Belated, but historic

At last, the Food Security Bill has been moved belatedly in the Lok Sabha and passed ; it is going to be the only great achievement of UPA-2 Government in the last four years. After the passage of Food Security Bill in Lok Sabha, it is now almost certain that this historic bill for poor Indian will see the light of the day. It is most likely that Upper House will also clear the Food Security Bill. Food Security Bill is the brainchild of Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The fervent appeal she made to all the MPs in Lok Sabha in her speech during the debate on the bill clearly reflected how serious she was to ensure that now no Indian should go hungry. Her stress on the point of resource crunch that India has to manage resources to feed its poor amply reflects about her sincerity to get the Food Security Bill passed in the Lok Sabha. It is certainly going to be the game changer for the Congress-led UPA to bring it back to power for third consecutive time. Food Security Bill certainly identifies the Congress Party with the Aam Aadmi. It will strengthen its bondage with the poor common people of India. With the nearing of Lok Sabha elections, this Food Security Bill will certainly turn the table in elections in favour of the Congress party. As Food Security Bill is important politically and it is specially meant for the poor people of India, no political party dare oppose it despite their strong reluctance initially. Food Security Bill will also help Congress hide most of the scandals that have broken out during its regime. As no political party could dare vote against this bill, it was passed in Lok Sabha very smoothly. After MNREGA, it is the Food Security Bill that has the potential to get the ruling Congress-led UPA through the coming Lok Sabha elections if it was implemented in the remaining 8 months period properly and sincerely. The Food Security Bill seeks to provide cheap food grains to 82 crore people in the country, ushering in the biggest programme in the world to fight hunger. The ambitious bill was adopted by the Lower House through a voice vote after a combined discussion on the measure and a statutory resolution seeking to disapprove the ordinance promulgated on 5th July. Over 300 amendments moved by the opposition were rejected. The legislation was passed after a day-long debate during which Congress President Sonia Gandhi, during her maiden speech in the 15th Lok Sabha, said, “Our goal for the foreseeable future must be to wipe out hunger and mal-nutrition from our country.”

Vote bank politics in full swing

Neither the ruling Samajwadi Party of Uttar Pradesh has any thing to do for the uplift of Muslim minority in the state nor the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has any thing to do with Hindu religion. Both are playing the vote bank politics. With the nearing of Lok Sabha elections, the political parties have started practising vote bank politics in full swing. VHP’s Chaurashi Koshi Parikrama Yatra is a glaring example of vote bank politics being indirectly undertaken at the behest of main opposition party Bhartiya Janata Party to polarize Hindu votes in its favour in the coming assembly elections in five states in November and Lok sabha elections in May 2014. It has been the habit of BJP to exploit the name of Lord Ram for Hindu votes. Though Chaurashi Koshi Parikrama Yatra by the VHP, which is one of the offshoots of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, was stopped and not allowed to even undertake yatra upto 84 steps by the Samajwadiwadi Party government of Uttar Pradesh, it has brought the issue of Hindutva to the fore before elections again. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav government, initially, indicated that a compromise was reached with the VHP that it would undertake Chaurashi Koshi Parikrama Yatra peacefully in Ayodhya, but later on realizing that the message would go out in public about its hands in glove with BJP, it took harsh measures against saints and stopped them from embarking on their mission. It is the fundamental right of the individual to carry out religious practices without any control. It is not possible for the government in a secular state to allow the religious practices, which are carried out with purely religious motive and intention. VHP’s Chaurashi Koshi Praikrama was purely guided by politics. The government in a secular state also must not take harsh measures against majority community unnecessarily to keep its minority vote bank intact. RSS is the doting parent of BJP, VHP, Bajran Dal and other Hindu outfits. All its organizations are working for the benefit of one another. So, with the nearing of elections, VHP has strongly raised the issue of Ayodhya to benefit BJP politically. The way Chaurashi Koshi Parikrama Yatra was stopped before its took off reflects that it was like a match fixed between the ruling Samajwadi Party and the VHP. Both showed how serious they were in protecting their respective vote banks. The common general people of Ayodhya have shown little interest in Chaurashi Koshi Yatra of VHP. They have clearly understood that VHP is the pawn in the hands of BJP. Ruling SP and BJP are trying their best to create communal tension in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 Lok Sabha members, to polarize the votes of majority and minority communities.

