Resurgence of nativism, protectionism in West disturbing: Manmohan Singh
New Delhi, Aug 8 : Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that resurgence of "nativism and protectionism in the West is a disturbing trend" and the "old and tried approaches may not suffice".
"Building goodwill and peace among nations is of paramount importance," he said after releasing a book, "Ten Ideologies - The Great Asymmetry between Agrarianism and Industrialism", authored by his former Cabinet colleague S. Jaipal Reddy.
Singh said that in the process of writing the book, Reddy brings out that the "divisions based on race, religion, caste or colour are products of the historical periods, but cannot be accepted by holistic reading of history".
"While alluding to the beginnings of the Industrial Age, the author has pointed out that the historical foundations for the new era were provided by China, India and West Asia, both in ancient times and medieval period," said Singh addressing the audience at the Constitution Club of India.
"The technologies borrowed from the East helped the West in having the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution etc. It was these intellectual movements which stimulated historical changes and new schools of thought. They were all happening at about the same time," said Singh.
Singh further said: "The resurgence of nativism and protectionism in the West is a disturbing trend. Old and tried approaches may not suffice. We should not hesitate to think afresh.
"While doing so, the paramount thing is to build goodwill and peace among nations. In this context, the conflict of mindsets of Agrarian and Industrial eras that Sri Jaipal Reddy focuses upon is relevant."
Singh also said he was reminded of his Cambridge days as he went through the book. "As I went through the book and came across the ideas of masterly thinkers, I have been reminded of my own Cambridge days.
"It is like going back to basics. I have enjoyed this refreshing experience and benefited by it. I am happy to note that Jaipal Reddy is trying to build a new approach to meet the current crises in the world. This is what we should focus on," he said.
Praising Reddy, Singh further said: "Although he has been a professional politician, he has proved to be an intellectual as well. I hope and trust that this will set a new trend in Indian politics."
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
