Rahul Rant; Pension Pangs; Xi-Putin Ballet
Opinion Watch
Rahul Rant
The Pioneer has said in its Editorial that Rahul Gandhi, former Congress chief, erred gravely with “all thieves have Modi surname” claim. Referring to Rahul Gandhi invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Satya & Ahinsa’ in Surat on Thursday after his conviction with two-year jail term, the daily stressed that Congress leader definitely is not following Gandhian path in his utterances against the opponents.
The daily reminded that Subhash Chandra Bose, while being the most ardent critic, had bestowed the title of ‘Father of the Nation’ upon Mahatma Gandhi, who had never used harsh words against even the British. It also said that the fact that Rahul Gandhi has never been convicted of illegality doesn’t give him the license to him slander anyone.
Indeed, Rahul Gandhi erred in his wrongful articulation of a political issue. That he lacks political grinding to know nuances of making political speeches is well known. But the alacrity of Surat Court to convict five years after he made the remark on Kolar with a maximum punishment is also shrouded in grey clouds of New Delhi politics.
Pension Pangs
The Hindu has counselled the Central government in its Editorial to get a mix of Old Pension Scheme and New Pension Scheme. The daily has stated that the clarification of the Finance Ministry that the accumulated corpus of the NPS cannot be refunded or deposited back to the state government legally as per the Pension Fund Development and Regulatory Authority Act, 2013 should now act as a deterrent for states.
The Chennai-based daily suggested that the government may take a look at the Andhra Pradesh proposal of 33 per cent guarantee of the basic pay with additional top ups. It also stated that the pensioners be provided with better health facilities as well.
Employees across the country are on warpath to press for restoration of OPS. If restored, India’s large corpus of taxpayers’ money will be spent on a large army of government servants. Political consensus must deal with the issue firmly.
Xi-Putin Ballet
The Indian Express in its Editorial has claimed that India has challenges on hand amid growing Russia-China bonhomie after Xi Jinping, the Communist ruler, visited Moscow. The daily has listed absence of Russian condemnation of Chinese bid to change the character of the line of actual control (LAC), Moscow firmly in Beijing’s tight embrace, and G20 presidency success incumbent on support of dragon and bear.
The Noida-based daily has made a positive review of Xi-Putin Summit, noting that energy cooperation is a ballast in bilateral relations. It also underlined that Xi’s principal agenda was seeking Chinese gains out of Russian isolation from the global economic order and not finding peace in Ukraine.
China is indeed seeking to make Russia a vassal state. But history remains a barrier, and Vladimir Putin may seek to find a path where the bear can roam around without the shadow of dragon.
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