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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

[mukto-mona] Indian Republic: Ties are a Changing



Indian Republic 2017: Times are a Changing

 

Ram Puniyani

 

As we pass the republic day (2017) many questions haunt our mind. What has been the direction of our politics in last few decades, does it conform to what was expected of our Republic as outlined in our Constitution? Are we living up to the dreams and visions of the freedom fighters and the founding fathers of India?

 

What we need to recall is that Indian Republic came to become one through the long period of struggle against the colonial powers, the British rule.. Those participating in the struggle were people of all religions, all regions; women and men both. The movement itself was founded on the principles of equality and justice. While those who were part of the upcoming India, the industrialists, the workers, the educated classes, the peasants, the Adivasis, and dalits, aspired for the Republic based on secularism and democracy. All these sections had the longing for the modern values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, away from the prevailing feudal values of birth based hierarchy of caste and gender.

 

These sections were the mainstream of the anti-colonial movement, the movement for 'India as the Nation in the making'. In contrast sections of feudal elements, Kings and landlords were opposed to the values of equality; they threw up the politics of feudal values, couched in the language of religion. In contrast to 'India as the nation in the making' they wanted to build a Muslim Nation or a Hindu nation. For them glorification of the past and its norms were the central point of their effort to preserve their feudal social and political privileges. They kept aloof from freedom movement and helped the British policy of 'Divide and rule'; this is what led to the tragic partition of the country in to Pakistan in the name of Islam and India as a secular democratic state.

 

Indian Constitution is the core of Indian republic. It is the document which expresses the aspiration of national movement. The Constitution makers referred to most of the modern Constitutions of the World and came up with this document, calling us as 'India that is Bharat' and its directive principles and fundamental rights outlined the rights and duties of citizens and of the state. Lately its directive principles and Fundamental Rights have come to be questioned. During last four decades many a basic tenets of the Republic are being challenged.

 

The first major value of the republic which came to be criticized is the one related to pluralism, diversity and secularism. Globally right wing politics has been asserting itself; the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini was the first major indication that vested interests are going to use the cover of religion for retrograde-pre-industrial political values. With the demise of Soviet Socialist states and the emergence of US as the sole super power, globally the politics started being asserted around identity issues particularly identity of religion. This politics is built to undermine liberal-democratic ethos globally and undermines the essence of democracy.

 

As such the decade of 1980s has been a major turning point in the history of mankind. From the early decades of twentieth century the path leading to values of equal rights of citizens were coming up. Inspired by the Soviet Revolution many a countries came forward to put an end to the feudal values, the values prevalent at the times of kingdoms. While the language was that of socialism, the agenda was that of ending landlordism and promoting the industries with the assistance of the state. China, Vietnam, Cuba being the major examples. In India the inspiration of Socialism guided the state policies to bring in public sector, which in turn promoted creation of vast number of jobs paving the way for participation of dalits, women and Adivasis in particular in the so far forbidden public space, It opened up the space for vast industrial and educational development of the country, this is what gave an edge of India as a major economic power in times to come.

 

Initial three decades of the Indian republic were dominated by the issues of the society; the problems of the downtrodden were on the center stage. Apart from Industrial production, green revolution and white revolution also lifted the country from a backward country to frontline economies in the World. During these decades the republic focused mainly on the libertarian values, equity and dignity for all. The fundamental rights and directive principles were interpreted in the direction of concern for the rights of all citizens. During the decades of 1990, globally and nationwide, the globalization of economy led to the dominance of corporate sector leading to decline in the concern for rights of average people and religious minorities in particular. While earlier India was sort of an example for marching towards a just society, during last two decades in particular, the march has been reversed. The factors reversing this march are within the republic as well as there are global factors affecting this march. Worldwide we see that those leaders having rightward shift, those influenced by narrow nationalism are coming up, it may be Italy, France, Turkey or even United States for that matter. It is precisely in these times that in India, the secular democratic republic is being challenged and Hindu nationalism is being asserted. This Hindu nationalism is pushing back the policies of social welfare and the policies of affirmative action for weaker section, minorities in particular. Countries like Pakistan had been dominated by such politics all through. The matter of concern now is that Indian republic, which had shown the way to South Asia in matters of values of justice, is mired more in issues of identity. Policies which are giving more powers to Corporate sector are becoming the norm and social control on these matters is coming down, This republic day (2017) it's time that we shift the focus back to issues of average people and weaker sections of society along with nurturing back pluralism and diversity.  

