Stoking linguistic chauvinism; Positive punishment; Trying Trump
Opinion Watch
Stoking linguistic chauvinism
Maharashtra politicians have an incorrigible habit of stoking sub-nationalism. They have stoked an unavoidable controversy by picking up a quarrel with Karnataka. The wont of Maharashtrian politician to nurse sub-nationalism runs in the face of India’s cultural and linguistic diversity, while suggesting that they still carry the mental construct of the 1960s.
The Indian Express in its Editorial has advised Karnataka and Maharashtra governments to abide by the counsel of Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah that they should wait for the Constitutional resolution of the dispute. Belagavi in Karnataka is at the center of the raging land dispute between two neighbouring states. The district, which also has an Assembly of Karnataka where the Winter session is currently being held, has Marathi speaking population. Similar is the case with a few pockets in Maharashtra which have Kannada speaking population.
Dispute dates back to 1960 when the state borders were redrawn and Belagavi became part of the Mysore state. Afterwards, Maharashtra knocked the door of judiciary, while rejecting the 1966 Mahajan Commission Report, which had ruled in Karnataka’s favour, stated the Noida-based daily. Maharashtra remains a litigant, with a case pending before the Supreme Court on the land dispute.
Karnataka Assembly will be adopting a unanimous resolution, upping the ante to demand the inclusion of the Kannada speaking districts of Maharashtra with the state. Maharashtra politicians will be well advised to take care of the people in the state, as reports abound of child marriages in the Marathwada region. Karnataka is way ahead on all social and economic indicators and the Marathi speaking people in the state will have better opportunities in the state. The matter should rest there.
Positive punishment
The Times of India in an Editorial has dwelt upon the issue of corporal punishment in schools in the backdrop of the thrashing of a class V child in Delhi and a class IV child in Karnataka, which led to his death. The daily stated that legal injunctions against the use of force against children are provided with the Right To Education Act, 2009 and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
The New Delhi-based daily has called for a clear protocol in schools and also a check on the mental health of the teachers. It also argued for the rejection of the rationalization of the corporal punishment as caring (for the children).
Indeed, teachers have tough jobs. Teachers are overburdened and also stressed. States owe the responsibility of not recruiting adequate teachers in schools, while also not providing for health and psychology counsellors. States are too busy in vote buying schemes to pay attention to the needs of public education and public health.
Trying Trump
The Hindu in its Editorial has called the decision of the House Committee to refer former US President Domald Trump for four count of criminal offences for attack on the US Capitol a setback for the business tycoon turned politician. Trump will face the charges for incitement of an insurrection, conspiracy to defraud the country, obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, and conspiracy to make false statements.
The Chennai-based daily has argued that Trump can exploit the Democrats-controlled House committee’s referral on crime counts as witch-hunting. Trump is indeed a master of conspiracy theory. His candidature for the 2024 President election may again polarize the US electorate. The US politics will be keenly watched out as incumbent President Joe Biden may not be in contention because of the age factor, while Vice President Kamala Harris has not yet made any mark.
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