Landmark judgement

The death awarded to five honour killers by Karnal
District and Sessions court in Haryana is a landmark
judgement against the tradition bound Khap (caste)
Jat society. The court has delivered this landmark
judgement in honour killing case because the bride
and the groom were of the same leneage and wedlocked
in 2007. It was against the norms and tradition of
Khap society.The khap Jat society enraged at their marriage and
held a panchayat meeting to decided the social
boycott of bride and groom’s family and to conspire
to kill them. Groom family members were against the
marriage and they reportedly initiated the conspiracy
with full support of the panchayat chief to kill them
as the marriage was against their wishes and they
described it also as against their social norms. Khap
society panchayat meeting and their killing of the
young married couples reflect their attempt to impose
Talibanic influence on society.The Karnal District and Session Judge showed valour
and vision by delivering the judgement to hang until
death to five accused and life sentence to one. The
honour killing is same as the Sati Pratha against
which our great social reformer Raja Ram Mohun Roy
fought and compelled the then government to abolish
the most condemnable social evil. This verdict will give the civil society a boost
in their arms against social orthodoxy and medieval
thinking of a small group of so-called trend setters
in society. Marriage is a meeting of two minds and if
the boy and girl marry each other with fulll mutual
consent and living happily what the the society has
the society with them. Their only guilt is that they
went against the tradition bound khap society. That
why they finished the newly-wed couples impose
diktat on society. Now-a-days, we are living in 21st century where
orthodoxy and backward approach have no place. To
stop the abominable acts against the persons of
modern thinking and development oriented, the
government of the day must come forward to end the
attempt of Talibanising society. The bride and groom had already lodged complaint with
Haryana police that their lives are under threat. But
the police showed complete apathy to the threat to
their lives. Even they helped the killers by
describing the dead body of the bride as
unidentified. They showed deliberate negligence and
did not object to her creamation. The state government must pay attention to the
apathetic role of police in to stopping the
increasing incidents of honour killing in Haryana. A
day hardly passed, then a report came that an honour
killing took place in Panjab. It is highly
condemnable and shows the wayward social practice
being carried out by a group of strongmen in the
society. Now honour killing is the most condemnable
social abuse and the government must rise to the
occasion to remove this abuse from society
immediately.

Dastardly act

Terror spreads its tentacles very fast from its root
in Pakistan all over the world in equal measure. The
entire international civil society has borne the
brunt of terrorism more or less in equal proportion.
The Moscow metro blast has killed 39 innocent persons
and injured several. Russia has been facing the terror of Chechen
Islamist rebels for a long time. Though the entire
world leaders, including the world’s sole super power
the US and India, strongly condemened the dastardly
act. The leader of the western world US president
Obama has pledged all kinds of help to Russia in
bringing the perpetrators of terror to justice. He
has also reportedly said that there is a network of
terror, which is interlinked from one terror group to
another and active in the entire world. A few years back, US intelligence had reportedly said
that Pakistan was the breeding ground of terrorism
but the US failed to explain what measure did it
take against it? On the contrary, the US made Pak its
frontline ally in the international coalition against
terrorism, which the US itself formed just after
9/11. India may be bearing the brunt most of Pak terror
sponsorship but one thing that the US must
understand that terror is the enemy of humanity and
every human society has to bear its brunt if the
powerful western bloc failed to act against it
sincerely and responsibly.Moscow metro blast clearly
shows how the devils are going from strength to
strength merely because the patisan approach is
being practised by none other than the US in dealing
with the enemy of humanity firmly, no the place of
occurence of terror in any part of the world. Once
the partisan dealing approach is stopped, the terror
can easily dealt be with firmly and unitedly. First, the need of the our for the US-led western
powers to rise above vested interest and must not
show leniency against the terror- sponsoring country
and deal with it firmly if it does stop carrying out
mayhem all over the world.It has also been
experienced that whenever a western country faces
terror attack, it acts against the perpetrators and
the country they belong to ruthlessly. But if the
terror acts are undertaken at regular intervals at
the behest of Pakistan in Asian giant like India, the
they gives it uncalled for advice of practising
restraint at the time of crisis. The entire world is shocked at the dastardly acts of
terrorists in Moscow metro. It is the urgent need of
the hour to take a united and concerted fight
against terror to wipe it out from the face of the
earth.

