India Blog Watch

For the first time in history, the Pakhtoons of Pakistan are truly celebrating the joy of their identitys recognition. It took decades of perseverance and an unfailing pursuit of identity that finally led to the victory called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Starting with the great nationalist and humanist Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan through all the political machination, polemical conflicts, and terrorism, the Pakhtoon nation has finally achieved a goal they can be proud of under their representative leadership The Awami National Party. This victory is, however, just the starting point towards a greater provincial autonomy that is indispensible to the prosperity and peace in the Pakhtoon-inhabited areas as well as the strength and stability of Pakistan of whom Pakhtunkhwa will be a vital organ.

Playing a daughter-in-law to a commoner family is easy, because its’ less encompassing and contained to accepting your better half, his parents and members of immediate family. Things can get harder than thought of when you decide to become a cross border bride, as in the case of ace tennis player Sania Mirza. As the common man on both the sides of the border is fed with media updates on the proposed marriage Sania is finding herself being pushed into a difficult situation. Pakistan Tennis Federation chief Dilawar Abbas wants Sania Mirza to play for Pakistan after her marriage with former cricket captain Shoaib Malik. Laughable indeed for the Indian conscience but then, what’s wrong with it? By virtue of his cricketing fame Shoaib is a son of the soil in the Pakistani collective conscience. Going by that coin Sania would be Pakistan’s daughter–in-law, and expected to fulfill all her duties which include a hope that she would become a Pakistani national and play tennis for them in the future. So far both have been able to keep controversies at bay by choosing to settle down in Dubai and play for their respective countries. Sooner or later she would have to decide. Many would question her patriotism since she decided to marry a Pakistani, or recall her attitude and fitness problems to write her off as a mediocre player. We just hope she excels in her play which she learnt here in India as an Indian first and then anything else.

Another milestone has been set on the road to strengthening Indian democracy with the implementation of Right to Education Act 2010 that ensures free and compulsory education to all children bur etween the age of 6 and 14 years. The act guarantees right to education to children of all communities including minorities and backward classes. The challenges before the successful implementation of this Act are simply overwhelming that includes poverty. Its’ one of the major reasons, behind child illiteracy and early school dropout rates in India. However, irrespective of the insurmountable challenges facing its successful implementation, the provision of mandatory reservation of 25% seats for the disadvantaged children in private schools within the Act deserves appreciation. The mushrooming private institutions have been trading on education and have done little for the actual empowerment of down trodden children through education. With compulsory reservation they will be brought to book and made to play a concrete role in promoting education amongst the poor along with public institutions.

Three years of lone battle and 55-year-old Chanderpati’s anxious wait to see the murderers of her son and daughter-in-law getting punished is about to end. She rightly wants the court, just like every other person who respects individual freedom, to pronounce a death sentence for the six persons guilty of abduction and murder. Khap Panchayats are self styled setups that have gained notoriety for resorting to honor killings of young couples or social boycott of their families for a simple reason that they chose to marry by choice. Right to freedom of life and liberty are the basic fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution. Rarely has anyone spoken against the Khaps in spite of their brutal misdeeds let alone anyone coming forward to register a case against them. The court must set a precedent and uphold the prosecutions plea by ordering death sentence to guilty members of the Khap, which run as parallel kangaroo courts in our country.

Caste based politics is the major culprit behind Bihar’s rotten state of affairs. Instead of dismantling the same it seems that the government is hell bent on deepening it further. And, this time they have chosen the state’s education system to carry it forward. A circular issued by Muzaffarpur’s district administration makes it mandatory for students appearing in annual exams in state-run primary and high schools to mention their caste in answer sheets otherwise their results would be withheld.

The statement of Chief Minister Punjab Mr. Shahbaz Sharif has sent the entire nation in shock followed by condemnation. Mr. Sharif’s appeal has three major negative implications for Pakistan. First, by referring to a common cause, the chief minister has openly revealed a shared agenda with Taliban. That a political party can be one with Taliban in cause is a sign of political terror that goes way beyond militancy.

A steady change is occurring in the US attitude towards Pakistan’s credentials on its nuclear front in order to seek latter’s cooperation on nuclear proliferation and terrorism. Obama administration is willing to consider offering a similar civilian nuclear deal to Pakistan akin to the one given to India. The shift in stance comes within less than a month of US saying no to any possibility of giving an atomic power plant or a civilian nuclear deal to Pakistan. The latest development is bound to raise diplomatic concerns within India and an even greater political commotion. However, does India really need to bother since there are so many factors which make the whole idea appear remotely impossible?

It’s Maya: It belongs to none and its exit is as swift as its arrival. When this reality caught up with MP Ejaz Ali he chose to close his eyes easily sinking into a blame game. Its’ once again our seemingly shrewd and clever politicians making slapdash utterances in complete denial of their disgraceful state. Those who presented and then plucked the Rupee 1 lakh garland actually disrobed Ali of the same honor he thought he was being graced with. Instead of blaming the rivals Mr. Ali should instead thrash his supporters for wrong choice of location: a railway station is definitely not the best place to garland a neta with currency notes. After all such public places are flooded with the dhoti clad aam aadmi which hates to see their hard earned money being lavishly wasted on money grubbing egotistical politicians while they endure grinding poverty. Come on, they should have taken a bit of lessoning from Behnji Mayawati. She’s making history of sorts by taking fancy to currency garlands worth millions without getting beaten or bruised. Next time keep a fitting distance from the smutty crass for they are very good at hitting below the belt.

Gone are the days when one would indulge in whining harangue over the decaying condition of Hindi heartlands’ body politic. UP’s thoroughly shameful and disgustingly offensive political episodes can silence even the loudmouthed commentators given to tale telling at the slightest hint. The silver jubilee celebrations of BSP at a whooping cost of 200crore to the exchequer proves that Behnji Kumari Mayawati is riding mighty high in the country’s most populous state, where she rode to power two and a half years ago.