Counterview

By NS Venkataraman*  Signals from China clearly indicate that the Chinese government has evolved a strategy and action plan , to be partly implemented in medium term and the rest to be implemented in long term and emerge as the most dominant country in the world. Obviously, it’s aim is to emerge as single super power in the world , effectively dislodging USA from the present super power status and significantly reducing the influence of Russia and European union in the world. One cannot but miss the fact that China’s methodology for implementing it’s strategies have two approaches. One approach is to economically bring several under developed and developing countries under it’s heels. The additional approach is to use it’s military force to invade the territories in the nearby regions to expand it’s territorial base. Territorial expansion plans under execution: China occupied Tibet using it’s military force several decades back and China’s aggression was not challenged eff...

Mashrur Siddique Bhuiyan*  After a decade of hiatus, the long-awaited 38th ministerial-level meeting of the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission concluded in New Delhi on August 25 to discuss water-sharing issues as the two countries share 54 rivers. The Joint Rivers Commission of India and Bangladesh was established in 1972 as a bilateral mechanism to address common border and trans-boundary river issues of mutual interest.  This time, the meeting is significant for two reasons: first, both countries resumed the meeting after a decade in order to work closely together to further deepen and strengthen cooperation in the areas of common rivers and water resource management; and second, the JRC meeting, the first since 2010, comes ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s three-day visit to India in the first week of September at the invitation of her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. The visit symbolized the partnership of half a century between India and Banglad...

Counterview Desk  As many as 134 former civil servants , belonging to the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), in an open letter, have sought the intervention of the Chief Justice of India for rescinding the order for freeing 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape and murder case, stating, they are particularly puzzled by the manner in which the Apex Court asked the Gujarat government to urgently take a decision on a plea by one of the convicts for remission as per Gujarat’s 1992 policy, and not its current one. The letter said: “Surely the Supreme Court could not be unaware of the major changes in the punishment for rape and murder and the policy for remission which were made much more severe in 2014 after the Nirbhaya case.”, wondering, “Can persons who committed rape and murder in 2002 be less liable than persons who rape and murder at the present time?” Text: We, a group of former members of the All India and Central Services who have come together as the Constitutional Conduc...

By Neel Preet  The book “The Soul of Islam” is a compilation of articles authored on varied facets of Islam by Moin Qazi. They have earlier been published in various newspapers and journals. The collection is titled “The Soul of Islam”. It gives an insight into various faiths and how they have influenced the lives of their adherents. Much of these concepts have been examined in the context of Islam and Muslim culture. The purpose of the book is to reinforce the bonds of tolerance between people of various faiths, ideas and philosophies. The author strongly believes that this is easily possible if we all understand and accommodate each other. There are several misconceptions in the minds of people on account of the absence of exposure to the authentic literature of various faiths. Most people come to know about other faiths not by personally studying them but by what is being discussed and commented upon in public discourses. Their genuineness is a matter of speculation and conjectu...

By Harsh Thakor*  A recent a protest demonstration staged at the Picnichen Spot, opposite Shaheed Birsa Munda Statue, Aarey forest, Mumbai, to oppose the present Maharashtra government of Shinde-Fadnavis in installing Metro 3 depot at Aarey sought to project the truth behind depot politics and land scam. More than 500 persons protested from a broad strata of society. Students, Dalits, Adivasis and activists of many NGOs, and members of political parties and social organisations participated. Among the important participants were ex-armymen, members of the Disha students group, Naujwan Bharat Sabha and Bigul Mazdoor Dasta. Around three weeks ago, embarrassed to the core from the growing youth protest, the Shinde-Fadnavis government issued instructions to brutally subvert every initiative to organize people against the illegal destruction of Aarey forest. Avinash, a first year MA student of philosophy of the Mumbai University and member of the Disha students' group, and Dr Pooja,...

By Hafizur Talukdar*  The Russia-Ukraine war has started amidst the economic losses of the Corona epidemic. Western countries have imposed various sanctions on Russia. This has had an adverse effect on the economy of Bangladesh. Transportation costs have increased due to increase in fuel oil prices in the international market. It has increased the price of all kinds of products. Food shortages and abnormally high prices have led to famine in many countries. Various international organizations are expressing fear that the situation may deteriorate further. This wave has also started to be felt in Bangladesh. The government has already adopted austerity policies in all sectors of the economy. In terms of imports, initiatives have been taken to narrow down areas such as luxury goods, foreign food and expensive cars. The implementation of all projects which are unnecessary or not necessary are being stopped. The government has decided to set office hours from 8am to 3pm, for all govern...

By Shamsul Islam*  RSS-BJP rulers of India have suddenly developed immense love for the Indian national flag. According to press reports under “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign Centre facilitated hoisting of the Tricolour at 24 crore homes across the country from August 13 to 15 as part of the celebration of the 75th year of India’s independence. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi who long back identified himself as a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and a Hindu nationalist (Hindu nationalists are committed to replace the Tricolour with the saffron flag) changed his social media profile picture to ‘Tricolour’. Even a chameleon would look like a minion in face of Hindutva rulers’ change of colour regarding the National Flag. To get familiar with the hypocrisy of the RSS-BJP one has just to access the archives of RSS and Hindu Mahasabha led by RSS ‘Veer’, VD Savarkar. Let us begin with the RSS. The RSS, since its inception in 1925, has been opposed to the Tricolour as the ...

S olidarity letter in support of Bilkis Bano by Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) faculty and staff, addressed to the Chief Justice of India: *** We, the undersigned faculty and staff members of IIM Bangalore, in our personal capacity, stand in solidarity with Bilkis Bano and her fight for justice. The crimes committed by the eleven men granted remission were no ordinary crimes. They were accused and convicted of gang rape and murders of the most depraved and inhumane kind. The Supreme Court itself upheld their conviction in 2008. Bilkis Bano, who survived to tell the tale, fought for justice for over seventeen years. This remission is not only a denial of justice but also presents a real and immediate danger to Bilkis Bano and her family. The sympathetic treatment these convicted men have received is shocking. What kind of a nation are we turning into if Bilkis Bano is left to defend herself while her violators are given a hero's welcome? We are stunned and deeply a...

By Narasimha Reddy Donthi*  Corona had severe impact on handloom sector and weaver livelihoods. Most of them have slipped into poverty. Unfortunately, there is no change in the budget for handloom sector, from the previous interim budget. It is a mere Rs.495.32 crores. Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, a woman Union Finance Minister, who wears handloom sarees and has a good understanding of handloom products, failed to increase handloom budget allocations on par with the expectations. In a year, where economic recession was accepted, employment has spiraled down, purchasing power has taken a dent and rural consumption has nosedived, there were expectations that this budget would infuse funds into rural economy. Raising handloom budget was one route for this infusion, stabilizing economy, employment and environment. Economic thinkers probably forgot about the importance of handloom sector in terms of employment potential (especially in rural areas), its positive impact on environment (thus re...

By Dr Vandana Prasad, Kavitha Kuruganti  An RTI response by the Ministry of Women and Child Development reveals knee-jerk and self-protecting measures in the form of a few circulars issued by the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution as well as the Ministry of Women and Child Development with regard to fortified rice being distributed in the country under government schemes. These circulars, which are a desperate attempt by the Government of India, to cover up on an unscientific one-size-fits-all approach to anaemia in the country, are apparently in response to grave irregularities in the government’s fortification programme highlighted by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) and the Right to Food Campaign (RTFC). The Government of India has started scaling up its rice fortification intervention even before the so-called pilots were completed, or evaluation lessons culled out, ignoring numerous scientific, holistic and community-controlled approaches to tack...