 

 

--

http://peoplesvoice.in/2017/02/01/indian-republic-2017-times-are-a-changing/

www.pluralindia.com



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Posted by: ram puniyani <ram.puniyani@gmail.com>


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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190





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Re: [mukto-mona] Avijit murder probe report soon



Mentally undeveloped people have all the power in Bangladesh. This is the investigating of a murder case, involving freedom of thought, and DMP commissioner already saying before the report that, freedom of thought will not be tolerated, meaning he is supporting the killers. What can we expect from the report? It's a joke!
Jiten Roy



From: "'mahfuzur@aol.com' mahfuzur@aol.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 7:33 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Avijit murder probe report soon

 
Dear Anisur Rahman,

The DMP Commissioner also said something that you fail to mention. It is chilling to free-thinkers. He said that no writing that hurts the 'religious sentiments' of people will be tolerated and that writers of such works will be brought under the purview of law. So there we  go again! The police determine what to write and which books gets past them to the Ekushey boi mela. The Avijits who died for freedom of thought appear to have died in vain. We may proclaim  চিত্ত যেথা ভয় শূন্য, উচ্চ যেথা শির as many times as we like. The reality in Bangladesh is rather different. 
  I am not sure the DMP Chief was even aware of the supreme irony of announcement that the arrest of all the killers of of Avijit was imminent followed by  warning that free-thinkers like the slain writer will not be tolerated.

Mahfuzur Rahman


-----Original Message-----
From: ANISUR RAHMAN anisur.rahman1@btinternet.com [mukto-mona] <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Jan 31, 2017 6:16 pm
Subject: [mukto-mona] Avijit murder probe report soon





__._,_.___

Posted by: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>


****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190





__,_._,___

Re: [mukto-mona] Indians Angry at Trump’s Ban on Muslim Refugees Should Look at What Modi is Doing



Darshana Mitra is confused; but she realizes that "Interestingly, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 goes a step beyond the "persecuted Hindu" to include Buddhists and Sikhs and Christians as well. All, except Muslims, in fact."

The religiously persecuted minorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh that migrated to India should have been helped by Indian parties that do not persecute people based upon religion. And who are they supposed to be? Congress and CPI/CPM. However, those secular-claiming parties have miserably failed to help those persecuted people from Pakistan/Bangladesh. It is unconscionable that the honest ones among those victims could not get Indian citizenship even after staying in India for 20, 30 years. Isn't it sad that victims of Islamic fanaticism could not be helped by secular forces of India, and that it is taking a Hindutwa-tainted party to do that?

SuBain

======================================

On Tuesday, January 31, 2017 6:15 PM, "Farida Majid farida_majid@hotmail.com [mukto-mona]" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
Very good article by Darshana Mitra


India is also making discrimination against Muslims a key ingredient of its refugee and immigration policy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Credit: Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Credit: Reuters
 

<<  If the Narendra Modi government wants to provide protection to religious minorities in neighbouring countries from persecution  – a laudable objective – then it need not have looked further than the existing international frameworks of refugee law. Central to the definition of a refugee in the 1951 Refugee Convention is a well-founded fear of being persecuted on the grounds of religion, race, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion by the country of one's nationality. Till now, India has consistently refused to promulgate a central legislation on refugees, or be a signatory to the 1951 Convention, treating the decision to grant refugee status as a matter of political expediency. Even if it does not want to sign the 1951 convention, nothing prevents it from enacting a domestic law that incorporates its principal features. The fact that the government is not interested in doing so means granting protection to victims of persecution is not its primary objective.
What does that leave us with, then?
The Bharatiya Janata Party's 2014 election manifesto gives us the answer.

