The Supreme Court noted the family's hesitation to transfer the Unnao rape victim out of Lucknow, and put the transfer order in abeyance to enable the CBI to complete its investigation.
The top court directed UP govt to provide Rs 25 lakh each to the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer, and directed the CBI to investigate within 7 days the road accident that left the two critically injured.
India must dedicate its efforts to solidify Quad as a serious security alliance and signal to the world that it values its values-based relationship with US above transactional ties.
In Episode 1544 of CutTheClutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at some top economists pointing to the pitfalls of ‘currency nationalism’ with data from 1991 to 2004.
The decorated Naga officer from Manipur also served as envoy to Myanmar & Nagaland chief secy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a museum dedicated to the Tawang hero Thursday.
While we talk much about our military, we don’t put our national wallet where our mouth is. Nobody is saying we should double our defence spending, but current declining trend must be reversed.
Simply brilliant.Sad the expected transformation in politics with Modi coming is not taking place although the Khan market gang can be charged of selective amnesia.
Many thoughts and tales start haunting my mind while going through this story !
When bulk of bills including triple talaq bill were passed by Rajya Sabha a couple of days ago the same becoming laws instantly, the treasury benches were found patting themselves for working wonders making laws by bringing certain amendments !
Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too were feeling quite elated terming
these amended laws as historical developments and achievements !
It is very fine to have plethora of laws in the nation but the moot question arises, is everyone equal before law in the nation ? Are these laws followed in toto in the letter and spirit irrespective of offenders high or low, rich or poor and mighty or weak factors ?
The ruling party rushed through numerous bills during the recent Parliament session turning the same into laws ! Will it serve the purpose of reforming society, that is the multi -million dollar question ?In my humble opinion,Parliament did fritter away its time and energies in futility! The opposition parties too vehemently opposed many of the bills presented in both the houses with amendments .
How fine it would have been if polity had striven to ensure the compliance of already existing laws in the nation !
But ironically psyche of the polity appears to be in favour of quantity instead of quality !
Shekhar Sahib, by citing three examples you have reflected the stark realities of the system in its true colours. Who bothers and cares about
ideologies, principles, morals and values in the present day politics ?
The law of the land must be adhered to by all and sundry spiritedly , only then law making has real meaning and
significance othetwise it is an exercise in nothingness .
The last three letters of your headline reveal your anti-BJP bias. The MLAs and MPs have tasted (and throwed up) other parties. Why then point finger at BJP only ? Were / Are they saints if they join other parties ?
Remove those three letters !
I would like to know the antecedents of current/ex FAMOUS/INFAMOUS MPs. I heard someone tell harsimran badal in Parliament that her grandfather mijidhia hosted dinner to Dyer the same night on which he had slaughtered indians at jallian wala bagh earlier in the evening. I remember clearly that this woman’s brother was summoned by ED during cong rule for heroine/hard drugs related case. Shibu soren was also involved in murder. Sometimes we indians have such short memories?
So you still believe that Modi and Amit Shah who have become experts at identifying and attracting winnable , criminal candidates to the party and putting them up for election , will then remove all of them and put up clean candidates , who will then go on to win , only because by then a billion Indians will be convinced that Modi is clean and BJP is clean and that both of them want to clean India !
Bollywood cannot come up with a better script.
Modi and Amit Shah and the BJP have already cleaned up India.
The only question is when will they flee the country , like Lalit Modi , Nirav Modi and various others.
Too good an analysis by Shekar ji – as usual.
The article leaves us pondering over – what is this all about ? Is this about only the three lawmakers and six alleged crimes? Or is this about couple of Political parties only?
