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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Green revolution "not sustainable", Bt cotton a failure in India: MS Swaminathan

Counterview Desk
In a recent paper in the journal “Current Science”, distinguished scientist PC Kesaven and his colleague MS Swaminathan, widely regarded as the father of the Green Revolution, have argued that Bt insecticidal cotton, widely regarded as the continuation of the Green Revolution, has been a failure in India and has not provided livelihood security for mainly resource-poor, small and marginal farmers.
Sharply taking on Green Revolution, the authors say, it has not been sustainable largely because of adverse environmental and social impacts, insisting on the need to move away from the simplistic output-yield paradigm that dominates much thinking. Seeking to address the concerns about local food security and sovereignty as well as on-farm and off-farm social and ecological issues associated with the Green Revolution, they argue in favour of what they call sustainable ‘Evergreen Revolution’, based on a ‘systems approach’ and ‘ecoagriculture’.
Pointing out that Evergreen Revol…

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.

Some Hindu bodies in US defending BJP-RSS' divisive, violent activities: Agnivesh

Counterview Desk Last week, Washington DC saw speakers at a religious freedom roundtable, chaired by the US Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, express concern over "eroding" space for religious freedom in India. Dr Mike Ghouse, executive director, of the Center for Pluralism in Washington DC, referring to the roundtable, said in an email alert that Indian-Americans have "a moral duty to prevent India from being labeled as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)".

Rejoinder: Inescapable to have Central Water Commission as strong technical body in India

By BN Navalawala*
This is with reference to Counterview Blog (December 5, 2018), "Modi govt 'shelves' water reforms report, shows 'no interest' in its recommendations", below mentioned are my comments/observations thereon:
A committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mihir Shah, Former Member, Planning Commission, for restructuring of Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) for optimal development of water resources in the country in the backdrop of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Murder of Tamil Nadu teenage Dalit girl: "Stoic silence" despite #MeToo movement

Counterview Desk
Brinelle D'souza, who is with the Centre for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, has prepared a strong statement to protest the brutal murder of 13-year-old Rajalakshmi. "Other than a few media reports, this gruesome killing has not caught national attention despite a very vibrant #MeToo campaign currently underway", regrets D'souza.

Preventing childhood deaths: India performs worse than Bangladesh, "equals" Pakistan

By Rajiv Shah
A just-released study, “The Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report 2018”, prepared by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has identified India among 15 other countries which are still far off the mark in achieving the targets of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD).

60 ex-civil servants seek release of CAG reports on Rafale, demonetisation before 2019 polls

Counterview Desk
As many as 60 retired civil servants have asked President Ram Nath Kovind to expedite the release of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on demonetisation and the Rafale deal. The letter, signed mainly by former Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service and Indian Police Service officers, regrets that the status of the audit is "unclear”. According to them, “An impression is gaining ground that CAG is deliberately delaying its audit reports on demonetisation and Rafale deal till after the May 2019 elections so as not to embarrass the present government”.

India's rewritten textbooks talk of demerits of democracy, praise Hitler, underrate Mughals

Counterview Desk
A detailed, 3,800-word review of the books rewritten under directions of the BJP rulers across India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in May 2014 has suggested that one of aims of the books is to instill a sense of doubt about India’s democratic polity among the country’s young minds. Reviewed in the prestigious US journal, “The New York Review of Books”, in its latest issue (December 6, 2018) by Alex Traub, the scrutiny insists, the effort has also been to paint Indian history from the angle of “Hindu triumphalism”, even as creating “Islamophobia”.

Govt of India "tarnishing" NGO reputation, dossier leaked selectively: Amnesty

Counterview Desk
Amnesty International India has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to tarnish its reputation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by investigating agencies, to media without giving it access to any such information. The high profile NGO’s claim follows a Times Now report about proceedings launched by investigative agencies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the rights body for “violations” of rules pertaining to overseas donations.

Four children die after poor UP Dalit, Muslim families forced to flee to forest area: PVCHR

Counterview Desk
Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has said that the forest department police’s crackdown, allegedly without any prior notice, on Dalit and Muslim households in Dakhin Tola, Churk Bazaar, Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, beating up “children and old people, women, and men in an inhuman way”, has led to “forced displacement, starvation and discrimination”. This has reportedly affected about 350 people.

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