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The vexed debate on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) predictably picks up around election time. The issue ties up conversations on women’s rights, secularism and national integration in a single albeit unconvincing narrative. National unity is emphasised vociferously by those who often carry a record of hate speech against religious minorities and remain chiefly responsible for provoking religious conflict. Women’s rights are spoken of, often not by women themselves. And secularism remains elastic in these debates; it could be invoked as a protection for minority rights to oppose a universal code and simultaneously be the vocabulary by which religious diversity is opposed. The constitutional commitment to a UCC is therefore impossible to comprehend as a ‘neutral’ law or policy in the absence of the political context in which it is summoned.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab unit of CPI has declared to contest more than twenty seats in Punjab elections, if Samyukat Samaj Morcha leadership does not listen to Left’s concerns and goes on cornering the left forces which determinedly fought in recent peasant struggle.

The New York Times has finally put the Narendra Modi Government on the dock. India officially bought Israeli spyware Pegasus as a part of the composite defence deal during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July 2017. For the last six months since the report about the surveillance by the spyware on Indians including politicians, journalists and human rights workers appeared in the media, the centre consistently denied the involvement of its agencies .The civil society activists including the journalists had to finally seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to probe this highly sensitive issue affecting the rights and privacy of the individuals. The apex court finally agreed to set up an expert commit in its order of October 27 last year.

The Jats of western Uttar Pradesh are bent on teaching the Bharatiya Janata Party a lesson in losing elections! For the last week and more, the ruling party at the Centre, and in Uttar Pradesh, has been doing its best to change the thinking of the Jat leadership, notably that of RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary who’s still to match the stature of Ajit Singh and Charan Singh, his father and grandfather, the latter the tallest of all the Jats.

The Supreme Court was expected to introduce some clarity on the issue of reservation for promotion in jobs for scheduled castes and tribes. In fact, the Centre had specifically requested the court to remove the prevailing confusion in the issue. But the court has not only failed to bring about greater clarity, it has preferred to add to the confusion by taking a non-committal approach.

RPN Singh’s exit from the Congress and entry into BJP has less to do with the Congress and more to do with BJP. Another leader leaving the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is hardly likely to make a difference to the party’s dim prospect in Uttar Pradesh. The fight is between Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav. As of now, Congress may come a poor fourth, the third position likely to go to Mayawati’s BSP. Priyanka Gandhi has taken charge of U.P. poll and her vigorous campaign and charisma may win Congress few more seats than predicted.

It may be worst of times and it may be best of times, for workforce and the employers. Union Budget 2022-23 to be tabled on February 1 is being anxiously awaited by the workforce on the one hand and the employers on the other, for some unprecedented announcements are expected around implementation of Modi’s four controversial labour codes, which may drastically alter the permutation and combinations of industrial relations in the country.

The BJP leaders and their supporters are confident of winning power in four states that are currently in thicket of the assembly polls. As most media analyst also concede the claim as they cannot see capable opponents. Some analyst point out the poll fortunes are decided by the electorate. The less literate voters in 1971 and in 1977 had proved so by forcing the media magnates fall on their faces. They had given overwhelming majority to Indira Gandhi in 1971 and brought her down in 1977 by giving victory to the group that had not even named its leader.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faces a dilemma and he is not used to dilemmas. The Nehru-Gandhis always and always took decisions and there was no brooking them. Decisions concerning the Congress and those which had to do with Congress governments. So, it’s a departure of sorts that Rahul Gandhi has had to leave it to Congress workers to sort out the dilemma facing the Punjab unit of the Congress—who will be the party’s “CM face” in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections?

LUCKNOW: Finding it on a slippery wicket this time in Western Uttar Pradesh facing tough challenge from RLD-Samajwadi Party combine, BJP has mobilised all resources. Retaining hold in 100 assembly seats of Western UP is the biggest challenge for BJP and the sangh parivar that is why all the leaders and workers are camping in this important region facing polling in first three phases.