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- After the drubbing in the Assembly elections to four heartland States, a victory in the small northeastern State of Mizoram could not have been of much consolation for the Congress. But Mizoram needs the Congress more than the Congress needs Mizoram.
- For a State divided by tribal identities, where development is organically linked to Central funds, the Congress is in some ways both unifier and saviour.
- Regional parties such as the Mizo National Front, which contested this election as a part of the Mizoram Democratic Alliance, have a large support base, but sometimes the dominant electoral issue goes beyond local affinities. With the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in power at the Centre, Congress Chief Minister Lalthanhawla must have found it easier to harness Central funds to development works.
- The North-East Regional Political Front, formed recently by ten regional parties including the MNF, to protect the “territorial, cultural, social, political and economic rights” of the people of the region, could perhaps bring more pressure to bear on the Centre on such issues. Poor transport and communication facilities have so far kept this hill State economically backward. Given the relative peace and quiet in Mizoram after the end of the insurgency, Mizos can now look forward to greater investment in infrastructure to boost to the economy.
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- The denial by Nawaz Sharif of his “fourth war over Kashmir” remark, and his reiteration that problems with India have to be resolved through peaceful methods, came not a moment too soon. The Pakistan Prime Minister had been quoted as saying that “Kashmir is a flashpoint and can trigger a fourth war between the two nuclear powers at any time,” in his address to the “Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council” in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Denying that he had ever made such a remark, his office put out a transcript of his speech that had no mention of the word war. This is the second time that Mr. Sharif has had to deny words attributed to him on India, the first when he was said to have made a personal remark against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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- The widespread exploitation of migrant labourers in Qatar threatens to undermine whatever prestige the country may have earned by winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In September this year, the Guardianhad shone light on the deplorable treatment of contract labourers — mostly from the Indian subcontinent — engaged in World Cup-related construction projects.
- Amnesty International has meticulously documented serial violations of Qatar’s labour laws by private contractors. Migrant workers from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are at the mercy of their Qatari employers, thanks to the harsh systems in place to check illegal immigration.
- Many migrant labourers are yet to receive their passports back. What is more, Qatari law requires the “sponsor” to issue supporting documents for an “exit visa”. Without workers’ unions to represent their case, access to justice for foreign labourers remains elusive. Amnesty’s report suggested many of them were yet to receive their salaries.
- That New Delhi and Riyadh could coordinate their actions and successfully regularise the stay of most Indian labourers in Saudi Arabia ahead of the ‘Nitaqat’ deadline, however, suggests that such issues are eminently resolvable. India should consider its migrant workforce in West Asia as an asset rather than as a vulnerable constituency. Countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia have sought to raise their profile by positioning themselves as global commercial hubs. In pursuit of this aim, they have invested considerably in infrastructure projects. Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup figures prominently in Qatar’s efforts to boost its marketability. Needless to say, Indian labour is very much in demand for the successful completion of these projects.
- The reports from the Guardian and Amnesty International serve as a reminder to West Asia that it cannot take migrant labour for granted. South Asian countries must insist their citizens are granted their rights and benefits as per international obligations.
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- The Aam Aadmi Party has creditably been unswerving in its refusal to accept offers of support from the major political parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, to form the next government in Delhi. By staying true to his pledge not to support either party in the event of a hung Assembly in Delhi, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has shown himself to be a person of principles. He has acknowledged that the mandate for his fledgling formation reflected public faith in the AAP’s platform.
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- The sugar industry is in a mess, yet again, and it is apparent that lessons from the past are never learnt. A little over a year after the Rangarajan Committee, which went into the regulatory and business aspects of the industry submitted its report, only a part of its sensible recommendations have been implemented. The crucial recommendation on revenue-sharing between sugarcane farmers and sugar mills has been ignored.
- The latest crisis could have been avoided if only the sugarcane producing States— especially Uttar Pradesh which accounts for the bulk of the sugarcane output — had implemented the recommendation and not gone ahead and announced their own prices for procurement by mills
- The Rangarajan Committee recommended a 70:30 revenue-sharing mechanism between farmers and mills, taking into account revenues from the sale of sugar and also by-products such as molasses and bagasse. The States should adopt the Committee’s formula, which is not only transparent but has been arrived at after a study of the cost structures of sugarcane farming and sugar mills.
