Waqf : Look at the merits of the law
All India Muslim Personal Law Board has decided to launch 1985-type countrywide agitation against the new Waqf law to put pressure on Modi government to withdraw the Act. The draft of a speech has been sent by AIMPLB to all mosques asking the Imams to convey to the faithful at all Friday prayer congregations. A big rally will be held in Delhi on April 22 and the first phase of agitation will continue till July 7. In West Bengal, there was arson, stone pelting and attacks on police by anti-Waqf law protesters in at least three places in Murshidabad. Internet has been shut down in the area. Trains were stopped at several places. BJP leaders have alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s police has given a free hand to protesters to indulge in violence and in some places, Hindus have been attacked and their temples were vandalized. The problem is: Mamata’s government is allowing Muslims to protest against Waqf law, but is refusing permission to Hindu outfits to take out Ramnavami and Hanuman Jayanti processions. The confrontation may continue till next year’s assembly polls in Bengal. As far as the new Waqf Act is concerned, maulanas have declared a war and their target is not Waqf law, but Prime Minister Modi. In most of the speeches of Islamic clerics, their key thrust is how to make Modi bow to the demands of Muslims. Common Muslims have nothing to do with Waqf law, but they are being told that the government will take over their mosques, Eidgah and graveyards. All those who have illegally acquired Waqf properties in the past have reasons to be worried. Muslim leaders are pointing out that the community showed its strength in 1985 to force Rajiv Gandhi government to pass the Muslim Personal Law Bill to overturn the Supreme Court judgement on maintenance in Shahbano case. Similarly, in 2013, the community succeeded in pressurizing Manmohan Singh’s government to bring about amendments in Waqf law. Their logic now is: how can the Modi government refuse to accept their demands? The real war is not over the merits of Waqf law, but the desire to project the supremacy of the community leaders. Muslim Personal Law Board and some other Muslim outfits are trying to keep the heat on, but anti-social elements can take undue advantage, as it happened in Agra, where the head of an animal was found inside a bag inside the Jama Masjid. Police took timely action and nabbed a Muslim youth who was trying to create communal tension.
US-China tariff war : good for India
The tariff war between China and the US has escalated with China imposing 125 per cent tariff on all US imports. This tit-for-tat tariff war has brought bilateral trade between the two nations practically unfeasible. US has imposed 145 pc tariff on all Chinese imports. China has appealed to European Union and other countries to join hands in its trade war against the US. Experts say, that this is a good opportunity for India because it has the capacity to replace China and export goods like electronics, textile, garments and toys to the US. Electronics giant Apple exported nearly 600 tonnes (roughly 15 lakh cellphones) from India to the US by hiring special cargo planes, even before the US tariff came into effect. Apple took only six hours to obtain custom clearance from the Indian government. Apple presently produces 20 per cent of the cell phones that it sells in the US, while the remaining 80 pc of Apple phones come from China. Experts say, India and the US must finalize their trade deal as soon as possible to give a boost to Indian exports to the US, but Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said categorically that India would not finalize a deal at gunpoint unless the interests of Indian industry are safeguarded. The question is: Will smart phones, air conditioners, TV, fridge and other items made in India become cheaper in the US? Trade experts say, due to American pressure, Chinese companies will be forced to lower prices of electronic components exported to India by five per cent. More than 75 pc of electronic components used in India are manufactured in China. If you join both these points, one thing is clear: smart phones, AC, TV, fridge and other electronic goods in India may become cheaper and this could be a win-win situation for consumers.
.BJP’s alliance with AIADMK: Alarming signals for DMK
All India Anna DMK and BJP on Friday announced their alliance to fight next year’s Tamil Nadu assembly elections with Eddapadi K. Palaniswamy as their CM face. Home Minister Amit Shah was present when this announcement was made. This is considered an achievement for BJP in Tamil Nadu. During last year’s Lok Sabha polls, the alliance had failed to materialize. BJP had allied with some small parties, its voting percentage rose but the party failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat. Similarly, all AIADMK candidates lost the LS elections. AIADMK had demanded that state BJP chief Annamali should step down, BJP changed its state unit chief and the alliance was stitched. BJp has realized that it is impossible to counter the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu by going alone. Without AIADMK’s support, BJP cannot make Chief Minister M K Stalin’s ‘misrule’ an issue. When Stalin objected to delimitation and alleged that the Centre was trying to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu, BJP appeared to be on the defensive. The anti-Sanatan stance of Stalin and charges of corruption against DMK ministers were issues which were overshadowed. BJP had to take AIADMK’s support, but the biggest challenge is: AIADMK itself is now divided into several factions. Can they be brought together on a single platform? Amit Shah is at work
Trump’s tariff : challenge or opportunity?
