China shows aggression

There is a long-standing border dispute between China and India. There was a war between the two countries in 1962. China won that war as it had attacked India under the garb of friendship. India was not prepared for war and China, on the other hand, applied its dubious nature to deceive it. India has learnt the lesson and removed its lapses very seriously so it would be a blunder on the part of China if it committed the same misadventure. Sikkim is one of India’s states. What wrong has Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat committed by visiting the bordering state? Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has rightly said that it is India of 2017 and not India of 1962. India believes that there should be no war among neighbours. But if it is imposed on it to establish supremacy, retaliation would be befitting and prompt. China must also understand that India is not Pakistan. China’s plan of encircling India cannot be successful. Its construction of a motorable road in Doklam area in Bhutan has rightly upset India. India rightly objected to the work being carried out by Chinese construction party in Dokola area in Bhutan. It disturbs the status quo and poses danger to India's security. It follows the scuffle between Indian and Chinese troops. It has upset China. India is a sovereign country. It is the largest democrcy of the world also. No country can dictate it on the basis of its strength and power. India’s fast development in almost all areas has become an eye-sore for China. India’s standing in the international arena is also growing fast day by day. It is also an emerging economic power. The growing affinity between India and US has also caused anxiety in the minds of China and Pakistan as they see as it as grouping against them. India has no ill-will against any of its neighbours. China may be the largest country in the region, but it does not give it permission to threaten its neighbour as and when it desired. China wants to encircle India by undertaking construction work in almost all its neighbouring countries. Pakistan is already at its feet. India has rightly expressed deep concern over China’s construction of a road in the disputed Doklam area in Bhutan. It had conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with “serious” security implications for India. India’s reaction follows a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the area. It has prompted Beijing to take a tough stance and demand withdrawal of Indian troops from the Sikkim sector as a precondition for “meaningful dialogue” to resolve the situation. India has said it was essential that all parties concerned display utmost restraint and abide by their respective bilateral understandings not to change the status quo unilaterally. It is also important that the consensus reached between India and China through the Special Representatives process is scrupulously respected by both sides. External Affairs ministry has also narrated the sequence of events since June 16 when a PLA construction party entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road. In coordination with the Royal Government of Bhutan, Indian personnel, who were present at general area Doka La, approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo. These efforts continue.In keeping with their tradition of maintaining close consultation on matters of mutual interest, Bhutan and India had been in continuous contact through the unfolding of these developments. As far as the boundary in the Sikkim sector was concerned, India and China had reached an understanding in 2012 reconfirming their mutual agreement on the “basis of the alignment”.

Nation's fury against mob lynching

The nation's fury against mob lynching was visible yesterday when hundreds of people under the banner of Not In My Name assembled at Jantar Mantar and in different cities of the countries to protest it. The immediate victim of mob lynching is Junaid, who was stabbed to death on the train on the mere suspicion of carrying beef. In the last, two to three years beef has been considered more important than the life of a human being. The first victim of beef is Mohammad Akhlaq. He was allegedly killed by the members of Right Wing Hindu organization on the suspicion of keeping beef in his refrigerator. The so-called Gau Rakshaks(cow protectors) have taken law into their own hands and they lynch anyone suspected of having beef or involved in cattle trading. Pehlu Khan was also allegedly killed by Gau Rakshaks in Rajasthan because he was caught with cattle while transporting them in a truck. Though he had valid papers about purchasing the cattle from a fair, he was not let off. The mob lynch is against the idea of India. All right thinking people and members of civil society must raise voice against mob lynching to force the government of the day to take stringent action against the perpetrators. The killing of Junaid on the train allegedly by a group of people is nothing but increasing animosity based on religion. The hatred created by a bunch of people for political regions must be condemned by one and all. They appeared to be chauvinists. They have created an atmosphere of fear. The government of the day also doesn’t appear to be prompt in taking action against them. So, they feel empowered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself decried the so-called Gau Rakshaks. He also said that they were criminals at night and Gau Rakshaks by the day. But his statement made no impact on them. Now, PM has rightly warned them that killing people in the name of cow protection is not acceptable. Mob lynching is not new in India. It has been happening in successive regime. Despite being secular democratic republic, it is very sad that govt. becomes helpless in reining lumpen elements for political reasons. Their activities must be curbed by the govt. Otherwise, the message will go loud and clear that the govt. connives with these acts of theirs for political reasons best known to it. India is a secular country. Every citizen has been provided right by the constitution to adopt the religion of his or her faith and belief. BJP is ruling at the Centre and in most of the states where the incident of mob lynching has taken place. It is its responsibility to act against mob lynching immediately. No civil society would ever tolerate the way Junaid, a Muslim boy in his teens was stabbed to death on the train over a trifle thing of seating arrangement. He along with his brothers had boarded the train at Shahadara after shopping in old Delhi for Eid. A group of 15 to 20 people boarded the train at Okhala and asked Junaid and his brothers to vacate seats for them. Argument started over seats that took communal colour. The mob suspected them of carrying beef and one from among them stabbed Junaid to death. The most surprising thing is that no one from among the mob came forward to rescue the Muslim brothers. It means that the climate of fear is created by the lumpen elements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must intervene immediately and ask all state governments to take stern action against the people irrespective of their political connection. They must be treated as criminals by the police. It is also deplorable that neither the GRP nor the Haryana police showed any action to save Junaid from the mob fury. Even the distress calls made to the Haryana Police went unheeded. Narendra Modi Govt. must take the protests by the civil society against mob lynch and act to reassure the people of their safety and security.

Bihar Mahagathbandhan in trouble

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's personal choice of supporting the NDA nominee and former governor of the state Ram Nath Kovind for the presidential election has caused strain in relations among Mahagathbandhan's partners. The biggest alliance partner of the Nitish Kumar Govt. is Lalu Yadav’s RJD and the smallest is the Congress. RJD supports Congress-led Opposition candidate Meira Kumar for the presidential election. She is former Lok Sabha Speaker, daughter of Dalit icon former Deputy Prime Minister late Jagjivan Ram and she belongs to Bihar. CM Nitish Kumar's JD(U) is the second largest partner in the govt. The Congress-led Oppn says that they are fighting ideological battle against the BJP-led NDA in the presidential election. And it is the ideological difference with the BJP that JD (U) parted company with it after 17 years. Nitish Kumar parted company with BJP just a year before the Lok Sabha election elections on the issue of Narendra Modi's name as BJP prime ministerial candidate. Kumar's JD (U) fought elections in Lok Sabha in 2014 against the BJP and was decimated. Apprehending the defeat in the assembly elections in 2015, Kumar started an exercise of aligning with all the secular forces in Bihar and formed Mahagathban of JD (U), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the grand alliance fought assembly elections and decimated the BJP in the state. As decided, Nitish Kumar was sworn as the CM for the third consecutive time. As RJD emerged as the single largest party, its candidate RJD MLA and party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's son Tejswi Yadav was made Deputy CM and his elder brother Tej Pratap was made Cabinet Minister in the Nitish Kumar govt. As the taint of corruption always follows Lalu and his siblings, Nitish Kumar felt uncomfortable day by day with them and because of this discomfort, he always gave the impression that he could go back to his old BJP fold. By supporting NDA nominee Kovind, Nitish has given a clear signal of going back to his old fold of BJP if he was not allowed to have his way. As far as ideology is concerned, Nitish Kumar also deserves his support on her being a Bihari also. But for Kumar it appears that convenience of power is more important than ideology. After a gap of more than 20 years of bitterness with Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar again befriended him in the name of ideology to form an alliance to defeat BJP. If BJP is to be defeated in Bihar, it cannot be possible without Lalu Yadav and Congress. Nitish cannot fight against BJP in the state on his own. So, if the Grand Alliance of Congress, JD(U) and RJD breaks, it is certain that Nitish Kumar would go back to his BJP fold. Senior JD(U) leader and party spokesman K C Tyagi has gone on record to say that they were more comfortable with BJP when they were together. It is also certain that Nitish Kumar is functioning under the pressure of Lalu Yadav. He dare not go against him as long as alliance is in place. JD(U) is going to meet on July 2. It may take an important decision whether to stay in Mahagathbandhan or go out of it. Undoubtedly, Nitish Kumar is development-oriented, honest and believed in providing good governance to the people of the state. He has taint free image. So, it is certain that with the dominating leader like Lalu Prasad he will certainly not be feeling comfortable in governing the state. As far as the number in the presidential election is concerned, it is in favour of NDA nominee Kovind. So the defeat of Cong-led oppn nominee Meira Kumar is a foregone conclusion. But one thing is also certain that if ED files charge sheet against Lalu’s siblings in land scandal,they will be dismissed from the Cabinet by CM Nitish Kumar. RJD also cannot take it lying and will break the alliance then and there. So, the key is in the hand of BJP. It may allegedly expedite ED action against Lalu’s sons, who ministers in Nitish Kumar Council of Ministers, to force their exit from Bihar govt.