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- The Supreme Court’s retrograde decision to overturn the 2009 Delhi High Court verdict that decriminalised gay sex has enthroned medieval prejudice and dealt a body blow to liberal values and human rights. Through its path-breaking judgment in Naz Foundation, the Delhi High Court had laid the foundation for “reading down” and eventually amending Section 377 to decriminalise consensual sex among adults irrespective of gender.
- In the result, Section 377 — which punishes “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” — is now back in force and hangs over the heads of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT).
- The court has stepped in wherever the executive had failed and has not hesitated to read into the constitutionally enumerated fundamental rights to life and to equality an expansive set of human rights including the right to education, the right to work with dignity and the right of prisoners to humane treatment.
- Barring a sudden dawning of a humane sense of fairness all around, Section 377 is here to stay in the medium term with all its horrific consequences. If harassment by law enforcement agencies drives sections of the LGBT community underground and makes them terrified of disclosing their orientation, it would have serious public health consequences as well, particularly in the fight against AIDS. Above all, it is a test of humane values, fairness and dignity in a society. It is important that institutions of the state acknowledge the importance of these values.
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- Notwithstanding the criticism that she is her brother’s proxy, Ms. Yingluck has emerged as a leader in her own right in the last two years.
- In a country where the military has carried out coups 18 times since the end of monarchical rule in 1938 and, as in Pakistan, has played a backroom role even in civilian dispensations, it cannot be ruled out as a player. If the impasse persists, it might still be called upon to play the arbiter.
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- The trade agreement reached in Bali last weekend has provided much-needed oxygen to a moribund World Trade Organisation. The WTO, founded in 1995, was fast fading into irrelevance what with countries forging bilateral trade pacts and powerful regional trade agreements, especially in the developed world.
- the first-ever trade agreement between the 159 member-countries of the WTO is a shot in the arm for multilateralism even as it keeps the agenda of the Doha Round alive.
- Roberto Azevedo, Director-General,
- The agreement is designed to simplify customs procedures and lower trade barriers between countries. The International Chamber of Commerce has estimated that the Bali deal will cut trade costs by 10-15 per cent even as it adds an estimated $1 trillion to global trade.
- In a sense, the emergence of regional trade blocs which was seen as a threat to the WTO eventually proved to be its saviour as those countries left out from them, mainly emerging economies such as India, Brazil, South Africa and Russia, realised the WTO was critical to their interests.
- The unyielding stance of India on protecting its farm subsidies which are set to increase following the enactment of the Food Security Act did cause some disquiet amongst the member-countries and at one stage seemed set to hold up an eventual agreement.
- Trade negotiators need to carry forward the positive momentum built up at Bali as they seek to push through the Doha Round agenda. This will not be easy though, as negotiators will have to contend with regional groupings such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which involves the U.S., Japan and ten other Pacific Rim countries, and the powerful trans-Atlantic alliance between the U.S. and the European Union, negotiations for which are now on. Bali may have infused life into the WTO but its biggest battles lie ahead.
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- Two recent and successive bus accidents which led to the loss of more than 50 lives in charred vehicles, have yet again raised questions about standards and practices of bus body design.
- In 2001, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), which felt that existing designs were hardly optimal and safe, published the Code of Practice for Bus Body Design and Approval.
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- Much of what Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said at the Economic Conclave 2013 is not new.
- Ruling people and officials often speak about fiscal consolidation
(FC). how can we attain it when subsidies and imports are stressing
India. Although, middle class is the major consumers in India,
Inflation has depleted the purchasing power of people.It also eroded
the Congress dreams in recent elections. Only populist schemes don't
help in attaining FC. Govt. should take effective measures to curb
Inflation, if at all it want to stand a chance in General
elections.Govt. should focus more on generating revenue and cutting
unwanted expenditures.
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- Nationalistic outrage aside, the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York for giving false information to obtain a visa for her domestic worker, and paying her less than the local minimum wage, has shone well-deserved light on a troubling practice that many Indians unfortunately think is normal. Devyani Khobragade is not the first Foreign Service officer caught on the wrong end of the law in the host country on charges relating to treatment of a domestic employee.