There are greater points at stake. Why these alleged criminals are hot cakes across political parties? Three – four elections away, during ballots days, there were stories of booth capturing and primarily rowdy elements were needed to capture the booths where presumably and apparently votes were expected to be cast to some other candidates. So some supporting booths plus some captured booth used to be equal to a Win. The mighty candidates will use money to engage these road chhap rowdy elements and would become lawmakers. Soon these lawbreakers realised that in stead of facilitating victory of others why they themselves would not stand in elections and win. Initially few of them stood as independent candidates and still few of them could win too. A new caste of bahubalis and dabangs emerged this way and the parties started them enrolling and patronising. Their main game was not the politics but to sustain their crimes and to put the laws and law enforcing agencies into their pockets. Thus there started a vicious circle of politics and crime and criminal politicians or politician criminals emerged as a class of it’s own. A stage came in the political journey when even good politicians too nourished these lawbreakers to sustain and force themselves upon electorates when their support base eroded. Capturing booths, looting ballot boxes, threatening polling personnel became rules rather than exceptions in some of the pockets – especially in remote areas not too accessible by transport or communication. And soon we started seeing these lawbreakers in all the political parties. They would provide both – the huge funds as well as the force required for the parties. The nexus had continued unabated and some of the leaders were either working purely on the dictates of these lawbreakers or these lawbreakers themselves became the leaders – many a times ministers. The police force who once arrested them became their body guards.
Closely attached to this, started demoralisation and captivation of law enforcement agencies. These lawbreakers would often jump to the party in power and would not only escape the law but control and enjoy the law! So jumping over the parties were common for them.
This grossly happened in Bihar and in UP – the heartland of politics, where the law and law enforcement agencies were made a great mockery. In some way or other this happened in other states too across our country.
No one Political party can be blamed for this. All the political parties contributed to this and if we dare to count, a good number of lawmakers across political spectrum would be visible in the system today.
There are only two reasons which contribute to this situation – Money and Force, which, unfortunately, is needed by all the political parties. Money to fund the candidates and Force to ensure the unwilling to vote for and fall in line. All of us know that the huge money may come only from the quarter indulging in unlawful means – they may be in business earning money by wrong doing or in direct crimes exhorting money from the people who have.
This has been unfortunate for our system that the political parties with huge mandates to rule also need them for no reasons at all. If there would be political will, they may eradicate the menace altogether by effecting reforms in our electoral system.
The kind of mandate that the BJP commands in the political heartland in the country, they must have the courage not only to say a big NO to these elements to get entry but to encourage the law enforcement agencies to take a very tough stand towards them to kick them out of the system altogether.
Electoral reforms are need of the hour – refraining from window dressing and doing something concrete. With electronic voting and strict election machinery booth capturing has already gone now. And now something drastic and revolutionary has to be done for Money power affecting the elections. If BJP has the courage to go some extra mile to improve and cleanse the system, it may do it in one gentle stroke. The only question being whether it has the Will to take that leap forward!
You are 100% correct when you say winnabilty is the the morality for political parties. It leads to a very serious question why these parties want to win and capture power, merely for serving people?
What Shekhar is saying is that Modi, inspite of his so called popularity and mass appeal, can not ignore caste politics, winability factor etc when BJP chooses its candidates. So politics is still the same, though most of the castes now vote for BJP and Secular parties have been unable to divide Hindu vote. Thus, Modi has won just half the battle and after consolidating Hindu vote, he needs to weed out such elements from politics and cleanse it. This will require a lot of time for Modi Shah duo to achieve this. We need to support Modi for another one or two terms for this. Good article indeed.
So you still believe that Modi and Amit Shah who have become experts at identifying and attracting winnable , criminal candidates to the party and putting them up for election , will then remove all of them and put up clean candidates , who will then go on to win , only because by then a billion Indians will be convinced that Modi is clean and BJP is clean and that both of them want to clean India !
Bollywood cannot come up with a better script.
Modi and Amit Shah and the BJP have already cleaned up India.
The only question is when will they flee the country , like Lalit Modi , Nirav Modi and various others.
Modi will rule India for another 50 years with his breath in breath out yoga. By that time all Christians and Muslims will reconvert to Hinduism
So it will be partying day in and day out
Brilliant piece with plenty of background into. Though sadly highlighting the disgusting state of politics in the country.
How is every thing ruined for this MLA? Already most of the witnesses are exterminated. he may be let off or get minimum punishment. Throughout India, a large number of political leaders are like him. But if the votes are caste for the party and not for any candidates, all political parties must not give tickets to the criminals
I have seen many entetaining films , of mafia dons and all , played by venerable actors like Amitabh Bachan but the entertainment quotient provided by the above article in no less , I remember an ad by amitabh bachan who then in the company of ‘bade bhaiyaa’ amar singh had a tag line ,UP mein law hai or something like that , that ad that time had more humor than many of amit’s films
Simply brilliant.Sad the expected transformation in politics with Modi coming is not taking place although the Khan market gang can be charged of selective amnesia.