The US stock market crashed on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs raised fears of an all-out trade war across the world and a looming global economic recession. The Wall Street benchmark indices ended with the largest single-day percentage losses since 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average crashed 1,679 points or 3.98 per cent, while S&P 500 fell by 275 points or 4.84 per cent. The Nasdaq Composite fell by 1050 points or 5.97 per cent lower. Chinese commerce ministry demanded that the US must withdraw 34 per cent additional tariff and threatened to initiate countermeasures. After Trump imposed 26 per cent tariff on India, the Commerce Ministry in a guarded statement said, it is in close touch with industry and exporters, and it is assessing the situation while taking feedback from stakeholders. Indian goods imported by the US will now become costlier. This could result in lesser demand from the US and lesser exports to America. But the positive sign is that huge tariff has been slapped by Trump on countries which are our competitors in export. This could result in rise in export of Indian textiles and electronic goods, because high tariffs on China, Thailand and Bangladesh could give advantage to India in trade with US. Machinery, toys, automobiles are areas where India may increase its production and export to the US. India has got a good opportunity, but to achieve that, India will have to concentrate more on ‘ease of doing business’ and strengthen its logistics and infrastructure. Trump’s tariff can have negative effect on our textile, diamond, automobile and steel sectors, but he has spared India’s pharmaceutical, semiconductor, copper and some energy sectors like oil, LNG and coal.
Waqf Bill : Now it’s a law for all
Parliament has put its seal of approval on the Waqf Amendment Bill, with Rajya Sabha, in a late-night sitting, passing the Bill with 128 votes in favour and 95 votes against. The Bill will become law after the President’s assent. Meanwhile, Congress, other opposition parties and Islamic clerics have threatened to challenge the law in court. There was tight security in several cities across states in view of Friday prayers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his tweet, described the passage of the Bill as “a historic moment” and hoped that this would bring transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties. The biggest challenge in getting the Bill passed was on the issue of getting support from BJP’s allies Janata Dal(U) and Telugu Desam Party. Both these parties were shown the bogey of losing crucial support of Muslim votes. But both Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar understood the mood of the nation and extended support to the Bill. One consequence of this will be that no opposition leader will now question the stability of Modi government. The passage of this Bill will also have consequences on elections in Bihar and West Bengal. For Mamata Banerjee, Muslim support is essential. She has promised Muslims that the day would come when this Bill would be repealed. This could be her line of thought and there should be no problems if Islamic clerics stage protests on the streets. The problem is, when some people say that even after Parliament passes the bill and if Supreme Court upholds its validity, they would not accept this law. Those who oppose rule of law, Parliament and Constitution, deserve to be punished.
SC verdict : A big setback for Mamata
In a major setback for Mamata Banerjee’s government, the Supreme Court has concurred with the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel the recruitment of over 25,700 teachers and non-teaching staff, done in 2016. While dismissing the appeals of West Bengal government and West Bengal School Service Commission and 125 successful candidates, the bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said, the entire selection process “has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution”. The apex court said, “manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with attempted cover-up, have dented the process.” Reacting to the verdict, Mamata Banerjee said, she does not agree with the apex court’s ruling and if more than 25,000 teachers are removed from their jobs, it would adversely affect the education system. “Who will then take the responsibility?”, she asked. Mamata Banerjee said, ” those who indulged in the scam are in jail, but it is not correct to punish all because of the crime of a single person.” I am surprised to find Mamata Banerjee refusing the accept the Supreme Court verdict. This is not the first time that the apex court has cancelled appointments by a state government. The apex court has clearly said there was large-scale cheating and fraud in the selection process. What will happen to those who were selected through this dishonest process? They will lose their jobs. Similar things have happened in the past. Frauds take place due to political connivance. But ultimately the losers are those poor people who lose their jobs. This should stop.
