Author: LokMarg

The Varanasi district court is likely to pronounce the verdict in the Gyanvapi mosque case on Tuesday.

The district court on Monday completed the hearing of arguments in the case and reserved its order for today.
Advocate Madan Mohan Yadav, representing the Hindu side, on Tuesday said that the Muslim side wanted the case dismissed.

Speaking to ANI, he said, “Muslim side presented their arguments yesterday, they said that the matter doesn’t meet the parameters of the Places of Worship Act. They wanted the matter dismissed. But we too presented our arguments before the Court.”

He further said that the court will hear the matter at 2 pm today.

“The matter can’t be dismissed just like that, it will sustain. It is not a matter of property but of the Right to Worship. The court will hear the matter at 2 pm today. The decision will be out probably by 4 pm,” Yadav added.

Varanasi District Judge Dr AK Vishvesha heard a civil suit in the case.

The hearing began in Varanasi court after the Supreme Court said it would not interfere with the Gyanvapi mosque survey and transferred the case to the lower court while noting the “complexities and sensitivities involved in the matter” would require a “more senior and experienced hand”.

The bench said the District Judge should decide the maintainability of the civil suit in the case on priority as sought by Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi.

After the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded, lawyers representing Hindu petitioners claimed that a Shivling was found in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex.

The claim was disputed by the mosque committee members who said it was part of the water fountain in the wazoo khana. On May 16, the Varanasi court ordered the sealing of part of the mosque.

The Supreme Court ordered the Varanasi district magistrate to ensure the area where a shivling was purportedly found is protected without obstructing the Muslim community’s right to worship.

The Court had appointed an official and a team of lawyers to conduct an inspection at Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi in connection with a plea seeking access to a Hindu temple behind it.

A lawyer had also filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court seeking impleadment in the Gyanvapi mosque case stating that a mosque constructed on temple land cannot be a mosque.

The application was filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay who had earlier filed a petition challenging the Constitutional validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 (Act).

Five Hindu women have sought round-the-year access to pray at “a shrine behind the western wall of the mosque complex”. The site is currently made open for Hindu prayers once a year. (ANI)

Quad leaders at the Tokyo summit are set to launch a range of initiatives, including a maritime security partnership, that will allow the member countries to monitor illegal fishing, track “dark shipping” and other tactical-level activities.

“The benefit of this maritime initiative will allow tracking of dark shipping and other tactical-level activities, such as rendezvous at sea, as well as improve partners’ ability to respond to climate and humanitarian events and to protect their fisheries, which are vital to many Indo-Pacific economies,” said the White House in a media statement on the sidelines of Quad Summit.
Notably, “dark ships” are vessels with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) – a transponder system – switched off so as not to be detectable. This crucial maritime pact between the Quad member countries will enhance the security apparatus of the Indo-Pacific region.

The maritime initiative Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) will offer a near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness picture, added the White House in the statement.

This initiative will transform the ability of partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores and, in turn, to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Quad countries are committed to contributing to the region’s maritime domain awareness — a fundamental requirement for peace, stability, and prosperity — through investment in IPMDA over five years, stated the White House in the statement.

The partnership will innovate upon existing maritime domain awareness efforts, rapidly bringing emerging technologies to bear for the greater good of the Indo-Pacific community.

IPMDA will build a faster, wider, and more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in partners’ waters. This common operating picture will integrate three critical regions — the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region — in the Indo-Pacific.

Moreover, the Quad is committed to maintaining its global leadership in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and bolstering global health security.

“The United States will provide COVID-19 boosters and pediatric doses to countries of greatest need, including in the Indo-Pacific. The Biological E Ltd facility in India will continue to use expanded vaccine-manufacturing capacity as part of the Quad Vaccine Partnership,” added the White House in the statement.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and EXIM India decided to support a USD USD 100 million facilities, which will bolster the Indian health care sector, including global capacity for COVID-19 countermeasures.