Delhi gang rape replicated in Mumbai

16th December gang rape has been replicated in Mumbai. The entire nation is shocked, anguished and saddened over the brutal gang rape of 22 years old woman photojournalist in Mumbai. We hang our head in shame over the Mumbai photojournalist gangrape. To protest December 16th Delhi gang rape strongly, the people all over the nation had come out on streets. They were protesting against the rapists and demanding the stringent punishment for them. Even the government in Delhi started trembling at the rage of the people on streets against the incident of brutal Delhi gang rape. The Government of India also acted promptly and enacted the stringent law to punish the rapists very quickly. But if the gang rape of 22 years old photojournalist is anything to go by, the laws made by the government after Nirbhay gang rape incident did not make any impact. It did not deter the criminal minded people of the society to attack the woman sexually. It also did not strike any fear among them. Mumbai photojournalist gang rape has proved that it is not effective. How stringent law be enacted there will be no impact on the rapists unless and until there is awakening in our society against rape and any kind of assault on women. So, social awakening about crime against women is also very important. Like Delhi, Mumbai is also a metropolitan city. Delhi is the national capital while Mumbai is the commercial capital of the nation. One thing also to be taken seriously into consideration is that until and unless the law enforcing authorities strike fear among law breakers, they will not hesitate in committing heinous crime like rape, which is also an inhuman act. Mumbai photojournalist gang rape took place around 6 PM as reported when there was no dark. The photojournalist is working with an English Life Style Magazine. She was working on a project in which she had to file the photo of the area where the incident took place. It was an industrial unit. The five rapists raped the photojournalist one by one after she was separated from her friend with whom she had gone there to shoot the photo. The rapists bound her friend’s hands and also beat him mercilessly. So, when the woman journalist is not safe on Mumbai streets, what can be expected of common Mumbaikers? So far Mumbai was considered to the safest metropolitan city of the nation. But the gang rape of photojournalist has hung the heads of Mumbaiker in particular and the entire nation in general in shame. The government should immediately undertake both tightening of law and order machineries and launching of social awakening programmes on crime against women. All accused of rape must be brought to book as early as possible and the rape case hearing must be done by fast track court so that it could be ensured that deterrent punishment was awarded to the rapists as early as possible. This will also send the message to criminal minded people in society that if they dared attack women, they would be punished stringently. It is not that there was no law against the attackers of women before the Nirbhai Delhi Gang rape incident. The most vital issue is that how effectively the laws are executed against the rapists so that they could be awarded deterrent punishment very quickly. A second accused in the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old photojournalist was arrested on Saturday from south Mumbai even as police launched a manhunt for three others in the case, which sparked a wave of protests.

