Political interference compromising credibility of higher offices
Recent developments have cast doubts on the integrity of higher offices. The government, in its need to make things work according to its whims, has been blatantly interfering with the functioning of the various offices thus leading to erosion of their reputation. This discussion started when Modi govt made use of Army for political purposes. This trend is entirely new to India that a government would shield itself behind Army and prompt Army officers to speak good about the ruling dispensation.
Eventually, things reached a stage where the keepers of law, justices sitting in supreme court, had to register their apprehensions against the CJI. If the legal system loses its objectivity, how far behind are other agencies? Who would protect democracy if the very pillar of democracy collapses? Supreme court didn’t manage its neutral image well even when the Vice President rejected impeachment charges. Petitioners had argued that since this case was about questioning the neutrality of CJI, he should not be allowed to choose members of the bench to hear this matter. The petition was withdrawn since the most basic tenet of law was broken by the CJI.
This has raised many doubts about the functioning of the Supreme Court that has to uphold democracy and has compromised the very foundation of this country’s most important pillar of functioning. This has not just cast aspersions on the functioning of highest office of legal system in the country, but the parliament has also failed in bringing most pertinent issues to discussion and frame new policies to safeguard the sovereignty of the country.
For instance, Lok Sabha worked for only 33.6 hours among 28 days during budget session, and could pass only 2 bills in the 14 minutes it could find to pass. The 2018-19 budget was passed without any discussion. Speaker denied permission for the opposition parties to show no trust vote against the BJP. PM Modi has to ensure the discussions happen among his colleagues. But on the contrary, he and his cabinet members had staged a day-long dharna opposing the non-coperation of opposition parties.
Ironically enough, this was some gesture to overcome criticism against his authoritarian behaviour. Now, the government is literally running without a finance minister since some time. The thinkers within BJP are ruing the state it has reached within the government. Though Reserve Bank would ideally form economic policies, it gave its complete concurrence to central government to demonetize currency notes in the recent past.
About 99% of the currency was returned to the banks. But about 100 people had lost lives in the meantime. The country still continues to suffer the result of demo on the country’s economy. The Election Commission has to work neutrally without any black spots on its name if democracy has to work to the best of its abilities. But in the recent past, whether it is postponing Gujarat elections or disqualifying AAP MLAs without hearing their case, EC has been proving it is after all a caged parrot who sings the tune of its owner. The saving grace was Delhi high court which heard the case and cancelled the earlier order of disqualification.
Deemed as independent, many agencies have been compromised with as far as their functioning goes. For instance, since the Chennai High Court couldn’t decide on the legality or the lack of it, of disqualification of 18 MLAs, it seemed like the government was running its show illegally. Now Chennai High court gave a mixed verdict. Hence, the whole matter has now reached a quagmire. In a democratic set up, when all else fails, one can always rely on judicial system to serve justice. But with even judicial system being compromised on, we surely are living in those dark days of undeclared emergency.
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Trump confronts South African president over killing of white farmers
Washington, May 21 (AP): President Donald Trump used a White House meeting to confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing his country of failing to address the killing of white farmers.
“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety," said Trump, who at one point dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a communist politician playing a controversial anti-apartheid song that includes lyrics about killing a farmer. "Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they're being killed."
Ramaphosa pushed back against Trump's accusation. The South African leader had sought to use the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country's relationship with the United States. The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994.
“We are completely opposed to that,” Ramaphosa said of the behaviour alleged by Trump in their exchange.
Experts in South Africa say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate.
