Month: November 2019

‘My Children Have Stopped Playing In Parks’

By LokMarg

Rakhi Singh, a resident of Indirapuram, Delhi-NCR, says Indians are neglecting traditional values of a sustainable living

I have two sons, 14-year-old Rakshan and 6-year-old Rakshit, and while the elder one is somehow coping up with the unprecedented pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the younger one’s health has taken a hit. He has a lot of difficulty breathing, and we as parents feel quite helpless seeing him suffer so much. He is scared to go to sleep and fears he might stop breathing if he lies down in bed. My husband and I have to use different methods every night to divert his mind so that he can go to sleep.

We have been feeling the severity of pollution since 2016 which is when I think the levels of parali (stubble) burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana went up. In my village in Bihar, farmers remove the parali from the fields by hand and then soak it into water and then after it has decomposed, they put it back into the fields as manure. As far as I know the farmers in Punjab and Haryana were promised machines to remove parali from the fields in an effective manner, but they haven’t been provided the machines yet.

The condition is such that we keep the windows closed at almost all times.Kidshavestopped going out in the society play area and they just go to their friend’s homes if they feel like playing. Both my kids are very environmentally aware and they always do their bit to keep the environment clean. Both my kids have decided not to burn crackers voluntarily. They don’t waste a single drop of water from their bottles and always make sure that any leftover water is used to water the plants.

My elder son even went to the extent of asking us to remove the water purifier from our homes became he couldn’t bear to see the wastage of water that comes with RO machines. The children get upset when they see other people living in our society bursting crackers as well as encouraging their kids to burst crackers on Diwali. They wonder how grown-up and educated people can behave like this when 16 year olds like Greta Thunberg are leading the conversation when it comes to climate change.

Also Read: ‘Kids Can’t Go To School On Children’s Day Due To Smog’

Since Diwali the schools have been opening and closing sporadically, as per the government’s order. Not only is the pollution taking a toll on the physical health of kids, it’s also taking a toll on their emotional health. Apart from missing out on their studies, they are also missing their friends badly, especially when they can’t go out to play even though they are at home.

I feel Indian traditions were always more eco-friendly. Even today in villages plates made of leaves are used for functions. There was (and in many small towns and villages it is still present) the tradition of giving rotis to animals first (cow, dog, crow and ants) and it somewhere taught us to respect animals, in fact to put them before ourselves. We gave them food before we ate it ourselves. We need to learn many a things from our ancestors of we want to truly master the art of sustainable living.

Modi Govt Has Lowered The Stature Of Upper House

By Anita Katyal

Addressing the start of the 250th session of the Rajya Sabha last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Upper House as the “soul of India’s federal structure” and that it is about checks and balance but went on to add that there is a “difference between checking and clogging, balance and blocking.”

Modi’s statement, underlining the importance of the Rajya Sabha, had a touch of irony to it. That’s because ever since the Modi government came to power in 2014, it has made systematic attempts to undermine the Upper House where it was in a minority. His ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders often referred to the Rajya Sabha as a stumbling block, stating angrily out that the Opposition should not stall the government’s legislative agenda as their party had got the people’s mandate to rule.

Modi’s remarks also revived an old debate about the relevance and importance of the Upper House and India’s decision to settle for a bicameral system of legislature. This was a subject of animated debate in the Constituent assembly which drew up the country’s Constitution.

As was to be expected, opinion on this was divided with those arguing against the need for a second chamber, saying it would  “act as a clog in the wheel of governance” and that it would be undemocratic since it would have the powers to veto the decisions of an elected House. On the other hand, those who were in its favour stressed that decisions taken hurriedly and due to political pressures can be deliberated upon in detail without any such compulsions in the second chamber. Not only can such an exercise improve the quality of legislation but also act as a check on any rushed move by a government.

The debate in the Constituent Assembly was based on a report of the Union Constitution Committee submitted by Jawaharlal Nehru. This document provided details about the composition, role and functioning of the second chamber. The debate eventually ended with the Constituent Assembly deciding in favour of a second chamber on the ground that it would reflect the country’s pluralistic character and provide a forum for the states to put across their views as the second chamber was proposed to be a council of states.

Over the past years, the Modi government has not just attempted to thwart the functioning of the Rajya Sabha but this attitude has also been extended to the Lok Sabha where it has the advantage of a stronger bench strength. It, therefore, tends to rush through it is business by stonewalling the opposition’s demands to refer important Bills to Parliamentary standing committees for detailed scrutiny.

The opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha has been an irritant for the Modi government since 2014 and it is only recently that the BJP and its allies have inched closer to the majority mark. While the BJP improved its tally after it won a bulk of state elections, it also engineered defections from other parties to ensure that numbers in the Upper House did not come in its way in pushing ahead with the government’s legislative agenda. For instance, it was only after it was certain that the opposition no longer enjoyed an edge in the Rajya Sabha that the Modi government brought the triple talaq bill and the bills stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

In fact, Modi’s first brush with the Rajya Sabha came after he first rode to power five years ago. Euphoric over the BJP’s impressive win, Modi soon realized that despite the ruling alliance’s big majority in the Lok Sabha, his plans to enact legislation was not possible as it was in a minority in the Upper House. His government hit a wall in the Rajya Sabha which did not allow the passage of its initial two reform legislation, the Land Acquisition Bill and the Goods and Services Tax Bill. The opposition had then forced the government to refer them to a Parliamentary panel. While the GST Bill was eventually passed after several rounds of meetings with opposition parties, the land Bill was eventually abandoned.

This had led furious BJP ministers to rail against the functioning of the Rajya Sabha  with Arun Jaitley, then finance  minister, to declare that the Indian democracy faced a serious challenge as an “indirectly elected” Upper House was questioning the wisdom of the “directly elected” Lower House.

Instead of reaching out to the Opposition and opening channels of communication with members on the other side of the political divide, the Modi government started circumventing the Rajya Sabha by converting bills into money bills. The Upper House does not have the authority to vote out a money bill.

It was left to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to refer to these moves by the  government when he spoke after Modi’s address on the first day of the Rajya Sabha’s 250th session. “In the recent past, we have seen instances of misuse of the Money Bill provision by the Executive leading to bypassing the Rajya Sabha on crucial legislation of national importance without any deliberation. Those in treasury benches must ensure that such instances are avoided,” Singh remarked.

Singh also made a valid point when he drew attention to the hurried manner in which the Modi government pushed through the Bills on Jammu and Kashmir by giving MPs no time to study the legislation, which was tantamount to belittling the Upper House.

“This House should be given greater respect by the Executive than is the case now,” Singh stressed, adding that far-reaching proposals like abolishing certain states and converting them into Union Territories must be discussed at greater length in the Rajya Sabha as it is a Council of States. In fact, he went a step further saying the Upper House must be given greater powers to deal with issues like these.

This debate on the role and functioning of the Rajya Sabha will continue as long as a ruling party does not enjoy a majority in both Houses. It is only then that political leaders find merit in opting for a bicameral system of legislature.

Fadnavis Quits As CM, Ajit Dy CM Ahead of Floor Test

By LokMarg

Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced his resignation as Maharashtra’s chief minister, hours after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test in the state assembly.

Earlier in the day, his deputy, NCP’s Ajit Pawar resigned from the post, just three days after he was sworn in.

“We realised that we don’t have the required numbers to form the government and we don’t want to indulge in horse-trading,” Fadnavis told reporters after announcing his decision.

In a sudden turn of event, both Fadnavis and Pawar were administered the oath on Saturday morning, nixing Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP’s bid to form government in the state.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar also resigned from the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra ahead of the floor test scheduled to be held in the state assembly on wednesday, said sources.

Pawar was sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state on Saturday morning.

The decision invoked vociferous criticism from the opposition which later moved to Supreme Court.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ramana passed the order for conducting floor test by Wednesday evening while giving a decision on a joint petition filed by Congress-Shiv Sena and NCP against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s decision of administering an oath to Fadnavis as Chief Minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputy during early hours of Saturday.

ANI

Janaki Mata Temple in Ayodhya

Sunni Board Not To Seek Review of Ayodhya Verdict

By LokMarg

The Sunni Waqf Board on Tuesday decided that it will not file a review petition in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case, as per Abdul Razzaq Khan.

Speaking to media, the Sunni Waqf Board member said, “Majority decision in our meeting is that review petition in Ayodhya case should not be filed.”

“There was no discussion about the land which will be offered by the government. When the land will be offered, then a meeting of the board will commence about it,” he added.

Earlier this month, a five-judge Supreme Court bench led by then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi unanimously ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres will be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram temple at the site.

The apex court also added that an alternative five acres of land at a prominent location in Ayodhya should be allotted for the construction of a mosque following consultation between the Centre and the state government.

(ANI)

Supreme Court

SC Orders Floor Test Via Open Ballot In Maharashtra

By LokMarg

Observing that there is a possibility of horse trading if the floor test in Maharashtra Assembly is delayed, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered it to be conducted tomorrow through an open ballot and be telecasted live to determine the strength of the BJP-led Maharashtra government.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana passed the order on a joint-petition filed by Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP challenging Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s decision to swear-in Fadnavis as chief minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputy last week. The trio had sought a direction to conduct an immediate floor test.

