Posts

Ignore youths at your own peril

Image
Govt and opposition are failing the youngsters by not engaging with them Alok Tiwari Like wars, protests and movements too can go in unpredictable ways. After the July 20 march to parliament and the brutal police response to it, this seems to be happening with the ‘cockroach movement’. What had appeared to start as a sarcastic riposte to an unfortunate comment from country’s chief justice now appears to be having a life of its own. It has certainly grown bigger than anyone thought possible only a few weeks ago. As already pointed out in this column, this is thanks in no small part to the ham-handed response of the government that began with shutting down its Instagram handle and continuing with police lathi charge on the marchers this week. Government acted on the pattern of contempt that Modi government has treated all the protests during its 12-year tenure. It follows a tired and largely ineffective playbook of first trying to discredit the protesters using its considerable, an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Go beyond the lip service

Image
Courts are not as helpless in protecting liberty as justices say they are Alok Tiwari At a time when democratic space for the citizens is inexorably shrinking, it was heartening to see chief justice of India, Justice Surya Kant Sharma at least acknowledge that completion of trials under the notorious Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was a challenge. The CJI was responding to a query in a media interview on criticism about many accused under the act remaining in jail for prolonged periods, specifically the denial of bail to Delhi riots case accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. Justice Sharma admitted this problem needed to be addressed on the judicial side. The two are in jail for over five years now with no sign of their trial beginning. But theirs is not the only case. There are many people facing prolonged incarceration, extending to months and even years with the prosecution showing no urgency to start the trial. The state has often used such laws to jail people who...
1 comment
Read more

Go easy on ethanol push

Image
Blended auto fuel policy is causing trouble, it needs to change Alok Tiwari Social media these days is awash with stories of disasters allegedly caused by use of ethanol-blended petrol in vehicles. There are reports of vehicles breaking down mid-trip, refusing to start, showing rise in fuel consumption, videos of clogged injectors and corroded fuel tanks and exhaust pipes. Ethanol blending is now part of a growing list of embarrassments for the ruling BJP along with NEET question paper leak and Ram Mandir donations theft. There is little doubt that government has rushed through the ethanol blending. The original target for achieving blending of 20% ethanol in petrol was 2030. Thanks to a personal push by highways minister Nitin Gadkari, that was achieved five years earlier. Now most of the petrol sold across the country is E20. Government was ready to go for E25 and eventually to even E85 as it pressured automakers to come up with vehicles that can run on flex fuels. It wisely ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stealing the faith at Ayodhya

Image
Ram Temple theft case undermines RSS claims of commitment and sanskar Alok Tiwari In Hindu mythology and culture, Ram occupies a special place. He may be one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, but his influence extends far beyond that. His name is part of dozens of Hindi language exclamations that extend from greeting to surprise to despair and even disgust. He is seen as epitome of what humanity ought to and can be. He is often called Maryada Purushottam, the very limit of what goodness in men can be. Ram set standards of behaviour for men in every role, be it a son, a brother, a ruler, or a warrior. Ramrajya is a synonym for an ideal state where peace, prosperity, and justice prevail. He is also known as dispenser of justice even if it meant bearing immeasurable personal pain. Probably that is why exploitation of his name for personal or political gains often does not end well. The faithful argue that Rajiv Gandhi learnt this when he allowed unlocking of the gates of what ...
2 comments
Read more

A brazen assault on RTI

Image
New Maharashtra rules will restrict transparency, promote corruption Alok Tiwari A consistent feature of governments under Narendra Modi-led BJP, whether at the Centre or in the states, has been their attempt to abridge the rights of citizens. Every new law or an amendment to an existing one, every framing of rules, every act has been towards decreasing the space of individuals and increasing power of the state. There is not a single instance where citizens now have greater protection against excesses of the state than before 2014. Be it the laws related to taxation, information technology, crime, or even food; there is less protection for citizens and more authority to the state. The state can be more intrusive and more coercive while citizens have fewer ways in which to preserve their personal liberties and freedoms. And these are not just provisions enacted and kept in cold storage for use during emergencies. The governments have not been shy in using them, mostly to curb diss...
1 comment
Read more

No nudes for the prudes

Image
Obscuring Mohenjo Daro figurine is a sign of intellectual hollowness Alok Tiwari As if messing up their examinations — and their future — was not enough, we are now out to mess up the hearts and minds of poor CBSE students. Who would have thought this would be the new battlefield in our cultural wars? It was not long ago when the Supreme Court took umbrage at the passing reference about corruption in judiciary in the class 8 textbook. The court banned the book and ordered all copies withdrawn because it did not wish to see the young minds polluted by the thoughts of corruption in high places. For a court that has watched civil liberties erode, democracy develop cracks, and secularism crumble while barely raising a finger, the concern for the young minds was touching. Now mandarins of NCERT that publishes CBSE textbooks are suffering similar pangs of conscience. They quietly darkened the image of an Indus Valley Civilization bronze figurine ‘Dancing Girl’ in the class 9 textbooks ...
1 comment
Read more

Band aid on a tumour

Image
Comical steps in the aftermath of NEET leak will not work Alok Tiwari At a time when the world is trying to understand how to deal with consequences of Artificial Intelligence and best strategies to survive climate change, we are confounded by the logistics of conducting an exam properly. The fallout from NEET paper leak seems never ending. Amid all that, there is another fiasco around the CBSE exams. Students have found someone else’s answer sheets got evaluated in their name. Nobody really knows its true extent and how bad it is. Just that poor students are no longer sure whether there is any connection between what they have written in the examination and what their mark-sheets say. Underneath that a whole new scandal emerged about how CBSE appointed a tainted tech company to provide on-screen marking system. For a change, country’s premier investigation agencies are doing more than just dirty work of BJP. They have rounded up a string of people that include paper setters, tea...
Post a Comment
Read more