'Towards a dystopian future'(!): Implications of the Supreme Court judgement on bifurcation of Kashmir by Shukla Sen: https://groups.google.com/g/greenyouth/c/443B3S-WNuU The Centre would proclaim President's rule in a state governed by an opposition party -- on whatever (concocted) ground. Then the parliament -- in which the party ruling at the Centre is obviously having majority (which is liable to be further enhanced by expelling/suspending opposition members) -- would assume the power of the (dissolved) state legislature. And do to the state as it wishes!!!
P Chidambaram writes: Towards a dystopian future https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/supreme-court-article-370-verdict-abrogation-of-article-370-jammu-and-kashmir-9071154/ there are other aspects of the ‘abrogation’ of Article 370 that are disturbing: the legality of the process followed by the central government/ Parliament and its implications for ‘federalism’ and ‘states’ rights’. These aspects concern not only Jammu & Kashmir, but all states of the country.
In Article 370 Case, Supreme Court Set A Worrying Precedent For Federalism https://www.livelaw.in/articles/in-article-370-case-supreme-court-set-a-worrying-precedent-for-federalism-244288 Manu Sebastian 12 Dec 2023 The Court's view that a State's nature can be altered unilaterally by the Centre during the President's rule does not portend well for federalism.
Newsclick statement 19th Dec. 2023 https://www.newsclick.in/statement-sudden-freezing-newsclick-accounts-it-dept-dec-salaries-held As of the evening of December 18, NewsClick has been unable to make any bank payments due to action by the Income Tax Department. NewsClick did not receive any intimation of the freezing of accounts, and the staff discovered it by chance while trying to make routine payments last evening. As a result of this high-handed action, salaries of all employees — journalists, videographers, and administrative and support staff — and consultants and contributors cannot be paid, including for the 19 days of December they have already worked.
Members of India’s ruling dispensation are often found making vociferous claims about the nation’s march on the path of development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the proverbial slip between cup and lip is becoming difficult to ignore. The report, Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023: Statistics and Trends, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, has revealed that 74.1% of Indians were unable to get access to healthy food in 2021. South Asia, incidentally, recorded the highest prevalence of food insecurity. What is concerning is that India was ranked lower than its neighbours, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Iran. The persistence of India’s nutritional challenge is also borne out by the report: 76.2% of Indians could not afford a healthy diet in 2020 while about 16.6% were undernourished the following year. The causes of these depressing data are well-known. The pandemic led to disruptions in the economy and, consequently, to loss of income and livelihood opportunities. The combined effects of ascendant food inflation and declining purchasing power ensured that nutrition remains a luxury for three out of every four Indians. Entrenched gender and social inequalities, highlighted in the National Family and Healthy Survey 5, have also amplified attendant crises: as per the UN report, 31.7% of children in India suffer from stunted growth while 53% of women of reproductive age are anaemic. The economic and the healthcare burdens of malnutrition are considerable; the lack of nutrition also belies the tall claims about India meeting its welfare commitments.
19/12/2023