Quad leaders will also launch the Quad Fellowship, which will sponsor 100 American, Australian, Indian, and Japanese students to study in the United States each year for graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The four Quad countries have meaningfully deepened and regularized cooperation in meeting the climate crisis. The Quad leaders will launch further efforts on green shipping, energy supply chains, disaster risk reduction, and the exchange of climate information services.

Member countries are also committed to responsible innovation in critical and emerging technologies. Since launching the Critical and Emerging Technologies Working Group at the first-ever leader-level summit of the Quad, in March 2021, Quad partners have mapped collective capacity and vulnerabilities in global semiconductor supply chains and launched the Common Statement of Principles on Critical Technology Supply Chains, which will provide a cooperative foundation for enhancing supply-chain resilience in the region.

At the same time, Quad partners are exploring ways to collaborate on the deployment of open and secure telecommunications technologies in the region.

The Quad also seeks to build resilience across our four countries in response to cybersecurity vulnerabilities and cyber threats with the QUAD Cybersecurity Partnership.

Its areas of focus are critical-infrastructure protection, led by Australia; supply-chain resilience and security, led by India; workforce development and talent, led by Japan; and software security standards, led by the United States.

“As leaders in space, Quad countries are strengthening cooperation and pooling our collective expertise to exchange satellite data, enable capacity-building, and consult on norms and guidelines,” added the White House in its statement.

To help meet the Indo-Pacific’s enormous infrastructure needs, Quad leaders launched the Quad Infrastructure Coordination Group, which will deepen collaboration and pursue complementary actions, including in digital connectivity, transportation infrastructure, clean energy and climate resilience.

The Quad was forged in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. In recognition of that history and of present-day threats, the Quad established a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) mechanism.

The meeting of Quadrilateral Dialogue (Quad) kicked off in Tokyo on Tuesday to review the progress made by the four-member countries. The Summit in Tokyo is the fourth interaction of Quad Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, in-person Summit in Washington D.C. in September 2021, and virtual meeting in March 2022.

The Quad cooperation is anchored in the shared values of democracy, international law, and rules-based international order and a vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. (ANI)

Drawing a parallel between “India’s success with China’s failure” to handle the pandemic, US President Joe Biden praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a closed session of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo on Tuesday, for handling Covid-19 outbreak in a democratic manner.

According to a senior official, Biden contrasted India’s success with China’s failure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic while both the countries are of comparable size.
Biden added that PM Modi’s success has shown the world that democracies can deliver, and busted the “myth that autocracies like China and Russia can handle the rapidly changing world better because their leadership can take and implement decisions without going through lengthy democratic processes”, said the official.

According to the official, these remarks from President Biden appeared to be unscripted, as he made a special intervention to say this before his prepared remarks.

PM Modi met US President Biden today shortly after holding the Quad Leaders’ Summit. The meeting marks a continuation of their regular dialogue having interacted most recently in virtual mode on April 11.

The leaders of the Quad nations–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States–met today in Tokyo for the fourth time and the second time in person.

This meeting comes after the fourth interaction of Quad Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, in-person Summit in Washington D.C. in September 2021 and virtual meeting in March 2022.

The Quad Summit provided an opportunity for the Leaders to exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global issues of mutual interest. The Quad summit taking place witnessed the launch of a new initiative for continuous collaboration in the maritime domain, space, climate change, health and cyber security. (ANI)

By Shalini Bhardwaj

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday raised concerns over the WHO’s recent exercise on all-cause excess mortality in India in the 75th session of the World Health Assembly held at the global body’s Geneva headquarters.

Earlier in March, the Health Ministry had objected to the use of mathematical models by the WHO for projecting excess mortality estimates concerning coronavirus and had said that the validity and robustness of the models used and the methodology of data collection were questionable.

“It is with a sense of dismay and concern that India notes WHO’s recent exercise on all-cause excess mortality where our Country specific authentic data published by the statutory authority has not been taken into account,” Mandaviya said.

