Opinion View from the Right: Poll fillip for BJP

An article in the Organiser argues for the continuation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), saying the defence forces are “armed with this law to flush out terrorists in J&K, Nagaland, Manipur and other disturbed areas of the Northeast region”. It praises the forces by stating that “when the army is in action, terrorists run for their life,” and lists the challenges they face, as “very often state police becomes hostile”. “Terrorists in league with pseudo-human rightists try to implicate army jawans on fake grounds, even sometime misusing girls for allurement,” it adds. The article says jawans are dragged to court and are suspended; as a result, it adds, their lives become miserable. “The jawan is dragged into military court and the civil court as well. At this point of time, AFSPA comes to the rescue of such a battling jawan,” it says. It also talks of “many Kanhaiyas around who support anti-national activities in the name of free speech,” and slams even MPs, who “are reported to be heavily paid by terrorist leaders for raising questions in favour of anti-national elements”. Listing the threats from “anti-national” forces in the Northeast states, it says that the “Centre should plan for phase-wise extensive training of the state police. Till then, the army may be deployed and should remain armed with AFSPA”.

Kumbh tales

An article in Panchajanya terms the recently-held Kumbh in Ujjain as the first such “extensive Vichar-Mahakumbh”. It says this international event, inaugurated by RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and attended by PM Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, “revived the tradition of deliberation”. The article elaborates that before the event, the MP government held four seminars that defined the issues to be discussed at the Kumbh. Among others, the idea of reviving agriculture was discussed at the event. According to the article, the Kumbh is held at places where nectar drops supposedly fell on the earth but “poison in the form of chemical fertilisers are being dissolved into the earth”. This poison then enters food material. The article says during the Kumbh, it was noted that small-scale and village-based industries need encouragement. “It was particularly underlined that Chinese products have entered the Indian market to the extent that if these are manufactured by Indian small-scale units, then the entire face of our economy will be transformed,” it says. The Kumbh also discussed women empowerment and the methods to ensure “the dignity of women”.