View Articles

Most commemorate Emergency on June 26 as a reminder of the bleak 21 months when democracy was derailed. Actually, the Emergency came into effect on June 25 at 11:45 pm when the then President, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, signed the proclamation even though he was alerted by his secretary that it would be constitutionally untenable. The President is expected to act on the advice of the council of ministers. Indira Gandhi’s cabinet met next day at 6 pm as a formality.

The clash at the Galwan river valley which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, including the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment, has understandably roused the anger of people in India. The incident was shocking and condemnable as it happened after the June 6 meeting of senior military commanders of both sides where an agreement was reached on de-escalation and disengagement at various points on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). There is still much which is unknown about the circumstances that led to the physical clashes between the Indian and Chinese soldiers on the night of June 15. The government has done nothing to clarify matters.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi had achieved a rare political mile stone of a clear mandate for the election symbol Lotus in the 2014 election. After six years and ten months in the office he delivered on his promise, the equality of life to all by simplification of food intakes, the exterior appearances, the social outlook and closed hearts to social relations. Under the impact of the 75 days of locked down life, every family learnt to survive on similar kind of food intakes without the market eateries contributions, apparels without pressmen removing creases, without outside or even in house entertainment. The cynics may claim he could not deliver better economic conditions, so he brought time line forward to equalize life style of everyone by imposing the lockdown on national life as an essential part of the combat with the pandemic corona infection.

During the Chinese revolution, progressive forces of the world lent every possible support to it. At that time, it was widely believed that most of the Chinese people consumed opium and were always in a stupor. Additionally, the country’s economy lay totally shattered. It was said that the people in China went to the market with a bag full of currency note and returned with a pocketful of goods. It was the Communist Party and its dynamic leader Mao-Tse-Tung who were trying to give a new lease of life to the Chinese people. After the conclusion of the 30-year revolutionary march a new government assumed power. The progressive and liberal people all over the world celebrated the epoch making event. The Chinese revolution aroused great hopes among the people who were still struggling to free themselves from the clutches of imperialists. They expected (now People’s Republic of) China to help them, if not materially, at least morally.

Our hard experiences teach us lessons. But, India hasn’t learnt its full lesson from the State of emergency clamped by the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi on 25th June 1975, to save herself from disqualification after the historic judgement of Allahabad High Court. After the emergency was lifted, the 44th Amendment to the Constitution of India diluted the rigors Art 352 and cognate provision Art 353 and Art 359 that had wreaked havoc during the emergency. But still, these trimmed provisions can pose danger to constitutional democracy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a new lease of life to his much fancied Make in India programme by calling for Atmanirbhar Abhiyan as a means of giving a push to the Indian industry in the period of the pandemic and as also in the post-Covid period. Atmanirbhar movement is not new to India.

On the 18th day of incessant rise of fuel price, diesel has out beaten petrol. It may be for the first time that diesel becomes costlier than petrol. Everybody knows that now fuel price in India has nothing to do with the price of crude oil in the international market. Gone are the days when variation in prices in the International market determined the fuel price in India. Now despite downward shift in fuel prices in the international market, the fuel price here remains unaffected, rather it even goes up, thanks to the pricing policy of the Modi government.

Amidst of Corona Crisis, the China-India border conflict has become new area of political slugfest where Congress with Rahul Gandhi at its front has nullified every claims of Modi Government about the ground control. The unfortunate death of Indian soldiers while fighting against Chinese intrusion had put the government in a tight spot. At the beginning of the present week, it was appearing that Modi and his government was losing the battle of perception and landed into a grave situation of losing Strong-Man persona of Narendra Modi. Congress was emboldened with a prospect of ‘Modi Versus Rahul’ personality cult battle, a much desired political fight by the top leadership of the party searching political relevance by embracing only Anti-Modi plank.

No one in the NaMo establishment may have realized that the Modi fan club being created to drum loudly around may become a discomforting wrap around the neck and sooner as the adage around the world that warns against building the congregation of foolish friends around was ignored. The natural human tendency was overlooked that only subordinate minds without inherent ability or talents would and could do only the drum beating for anyone else. Extensive usage of social media for easy and rapid drum beating had initially appeared useful is now the route of easy troubles.

On page 405 of the folio edition of the writings and speeches of Abraham Lincoln there is a letter dated January 19 1863. It is titled “To the Workingmen of Manchester, England” and begins: “I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the address and resolutions which you have sent me on the eve of the new year.”