Eid celebration on a subdued note

Eid-ul-Fitr is generally celebrated with full gaiety and brotherhood by our Muslim brothers and sisters all over the nation and abroad, but this year's Eid is celebrated on a subdued note in Faribad of Haryana due to an unfortunate incident of the alleged killing of a Muslim boy on a train. This is the festival of joy and happiness. It marks the end of one month of fasting. It is also celebrated by Muslim brethren and Hindus. It promotes brotherhood, co-existence, peace and harmony in the society. Our country is secular and secular fabric must be kept intact at all costs. But in the recent times, some tragic incidents such as the alleged killing of Mohammad Akhlaq last year in Noida village and two days back on the train of Junaid in Bahdurgarh on mere suspicion of beef have happened that go against our national secular character, conscience, and commitment to Constitution. The co-existence of the people of all religious faiths in peaceful atmosphere is our characteristic. But the incidents of the alleged killing of Mohammad Akhlaq in the Noida Village on mere suspicion that he had kept beef in his refrigerator and the murder of teenaged Mohammad Junaid on the same count only two days back on the train to Bahadurgarh in Haryana are black spots on our secular fabric. Junaid and his brothers boarded the train at Sahadara station after shopping for Eid from old Delhi market for their home. The train was bound for Mathura. Some 15 to 20 people boarded the train at Okhala stations and asked Junaid and his brothers to vacate their seats for them. On this the altercation started that resulted in the alleged stabbing of Junaid by one of the people from the mob to death. People from the mob also suspected that they were carrying beef and on that count, they termed them as anti-nationals. The assailant stabbed Junaid many times until he succumbed to death. They beat the deceased’s brothers also and allegedly called them Mullahs. Their headgear was also pulled down. Junaid was of about 17 or 18 years. It is shocking. It shatters the conscience of all Indians. The most surprising thing is that no one from the crowd of people in the train and on the platform came forward to help the Muslim brothers. It becomes more so terrible when both the GRP and the Haryana police also did not act in time to save Junaid. Even the distress call made to the Haryana police went unheeded. So, the people of deceased’s Khandwali village in Faridabad of Haryana have decide not to celebrate Eid this year. It is the duty of Haryana police and the GRP to give protection to every citizen irrespective of his or her religion, caste and creed. It is also shocking that no high officials, ministers of Haryana govt. or big leaders of the ruling party of the state have visited the deceased family in the village to express sympathy and give assurance of safety and security of the people. The Khandwali village of Faridabad in which Junaid lived is of Muslim majority, but no quarrel or clash has ever occurred between Muslims and Hindus. This is an ideal village. The Manohar Lal Khattar led BJP govt. in Haryana and Narendra Modi-led NDA govt. at the Centre must act immediately to reign in the fringe elements of BJP and Hindu chauvinists so that this type of tragic incident must not recur. Our heads should hang in shame over this type of tragic incidents. Whoever has committed the heinous crime must be brought to book without any delay. This type of tragic incidents occurs time and again only because fringe elements feel empowered. They feel that law enforcing agencies cannot do anything against them. This type of impression is dangerous for the nation. The secular fabric of the nation must be kept intact. The BJP-ruled state govt. and the Central govt. must act to uphold the value, norms and practices of the nation. Our society is multi-religious and multilingual. Everyone has right to live in society. No section of the people can be victimized merely on the basis of their religion. What happened on Mathura bound train must not be repeated. The deceased’s villagers have rightly decided not to celebrate this Eid and show their protest by wearing the black band on their wrists.

Dastardly act

There must be all-round condemnation of the lynching of Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammad Ayub Pandith by an angry mob to death outside Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. When the police officer was being beaten, stoned and lynched to death, prominent separatist leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq was giving lecture inside the Masjid and exhorting the mob to raise slogans like Musa, Musa, Jakir Musa and Jakir Musa. This is the second incident in recent months that those who believed in Indian constitution and served the nation were killed. The army officer belonging to Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Umer Fayaz was killed because he was in Indian army. DSP Ayub Pandith was beaten and stoned to death because he was serving the state of Jammu and Kashmir as a police officer. The mob outside the Jamia Masjid made the DSP naked and stoned him to death. His fault was only that his name was Mohammad Ayub Pandith. He may have been mistaken for a Pandit Brahman of Kashmir. He was killed in the line of service. He was on duty and doing surveillance on the people outside the Jamia Masjid as inside Mirwaize Farooq's preaching was going on. DSP was allegedly making a video of the activity of the mob. The mob chased him and he fired three shots from his service revolver in self defence in which three people were allegedly injured. But ultimately, DSP Mohammad Ayub Pandith was overpowered and lynched to death by the mob. The time has come for the govt. of India and Jammu and Kashmir to take decisive action against the jehadi elements, terrorists and separatist leaders in the state. They deserve to be brutally crushed. The state police are meant for the security of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. And if they were targeted by a mob of people in this way, it would be very difficult for them to exercise restraint. The time has come for the govt. of India to impose President's Rule in the state, and the Armed Forces were given free hand to crush and finish all jehadi, separatist elements, and terrorists. The separatist leaders of Jammu and Kashmir must be immediately stripped of all privileges and perks. The security cover given to them by the govt. must be also be withdrawn immediately. Their sources of income must be cut off immediately. If Mirwaiz Farooq had tried to save the innocent DSP from the attack of the mob, he could have easily done. All the separatist leaders are the life takers of innocent Indians. They openly act as the agents of Pakistan. They eat breath and live in India but dance to the tune of Pakistan. Why don't they realize howsoever they may try, they would never succeed in their nefarious design? The govt. of India must act to close all their channels of Pakistan. All the separatist leaders must put into jail under AFSPA. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and it will remain so. No power on earth can snatch away Kashmir from India. Jammu and Kashmir is the soul of India. The nefarious design of Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir is carried forward by the separatist leaders in the state. An overwhelming majority of the people of the state has nothing to do with the slogan of Azadi. They are Indians and believe in Indian Constitution. As long as the separatist leaders continue to be left free, they would carry their nefarious deign on the behest of Pakistan as they are its agents in Jammu and Kashmir. So, all the separatist leaders must be put in jail and stripped of all govt. facilities. When the prominent separatist leader like Mirwaiz Faruq connived with the mob attacking police offer who was on security duty, how does he deserve to be given police protection? The time is ripe for decisive action. One thing also must be taken into consideration that the PDP-BJP govt. has failed on all counts in the state. Under the Chief Ministership of Mehbooba Mufti, anarchy, lawlessness increased to an unbearable level. The Narendra Modi-led NDA govt. must also think of imposing President's Rule in the state.

