Banishing Goons; Monkey Journalism; Northern Approaches
Supreme Court; INDIA presser; G20 Summit
Opinion Watch
Banishing Goons
In the movie ‘Shool’, Manoj Vajpayee pins down a legislator on the table of the presiding officer of an Assembly with a gun pointed on his head, and asks: “How is this monster in your midst.” That movie came several years ago, and the Supreme Court is still examining how to banish such monsters from the electoral politics. The Tribune in its Editorial has referred to a report submitted to the Supreme Court that seeks lifetime ban on lawmakers from contesting elections if they are found guilty of an offence of moral turpitude. The Chandigarh-based daily quoted senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who is assisting the court in the petition seeking speedy trial of politicians in criminal cases, saying that “permitting convicted lawmakers to rejoin electoral politics six years after their release is ‘manifestly arbitrary and violate of Article 14”.
Electoral reform has ducked all expressed aspirations of the people, while goons with murder records contest elections. Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act that bars convicted netas only upto six years after release from jails is certainly a disgrace to the nation.
Monkey Journalism
The media space is hotly debating the boycott decision of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of 14 television anchors, and the editorials, including of The Asian Age, have largely taken refuge in the arguments that the press freedom should not be infringed upon. The dailies have faulted the Opposition block for the decision, arguing that it’s in the poor taste. Some of the editorial heads have also based their arguments that the boycott call by INDIA amounts to paining the back of the journalists.
The Congress has clarified that INDIA has not banned the 14 television anchors and it’s only a non-cooperation movement against them to ensure that “we are not partners in spreading hatred”. Still, the 14 anchors on the basis of their unforgivable lapses on the journalistic ethics deserve no sympathy, and none of the press bodies have so far come in their defence.
Northern Approaches
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to link Mumbai Port with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Europe has hogged the limelight, and Deccan Herald in its Editorial has sought to bring the reality test by stating the committed $100 billion by the G7 for the infrastructure projects is yet to begin rolling. The Bengaluru-based daily, however, noted that much of the rail infrastructure exists in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordon.
Onus to fund the project is on G7 to secure their energy interests and insulate from being vulnerable to geopolitics of eastern Europe.
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