The Asian Independent - January 2019

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22 January 2019 WORLD www.theasianindependent.co.uk very day is a new day. We have been celebrating every year for last so many years but it also give us opportunity to introspect about our lives. It is time when we need to seriously ponder over as what kind of society are we becoming. Every now and then people are asked to prove their ‘loyalty’ to the nation. And our loyalties to the nation have been converted into following certain slogans and symbolism. We must understand that these symbolic nationalism is nothing but ‘bania kee dukaan’. Anna Hazare started with his gangs of lawbreakers holding the tricolors in their hands. With our national flag in their hands now people can do anything. Now they go to Kanwar yatra carrying these flags on their bikes. People are lynching the others and being cremated with national flag draped on their bodies. The other symbolic nationalism come from singing Vande Mataram and Bharat mata kee jai. Now, for many like us it does not matter but the fact is these slogan became ‘nationalist’ during the freedom struggle and the brahmanical elite that dominated the Congress party actually created these slogans. Even during the freedom struggle, all those Muslims who were in the Congress Party were called ‘nationalist’ muslims, a clear indication that those who differ with the party were not nationalists. Such demarcation of identities were dangerous. The issue in the Indian subcontinent was caste but Hindu and Muslim power elite fought with each other so deliberately that the caste issues were kept aside and ignored. Frankly speaking caste actually supersedes religion in our subcontinent but dominant Muslim and Hindu narrative ensures that the issues of Dalits, pasmandas do not come into picture. Every day, these socalled liberals and ‘radicals’ fight with each others to keep others aside. So you have to either defend them or speak up against them. We cant live with out them in this age of social media. Should we allowed to be used by the people trying to brand themselves through deliberate social media campaigns. Don’t those exists who are not brand and not so ‘important’. We need to oppose this agenda setting exercise. I don’t believe in ‘liberal-radical’ debate. I know they all are part of power structure and they position themselves. Modi’s chelas have made a film WELCOME 2019 ‘accidental prime minister’ but I can say here that Narendra Modi has given India many ‘accidental heroes and leaders’ and now they have become brand. The brands have over taken the work of those sincere activists at the grassroots who have dedicated their lives for years. Society too look for celebrities and many of them only speak either for Modi or against him as if there are no other issues left in India. The result is many time these brand embarrass their promoters too. Wish each one of you strength. Please defend right to free speech. It is important also for us to allow people to speak their language and ideas. The biggest contribution of Modi-Yogi brand in India is that they have created By Vidya Bhushan Rawat social and human rights activist a perpetual hatred against Muslims in India. This is the biggest challenge for all of us to ensure that all citizens of India including Muslims and Christians to feel that this is their own country and none have right to distribute any certificate to them. India is passing through a critical stage. It is time we protect this idea of India which our constitutional forefathers adopted for us. You can not impose Hindi-Hindu- Hindustan on vast Indian population. The Sanghi agenda has failed to take all along. The irony is that those in power spreading fake news and hatred. Democracy is under the threat but we have to protect it all cost but we need to talk about inclusive democracy. Let us talk about proportional electorate system which give representation to all. Our solidarity with all those who continue to speak up despite facing threats and abuses from the religious thugs and goons. We know they are of every colour and every variety. it is only time to understand that a theocratic society is most dangerous for all of us. The Brahmin monopoly of knowledge is now being challenged by the Bania-marwari control of money and resources. All others are merely the spectators in this game of control over polity, national resources and knowledge. The only way to get out of this mess is for all those who do not believe in hegemonic tendencies and democratisation of society is to speak about collective leadership. Shun the celebrity culture and disown the brands. It is they who betray the trust of the people. Have’nt we understood what happened to India in 2014. Celebrity culture and brands are attempt to control levers of powers and disallow any outsiders in the power structure. My advise to friends would be to enjoy life without attempting to be ‘ Very important’. I can bet, it will give you much bigger strength than being a VIP. Life will not be less meaningful if you get lesser calls and invite to deliver ‘big’ inaugural speeches. There is joy and meaningfulness in many things including encouraging youngsters and providing all help and ideas to those who are unable due to their socio-economic conditions. Create a new generation of people to fight, write and decide about themselves. For a stronger India, we must do away with Bhakti cult in politics as Baba Saheb Ambedkar said. We need to do away with the messianic culture and focus more on issues and collective leadership. Wish you strength, happiness and greater ideas each day. Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social and human rights activist. He blogs at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com twitter @ f r e e t o h u m a n i t y Email: vbrawat@gmail.com NON-SUBSIDISED LPG RATE CUT BY Rs 120.50/cylinder, subsidised by Rs 5.91 New Delhi, Passing on a new year gift of reduction in global gas prices to consumers, state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) on Monday announced a major cut of Rs 120.50 in the rates of non-subsidised LPG cylinders. In a statement here, IOC also said the subsidised quota of 12 cooking gas cylinders per annum will also cost less by Rs 5.91 per cylinder, effective from January 1. Thus, a 14.2-kg subsidised LPG cylinder will cost Rs 494.99 in Delhi from midnight, as against Rs 500.90. The non-subsidised LPG will now cost Rs 689 per cylinder, in place of the current Rs 809.50. “The price of Non-Subsidised LPG at Delhi will decrease by Rs 120.50 per cylinder w.e.f. 1st January 2019 due to fall in price of LPG in international market and strengthening of US dollar-rupee exchange rate,” IOC said. Actual prices following the rate cut will vary across centres owing to local taxes. Want to enjoy snow, extend your stay in Himachal Shimla, If you want to enjoy the snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, extend your stay as the Met office on Tuesday predicted snow this week. Meteorological office Director Manmohan Singh told IANS that a western disturbance is likely to be active in the region from January 1, bringing rain and snowfall. Shimla, the Queen of Hills, is recording the “warmest” days owing to long sunny spells, while cities like Chandigarh, Amritsar, Karnal, New Delhi and Lucknow, located in the plains, are reeling under cold wave conditions with the sun fogged out. Hill destinations have been experiencing long hours of sunny weather for over a week and the day temperatures in most places have risen. Another official at the Shimla meteorological bureau said the maximum temperature in the hill state is one-two degrees above the season’s average. But nights and mornings are intensely cold. “Under the influence of western disturbance, light to moderate scattered rainfall and snowfall would occur in the state till January 2. Another western disturbance would be active from January 4 with another chance of widespread precipitation,” he said. The probability of snowfall in Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Manali, Kalpa and Dalhousie is high till January 6. Members of the hospitality industry said most of the tourists were enquiring about the chances of snowfall. Despite prevailing dry weather, most of the hotels in Shimla, Kufri, Kasauli, Chail, Dharamsala, Palampur and Manali were jampacked to ring in the New Year. “Some of our guests are preferring to extend their stay with a hope to enjoy the snowfall,” D.P. Bhatia, liaison officer with the Oberoi Group, told IANS. Akansha Malhotra and Aryaman, a couple from New Delhi, said they have extended their New Year holidays in Shimla “as there are chances of snowfall”. The mountain peaks viewed from Shimla, and the Dhauladhar peaks overlooking Tibetan Buddhist leader Dalai Lama’s official palace in McLeodganj near Dharamsala are covered by a white blanket. Tourist arrivals in the hill state every year surpasses the state’s population of about 6.5 million. Kullu- Manali has emerged as a favourite tourist destination in the state, followed by Shimla and Dharamsala, according to the state Tourism Department’s surveys. A five-day winter carnival in Manali, beginning January 2, is an added draw for tourists who want to extend their stay. In Shimla, located around 7,000 feet above sea level, the minimum temperature was 5.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, whereas the maximum was 16.3 degrees on Monday. The night temperature in Dharamsala was 4.4 degrees Celsius, whereas popular tourist resort Manali saw a low of minus 0.2 degree. At minus 6.8 degree, Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest in the state, while Kalpa, some 250 km from the state capital, saw a low of minus 3.4 degree.