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Journalism of Courage
In an article titled, 8216;The hoax of UPA8217;s subsidy regime8217;, Organiser editor R. Balashankar writes that, 8220;on the issues of inflation and food security, the UPA Economic Survey is evasive.8221; He further says, 8220;To bolster its pro-poor image the UPA never gets tired of repeating that it is spending more money on subsidy to give cheap ration to the poor8230; But actually, while under the NDA the spending on food subsidy increased by 30 per cent annually, under the UPA spending on the same reduced and showed a negative trend.8221;
Quoting extensively from past Economic Surveys, he says, 8220;A comparative analysis of the four years of the NDA 1998-2002 and that of the UPA 8212; exclusively looking at it on the basis of Economic Survey 8212; is a revealing exercise in economic study8230; Food subsidy showed an annual increase of above 30 per cent during each of the years under the NDA 8212; 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2002-03. In 2003-04 also it was raised, but started falling from 2004, under the UPA. And in 2005-06, it was so reduced to mark a 10.4 per cent fall.8221;
Decoding Patil
In its regular editorial, the RSS organ attacks the Union home minister for equating the Afzal issue with Sarabjit Singh8217;s release. 8220;Patil says that if Afzal is hanged then India cannot ask Pakistan to free Sarabjit Singh. We are sure Sarabjit had never bargained for this. It is crude and cruel on that innocent Indian. Does that mean that if Sarabjit Singh is released Afzal also will be pardoned and released? There is no doubt about the nationality of Sarabjit. He is an Indian. But there is great doubt about his involvement in any crime. He has pleaded innocence and India has no information of any conspiracy that Sarabjit was involved in Pakistan. Only on some flimsy accusations in the involvement of a blast in Pakistan, Sarabjit is being prosecuted. And to equate the Pakistani judicial system under a military dictator with India8217;s free judiciary is a grave injustice8221;.
The edit further states, 8220;The Pakistani minister trying for Sarabjit8217;s release has said that there is no clinching evidence against Sarabjit. In this background, Patil8217;s comparison of Sarabjit with Afzal is an insult to the former and in essence to all Indians8230; Does Patil believe that Afzal is innocent?8230; He owes it to the nation to prove that Afzal is innocent8230; If Patil8217;s argument is taken seriously then Afzal is a Pakistani. Otherwise, what is the logic of equating the Pakistani response on Sarabjit with that of hanging Afzal? Does Patil believe that Pakistan has a stake in securing Afzal8217;s safety?8221;
Deadly notes
In a piece titled, 8216;Terrorists prosper while India groans8217;, M.D. Nalapat writes, 8220;While the Reserve Bank of India RBI estimates that counterfeit notes 60 per cent of which are printed by foreign terrorist networks to fund operations in India account for only Rs 40,000 crore, the actual figure may be closer to Rs 1,20,000 crore. Today, fake currency has spread throughout the country, and is being handed out even by banks, especially in smaller towns.8221;
Arguing that, 8220;Counterfeit notes swallow the economy as UPA looks on helplessly8221; he goes on to ask:
8220;Has even an alert been sounded about this?8221;