At last, Modi appears before SIT

According to SIT Chief R K Raghavan questioning of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in connection with the Gulbarg riots post-Godhra is a very big step forward in trying to understand and unravel the mysteries in the caseThe SIT is to submit its report to the Supreme Court on or before 30th April. The questioning of Modi was long over due as he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and completely failed to enforce the rule of law because of his party's vested political interest during the worst communal riots in the state that the country had ever experienced. The entire state was plunged into communal cauldron because of vested political interest of the ruling BJP under the leadership of none else but the CM Narendra Modi. Had the communal riot of the magnitude of BJP- ruled Gujarat in 2002 taken place in any other state, the government would have been dismissed immediately because of its deliberate negligence in setting on Hindu chauvinists against the Muslim monority . But Modi continued to rule. Constitutional responsibilty was thrown to the wind and the state turned killers. If the SIT thinks after questioning Modi that he was deliberately negligent in exercising constitutional responsibility as CM, it must lodge FIR against him in Gujarat riot case even after 8 years.Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after some hesitations appeared before SIT in connection with killing of 68 innocent persons, including ex-Congress MP Eshan Jafri in Gulbarg Housing Society Complex in post Godhra riot in Ahmedabad. Jafri’s widow Zakia Jafri had filed a long complaint in which she had accused Modi of omissions and commissions and alleged that he had instructed officials not to act on the desperate telephone calls of Jafri when the rioters attacked the housing complex. Zafri’s wife had alleged the C M of deliberate negligence to protect life and property of the people. As Modi had sat on the throne of Gujarat as Chief Minister of the state, he wanted to be called Yuva Hindu Samrat to emerge as the hero of BJP’s Hindu voters by diving vertically the society on clear communal line for communal poliralisation. Godhra and post Godhra riots in 2002 are worst communal riots in the country so far in which more than thousand innocent people were massacred and the police personnel watched that riots as mute spectators because the state was itself on the side of rioters. This made Modi the hero of BJP in the country and he proved that by winning the post riots state assembly elections with thumping majority. Even though Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government was at the Centre, BJP held him back from removing CM despite his alleged involvement in letting the police administration alongwith Hindu chauvinists loose to have a secured place among the majority Hindu population. It appeared that there was no rule of law and there was free for all rioters. The SIT formed by Supreme Court must interrogate Chief Minister Narendra Modi thoroughly and ask him straight question what was his motive in not controlling the rioters who were on rampage against the minority community. As a Chief Minister, Naredra Modi’s role is clearly suspect. Let the court of law bring justice to victims.

USAs' Double standard

No nuclear power state of the world can think of nuclear deal with Pakistan, considering its track record of transferring nuclear know-how to the non-nuclear states causing proliferation and even then aspiring for achieving nuclear weapons for wrong use, let lone the sole super power of the world the US.Though the US does not take into account any considerations if that serves its interest, it can not annoy the new friend like India. US needs Pakistan to get rid of terror from Afghanistan to overcome terror problems there. But for that it also need Pak's full support and at the same time Pak extracts its share of flesh from US, it can not extend whole-hearted support to US. America also never thinks anything in terms of morality or immoratality if that issue become hurdles in serving its own interest. So to rely on US may prove to be dangerous for any country and India is not exceptional. US always keeps its own interest uppermost. There was a rumour that during the current visit of the US secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan that she would initiate the process of striking a Nuclear deal with Pakistan as it has done with India under the cover of its energy need. But as the conclusion of talks between Clinton and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi has come out, the US has flatly said no to to Nuclear deal and mediation in Kashmir in Indo-Pak talks. India had already conveyed to US its dismay and disgust over the reported possibility of starting the process of striking N-deal with Pakistan. But the crux of the problem with the US is to meet Pakistan’s wish of participation of third party in its talk with India.As in the fast changing international scenario, the US can not lose India at the cost of any other country. Hillary Clinton has made it clear that US has no intention to mediate between India and Pakistan. As the US interest is served by both India and Pakistan, it can not annoy one at the cost of other. It is very important for the US to recognise that Pakistan and India should live in peace. While Clinton promised Pakistan help in the energy sector, including in building thermal power plants, but there was no mention in the briefing of a civil nuclear deal which Islamabad has been pressing for. As far as the double standard of the US is concerned, it is not new. It eats with one set of teeth and shows the other like elephant. Whereever its own domestic interest clashes , it little care of right or wrong in fulfilling that. India must know clearly that if the US had so much concerned for the spurt in terror violence at the behest of Pakistan, it would have got it stopped then and there. But as its measure interest in South Asia is served by keeping Pakistan in good humour, it can not tell Pakistan sincerely to rein in terror outfits and dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil, which are bent on destabilising India by creating mayhem in Jammu and Kashmir . Therefore, India always be alive to all the US moves in its relations with Pakistan. Double standard has been the hallmark of US.