Finding way to remain unquestioned

The ruling as well as opposition political parties has been seen to be on the same page when either judiciary or executive tries to control and contain the criminal and corrupt activities of political leaders irrespective of political parties. The people of the nation are perturbed at the reaction of the political parties in regard to the Supreme Court ruling that the MPs and MLAs cease to be the member of Parliament and state legislative assembly respectively the day they are convicted by the law court for more than two years. SC has also ruled that political leaders can contest elections from the prisons. SC ruling has been hailed nationwide. This ruling of the Supreme Court upset the leaders of all political parties and they felt that it was an affront to their supremacy. MPs and MLAs consider themselves as supreme and no institution can challenge their supremacy only because they are the members of Parliament and state assemblies. Undoubtedly, Parliament is supreme but on that basis only because being member of this supreme body, they can not become above law. All are equal before law. SC ruling on disqualification of convicted lawmakers is praise worthy and it would prove to be the corner stone in checking criminalization of politics if our political class had not united to make it null and void. UPA government's activism with full support of almost all political parties to negate SC has sent out the wrong signal among the people. It has also strengthened the view among the people about political leaders that irrespective of political affiliations all are one when their personal interest and supremacy are attacked. It also sends the message that the political class itself does not want to decriminalize politics. To make Supreme Court order ineffective in regard to disqualification of convicted law makers, the Manmohan Singh government has given nod to the proposal under which such MPs and MLAs will retain their membership till pendency of appeal but will be barred from voting and drawing salary. The proposal, in the form of Amendments to the Representation of People Act, will ensure that a lawmaker cannot be disqualified after conviction if his or her appeal is pending before a court and sentence is stayed. The Law Ministry's proposal to amend the Representation of People Act makes it clear that an MP or MLA cannot be disqualified after conviction if his or her appeal is pending before a court and sentence is stayed.

Shun confrontationist approach in Parliament

It appears that to adopt confrontationist approach by the opposition parties towards any move of the ruling parties has become a habit, no matter whether it is beneficial for the people or not. It reflects their their sole intention of disrupting the parliamentary proceedings on regular basis only to attract attention and score political points. This sort of behaviour is increasingly seen when elections come nearer. This confrontationist trend is developing very fast in Parliament among our political parties. It is very bad for national development and solution of the problems being faced by the people. All political parties are responsible for it. Today’s ruling party becomes tomorrow’s opposition. So, it can not be said that disrupting Parliament’s functioning is only the trait of particular political party when it is in opposition. Since Dr. Manmohan Singh UPA-II govt came back to power in 2009, the trend of disrupting the functioning of the Parliament has increased immensely. It has been the hallmark of this period in the parliamentary history. It sends the message among the people that all political leaders have made the biggest institution of democracy-Parliament- a place of chaos, anarchy and pandemonium. No session of Parliament in the last four years has been conducted smoothly partly due to the confrontationist attitude adopted by the opposition parties, especially the main opposition party the BJP towards the ruling parties and partly due to breaking out scandals and scams at regular intervals in Dr. Manmohan Singh-led UPA-II Govt. This is the last monsoon session of Parliament before the nation goes to Lok Sabha elections most probably in May 2014. In the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, Government wants to pass the Food Security Bill, which is considered to be the first of its kind in the world on such a large scale. With the enactment of the Food Security Bill, no poor or their child will go hungry as it would enable them to purchase Wheat at Rs two per kg and rice Rs. 3 per kg. It is not an ordinary bill and the day will be historic on which Parliament passes it. It will provide opportunity to 67 per cent of the population to purchase wheat and rice at the nominal price. Politically, Food Security Bill is definitely going to be a game changer. The Congress-led UPA will naturally going to be politically benefited as Food Security Bill would strengthen its claim of bondage with Aam Aadmi. No political party dare oppose the bill in open but the main opposition party BJP is aggressively looking for an excuse to stall it in Parliament. The ruling Congress-led UPA has also given the opposition parties one opportunity after another to grill it in Parliament. In the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, missing of files from coal ministry echoes in Parliament and Opposition BJP is adamant on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech how that happened before discussing any bill, no matter how important it is. It is almost a week of the session since there has been no discussion in Parliament. What has been seen is chaos and pandemonium over missing of important files from coal ministry and Telangana.

