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2 July <strong>2018</strong> UNITED KINGDOM www.theasianindependent.co.uk Modi’s calculated risk to use Kashmir for election purposes The BJP today pulled out of the Jammu and Kashmir government headed by People’s Democratic Party leader Ms Mehbooba Mufti. Speaking to the media in Delhi, the party in charge of J & K Mr Ram Madhav said that this alliance had become untenable as the situation in the valley was worsening every day. According to Madhav that ceasefire was a goodwill gesture which was not reciprocated so they pulled the rug and now the state would be under the direct control of the Center through the governor of the state. It is clear that the BJP does not want to own the horrendous failure in Jammu and kashmir and perhaps withdrew keeping in mind the ‘national’ sentiments which would be much regressive than ever as we know the ‘chavanni chhap’ leaders will spit fire in the public and convert the entire issue into Hindus and Muslims or India and Pakistan as if the Hindus have given them sole permit to speak on their behalf. In fact, I agree with the Kerala author who suggested that Hindus must now speak up and disown the Hindutva outfit in absolute term. BJP leaders have used Kashmir’s Pandit issue to polarise the masses and it was difficult for them to use the same rhetoric if they were in the power with PDP. Fact is that Kashmir is not merely a law and order issue which this government wanted to convey to all. It is an international issue despite all the denials by the government of India and its thoroughly discredited mediamen. A few of those who questioned the state and the militants actually became victims of violence. Team AI : Devinder Chander Editor-in-chief Fred Shakir Marketing & Creative Manager Columnists V.B. Rawat Farzana Suri Arun Kumar Head Office 46 Summer Rd, Erdington Birmingham, B23 6UR. Tel : +44 7878 456 484 Email : info@theasianindependent.co.uk Advertisement Enquiries +44 7475 475 343 The Asian Independent is an Intellectual Property of Samaj Media Enterprise Ltd Now, when an issue is national and need attention of all of us to resolve, the Hindutva lumpens actually made it a Hindu Muslim issue raising the bogey of the treatment to Kashmiri Pandits. If the discrimination and violence in Kashmir has to be recounted and revisited then where would you begin your story? Obviously not from 1990 when the situation became alarmingly out of control of the Indian state. Fact is that today, the situation is worst than 1990. At least that time, the national media reported but today the brahmanical media hide facts and speak like Amit Shah’s spokesperson. The situation in Kashmir is deeply disturbing and perhaps needed a balm but this government was determined to use the Kashmiri dissent into a false nationalistic narratives to win the elections. The armed forces have been pushed into an entirely hostile atmosphere where they are made to believe as if the local population has become Pakistani. Without understanding the history of Kashmir, you can not really resolve the crisis but unfortunately Assam, Kashmir, Nagaland are the regions which the ruling party want to use in the rest of the country. For a common Sanghi or even non Sanghi Indian, Kashmiris are anti Indians and therefore army need to crush them. It is because most of these lynch mob kind of nationalists have not ever felt the understanding of a minority psyche. The whole understanding of the Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland from the glasses of upper caste north Indian mindset is only proving to be disastrous. Modi’s advisers don’t look beyond the immediate gains in the elections and hence the violence in kashmir or the resentment against the Indian army would be used as a tool to whip up passions of we versus them. BJP’s ministers are determined to convert every issue into a Hindu Muslim crisis but we hope that people of India are realising the entire game plan of the Sangh Parivar and their crony corporate. Have we not seen how the BJP and its leaders justify the human sheild used by Major Gogoi and now the said Major is under the investigation for another violation. The party shamelessly supported those who have been campaigning against the Bakarwal community girl brutally raped and murdered by the priest of a temple along By Vidya Bhushan Rawat social and human rights activist with other accomplice. Rather than openly condemning the heneous crime against humanity, the party tried to play the communal game and blaming the seculars and liberals for accusing the ‘Hindus’. Even the lawywers in the Kathua court tried to subvert the case which was finally transferred outside the state. The Central government has completely failed in Kashmir. The sentiment in the valley has turned against India and army is finding it tough to handle the situation. The tragedy is that the follies of the political leadership in Delhi is being shouldered by the armed forces who are doing their work in deeply difficult circumstances. So many of our soldiers have been killed in this warfare which the government still not ready to accede that