Page 37 of the manifesto states that "India shall remain a natural home for persecuted Hindus and they shall be welcome to seek refuge here". Why should India be a natural home for persecuted Hindus, as opposed to persecuted Muslims or Christians? Invoking the image of the "persecuted Hindu" is a masterful way of pushing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's notion of India as a 'Hindu nation', and an embattled one at that. Just as the claim of a threat to national security, and the myth of a "white minority", is used to push xenophobic, Islamophobic  policies in the US. Interestingly, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 goes a step beyond the "persecuted Hindu" to include Buddhists and Sikhs and Christians as well. All, except Muslims, in fact. >>>






__._,_.___

Posted by: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>


****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190





__,_._,___

Re: [mukto-mona] Avijit murder probe report soon



Dear Anisur Rahman,

The DMP Commissioner also said something that you fail to mention. It is chilling to free-thinkers. He said that no writing that hurts the 'religious sentiments' of people will be tolerated and that writers of such works will be brought under the purview of law. So there we  go again! The police determine what to write and which books gets past them to the Ekushey boi mela. The Avijits who died for freedom of thought appear to have died in vain. We may proclaim  চিত্ত যেথা ভয় শূন্য, উচ্চ যেথা শির as many times as we like. The reality in Bangladesh is rather different. 
  I am not sure the DMP Chief was even aware of the supreme irony of announcement that the arrest of all the killers of of Avijit was imminent followed by  warning that free-thinkers like the slain writer will not be tolerated.

Mahfuzur Rahman


-----Original Message-----
From: ANISUR RAHMAN anisur.rahman1@btinternet.com [mukto-mona] <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Jan 31, 2017 6:16 pm
Subject: [mukto-mona] Avijit murder probe report soon

 


__._,_.___

Posted by: "mahfuzur@aol.com" <mahfuzur@aol.com>


****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190





__,_._,___

[mukto-mona] Indians Angry at Trump’s Ban on Muslim Refugees Should Look at What Modi is Doing



Very good article by Darshana Mitra


https://thewire.in/104236/indians-angry-trumps-new-travel-ban-muslims-look-modi/


India is also making discrimination against Muslims a key ingredient of its refugee and immigration policy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Credit: Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Credit: Reuters

 


<<  If the Narendra Modi government wants to provide protection to religious minorities in neighbouring countries from persecution  – a laudable objective – then it need not have looked further than the existing international frameworks of refugee law. Central to the definition of a refugee in the 1951 Refugee Convention is a well-founded fear of being persecuted on the grounds of religion, race, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion by the country of one's nationality. Till now, India has consistently refused to promulgate a central legislation on refugees, or be a signatory to the 1951 Convention, treating the decision to grant refugee status as a matter of political expediency. Even if it does not want to sign the 1951 convention, nothing prevents it from enacting a domestic law that incorporates its principal features. The fact that the government is not interested in doing so means granting protection to victims of persecution is not its primary objective.

What does that leave us with, then?

The Bharatiya Janata Party's 2014 election manifesto gives us the answer.


Page 37 of the manifesto states that "India shall remain a natural home for persecuted Hindus and they shall be welcome to seek refuge here". Why should India be a natural home for persecuted Hindus, as opposed to persecuted Muslims or Christians? Invoking the image of the "persecuted Hindu" is a masterful way of pushing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's notion of India as a 'Hindu nation', and an embattled one at that. Just as the claim of a threat to national security, and the myth of a "white minority", is used to push xenophobic, Islamophobic  policies in the US. Interestingly, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 goes a step beyond the "persecuted Hindu" to include Buddhists and Sikhs and Christians as well. All, except Muslims, in fact. >>>





__._,_.___

Posted by: Farida Majid <farida_majid@hotmail.com>


****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190





__,_._,___

[mukto-mona] Avijit murder probe report soon





__._,_.___

Posted by: ANISUR RAHMAN <anisur.rahman1@btinternet.com>


****************************************************
Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: 
Call For Articles:

http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68

http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

****************************************************

VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

****************************************************

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190





__,_._,___