Hail Haley; Empty Kashmir; Whither MGNREGA
Opinion Watch
Hail Haley
Nikki Haley will run for the US Presidency. The Pioneer has called her a ‘proud daughter’. She is proud of her Indian origin. The daily has said that unlike Bobby Jindal, who was averse to hyphenated identity, Haley celebrates her roots.
Indian immigrants who crossed seas are indeed global citizens. By their sheer hard work and penchant for excellence, the people with Indian origins are in leading positions world over. The Noida-based daily has made references to Rishi Sunak, the UK prime Minister, while underlining that besides pride there is not much for India to celebrate. For Sunak too has not brought any changes in the UK relations with India than what were in the times of Boris Johnson. Same applies to Kamala Harris.
Yet, the daily hailed Haley, casting vote for a Republican win the next year’s Presidential election. The daily argued that Democratic Party in the US is a den of ultra-Leftists. Also, Haley has clarity of thoughts, as she has said that China is destined for “heap of ashes”, making clear that she has rightly dissected the bile of Beijing to wreck the world order.
Empty Kashmir
Irony of India is that lakhs of the people are refugees within the country. Kashmir is empty because the Pandits were forced to leave the valley. Even after three decades of their forced exile from the Kashmir valley, the government has utterly failed to help Pandits settle in their homes.
The Asian Age in an Editorial on the remarks of the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha at Jagdti Colony in Jammu where he said that “all Kashmiri Pandits will return to …the day is not far”. The daily stated that Sinha’s words are the “oath of the nation that cannot be reneged under any circumstances”. The daily also stated that “it will be a crowning glory in the career of Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he could ensure the return of the Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir valley”.
Four years have gone by since the dilution of Article 370 and scores of terrorists have been neutralized in the valley. But there had been targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits last years. Still, the security forces have to deal with the last remaining traces of terrorists. The government can think of out of box solutions, including creating new townships in the valley for Pandits.
Whither MGNREGA
The Hindu prides in peddling povertarian policy prescriptions. The Chennai-based daily laments Centre’s bid to make states stakeholders in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and also of reducing the budget. The daily has counted gains from the rural flagship scheme, which has been a mainstay for the people in the rural area during distress.
Even the UPA government had sought to turn focus on the National Livelihoods Mission in admission that MGNREGS has created only a large class of corrupt people in the rural parts. Lalu Prasad Yadav was stunned when Delhi was swarmed by SUVs when he had called a meeting of Sarpanch and Mukhiya. Jairam Ramesh when he was Union Minister for Rural Development in the UPA government could not take his eyes off the gold laden village leaders in a meeting in Vigyan Bhavan. This scheme is demand driven and backed by an Act of Parliament and the government is bound to meet the demands, but the country will do better if resources are used for asset creation and skill building.
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