Sheila Govt puts one burden after another on Delhiites

One more burden
Delhiites will have to spend more from their pockets
for virtually everything from cooking gas to diesel
with Delhi govt on Monday withdrawing subsidy on LPG
and increasing VAT on many items to generate
additional revenue.The Sheila Dixit government of Delhi is taking the
mandate of Delhiites three consetive term for
granted. Delhiites are already burdened with runaway
prices of almost all the essential commodities,
especially edible items. The general people in national capital are hardly in
a position to get the meals even twice a day. The
rising food prices with no control by the Sheila
Dikshit government has made the situation alarming.
Without taking into account the prevailing atmosphere
of steep price rise of all essential commodities in
the city, Sheila Dixit government has introduced the
Budget that can be described as life taking in the
name of development and Commonwealth Games 2010,
which is scheduled to be held here. The Delhi govt Budget is completely insensitive to
the pain of Delhiites caused by increasing burden
from all sides. Development and Commonwealth Game for
whom? They are meant for the people of Delhi. But the
question here arises how could Delhiites enjoy
Commonwealth Game and avail the benefits of Metro and
Fly-overs when they will remain alive as they have
been struck with slow dying syndrome by the run away
prices. The Delhi government is generating money by sqeezing
Delhiites and especially those among them living in
abject poverty. Sheila Dikshit Budget is insentive
and anti-Delhiites. The opposition BJP appears to be
getting helpless day by day , while 12 years back
they were thrown out of power over only the rising
prices of onions. The time has come for them to come
out on the streets and raise the voice of the people
against Sheila government. They must cast off the
cover of lethargy and oppose the government tooth and
nail on the issue of sky-rocketing price of all
essential commodities to win the confidence of the
people. The rise of onion price was the main cause of
their defeat in the susequent assembly elections in
'98. Despite knowing the reaction of the common people to
the BJP in that assembly elections, Sheila Dikshit is
treating them with utmost callous because her style
of governance reflects that she is least attentive
to the problems faced by Delhiites.And if her
insensitiveness to the increasing burden on them
continues unabated, this may prove to be her last
term of office in particular and her party in
general. CM must review her Budget and give relief to
Delhiites immediately.

Doubtfulful intention

It is not a matter of any importance that with what
intent the US is dealing with Mumbai attack accused
and LeT operative Pak-born US nationals David Coleman
Headley but one thing must be clear to it that
Headley symbolises terrorism of which the US has
already pledged before the international community
just after 9/11 by forming and international coation
to wipe out terror from the face of the world. But
the way Headley is being tried under plea bargain
prohibiting his extradition to India and exempt from
death penalty, and its denial of access to Indian
intelligence sleuths in the first place belies all
hopes of dealing with terror firmly. And US pledge
against terror is only proving to be a false show
when it strikes other countries.The stated position of the US on the issue of
terrorism is to fight it to the finish. After 9/11 it
had itself formed an international coalition against
terrorism and India extended all supports to this
coalition as it has suffered most from cross-border
terrorism lauched by its neighbour Pakistan. The Mumbai blast accused Pakistani-American national
Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley was
arrested by FBI sleuths in Chicago in October last.He
was also reported to have worked as CIA agent in the
past. During Headley's trial in US court for the
first time on January 14 this year, he had pleaded
not guilty of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack which had
taken the lives of 180 persons ,including six US
nationals. But under the plea bargain arrangement
because of which he escaped death sentence and life
imprisonment, he took U-turn and has pleaded this
time on March 18 guilty to Mumbai attack and Danish
newspaper plot. But what motives guide the US
Administration behind plead bargain trial that
Headley will be let off with lighter punishment. If
that is so, the US behaviour in dealing with the
issue of terrorism is no different from Pakistani
government, which is also against any action against
the mastermind of Mumbai attack JuD boss Hafiz
Sayeed. Now it is expected that intelligence officials
would be permitted to interrogate Headley after his
confession in a court here that he was involved in
the Mumbai terror attacks, although he will not be
extradited to India.The US, which has so far denied India the right to
question Headley, arrested by the FBI, has said that
Headley has agreed to fully and truthfully
participate in this process which has to be
undertaken only on US soil.Being one of the closest friends of India, the US
must co-operate with it in bringing the Mumbai attack
accused to justice by respecting its own pledge
before the international community. Otherwise, the US
will also be accused of double dealing like Pakistan
in dealing with the issue of terrorism.

