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Right here is the newest version of the Political Line e-newsletter curated by Varghese Ok. George
Right here is the newest version of the Political Line e-newsletter curated by Varghese Ok. George
(The Political Line e-newsletter is India’s political panorama defined each week by Varghese Ok. George, senior editor at The Hindu . You possibly can subscribe right here to get the e-newsletter in your inbox each Friday.)
The Arab veto on BJP politics
Many observers have identified the contradiction between the BJP’s refusal to heed the clamour of Indians – Muslims and others alike - and its motion towards spokespersons who made insulting feedback about Prophet Mohammad following extreme backlash from Gulf international locations.
Only some days earlier India had rejected issues raised by a U. S. report about spiritual freedoms in India, calling them “vote financial institution politics,” a time period borrowed from the BJP lexicon for its home Opposition. In diplomatic efforts to assuage the anger of the Islamic world, Indian officers appeared indistinguishable from the BJP. However then this is according to the conflation of the identities of the nation and the get together.
BJP functionaries would clarify the get together’s perspective in the direction of Muslims as one among ‘no appeasement and no discrimination’ and argue that the neighborhood used to carry a veto in Indian politics. There could also be some fact to that. Nonetheless, subsequently, saying more and more incendiary and provocative issues about Muslims has grow to be the best calling card to success, fame, and cash for bold followers of the get together. Of their sport of one-upmanship, they started focusing on essentially the most sacred of all Muslim symbols – the Prophet himself. After which they confronted the reckoning.
However the story has not ended right here. The episode has set off a churn within the BJP and the Hindutva universe. Any perceived concession to Muslims, even an excellent want, offends the Hindtuva brigade a lot that they might even abuse their present idol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on that depend. Mr. Modi has himself confronted the cost of being a Muslim appeaser in earlier years.
A distinction between the Indian Muslims and Arab Muslims, and the favouring of the latter has occurred earlier too in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s time period. He ignored an invite to go to the oldest mosque in India; nonetheless, he visited the Grand Mosque in UAE across the similar time. I had defined the politics of this right here, years in the past.
The motion taken towards the spokespersons who insulted the Prophet could have calmed tempers within the brief time period, however social media warriors won’t let it go.
Sedition regulation – who wants it anyway?
NEW DELHI, 09/04/2013: Supreme Courtroom of India in New Delhi on April 10, 2013. Picture: S. Subramanium
| Picture Credit score: SUBRAMANIUM S
When the Supreme Courtroom put a freeze on sedition proceedings beneath the colonial Part 124A of the Indian Penal Code, there was widespread celebration. One ought to have questioned why the Centre shifted its place abruptly, from stoutly defending the regulation to expressing willingness to provide it up. Because it seems, the police don’t want the sedition regulation to maintain anybody in jail. In truth, there are nastier legal guidelines out there, and topping the checklist is the Illegal Actions (Prevention) Act of 1967, with its quite a few amendments launched by the Congress.
Federalism Tract
Counting the Muslims – now district-wise?
Minorities are counted State-wise, as per present regulation. However the anomaly of declaring some communities minorities at a nationwide stage, whereas they could be in a majority in sure areas has grow to be more and more controversial. There’s a demand to contemplate Hindus a minority in States or UT corresponding to Jammu and Kashmir and Nagaland. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken the controversy to a distinct stage, by elevating the prospect of figuring out minorities on the district stage – which can imply that Muslims will stop to be thought-about a minority in lots of districts, whereas Hindus will likely be. In line with a solution given by the federal government in Parliament in 2014, there are 19 districts within the nation which have a Muslim inhabitants above 50 per cent. Most of them are in J&Ok, however additionally included are six districts in Assam, Murshidabad in West Bengal, Kishanganj in Bihar and Malappuram in Kerala.
In the meantime, on the query of counting individuals caste-wise, the Bihar unit of the BJP has taken a place markedly totally different from the get together’s nationwide place. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has seized on the initiative by getting cupboard clearance for a similar, forcing the palms of ally BJP. Cornered by the OBC-driven politics of Bihar but once more, the BJP’s State unit chief has now stated particular care must be taken to make sure that Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims don’t enter the caste depend lists. He additionally fears that undeserving Muslims will declare OBC standing within the census.
Pleased Brahmins, sad relaxation put the BJP in a repair in Karnataka
Congress leaders and supporters staging a protest towards the revision of textbooks, in Bengaluru on Thursday. SUDHAKARA JAIN SUDHAKARA JAIN
| Picture Credit score: The Hindu
The continuing textbook controversy in Karnataka started after a piece of Brahmins felt that the neighborhood was being portrayed in dangerous gentle. A overview committee arrange by the BJP authorities made additions and deletions in textual content books, and by the top of all of it, it seems that solely the Brahmins are pleased. Dalits and Ambdekarites are sad that the historical past of their heroes and struggles has been ignored, the Vokkaliga neighborhood is sad a few perceived slight to literary gentle Kuvempu and the Lingayats are sad about content material regarding Basaveshwara — all highly effective political constituencies.
The unrest has thrown a spanner within the works for the BJP’s political plans in Karnataka. Whereas caste identities and their symbols are highly effective determinants of politics within the State, animus in the direction of Muslims continues to have a unifying resonance for all of them. This commentary provides a wholistic view of Karnataka’s conflicts over its previous and what the longer term may deliver.
Sikh chief requires arms coaching
Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht – the very best Sikh temporal seat — exhorted members of the neighborhood to bear arms, saying that they have been confronting a number of challenges.
‘No language is any lower than Hindi or English’
Union Schooling Minister Dharmendra Pradhan sought to dispel issues that the BJP authorities on the Centre was privileging Hindi over different languages, at a convention of Schooling Ministers from throughout the nation. The precise query is barely totally different although – does the federal government wish to promote Hindi as the executive language, changing the present use of English?
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