Dalits meant for only votes

All political parties are vying for Dalit votes. All treat them as a vote bank, and nothing else. The electoral process for the presidential election is underway. Ram Nath Kovind is the NDA nominee. He is a Dalit leader and he has already filed his nomination papers as a NDA candidate for the presidential election, which is going to be held on July 17. The consensus effort failed, and contest in the election is a foregone conclusion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with all top BJP, its allies and their leaders, CMs of about 20 states and NDA ministers accompanied NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind to file nomination papers before the Secretary General of Lok Sabha. It was a grand show of strength. NDA displayed their strength as it was comfortably placed to win the presidential elections. As number is in favour of NDA in the Electoral College for the election of the president, Kovind's victory is a foregone conclusion. Ran Nath Kovind has been a BJP’s Dalit face. He is from Uttar Pradesh and had also been the member of Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms. He also headed the BJP Dalit Morcha and was closely attached with party's doting parent the RSS. Before being declared as NDA nominee for presidential election, Ram Nath Kovind was the Governor of Bihar. It is BJP president Amit Shah, who disclosed that Kovind come from Dalit background. So, his being a Dalit is the prime factor for him for the top constitutional post of the nation. The main responsibility of the President is to protect the Constitution and promote constitutional norms and values. The President is not of any party, but of the country. At least for the sake of statement, the post of President is above political affiliation, though it is not so. As NDA declared the name of a Dalit as its presidential nominee, Congress-led opposition of 17 parties also declared the name of Meira Kumar, former Lok Sabha Speaker, daughter of the Dalit icon former deputy prime minister Babu Jagjivan Ram and a five-time Lok Sabha MP and Dalit woman, as their presidential nominee. So, the contest will be Dalit Vs Dalit in the presidential election. Though the number is not in favour of the opposition candidate Meira Kumar, it is an ideological fight. Congress-led Opposition did not like to give the walk over to NDA. As far as the political stature of NDA and Oppn nominees is concerned, later is more popular than the former. Meira Kumar is more experienced and politically popular than Ram Nath Kovind. Both are well-educated. But both do not appear like Dalits. They are not poor. They are well off. No Dalit leader so far in the country belongs to poor family like his or her other brethren. Neither any Dali leader nor govt. so far in India has worked for the uplift of Dalit society. These handfuls of Dalit leaders belonging to different political parties have exploited their community by assuring them falsely that they protect their rights and shares in the govt. Most of the Dalit leaders of all political parties are well off and solvent. As Dalits constitute 20 percent of country's population, there is a race among the political parties to tempt them for political benefit. Even after about 70 years of Independence and about 63 years of the implementation of the Constitution, no perceptible in the lives of Dalits are noticeable. The ruling NDA has made the election of the President caste based as it announced the caste of its candidate Ram Nath Kovind. Congress-led Opposition was forced to go Dalit candidate to contest the presidential elections. The matter of the fact is that neither the ruling BJP nor the Opposition Congress has nothing to do with the uplift of Dalits. Both eye on them because of their being the largest numbers in the country. Former President late K R Naranyanan was a Dalit. What benefit did the Dalit community get during his tenure of presidency? Babu Jagjivan Ram was a towering Dalit leader of the country. But Dalits as a community did not get anything. All the Dalit political leaders only exploit their community to benefit themselves.

Co-ordination between captain and coach indispensable

BCCI should have taken the differences between Captain Virat Kohli and Coach Anil Kumble seriously and tried to iron out in the interest of Team India. It was the rift between the two that resulted in the loss of Champions Trophy. Both Kohli and Kumble have been big players. Kumble is one of the greatest spin bowlers of not only India but also the world. If the Captain and the Coach had planned a strategy for the final match of Champions Trophy well in advance, India would have won. In the very first league match of the Champions Trophy, India had defeated Pakistan by a big margin. But Pakistan almost crushed and pulverized India in the final match. Pakistan played better and they won the Champions Trophy. They outplayed India in every department of the game. From the beginning of the match, everything went wrong with India. India won the toss. But they elected to field as they felt that they were the great chasers. All its bowlers looked helpless before the young Pakistani batsmen. No bowler made any impact on the Pak batsmen. Fielding was poor. Pakistan played well and scored a big total. Under the pressure of a big total, India batting order crumbled very easily. They could not play the ball on its merit. Undoubtedly, Pakistan has world class fast bowler but it does not mean that our batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhavan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Jadeja could not play them very easily. They could have played well if they had willed to win the Champions Trophy. The differences between the captain and the coach had reached the point of no return and that also affected the concentration of the players very badly. The only one player who impressed all Indians with his excellent batting is all rounder, Hardik Pandya. He left an imprint on all spectators in the stadium by his superb batting, fielding, and bowling. If he had not been run out, he could have led India to victory in the Champions Trophy single-handedly. But the foolish call of Jadeja caused a misunderstanding that resulted in his run out. Pandya is a brilliant player. He must be given enough opportunity to play. On the Oval field he showed the world that he had guts to lift the ball sky high to send it across the fence. He is an extra-ordinary attacking batsman, brilliant fielder and a good wicket taker. Undoubtedly, Anil Kumble had been a very big player of Team India. He has enough experience and barring the defeat in Champions Trophy, his tenure as coach of the team in the last two years has been excellent. India have defeated almost all teams during his period of coaching. But since the differences cropped up between captain and coach, India suffered. So, BCCI has the prime responsibility to pay attention to every activity of the players in the dressing room during any match. All of a sudden Kumble resigned after the defeat of India at the hands of Pakistan in the final match at the Oval of Champions Trophy. Now, Team India players are on tour in West Indies. There will be ODIs between the two countries. The team is without the coach. BCCI should also fix the area of functioning of the coach and the captain. The captain leads the team on the field. So, he can take any decision in the interest of the team keeping in view the position of the match on the field, but the coach has also an important role in preparing the team to face the challenge on the field. The coach and the captain both have significant roles to play. There must be smooth co-ordination between the two to keep the players of the team well prepared to face the rival team players on the field. BCCI must select a well-qualified coach to give the team winning tips in matches to come.

Nation celebrates Intl Yoga Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an avid Yoga practitioner. It is his initiative at the United Nations that June 21 is celebrated as International Yoga Day. Around two hundred countries from all over the world have celebrated June 21 as International Yoga Day. Yoga and India are inter-related. India attaches special importance to it. Yoga has originated in India and it is Indians who have been practicing it since ancient days. The health benefits of practicing Yoga are immense. It keeps the man and woman fit and fine physically and mentally both. But nowhere has it been found that that under the cover of Yoga, commercial interests of a certain personality, who is known for advertising it not only in the country but outside also, are carried forward by the govt. The Govt. of India appears to have put everything into the celebration of International Yoga Day under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All ministers in the Modi govt. have been deputed to participate in the International Yoga Day functions in different cities of the country. Baba Randev, the chief exponent of Yoga and vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongwith different ministers and BJP functionaries have been holding Yoga camps in preparations of the Intl Yoga Day. Yoga is good for health in all respects. But one thing must be taken in view that the providing meal to the poor is more important than Yoga. Yoga is basically a physical exercise. Those who do physical exercises in terms of labour all the day need not practise Yoga. The ploughman or labourer in the field does physical work all the day that compensate them for Yoga well. Yoga and Swachhta campaigns have been pet projects of the Modi-led NDA govt. The entire govt. machineries are pressed into action for Yoga and Swakshta Abhiyan. But the result is zero. All the cities of the country are as dirty as they were, and even after three years of Modi govt. in power there has been no improvement in cleanliness on the ground. The employment avenues are shrinking year by year. The opportunity of employment is becoming less and less. More and more young men are rendered jobless. More than 30 percent of the population sleeps without a meal. But no serious attention is paid towards these burning issues by the govt. Yoga has no meaning for hungry people. All those who are rich and solvent prefer practicing Yoga as they have no other physical work. The field, factory, industry and construction workers need no Yoga. If Yoga is the panacea of all diseases, what is the use of medical sciences? All hospitals, medical colleges should be closed. Only Yoga camps should be organized in every village, town, and city under the supervision of Baba Ramdev. He would held Yoga camps and advertise the products of his Patanjali brand. Though we respect Baba, it now appears that his main occupation is advertising Patanjali products on TVs and in Newspapers through Yoga. In today’s newspapers, a big advertisement on International Yoga Day with the photos of Baba Ramdev, his disciple, and almost all Patanjali products have appeared. What does it mean? It clearly reflects that the commercial interest of Baba Ramdev is at work prominently with his Yoga practices. All know the benefits of Yoga, but it is not the responsibility of the govt. to devote all the time to promote it at the cost of more urgent work. The over enthusiasm with which the govt. promotes Yoga clearly appears that its main interest is to promote Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali products to provide him commercial benefits. All Patanjali products are pure and original, but its prices are so high that the poor man cannot afford to purchase them. We must celebrate International Yoga Day, but the govt. have several other businesses of great importance also. So it must not devote all time to Yoga and leave all social welfare schemes uncared and job generation at a standstill.

