Today's situation worse than Emergency: Arun Shourie
Mumbai: Former Union minister Arun Shourie Sunday said ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a "great sense of remorse" for imposing Emergency, but the situation today is "graver" than it was in 1975-77.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's juggernaut can be stopped in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if the entire Opposition unites and follows the principle of one candidate against the BJP in every seat.
The journalist-turned-politician was addressing a session on 'Danger within the Judicial System' at Tata Literature Festival here.
"In 1975 (Emergency) there was much better defined opponent. Today there is widespread opponent. I can tell you this, the difference between Gandhi and Narendra Modi is that Gandhi had a great sense of remorse about what she had done," he said.
"Today, there is no remorse. In Gandhi's case I feel, in spite of the fact that she put 1,75,000 people in jail, there was a sense of limit...isse aage nahi jana hai (not beyond this point). But today there is no sense of limit," he added.
The Emergency lasted for 19 months, but today there is much more sustained and relentless assault at undermining institutions, Shourie said.
"...so I feel the situation now is much more graver than it was in 1975," he added.
Shourie asserted that opposition unity is key to defeating Modi in 2019.
"After all, Modi at the peak of his popularity (in 2014)... how many votes he got? Only 31 per cent. So if the opposition unites, it starts with 69 per cent of the votes," he said.
"In any case the BJP has no presence in the states where regional parties are strong. We should think of the Congress and support the Congress in those places where it is a dominant regional party," he said.
He added that if the leaders of the other parties don't agree on the principle of one candidate against a BJP candidate, then people should be approached to teach them a lesson for splitting opposition votes.
A former minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, Shourie said people should look within themselves to bring change.
"If we're not prepared to do anything, situation will be the way it is," he said.
He claimed all institutions are under assault, especially during the last four years, and have been destroyed by the "termite" inside them. "Institutions in India, I fear, are hollow," he said.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