Recently during Swathya Chintan Shivir, the Council of Health and Family Welfare, (CCHFW) which was attended by around 23 health ministers of the country passed a resolution against WHO’s modelling estimates over deaths in India during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Council also said, “deeply disappointed and distressed” and “unacceptable to India”.

During his address in Geneva, the Union Health Minister also mentioned about the action taken by the CCHFW stating “the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare, a representative body of Health Ministers from all States within India, constituted under Article 263 of Constitution of India, passed a unanimous resolution asking me to convey their collective disappointment and concern with WHO’s approach in this regard”.

Noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark on the need to build a resilient global supply chain to enable equitable access to vaccines and medicines, the Minister said “India is ready to play a key role in these efforts as a responsible member of the global community”.

“India believes that this year’s theme linking peace and health, is timely and pertinent because there can be no sustainable development and universal health and wellbeing without peace,” he added.

However, a technical officer at the department of Data and Analytics, William Msemburi laid down the statistics of the excess deaths in India.

“The reported Covid-19 number is 481,000 and the estimated excess is 4.74 million. So 481,000 reported COVID-19 numbers and then an excess mean of 4.7 million. The uncertainty around that is 3.3 million to 6.5 million. So, those are the estimated numbers for India,” he said.

“Globally, we estimate 14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic by 31 December of 2021. So, this estimate ranges from 13.3 million to 16.6 million. There are 4.4 million reported Covid-19 deaths to WHO over this period. So, this excess estimate represents 9.5 million more deaths or 2.75 times more deaths than reported,” Msemburi added.

The official further said that most of the excess deaths are concentrated in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.

“Low and middle income and upper-middle-income countries account for 81 per cent of this 14.9 million number, that’s 52 per cent to low and middle income (countries) and 28 per cent upper-middle-income countries. Some 68 per cent of excess deaths are concentrated in just 10 countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, after WHO’s statement, Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, speaking to ANI, said, “Unfortunately, in spite of our emphatic writing, rational communication at the ministerial level, they have chosen to use the number that is based on modelling assumptions – one size fits all kind of assumptions.”

“We understand that this report has covered what they label as excess mortality, in the yr spanning COVID19. India has been telling WHO via diplomatic channels with data that we don’t agree with the methodology followed for us,” said Dr Paul.

Also, DG ICMR Dr Balram Bhargava said, “Once we have this systematic data, we do not need to rely on modelling, extrapolations & taking press reports & utilising them for putting into a modelling exercise.”

AIIMS Director said that data should be used to see the number of excess deaths that happened during this time and excess deaths that could be attributable to COVID and WHO didn’t use that data.

“Secondly– data that WHO used is more on hearsay evidence– what’s there in media or unconfirmed sources. That data is questionable. Modelling on that data isn’t the correct and scientifically right thing to do, especially, when you have data that is more robust,” he said. (ANI)

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that Washington is ready to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan in the event of invasion.

Biden met with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan on Monday to advance cooperation on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.
During a joint press conference with the Japanese PM, Biden reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to ensuring the security of the Taiwan Strait and preventing any change in the status quo unilaterally.

When asked whether the US is ready to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, he replied in the affirmative, adding that this is the commitment that the US has taken on.

“We remain committed to supporting peace and stability in Taiwan Strait. The US stands firmly with Japan and other nations not to let that happen (China taking over Taiwan),” he said.

“After this, US and Japan together with 11 other nations will be launching the Indo-Pacific economic framework. This framework is a commitment to working with our close friends and partners in the region and challenges that matter most to ensuring economic competitiveness,” he added.

According to the White House statement, Biden commended Prime Minister Kishida’s leadership in responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine, and his determination to strengthen Japan’s defence capabilities, noting that a strong U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The two leaders committed to work closely together to address security challenges, including North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and China’s increasingly coercive behaviour that runs counter to international law.

They agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as emerging technologies, supply chain security, and clean energy.