Floor test is a constitutional mechanism under which a chief minister can be asked to prove majority in the state Assembly.

Pronouncing the order on their petitions, the bench put forth a procedure to be followed to conduct a floor test. It directed a Protem Speaker to be appointed solely for this purpose.

“All the elected members shall take oath on 27.11.2019, which exercise should be completed before 5:00 pm,” the court stated in its order copy.

Immediately thereafter, the Protem Speaker will conduct a floor test in order to ascertain whether BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis has the majority.

“These proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with law. The floor test will not be conducted by secret ballot,” the bench ordered, adding that the proceedings will have to be live telecasted and appropriate arrangements be made to ensure the same.

The court also said that it is “necessary and expedient” to conduct the floor test to determine whether the chief minister, who was administered the oath of office, has the support of the majority or not.

The bench also observed that the oath has not been administered to the elected members even though a month has elapsed since the declaration of election results.

“In such emergent facts and circumstances, to curtail unlawful practices such as horse trading, to avoid uncertainty and to effectuate smooth running of democracy by ensuring a stable government, it is necessary to pass certain interim directions in this case,” the top court stated.

The court also granted eight weeks’ time to Centre, Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar to file their counter affidavits on the joint plea. The matter is likely to be listed after twelve weeks.

(ANI)

Sena-NCP-Cong Parade 162 MLAs In Show Of Strength

By LokMarg

Hours after they staked claim to form the government in Maharashtra, MLAs of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress claimed the support of over 162 MLAs as they gathered at a five-star hotel here on Monday evening in a massive show of strength ahead of the Supreme Court’s order on government formation in the state.

“We are here together for people of Maharashtra. A government was formed in the state without a majority. Karnataka, Goa and Manipur, BJP didn’t have a majority anywhere but formed the government,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar addressed the gathering the MLAs of the three parties assembled at the hotel Grand Hyatt.

Pawar expressed confidence that in the floor-test in the Legislative Assembly the alliance will have the support of more than 162 MLAs and that it will form the government and will work in the interest of people

“There will not be any problem in proving our majority. The one who is suspended from the party cannot give any orders. On the day of the floor test, I will bring more than 162 MLAs. This is not Goa, this is Maharashtra,” a combative Pawar said.

“We are here together for people of Maharashtra. A government was formed in the state without a majority. Karnataka, Goa, and Manipur, BJP didn’t have majority anywhere but formed a government,” said Pawar.

Slamming his nephew Ajit Pawar for breaking away from the NCP to ally with the BJP to form the government, the NCP chief said: “Without a majority, they have installed the government. For the first time in history, the government is installed like this. Ajit Pawar didn’t have the authority to make decisions and he made his own decision.”

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said: “Our fight is not just for power, our fight is for ‘Satyamev Jayate.’ The more you try to break us, the more we will unite.”

The assembled MLAs also took a pledge to not “do anything which will benefit BJP.”

“I swear that under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray & Sonia Gandhi, I will be honest to my party. I won’t get lured by anything. I will not do anything which will benefit BJP” they pledged.

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ashok Chavan were present at the meet.

Congress leader Ashok Chavan said: “We are more than 162, not just 162. We all will be a part of the government. I thank Sonia Gandhi who allowed for this alliance to stop BJP. Governor should invite us to form a government.”

Earlier in the day, NCP legislative party leader Jayant Patil along with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan and others visited Raj Bhawan and gave a letter showing the strength of 162 MLAs to the officials at Raj Bhavan.

After which Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut invited Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to “come and watch” the show of strength of the three parties.

“We are all one and together, watch our 162 together for the first time at Grand Hyatt at 7 pm, come and watch yourself @maha_governor,” Raut tweeted.

The Supreme Court earlier today reserved the order on a joint petition filed by Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP against the decision of Koshyari to invite BJP to form government in the state.

The petitions were filed after BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis took oath for the second consecutive term as the state Chief Minister, with NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday morning. This came when deliberations among Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena on the government formation had reached the final stage.

The order on whether the floor test will be conducted for proving the majority of the BJP-led Fadnavis government is expected to be pronounced at 10:30 am Tuesday.

stubble burning in punjab

SC Slams Punjab, Haryana Over Stubble Burning

By LokMarg

The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the governments of Punjab and Haryana for failing to take steps against stubble burning.

“Punjab and Haryana are not doing anything, stubble burning has increased,” Justice Arun Mishra said.