- As a consular official, Ms. Khobragade does not have the same extent of immunity under the Vienna conventions as a diplomat in an embassy. In the United States, consular officials can be arrested for a serious crime on the basis of a warrant. It is of course debatable if the offence she is charged with falls in the category of felony, particularly as she was released on bail within a few hours.
- Sensibly, New Delhi made no claim of immunity for the official. While standing in solidarity with the official against the manner of her arrest, the government has also rightly made it clear that she will be available for the court proceedings against her.
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- President Hamid Karzai’s visit to India, possibly his last before elections scheduled for April 2014, marks a critical moment in the development of the relationship between India and the new Afghanistan born amid the bloodshed of 9/11. India has been a partner in the process, but Mr. Karzai came asking how much more it might be willing to do.
- International Security Assistance Force which has provided the backbone of the state since 2001 will begin to return home.
- Following more than a year of deliberation, India has finally committed to providing Afghanistan with the military assistance it seeks under the Strategic Partnership Agreement binding the two allies.
- Indian-made light helicopters will join Afghanistan’s fledgling air fleet, while its army will receive transport and logistics equipment. This comes on top of a substantial programme of civilian assistance. Indian engineers have, despite credible Taliban threats, brought the Salma hydro-electric dam near Herat to within a year of completion.
- Preliminary plans exist for iron ore mining at Hajigak.
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- If politics is the art of the possible, as Otto von Bismarck argued, then Arvind Kejriwal would do well to explore the next best options in Delhi in a situation where his principles do not allow him to either accept the support of other parties or offer his support to them. As the second largest party in a hung Assembly, the Aam Aadmi Party is in a real dilemma. After having grown without the traditional building blocks of caste and communal vote banks, and won support in the election on the basis of a campaign against both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the AAP is quite rightly wary of being seen as politically opportunistic in the changed post-election situation.
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- When a bill that has eluded a political consensus for decades comes close to actual enactment, cynicism must give way to pragmatism and hope. The Lokpal Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha in an earlier form two years ago but now amended on the basis of the report of a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha, is likely to be approved soon by the Upper House and sent back to the lower chamber for fresh passage. The Union government has dropped the provisions relating to establishing Lok Ayuktas at the State level.
- The Central Bureau of Investigation has been placed at the disposal of the Lokpal, which will have superintendence over that agency in cases under its consideration. The need for sanction from the respective governments to initiate prosecution has been waived for cases cleared by the Lokpal. The CBI Director’s appointment will be on the basis of a statutory process, and the Lokpal will have its own inquiry and prosecution wings.
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- With not much to gain and a lot to lose in being seen in the company of the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has adopted the only course open to it now: it has ruled out an alliance with the Congress for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
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- A year after the brutal Delhi gang rape, institutional responses to sexual violence against women have failed to keep pace with robust efforts by civil society to sensitise the public.
- The ‘Nirbhaya’ movement also brought to bear on the government enormous pressure to respond strongly against sexual offenders through tougher legislation.
- United Progressive Alliance did well to incorporate the Justice Verma Committee’s recommendation to amend the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, it has come up woefully short in implementing the new laws.
- Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, passed by Parliament in February this year, was notified and given effect to only a week ago.
- Ministry of Women and Child Development is yet to formulate a concrete plan to utilise the Rs.1000-crore Nirbhaya Fund that was integrated into the Union Budget this year.
- The UPA is also yet to act on the Verma Committee’s recommendation to penalise marital rape under criminal law. Further, there has been no debate on the Committee’s recommendation to strip armed forces personnel of the immunity granted under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 while investigating sexual offences.
- The apex court recently confirmed that its former judge, Asok Kumar Ganguly, had harassed an intern, and thus abused his fiduciary position — the episode has cast the male-dominated higher judiciary in poor light. The media too have been engulfed by the scandal surrounding Tarun Tejpal, who while serving as editor-in-chief ofTehelka is alleged to have raped a journalist working for the magazine. That the guardians of democracy have come up short in their efforts to tackle sexual harassment internally is a grim reminder that the roots of this malaise run deep. The government must sustain the momentum against gender-based violence that the 2012 gang rape provoked to offer better policing and legal protection for women.
