Latest news with #post-Emergency
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Stay vigilant to safeguard Constitution: PM on Emergency
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the 'dark chapter of Emergency' imposed 50 years ago and urged citizens to remain vigilant to safeguard the Constitution. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address, the PM quoted three prominent politicians from different ideologies, including two former prime ministers, to showcase how people from all walks had joined hands against imposition of Emergency in 1975. Modi played archival audio recordings of speeches by former prime ministers Morarji Desai and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and former home minister Jagjivan Ram, recounting the atrocities faced by people during the Emergency period. The PM quoted Desai as saying, 'The oppression that happened for two years... reached its peak when Emergency was imposed on people and people were treated inhumanely.' Modi added, 'This is the voice of the former PM of the country, Morarji Bhai Desai, who spoke about the Emergency in a brief but very clear manner.' 'You can imagine what that period was like. Those who imposed Emergency not only murdered our Constitution but also had the intention to keep the judiciary as their slave,' he said. The PM noted that over one lakh people were jailed, and politicians like George Fernandes were chained, with many enduring 'severe torture' under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). He mentioned Jagjivan Ram, who called the post-Emergency election 'a great campaign to strengthen the foundation of democracy', and Vajpayee, who described it as 'a peaceful revolution' that 'threw the killers of democracy into the dustbin of history'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 식후 혈당, "이것" 하나면 고민 필요없다. 단 2주만에..! 당뇨 관리 더 알아보기 Undo Shifting to other issues, the PM also mentioned the 10th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21, which saw global participation. He highlighted events like three lakh people practising yoga on Visakhapatnam beach, 2,000 Adivasi students performing 108 surya namaskars, and ITBP soldiers practising in the Himalayas.
The Print
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
On eve of Nilambur bypoll, ruling CPI(M) and Congress-led UDF lock horns over past ties with RSS
On the sidelines of the campaigning, CPI(M) general secretary M.V. Govindan was asked in a TV interview how the party could attack the UDF's engagement with Jamaat when it too has worked with such forces. He replied that while the Left had never politically aligned with Jamaat-e-Islami, there had been instances of support. He went further, referencing past ties with the RSS during the post-Emergency period. The row erupted after CPI(M) general secretary M.V. Govindan, during a TV interview, referred to a post-Emergency alliance involving the RSS, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition, which accused the Left of hypocrisy even as it targets the UDF for accepting Jamaat-e-Islami's support in the Nilambur assembly bypoll. Thiruvananthapuram: Hours before the crucial Nilambur bypoll, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) are locked in a war of words over past ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 'RSS was formed in 1925. But we never supported their stand. After the Emergency in 1967, didn't we join hands with the RSS? That was the situation then. The RSS is a communal force, but during the Emergency, when the country was heading towards fascism, everyone opposing it stood together, in Kerala and across India,' Govindan said in the interview to Mathrubhumi Wednesday. The Janata Party, formed in 1977 to oppose Indira Gandhi's regime, had brought together the Jan Sangh, Bharatiya Lok Dal, and Socialist Party—an alliance that saw cooperation from the CPI(M) as well. The coalition's landslide win saw Morarji Desai become the first non-Congress Prime Minister. But the statement triggered a political firestorm in Kerala, a state where BJP, which considers RSS as its ideological parent, is aggressively trying to find footing, but still struggling. Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the timing of the statement was not a coincidence. 'It may seem untimely, but this was a calculated move. Why is the CPI(M) remembering this past now? It's a coded call for help—a signal to the RSS–BJP that they can be partners again,' he alleged Thursday. Satheesan said BJP's initial reluctance to field a candidate in Nilambur hinted at tacit coordination with the Left. He also accused the CPI(M) of running a communal, Islamophobic campaign to win RSS support. Incidentally, the CPI(M) has been attacking the Congress-led UDF for accepting the support of Jamaat-e-Islami in the aftermath of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, terming the organisation 'communal'. The party renewed its attack recently after the organisation openly supported the Congress in the Nilambur bypoll. Being conducted months before the state's Assembly election, the bypoll is considered a preview of the larger electoral battle ahead. Voting is to be held Thursday. Satheesan alleged that the CPI(M) had colluded with BJP to defeat the Congress's Rajiv Gandhi again in 1989. He produced a photograph of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Jyoti Basu, and E.M.S. Namboodiripad together to support his claim. The 1989 general election saw significant changes in the Indian political and coalition history. With the Bofors scandal marring its image, the Congress's seats came down to 197 from the 404 it got in 1984, followed by V.P. Singh's Janata Dal (142) and the National Front. The Opposition led by the Janata Dal, formed the coalition government with the support of BJP and the left parties. 