Need for positive thinking on N- Civil Liability Bill

The landmark Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal can only operationalise after the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 is passed by Parliament. The opposition to Nuclear Deal with the US by the Left parties is well known as they had withdrawn outside support to UPA-I government on this very issue, though it got the approval of Parliament at that time. Now when the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-11 government prepared to get the Liability Bill passed in Parliament to operationalise Nuclear Deal in line with international usual norms, it is opposed both by BJP and Left. But it is necessary international practice to put the Liability Bill in place for smooth operationalisation of Indo-US Nuclear Deal. The Left since beginning has been only opposing the bill only because of Nuclear Deal had been struck with the US. Their outdated ideological belief prevents them from supporting the bill and their opposition does not hold any water. As far as BJP is concerned, it is opposing the bill now for opposition’s sake while the fact of the matter is that Civil Nuclear Deal with the US was initiated by none other than the BJP-led NDA government. Though the government has defered the bill, the Left and the BJP must rise above vested political interests and let the Liability Bill be passed in the Parliament. Opposition to bill has again opened a debate on whether it adheres to international best practises.The Opposition questions UPA government for its stand on the Nuclear Liability Bill, which appears to favour US companies to set up nuclear installations in India.The country has also an urgent need to boost its nuclear power generation from 4,001 MW to 20,000 MW, almost five-fold, by 2020 to make up for the acute power shortages envisaged in the coming years.In case of a nuclear disaster in its plants in India, the liability has been estimated at Rs 2,600 crore. The Nuclear Liability Bill 2010, its present format, caps the liability of the nuclear plant operator at Rs 500 crore.Any damage more than this amount will have to be footed by the government. The Bill also provides that compensation will be decided by a Commission for Nuclear Liability. The opposition parties, especially, the Left and the BJP must think positively on the issue and let the government pass the Liability Bill in the interest of the nation.

Gadkari treads the bitten path

BJP President Nitin Gadkari has undertaken the exercise to give the party new look but he has completely lost sight of the fact that how many among his new office bearers are often seen among the public. As party is no longer enjoying the active presence of two tallest mass leaders such as former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Gadkari should have given prior thought as to how he could groom up leaders who have mass appeal.Three months after he took took charge of the Party with full blessings of the party’s doting parent and inspirational guide Rashtriya Swayam Seval Sangh (RSS), BJP president Gadkari has brought in a mix of youth, experience and women in his team of office bearers.With rising popularity of Congress leader and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi among the masses, the opposition BJP was looking for a team of young bloods to counter him. As the formation of Gadkari’s new team amply reflects that there is a constraint of talent pool, most of the new entrants in his A- team has little political experience and as far as their connection with grass roots is concerned, it is totally disconnect. To give the ruling Congress a befitting reply, the BJP has inducted hardliner Varun Gandhi as one of the general secretaries among the newly appointed office bearers.The formation of new BJP team by with cinema and TV personalities and the politicians who are only seen participating in debate and discussions on English news TV channels but never among the poor, dalits and downtrodden can not match the talent pool of Congress party. Gadkari A-team reflects that he believes in those leaders who could attract crowds towards the party and for that reason he has inducted photogenic personalities from cinema and TVs. Sitting in air-conditioned rooms in Delhi and Mumbai, the affairs of the party and reaching to the people in villages can not be possible. To provide the nation a formidable political alternative, it is utmost necessary for the BJP to give focus on masses.