The apex court was hearing a matter concerning air pollution in Delhi, its adjoining areas and other parts of northern India. It had summoned the chief secretaries from both states in this regard.

“Delhi is nearly suffocating. Just because you [Punjab government] are not able to implement measures does not mean that people in Delhi-NCR should die and suffer from cancer,” it added.

“Mr Chief Secretary we will hold every machinery in the state responsible. There was no will-power, Mr Chief Secretary we are not going to leave this issue,’ the court said.

Expressing shock over increasing air pollution, Justice Mishra told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, ‘Why are people being forced to live in gas chambers? It is better to kill them all in one go. Get explosives in 15 bags at one go. Why should people suffer all this?”

The AQI on Monday in the national capital docked at 218, which falls in the ‘poor’ category. (ANI)

Govt Body Denies Dropping Cases Against Ajit Pawar

By LokMarg

Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday refuted media reports that claimed investigation against Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been closed in a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam.

A list is being circulated on social media, saying that cases against Maharasthra Deputy Chief Minister have been dropped, a claim that the ACB has denied.

“I can confirm that none of the cases closed is related to Ajit Pawar,” ACB chief Parambir Singh told ANI.

“We are investigating around 2654 tenders in irrigation related complaints. These are the routine inquiries which are closed and all ongoing investigations are continued as they were earlier. 45 enquiries have so far been closed including present 9 cases which have been closed by order of our ADG today,” Singh elaborated.

Sources in the ACB, however, added that the list of cases that are being projected as dropped on social media was conditional and could be reopened if more information comes to light or courts order further inquiry.

In a surprising move, Ajit was sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state on Saturday morning.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.

(ANI)

Experts Fear Regrouping Of Terrorists In Pakistan

By LokMarg

Academicians and South Asia experts have raised concerns over the growth of terror groups and jihadi outfits in Pakistan.

While speaking at a recently held event ‘Reimagining Pakistan – a global perspective’, the experts demanded that the United States should cut off all the aid it is providing to Pakistan.

Dr Christine Fair, a Georgetown University professor of security studies with a focus on South Asia, said, “The longer it (Pakistan) stays on the grey list, the longer it gets to bargain with the international community using the threat of terrorism.”

Fair also laid emphasis on the fact that a significant change in the situation of Pakistan cannot be brought about by the west or the diaspora. She said that change has to come from Pakistan only.

“The Pakistani High Commission tried to put pressure on this venue to shut down this event; this is the kind of state we are dealing with,” she said while explaining the gravity of the situation.

The seminar was organised by Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre, UK and the Indian National Students Association of England. The topics discussed at the event included ‘Saga of rich military & poor economy’, ‘What holds in the future decade for Pakistan’ and ‘Geo-political and internal challenges including Kashmir, Balochistan and PTM movement’.

Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui, who is now living in exile, highlighted the pressures on and surveillance of media in Pakistan.

Siddiqui said in his speech, “We might see after the FATF, the dormant Kashmiri militants coming back, and the afghan militancy continues and we don’t see an end to it”.

He further mentioned that Imran Khan is a project of the military in many ways. He was brought to power because the other two parties had issues with the military and so a third force had to be created.

David Vance, a Journalist from Altnewsmedia said that Pakistan is a failed state, and it is a promoter of global jihad.

(ANI)

Scindia’s New Twitter Profile Sets Off Speculations

By LokMarg

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday said that he changed his Twitter bio to make it shorter on people’s advice and dismissed speculations of him leaving the party.

“A month back, I had changed my bio on Twitter. On people’s advice, I had made my bio shorter. Rumours regarding this are baseless,” Scindia told ANI.

The 48-year-old leader removed Congress and the post he held earlier from his Twitter bio and mentioned ‘public servant and cricket enthusiast’, fuelling speculations that he could quit the party.

In July, posters had emerged outside the Congress’ party office in Bhopal appealing to Rahul Gandhi to appoint Scindia as the next party president. The appeal was made on the behalf of all Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee workers.

The banners came after Scindia had resigned from the post of Congress’ general secretary for West Uttar Pradesh after the party put up a poor show in this year’s Lok Sabha elections.

In September, hoardings requesting Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to “not to come under anyone’s pressure” and appoint Scindia as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief had surfaced in Gwalior.

Notably, Scindia had also backed the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, taking a stand in contrast to that of his party’s.

Last month, Scindia said that Congress needs to self-introspect, echoing the sentiments of his fellow Congressman Salman Khurshid who had expressed concerns over the party’s future.

Scindia had lost from the Guna parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, his family stronghold, to BJP’s Krishna Pal Singh Yadav in this year’s general elections.

(ANI)