based at Pune, India; taught political science; retweets not endorsements, only for generating discussion. Raw language and abuse will be strictly blocked.
Manipur shows the horrifying possibilities India will face on its current path-a path upheld by many from well to do & middle classes, a path condoned by selfish corporates, a path allowing ideologically inebriated crowds to run amock, the path of exclusion, hate, majoritarianism
Bail is stayed. Accused is arrested by another agency from jail before that stay order is considered by SC. This did not happen in emergency of 1975, but in the year and on the day when some people were hoarsely crying about fifty years of emergency. Strange coincidence.
So, a serving DGP believes that an ordinary citizen has no standing when it comes to criticizing a CM. Where did he learn this gem of political science?
BJP will undoubtedly unleash a campaign that Washington Post is anti Hindu, Soros funded etc. Our media will report those accusations without reporting what the Washington Post says. 1/7
When police become routinely complicit in harassing citizens and administration takes pride in breaking heads, it's not just about individual blood lust. It speaks about the regime's character and intent.
BBC documentary taken down in india, its fragments and related tweets etc. are disallowed PLUS proposal that PIB will decide what is fake news and such news will be prohibited,with all this, do we still have a free media and freedom of expression?
To say that arrest of Kejriwal is an attempt to deflect attention from Electoral Bonds is not persuasive. Arrest of a sitting CM is what it is: a firm message that elections simply won't be fair--much less free.
An urgent plea must be placed before SC to prohibit ECI from announcing next LS elections in view of absence of information about funding and electoral bonds needed for voters to make informed choices during elections. 1/6
I deeply regret the judgement of the Supreme Court of India in the contempt case against Mr Prashant Bhushan. I affirm my right to criticise and express dissent with any action or inaction of the Judiciary when necessary.
Retweet if you agree.
When a prestigious private university goes out of its way to tweet to dissociate itself from an ongoing research work, we can assure ourselves that academic freedom has met with its end finally among the country's institutions.
Adani accusations, no answers. JPC demand, refusal. Malik revelations, no answers. SC demand for documents, defiance. Is democracy about an elected but unaccountable government?
@sardesairajdeep
More problematic is laughter on the face of member sitting next to him. And why was his mic not switched off by presiding officer? Are these remarks expunged now? Will the speaker take action? Will the House suspend him? Will the party reprimand him? Making history wrong way.
Very strictly speaking, hasn't the SC actually said that formation of Shinde govt doesn't have legal basis? It may not have ordered removal of the govt but once legality is gone, govt must go too
The fear and frustration of Muslim brothers and sisters over what is happening around is simply heart-wrenching and pointing to the duty of any fair minded and nationalist Indian. If you don't feel disturbed, you are neither Indian nor nationalist.
पुरस्कार दिलेल्या पुस्तकाचा पुरस्कार परस्पर परत घेण्याच्या / रद्द करण्याच्या महाराष्ट्र शासनाच्या निर्णयामुळे मी राज्याच्या भाषा सल्लागार समितीच्या सभासदत्वाचा राजीनामा दिला आहे.
When history of today's India media will be written, the history will be unanimous on media's complicity not just in ills of democracy but actual deaths of many. Just through servility of media.
Even after second conclave of oposition parties, if Modi gets prime time, it's clear that media is a party in the ongoing battle over the spirit of India. Media is an active player on behalf of bjp. That makes the contest even more unfair and unequal.
Curious: if the governor's order to hold floor test was wrong, how is UT group responsible for not facing floor test? And, how was the earlier SC ruling asking to hold floor test itself correct?
It's 4 pm. ECI website shows BJP leading 243 with 37. 84 percent votes. Hope we don't suddenly witness marginal seats going to bjp --thus adding to its seats without much accretion to vote, taking bjp to 265. Remember change in turn out figures?
सध्याच्या भीतीच्या वातावरणात सभा घेणे धाडसाचे, धमकी असताना सभेला जाणे त्याहून मोठे धाडस, गाडीवर हल्ला होताना आत असणारे आणि काचा झेलणारे यांचे धाडस आणखी और, आणि नंतर भाषण करणे हे पुढचे धाडस- एवढे धाडस एका भाषण स्वातंत्र्यासाठी करावे लागणे याला लोकशाही म्हणतात की लोकशाहीची गळचेपी?
Strange everyone expects opposition leaders to answer questions and even explain strategy but nobody minds a PM never answering media. Quite strange democracy.
A small query: returning officer is not a designation beyond election duty. Once duty is over, the officer goes back to original posting. Can an RO issue notice? Should it not be the CEO of Maharashtra to do this?
BREAKING: The returning officer has issued a notice to MidDay Newspaper for spreading misinformation about the EVM & creating doubts in the Indian Electoral system: Poll officials
A handbill inserted in newspapers declares-- "having created Ram mandir, let's now create Rashtra mandir." It has a photo of Modi at the feet of Sri Ram. Is this not asking votes on religious grounds?