'One of the primary explanations for the success of the Dal was its ability to work out a significant number (89) of effective electoral seat adjustments with the other major opposition parties—the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in northern and western India and the Left Front (the two Indian Communist parties and two small Marxist parties, the Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party) in eastern India. On 2 December 1989, V.P. Singh, the JD leader, was sworn in as Indian Prime Minister, and on 21 December 1989, the Janata Dal/National Front Government won a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote,' writes Lewis P. Fickett in the Asian Survey's 1993 journal The Rise and Fall of Janata Dal. 'We have always maintained a single stand against the RSS. The allegations are just to create a controversy ahead of polls,' CPI(M) MLA from Malappuram's Ponnani, P. Nandakumar, told ThePrint. However, Nandakumar refused to respond to the Congress's allegation about the left alliance with the RSS and the BJP after the Emergency. Govindan holds press conference As the controversy gained traction, Govindan Wednesday held a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, saying his words were being distorted to make him appear sympathetic to communal forces. 'The Emergency was a period of semi-fascism. The Janata Party, which we supported, was not just the Jana Sangh. It was a broad front of socialists, democrats, and Emergency opponents. Yes, Jana Sangh was part of it—but RSS was not a prominent force in that alliance,' he clarified. 'CPI(M) has never formed and will never form a partnership with the RSS—past, present, or future,' Govindan said. Earlier in the day, Nilambur candidate M. Swaraj also reiterated that the alliance in 1977 was necessitated by circumstances, but once the RSS's influence in Janata Party grew, the CPI(M) backed off. He said in the consecutive bypolls in Kasargode, Thalassery, Thiruvalla, and Parassala, Namboodiripad famously said the party doesn't need RSS votes, reinforcing the Left's commitment to secularism. 'We won all four seats. That statement boosted secular forces in Kerala,' Swaraj said. The CPI(M) also pushed back by accusing the Congress of its own ties with the RSS during the 1958–59 Liberation Struggle. The Liberation Struggle was an anti-communist movement against the first Kerala government, backed by the Syro-Malabar Church, Nair Service Society, the Muslim League, and the Congress. Congress candidate for the Nilambur bypoll Aryadan Shoukath too jumped into the debate, saying, 'In 1977, the Congress lost power for the first time because the Left openly aligned with the Jan Sangh. We all know these alliances can return. Remember, L.K. Advani inaugurated V. Sivadasa Menon's election convention in Palakkad.' The Congress had earlier accused the CPI(M) of diluting its stand against BJP after the party's draft resolution ahead of the 24th Party Congress used the word 'neo-fascist' for the BJP. However, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member clarified that the resolution referred to 'neo-fascism' and 'neo-fascist tendencies' as they represented an ideological trend distinct from the 'classical fascism' that emerged globally in the early 20th century. In the party's state conference in Kollam earlier this year, Prakash Karat said Modi government's 11-year rule is showing 'neo-fascistic characteristics' in its aggressive push for Hindutva and neo-liberal agendas, warning that it will develop into 'full-fledged fascism, if not resisted'. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Nilambur bypoll: How Anvar, once Kerala's richest MLA, is adding twist to crucial LDF-UDF contest
Hans India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 23rd May 2025
Mizoram's literacy milestone is a wake-up call for India Mizoram's remarkable achievement as India's first fully literate state (announced by its Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday) deserves celebration as also a serious reflection. In a country struggling with vast educational gaps, Mizoram's success (a literacy rate of 98.2 per cent, surpassing the Centre's 95 per cent benchmark for full literacy) offers not just inspiration but a workable model. Its approach—community involvement, consistent government policy, and cultural respect for education—proves that literacy isn't a luxury; it's a matter of will. Kerala has a literacy rate of 96.2 per cent. Other states with far more resources continue to fall behind. Why? This isn't just about statistics. Literacy transforms lives. It empowers people to think, vote, and build. It's ironic that while we pump money into tech and infrastructure, we ignore the human foundation—education. If Mizoram can do it, what excuse do we have as regards the backwardness in other states? India needs to stop celebrating isolated successes and start ensuring that every citizen can read, write, and prosper in life. Md Hasnain, Patna A major blow to Maoists The Maoist movement received a body-blow on Wednesday with the killing of its top leader Nambala Kesava Rao, alias Basavaraju, general secretary of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Chhattisgarh's Maad in an encounter with security forces. Basavaraju carried a reward of ₹ 1.5 crore on his head. Incidentally, he is the third member of the organisation's top body to be gunned down this year with Jagan and Uday being the other two. Quite expectedly, the entire political leadership has hailed the killing, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that naxalism would be eliminated by next March. On that count, the banned outfit's members are facing a situation like the post-Emergency days in 1977. They suspended armed struggle and mobilsed masses before launching the CPI-ML (People' s War) which was translated