Editorial
|
|
|
| | Unjustifiable censorship | | Attempts to scuttle freedom of expression by censor board, state's institutions, political groups and their hoodlums must be opposed | | | Adding to the list of films that are bearing the brunt of intolerance and scant respect for freedom of speech is Bollywood film 'Indu Sarkar'. Unlike most recent other cases where the ruling party BJP with its party workers and patronised hooligans are responsible along with the censor board that acts more like a political poodle rather than an autonomous body, this fresh controversy also exposes the hypocrisy of political groups who have been nailing the government for scuttling free speech. The film in question, based on the 21-month Emergency between 1975 and 1977 imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has run into opposition from the Congress, which is demanding that the film be screened first to them before it is sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Congress... |  | |
| | | India-China stand-off | | Briefing the Opposition parties on tri-junction stand-off is the duty of NDA-government for sake of accountability | | | the NDA-government's briefing to the Opposition parties on the continued stand-off with China on Doklam plateau, close to Sikkim, has been long overdue. The meeting in the middle of this week before the monsoon session of the Parliament is a welcome step if it amounts to holding them accountable for every act of omission and commission as elected representatives of the country. Moreover, this briefing comes close on the heels of the demand of the opposition political parties to be informed of all steps initiated by the central government on this issue. The ministries of defence, home and external affairs, their senior officials besides the National Security Advisor spent two days explaining the ground situation and the strategy formulated ahead to Opposition leaders representing the polit... | | |
| | | PM on cow vigilantism | | | | Modi's words remain ambiguous and dubious that legitimise both violence and communalism Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second warning against cow vigilantism within a span of fortnight should have been re-assuring in the face of mob violence in the name of cow protection hampering the communal harmony and peace across the country. But it doesn't because the remarks have once again been uttered by balancing the violent cow vigilantes with the peaceful campaigners against brutal killings and lynchings. Such remarks lack a sense of earnestness, efficacy and immediacy. The head of the country was as casual in invoking the beef hysteria on Sunday during an all-party meeting as he was two weeks ago while addressing a meeting in Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati ashram when he was egged on by the huge ... | | |
| | | Flawed prescription | | Dialogue, peace process under elected govt remedy, not Governor's rule | | | The increasing chorus of demand for imposing Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir, after the militant attack in which 7 Amarnath pilgrims died, is misplaced and senseless; rather it has an ominous ring to it which the already sensitive state can do without. There is no doubt that the present BJP-PDP coalition government has failed on many fronts in delivering and the situation in the Valley has worsened since this coalition came to power about less than two and a half years ago. It is by and large also an admitted fact that the formation of the unholy alliance between two parties with extremely polarised ideologies played a major role in fuelling Kashmir's anger and bringing it to the point of boil. The PDP, which garnered votes in the name of keeping Hindutva out of the Valley finally en... | | |
| | MARGINALIA | | Gaps in the Amarnath attack story | | | By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal | |
| | How it is we have so much information, but know so little?
—Noam Chomsky
Millions of words have been written and spoken by now about the Amarnath pilgrims bus attack in South Kashmir on July 10. What happened, how and why? There is much that one can find in the public domain; yet there is nothing that sounds convincingly true, other than that 7 people were killed, 18 injured and that alleged militants fired at the bus.
Right from the word go, the incident is mired in mystery. Contradictory statements, rumours and speculative presumptions have further contributed to a story punctured by multiple gaps. The unequivocal condemnation and shock against the attack across India as well as in Kashmir necessitates the need even more to look for the unanswered questions.
Was it a security lap... | | |
| | | Absence of drug policy | | Govt should frame guidelines to regulate sale and distribution of life-saving medicines in J&K for common masses | | | In the absence of a proper drug policy, which governs the sale and distribution of life-saving medicines in Jammu and Kashmir has been felt for a long time but the state government has refused to wake up to the menace of fake and spurious drugs in the market. In fact, this phenomenon has been affecting the precious lives of the citizens of J&K for years together. In the absence of proper guidelines, distribution of spurious medicines has been continuing unabated in whole of the state without any check by the concerned authorities. In continuation of denial by the government, drug companies are ruling the roost and flooding the market with fake and sub-standard drugs and cashing in on the innocence and haplessness of the patients in the state. Moreover, the private companies and doctors ha... | | |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|