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Indian Express
9 minutes ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Indus Waters Treaty: India rejects ‘illegal' arbitration court's authority, calls it ‘charade' at Pak behest
India on Friday rejected the authority of an arbitration court 'illegally' formed under the Indus Waters Treaty after the body issued a 'supplemental award' on its competence to hear cases on the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu & Kashmir. The Indian government has consistently opposed the proceedings of The Hague-based Court of Arbitration ever since its constitution by the World Bank in October 2022. In a statement Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the move as the 'latest charade at Pakistan's behest' and said that this is an attempt by Islamabad to escape accountability for its role as the global epicentre of terrorism. 'India has never recognised the existence in law of this so-called Court of Arbitration, and India's position has all along been that the constitution of this so-called arbitral body is in itself a serious breach of the Indus Waters Treaty and consequently any proceedings before this forum and any award or decision taken by it are also for that reason illegal and per se void,' said an MEA statement. The Court of Arbitration had said Thursday that India's position of holding the treaty in abeyance 'does not deprive the Court of Arbitration of competence'. India is constructing the Kishenganga project on the Kishenganga river, a tributary of the Jhelum, and the Ratle project on the Chenab river. In 2015, Pakistan objected to their design features and moved the World Bank to seek a settlement through a neutral expert. But it withdrew its request a year later and asked for adjudication through a Court of Arbitration instead. India, for its part, sought a neutral expert to rule on the differences. On October 13, 2022, the World Bank appointed Michal Lino as the neutral expert. The same day, it also appointed a Court of Arbitration. India has opposed the court since then, saying it could not be 'compelled to recognise illegal and parallel proceedings not envisaged by the Treaty'. India has continued participating in the 'Treaty-consistent Neutral Expert proceedings'. The MEA statement on Friday said: 'Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India has in exercise of its rights as a sovereign nation under international law, placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. Until such time that the Treaty is in abeyance, India is no longer bound to perform any of its obligations under the Treaty. No Court of Arbitration, much less this illegally constituted arbitral body which has no existence in the eye of law, has the jurisdiction to examine the legality of India's actions in exercise of its rights as a sovereign.' The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan. Then Indian Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistani President Mohammed Ayub Khan signed the treaty in Karachi. The treaty has 12 Articles and 8 Annexures (from A to H). As per the provisions of the treaty, all the water of 'Eastern Rivers'— Sutlej, Beas and Ravi—shall be available for the 'unrestricted use' of India. However, Pakistan shall receive water from 'Western Rivers'—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. In January 2023, India had issued a notice to Pakistan seeking the 'modification' of the Treaty. This was the first such notice in the more than six decades of the Treaty's existence. India upped the ante in September 2024, by issuing Islamabad another formal notice, this time seeking the 'review and modification' of the IWT. The word 'review', according to experts, effectively signals New Delhi's intent to revoke, and renegotiate the Treaty which will turn 65 this year. India decided to keep in abeyance the IWT on April 23 Pahalgam terror attack, in which militants killed at least 26 people and injured another 10.
Gulf Today
9 minutes ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Three arrested on charges of raping student inside law college in Kolkata
Indian police have arrested three men accused of gang raping a law student in Kolkata, officials said on Friday, a case that has reignited anger in a city still scarred by the rape and murder of a doctor last year. The survivor said she was assaulted on Wednesday evening inside a room on the college premises, Indian media reported, with the three accused including two current and one former student. The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), the ruling party in West Bengal state, said the "full weight of the law will be brought to bear." The case again highlights the chronic issue of sexual violence in the world's most populous country, where an average of nearly 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022. It has also sparked fresh political clashes between the AITC and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP accused the AITC-led state government of failing to protect women. The pictures of Monojit Mishra, one of the three accused in connection with the rape of a law student within the college premises, along with top Trinamool Congress leaders, have started circulating on the social media, with the state BJP leaders sharing them as much as possible. Among the Trinamool Congress leaders with whom Mishra had been seen in the pictures includes the party's General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, West Bengal Minister of State for Finance (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya and the Trinamool Congress