Waqf Bill passed: Why Modi is unique compared to other leaders
The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed by Lok Sabha after a marathon 12-hour debate with 288 votes in favour and 232 against. All amendments brought by opposition MPs were rejected by voice vote. The Bill will now be passed in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. In the Lok Sabha, the bill was passed with support from BJP’s allies like Janata Dal-United, Telugu Desam Party and some smaller parties. The Bill, if enacted, will be a landmark one, which will reduce corruption in Waqf Boards. Opposition parties and several Muslim organizations opposed this bill alleging that this was an attempt to control Waqf Boards. For the last several weeks, a campaign was launched even in remote villages, and Muslims were told that the government wants to occupy their Waqf properties including mosques and graveyards. However, in the Lok Sabha, not a single opposition leader could not show a single provision to prove that the government would occupy Waqf properties. The entire focus of the debate was on who is the ‘thekedar’ (sole representative) of Muslims. The argument was given that Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party can advocate the cause of Muslims, but how can BJP speak about welfare of Muslims? The argument given was, BJP does not have a single Muslim MP. How does it claim the right to speak about welfare of Muslims? The arguments given during the debate were, BJP governments stop Muslims from offering namaaz on roads, and the Centre abolished Triple Talaq. Hence the deduction made was that something was fishy in this Waqf bill too. The thrust of the arguments by opposition was that BJP governments should confine themselves to holding Maha Kumbh mela and build corridors around Kashi Vishwanath temple and Mahakal temple in Ujjain, but BJP should not speak about Muslims, because the sole contract (thekedari) for speaking about Muslim welfare lies with opposition leaders. The truth is that, no other previous government at the Centre before Narendra Modi had dared to tinker with laws relating to Muslims. Past governments at the Centre were literally afraid of angering the self-appointed ‘contractors’ (thekedars) of Muslim votes. Governments in the past feared losing Muslim vote bank if they tinkered with the community’s laws. It was Narendra Modi who changed the narrative. Modi was threatened that if Waqf bill was brought, his allies like JD(U) and TDP would leave the alliance and his government would collapse. But Modi is made of a different mettle. He does not fear such threats. He stood his ground. It is this quality that makes Modi stand apart from other leaders.
Waqf Bill battle : Reforms versus Vote Bank
With battle lines drawn over the passage of Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament, the government appears to be confident of getting it passed in Lok Sabha with support from its major allies Janata Dal-United and Telugu Desam Party. Some amendments from the allies have been accepted by the government. Whatever may be the final outcome, I feel, there are four different points of view from which one can look at this bill. One, the government’s view that lakhs of crores of rupees worth Waqf properties are being controlled by a handful of people who are minting money, and this loot needs to be stopped. Two, the Islamic clerics’ point of view, who say that they would lose control over Waqf properties once the bill is passed. They they are trying to strike fear in the minds of Muslims by saying that government will gain control over their mosques and graveyars. Three, the opposition’s point of view, which is worried about its Muslim vote bank and wants to show solidarity with them, at any cost. When vote bank matters, nobody bothers about reforms. Four, the allies of BJP who have been warned by Muslim outfits that if they support the bill, they would lose support of Muslims, but both Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu remained undeterred. In brief: In the beginning, speculations and rumours were spread about the Waqf bill to create fear among Muslims, but this move failed. When the bill will be passed after a marathon debate, many hidden secrets will tumble out of the cupboard. The people at large will come to know, which parties are taking a stand on this bill for Muslim votes, and which parties are in support of reforms.
After Maha Kumbh success, Yogi’s confidence is on top
On Tuesday, UP CM Yogi Adityanath clearly said that namaaz cannot be allowed on roads, because roads are meant for traffic and pedestrians. On those questioning why ‘kaanwar yatra’ is allowed by blocking roads, Yogi said, ” We allow kaanwar yatra, but we also allow Muharram processions too. After the spectacular success of Maha Kumbh, Yogi Adityanath’s confidence is now in top gear. The reason: his policies and intentions are both crystal clear. If he opposes namaaz on roads, he does not hesitate in saying that his police also provides security to Muharram processions. Yogi openly supports tradtion and Sanatan, and he does not mince words when he expresses his views. A leader who has clarity in thought process, gains confidence and his performance becomes better.
