India answers America's arrogance
All countries form foreign policies according to their interests and convenience. Independent India under the leadership of Nehru credit this path with great care. India emerged as the leader of the third world countries when the cold war between America and Russia was at its peak. India took a soft stance on Russia when Pakistan hurriedly rest into the arms of America. Nehru understood that India had to side with Russia though America the strongest nation then could have been of great help with its capitalist power. It never declared his inclination towards Russia. He has maintained an arm's length distance from Russia. This continued till the Soviet Union collapsed.
India's baseline progress as a lot to Nehru's foresightedness. India's foreign policy turned week after the 90s.With America attacking Iran, India grew a lot confused about its preferential ally. By then, India had begun to long for America's friendship owing to growing unrest with Pakistan. It would change its stance on many issues relating to Middle East conflicts.Finally after entering into nuclear agreement with America, India dashed hopes of all third world countries. Just around the time the relationship between US and Pak hit a roadblock, India began to long for America's hand of friendship, even at the cost of putting its own internal policies at stake.
Pakistan was cozying up with China when America took a soft stance towards India. Not just that, even today, Pakistan has not been able to grow beyond the tentacles of America. The US has attacked Pakistani sovereignty many a times and treated it like it's own subordinate colony. The world is watching how the Saudi nations are being g handed out raw deals owing to their undue friendship with America, whose president recently said Saudi nations won't last even two weeks without their help. Saudi could not even respond with basic courage. Saudi and Pakistan are fine examples of what would happen to nations that submit their internal matters before another nation. India probably knows and has got adequate indications that it will be facing the same fate in the coming days.
The 8 defence agreements that have been made between India and Russia of high importance. They are back in the discussion because America has expressed clear objection to these. America has said any defence agreement between India and Russia will not be tolerated. India is an independent country and has the freedom to enter into agreements between any of the nations it chooses to go with. India had its own foreign policy all the time. It was seen as a developing nation even without any assistance or help from America. The fact that America can dictate terms to India shows the clear latter's failure of foreign policy. This is the result of being at America's beck and call, paying heed to every instruction issued by the US. America's enemies have turned into India's enemies too by default and unnecessarily so.
Today, the rupee is losing value before the dollar at a fast pace. Oil prices are increasing rapidly. If India had shown some wisdom against the sanctions America imposed on Iran, the rates wouldn't have probably increased in this manner. The wrong assumption of Indian corporate sector that India can access oils through America from Iran has landed us here. Iran and Iraq were friends of India. India stood against Iraq for the sake of America. Now friendship with Iran is in a precarious situation. India has to clearly indicate to America that it will choose its allies and partners by its own preference. Though the relationship between Russia and India has indicated this to the US, the problem doesn't end here.
Though albeit late, India now knows the danger of being friends with America. The country is also looking ways of salvaging relationship with Iran. America is not too blind to these attempts of India. The US may bring more pressure on India in the coming days and India has to prepare for this challenge. India has to prefer peace over all other choices. Unless we improve our relationships with our neighbours, India or Pakistan cannot free themselves from the tentacles of America.
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Actress sexual assault: Court says Prosecution 'miserably' failed to prove conspiracy against Dileep
Kochi (PTI): The prosecution had "miserably" failed to prove the conspiracy charge against Dileep in the sensational 2017 actress sexual assault case, a local court has observed while citing inconsistencies and lack of sufficient evidence against the Malayalam star.
The full judgement of Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court Judge Honey M Varghese was released late on Friday, and has revealed the judge also pointing out at unsustainable arguments put forth by the prosecution.
"The prosecution miserably failed to prove the conspiracy between accused No.1 (Pulsar Suni) and accused No.8 (Dileep) in executing the offence against the victim," the court held.
It examined in detail, the prosecution's allegation that Dileep had hired the prime accused to sexually assault the survivor and record visuals, including close-up footage of a gold ring she was wearing, to establish her identity.
On page 1130 of the judgment, under paragraph 703, the court framed the issue as whether the prosecution's contention that NS Sunil (Pulsar Suni) recorded visuals of the gold ring worn by the victim at the time of the occurrence, so as to clearly disclose her identity, was sustainable.
The prosecution contended Dileep and Suni had planned the recording so that the actress' identity would be unmistakable, with the video of the gold ring intended to convince Dileep that the visuals were genuine.
However, the court noted that this contention was not stated in the first charge sheet and was introduced only in the second one.
As part of this claim, a gold ring was seized after the victim produced it before the police.
The court observed that multiple statements of the victim were recorded from February 18, 2017, following the incident, and that she first raised allegations against Dileep only on June 3, 2017.
Even on that day, nothing was mentioned about filming of the ring as claimed by the prosecution, the court said.
The prosecution failed to explain why the victim did not disclose this fact at the earliest available opportunities.
It further noted that although the victim had viewed the sexual assault visuals twice, she did not mention any specific recording of the gold ring on those occasions, which remained unexplained.
The court also examined the approvers' statements.
One approver told the magistrate that Dileep had instructed Pulsar Suni to record the victim's wedding ring.
The court observed that no such wedding ring was available with her at that time.
During the trial, the approver changed his version, the court said.
The Special Public Prosecutor put a leading question to the approver on whether Dileep had instructed the recording of the ring, after which he deposed that the instruction was to record it to prove the victim's identity.
The court observed that the approver changed his account to corroborate the victim's evidence.
When the same question was put to another approver, he repeated the claim during the trial but admitted he had never stated this fact before the investigating officer.
The court noted that the second approver even went to the extent of claiming Dileep had instructed the execution of the crime as the victim's engagement was over.
This showed that the evidence of the second approver regarding the shooting of the ring was untrue, as her engagement had taken place after the crime.
The court further observed that the visuals themselves clearly revealed the victim's identity and that there was no need to capture images of the ring to establish identity.
In paragraph 887, the court examined the alleged motive behind the crime and noted that in the first charge sheet, the prosecution had claimed that accused persons 1 to 6 had kidnapped the victim with the common intention of capturing nude visuals to extort money by threatening to circulate them and there was no mention about Dileep's role in it.
The court also rejected the prosecution's claim that the accused had been planning the assault on Dileep's instructions since 2013, noting that the allegation was not supported by reliable evidence.
It similarly ruled out the claim that Suni attempted to sexually assault the victim in Goa in January 2017, stating that witness statements showed no such misconduct when he served as the driver of the vehicle used by the actress there.
The court also discussed various controversies that followed Dileep's arrest and the evidence relied upon by the prosecution, ultimately finding that the case had not been proved.
Pronouning its verdict on the sensational case on December 8, the court acquitted Dileep and three others.
Later, the court sentenced six accused, including the prime accused Suni, to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment.
The assault on the multilingual actress, after the accused allegedly forced their way into her car and held it under their control for two hours on February 17, 2017, had shocked Kerala.
Pulsar Suni sexually assaulted the actress and video recorded the act with the help of the other convicted persons in the moving car.