Councillor in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kajari Banerjee, who is the sister-in-law of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Amit Malviya, BJP's IT Cell Chief and the party's central observers for West Bengal, and the leader of the opposition Assembly Suvendu Adhikari are among the BJP leaders who have shared these pictures on their official X accounts and attacked the Trinamool Congress on this issue. West Bengal had become a "breeding ground for crimes against women," the BJP said in a statement. "State machinery continues to fail its daughters." The AITC rejected the accusations. The assault comes after a Kolkata court in January sentenced the rapist and murderer of a 31-year-old doctor to life in prison. Her killing in August 2024 at a state-run hospital in Kolkata triggered protests, with candlelight marches and nationwide outrage over the continuing violence against women. The brutality of that attack drew comparisons to the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi, a crime that shocked the country and led to widespread demonstrations. Agence France-Presse
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
First batch of pilgrims visit Mansarovar, appeal for more yatra slots to be opened
As the first batch of Indian pilgrims since 2020 visited the Mansarovar Lake, preparing to begin their return journey on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, they expressed the hope that India and China could agree to allow more yatris to make the trek in future years. Mount Kailash and the Mansarovar Lake lie in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. This first batch of pilgrims left Delhi on June 15 and arrived this week at Darchen to begin the Parikrama or circular route around Mount Kailash. They will head back on Saturday (June 28, 2025), and cross over into India on July 1, completing a route by road of about 2,000 km, trekking an uphill and rugged terrain of about 52 km on foot. As they touched the pristine blue waters of Mansarovar Lake, the world's highest freshwater lake at 4,588 metres, they burst into meditational chants. The pilgrimage marks the first resumption of a people-to-people mechanism between India and China after the military standoff at the Line of Actual Control began in 2020. 'Widen the experience' 'This yatra happens for only three months, and this year, only 750 people were allowed to come for it. As a yatri, and given the experience that we have got here, we would want that both the governments should allow more and more people so they can get to experience this as well,' said Vineet Gupta, a 43-year-old software professional from Mumbai. Mr. Gupta, one of the 36 pilgrims who completed the arduous trek around Mount Kailash on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) and the Parikrama around Mansarovar Lake on Friday (June 27, 2025), said he felt blessed and energised rather than fatigued. 'In all our scriptures, it is said that the gods come to bathe here every day. So when we take the waters, we believe our sins are absolved and that we achieve salvation,' he said, when asked about the significance of the Mansarovar Lake's water. Rising tourist nunbers According to the Ministry of External Affairs' response to a query in Parliament, the number of pilgrims allowed to join the yatra each year — which is negotiated between the Foreign Ministries of India and China — has fluctuated every year since the route was first reopened in 1981. In 2015, the Nathu La Pass route via Sikkim was also added to the existing route through Lipulekh pass via Uttarakhand, and 999 pilgrims made the pilgrimage. By 2019, the number had increased to 1,364. With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the yatra, however, and tensions on the LAC since 2020 casting a shadow, this year's cohort is far smaller. The yatris noted that many whose names were picked by a computerised lottery from about 5,000 applicants did not pass the medical tests. Thus, while each batch is meant to include 50 pilgrims, the first batch only had 36. In recent years, the Chinese government has also restricted visitors to the lake from bathing in the lake, citing 'environmental protection purposes', a Chinese embassy official in Delhi said. 'Educate pilgrims' Retired manager Devi Prasad Ketkar, 61, who has travelled here from Mumbai along with his wife, said that the yatra had been 'beyond his dreams', as he had been disheartened by its suspension for the past six years. Asked whether more pilgrims being allowed to join the yatra could affect the holy sites, Mr. Ketkar said that it was more important to educate visitors than cut their numbers. 'I think restricting the number of pilgrims should not matter as much as the need to educate them about eco-friendly travel and how we must behave towards the environment. That education is much more important for all than restricting travel,' Mr. Ketkar said, in response a question from The Hindu. The first batch of pilgrims includes men and women between the ages of 20 to 69, all of whom have been able to complete the journey thus far without any medical issues, especially given the altitude, the group said. The oldest among them is 69 year old Pradnya Devi. The silver-haired lady beamed with joy as she prayed to Mount Kailash clearly visible from the banks of Mansarovar, and sprinkled water from the lake over her head, as is the custom. Ms. Devi has taken a vow of silence for the term of the yatra and responded to questions only with head shakes. When asked if she would like to stay longer, however, she nodded vigorously and smiled broadly .
