My Opinion

Erstwhile J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has dared Mehbooba Mufti to hold fresh elections in the State. After her father’s death Mehbooba Mufti has so far maintained a silence over government formation. She has called a meeting with her party leaders at her residence on the 31st of January. She wants to gauge political situation in Kashmir and also assess the mood of the people in the state. Since she is yet to lay all her cards on the table or break away from the BJP-PDP alliance or form a new government, it has given Omar Abdullah the perfect ground to repeatedly raise the issue of fresh elections.

It is a century old tradition being followed over the years where by women are prohibited from entering the core area of the Shani Shingnapur temple in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Worship is a personal choice and women devotees who want to enter the temple should be allowed to offer their prayers. Times have changed and there is nothing wrong in breaking away from this tradition, what is wrong is an attempt to resist such a change and rake up a controversy over this.

What Dhirubhai Ambani has achieved in the field of business is unparalleled. What is remarkable is that from selling cloth on his cycle he went to establish India’s largest business empire. Given his contribution, he should have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan long back

For the past 70 years, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s death has always been shrouded in mystery. Questions have been raised whether it was an accidental death or a natural one and when did he actually die? Post independence was Netaji live and in hiding? With the declassification of the files tomorrow on his birthday, all these doubts will finally be put to rest. Perhaps this is would be the most fitting tribute to Netaji who sacrificed his life for his country’s independence.

After today’s horrific terror attack in Peshawar, most people in Pakistan are of the opinion that the country is paying a price for not only having sheltered militants in its own soil but also having supported them for many years. These insurgents have become so powerful that neither the government nor the army or the ISI has any control over them and innocents are made to suffer. The country’s border with Afghanistan has become a safe haven for these terrorists who easily escape after causing bloodshed. Umar Mansoor, the man behind the Army School attack in 2104 and today’s attack is hiding in Afghanistan and from his hideout has even audaciously released a picture of those who carried out the attack.

The entire issue is about student politics. It is about two groups with opposing ideologies but the manner in which it has been unfurling clearly points to vote bank politics. First it was a Minister who jumped into the fray which ended with a student committing suicide and now his death is being exploited on casteist lines by every political party. Unfortunately none of them seem to realise that such venomous and divisive politics for a few votes will only increase the already existing divide and make matters worse.

An amount of 500 crore was budgeted last year for the homecoming of the Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. A place was also identified for their successful rehabilitation. There was considerable progress on this and talks were on between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Mufti Mohammad Saeed. However with the sudden demise of Mufti, it has put a brake to this entire operation. Till a new government is formed and talks resume, it will perhaps take some time for the homecoming process to start anew.

The Jaish E Mohammad has been supported by the army in Pakistan. The outfit has received arms and weapons training. However after Jaish led by Masood Azhar made two attempts on his life, Parvez Musharraf had banned the group but the crackdown was only in paper. Not only has it regrouped itself with training centres all over Pakistan, the JeM is also believed to be responsible for the Pathankot Airbase attack. So far there were unconfirmed reports that Masood Azhar has been detained but today when the Defence Minister of Pakistan confirmed reports of his detention, there can be little doubt that Nawaz Sharif is serious about tackling terrorism in his own country. However a lot depends on how seriously the Pakistan Prime Minister is perceived is his own country.

Under no circumstances can throwing shoes or eggs or smearing ink as a means of protest be justified. It needs to be condemned strongly but the question is what triggers such assaults? One may remember that Jarnail Singh who had thrown a shoe at the then Home Minister P Chidambaram, was later given a ticket to fight the Delhi elections and made an MLA by Arvind Kejriwal thereby encouraging such a culture. What is even more interesting that it was Kejriwal who had always maintained after he became the Chief Minister that he did not require any security and wanted to be treated like an ‘aam admi’ but now his leaders have been crying hoarse over serious security lapses pertaining to the Chief Minister.

Rohit’s suicide is bound to generate political unrest, it is bound to trigger off a campaign on social media and spark off protests amongst students. However he should not be made a scapegoat in this political fight. A thorough investigation should be made into the allegations that Rohit Vemula had raised in his letter to the Vice Chancellor. It is important to find out what forced him to take such a drastic step and the strictest punishment should be given to those who are involved in his unfortunate death.

The needle of suspicion in the Pathankot terror attack has always pointed to an insider job. Without inside help, or without the help of the mafia, it would not have been possible to execute such an attack. In Ramayana one may remember it would not have been possible to overpower Ravana in Lanka without Vibhishana’s help. It is therefore imperative to nab those who facilitated the attack and they need to be dealt with in the strongest manner.

Hafiz Saeed blatantly ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally today. He even tried provoking Muslims in India. However the JUD Chief should pay heed to what leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi have been repeatedly saying. Owaisi has said that Muslims in India are far more protected. They can never be unfaithful towards their homeland and are even prepared to lay down their lives. These are not just Owaisi’s words but a reflection of what 28 crore Muslims living in India think and feel and terrorists like Hafiz Saeed should certainly make a note of it.