Bulldozers go global, three questions before the Gandhi family, more political lines

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Bulldozer’s global journey

The bulldozer has become a symbol of a strong state for the BJP and its supporters, while critics see it as a symbol of state oppression and anti-Muslim prejudice.

The idea of ​​bulldozer justice originated in UP, where the administration made destruction of property a form of extra-judicial punishment for people suspected of crimes, mainly Muslims. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s fans fondly call him ‘Bulldozer Baba’ – a nickname that went as far as New Jersey, USA. On Indian Independence Day last month, parades in two US cities featured bulldozers with pictures of ‘Bulldozer Baba’ and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No wonder other BJP chief ministers from Madhya Pradesh to Karnataka and Assam now aspire to follow the ‘Yogi model’. In recent times, bulldozers are active in Assam, where the Himanta Biswa Sarma government has ordered Demolition of madrassas suspected of being linked to Al Qaeda network,

To be honest, the Yogi government has also used bulldozers against Hindus; And also intervened to protect a Muslim who was on the receiving end of extortion by a corrupt official. Yogi administration sent a bulldozer to demolish illegal construction by a BJP leader Recently powerful Tyagi community in western UP, a sub-divisional magistrate who sent Bulldozer at the shop of a Muslim trader in MoradabadWhen he insisted that the official salary for the furniture he had bought was removed from his post by the Yogi government.

Bulldozer shows in the cities of Edison and Woodbridge in New Jersey caused an uproar in the US and anti-Hinduism Hindus and Muslims flagged it off with the authorities. Indian trade union Who organized the events was initially reluctant to apologize but eventually said it was “a divisive image that did not reflect our mission.” The Independence Day parade, which should have been a display of unity among Indian-Americans, exposed fault lines and even hostility.

In recent times, Indians have been subjected to prejudice and hatred in many western countries. Indians are also prejudiced against other Indians. An aggressive display of hostility, this time targeting Hindus, was captured on video last week by a man he received in California. A Sikh Indian went to American About 10 minutes of abuse on a South Indian Hindu In one eatery, he kept calling him a “dirty Hindu” and a “disgusting dog” until the police arrived.

Rahul Gandhi – To be or not to be

The Congress party is still in turmoil as it plans to elect a new president and organize India Jodi Yatras across the country. Rahul Gandhi, a descendant of the Nehru Gandhi family, has flat out asked not to return to the top of the Congress. This has prompted his mother Sonia Gandhi to find a suitable candidate to succeed him as party president. Liked by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Mr. Gehlot is a staunch loyalist of the party and family, and he will not say no to the wishes of the Gandhi family. But he would also like to continue as the chief minister, which could lead to controversy. If no Gandhi is in the running, other Congress leaders can also throw their hats in the ring. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is planning, and it is clear that if nothing else, his candidacy will be a good opportunity to generate debate over the party. This may not be entirely surprising, but the prospect of his candidature has also aroused enthusiasm among party workers. A Congress functionary told me the following: “The first 30 people in the Gandhi family will not like his candidacy; The next 70 people will be divided, but beyond that, Tharoor will make a big impact out of around 8,000 voters.” He did add a caveat though. “It is assuming that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will remain neutral.”

The call for internal democracy is very valid, but we need to note two points: one, that no Indian political party has internal democracy; And second, Congress has the most internal democracy. No other party in India gives its leaders a space to openly criticize the party like the Congress. This is why Ghulam Nabi Azad raising the question of internal democracy is quite ironic, as he has enjoyed the luxury of power for half a century and has never won any real political contest on his own strength. For this, however, the blame must be on the Gandhi family, which has allowed constant sycophancy to flourish at the expense of popular leadership. We write in our editorial: “Mr. Azad’s career itself is evidence of the legitimacy of the allegations made by him against the party. With little popularity and no accountability, he remained a key decision maker in the party, at various times. Became a Union Minister, once Chief Minister of J&K and a member of Rajya Sabha five times, for a total of 30 years…. In fact, rootless managers, who were disguised as leaders, ensured that mass leaders were humiliated and given to them. be thrown out of the party. The list of people who could not stay in Congress is long From Mamata Banerjee to Sharad Pawar to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. ,

The questions before the Gandhi family – Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka – are three. 1) Should any one of them become the president of the party? 2) If none of them wants to be president, who should be the candidate, if any? 3) What other role could he have played in the party other than the president?

Close supporters of Mr. Gandhi are still hopeful that they will be able to persuade him to take the reins. The Bharat Jodi Yatra is starting from September 7 while the last date for filing nominations for the post of President is September 30. There will be an uproar in the party about Mr. Gandhi becoming the president. The first weeks of the yatra will be in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, where Congress can mobilize people. Mr Gandhi’s loyalists are hoping to build a base of support for his return as president. Mr. Gandhi would have a just defense if he gave up his reluctance to become the party president.

Secrecy in marriage, voting

Last week we discussed caste and also took note of the suggestion that inter-caste marriage could be a way to address caste prejudices. But inter-caste and inter-religious marriages face social hostility across the country, though the degree may vary from place to place.

special marriage act Helps couples who do not want to get married under religious laws for any reason. But marriage under the law has become increasingly difficult as Vigilance scans public announcements already made under the Act, and targets couples of different castes or religions. The issue of privacy was brought up in the Supreme Court, which refused to intervene on the ground that the petitioners were not aggrieved by the law.

dispute over Forcing voters to link their Aadhar numbers with the electoral rolls Concerns about privacy have been raised.

Marriage is fundamentally a private affair of two individuals, but it is also a social acceptance of their relationship. If society had no role to play, then there is absolutely no need for marriage under any law. Two people can live as they wish.

Voting is a personal decision of the individual, but there is a social requirement to ensure that the voter is legitimate. Various measures in the past have sought to prevent fraud in voting. Voter’s identity needs to be established, which is a breach of privacy. Controversy abounds in many countries, including the US, over efforts to verify a voter.

federalism path

The Center can borrow as much as it wants, but the states are not allowed to do so. What are the issues involved here. Here is an excerpt on the challenges of sub-national fiscal reform.

Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal explains Recent measures by the Center that further curtail the borrowing powers of states for discretionary spending.

I interviewed Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Railways, Telecom and IT. This detailed interview gives an overview of several policy and welfare initiatives that are taking place.

We started with a discussion on bulldozers and the image of India. I spoke to Writer and academic Ravinder Kaur talks about how India wants to brand itself on the global stage. Ravinder is the author of ‘Brand New Nation: Capitalist Dreams and Nationalist Designs in Twenty-First-Century India’. She teaches at the University of Copenhagen.