Degeneration set in political class

The squandering of public money to satisfy the lavish mentality of the political leaders is not new. No political party has come clean on organising party celebrations. More or less all spend lavishly. Mayawati has exceeded all. A law must be enacted to limit government expenditure on such political and birthday occasions as Mayawati has done in Lucknow party rally and is habituated to do usually.Those political leaders who organise functions to celebrate their birthday and annual party aniverssary of their political parties encourage their followers to spend lavishly to show their political strength.BSP supremo and UP Chief Minister Mayawati is reported to have accepted the garland made of currency of one thousand notes amounting to Rs.one crore. The garland is generally made of flowers. But as the politicians don’t consider to be general, they deliberately encourage their supporters to present them something special to attract the attention. As far as lavish expenditure is concerned, Mayawati is famous for celebrating her birthdays in a grand way. She is the Chief Minister of one of the poorest state of India. A little less than half of the population is below poverty line and they are unable to fill their stomachs even once a day. The literacy rate is also low and the majority of the population living is in abject poverty. In the prevailing situation, celebrating the 25th year of founding of BSP so lavishly and in a grandway by moblising all sorts of government and public resources is nothing but the mockery of the poor people. Though the lavish expenditure on BSP’s founding day occasion also echoed in Parliament strongly with SP and Congress demanding probe into it, the concerns even of the opponents like SP and Congress are not going to its logical end and Parliament will be stalled for a or two as they are not themselves fair on the issue. The central government must act seriously to know how the so big amount was collected by BSP under the leadership of Chief Minister Mayawati. The multi-crore garland presented to her at a lavish BSP rally in Lucknow is nothing but absurdity.Mayawati was celebrating while Bareilly was burning in communal fire. It is same as Nero was playing Sitar while Rome was burning. The denerating political class is the biggest hurdle in the development of the country. Public awareness campaingn should also be launched by social activists to expose the so-called claimed of being the messiah of dalits and downtrodden.

SP and RJD show their colour

RJD and Samajwadi Party have decided to withdraw support to UPA government over long-awaited and the most important issue Women’s Reservation Bill, though their withdrawal of support will have no impact on the bill health of the government and the bill. The most valuable gift to women has been presented to Indian women on International Women's Day by introducing the Women’s Reserval Bill in Rajya Sabha. As the landmark bill to emancipate Indian women in bringing them on the same pedestal as men by giving 33 percent reservation in Parliament and state legislatures is on way to go through smoothly, the politically vested interest of the so-called messiahs has been exposed. Both RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav are dead against the passage of the bill. JD(U) boss Sharad Yadav has already shown fierce opposition since the beginning to it, while one of the most important JD(U) leaders and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has supported support the Women Reservation Bill as he is also the first CM in the country to have provided 50 percent reservation for women in Panchayats and Local bodies. SP, RJD and BSP demand reservation within the reservation in the bill for minorities, OBCs and downtrodden women and oppose it in the present shape only to promote their political narrow social design. It is nothing but their political gameplan. While the ground reality is that 33 percent reservation in Parliament and state assemblies is meant for all Indian women irrespective of caste, class and communities. Lalu, Mulayam and Mayawati think that they are the only messiahs of minorities, OBCs and downtrodden, while the reason behind their opposition to bill in the present form is their political move aimed at misguiding them over the landmark bill. Because in reality they only promote family, relatives and their own caste clan politics. What is the problen with them in providing thirty three percent quota to their women party members to fight elections for Parliament and state assemblies? Can they explain that? Their action only reflect their medieval and orthodox thinking to keep the society male dominant and its patricharchal character intanct. They see danger to their political bossim if the bill is passed. As UPA, BJP and Left are supporting the government on the issue, Women’s Reservation bill is bound to go through Parliament. The Women’s Reservation Bill has been hanging in balance for the last 15 years only because of the opposition by these narrow, closed and orthox politicians. The passage of Women’s Reservation Bill will be a historic and epoch making in empowering Indian women. Women’s adequate participation in government decision making bodies will result in better management of society and the country alike. 33 percent quota for women in Parliament and state legislatures will bring about a revolution in the development of society. As women have proved to be better managers, they will deal administrative, political and social issues in a much better way.

