promoting" GMO, Bt cotton, like cartels that have roots in Hitler's Germany

By Our Representative
World-renowned environmental leader and ecologist Dr Vandana Shiva has expressed concern that Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation, has joined the bandwagon of “a poison cartel of three" – Monsanto and Bayer, Syngenta and ChemChina, Dow and DuPont – all of whom allegedly have “roots in Hitler’s Germany and finding chemicals to kill people”.

Indian talc products contain "contaminated" asbestos structures, can cause cancer: Study

Counterview Desk
A recent study, using polarizing light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, and X-ray analysis on multiple over-the-counter Indian talc products for the presence of asbestos, has concluded that large quantities of body talc products are likely to pose a public health risk for asbestos-related diseases, especially for the cancers related to asbestos exposure.

Why are you silent on discrimination against Dalit jawans? Macwan questions Modi

By Rajiv Shah
Close on the heels of releasing his book in Gujarati, "Bhed Bharat", which lists 319 cases of atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis across the country over the last five years, well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan has shot an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telling him the reasons why he does not want vote for the BJP.

Jharkhand Adivasi lynched to death by mob "chanting" Jai Shri Ram: Fact-finding team

Counterview Desk
On April 10, 2019, Prakash Lakda, a 50-year old Adivasi of Jurmu village of Gumla’s Dumri block, was lynched to death by a mob of men from the Sahu community of neighbouring Jairagi village. Three other victims from Jurmu – Peter Kerketta, Belarius Minj and Janerius Minj – sustained severe injuries due to the beating by the mob. A fact-finding team of Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM), comprising of several activists and representatives of member organisations, conducted a fact-finding inquiry into the incident on April 14-15.

Investigation shows Narmada downstream "seriously" polluted. Reason: apathy, greed

By Rohit Prajapati, Krishnakant, Swati Desai*
Our investigation regarding quality of water flowing in the Narmada river downstream of the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD), dated April 6, 2019, between 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. reiterates, what is commonly known now, that the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is planned without considering its impact on the downstream Narmada River stretch of 161 kilometres, its ecology, biodiversity and fishery, and lakhs of people living close to and dependent on the river directly or indirectly. This, in turn, has led to its present disastrous state.

Emergence of a rare Dalit teacher in IIT-Kanpur "disturbed" certain faculty members

By PS Krishnan, IAS (Retd)*
Dr Subrahmanyam Sadrela, a faculty member in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur since January 1, 2018, and one of the rare Dalit members of the faculty in IIT group of institutions, is facing the threat of revocation of his PhD thesis, and thereby also jeopardizing his job and career.

RTE in remote areas? Govt of India "plans" to close down 2.4 lakh schools

By Srijita Majumder*
The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, came into effect on April 1, 2010, for the first time made it obligatory on the part of the State to provide free and compulsory education to all children from 6-14 years of age in India. The Act, despite its limitations, had progressive elements like neighbourhood schools, community participation, ban on corporal punishment, no detention, continuous and comprehensive evaluation and it hence it appeared that India was not far from achieving universal elementary education.

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