Presidential nominee is BJP's Dalit face

BJP plays Dalit card for the top constitutional post of the country by announcing the name of Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as its nominee for presidential elections. Kovind is party's Dalit face. Dalit constitutes about 20 percent of country's population. So, for the sake of vote bank politics, BJP has played a master stroke by announcing the name of Dalit as its presidential nominee. Most of the opposition parties such as JD(U), BSP, SP and some others are not in a position to oppose the candidature of Kovind because of his Dalit credentials. Though BJP has also preferred caste to merit like all other political parties, it is not in the interest of the nation. Kovind has practised law in Delhi High court and Supreme Court. He has been the member of Upper House for two consecutive terms from 1994 to 2006. He was also the personal secretary to the late former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. He has been the head of Dalit Morcha of BJP before being appointed as the Governor of Bihar. Kovind is also considered to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has always in close connection with party President Amit Shah. He is a well-educated and learned man, but his being a Dalit has catapulted him to be the presidential nominee of the party. As far as number is concerned in the Electoral College for the election of President of the country, it goes in favour of BJP-led NDA. So, Ram Nath Kovind election as the President of the country is a foregone conclusion. But it would be better in the interest of the nation if there had been consensus on the presidential nominee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Kovind has worked all his life for the uplift of Dalits and poor section of the society. So, Dalits, backward and weaker section of the society will be benefited by Kovind becoming the President of the nation. If elected, Ramnath Kovind will not be the first Dalit President of the country. Before him, late President K R Narayanan as Dalit has already adorned the post of President. He was also a career diplomat and highly learned. As far as the opposition is concerned, the number is not in its favour. But the Congress-led opposition would not give a walk over to BJP-led NDA in a presidential election. So, for the sake of contesting, Congress-led Opposition will certainly announce its own name. Now the BJP has already played Dalit card, the Opposition will also announce the name of a famous Dalit leader such as Sushil Kumar Shinde or Meira Kumar as its presidential candidate in election. First of all, the President is not of a party but of the people of the country. So, there must not be bitterness between the ruling and the opposition parties in presidential elections. But the opposition cannot give an open field to BJP. As far as the candidate of the opposition is concerned, it appears certain that he or she would be of Dalit credentials as both the camps are vying for Dalit votes. Dalits constitute the major share of votes in the country. Their population is about more than 20 crore. so, every political party atleast for the avowed reasons will hobnob with Dalits. But the matter of the fact is that whether a Dalit leader is made the president or not, it would make no difference in the all-round development of the community members. K R Narayanan was the President. He was Dalit. What changes the govt. of the day brought about in the lives of Dalits. They will be where they are.

Deteriorating law and order situation in UP

It is now more than two months since Yogi Adityanath government of BJP came to power after registering the historic victory in the assembly elections. The people of Uttar Pradesh voted BJP to power in the hope that it would bring the state right on track. In the last 15 years of BSP and SP rule in the state, the law and order situation deteriorated to all time low and the corrupt practices had gone all time high. Despite the claim of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav about the all round developments in the state during his regime in the elections, people did not pay any attention and voted BJP to power. During the Chief Ministership of BSP supremo Mayawati, there was the improvement in law and order, but the corrupt practices and construction work of her, BSP party founder Kanshiram and the Dalit icon and maker of the Constitution Dr. Baba Shaheb Ambedkar statues consumed most of the precious time of the regime. People had become disillusioned in the last 15 years. The people of the state saw hope in the BJP. But with becoming the Chief Minister of the largest state of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath started talking tall like Prime Minister Narendra Modi with no improvement in any field on the ground. Initially, people believed him. But now with the fast deteriorating law and order in the state, people have started rethinking on their decision. The crime graph shows an alarming rise. Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit of Hindu youngsters affiliated to BJP and founded by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath feels empowered. It is alleged that the members of the outfit breaks the law without any fear of law enforcing agencies. The so-called Gau Rakshaks allegedly beat and thrash the legitimate cattle traders. Apart from that, the rise in all forms of crime such as murder, rape, kidnapping has gone high steeply. The law and order situation in UP is going from bad to worse. A video, displayed by a national TV news, shows how a policeman is beaten with Danda mercilessly by two to three young men , and people were watching it. The incidence is of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Undoubtedly, UP is the largest state of the country. No govt. has magic wand to overcome all problems in a day. It is only a little more than two months of Yogi government in the state. Chief Minister Yogi deserves some more time. But the writ of the government must be seen from the first day itself. It is still to be seen in UP. Govt. has immense power and it has no dearth of resources. If it has the political will, it can overcome all problems very shortly. But it appears that Chief Minister Yogi is more interested in the expansion of BJP regime in the country than in concentrating on his own state of UP to improve law and order as early as possible. CM Yogi had gone to Bihar and held meetings there at different places in the state. He appealed the people to support and vote BJP in 2020 in the state. But one thing he forgot that if they knew about the prevailing law and order situation in UP, even BJP’s own voters and supports would not vote the party. The prevailing situation in the state of UP is not good. It is no better than the previous SP regime. There were rapes, murders, kidnapping, molesting etc. in the previous regime so are also happening in the present regime of BJP. How the people would decide that it is better than SP or BSP. So, it is the responsibility of Chief Minister Yogi to take stern action against the lawbreakers. People of the state expect a lot from the BJP govt. If it failed to deliver, its consequences for the party will be disastrous.

India favourites against Pakistan

Indian Cricket Team is considered to be one the best ones in the world. They have shown their might umpteen times whenever placed against Pakistan in ICC ODI matches. Pakistan may have defeated India twice in Champions Trophy in the past, but now under the stewardship of Captain Virat Kohli, who plays to win. India’s winning spree cannot be halted. It is a foregone conclusion that India would defend the Champions Trophy championship very comfortably. The atmosphere is charged up with spectators and cricket fans waiting for the show to unfold with bated breath. India’s captain Virat Kohli leads the team from the front. He plays the match to win. He is always aggressive in the field, which is one of his chief characteristics. The showdown between India and Pakistan in Champions Trophy today will make it a high octane match. There is tremendous pressure on both the teams of their home crowds and fans respectively to win the match at all costs. As far as India is concerned, they are capable of retaining the Champions Trophy well. In the ongoing Champions Trophy’s first match between India and Pakistan, the winner has been India. They defeated Pakistan very convincingly. India under the captaincy of Kohli are doing better and better in every department of the game. Almost all Indian players are in form. Our opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan has batted exceedingly well in the match against Pakistan and Bangladesh. They provide a solid foundation for the team to score big total. After Rohit and Dhavan, captain Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have also played extra-ordinarily well. Yuvraj being one of the most senior players and match winners of Team India, his reflexes, cuts, placing and drive are of marvelous quality. He is one of the most famous and high quality batsmen of the world. His fielding is marvelous. It is because of his alertness and agility on the field that he is called live wire by the teammates. As far as bowling department of India is concerned, they have a battery of frontline bowlers like Jasprit Bumra, Bhubneswar Kumar, R Ashwin and others. Bumra and Kumar have pace and swing. They have talent to hoodwink the batsman with their fast and swing bowlings. Ashwin is a world number one spin bowler. As far fielding is concerned, all players are live wires on the field. They don’t miss catch. They have realized now that catches win matches. Despite being strong enough to defeat their arch rival Pakistan in the final of Champions Trophy today, India must not take the rival team so easily. The first principle of any fight or competition is that competitor must not be taken lightly. As far as Pakistani players considered, they have also capability to upset any team of the world. They have a very good record against India in Champions Trophy. They have defeated India twice, though in other ICC ODIs they have not impressive record against India. India are favourites in the high-octane Champions Trophy final against Pakistan at The Oval on Sunday. Defending Champion India will be firm favourites against a Pakistan side, who were the lowest, ranked of all the teams taking part in a tournament featuring the world’s top-eight ODI sides. It was only on June 4 that India launched their title defence with a 124-run rout of Pakistan at Edgbaston. India are in a great place and must be favoured to retain the ICC Champions Trophy .

