In his first visit to China after the Galwan Valley clashes that took place five years ago, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping along with other foreign ministers who are in China to take part in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ministerial meeting.
At the meeting, Jaishankar said, the terror attack in Pahalgam was deliberately conducted to undermine tourism in Kashmir and sow a religious divide. He made this remark as Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar looked on.
Shivshankar said, SCO was formed with the objectives of tackling terrorism, separatism and extremism, but the Pahalgam attack shows, the danger of terrorism continues. Jaishankar said, all countries should unite and take a strong stand to tackle terrorism.
The SCO summit is due to be held in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1 and there is a possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the summit.
At the ministerial meeting, the Chinese President said he was keenly awaiting the summit so that countries can unitedly work for peace and development. The summit in Tianjin is being held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japanese imperial power.
By raising the Pahalgam terror attack on Chinese soil, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has tried to convey a polite, but firm, message to both China and Pakistan. By mentioning Operation Sindoor, he revealed India’s intentions.
It is a fact that Pakistani armed forces have 81 per cent aircraft, missiles and other weapons from China. It is also a fact that during Operation Sindoor, Chinese experts were providing real time intelligence about our army movements to Pakistan.
India’s message is now clear. India does not want a war with China, but so long as Pakistan continues to sponsor cross-border terrorism, there can be no bilateral talks.
The Chinese must know this clearly that India is a regional power and if the path to peace and development needs to be widened, China will have to work with India in the spirit of mutual trust, mutual respect and sensitivities.
1 crore jobs for Bihar youths : Is it an election stunt?
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet on Tuesday promised to provide jobs to one crore youths during the next five years. A proposal to this effect was approved by the state cabinet. A policy to this effect will be framed soon and a high-level committee will be set up.
Opposition parties described this as a ‘ chunavi jumla’(false electoral promise) on part of Nitish Kumar. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, with elections approaching, both BJP and JD-U can even promise the stars, but the people are not going to believe in false promises.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor said, Nitish Kumar has been the CM for last 20 years, but he never took up this matter seriously. JD-U spokesman Rajiv Ranjan claimed, eight lakh jobs were given in Bihar between 2005 and 2020, while 12 lakh jobs were given between 2020 and 2025.
By promising one crore jobs, it seems the team of Nitish Kumar and BJP is not going to leave any issue for the opposition before the elections. This team has been addressing all issues that Tejashwi Yadav had been rising for the last few months. Whether it is giving relief to Jeevika Didi (self-help groups) in the form of bank loans, or 35 per cent reservation to women from Bihar in employment, or raising monthly pension for senior citizens, widows and Divyang (specially abled) people from Rs 400 to Rs 1100.
It seems, Tejashwi Yadav will not have any issue left as the assembly poll date approaches nearer. He can only say that Nitish Kumar is in a semi-conscious state. He is demanding why Nitish Kumar is not coming forward and announce these schemes himself.
For Nitish Kumar, deterioration in law and order has become a big challenge. If the situation does not improve, all his efforts may go waste.
Girl’s self-immolation in Odisha : Stop shedding crocodile tears
In Odisha, the death of a 20-year-old college student by self-immolation in Balasore district has caused political tremors throughout the state. Biju Janata Dal and Congress supporters are staging protests in several districts demanding action. The second year B.Ed. student set herself on fire after facing continuous sexual harassment from her head of department in Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.
Despite lodging a formal complaint and seeking help from the principal, her pleas were ignored, leading to the self-immolation. Instead of taking action against the HOD, the Principal pressurized the victim to withdraw her complaint.
The girl complained to the district collector, Superintendent of Police and the Education Minister, she even met the local MP, but her complaint was not heard. She also sent her complaint to the Chief Minister.
On July 12, tired after her efforts, she set herself on fire inside the college campus and was taken to hospital with 90 per cent burns. From Balasore hospital, she was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. It was only then that the police swung into action and the accused professor Samir Kumar Sahoo and college principal Dilip Kumar Ghosh were arrested and sent to jail.
On Monday, President Droupadi Murmu visited AIIMS Bhubaneswar to check about the condition of the girl, who finally succumbed to her injuries the same night. Police had to lathicharge Congress, BJP protesters outside the hospital.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has promised to take stringent action against the culprits. Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, the girl had sent complaints to the CM, the state education minister and personally met the Balasore MP, and if timely action had been taken, her life could have been saved. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have also criticized the Odisha government for failing to save the life of the girl student.
There can be nothing sadder than a sexual harassment victim trying to seek justice by going from door to door, and then committing suicide. The system that is in place, did not wake up in time. The girl had sat on the college gates on dharna seeking justice. When nobody listened to her complaint, she set herself on fire at the college gate.
Neither the Chief Minister heard her screams, nor Naveen Babu heard her complaint, nor the State Women Commission woke up in time, nor was Rahul Gandhi present to extend his hand of support.
It was only when the girl died after battling for life, everybody woke up and tears flowed. Now, University Grants Commission has set up an inquiry committee, the Chief Minister is in tears and Priyanka Gandhi is express shock. Naveen Babu also woke up from his slumber.
What can happen now? The parents lost their daughter. Can she return to life? All the statements that have been made by political leaders are nothing but political drama.
So long as this drama will continue, the lives of daughters will continue to be made a pawn on the chessboard of politics and our sisters and daughters can never remain safe.