Pass the Women’s Reservation Bill

The long-awaited and much desired Women’s Reservation Bill must be passed without any opposition. The all-time greatest English playwright William Shakespeare rightly said that Frailty thy name is woman. But it was said in 14th century. So, they urgently need to be empowered by giving 33 percent reservation in Parliament and state legislatures. The time has changed immensely and there has been all round development in every field. The Indian women and girls are contributing remarkably to the development of the country. They are fully capable of walking shoulder to should with their male counterpart in every sphere of life. In school, college and competitive examinations, females are doing better than their male competitors. They are excelling in sports, study, research, engineering, Medicines, Space, civil services, politics and even in army. But those women who are going up and up are few in number in proportion to their over all population in the country. Because majority of the women don’t get any opportunity in absence of the severe financial constraint and age-old tradition of male dominance in our society.Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government has already provided 50 per cent reservation for women in Pachayat and local body. Adequate number of the presence of women in local bodies in towns, cities and Panchyats in rural villages reflect their skill of better management. And Bihar is also the first state to have introduced reservation of women in Panchyata and local bodies. Bihar CM has also shown his development bent of mind by breaking away from the so-called advocates of OBCs, who are opposed to the epoch-making bill in Parliament, in support of the 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. The Women’s Reservation Bill has been hanging in balance for the last 15 years. Whenever it was introduced, in the name of women belonging to OBCs, politics was played by so-called OBC political leaders and chauvinists only to show they are the only messiah of their cause and impress upon them that if this bill was passed in this shape, all its benefits would be grabbed by Upper caste women and they would remain be deprived. It is the total misrepresentation of the bill to reap political benefits by opposing it.One of the senior most OBC political leaders at time of introducing the landmark bill for the empowerment of women said in Parliament that if this bill was passed , he would poisoned himsef to death. This is the thinking of a section of political leaders in our country. This narrow and medieval thinking must be discarded and rejected outright by passing the landmark bill on the occasion of International Women’s Day. It will prove to be the greatest gift to the Indian women. There is every likelihood that Women Reservation will be passed as ruling Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA have already given green signal to go head.

Increasing intolerance

The violence erupted over a translated article of exiled Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen in a prestigeous Cannada language daily in Simoga and other towns of Karnataka because the article criticised burqua. The growing religious intolerance in secular India has become a great threat to society. Two persons lost their lives in the ongoing violence and crores of property was burnt. The office of the daily was also set on fire. It is nothing but the act madness. Taslima has been living in exile since her novel Lajja was published, which purprtedly hurt the religious sentiment of Muslim community. The fundamentalists started baying for her blood. She was forced to live in exile.The celebrated and world famous Indian painter M F Hussain had to leave the country and reportedly accepted the Quatari citizenship reluctantly only because of the intolerant Hindu chauvinists. They slammed hundreds of cases against him and threatened to hurt him physically because they accused him deliberately painting Hindu Goddess in such a way as to hurt their religious sentiments. At a number of times, it has been seen that the political class deliberately keep mum over the eruption of violence to stand profited. They move in the given situation keeping in mind vote bank politics uppermost. That is why religious chavinists go on rampage over even a trivial happening. Our Constitution has given us right to expression and the government has to protect this constitutionally valid right at all cost. The Karnataka language daily reproduced the article which had already been in publised long ago. In the age of openness, all sorts of orthodoxies whether they are religious or social are being discarded by the majority of the population all over the world. After France, there has been stiff opposition to Burqa wearing by Muslim women. Though every religion must be respected, it does not mean there should be no initiative in reforming religious values with the changing of the time. The women irrespective of religion they belong to must be given full opportunity to develop themselves. First of all, the government must deal with religious fundamentalism with firm hand and it must not let the vote bank politics to come in its action. The people irrespective of religion must oppose whenever their religious sentiments are hurt through arguments, debates and discussion and should not resort to violence . Every problem has a solution but through non-violent process. Violence has no place in secular democratic Indian society. Spurt in religious intolerance is a grave threat to unity and integrity of the nation.

Temple stampede

Uncontrolled mob often leads to stampede, taking
innocent lives at regular intervals in different
parts of our country. In most of the tragic incidents
caused by stampede usually result in the tragic death
of women and children. The callous neglect of
security measures by the local administration and
organiser at crowded places is the main cause of
tragic incident. 65 innocent lives have been lost in the stampede at a
godman’s ashram in Pratapgarh district of Uttar
Pradesh. The stampede took place during the luncheon
organised by a well-known saint Kripalu Maharaj
ashram in UP. His ashram had the capicity of 500
hundred people while more than 15, 000 people
collected there. There was no management by the
administration. The question arises whether Kripalu Maharaj had taken
permission of organising lucheon of this magnitude at
his ashram or not. If he had taken the permission,
what was the arrangment made by the local
administration to control the large mob. Now it has become fashion among the so-called Saints
and politicians to organise such a function as to
attract the large crowd without putting in place
adequate preventive measures. Coincidently, on the
day he organised luncheon also fell the Shradh ritual
of his wife. Whoever plays with the lives of innocent
poor people must be held responsible immediately. Kripalu Maharaj must be questioned why he collected
so big a crowd that went uncontrolled resuling in the
deaths of women and children. He must be taken to
task and local administration of the state government
has also to give explanation that why it did not
take precaution when the stampede of this nature have
taken place in the country in different parts of the
country a number of times. But if the past experience is anything to go by, all
will be forgotten. The insensitivity of the god is
reflected when he reportedly said that people died
because their own fault.The popular Godman made what
may be termed as a highly irresponsible statement
blaming the devotees for the stampede and tragic
deaths that occurred at his ashram. The state
government must hold the Maharaj for the killing of
65 people in ashram stampede. Stampede often occurs when the large number of
people collect and become unruly at a place beyond
its capacity. It is natural that when the organiser
as well as local administration would be so callously
negligent to take preventive security measures, the
tragedy is bound to occur. State government must deal
with negligent government official and the organiser
sternly so that there would be no collection of
uncontrolled mob at a place in future.