Shouldn't a leader who loses majority in the elections and loses 20 per cent seats from last time, at least formally offer to resign and let others say if he should come back?
Didn't know that the Gurudev is an expert on agricultural economics, knows how many farmers support these false and alluring demands , etc. And didn't understand how making demands in a democracy disrupts the economy of 'Bharat'.
Surely a regime anointed saint!
With one more reported resignation by a faculty member from Ashoka, serious cracks begin to appear in the dream of combining excellence and academic freedom. (1/7)
December 6 is a landmark in the foundation of current regime. All those who contributed to 6 December to happen need to be treated as contributors to current erosion of inclusive democracy in India. Above all, LK Advani.
An airport gets temporary status of international airport--and we debate about influence of corporates on the government. At one time, it seemed that the critique about state being executive arm of capital was exaggeration. Now it appears understatement for today's Indian state
If one wants to see clarity of what morality means, read
@pbmehta
Pratap Bhanu Mehta in Indian Express today.
"...unless we throw out from power..this morally callous regime... .. our expressions of shame will just be empty hand-waving."
However one may otherwise assess Mamata Banerjee, 'Jai Shri Ram' is unmistakably a militant ear cry by a political section which has nothing to do with devotion or piety. It symbolizes provocation for supporters and ridicule for political opponents of that section.
Prashant Kishore's projections can be discussed with seriousness; but we should discuss: what's his Politics? Someone who actively helped bjp in 2014 and has (to my knowledge) never explicitly rejected Hindutva can't be relied for constitutional democracy.
And yes, by the way, using the SC verdict is a great 'academic' idea for distorting political history, but didn't the SC verdict in Ayodhya case specifically say that vandalizing the mosque was a criminal act? How about mentioning this in textbook? 9/9
@Y
Third Term has begun with a big bang- entrance paper leaks, wholesale postponement of exams and complete callousness toward devastating effects on young students. Needs courage for this after selling oneself for juvenile programmes like pariksha pe charcha ...
First PM speaks; then FM speaks for three days! Clever headline management and pliable media ensure that actual misery is forgotten; everyone talks of meaningless numbers and platitudes instead of absence of public policy. Degeneration of public discourse into PR
Ground breaking constitutional discovery. By this logic, all protests should be banned permanently to save national image globally. Lawyers advising delhi police must be congratulated on this discovery. .
Curious how TV channels cover the Satya Pal Malik interview. Any information most welcome. Also print media in non-english languages. Over next couple of days, do these mediums report and how do they do it, if at all. Let's make a public repository of this.
When a minister posts an advertisement as truth --claiming, that a war away from home was paused by India to evacuate Indians--the lines between self delusion and plain cheating get blurred. Is there a policy to penalize spreading falsehood on X?
Does it not fall in the ambit of ECI to ensure free & fair elections by asking IT authorities not to freeze bank accounts of a party during election period?
Giving Rajiv Gandhi's name to Sports award can be described as servility and cheap politics; REMOVING HIS NAME can be described as single minded hatred and equally cheap politics.
In nominating someone who campaigned in favour of accused in a Staines burning, bjp has given a signal: it cares two hoots for all the celebratory noise by its critics over the results. For bjp, it will be business (of hatred and vilification) as usual, both as govt & party.
If protests are continuing over a month and many opposition parties say they are concerned and supportive, why shouldn't they convene citizens' parliament consisting of entire Opposition members and invite members of ruling party in case they care for the People?
Whatever the security implications of Mission Shakti, one thing is clear: This government treats Election Commission of India and its Model Code of Conduct with utter contempt. Loss of shakti for ECI.
Delhi LG's decision to allow prosecution of Arundhati Roy requires political pushback rather than futile judicial route. Will the opposition take up the issue or resist only when one among them is targeted by investigating agencies? And pl don't take it up only on social media
In view of the regularity with which NCERT is 'rationalizing', among other books, political science textbooks, our names should not be used as Chief Advisors, I and Yogendra Yadav
@_YogendraYadav
request NCERT. Wouldn't that be an appropriate rationalization?
When we speak of toys and dogs instead of spread of pandemic, economy and foreign aggression, what does it mean? Wrong priorities? Misleading the people? Running away from real issues?
Even if Mumbai police have pursued the TRP case for political reasons, if they follow it up resolutely, they will have done some service toward alerting to media mess .