Addressing a press conference, the Japanese PM said the two leaders discussed the impact of the Ukraine situation on the Indo-Pacific. “For China, we concurred to monitor recent activities of Chinese Navy and joint military exercise of China and strongly oppose the changes caused by force.”

Ahead of the Quad summit on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi slammed the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy on Sunday, charging that the four-nation grouping was formed in the guise of freedom and openness but with the purpose to contain China.

He made these comments while addressing a press conference after talks with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Guangzhou, Xinhua news agency reported.

When asked about the “Indo-Pacific Strategy”, Wang said: “The US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy is causing more and more vigilance and concern in the international community, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.” (ANI)

China’s interactions with the new government in Pakistan may not have generated the necessary confidence to consolidate bilateral ties and in particular, give the necessary push to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

China never speaks publicly on internal matters of any country it deals with, more so, the “all-weather ally” Pakistan. But analysts note that President Xi Jinping’s telephonic talk with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the visit of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have been cold and business-like and are shorn of the diplomatic rhetoric that generally marks such parleys.

Prime Minister Sharif’s suggestion that the CPEC be made trilateral and Turkey be included has added to the confusion. Sharif said this in Karachi while welcoming Turkish defence collaboration. It is not clear if it was a PR exercise with Turkey or if it has Beijing’s desire or consent. Beijing has not made public its reaction to this.

This adds to the slow and faltering progress on the CPEC projects, one of the main factors being security to Chinese personnel and property that successive Pakistan governments have failed to ensure.

Assuming China would like to include Turkey, it is coming when Turkey, having serious economic problems of its own is embroiled in the Ukraine war in Europe. This is also the period of political instability in Pakistan injected by the changes in April. They have persisted through May and shows no sign of abating, being further fuelled by the talks of early general elections.

China does not have electoral exercises like Pakistan, but is well aware of the uncertainties elections inject, before, during and after the polls. No long-term decisions are likely. It also notes the anti-American rhetoric on one side and, growing terror attacks against things with Chinese label on the other.

China this month closed down its Confucius Centres in Pakistan and its Chinese personnel returned home after the one on the Karachi University campus saw a woman suicide bomber, a Baloch, killing three Chinese who ran that centre. Other than CPEC, fatal attack on a cultural/educational institutions is a new challenge before China.

Speculation also persists that Pak army’s top brass is itself divided on whether to tactically support the Sharif Government and let it complete the remaining tenure of the National Assembly till July 2023, or let Imran Khan campaign for a snap poll, thus giving the latter “another chance.”

The army distrusts, in particular, London-exiled Nawaz Sharif, the three-time prime minister, who is seen as mentoring the government his younger brother leads.

Dawn newspaper in its editorial (May 22, 2022) writes of “parallel governance systems”, on one hand by those loyal to Nawaz scuttling key decisions meant to improve dire economic conditions, and on the other, those within the military-civil establishment who want Imran Khan back. Khan himself targets the government on every count and is slated to lead a ‘march’ on Islamabad on May 25.

Najam Sethi in his Friday Times editorial (May 21, 2022) underscored that polls could be held and completed in the next four months, for the new government to ‘select’ the next Army Chief. For the record, the present incumbent, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, already on extension, has let it be known that he is not keen to continue and may reject any further extension. The decision, either way, is crucial for the military to retain its hold over Pakistan’s polity that has come under unprecedented challenge.

The Pakistan Army has repeatedly declared itself ‘apolitical’, claiming to take no part in political goings-on. It has sought to curb lose media talk on its alleged role by injecting or strengthening a new factor in prosecution of critics, detention and trial of anyone who is found “attacking the state institutions,” the army in particular.

Analysts say not just the Chinese, the US and others will also want to watch Pakistan closely and this could delay the latter getting its urgently required bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). (ANI)

The national capital witnessed another spell of thunderstorms and heavy rain on Monday night after the first bout early this morning brought in much-needed respite from the scorching sun and brought down the mercury by 11 degrees Celsius.

