Pairokar

I read in today’s newspapers that the long term VISA of the famous Bengali writer Taslima Nasrin has been extended for two months. She is a celebrated writer and her contribution to the literature has been immense. It is not only an insult to her but is a blot on the secular fabric of India which appeared to have been caved in the pressure of Islamic fundamentalists. I have gone through one of her novels ‘Lajja’ (Shame). It is a marvelous piece of literature. Its narrative is unique, full of empathy, sorrow, pain, suffering and heart-rending at places. She has vividly pictured in the novel the mindset of the bigots and fanatics of the Muslim community perpetrating atrocities on the Hindu minority of Bangladesh. Although it has been written in the background of anti-Hindu riots that broke after the demolition of the disputed structure of Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992, yet it provides the glimpse of the over-all pitiable conditions caused by fear and terror under w...

If corruption in judiciary is a secret, then it is an open secret and it has been continuing for quite long time. It will be an oxymoron to say that the judiciary is insulated from the executive. The fact is that even after the introduction of the collegium system only such persons have been elevated to the bench, who have worked as the Law Officers in the High Courts or in the Supreme Court.It is difficult to find any advocate being elevated to the bench if he or she has not been a law officer at one p...

The so-called revelation of Justice Markandey Katju about a corrupt judge in Madras High Court is a classic example of opportunism. What is shocking is not that there was a corrupt judge in the Madras High Court but the disclosure of Markendey Katju after years of his retirement from the Supreme Court of India. He is presently holding the post of the Chairman of the Press Council of India after his retirement as a judge of the Supreme Court. There is no gainsaying that there are large numbers of corrupt, incompetent judges, who are bereft of any moral scruples. Such judges are not confined only to the Madras High Court but they can be found in all High Courts across the country. The moot question is why Justice Markandey Katju remained tight lipped for such a long period of time? Why did he not open his mouth until he was in position of authority as the judge of the Apex Court? The judge about whom he has referred to in his lead article of the Times of India of 21 st   Ju...

Meeting of Shri Ved Pratap Vaidik with terrorist Hafiz Saeed of in Lahore, the other day, has caused lot of furore across India. The reasons for indignation and hullabaloo over this meeting are very valid and genuine. The terrorist Hafiz Saeed was the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack of 2008 which resulted into killing of nearly 200 innocent lives. Among those who were killed were tourists; who were staying in famous Taj Mahal Hotel near the Gateway of India, journalists, police officers etc. All terrorists, except one Mohammad Azmal Kasab, who caused death and devastation in Bombay, were killed. The arrest of terrorist Kasab was the major achievement of Indian forces, which established beyond all doubt that it was the handiwork of the ISI and its henchmen like Md. Hafiz Saeed.  Pakistan was always in the denial mode saying that it had nothing to do with Mumbai terror attack .Pakistan even shed crocodile tears by joining the chorus of condemnation coming from all...

The initial 30 days of Shri Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India have been, more or less, satisfactory. There have been many setbacks to him during this short period but they are not so important as to derail him from taking drastic steps for improving the economic, administrative situations and solving other problems of the country. To be fair in the matter, we must admit that today the country is in a mess. This dismal condition of the country is a legacy that we have inherited from the past direction-less (or, misdirected) national governance spanning more than half a century. The truth of this statement (regarding the Indian dismal condition) is vouchsafed when we compare India with the leading countries of the world with a comparable population/size, like China, Russia, and U.S.A. etc.  We are far behind them in the matters of our people’s standard of living, education, defense, play in world affairs etc. Still, the ordinary people cannot be expected to find sola...

The unsavory controversy about the appointment of the Gopal Subramanian as the judge of the Supreme Court was avoidable. However, this further underscores the need for the National Judicial Commission for the selection of the judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. In fact it has become almost imperative in the present circumstances. The way the appointment of the eminent lawyer was turned down by the Executive has compelled the people to consider over this matter with all seriousness that it deserves. India is perhaps the one and the only major democratic country in the world where the judiciary has appropriated the right to appoint judges for the High Courts and the Supreme Court. In all other countries, the appointments are done by the Executive, mostly in consultation with the judges of the top courts. In India the Supreme Court has made it a law by the judicial pronouncement that judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court can be appointed the collegiums system,...

A routine circular issued by the Home Ministry of the Government of India about the use of Hindi has been made a subject of controversy and contention. Of all the persons, who have taken the lead to kick up the dust is none but the former Chief Minister of Tamilnudu, M. Karunanidhi. See the irony that Mr. Karunanidhi is advocating the cause of English, a language with which he does not have even the nodding acquaintance. A person who neither understands the English language nor can even properly read it, has taken up the cudgels on its behalf. He is not asking for the promotion of Tamil which he knows fairly well, but he is speaking against the so-called hegemony of Hindi. Not to be left behind by Karunanidhi is the present Chief Minister of Tamilnanu Ms. J. Jayalalitha, who, surprisingly, has very good knowledge of Hindi as she can speak chaste Hindi. One can understand the logic of Ms. Jayalalitha joining the chorus of protest against Hindi because she knows that if she a...