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk A recent inglorious defeat of Modi/Shah combine in three Indian states: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and victory of Rahul Gandhi, once labeled immature, parttime politicians by the BJP/RSS, shows that no leader or government can befool the intelligent Indian voters for a long time. Insulating day and night Gandhi family from the public platforms by Modi/RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal made sick the people of India. The victory of Rahul Gandhi also shows that Modi/Shah combine can no longer win future elections merely on empty rhetoric. There is a long list of failures on the part of Modi/RSS combine. Apart from Demonetization, GST the rate of unemployment among the graduates is high. Nothing substantial has been done to generate employment avenues for millions of young graduates. The litany is that Ph.D. degree holders are forced to look for fourth class jobs such as peon, steno etc. Numerous flagship programmes such as Skill India, Start-up India launched by Modi government did not work well to help the young population. The voice of millions of struggling farmers is not heard. Central government teachers` salary is not paid on time but to talk of state governments which are struggling due financial crunch. Research centers are almost on the verge of collapse due to financial paucity. The development and good governance stands no where under Modi/RSS divisive politics. It is on record that Indian intelligent voters are impatient. At the same time, Indian voters gave a full term to Modi/RSS to address the issues like unemployment, skyrocketing prices, fuel prices, farmer distress etc. All these issues are directly pinching the pocket of a common man. But unfortunately, BJP/RSS leaders utilized their time and energy to polarize the society on the basis of religion and caste resulting in social chaos and anarchy. This social chaos and anarchy as generated by Modi/RSS in almost all BETWEEN FAITH AND JUSTICE WORLD The Demise of Modi`s Arrogance and Acrimonious Politics states of India have further lead to societal disintegration. People belonging to the minority groups are publicly beaten by the goons of RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal. Muslims are killed; Christians are suppressed; Sikhs are labeled Khalistanis`. On corruption front, Indian intelligent voters were expecting from Modi/RSS to root out corruption from the face of India but data shows that no file is moved unless a bribe is paid. The digitization of the government department has furthered created problems for the common people. Officers working in the government departments are taking advantage of digitization. Nothing is done without paying the bribe. Touts and middlemen rule January 2019 23 the roost. On foreign policy front, Modi as a Prime Minister of India wasted the taxpayer money while making visits to several countries. In the current scenario, almost all European countries are struggling with their own social and economic problems. It is also a fact that when a country is struggling to make her own citizens happy one cannot expect foreign investment. On the other hand, USA under the Presidentship of Donald Trump wanted “America First”. China under Xi Jinping wanted Chinese goods to be traded rather than establishing manufacturing units in India. India under Modi/RSS Hindutva ideological orientation lost credibility to attract foreign investment. There are two major reasons working against India under Modi/RSS (1) Political instability (2) Social anarchy. Today, a foreign investor is reluctant to come to India. There is no denying the fact that Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India has wasted valuable five years of a young population of India. Now time is over for Narendra Modi to address the impending issues concerning the common man since 2019 Lok Sabha elections are approaching. The current mood of the Indian voters Indicate that Modi`s chimera must be annihilated and be buried once for all. Rahul Bali Senior Correspondent, the Asian Independent, UK Recently, I had an occasion to screen our documentary film called `Voices from the Ruins’ in a church in Pune. The film was on the largest attack on the Christian community during the last few centuries. I did not have much space to talk. That was fine. The pastor who organised the screening spent more than one hour shouting `Hallelujah’ on top of his voice. And I was sitting behind the crowd wondering why the hell did I make this film. The film was on the persecution of Christians in India. But I was a total failure in communicating. This idiot was not interested in discussing the real issue. And when I came out, a couple of youngsters came to discuss with me. At that time, the same pastor came and piled on to me. His problem was that I was an atheist. He was very keen to impress me with his knowledge of his God. I told him: `Look, sir. I am only a human rights activist in this situation. I genuinely care for this issue. I can respect your faith. But please respect my convictions also.’ The youngsters got the message. But the older one was only bothered about the fact that I was smelling some beer. He could only smell from outside appearance of me. Not from inside. Sometimes, with all good intentions, we waste our energies. Because, the mainstream world is only bothered about your `appearance’ and not the `essence’. Some people talk to me about `strategies’ of not smelling in such situations. But sorry. I can only be what I am. There is no need to pretend what I am not. Director K P Sasi
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