Exercise is on for consensus on presidential nominee

With the announcement of presidential election, NDA govt. has swung into action for building consensus on the name of the candidate for the top and most prestigious post of the nation. The opposition led by Congress Party had been huddling for a few months to put up a joint opposition candidate for presidential election. The presidential election is going to be held on July 17. As far as the number is concerned, it is comfortably in favour of the ruling NDA. But to develop consensus to avoid contest for the top constitutional post of the country, the ruling BJP has formed a three-member panel of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Urban Development and Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaih Naidu and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to reach out to the opposition leaders to develop consensus. It is a good move. Mr. Rajnath Singh and Venkaih Naidu have met Congress President Sonia Gandhi to talk about the presidential election. But no name has been disclosed either by the ruling or opposition parties. Opposition parties led by Congress want the presidential nominee to be of secular image and known for promoting multi-religious, multilingual approach in the society. However, the ruling BJP wants the presidential nominee to be of its ideological belief. In the given political situation in the country, it is a foregone conclusion that the present ruling dispensation with brute majority in Lok Sabha and historic victory in the recently concluded UP assembly elections would never be agreeable to the candidate propped by the opposition. In the same way, the opposition cannot agree on the name of candidate for the post of President chosen by the ruling party. So, the contest in the presidential election between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition nominees is a foregone conclusion. Shiv Sena, one of the oldest allies of BJP, appears to be not supporting the presidential candidate other than the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat put forwarded by BJP. It is BJP’s problem to bring Shiv Sena round its view. So, as far as the consensus is concerned, it is very difficult to be built up on two opposite ideological blocks. As the number is in favour of the ruling dispensation, it is merely an exercise to show that the govt. wants consensus on the name of the nominee for the post of President. The ruling BJP doesn’t not appear to be in favour of extending the term of the incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee for the second consecutive time. It wants its own nominee. An opposition is also reportedly mulling the idea of making Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, as its candidate in the presidential election. Though BJP panel would meet every top opposition party leaders to reach on a unanimous candidate, unanimity appears quite impossible unless and until it declares the name of its nominee. The post of President is the highest constitutional post of the country. It is necessary for both the ruling and the opposition to support the candidate, who is known for his integrity, credibility, impartial character, liberal outlook and approach and highly educated for the post of President of India. As India is a secular, democratic republic, the President must be as such to take care of it. He or she must not only be the titular head. He or She must assert to protect all norms, traditions, and freedom of expression. As President is the supreme commander all the three wings of Indian Armed forces – Infantry, Navy and Air force, he or she must be of high calibre and stature to command respect.

War denotes death and destruction

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has expressed his views rightly on warmongering that those people who order war, they should be given guns and made to fight. He says that within a day all conflicts will get over as their legs will start shaking. Almost all Indians are peace loving and abhor war. India has only fought war when it was imposed on it in the past. With becoming nuclear power, India is the first country which declared that it would abide by the principle of no first use. War only brings destruction, loss of lives and disasters. India is a non-violent country. The result of war is the loss of fathers, sons, brothers and husbands of one or the other. Children lose their fathers, sisters lose their brothers and husbands as the soldiers and officers killed in the war are fathers, brothers and husbands of one or the other respectively. Warmongering must stop at all costs. Our soldiers must not be pushed to fight war. Apart from Kargil, India has fought three wars with Pakistan. Though it has won all the three wars, Pakistan has learnt no lesson despite suffering heavy loss of lives and property. In all the three wars, it was Pakistan which thrust them on India all the time. A Jawan killed in war irrespective of any country is a father, son, brother and husband of someone. All Indians want peace with their neighours. It is the handul of warmongers who make clamour for going to war. Among the neighbours, Pakistan is the only country which has been hostile to us since it was created. India has also fought a war with China in 1962. It lost as it was caught unawares through deceiving. China being the largest country in the region, it wants to establish hegemony; and for that it tries to take all neighbours of India into its own fold. As Pakistan is the only hostile beighbour of India, China always wants to keep it in good humour. Despite several overt and covert provocations by Pakistan and China, India exercises maximum restraint to avoid war. So, war must be avoided as it only brings death, destruction and disaster. All celebrities like Salman Khan must come forward to advocate for promoting peace and development between Pakistan and India. Indian army is apolitical while Pak army is involved in all political developments of the country, especially in regard to Jammu and Kashmir. Pak army has strong say in the democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan. So, the warmongering can also not be stopped by a one-sided effort. Pakistan too should come forward against the idea of war. At a promotional event for his upcoming film ‘Tubelight’, the ‘Sultan’ star Salman, who in the movie experiences the turmoil of emotions that one goes through after being separated by a loved one as a result of war, expressed his opinion on warmongering and said, “In war, the Armies of both sides lose their lives. The families are without their sons or their fathers. They have to live their whole lives without them. The Kabir Khan-directorial is set against the backdrop of the 1962 Indo-China war and narrates the story of two brothers who were separated by the war, when one of them joins the Indian Army to fight the Chinese and gets captured by their Army.

Farmers in dilemma over loan waiver

With Union Finance Minister announcement that the Centre disassociates with loan waivers for farmers, a gloom has again prevailed among them. On the one hand, BJP ruled states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh make an announcement of loan waivers for farmers, the Centre refuses to give fund and ask them to manage fund for themselves on the other. BJP in its manifesto in 2014 Lok sabha elections clearly mentioned that if voted to power, it would waive farmers’ loan in order to ease their plight. But with coming to power, it has gone back on its promises. The condition of the farmers all over the country is getting worse and worse. The rate of suicides being committed by the farmers is going higher and higher. It is because of loan burden and poverty among them. The problems of the farmers are getting deeper and deeper and no govt. irrespective of political affiliation has taken any concrete step to solve their problems. Maharashtra after the UP govt. has announced the loan waivers for farmers. They had gone on strike, and it is only after the Fadnavis govt. of Maharashtra announced loan waiver for them, they have called it off. It is well known to states that they cannot waive farmers’ loans on their own resources. It is to be dependent on the Centre. But a number of farmers’ loans is so high and heavy that if either the Centre or the states concerned managed to allocate funds for the purpose, they would have to stop spending on all development projects and social sectors like health, education etc. But it is also the duty of both state and Centre to chalk out an immediate plan of action to deal with the increasing plight of farmers in the country. A farmer commits suicide every hour. They are burdened with loans and they don’t get the due price of their produce. Despite the fact that agriculture is the backbone of our economy and it contributes 17 per cent to the economic growth of the nation, farming sector is most distressed. Three-fourths of our population is still dependent on agriculture. Farmers feed the nation and they themselves commit suicide because of hunger and abject poverty. What an irony? This is an ironical situation that they face in the country. They are still the most neglected sections of society. An impression has also developed in the country that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priority appears to be corporate, and not farmers. The crores of rupees are given to corporate in loan, and without paying it off they also flee to another country without any hurdle either from govt. or bank. Have anyone in the country has heard that a corporate has committed suicide because of heavy loan burden? Why is it farmers only that they have to commit suicide because of loan burden in the event of failed crops? Due to vagaries of nature, farmers experience flood and drought at regular intervals. Their crops are destroyed every now and then. So, the state and the Central govt. must sit together to find a permanent solution to the problems of farmers. Farmers feed the nation. So, their problems must be taken seriously. Loan waiver may not solve the problems of the farmers permanently, but it would surely give them a lease of lives. There must not also be any politics over farmers’ issues. They have nothing to do with party politics. They labour hard for feeding the nation. They are agitated all over the country. The alleged killing of 6 farmers in police firing in Mansaur of Madhya Pradesh hogged the headlines of national newspapers. To show sympathy with the farmers, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sat on fast for 24 hours. Now, Congress leaders Jyotiradiya Scindhia would observe fast for 72 hours to show sympathy and solidarity with farmers. This political game is played both by ruling BJP and Opposition Congress in view of the coming state assembly elections.