Thank you Shekhar Gupta for these 3 lovely life sketches .
This deserves to be translated into all our languages and propagated widely.
Thanks for the history lesson, Shekhar ji. Well written. Crisp. Packs a punch. Informative.
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist,Barnala (Punjab)
Many thoughts and tales start haunting my mind while going through this story !
When bulk of bills including triple talaq bill were passed by Rajya Sabha a couple of days ago the same becoming laws instantly, the treasury benches were found patting themselves for working wonders making laws by bringing certain amendments !
Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too were feeling quite elated terming
these amended laws as historical developments and achievements !
It is very fine to have plethora of laws in the nation but the moot question arises, is everyone equal before law in the nation ? Are these laws followed in toto in the letter and spirit irrespective of offenders high or low, rich or poor and mighty or weak factors ?
The ruling party rushed through numerous bills during the recent Parliament session turning the same into laws ! Will it serve the purpose of reforming society, that is the multi -million dollar question ?In my humble opinion,Parliament did fritter away its time and energies in futility! The opposition parties too vehemently opposed many of the bills presented in both the houses with amendments .
How fine it would have been if polity had striven to ensure the compliance of already existing laws in the nation !
But ironically psyche of the polity appears to be in favour of quantity instead of quality !
Shekhar Sahib, by citing three examples you have reflected the stark realities of the system in its true colours. Who bothers and cares about
ideologies, principles, morals and values in the present day politics ?
The law of the land must be adhered to by all and sundry spiritedly , only then law making has real meaning and
significance othetwise it is an exercise in nothingness .
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala (Punjab)
The last three letters of your headline reveal your anti-BJP bias. The MLAs and MPs have tasted (and throwed up) other parties. Why then point finger at BJP only ? Were / Are they saints if they join other parties ?
Remove those three letters !
Respected Sir….they are in bjp now right…
I would like to know the antecedents of current/ex FAMOUS/INFAMOUS MPs. I heard someone tell harsimran badal in Parliament that her grandfather mijidhia hosted dinner to Dyer the same night on which he had slaughtered indians at jallian wala bagh earlier in the evening. I remember clearly that this woman’s brother was summoned by ED during cong rule for heroine/hard drugs related case. Shibu soren was also involved in murder. Sometimes we indians have such short memories?
So you still believe that Modi and Amit Shah who have become experts at identifying and attracting winnable , criminal candidates to the party and putting them up for election , will then remove all of them and put up clean candidates , who will then go on to win , only because by then a billion Indians will be convinced that Modi is clean and BJP is clean and that both of them want to clean India !
Bollywood cannot come up with a better script.
Modi and Amit Shah and the BJP have already cleaned up India.
The only question is when will they flee the country , like Lalit Modi , Nirav Modi and various others.
Too good an analysis by Shekar ji – as usual.
The article leaves us pondering over – what is this all about ? Is this about only the three lawmakers and six alleged crimes? Or is this about couple of Political parties only?
There are greater points at stake. Why these alleged criminals are hot cakes across political parties? Three – four elections away, during ballots days, there were stories of booth capturing and primarily rowdy elements were needed to capture the booths where presumably and apparently votes were expected to be cast to some other candidates. So some supporting booths plus some captured booth used to be equal to a Win. The mighty candidates will use money to engage these road chhap rowdy elements and would become lawmakers. Soon these lawbreakers realised that in stead of facilitating victory of others why they themselves would not stand in elections and win. Initially few of them stood as independent candidates and still few of them could win too. A new caste of bahubalis and dabangs emerged this way and the parties started them enrolling and patronising. Their main game was not the politics but to sustain their crimes and to put the laws and law enforcing agencies into their pockets. Thus there started a vicious circle of politics and crime and criminal politicians or politician criminals emerged as a class of it’s own. A stage came in the political journey when even good politicians too nourished these lawbreakers to sustain and force themselves upon electorates when their support base eroded. Capturing booths, looting ballot boxes, threatening polling personnel became rules rather than exceptions in some of the pockets – especially in remote areas not too accessible by transport or communication. And soon we started seeing these lawbreakers in all the political parties. They would provide both – the huge funds as well as the force required for the parties. The nexus had continued unabated and some of the leaders were either working purely on the dictates of these lawbreakers or these lawbreakers themselves became the leaders – many a times ministers. The police force who once arrested them became their body guards.