it is a political issue and need a political solution. Veteran editor Shujaat Bukhari’s murder was the last in the coffin and the central government wanted to put the blame entirely on Mehbooba Mufti whose father made the life time mistake by allying with totally communal fringe which has no botheration of Kashmiri people b u t which only wanted to dominate the geographical area and not the people. That is what Sangh Parivar think of every part of India. They only love land which eventually they are handing over to the corporate even when people are being killed when they protest. In Kashmir if they protest for their autonomy, they are terrorists elsewhere they are Maoists and naxalites. Interestingly those Sanghis who are openly threatening and killing people are nationalists and have full political support. We know that after this break up the government will use the Governor's rule recommended in J&K Srinagar/New Delhi : Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra on Tuesday evening suggested to the Union Home Ministry that Governor's Rule should be imposed for six months in the state after the PDP-BJP coalition collapsed, official sources said. Officials in the national capital said that Home Ministry has received the recommendation which will be sent to President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent. The Jammu and Kashmir Constitution provides for Governor's Rule unlike other states which see President's Rule. same macho language and BJP political leaders will prepare the background of how the party did not ‘succumb’ to ‘terrorists’ and ‘muslims’ who are anti Indians. Well, we hope this falsification of history will be rejected by the people of India but even if this is accepted, it is not going to resolve the issue in Kashmir. You can not resolve the Jammu Kashmir issue or bring peace there by holding referendum in rest of the country or at the crony corporate funded corrupt communal TV studios. You can not decide the future of Kashmir by making it an issue during the election to polarise votes in rest of the country. If you want to resolve the issue, just go there, speak to people, show your intents and remain honest. However, this is not visible and therefore situation is becoming grimmer. As there is no government even for the name sake, the direct rule of Delhi will be observed carefully internationally. For the first time in the history, Kashmir issue has come at the UN and a report castigate India for the human rights violation. Now just outrightly rejecting it would not be suffice. Show some work at the ground and speak to the people. Once your deshbhakts have discredited all the political parties in the valley, all the people who were really interested to speak, things are difficult. I have said many times that those Kashmiris who are speaking of sanity and peace face threats both from the Indian state as well as the militants outfits. Their lives are in danger and the state has unable to protect them. It is time for the government to seriously look into the affair by engaging all the stakeholders including political parties, civil society organisations and others. Also at the national level, it should not merely the government but all the parties opposition who must be taken into confidence to build up a consensus on Jammu and Kashmir. A military solution to the issue will never be possible and ultimately we will have to bring all the forces to the negotiation table. Using Kashmir for the electoral purpose will boomerang and further isolate India at the International forums. Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social and human rights activist. He blogs at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com twitter @freetohumanity Email: vbrawat@gmail.com WORLD LEADING MICROBEADS BAN COMES INTO FORCE Ban on the sale of products containing microbeads comes into effect. A ban on the sale of products containing microbeads has come into force today as part of the Government’s world-leading efforts to prevent these harmful pieces of plastic entering the marine environment. From today, retailers across England and Scotland will no longer be able to sell rinse-off cosmetics and personal care products that contain microbeads – the tiny pieces of plastic often added to products such as face scrubs, soaps, toothpaste and shower gels. Just one shower alone is thought to send 100,000 microbeads down the drain and into the ocean, causing serious harm to marine life. The Government’s ban – praised by campaigners as one of the toughest in the world – will now prevent billions of microbeads ending up in the ocean every year. Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, said: Microbeads might be tiny, but they are lethal to sea creatures and entirely unnecessary. We have led the way in banning these toxic pieces of plastic, but this is by no means the end in our fight. We will now press ahead with our proposals for a deposit return scheme and ban other damaging plastic such as straws”. Today’s announcement follows January’s ban on the manufacture of products containing microbeads. It sits alongside the Government’s 5p plastic bag charge – which has taken nine billion bags out of circulation – and recent proposals for a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and a ban on the sale of plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. It also forms part of the 25 Year Environment Plan commitment to eliminate avoidable plastic waste and sits alongside the Treasury’s call for evidence on how changes to the tax system could be used to reduce single use plastics. With the microbeads ban now in place, the Government is exploring how other microplastic sources enter our marine environment. Last month £200,000 was pledged by the Government for scientists at the University of Plymouth to explore how tiny plastic particles from tyres, synthetic materials like polyester, and fishing gear – such as nets, ropes and lines – enter our waterways and oceans. The Government also launched the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance earlier this year to help eliminate single use plastic and address marine plastic pollution across the Commonwealth. * The Asian Independent and people associated with it are not responsible for any claims made by the advertisers and do not endorse in any products or services advertised. Please visit www.theasianindependent.com/tc for more information.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk By – Farzana Suri, Victory Coach mail@farzanasuri.com www.farzanasuri.com “No!” she screeched. “You need to cut the sandwiches diagonally not horizontally.” She continued. The man, “How does it matter?” The woman looked at him and spoke between clenched teeth, “It does, to me.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. She went taut, ready to retort then sat down and went into some strange ritual of breathing. He looked at her, acquiescent as she blew her last breath and then, miraculously smiled at him. “It’s okay, I’m fine. Cut it whichever way you want, it doesn’t matter.” The subject of eloquence was – sandwiches. The woman wanted them cut her way – the perfect way. You may have experienced a situation similar to this, at some point. This need – to do it ‘right’. So, what is right? Is the output more important than the process? Diagonal or horizontal? Would the sandwich taste different? Striving for excellence is great. The pursuit leads to the discovery of capabilities that may surprise you. However, when the craving for excellence deprives you of the ability to appreciate your own labour and accomplishments, the scales are tilting, precariously. Making you fall prey into the clutches of the ‘P’ word – Perfection. The definition of Perfectionism is, ‘straining compulsively and unceasingly towards unobtainable goals and measuring their self-worth by productivity and accomplishment’. “Being harsh on yourself”, says my Aunt D “is what perfection is all about.” Perfection is the unreal halo of expectation you place upon your head. And, which in a flash, can transform into that tightening noose around you. Perfection is a double-edged sword. Which side of that sword are you sharpening? If it’s getting in your way of your life then it’s becoming a malady. How do you know whether you are suffering from the Perfection Malady? Ruthless focus on detail – when the need to nit-pick and worry about each painstaking detail is high and causing discomfort to you and those around you i.e the comma or the tilt of the photo frame. The need to ‘be better’ – when you are wracked with the need to be flawless or feel ‘I’m not enough’. Fear of rejection – when the pressure to please people in early childhood has cemented itself in other areas of your life. The constant need to keep pushing the bar higher for approval. Avoidance – when you are caught between, ‘if I don’t win UNITED KINGDOM The Perfection Malady then I don’t want to do it’ and tend to skirt issues because you would like to do it your way. The guilt of being or doing ‘less’ is tantamount to failure to you. The innate urgency to ‘fix’ things You feel only ‘you can do it best’. Your impatience gets you taking on the work done by others. Leaving you with constant anxiety, frustration or and worry about how things ought to be or get done. If more than 3 of the above points resonated with you, then read on. Remember, seeking excellence is important for success however obsessing about it, gets you infected with the Perfection Malady. I have been a seeker of perfection throughout most of my life. Making life harder for myself in the pursuit of the high standards I uphold. Each time, the Perfection Malady stalked me; I invited stress into my world. My success seemed like a long path wrought with the pain I afflicted on myself due to my self-judgments. I found myself caught in the web of my UK govt defends decision to refuse right to live, work in Britain for Indian professionals London : The UK government has defended its controversial decision to deny residency rights to hundreds of highly skilled professionals, including Indians, who made legally acceptable amendments to their tax records, claiming the applicants caught up in the visa row are guilty of misconduct. Following a long-drawn campaign