Sunday Column: The best articles of the week

As India is moving forward, the revolutionary Idea of bringing Lokpal to curb corruption has taken a great leap backward as the bill that is passed by the Government has severe loopholes, especially with respect to the investigative autonomy of the CBI...

As a matter of fact, we came second from last in terms of quality education delivery in the survey conducted by "Programme for International Student Assessment" . Madhumitha Gupta beleives there is nothing to be surprised at, where she addresses the core difficulties almost like a satirical prose in her article titled "Blackboard Bungle"...

An IPS officer from Utharrakand writes about the deficiencies of the Indian Police system and their cowardice using their refusal to grant security to Salman Rushdie in Jaipur as a symbol.

Republic Of fear is an article that that tells why books should not be banned in a democracy and the senselessness of not allowing Salman Rushdie into Jaipur

The decline in the child sex ratio should be a cause of worry and requires one to do a policy re-think : Is the crux of the matter in this excellent article titled "India and the Sex selection Conondrum"

Jekyll and Hyde India is an article that expalins how two very contrasting Indias are co-existing so eloquently embroiled into one another...

Sunday Column: The Week That Was

If the first week of this post showed some really interesting turn of events, the second has invariably turned out to be better... Just read on...

India faced another crushing defeat Down Under, and were left mercilessly gasping for breath, after the scoreline read 4-0. It was the eighth straight loss and the second consecutive whitewash. The recent Indian performances cry out loud for hard, concrete changes in the way Indian cricket is played.

The Jaipur Literature Festival went about smoothly and without obstruction. The days were magnificent, as professed by many a men and women who spent valuable time engaging with few of the most established wordsmiths of our time. It is a very proud moment for Indians since the festival is now clearly established on the global scene.

Salman Rushdie couldn't make it even through the wide networks that could have given him a virtual presence at the Festival, but the opposition to it stayed strong, thanks to the usual suspects.

The case of Vodafone v. Government of India resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that declared no jurisdiction for the India tax authorities over Vodafone's purchase of Hutchinson's interest in its joint venture in India with Essar. It was a landmark case to which the implications are clear - to rewrite the Indian tax laws in accordance with changing times.

It was an incredible moment for the Bhattacharya couple when it was declared that their children will be returned back to their uncle in India. The government was successful in holding talks with the Norwegian authorities that ensured the children's safe return.

Army Chief general V.K Singh went to the supreme court on his controversy his birth date which was wrongly printed in the official army records due to which he has to retire earlier than the actual age in question where he termed the issue as a "question of integrity" and embarrassed the government over it.

Writers must serve a social purpose

"A look at the role of literature, in the context of the recent Jaipur Literature Festival."

Markandey Katju, the author is the Chairman of the Press Council of India, and a former Judge of the Supreme Court. There are two theories about art and literature. The first, ‘art for art's sake' and the second, ‘art for social purpose'. The author ponders on the question of "Which of these should be adopted and followed by artists and writers in India today?" The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Writers must serve a social purpose

In the author's view, "Much of the ‘Literature' Festival was really a caricature. Much of the time was wasted on Salman Rushdie, whom I regard as a very mediocre writer who would have been unknown to most people but for The Satanic Verses. There were, of course, serious writers too whose work deals with the problems of the people but they received no attention in comparison."

There is hardly any good art and literature today before us. Where are the Sarat Chandras and Premchands? Where are the Kabirs, the Dickens? There seems to be a vacuum in artistic and literary terms. Everything seems to have become commercialised. Writers write not to highlight the plight of the masses but to earn money.

Bringing down the fatwa wall

"Standing up for Rushdie is about standing up for every book, painting and film attacked or censored."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Bringing down the fatwa wall: Now here we were, in 2012, twenty-three years after The Satanic Verses was blocked from import; standing by, as Rushdie himself was being blocked from attending a festival because of that blocked book. Even though he has come to India many times since the ‘ban', even though he had not tried to revive the book on any of his visits.

The governments in Delhi and Jaipur, greedy for a few votes and fearful of losing them, are yet again stepping back from confronting the identity merchants.

Dealing with Pakistan's fears on water

"The best reassurance that Pakistan can have is full Indian compliance with the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty."

