Two-plus-two dialogue must be meaningful

The first edition of two-plus-two talks begins in New Delhi between India and the US. The Indian side is represented by the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the US is represented by its Secretary of State Pompeo and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis. The talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere. Now, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in New Delhi for talks, they'll seek to bring the two countries closer than they've been since the Cold War. Their agenda for talks is believed to include key issues such as anti-terrorism, maritime security and countering China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean. There is no doubt that this two-plus-two talk will strengthen the relations between the two countries. But at the same time, it is also necessary that the agenda of talks must be discussed threadbare and all efforts must be made to find how to fight terrorism to finish in right earnest. There is a natural similarity between the US and India. The US is the oldest democracy of the world while India is the largest one. Both attach utmost importance to the freedom of individual and both are against any kind of discrimination. There is religious freedom in both the countries. There cannot be any discrimination against anyone on the basis of caste, creed and religion. Both believe in the theory of peace and progress. Both are adamant to fight terrorism to the finish. The US appears to be distancing from its blue-eyed boy Pakistan for its roguery and deep involvement in abetting, aiding, sponsoring and encouraging terrorism in the recent years. But the need of the hour for it is to cut off all relations with Pakistan. The US is advocating for cutting down financial assistance to Pakistan as its fight against terrorism is not satisfactory. But it must know clearly that the terrorism has been the instrument of state policy of Pakistan. It has not abandoned this policy since it adopted just after it came into existence. There is also no secret that Pak military is the head of all terrorists’ activities and no democratically elected government dare defy it. Whenever the democratically elected Pak govt. ignored its military’s dictation on the issue of terrorism, the coup has been staged and the govt. is thrown out of power. It has been the history of Pakistan. So, visiting Pakistan by the US secretary of state and Defence Secretary before taking part in the two-plus-two dialogue with India in New Delhi does not hold good for the relations between the two countries. The question here arises that when the US is well aware of Pak's deep involvement in promoting terror not only against India but also the entire world, why does it hesitate to take strict action against it for once and all? What was the need of the US to send its Secretary of state and Defence Secretary to pacify new Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan? Strengthening relations with India is good for peace and progress in the region, but it will be better if the US stops all financial assistance to Pakistan for its total failure on the issue of acting against its home-grown terrorism. The US must ensure by putting pressure on Pak that its soil is not used for operating terror against India. The message against terrorism must come out loud and clear of the two-plus-two dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Take a judicious decision on SC/ST Act

The Parliament has unanimously upturned the Supreme Court decision about the SC/ST Act. The apex court decision is that the FIR cannot be lodged without the approval of the police officer of the Deputy Superintendent level and arrest cannot be made before investigation about the authenticity of the complaint. The SC/ST people all over India had called Bharat Bandh, created chaos on streets and destroyed public property on the large scale against the SC’s decision. The apex court verdict in regard to SC/ST was judicious and no upper caste people oppose it. But the Narendra Modi government at the Centre along with the support of all opposition parties upturned the SC decision and passed the bill incorporating stern clauses in it. Now, it has been enacted as the bill got the President's assent. The upper caste people across the nation are up against the SC/ST act, which has been arbitrarily promulgated by the government to keep the community in good humour only for the sake of vote bank politics. SC/ST constitutes 20 per cent of the total population of the country. No political party can afford to take their annoyance. So, it is only because of the vote bank politics that the sterner laws have been enacted by the Parliament to win the favour of the community without taking into considerations its misuse with malice against the upper caste. With the passing of the SC/ST bill, a fierce opposition by the people of upper caste has been recorded across the nation. The upper caste people in Madhya Pradesh even allegedly threw sandals and chappals at the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan election cavalcade. It is not only MP, but almost all states of north India have witnessed vehement opposition to SC/ST act enacted by the Parliament. The Upper caste people have rightly charged the government and all other political parties with dividing the society. The new SC/ST act is more stringent than the laws framed by the British rulers. They have described it as a black law. No upper caste man/woman is against favours and privileges conferred on SC/ST by the govt. They have been availing of various government facilities since the Constitution came into force. Has anyone belonging to upper caste ever raised any voice against it? They are also against any kind of atrocity on them. But the law enacted by the government empowers the police to arrest any upper caste man/woman howsoever high social prestige he/she may enjoy at even minor charge against him or her levelled by the SC/ST people. It is going to be a draconian law against the upper caste people. The move by the government with the support of all opposition parties amply reflects that they have played at the SC/ST tune only to please them. The upturning of the Supreme Court decision about the SC/ST by the Parliament unanimously has hurt the psyche of all upper caste men and women in the country. The political parties have no right to insult, humiliate, suppress and harass one community at the cost of another only for the sake of garnering votes.

Petrol, diesel prices up, rupee down to all-time low

The price of petrol and diesel is going up and up on daily basis. It has touched a record all-time high. On the one side petroleum prices are rising unbridled and the value of rupee against the dollar is falling and has touched all-time low on the other. The rising prices of petrol and diesel have a cascading effect on all essential commodities, and ultimately the common poor people are burdened. As far as the NDA govt. at the Centre is concerned, it washes its hands off the rising prices of petrol and diesel by saying that it is because of international market behaviour that they go up. The price of petrol in Mumbai has crossed Rs. 80 per litre while it is to touch Rs. 80 in Delhi. With the increase in the price of diesel, the carriage cost of all commodities of daily use naturally goes up, and that is transferred to the consumers. So, ultimately the common consumers bear the brunt most due to rise in petroleum prices. Here, the double game of the NDA govt. at the Centre is exposed. When the crude oil prices in the international market were at its lowest level two years back, the govt. did not cut down the prices of diesel and petrol nor did it slash the excise duty and tax to benefit the consumers. It said that the profit earned from the petroleum products in terms of excise duty and taxes will be used to benefit the consumers when the price of crude would go up in the international market. In the prevailing scenario of the international oil market, the rise in the price of petrol and diesel is a must. But by cutting down the excise duty and other taxes levied by the states and the Centre and bringing the petroleum price under GST, the govt. can provide relief to the customers. But it is itself trying to earn a profit by imposing excise duty and other taxes on petrol and diesel. The weakening of rupee against the dollar is also a major cause of concern for the government. It has gone all time low. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the senior BJP leaders had criticized the previous UPA government of Dr. Manmohan Singh for the unbridled rise in the price of petroleum products and the falling value of rupee against the dollar. But at that time, the record was not made as they have done now. PM Modi and other BJP leaders made a mockery of the previous govt. for its inaction to bring down the prices of petroleum products. They claimed that they would bring them down this way or that way. But now, they wash their hands off any accountability and cite international market price as the cause behind the rise in prices of petrol and diesel. It appears that everything has been left to the mercy of gods. No effort is being made by the Ministry of Petroleum to halt the rise in petrol and diesel prices. The time has come for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene to stop the rise in the price of diesel and petrol any more.