Making language compulsory unacceptable

Language must not be made compulsory. It also must not be made an issue to pursue politics. Pursuing politics through language, religion and caste is a bad omen for the state of West Bengal. Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Bannerjee has made Bengali language compulsory up to class X in all schools of the state. Bengali speaking people may be in larger number and they may be in majority in the state, but what about the non-Bengalis who neither know the language nor speak it. So, the opposition to the order of imposing the language on all is a foregone conclusion. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling of the state has opposed the state govt. order of making Bengali language in all schools up to Class X compulsory. GMJ has already been demanding a separate Gorkhaland for years. They see the recent govt. order as forced one. The politics played for the purpose of strengthening vote bank is bound to be repugnant. The protests in Darjeeling have turned violent and the situation went from bad to worse. Army had to be called in to take control of the situation. It is a bad politics of Mamta Bannerjee. We are living in a multi-lingual and pluralistic society where compulsion has no place. To strengthen its vote bank of majority Bengali speaking people, Mamta Bannerjee has made the Bengali language in schools up to class X compulsory. The word compulsory is anathema to the liberal society. In our multi-lingual and pluralistic society, the sentiment, interest, and benefit of all the people have to be kept in mind before issuing any order. Can it be possible that the Mamta Bannerjee govt. would not have anticipated that its order would be opposed tooth and nail in Darjeeling by GJM? Despite knowing that GJM is in alliance with the opposition party in the state, TMC govt. has provoked the violent agitation in Darjeeling over language issue. Except for Hindi, no language should be made compulsory. Hindi is our national language. Except Hindi, no other regional language can appeal to all. The Govt. of India must issue a notification in this regard that except Hindi, no other regional language can be made compulsory in schools of any state. The people of one state settle in another state because of their source of earning. It does not mean that they have left everything to their state. They have the mother tongue of their own. So making anything compulsory and binding on the people by the govt. against their wish is nothing but dictatorial and authoritarian. TMC govt. order about making Bengali language compulsory has only revived Gorkhaland agitation. The decision to make Bengali language compulsory must be opposed. This must be opposed, but non-violently. As violence has no place in the democracy, the govt. must be careful before issuing any order. The language must not be imposed on the people, who are alien to it. It must be left to the discretion of the people what language they would like to adopt. Chief Minister Mamta Bannerjee must revoke her order to calm down the temper of GJM people immediately. Her govt.'s order about making the Bengali language compulsory is responsible for raising the ongoing unrest over demands for a separate ‘Gorkhaland’. The agitation arose from an announcement made by Mamata Banerjee earlier that Bengali would be taught compulsorily up to Class 10 in the state schools. After the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) cadres clashed with the police following their protests against Mamata's visit to Darjeeling and her decision to make Bengali compulsory in syllabus of schools across the state, the Army was called in to control the situation. According to reports, the protest led by the GJM turned violent after protesters resorted to vandalism as they torched police vehicles and attacked policemen.

May's snap poll gamble backfired

British Prime Minister Theresa May's snap poll gamble has backfired. The elections in Britain have thrown up hung Parliament. May had called for elections to strengthen her hands to deal with the situation arising after Brexit in Europe decisively. Theresa May's Conservative party lost the majority in Parliament, though it has emerged as the largest party. Labour Party has improved its position in this election, but far behind Conservative Party in terms of strength in Parliament. May is starting at an uncertain political future. Latest results have indicated that the Conservative Party has failed to win an overall majority in parliament, and the country is now set for a hung one. All indications are that the Conservative Party is losing its space slowly and steadily. It also clearly appears from the election results in Britain that the people are not appreciative of the austerity politics, which was played by Prime Minister Theresa May. Cutting the funds for health, education and other social sectors have not gone down well with the Britishers. The result is the clear reflection of people's disillusionment with the austerity politics of May. Though she may be able to cobble up an alliance with other like-minded parties to form the govt., she would not be in a position to take independent decision. The results are more devastating for the ruling Conservative Party and quite shocking for May as Labour has significantly gained in areas that have been held by Tories for 100 years. Now, May is under immense pressure to resign. With results of 645 of the 650 seats declared, the Conservatives have 314 seats as opposed to Labour, which has 261. The Conservatives will have to link up with other parties – most likely Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party -- to form a majority. The Conservatives are projected to get 316 seats, Labour 265, the SNP 34 and the Liberal Democrats 13. The opposition Labour party has performed better than polls indicated but no party will be having the majority. The results are an embarrassment for Prime Minister May as she announced the snap general elections to strengthen her hand in dealing with the European Union over Brexit talks. The results could derail upcoming Brexit negotiations, which are due to start in just 10 days time. The results of 2017 general elections will also impact Britain's exit from the 27-nation bloc as the main reason behind calling for sudden elections. It was to strength May hands in the Parliament so as to negotiate with Brussels and pass the necessary legislation. But the results left the Tories 12 short of the required number of Commons seat that will embolden anti-Brexit parties.The pound fell sharply against the dollar, dropping about 1.6% as investors were spooked by the growing political uncertainty. All expectations of Prime Minister Theresa May of strengthening her position politically backfired. It may be possible that she would not put forward her candidature for re-election as parliamentary party leader. It is better for her not to take the oath again as Prime Minister of Britain in the given parliamentary strength of her Conservative Party. Her decision to go for elections so hurriedly misfired. Coalition govt. will not last long. So, it is certainly that after some time, Britain will go to yet another poll. May's all poll calculations failed to fructify. The opposition Labour Party is buoyant and it will make the path difficult for Conservative party if ever it formed coalition govt.

Resolve farmers' issues urgently

There seems to be an agrarian unrest in the country. Six farmers have reportedly been killed in police firing in Mandsaur of Madhya Pradesh. Agitating farmers were demanding loan waiver, the increase in the price of their farm produce and the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The agitation reportedly turned violent due to the mishandling of the situation by the district civil and police administration. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan blamed the anti-social elements for violence in Mandsaur. He alleged that the opposition Congress Party was instigating the farmers for agitation. He sees a political conspiracy by the opposition Congress party in Mandsaur farmers’ unrest. First of all, Shivraj Singh Govt. in MP appeared to be confused whether the farmers were killed in police firing or not. Initially, Union Home Ministry denied that there was a police firing. While MP Home Minister had already said that Farmers were killed in police firing. It appears that there has been no coordination between the Union Home Ministry and the State Home department. Both were giving their own version. Congress is the opposition party in Madhya Pradesh. It is its political duty and responsibility to raise the concerns of the farmers before the government in a peaceful way. The lawlessness that prevailed in Mandsaur definitely resulted in police firing. The state govt. has failed to maintain law and order. It appeared as if anarchy prevailed in Mandsaur. The news clips displayed by various TV news channels reflected it clearly. It is not only the farmers of Madhya Pradesh but also of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka is agitating at govt.’s apathy towards them. The condition of farmers and farm labourers are getting worse and worse. According to a news report, one farmer commits suicide every half an hour in the country. Farmers had great hope and aspiration from the Narendra Modi govt. But in the first three years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi govt. the condition of the farmers has gone from bad to worse. It appears that Narendra Modi govt.’s priority is not agriculture. Its priority is big corporate and companies. That is why farmers are neglected and their condition is getting worse and worse. If the agriculture had been NDA govt.’s priority, the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh would not have been busy performing Yoga with the new found friend of Modi govt. and Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev. When the farmers of the country are up in arms, Agriculture Minister has been deputed by the Union govt. to oversee the preparation for the celebration of International Yoga Day. He has been spotted with Baba Ramdev in Motihari of Bihar. It sounds surprising that even after the 48 hours of police firing on farmers in which five were killed; no word was heard from the agriculture minister of the country. It is the moral obligation of agriculture minister to express sympathy for farmers in this tragic hour. Though it is a state subject to deal with the law and order issue, the farmers are directly involved in it. Shivraj Singh govt. has also utterly failed in resolving the farmers’ issue and maintaining law and order. If it says that it is because of Congress instigation that the farmers turned violent, what were its police and civil administration doing? There should be no politics over farmers’ issue. Farmers feed the nation. But they are the most neglected lot. Union and state govt. must sit together to solve all the problems of farmers. Agriculture contributes 17 per cent to our economy. Still, it is the backbone of our economy. The need of the hour is to find out a permanent solution to farmers’ problem, rather make the announcement of loan waiver temporarily. As the situation in Mandsaur is tense and volatile, no politician is allowed to visit there to express sympathy with the kith and kin of the deceased farmers. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to enter Mandsaur and he was first detained, and later arrested there on the border of the district.

