Mind Your Scotland
Taking exception to the British parliament’s debate on Jammu and Kashmir, the Organiser says that the move showed some people in the UK still have a colonial mindset. “It also underlines that British democracy too is also grappling with vote-bank politics like India, where headcounts are more important than democratic values.” The timing of the debate is intersting, because J&K is facing unprecedented floods and the UK is “engulfed in panic with Scotland voting on [the] referendum.” The editorial argues the selection of issues in the petition shows the intent because it “conveniently twists the issue to support the separatist voices from Pakistan.” It questions why the petition is not talking about the people of Jammu and Ladakh, whose basic human rights have been denied for long. “Contrary to the democratic rights and developmental avenues provided in Jammu and Kashmir, the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) are in a miserable state… Not bringing these issues in… means supporting human rights violations…”
The editorial emphasises that Article 370 is marked in the Constitution as a “temporary and transitional” provision, which India’s Parliament can do away with through due constitutional procedure. It says David Ward, the British MP who proposed the petition, is known for his “notorious comments” supporting Hamas, for which his Liberal Democratic party had served him a notice. Pointing out that Ward was just catering to his constituency, in which there are three million members of the Indian and Pakistani communities, it says: “It is unfortunate that the British parliament is succumbing to his pressure and is meddling with the internal affairs of India.” It advises British parliamentarians: “While India is busy rehabilitating flood-hit J&K, [the] UK is dealing with the referendum in Scotland. Therefore, it is better that the UK manages its own affairs while allowing India to manage its own.”
Plan Think-tank
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi all set to disband the Planning Commission, an article in the Organiser proposes a think-tank whose members can be appointed by a collegium chaired by the leader of the opposition and including a minister, a Supreme Court judge and the heads of professional associations, such as the Indian Economic Association and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The article says that the new body can have four members from the social sector, industry and academy, and the rest could be from the government. The PM may head the panel, with states having a major say. The five year plan could be replaced by a vision document.
Criticising the Planning Commission, the article written by Bharat Jhunjhunwala says the panel had mostly been staffed by “non-thinking” persons: “IAS officials mostly behave like robots and change their tune according to [the] whims of the reigning minister… They are trained mostly to follow instructions; not to think. Their thinking, if at all, is like the horse’s vision, limited by the flaps put in place by the ministers. Such thinking can scarcely help make a roadmap for the country, which essentially requires a critical assessment of past actions and the experiences of other countries.” The writer says the think-tank should not be made accountable to the government but to a board of directors chaired by the PM.
Missing Separatists
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government and the erstwhile UPA did not pay heed to flood warnings — that there could be widespread devastation due to heavy rain in Srinagar — says the Panchjanya editorial: “Wasn’t it the responsibility of the twitter chief [Abdullah] and the fist-fighting lawmakers to take the warning seriously?” The editorial also asks whether those sympathising with the flood-hit had the same feelings towards the victims of the cloud burst in Leh and the collapse of the bridge over the Tawi river in Jammu.
When these tragedies struck, only the Indian armed forces and NDRF and RSS volunteers emerged as the saviours of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, it claims: “We wonder if the Hurriyat leaders and their families are safe. Where are those indulging in the ‘Friday-game’ against the Indian army…? Have they [separatists] stepped out of their homes even to console the victims? But they often visit the Pakistan high commission at the drop of a hat.”
Compiled by Liz Mathew