into MCCI before taking the present name CPI (Maoist). Meanwhile, the security forces honed their skills by using technology in jungle warfare. It is time the authorities put an end to the mayhem in the dense forest, where most Maoists operate from. Pratapa Reddy Yaramala, Tiruvuru, NTR Dist Paying the price for waging a mindless war The country is witnessing a determined phase of mopping up operations against Maoists by the security forces in different states. This is in tune with the government's resolve to eradicate Maoism and Naxalism by 2027. The elimination of Basavaraju and 26 other Maoists in the dense forest in Bastar region is one of the most significant operations in recent times. These misguided radicals are waging a mindless war against the state on borrowed notions from China and Russia despite being highly educated. Interestingly, there are several pseudo-secular groups seeking a soft approach while dealing with such anti-nationals. It is both astonishing and astounding. KR Parvathy, Mysuru Herald case: ED asserts prima facie case There is a prima facie case against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The fact is that Dr Subramanyam Swamy won't take up issues without content or basis. More so where the top family of INC is concerned. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) took up investigation with right earnestness and culled out evidence enough to be qualified as prima facie, meaning the case is fit for a full-scale investigation. The Congress party is not able to challenge but always plays the political victim card. This puzzle should be cleared, once and for all. The NDA government should know that it is okay if a particular issue is used to corner the opponent, albeit for a limited time and cause. Overuse is bound to boomerang. This simple logic should not be missed by the ruling party. If there is substance and evidence, rather than mudslinging the Gandhi family, why not bring the issue to its logical end? Govardhana Myneedu, MG Road, Vijayawada
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
review of Kiran Nagarkar's Asides, Tirades, Meditations — Selected Essays
When a writer has written only three or four novels, we may consider each one to be distinct from the rest, so the reader is fully entitled to, say, read and re-read Kiran Nagarkar's Cuckold while ignoring Ravan and Eddie. We give ourselves permission to pick and choose because life is short, and because writers are not uniformly brilliant. In his introduction to Asides, Tirades, Meditations: Selected Essays by Kiran Nagarkar, Salil Tripathi places Nagarkar in a post-Emergency context of renewed expansiveness, so the reading of this book seems especially apt after an election that seemed to unmute our voices. But the appearance of topicality is a trick that books have. Nagarkar died in 2019, so in reading these essays we must set aside the democratic constriction and release of the past half decade. On writing The first essay in the collection is on writing, on how, even for those who are sure they are writers, the beginnings can be arbitrary, the first published work a matter of chance, and the aftermath, when reviewers and interviewers seem to miss the point, incredibly frustrating. Other essays that stand out include the ones on Gore Vidal, on memory and airbrushing, and on Shiva's blue throat. In this last, Nagarkar talks of Shiva as the artist, who leaps to swallow the poison churned out of the ocean and saves the world. He also writes in this essay about the artist as a god, about novels that should be backed by solid research but not burdened with it. He writes about characters who are mere mouthpieces and have no convincing life of their own. He evokes the creation of literature through research, agendas, metaphor, technique, all of which may be essential, but they are not sufficient without an animating spark, what he calls the 'breath of life'. Filing the miscellany The volume contains reviews and reactions to films that will mean little to readers under 60, and many of the pieces are rambling, and sometimes self-confessedly ranting, lacking the artful construction we expect from an essay. The volume is a dutiful filing of all the miscellany of an important writer, and it would have been in keeping with that purpose to give the year of publication for each essay. The age and context in which their sentiments were expressed is not always apparent, and many of them seem somehow more dated because they are undated. A year of publication, in the 1980s, is mentioned for a meditation on leprous Bombay, with dire predictions of the city falling to bits, and the reading experience is better for it. Revisiting novels It may be unconventional in a review of one book to direct readers to another one instead, but our excuse is that Nagarkar himself frequently revisits his novels in this volume. It seems unusual for a writer to explain his own works instead of leaving that task to a literary critic of a later era. A breathtaking novel like Cuckold, playing with love, politics, court intrigues, and Meera's bhakti poetry, needs no explanation or afterword. Nagarkar created a human being from the shadowy figure of Meera's husband, about whom almost nothing is known historically. And we are with this character from page one. He is more than plausible, he is alive. The author of such a work need not point and say, 'See what I did there?' Yet, in more than one essay, he explains how he chose the subject, how he visited Meera's birthplace, and even how his novel was interpreted. While plodding through all that, the reader may wonder whether Cuckold was all that brilliant. The answer is yes, it was, and it still is. Asides, Tirades, Meditations: Selected Essays; Kiran Nagarkar, Bloomsbury, ₹699. The reviewer is a writer and editor based in Palakkad, Kerala.