Police firing on MP farmers is unwarranted

The way police fired on the protesting farmers in Mandsaur of Madhya Pradesh clearly reflects the mishandling of the situation by the district civil and police administration. Five farmers have reportedly been killed and several others injured in the police firing. Madhya Pradesh is a BJP-ruled state. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan must take deterrent action against the police or civil officials found wanting in their duties. Farmers in our country are the most neglected lots. Despite the fact that agriculture contributes 17 percent to our economy and more than three-fourth of the population depends on it for livelihood, it is the most neglected sector in the country. The country where govt. miserably fails to prevent an industrialist from fleeing away with a bank loan of Rs. 9000 Crore to Britain, who is watching the matches of Champions Trophy without any fear of the law , on hand and the police fire on protesting farmers to waive loans and increase the price of farm produce and Maximum Support Price on the other. The poor farmers, who provide food to the 1.25 billion Indians, find themselves difficult to manage their two ends meet. There appears no pressure on the absconding industrialist to pay the bank debt. Bank also discriminates against farmers while granting the loan to them. It applies all conditions to be fulfilled by the farmers before sanctioning the small loan while in the case of the big industrialist, they relax conditions willfully. Besides Banks, farmers are under pressure to pay back loans taken from money lenders in the villages at higher interest rates. And due to the vagaries of nature, their crops are destroyed. Drought and floods also hit the farmers hard every year alternately. The government never manages anything to cope with the problems being faced by the farmers. They fill our stomach. They are the life givers. The govt. must make arrangement for farmers to fall back on other occupation temporarily whenever their crops are destroyed by floods or drought. One farmer commits suicide every half an hour in the country, which is enough to tell its plight. What crime the farmers had committed that MP police fired on them indiscriminately. Their only crime was that they were demanding loan waiver, Maximum Support Price of their produce. Farmers are innocent, helpless and poor. They are working in their field in adverse condition and abject poverty. Even then, they don’t get the genuine price of their produce. The demonetization move of the govt. has made the condition of farmers far worse. It is not only Madhya Pradesh or the BJP govt., the condition of farmers in the entire country has been more or less the same under the successive govt. in the state and at the Centre. No govt. has ever thought seriously about the problems being faced by the farmers in the country. The police firing on the unarmed farmers is atrocious and the Madhya Pradesh govt. must make a thorough investigation to know who is responsible for this. The farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been fighting for their demands and both the governments are not taking the matter seriously. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also increased the compensation for the kith and kin of deceased, who were killed during a protest from Rs. five lakh to 10 lakh. The farmers are demanding remunerative prices for their produce and a loan waiver. They are also demanding that they should be given Rs 50 per litre of milk bought from them as they spend Rs 37 per litre. MP CM says that his government is with the farmers. But he must know that by merely saying that his govt. is with farmers, he cannot be absolved of responsibility. It is the duty of the govt. and district administration to look into the demands of farmers sympathetically and stop acting against them.

CBI raids on NDTV is vindictive

Every Indian knows that all are equal before the law. And whosoever has done wrong must face the consequences. But the way CBI raids were conducted on the places belonging to Opposition leaders' or their relatives and national TV news channel NDTV clearly makes perception that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA govt. is trying to suppress and quell the freedom of expression and voice of dissent. The CBI raids on NDTV's co-founder Prannoy Roy’s Delhi and Dehraddun residences have been described by the channel as witch-hunting. There is also a strong perception among the public that NDTV news channel broadcasts news objectively. It neither supports nor opposes the government moves unnecessarily but analyses them on merit. This raid clearly indicates that the Narendra Modi govt. wants the news channel to toe its lines. The company that runs NDTV has allegedly caused loss to a private bank. The CBI has raided NDTV in regard to this after a complaint was lodged. In the recent days, the CBI, ED and other agencies have raided the premises of opposition leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Misa Yadav's places and the residence of senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambram's son Kartik Chidambram for alleged economic irregularities. The govt. must act against all those, howsoever powerful they may be, but at the same time, it is its responsibility to ensure that there is no witch-hunting. The raid on NDTV has sent the message loud and clear in the world of media to prepare for the same consequences if they did not fall in line with the govt. In a democracy, the press is the fourth estate. It is independent and it acts as a watchdog in the society. It has right to criticize the govt. programme and policies on the basis of their merits. The witch-hunting charges of the NDTV against the govt. must also be taken seriously. All opposition leaders, social and political activists must come forward to oppose govt. vindictive action to suppress the voice of dissent. In democracy, the voice of dissent is as important as any other thing. Modi govt. has created a perception through its action among the people that it is witch-hunting all those who are disagreeable to it. Media plays the most important role in strengthening the democracy and keeping a close watch on the functioning of the govt. A perception has also developed in the country that most of the TV news channels have lost their credibility under the temptation of the govt. It has also been realized by the newspaper owners, readers, and journalists that advertisements from DAVP are generally issued in bulk to those newspapers, which support the Modi govt. and cut down its number drastically to the newspapers which only carry news objectively. NDTV news channel is one of the oldest ones. It is credible, free and frank. It has always been unbiased and impartial. It carries its responsibility very sincerely. Whether it is BJP or Congress govt. at the Centre, it analyses the issue on merit. It criticizes govt. moves objectively. By raiding NDTV, the govt. appears to be sending a message that whether it is media or any other common organization, the law will take its own course. But at the same time, it also must be ensured that govt. is not acting with any ulterior motive. The raid on NDTV must be opposed by all opposition parties if it has not committed anything illegal. NDTV channel’s 'witch-hunt' charges after a case were registered against the channel's co-founder Prannoy Roy and others for causing an alleged loss to a private bank. NDTV has vowed to fight tirelessly against the 'witch-hunt by multiple agencies'.

Protect and respect nature

Nature and all living beings are interdependent. Both have their roles in day to day lives. Nature has given us everything. It has given us clean water to drink, pure air to breathe, rich forests for adequate rains and fertile soil to grow enough crop to eat and live. So, it is our responsibility to protect the gifts of nature for this and future generation. We must take a pledge not to do anything which goes against nature. The increasing heat on earth year by year is the result of our acts against nature. The emission of greenhouse gases on earth is heating it year by year. The developed and powerful countries of the world have greater responsibility to keep our environment clean. As world Environment Day is celebrated with pledges and vows to do this and that for protecting the nature, the international community must sit together to decide what measures should be taken immediately to ensure full proof protection to the environment. This will be the best gift for the world on the day. June 5 is observed as the world's Environment Day all over the world. It is the responsibility of all human beings and country of the world to protect and respect the nature. The clean environment is pre-requisite to all developments of the human beings. All of us must take a pledge to keep the environment clean from generation to generation. Clean water, pure air, rich forests and fertile soil are the legacies left to us by our ancestors. We have the same responsibility to keep these legacies intact for the next generation. With fast industrialisation, we have committed blunder with nature. There has been deforestation on the large scale for setting up new industries. The shrinking forest area caused the extinction of animals living in forests. It brought imbalance in ecology. Large scale deforestation also led to the erosion of soil. There must be a clarion call to protect nature for the present and the future generation. Without a clean environment, the healthy life can not be possible. So for the sake of protecting all living beings, we must protect nature. We must also take a pledge on the world's environment Day to plant as many trees as possible. The increasing industrialisation has caused the emission of greenhouse gases on earth profusely. It has caused a great danger to the environment. The government of India must launch an awareness campaign among the people about protecting the earth and thereby the environment. The clean environment is required for living a healthy life. The small effort by us to protect the nature will certainly be beneficial to our future generation. To breathe pure air, drink clean water and avail clean environment are the rights of all human beings. It is our responsibility to ensure that plants are not cut and preserves of nature are not destroyed. World Environment Day is the right time to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our environment and nurturing a better planet. World Environment Day 2017 is being observed today across the world and the theme of this year is 'Connecting People to Nature'. According to United Nations, the theme of this year implores people to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth.

