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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two political explosions in quick succession over the last few days have left the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) Government gasping for survival. After many a false alarm, the stunning developments could well portend the beginning of the unravelling of the Utterly Demoralised Front.

The Jan Sangh-BJP has always had a token Muslim in its ranks to counter the belief that it is purely a party of the Hindus, just as Mohammed Ali Jinnah included a scheduled caste member, Jogendra Nath Mandal, from the then East Pakistan in his party to show that the Muslim League was not a party of Muslims alone.

It’s fashionable in some circles to claim that discrimination based on caste has steadily decreased in India, as it’s bound to, thanks to modernisation, urbanisation and industrialisation. The character of caste is itself changing from a system of social hierarchy based on birth and ritual purity, to a political phenomenon. As India evolves into a “merit-based” society, the argument goes, there can be no place for untouchability vis-à-vis Dalits (Scheduled Castes) in it.

The Modi Government is caught up in a whirlpool, with its saffron outfits igniting endless social unrest, which is derailing Parliament and helping a determined opposition to block key legislation, intended to show up its “reform credentials”.

For children playing war games in computer, witnessing the display of India’s armoury, its air force fighters flying past and scrambling over Rashtrapati Bhawan, daredevil army jawans on motorbikes, replica of naval frigate, tanks, guns and missiles at the country’s annual republic day parade in Delhi’s famed Raj Path has always been the most exciting part of the event. But, not for the knowledgeable and defence experts who know how under-equipped are the country’s combat forces compared to those of Russia, China, France, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan and the United States, militarily mightiest of them all. Therefore, one may think that exhibiting India’s military toys before the US president Barack Obama at the R-Day function may not exactly be a brilliant idea, after all.

The Nepali Congress, leading constituent or the ruling combine in Nepal, re-asserted its commitment to promulgate a new constitution and perhaps the most profoundly democratic constitution in the SAARC region, by the set deadline, 22 January next year. The Prime Minister and NC leader Sushil Koirala, affirmed this at a joint meeting of the party´s parliamentary party and central working committee on Sunday at his official residence in Baluwatar. The NC already submitted its views on the proposed statute. There is a broad consensus about it among NC, Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Bahujan Shakti Party.

For the last one week advocates of Delhi District Courts are on strike. They are agitating for the passage of Delhi High Court (Amendment) Act from Parliament in its winter session itself. They are going to demonstrate at the Parliament House and they are threatening to disrupt the traffic movements of Delhi if the Bill is not passed immediately.

The brutal death of Korpan Shah has raised enough hue and cry amid the media and public, partly because of its viciousness, and mostly because of its alleged perpetrators. The students, the supposed carrier of the societal consciousness has allegedly committed this crime, not as an individual act, but acting as a collective. And they were medical students, hence, the hypocrisy-laden society would also have the opportunity to shout about so-called ‘medical ethics’ (which they are completely unaware of). However, the resultant sensationalisation has, successfully, moved the needle of the discussion from the true issue that is so toxic to discuss that everyone would rather argue in circles than to acknowledge the presence of the real elephant in the room.

Political analysts say Jharkhand is next experiment lab of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team. The election process in the 14-year-old state is in progress; three rounds of polling have already been completed. All indications are that Jharkhand too may go the way of Haryana and Maharashtra where the BJP has formed governments. Riding on the crest of Modi wave, the BJP is heading for a majority in Jharkhand. According to pollsters, the BJP may get round 50 of 81 seats. But the problem before the BJP leadership is not whether the party will get a majority or not but to pick up a Chief Minister; the party has not projected one in the elections.

The Indian Union has a division of power between entities called Centre and states in a way that the People’s Republic of Bangladesh doesn’t. The constitution of the Union of India is a product of interests of the Centre, given that only the Central parliament and not the state assemblies can change it.