19 Rajya Sabha MPs suspended; Myanmar junta horror; Nude Ranveer Singh
Opinion Watch
A day after the Lok Sabha suspended four MPs, the Rajya Sabha too handed over the suspension to 19 Opposition lawmakers. The action came on the back of the Opposition locking down both Houses of Parliament with pandemonium.
A day after writing a meek Edit on Partha Chatterjee, The Indian Express has come out with a strong editorial on the actions of the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, calling them to “rethink and rescind”.
The daily commented “nothing that transpired in either House over the last few days can be said to merit this extreme form of disciplinarianism”.
It further added “Parliament in particular need of resuscitation in times of a strong executive that feels less accountable to the legislature”.
On this, at The Raisina Hill, we wrote last evening in ‘Name & throw out: Parliament takes cues from State Assemblies’ that the trend is fast afflicting the whole of legislatures in the country to blank out voices of Opposition.
Myanmar junta horror
The ruling Myanmar junta is a thug, and after subverting democracy the elite military rulers are now resorting to savagery, reminding episodes of the past century.
The Hindu, Deccan Herald, and the Indian Express have come out with strong Edits on execution of four democracy activists in Myanmar, who were tried and convicted in the military courts, while deprived of the right to appeal.
Those executed included long-time activist and critic of the junta, Ko Jimmy, and lawmaker in the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government, Phyo Zeya Thaw, noted DH, adding that 114 people since the military coup last year have been sentenced to death.
Horrific torture of detained protesters, extra-judicial killings and random bombing of entire villages are new normal in Myanmar.
“Myanmar’s Generals had not executed prisoners in the last 50 years, even during the former highly repressive military regime between 1962 and 2010. That they have done it now clearly shows that the executions were meant to terrorise others and deter them from resisting junta rule. It carries a chilling message – protest, and you will hang,” added DH.
The Hindu also commented that the military junta of Myanmar has arrested over 14000 political prisoners, while more than 2000 civilians have been killed, besides millions rendered homeless.
The daily sums up the tragic state of affairs in Myanmar, saying that the Nobel laureate Suu Kyi too has been convicted on phoney charges, and handed over 11-year jail term.
The Indian Express faults India’s twin-track policy to engage with Myanmar’s junta while nudging the military elite to return to democracy.
Indeed, Myanmar’s military has helped in scorching out insurgents in the Northeastern states. But that’s not a ground to be silent on savagery of junta. True, the Chinese might is also in the play. Sanctions don’t work against such regimes. The world order is itself in a tailspin to come to the rescue of innocent anywhere, and that should make the people in Myanmar to stay steadfast in their resolves to throw the thugs out of power.
Nude Ranveer Singh
Actor Ranveer Singh went nude for a magazine and splashed his photographs everywhere.
This is an old trick. Shock the people to gain attention when films are flopping one after another.
The Times of India, a daily that runs film magazines and has business interests with the Bollywood, asks ‘What’s obscene’ in its lead Edit.
The daily probably had missed out from carrying an Edit at same position when a young man while taking bath in Ganga at Prayagraj was assaulted for kissing his wife a few months ago.
ToI asks the politicians to kill Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code, while also imploring the higher judiciary to impose prohibitive costs against those who file frivolous cases.
The daily has taken a narrow view of the issue, and confines its anger for cases lodged against celebrities.
There exists Censor Board in the country that classifies films for viewership. It gives labels such as only for adults and universal viewership. ToI doesn’t shed light if the children be also exposed to all contents.
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