Farcical education system in Bihar

This is the second consecutive year that Bihar School Examination Board results of class 12th have made all Biharis hang, especially students, their heads in shame and disgrace for no fault of their own. The previous year's topper and the current one both have failed to pass the test of their academic abilities. Their academic results and abilities have no match. The way they topped in their respective examinations amply reflects the mess and corruption set in the education system and department respectively in the state of Bihar. The current topper of Arts stream Ganesh Kumar has been arrested for fudging his age. His actual age is 42 while through alleged connivance with principal and official concerned in the department of education and forgery his date of birth is recorded as 1993 on matriculation certificate. This year's Intermediate result in the state has been worst ever. It is because the last year unfair means and cheating were used on large scale. So to check cheating and use of unfair means, this year the examination had been strictly conducted and evaluation of the copies was also done very seriously. But here again, the marks secured by the topper Ganesh Kumar shows that they were awarded by resorting to manipulations and manoeuvres. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is known for providing good governance. He is also called Sushasan Babu. But as far as the education system in the state is concerned, Nitish govt. has also totally failed to clear the mess set in it. On the contrary, the mess in the system became deeper and deeper year by year in the state of Bihar. Most of the students whose parents or guardian afford the expense go out of the state for higher education. The condition of academic session and teaching in at least all the district level colleges is precarious, irregular and vacant. No classes are held regularly either at intermediate or graduate level. The students do not attend their classes as they are not held. All students depend on private tuition. Academic session is always late by a year or two. In addition to that, the rampant corruption at all levels of education departments in the state is behind all messes. This year more than 62 per cent students failed in class 12th. However, While in other board students score above 95 in large number, and in Bihar Board examination even the topper in the state failed to score more than 85 per cent. So, the Bihar education system needs to be overhauled immediately. Education Minister AshoK Chaudhary must take the mess in the education department in the state very seriously. Education is the largest department of the state. It shapes the future of students. Bihar has been defamed for substandard education that the students get in schools and colleges. The students of the state are ridiculed outside for the poor standard of education. Though the students of Bihar have fared extremely well in any competitive examinations at the national level, the state of affairs in education is deplorable. It is a matter of shame that the future of the students is put at stake by corrupt practices, which are going on in the education department of the state unbridled. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar being an engineering graduate, he must pay personal attention to improve the education system in the state. The students of the state are meritorious. So, they need a better arrangement of education. Overhauling of the entire education system needs to be done immediately. The principals and the teachers must be provided with all facilities to teach the students well. Imparting education to the students in the best way, conducting examination timely, very strictly and evaluating the copies of the examinees impartially and awarding marks based on merit should be the hallmark of education in the state. There is no dearth of talent and merit in the students of Bihar. They have abilities and capabilities to come first even on the national level all the time. The need is to tap their merit and talent for the development of the state. Without education, no state of the country can develop. So, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar must personally intervene to clear the mess set in the education department of the state as soon as possible.

Trust-based friendship between India and Russia

Russia has been the most trusted and time-tested friend of India. The friendship between the two countries is based on mutual trust, cooperation and connectivity. It is based on principles and objectives for the all round development of the two countries. Russia is India's India’s entire weather friend. On every international forum, Russia has supported the cause of India very strongly. Again, it has strongly supported India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. So, the friendship between the two countries is based on a strong plinth that could not be easily shaken. Russia has always come to the help of India when it was required. The friendship between the two countries has been spanning for 70 years. Despite several ups and downs in the international field, the relation between the two countries has been unaffected. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Russia and he has talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and signed several bilateral pacts. The signing of Kundakulum energy pact for fifth and sixth unit also is among them. The Russian visit of PM Modi assumes great significance in view of his forthcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump on June 26. Russian President played a vital role in India's entry in SCO. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly hailed the ties between India and Russia that span the spectrum from Culture to Defence (Sanskriti se Suraksha) and said India welcomes Russia's unconditional support to India on the issue of cross border terrorism. This is the most vexatious issue created by Pakistan for India. Pak-sponsored terrorism has disrupted and disturbed the peace and amity in Jammu and Kashmir. The relations between India and Russia span the spectrum from Culture to Defence(Sanskriti se Suraksha). 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries have been marked by a high degree of convergence on various bilateral and global matters. India welcomes Russia's unconditional support to India on the issue of cross border terrorism. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in an unambiguous term that no matter where the threat comes from, it is unacceptable and Russia will always support India in its fight against terror. India and Russia also issued the St. Petersburg Declaration, which Prime Minister described as a “benchmark of stability in a turbulent, interdependent and interconnected world”. The energy cooperation has been described as one of the cornerstones of the relationship between India and Russia, and noted that this cooperation in the nuclear, hydrocarbon, and renewable energy sectors have been considerably deepened by the discussion and decisions taken. In this context, PM mentioned the agreement of Units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. India and Russia are close to achieving the target of 30 billion US dollars worth of investment by 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly welcomed and applauded President Putin's leadership in the growth of India-Russia relations. He also recalled his first visit to St. Petersburg as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001.India and Russia signed five agreements in sectors covering nuclear energy, railways, gems and jewellery, traditional knowledge and cultural exchanges.

Dastardly attack

The terror attack in Afghanistan killed 80 people and injured hundreds. It is a dastardly attack. The entire world must come forward in condemning the dastardly attack on humanity strongly. It is not for the first time that this type of dastardly terror attack has taken place in Afghanistan. Terrorism and extremism are raising their heads again in Afghanistan and they are bent on unsettling the country once again. US military invasion in the aftermath of 9/11 had thrown the outlawed regime of Taliban out of Afghanistan. In view of heavy US military pressure, Taliban had subsided for some time, but when they found that American forces were on way out, they again became active in shedding the blood of innocent. Most of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda members had hidden in the hilly terrain and bordering areas of Pakistan. Slowly and steadily, they have again regrouped to create mayhem in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very strongly condemned the terror attack in Afghanistan and has rightly said that it is a challenge to humanity. Afghanistan has been a very good friend of India. India has a large stake in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. It is playing a vital role in reconstructing and developing the country. India’s closeness with Afghanistan and its increasing activities there have become an eye-sore for Pakistan. Pakistan would always like Afghanistan to be under its command and of its order. It wants to operate its acts of terrorism against India from Afghanistan. As Afghanistan is a tried and trusted friend of India, it never likes to be dictated by Pak. Terrorism is against humanity and it is its number one enemy. The terror acts anywhere in world have their roots in Pakistan in this form or that form. All terror activities emanate from Pakistan. The US being the sole super power of the world must act against terrorism without differentiating between the good and bad terrorism. As Pakistan been the blue-eyed boy of US, it has not been ever threatened to be punished for sponsoring terrorism. Despite getting the world’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden killed in his safe haven in Abotabad near Karanchi in Pakistan by its Navy SEAL members, US did not even ask Islamabad as to why it had provided asylum to him. US should have dealt with Pakistan very stringently at that time so that the world could know that it was not prepared to tolerate any nation, which aids and abets terrorism. As India has borne the brunt of terrorism most, it has always stood firmly with any grouping against it. The time has come for the world powers to sit together and chalk out programme and policies how to wipe out terrorism from the face of the earth. Again, the US has greater responsibility to lead an international coalition against terrorism by rising above its personal interest. No friendship should be allowed to come when there would be the issue of fighting terrorism to finish. The entire world is shocked and saddened at the loss of lives in the terror attack in Afghanistan. India stands behind Afghanistan in this hour of tragedy. Terrorism must be fought with all might at our disposal. It has nothing to do with any religion as no religious discourse or congregation asks the followers to take away lives of innocent people, including women and children.