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Thackeray cousins to jointly oppose mandatory Hindi in schools
Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are set to join forces to Oppose the 'imposition' of Hindi in primary schools under the three-language formula. Following parallel announcements earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the two parties - Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) - would now jointly hold a rally on July 5 in Mumbai. 'Thackeray is the brand!' Mr. Raut posted on social media, along with a photograph of the two leaders. This marks the first time the Thackeray cousins have united on a political issue since Raj Thackeray founded the MNS in 2006. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar also expressed opposition to the three-language formula. 'It is incorrect to impose Hindi from Grade 1 to Grade 4. The government shouldn't force it. Today, 55% people speak Hindi in India. It can be a language of communication. Because there is no hatred towards Hindi in Maharashtra, it shouldn't be made mandatory,' he said while speaking to reporters in Kolhapur. Asked whether he would join the Thackerays' protest, Mr. Pawar said he would 'first understand the issue after returning to Mumbai.' Reunification of the Thackerays 'Two separate rallies on the same issue are not good. I discussed with both the leaders, and they decided to come together,' Mr. Raut said, emphasising that making Hindi compulsory would put an unnecessary burden on students. 'So, it is not just a linguistic but also an academic issue,' he added. According to Mr. Raut, Mr. Raj Thackeray had called him after announcing his rally and proposed a joint protest. Mr. Raj Thackeray had earlier announced a 'Virat Morcha' on July 6 from Girgaon Chowpatty, while Shiv Sena (UBT) had backed a rally at Azad Maidan on July 7. The scheduling of parallel rallies had led to public speculation over coordination between the parties. The protest is against the State government's April 16 decision to mandate Hindi as a third language in primary education and the amended Government Resolution (GR), which requires a minimum of 20 students to opt for any alternative Indian language. Reiterating the joint stance, Mr. Raut posted: 'There will be one united protest against compulsory Hindi in Maharashtra schools.' Mr. Raut also launched a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him 'Maharashtra's political enemy' and accusing him of manipulating the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to engineer the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena.
Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Hosabale remarks on Preamble: Rahul says RSS ‘mask has come off'
A day after RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale sought a discussion on whether the words 'socialist' and 'secular' should remain in the Preamble, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said 'RSS mask' has come off once again, and that the Constitution troubles them 'because it speaks of equality, secularism and justice'. Opposition parties, including the CP(I)M and the RJD, too, condemned Hosabale's remarks '…they want Manusmriti. They aim to strip the marginalised and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda,' said Gandhi in a post on X. 'RSS should stop dreaming this dream – we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath.' Congress MP and communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, meanwhile, referred to the November 25 Supreme Court order which dismissed petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of the 42nd amendment — through which the words 'secular' and 'socialist' were added to the Constitution's Preamble the Emergency period in 1976, Ramesh said these terms have achieved 'widespread acceptance, with their meanings understood by 'We, the people of India' without any semblance of doubt'. 'The Chief Justice of India himself delivered a judgment on November 25, 2024 on the issue now being raised by a leading RSS functionary. Would it be asking too much to request him to take the trouble to read it?' he said. Ramesh said that the RSS and the BJP 'have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution'. 'This was Mr. Modi's campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The people of India decisively rejected this cry. Yet the demands for changing the basic structure of the Constitution continue to be made by the RSS ecosystem,' he said. On Thursday, Hosabale had said, 'The words socialist and secular were added to the Preamble. No attempt was made to remove them later. So, there should be a discussion on whether they should remain. I say this in a building (Ambedkar International Centre) named after Babasaheb Ambedkar, whose Constitution did not have these words in the Preamble.' RJD chief and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad said: 'The country's most casteist and hateful organisation RSS has called for changing the Constitution… They do not have the guts to cast an evil eye on the Constitution and reservations provided therein…' Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: 'Invoking the emergency to discredit these principles is a deceitful move, especially when the RSS colluded with the Indira Gandhi Government during that time for its own survival… To use that period now to undermine the Constitution reflects sheer hypocrisy and political opportunism.' On November 25, a bench of former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said Parliament's power under Article 368 to amend the Constitution also extends to the Preamble and rejected the argument that the words could not have been added retrospectively in 1976 to the original Preamble which has a cut-off date of November 26, 1949. In a statement, Congress MP and whip in Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, said: 'The RSS always wanted the Constitution to be attacked, and to be removed… We all know RSS stands for Manuvad and they want to spread hate. They call themselves a cultural organisation, not a political one. We all know the attack on words like secularism and socialism is an attack on the Constitution and parliamentary democracy. We will fight for the Constitution.'
