Freeze Relations; Nibbling Macaulay; Financing Artisans
Opinion Watch
Freeze Relations
Saying that G20 Leaders’ Summit presents an opportunity to break the ice, The Indian Express has argued in its Editorial that India and China standoff across the line of actual control in eastern Ladakah is on pattern of Sumdorong Chu eyeball to eyeball situation in 1986-87 that lasted seven years. The Noida-based daily particularly mentioned that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 18th meeting with Chinese ruler Xi Jinping in Mammalapuram the aggression of the Communist country gained strength in the LAC, which could not have been possible without the sanction of the higher authority.
The fact that the visuals of the violent Galwan skirmish were shown in the CCP Congress meeting where Xi wrested third time to rule China should leave none in doubt that the Chinese president is the architect of border tension with India. But over $115 billion of trade in favour of China bares lack of strategy on the part of New Delhi with Beijing, which seeks to slice parts of the country.
Nibbling Macaulay
Deccan Herald in its Editorial has said that the three new bills, which are claimed to overhaul the Indian penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, and CrPC, have not attempted a total overhaul but only some changes through addition, deletion and amendment of some provisions. “The new penal code seeks to take away 22 provisions in the old code, amend 175, and add eight new provisions. The structure of the system of justice — the hierarchy of courts, their functions and relative powers, and the nature of the policing system remain the same,” added the Bengaluru-based daily, which also lamented “increase in the number of offences that attract the penalty”, while faulting continuation of the provision for solitary confinement.
The three bills by all accounts have been hurried and the fact that they remain works of editing shows that the spirit of Macaulay is still alive in the minds of the system of the governance.
Financing Artisans
The Hindu in its Editorial has welcomed the Cabinet approval to the Vishwakarma scheme which provides for an outlay of ₹13,000 crore, with loans up to a total of ₹3 lakh (in two tranches) at a concessional interest rate of 5 per cent, covering 18 trades such as cobblers, toy makers, etc. “By far the biggest of these that traditional art and craft professionals face is either the lack of patronage for their goods and services in the wider marketplace, or in the case of other trades, a skewed undervaluation of their economic output,” added the Chennai-based daily.
One may hope that the new scheme will do better than the Skill India programme, and create a workforce of the trained manpower who can add value to the economy, as well as gain from mobility of workers globally.
About The Author