Report by Shyamlal Yadav
@RTIExpress
on land purchases in and around Ayodhya draw attention to the political economy of religiosity. It goes beyond merely questions of propriety. 1/7
माध्यमे कशी सत्ताधारी पक्षाच्या दृष्टीने चालतात आणि बोलतात याचे फारशी चर्चा न झालेले एक उदाहरण : INDIA या आघाडीचा उल्लेख एक मराठी वर्तमानपत्र 'इंडी आघाडी ' असा करते, केवढी ही अचूक भाषा ( की भाजपा ? ) निष्ठा !
A fervent appeal to INDIA: no need to respond, less to oppose, use of Bharat. Matching churlishness of ruling party doesn't bring stature or support. India, that is Bharat, needs protection from pseudo nationalists using semantics as red herring. Live the spirit of Bharat jodo
Politics over Rahul Gandhi apart, police notice to him for his speeches in UK indicate what will happen to anyone participating in seminars abroad, writing in non-Indian publications, speaking to journalists from outside India, etc.
Everyone says campaign is over. However, for someone dedicated to permanent self promotion, how can campaign end? Even the ostensibly most personal experience of meditation continues to be advertised both for current election and for continuous construction of personality cult.
After Bollywood turning conveniently communal, we witness similar communal turn among economists. Will we soon see scientists from physical/ natural sciences taking a similar turn? Is it only political expediency or something that was subterranean that is now becoming explicit?
Signals from the ECI episode: for those who wanted (further) evidence how current regime corrodes autonomy of institutions, this is one bit of evidence. 1/5
An election commissioner being in the list of pegasus-gate raises serious questions about the haloed institution and its ability in future to function and seen as functioning independently.
In terms of shere optics & public image, how does it look: changes made by ncert are opposed by chief advisors & many authors of pol science texts; yet ncert wants to retain their names instead of publishing names of who made and approved the changes! Hiding from accountability?
Possibly many past and present sports icons may not have this felicity of language, but they also surely lack empathy and understanding of sports? Or is there something else behind their silence?
Dear Vinesh, It is said that sport is a celebration of human will. I have known that to be true many times in my career but never has it resonated more than today. As I look around me, I see a nation
Asking 6 more months, no less, to investigate Adani affairs, SEBI shows it's either incompetent or knows what may tumble out and is buying for time. Shows how the Court erred in trusting existing mechanism. Also shows that truth shall not be allowed to reach the public formally.
Educated ' urban middle classes' is the section that legitimizes filthiest of stereotypes, approves of violence against minorities(of course by the less privileged ones) and functions as the fulcrum of anti intellectualism sustaining the WhatsApp university
Three is nothing surprising in it
Nothing at all. Being educated ie thoughtful is way different from being trained in some skill like plumbing or for that matter, computing.
Without mincing words, the anarchy over constitutionalism in contemporary India is only partly due to lack of vision and leadership by CJIs. Rest of the burden remains on shoulders of judges who choose to remain silent within the system.
A social psychology puzzle. Even after a decade in power, why are most bjp supporters so venomous even without provocation? Any difference of opinion brings out that venom with furious vigour. Bad for their health, really.
A sociological puzzle: Will developments in Manipur and Gurugram as also the killings in a railway train unnerve the middle classes for what they have been upholding or will these developments make them gloat with a sense of sadist victory?
Delayed and muted response by many sportspersons or celebrities doesn't only indicate their cautiousness, it suggests how we live in an atmosphere of fear and whataboutery.
मुंबईत लोकल ट्रेन बंद, कॉलेजे सगळीकडे बंद, वसतिगृहे बंद, शाळा चालू केल्याचे नाटक आणि शिक्षण विभागाची पोलीसगिरी, ही सगळी धोरण शून्यतेची लक्षणे की दुय्यम अधिकारी मंडळींची अरेरावी? की तीन तिघाडा ..?
When the SC said that speaker of Maharashtra assembly should decide in 'reasonable time' (the case of 16 SS MLAs) , everyone knew that it would take unreasonable time.
Emergency musings: As we remember proclamation of emergency 48 years ago, and rightly so, let's remember the number of political detenues languishing in jail today without bail and without trial and on charges of sedition and 'unlawful' activities.
Looks like the current Court believes that it's facing its 1973 moment sandwiched between a repressive regime and deeply divided and chaotic political arena. 1/6
Oh, and by the way, don't ask where the resources for this massive assault on democracy. We have our judiciary to thank. It has facilitated this by deferring the case of Electoral bonds. But who knows, it may fund them perfectly legal. 7/7
Whether Karnal of Indore, do we need any further proof that it is the Indian state that is waging war against its citizens by all foul means in broad daylight?
New 'rule of law'= arrest but don't file chargesheet in time. Yet oppose bail. Deny the accused access to medical records ....and while the accused is caught up in legal maze, claim that the country is full democracy.
To expunge something said on the floor of the House is a power of presiding officer which needs to be very rarely and sparingly used -not for rewriting future history so that speeches are censored when today's govt may find them unpalatable.