- Atrocities against women cannot be stopped by Rules and its
implementation alone. There is need for change in the mindset of our
people. That the judiciary and the media are not an exemption in
treating women with grace and dignity has already been mentioned in
the editorial. Even in the other spheres like art, culture, films and
theatre also developments and attitudes are not helping the cause any
better. With few exceptions films depict woman in poor light. The
dialogues and songs are normally not appropriate and sometimes even
vulgar. Our script writers, Directors song writers and even the
artists can contribute a lot towards improving the mindset of the
people.
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- In a move that has surprised everyone, the Reserve Bank of India in its mid-quarter monetary policy review has not changed either the policy repo rate or the cash reserve ratio (CRR). The repo rate remains at 7.75 per cent and the CRR at 4 per cent.
- Inflation is no doubt a serious problem: CPI inflation stood at 11.24 per cent in November, its highest level since the new composite index was introduced. Headline WPI inflation at 7.52 per cent has been moving up and is well above the RBI’s comfort level. Underpinning both are high food, especially vegetable, prices. The traditional belief that monetary policy will have little influence over supply side factors has been proved wrong, and irrespective of where inflationary pressures originate they need to be countered with all available policy measures.
- The traditional policy dilemma of growth versus price stability remains. The latest policy statement reveals a more contemporary dilemma of whether to act immediately against inflation or wait for some time in the expectation of prices moderating. Timing is critical, and the RBI can be expected to remain vigilant.
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- It is not surprising that the details of the treatment to which Devyani Khobragade, the Indian deputy-consul in New York, was subjected after her roadside arrest on charges of fudging her domestic help’s visa forms and underpaying her have caused an uproar. A strip search, examination of body cavities and the possible use of restraints other than handcuffs such as waist chains and shackles, are grossly over-the-top steps to use against any detained person. These are automatic, non-discriminatory and legal post-arrest procedures, but that does not make them any better. Ms. Khobragade, even under her limited consular immunity, was entitled to be treated with dignity.
- While some of this outrage is justified and rightly seeks to establish that the international diplomatic community lives and works in a world of reciprocal terms and conditions, in the current atmosphere of nationalist fury, it is all too easy to take it too far.
- Despite Indian diplomats being embroiled in similar cases in the past, each time blaming the domestic worker’s motives — in all previous cases, the complainant got long-term residency in the U.S — the government has only now started giving serious thought to managing the practice of officials taking domestic staff along on postings abroad. Both sides could have found a mutually acceptable way to defuse the controversy — often in such cases, the issue is closed by withdrawing the diplomat. That the government chose instead to transfer Ms. Khobragade to India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, with a view to enhancing her immunity, is questionable and casts India’s claim of a nation ruled by law in poor light.
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- Amid the furore caused by the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in the United States, the release on Thursday of Indian sailors Sunil James and Vijayan by the authorities in Togo could easily have gone unnoticed.
- But it needs mention that the plight of the jailed men was taken up in earnest only after the death of Mr. James’s son came to the attention of the media and public.
- In this respect, a common thread runs through the arrests of Ms. Khobragade and the two sailors. Both cases indicate that Indian diplomacy has been too slow to respond to crises that were long in the making.
- The alacrity with which the Ministry of External Affairs has intervened in Ms. Khobragade’s case sits uncomfortably with its lax attempts to resolve the open-and-shut case involving the sailors. India’s diplomatic establishment needs to formulate a policy that deals with the concerns of Indians abroad — not just of diplomats but of sailors, businesspersons, fishermen and others. As the global and business profile of India increases, it is only natural that more Indians find themselves in legal and diplomatic crosshairs around the world. Resolving their concerns effectively while deferring to the national laws of other states should be accorded a higher priority than has been in evidence.
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- That the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, to create a new state of Telangana would force a sharp regional divide in the Assembly and the Legislative Council was predictable and understandable.
Friday, 27 December 2013
The Hindu Editorials(consolidated list)-Part1 {10 dec - 20 dec}
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