Raj Thackeray’s MNS must learn how to earn respect
Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists thrashed a private security guard in Powai, Mumbai, for not speaking Marathi. Raj Thackeray told a rally that outsiders who come to Maharashtra for jobs, must learn to speak Marathi, and if they refuse to do so, they will be “taught a lesson”. Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has supported Raj’s stand. Shiv Sena (Shinde) and BJP took a middle-of-the-road stance. These parties said, nobody can be allowed to take law into his hands. Beating up outsiders, ransacking shops, creating fear in the minds of North Indians living in Maharashtra have been part of Raj Thackeray’s original brand of politics. But these actions proved futile in elections. Raj Thackeray’s MNS was badly mauled in Maharashtra assembly elections. Now MNS is speaking about Marathi ‘asmita’ (pride), Marathi language and Marathi manus (people). These are part of Maharashtrian tradition, but nobody can gain respect by slapping or beating people and ransacking shops. Nobody respects a person who takes law into his own hands.
Waqf Bill : Are Maulanas misguiding Muslims?
All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with other Islamic clerics, has given a call to Muslims to assemble at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on March 13. The timing is significant. Hindus will celebrate Holika Dahan on this day, a day before Holi. Top Muslim leaders like Safullah Rahmani, Obaidullah Azmi, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Imran Masood have been telling Muslims that if the Waqf Act was amended, the community will lose most of the Waqf properties like madrasa, kabristan land, etc. The government will take over these properties, they say. But few Muslims know that Waqf amendment bill has nothing to do with the properties of Muslim commoners. Muslims believe what Owaisi and Rahmani are saying only because they have not read the provisions of the bill. The Centre says, the bill has been brought to regulate only Waqf properties. Waqf boards shall remain as they are. The only difference will be, waqf boards will not have the power to acquire whichever land they claim. The bill also has provisions to prevent misappropriation of waqf properties by waqf boards and women will have representation in waqf boards. The path will now be open to remove illegal acquisition of land by waqf boards. Till now, waqf boards had a monopoly. This will come to an end. The government says, the new law will provide the right to challenge the decision of waqf boards in courts. And now the main question arises: How will the Muslim community lose its mosques? How will Muslims lose their control over madrasas and kabristan land? The ground reality is, some individuals have been controlling billions of rupees worth waqf properties, and they have been earning crores of rupees from these properties. This game will now end. That is why these individuals are worried and they are trying to incite their Muslim brethren. This matter relates to waqf boards only, but these leaders are reminding Muslims about Babri mosque, Gyanvapi mosque and Sambhal Jama Masjid.
Bageshwar Baba: Why RJD has a problem with him?
Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Shastri has angered RJD and Congress leaders in Bihar because of his pro-Hindutva remarks. In an interview to India TV, Dhirendra Shastri said, he has come to Bihar for only five days, but if these parties start a campaign against him, he will stay put in Bihar by setting up a ‘math’ (monastery). Shastri said, he will continue his mission to make Bharat a Hindu Rashtra. RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan demanded that Shastri be arrested and jailed. One thing is clear. RJD leaders in Bihar are worried over the presence of Bageshwar Dham chief, who is campaigning for Hindu unity. RJD leaders find these remarks as similar to ‘bantenge toh katenge’ slogan. That is why some of these leaders are demanding that the Baba be thrown into jail. I know Acharya Dhirendra Shastri. He is not among those who can be easily cowed down. People’s support is his strength. If these leaders continue to needle him, the Baba will stay put in Bihar and opposition parties like RJD and Congress will find it problematic.
Nitish Kumar Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai?
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool in Vidhan Parishad on Thursday, when a lady RJD MLA, during question hour, spoke about the poor conditions of education in govt schools. The CM suddenly stood up and told the lady MLA that her party is “a party of illiterates that did nothing for education in Bihar when it was in power.” Pointing towards Rabri Devi, the CM said, “when her husband went to jail, he made his wife the CM”. Lalu Yadav’s son and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized Nitish Kumar for making such a remark against his mother. He said, it reflects the level of frustration in the mind of the CM. Tejashwi Yadav is right. Nitish Kumar has been making disparaging remarks nowadays. I know Nitish Kumar personally since decades. This is not his normal behaviour. Nitish Kumar always speaks in a dignified and polite manner. But now, I notice a fundamental change in his behaviour. He flares up easily, and at times crosses the limits of decency. I am not only surprised. I feel bad.