There is, in Pakistan as in India, a growing perception of water scarcity and of a crisis looming on the horizon. Given the mutual hostility between the two countries, it is not surprising that there is a tendency in Pakistan to believe that the scarcity it is experiencing or fearing is partly attributable to upper riparian actions. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Dealing with Pakistan's fears on water.

While popular perceptions in this regard may not be based on proper information and understanding, a ready inference would be that there must be diversions in the upstream country. Denials by the upper riparian (India) are apt to be received with scepticism.

The only answer to this is to institute a joint study by experts of both countries to determine whether in fact there is a trend of reduced flows in the western rivers and, if so, to identify the factors responsible.

The republic's tree of life

"President Pratibha Patil might have meant well by using her Republic Day address to warn reformers not to shake the tree of state so hard in their drive to remove bad fruit that the tree itself is brought down but behind her arboreal metaphor lie contentious assumptions and unacceptable insinuations about the civil society movement against corruption. "

More than as a word of caution, her remarks seem intended to discredit the civil society movement against corruption. The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The republic's tree of life: Actually, "negativity" and "rejection", the states of mind President Patil warns the country against, are words that best describe the attitude and response-mechanism of the UPA government at the Centre.

If the Indian Republic is to flourish and prosper, the tree the President spoke about cannot be left to the mercy of politicians alone.

Misdirected ire

"Mr. Obama has to grandstand in the remaining period of his Presidency. It is, therefore, natural that hit out at the outsourcing of jobs, yet again, though this time his ire was directed mostly against manufacturing companies.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Misdirected ire: The President proposed that companies which outsource jobs should be denied tax benefits just as those that create them in the U.S. should be rewarded."

It can only be hoped that such populist rhetoric does not get sanctified as legislation in the run-up to the election.

Wulff at the door

"The problems surrounding German President Christian Wulff have compounded those Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing, to the point where her coalition government could collapse."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Wulff at the door: Mr. Wulff has been involved in murky financial deals and has now tried to intimidate the press. Now the Chancellor and her coalition have a long, hard road to walk before the 2013 general election.

Wages of justice

"By filing a Special Leave Petition against the Karnataka High Court order directing payment of statutory minimum wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the UPA government has betrayed its insensitivity to the rights of the poor.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Wages of justice: The courts have ruled that payment below minimum wage amounts to “forced labour”, which is constitutionally prohibited. The Centre's implacable stand that workers employed under the scheme are not entitled to anything higher than the Rs.100 ceiling fixed by it smacks of perversity."

Norway, yes, but let's also look within

"The Norwegian child welfare services may not understand how children are brought up elsewhere but the Indian system of child protection is highly interventionist and ends up unfairly targeting poor parents."

The case in Norway relating to the two Indian children who were removed from their parental home raises critical concerns about what is meant by the concept of “best interest” in matters relating to children. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Norway, yes, but let's also look within

In Manipur elections, a test for ‘Nagalim'

"When Manipur goes to the polls, there is much for the rest of India to pay attention to."

The upcoming Assembly elections are of key significance because they have the potential to mainstream the demands by the NPF and the Kuki groups and bring them under the purview of political discussion conducted by elected representatives.

Link: The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : In Manipur elections, a test for ‘Nagalim'

The threat to Salman Rushdie's life

Dr. Gurdial Singh Sandhu, IAS, Principal Secretary, Home Affairs, Home Guards & Civil Defence Jail, Government of Rajasthan, defends the state government against the allegations that have surfaced by saying "It seems that complete information may not have been available with you on this incident."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : The threat to Salman Rushdie's life

In response the editor of The Hindu defends the editorial “A national shame” in The Hindu on Monday, 23 January, 2012. and other related articles that were published.

Putin's must-read list

"Vladimir Putin has laid out his plans to compile a canon of 100 Russian books “that every Russian school leaver will be required to read” in an attempt to preserve the “dominance of Russian culture”."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Putin's must-read list

Censorship won't stop bird flu contagion

"The ‘security threat' posed by H5NI mutations is already out there. What is needed is collaborative research based on the sharing of scientific literature."

The United States National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) decision to “recommend” that Science and Nature journals publish only redacted versions of bird flu research results is nothing but an exaggerated and over-zealous reaction that is bound to fail in its prime objective. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Censorship won't stop bird flu contagion

Most of the information the United States government intends to censor is already available in scientific literature. If anything, its decision will only seriously impact legitimate flu researchers.