Enact law to ban black magic

The best tribute to rationalist Narandra Dabholkar would be to enact the law by Maharashtra government to ban black magic, superstition and inhuman practices in the name of religion immediately. Narendra Dabholkar was known for his over two-decade long campaign against outdated and inhuman social practices. He was 69 year old . He was head of ‘Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti’, an organization devoted to eradication of superstition. Narendra Dabhol was a rationalist who fought all his life against superstition, black magic, self acclaimed god men and all types of inhuman practices carried out in society under the patronage of politicians and religious dogmatists. His killing has shaken not only the men and women who think rationally in Maharashtra but all over India. His murder also shows how even in 21st century our society is still dominated by superstition, black magic and self-acclaimed god men. Dabholkar tried to awaken a sense of reasoning among the people and cautioned the society against all types of exploitation in the name of religion. Though he was not asking the people to be atheists, he propagated among them not to be misled by these self-acclaimed god men, practioners of black magic, superstition, tantras and mantras. Dabholkar murder is an attack on the constitution of the nation and the movement for the enlightment of society. He was very popular throughout Maharashtra. He founded ‘Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti and relentlessly worked for educating society against superstition and back magic. He was shot dead while on morning walk in Pune. Before his killing, there were attacks on him during his press conferences several times, but the Maharashtra police took no security measures. His death is a great blow to rationalism in society. Dabholkar had become an eyesore for the exponents of superstitions and promoters of black magic and inhuman acts in society. The politicians of our nation have also greatly contributed to the rise of god men like Dhirendra Brahmchari, Chandraswamy and others to promote medievalism in the society. If they had supported rationalism, our nation would have greatly benefited. Though the allegation has been levelled against some Hindu-outfits for the murder of Dabholkar by his supporters, it is a matter of thorough probe. First, his murderers should be brought to justice as early as possible by the Maharashtra police. Political parties and social organisations have rightly called for a day's bandh in Pune to protest the murder of anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabholkar, even as police released the sketch of suspects.

Respect sanctity and tradition

Independence Day is celebrated every year on August 15 with full gusto and enthusiasm all over the nation. It is the most auspicious, glorious and happiest day for all Indians. Prime Minister addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day every year. It is the day to rise above all political rivalries, discord and considerations. It is the day to affirm national pride and take vow to protect it at all costs. The entire nation celebrates it with full gusto and enthusiasm, forgetting all political rivalries and discord. Prime Minister does not belong only to the ruling political party but also the entire nation. In parliamentary democracy, disagreement between the ruling and the opposition parties is natural. But it does not mean that on this very auspicious day itself the prime minister should be criticized vehemently by the main opposition BJP leader and the Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, who is most likely to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the party in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He should not let PM down by challenging him for a debate on development in the open while hoisting the flag on Independence Day from Bhuj College campus in Gujarat. 15th of August is the Independence Day and all Indians celebrate it with full gusto. The opposition party leaders have every right to criticisize the Prime Minister on other 364 days. At least on this auspicious day, there must not be any criticism of the Prime Minister. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who appears to be in mad haste to become the prime minister of the nation after Lok Sabha elections in 2014 if the BJP wins. Modi must know that there are 28 states in India. So, there are 28 Chief Ministers also. All unfurl the flag on Independence Day in their respective states. And all are not Congress-ruled states. There are several non-Congress and non-BJP ruled states. No other opposition Chief Minister has ever challenged the Prime Minister on this auspicious day. Modi has not only criticized the Prime Minister but also let down the image of the nation, and by doing so in the eyes of foreign countries . Modi may be a good administrator and have provided good governance to the people of Gujarat. His Gujarat model of development may be the most suitable for the state, but it can not suit the remaining 27 states. He is also not only the single leader who has brought his party to power thrice and became the CM of the state three times in a row. There are also several other Chief Ministers who have won the state assembly elections and become Chief Ministers three consecutive times. Narendra Modi must not show his vaulting ambition of being the Prime Minister of the nation after 2014. His blunt and arrogant utterings against the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh have rightly been criticized all over the nation. It shows his trivial thinking and approach. He has to cover a very long distance to reach New Delhi and get power. And for that at least in India, he will have to go through penance for the alleged stigma of 2002 Gujarat riot. India is a secular and liberal nation and the leaders of sectarian belief are unacceptable.