“Delhi is likely to witness another spell of thunderstorm and heavy rain on Monday night,” the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted in the evening. Rains accompanied by strong winds lashed Delhi and the National Capital Region this morning, leading to a sharp fall in temperature.

“Today, just from 5:40 am till 7 am, the temperature fell by 11 degrees Celsius, from 29 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius,” the IMD said. The prediction came true and the NCR region was soaked in pre-monsoon showers along with lightning and thundestorm late evening

Rain and thundershowers also affected road and air traffic during the rush hours and brought down houses and trees at some places. Power disruptions was reported in several parts.

Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were also affected in the morning due to the weather conditions.

The Met Department has predicted that the maximum temperature in the city could remain below 40 degrees till May 26 and is likely to rise to 41 degree Celsius by May 28. (ANI)

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission, was on Monday appointed Delhi’s new Lieutenant-Governor after Anil Baijal last week resigned from the position.

A statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan informed that President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted Baijal’s resignation and appointed Vinai Kumar Saxena as the new Lieutenant Governor.

Baijal, who served as Delhi LG for five years and four months, resigned citing personal reasons.

“The President of India has been pleased to appoint Vinai Kumar Saxena to be the Lt Governor of National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” reads the statement.

Saxena took charge as Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries on October 27, 2015. (ANI)

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hit out at the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for doing politics in the name of Madrassa, alleging that he’s trying to stay two steps ahead of his peers in communal politics.

Mufti’s remark came in the backdrop of the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remark over Madrasa.
“There’s a competition going on; do they want to implement the Gujarat model, UP model or does the Assam CM want to stay two steps ahead in the politics of polarisation. They are talking about shaking the roots of this country. The Constitution on which this country is based is now being taken apart,” said Mufti.

Earlier on Sunday, the Assam Chief Minister had said that entry to religious institutions like Madrasas should only be allowed at an age at which students can make their own decisions.

Talking to media persons in Delhi, Sarma said, “Madrasa should be a system of education that can give students the choice to do something in the future. Entry to any religious institution should be at an age where they can make their own decisions.”

He also said that the word “Madrasa” should cease to exist while stressing the “general education” in schools for all.

The Chief Minister said as long as the word “Madrasa” exists, children will not be able to think about becoming doctors and engineers.

The PDP chief further said that the “attempts are being made to turn the country into Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Madhya Pradesh models”.

“Attempts are being made to turn the country into Gujarat model, Uttar Pradesh model, Assam model, Madhya Pradesh model – whatever you want to call it. Chief Ministers are competing against each other over who can hassle Muslims the most. So, issues of temples and mosques are being raised,” said Mufti.

“Muslims are being provoked to react so that these people get a chance to execute another episode like that seen in the past in Gujarat or UP. The British pitted Hindus against Muslims, today BJP is doing it. Prime Minister is watching silently. His party thinks it means what they’re doing is right,” she added. (ANI)

Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing on behalf of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, on Monday sought an urgent hearing on his plea against the impending threat of demolition of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University as part of the condition of his bail.

Advocate Nizam Pasha, who was representing Azam Khan mentioned the matter for an urgent hearing before a vacation bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud.
The vacation bench asked him to approach the mentioning registrar to list his plea.

On May 10, Allahabad High Court granted bail to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan in a case related to wrongful possession of the land. The case is about wrongful possession of Waqf Board property.

The Allahabad HC had imposed various conditions including directions to the District Magistrate, Rampur being a representative of Custodian/Administrator of Evacuee/Enemy Property, to hold a measurement of the landed property in dispute which is the centre dispute of this issue admeasuring area of 13.842 hectares village Singhan Khera, Pargana and Tehsil-Sadar, District Rampur and thereafter, raise a boundary wall and barbed wire around it to take the actual physical possession of the property in dispute on behalf of the administrator of evacuee property Mumbai latest by June 30, 2022.

Khan, who walked out of jail a few days ago, had been lodged in Sitapur jail since February 2020 last year as many cases are registered against him. (ANI)