Sachin Tendulkar deserves Bharat Ratna

Sachin Tendulkar is a cricket icon and if the Bharat Ratna is conferred on him, which he deserves in every respect, it will not only be a great honour for him but also the entire field of sports. He has established all records in the game of cricket whether it is ODI or Test formats and he has left all great players of the world of the game of cricket behind and held India’s head high.He is a genius and master of the art of batting. That is why he is called batting maestro. Sachin is the only cricket player who is considered as God of cricket. With double century against South Africa in ODI match at Indore, he has become the first batsman in the world to have achieved this feat. He has already scored highest number of runs in ODIs and Tests in the world of cricket. As far as honouring him with the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna, he desrves most in the country at this this point of time. He has aroused tremendous admiration and respect among the countrymen. He has served the country with all commitments and dedication by playing cricket for the country for more than twenty years without any break. By honourning him with Bharat Ratna, it will not only be a great econcouragement to the game of cricket but also the entire sports. Our nation is already lacking in giving due encouragement to sports. It is only Sachin Tendulkar as a batting maestro who gets immense admiration and respect outside the country. Sachin Tendulkar has been a household name of every Indian for the last 20 years. His commitment, dedication and devotion to the service of his nation are unquestionable. Sachin is non-controversial, but the Bharat Ratna award is most of the time mired in controversy. Though political class considers itself as their first claim on the Bharat Ratna, it has been also awarded to musian, sitarists and scientist. Sachin Tendulkar is a role model for the entire sports community as well as every Indian. Bhara Ratna award is given to the person who has given great service to the nation in his or her field of profession. He or she should be of such calibre as to be emulated by the entire nation. The batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar is being emulated by all sportspersons to do best for the country. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has rightly decided to reccomend Sachin Tendulkar’s name for Bharat Ratna. Though the countrmen have undying love for Sachin Tendulkar, he must be honoured with Bharat Ratna.

Restrain Minister

Shashi Tharoor, minister of state for External Affairs, is at the centre of yet another controversy for his remarks that Saudi Arabia could be a valuable interlocutor between India and Pakistan. The minister is in the habit of creating controversy one after another. It is surprising that how despite Ministate of state for External Affairs being himself an expert UN hand and on foreign affairs does not follow the ABC of Indian foreign . A few months back he had created controversy by saying that the Pt.Nehru's foreign policy is meaningless. But the minister should know first that it is India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had laid the foundation of Indian foreign policy after Independence, and that has more or less been followed by the successive governments of India. It is India’s stated policy since Pakistan came into existence by carving out from India that there is no question of any third party interference between the two neighbours. India rejects out of hand any third party mediation in talks with Pakistan. The issue between the two neighbours is bilateral and it can only be solved bilaterally. Tharoor must not lose sight of the fact that he is accountable to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Council of Ministers and thereby the people of India. He was with Prime Minister high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia. He must be serious with his business. He has said that Saudi Arabia could be a valuable interlocutor between Pakistan and India. When his point of view appeared in a section of Media, he promptly said that he did not mean the word mediation and it is media’s misinterpretation of his view. He considers the word interlocutor as different from the word mediation. It does mean that he only knows English language so he considers these two words as different. But he he must know that both the words interlocutor and mediation mean the same thing as going between the two. Media need not go to him to be taught English. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also requires to rein in his junior minister so that he could not create embarrassment for the government as well as the Congress Party any more. Tharoor's boss Union External Affairs S M Krishna has already chided him over his controversial remarks that invited embarrassment for his ministry in the past. Tharoor appears to have become an embarrassment for the party also. Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi should also take Tharoor’s controversial remarks seriously and act against him to avoid any more embarrassment. Tweeting by minister is good but it must not become nuisance for the government .