by the Highly Skilled Migrants Group, the UK Home Office had opened a review into Tier 1 (General) visa cases involving teachers, doctors, lawyers and engineers from countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh being refused indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under a national security clause At the conclusion of the first phase of the review, UK minister for immigration Caroline Nokes reported in a letter to the House of Commons' influential Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) that her department's decision to refuse applications under Paragraph 322(5) of the UK's immigration rules due to a discrepancy in reported earnings had been "correct". The letter, however, also acknowledged that the review had thrown up 38 cases of Home Office refusals being overturned and allowed on appeal "Although the earnings issues were considered on appeal, the majority were overturned solely on human rights grounds rather than because of decision-making errors relating to earnings," Nokes said. The Highly Skilled Migrants Group expressed shock at the minister's attempt to downplay this figure, where applicants won their appeals in at least 38 instances - a figure expected to go up once the review into the remaining 1,671 cases is completed in the next few weeks "It just proves our point about Paragraph 322(5) being used disproportionately," said Aditi Bhardwaj, coordinator of the group, which has been lobbying ministers through major protests outside the UK Parliament since early this year. "The very fact that these appeals are being allowed on human rights grounds should hopefully prevent the future disproportionate use of this clause and prevent applicants having to challenge Home Office decisions in court," Bhardwaj said. "It does show they (Home Office) were making mistakes. This should tell them that at the very least not to refuse people where there are serious human rights grounds, such as family ties in the UK and young children involved," Bhardwaj said. Nokes confirms in her letter to HASC that the outstanding Tier 1 (General) visa decisions remain on hold pending the outcome of the review, holding out hope for the protesters that Paragraph 322(5) may be used in a "fairer" manner in future Home Office decisions for these applicants. obsession to find fault in everything and everyone, until one day I realised how it affected my health and my relationships. Was it worth it? No, not at all. I learnt to cope with this monster called perfectionism, a long time ago and I’m still coping. I daresay, I haven’t got over it, but yes, I’m aware when it snakes its head up to take over control and I know, it’s time to quash it. I’m sharing what I’ve learnt in the hope that you find something useful to live a life of ease. Here are a few ways to handle perfectionism: Awareness – this is the first step. Have you set standards for yourself? Are they unrealistic? Is your confident dependent on your success? To find a solution you need to know that there IS a problem to be resolved. Perspective – Take a reality check. Look at the bigger picture. Will the need for perfection have an impact on the outcome? You’ll know how to answer this. Fair Assessment – If you’re obsessing over, ‘it is not up to the mark’ then perhaps you need to step back and ask yourself what is the need of the hour and, then what is your benchmark? Acknowledge your effort. You did your best. Progress is key – At times, you may give in to the need to do it ‘right’ than give it on time. What good is a perfect proposal compared to submitting it past the deadline? Being on time pips perfection, anytime. Failure is okay – Don’t beat yourself over your mistakes. It is okay to fail. Success is all about failing. It is the ladder to growth. Learn from it and be kind, to yourself and others. Flexibility – There is always another way to do it. There is July <strong>2018</strong> 3 always help to get it done. Try doing things, differently. Let go of the need to be rigid. Acceptance – People are doing the best they can. Don’t dump your high standards on them and expect them to perform like you. Learn from nature – Is there anything perfect? The trees are misaligned, the river is not constant and take a look at your body, even that is a tad asymmetrical. Choose joy – Choose to enjoy the journey. You’ll find yourself in a better space. Focus on what you have accomplished than what you haven’t done or done ‘correctly’. Choose gratitude over anxiety, guilt and depression. These emotions are a waste of your precious time on earth. One of the things, I do often is ask myself this question: Is what I’m doing taking me ahead or pulling me back? This is my cue to shift my gear from the perfection of unrealistic expectations to achieving real results. That’s it. Perfection is about control over things beyond you. Surrender and self-forgive so you can wrest control of your life and enjoy the journey instead of being fixated on the destination. It’s time to bring the magic into your life, right now! None of us are perfect, and that is perfectly fine.
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