The IAF’s professionalism and honesty in admitting that friendly fire caused the loss of a Mi-17 helicopter and seven invaluable lives deserves commendation. Inquiries should establish the procedures that were violated and correctives for the future. Charging officers at fault in the fog of war criminally, however, is highly avoidable.
EVM uproar by opposition parties is perverse, damages democracy
The synchronised outcry by several opposition leaders over suspicious movement of EVMs has been summarily dismissed by the Election Commission. Opposition vigilance is important, but this kind of pre-result alarm is perverse and damages people’s faith in democracy. EVM should not be allowed to become the loser’s excuse once again.
Karnataka CM’s threat to media smacks of intolerance, panic. And he’s not alone
Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy’s threat to bring a law to stop the media from using satire to portray politicians is a classic case of intolerance, arrogance and panic. The politician’s impulse to curb free press and criticism is universal and transcends ideology, and what state governments do is equally worrying.