Closely attached to this, started demoralisation and captivation of law enforcement agencies. These lawbreakers would often jump to the party in power and would not only escape the law but control and enjoy the law! So jumping over the parties were common for them.
This grossly happened in Bihar and in UP – the heartland of politics, where the law and law enforcement agencies were made a great mockery. In some way or other this happened in other states too across our country.
No one Political party can be blamed for this. All the political parties contributed to this and if we dare to count, a good number of lawmakers across political spectrum would be visible in the system today.
There are only two reasons which contribute to this situation – Money and Force, which, unfortunately, is needed by all the political parties. Money to fund the candidates and Force to ensure the unwilling to vote for and fall in line. All of us know that the huge money may come only from the quarter indulging in unlawful means – they may be in business earning money by wrong doing or in direct crimes exhorting money from the people who have.
This has been unfortunate for our system that the political parties with huge mandates to rule also need them for no reasons at all. If there would be political will, they may eradicate the menace altogether by effecting reforms in our electoral system.
The kind of mandate that the BJP commands in the political heartland in the country, they must have the courage not only to say a big NO to these elements to get entry but to encourage the law enforcement agencies to take a very tough stand towards them to kick them out of the system altogether.
Electoral reforms are need of the hour – refraining from window dressing and doing something concrete. With electronic voting and strict election machinery booth capturing has already gone now. And now something drastic and revolutionary has to be done for Money power affecting the elections. If BJP has the courage to go some extra mile to improve and cleanse the system, it may do it in one gentle stroke. The only question being whether it has the Will to take that leap forward!
Sorry state of affairs. Sekhar Gupta thanks for writing this.
You are 100% correct when you say winnabilty is the the morality for political parties. It leads to a very serious question why these parties want to win and capture power, merely for serving people?
Yeh kahaani hai Diye ki aur Toofaan ki …
What Shekhar is saying is that Modi, inspite of his so called popularity and mass appeal, can not ignore caste politics, winability factor etc when BJP chooses its candidates. So politics is still the same, though most of the castes now vote for BJP and Secular parties have been unable to divide Hindu vote. Thus, Modi has won just half the battle and after consolidating Hindu vote, he needs to weed out such elements from politics and cleanse it. This will require a lot of time for Modi Shah duo to achieve this. We need to support Modi for another one or two terms for this. Good article indeed.
So you still believe that Modi and Amit Shah who have become experts at identifying and attracting winnable , criminal candidates to the party and putting them up for election , will then remove all of them and put up clean candidates , who will then go on to win , only because by then a billion Indians will be convinced that Modi is clean and BJP is clean and that both of them want to clean India !
Bollywood cannot come up with a better script.
Modi and Amit Shah and the BJP have already cleaned up India.
The only question is when will they flee the country , like Lalit Modi , Nirav Modi and various others.
Modi will rule India for another 50 years with his breath in breath out yoga. By that time all Christians and Muslims will reconvert to Hinduism
So it will be partying day in and day out
Brilliant piece with plenty of background into. Though sadly highlighting the disgusting state of politics in the country.
There is no BJP. No Congress. There is only Indian society. Every 5 years or so only the label changes in Delhi. Ek hi thaili ke chatte batte.
How is every thing ruined for this MLA? Already most of the witnesses are exterminated. he may be let off or get minimum punishment. Throughout India, a large number of political leaders are like him. But if the votes are caste for the party and not for any candidates, all political parties must not give tickets to the criminals
I have seen many entetaining films , of mafia dons and all , played by venerable actors like Amitabh Bachan but the entertainment quotient provided by the above article in no less , I remember an ad by amitabh bachan who then in the company of ‘bade bhaiyaa’ amar singh had a tag line ,UP mein law hai or something like that , that ad that time had more humor than many of amit’s films
The catch line of SP used by Amitabh Bachchan was “UP mein Hai Dham Kunki Jurm yahan hein Kum”.
For the first time, I liked The Print’s article..
Perfect left handed compliment.