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New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Democracy in danger under BJP rule, says Prashant Bhushan
BENGALURU: If a judge has a spine, comes from a minority community, or does not toe the BJP-RSS line, the current BJP-led government simply refuses to appoint them even when the Collegium reiterates the recommendation, said senior advocate and public interest lawyer at the Supreme Court, Prashant Bhushan, during a public talk organised by the All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ) on Saturday. Speaking on the theme of 'Judicial Accountability and Independence', Bhushan argued that the very foundation of constitutional democracy is under threat, as the judiciary, especially at the higher levels, is being systematically compromised by the executive. While the Constitution intended for the judiciary to be protected from legislative and executive pressure, Bhushan said this protection has failed in practice, particularly over the last decade. He recalled how the Supreme Court once limited the government's role in appointments through the Collegium system, but alleged that the BJP government has found ways to sabotage that very process. 'Whenever the Collegium recommends a name they don't like — someone too honest, too independent, or simply not aligned with their ideology — the government just sits on the file. They won't reject it, and they won't return it. They just keep it pending for years,' he said. Bhushan called this a direct attack on judicial autonomy. 'Sometimes, even when the Collegium reiterates the recommendation — which, as per the law, makes it binding — the government still refuses to issue the notification. The courts, meanwhile, are too timid to act,' he said.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Revenge of the vernac! Time to mind your angrezi, mister
A controversy of sorts erupted recently after home minister Amit Shah's declaration at a book launch in Delhi that 'those who speak English will soon feel ashamed — the creation of such a society (in India) is not far away.' The comments attracted widespread criticism from the opposition, which accused Shah of pushing the RSS's agenda of cultural domination. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the BJP-RSS did not want underprivileged children to learn English and make progress to become equal. So, what does it mean when a powerful politician hints at shaming people for speaking the language of colonial masters? Is it an unpleasant yet necessary process of the much-needed linguistic decolonisation of our minds, as Shah claims? Credit: Chad Crowe Or is it clever political messaging meant for the vast majority of aspiring young men and women from small towns and villages who speak in the 'vernacular' and hold an irrational grudge against the English-speaking class living in metropolitan India? Just to contextualise, the etymology of the word 'vernacular' is interesting: it is derived from the Latin word 'verna', which means a slave born in his master's house. One of the other variants derived from 'verna' is 'vernaculum' — a low-bred person or proletarian. I was made aware of my 'vernac' identity many years ago when an acquaintance hurled the word at me as an insult. He spoke rather fluent English and kept referring to Hindi speakers as 'vernacs' — a derogatory term to describe those who speak in the vernacular. I, on the other hand, was trying to argue with him in Hindi — the language I am most comfortable in. But my combative antagonist was not willing to stoop to my level by answering in the language of the general hoi polloi. Around the same time, I was offered a job in an upmarket English-language news magazine. But my excitement came crashing down in the very first editorial meeting. While colleagues were rattling off story ideas in their clipped accents and perfect diction, peppering their pitch with public school jokes, I forgot my well-rehearsed lines when my turn came, and could only manage to mumble a few words in Hindi. Suddenly, a thick pall of oppressive silence fell in the editor's room. I could see embarrassed faces all around me; some colleagues looking down at the floor to avoid eye contact. The sacrilege had been committed. A yokel had sneaked into the 'Exclusive Club of the English-speaking Gentry' and defiled it with his lowbrow 'vernacular', or so I thought. That was my first embarrassing encounter with linguistic shame. Dr Lori Gallegos, professor of philosophy at Texas State University, defines linguistic shame as something that 'involves feelings of embarrassment, a sense of inferiority, and attitudes of self-reproach that arise in relation to the way one speaks.' She equates linguicism with other forms of discrimination, like racism and sexism. Apart from direct linguicism, which is still practised in some South Asian convents and public schools, there is another form of discrimination where 'people implicitly view those who do not speak English as uneducated or unintelligent.' PM Modi himself faces this kind of glottophobia regularly when he is mocked for mispronouncing an English word or phrase. Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah, is also trolled for his lack of fluency in English. Against this backdrop, Shah's unapologetic reverse linguicism — though one is not justifying it — becomes somewhat understandable. Ironically, Shah was echoing the sentiments expressed by the celebrated Kenyan-American Marxist writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who died last month. Thiong'o shunned the English language back in the 1970s and declared that in future, he would only write in his mother tongue, Gikuyu. It was his way of protesting against the imposition of the language of the colonial masters, which he described as a 'cultural bomb'. So, when the wider Sangh Parivar eulogises India's past, it may appear to be rejecting the effect of the 'cultural bomb' as described by Thiong'o, but there's a big difference between the two. While Thiong'o sees English and many other European languages as an assault on native African languages, the Hindutva narrative is more selective in its approach. Urdu, an out-and-out Indian language, is as much an anathema to them as English. A more troubling thought is how such rhetoric could encourage the right wing's vast army of foot soldiers — often drawn from under-educated and poor marginalised castes who resent the English-speaking elite. Some of them have taken on the role of cow vigilantes who patrol highways. This foot soldier could now potentially have another assignment as a bhasha rakshak dal (defenders of language) vigilante — going from room to room in Delhi Gymkhana or the swanky clubs in South Mumbai, or inspecting seminar halls in universities and the India International Centre to check if the speakers are ashamed enough while delivering a speech in English. Should that dystopia become a reality, will the angreziwallas be then forced to form secret societies where one could only whisper in a language that shall not be named? Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
Anger over Dalit teen's death spills over in Haryana, Rahul slams ‘BJP-RSS's Manuwadi ideology'
In a lengthy post Thursday on X, Rahul described the incident as a 'murder of the Constitution' and accused the Modi government of turning the police into 'tools of oppression' against the marginalised communities. The harassment meted out to the family for seeking justice is not just a crime but exposes the 'ugly face of BJP-RSS's Manuwadi system' that discriminates against the Dalits, he added. The Hisar episode from the night of 7 July has drawn sharp criticism from Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who condemned the Nayab Saini-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Gurugram: Protests are spreading across Haryana in the wake of a Dalit teenager's suspicious death in Hisar, with angry family members ignoring the police's 12-hour deadline to conduct the last rites. While an First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against 10 people, including the Dalit teenager, an Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already started probing the case. The family of Ganesh Valmiki and Hisar police have different versions of the events that unfolded at Hisar's 12 Quarter area. They, the police said, were called to stop the loud music being played late at night in a birthday party, leading to a confrontation with Ganesh and his friends. According to the police, the situation escalated when the group attacked officers with stones and sharp weapons, injuring a sub-inspector and another officer. Ganesh and Akash jumped from a rooftop while fleeing, resulting in Ganesh's death and injuries to Akash, they added. A post-mortem, conducted by a medical board, supports the police's version that Ganesh's death was due to the fall. However, Ganesh's family and Dalit outfits accused the police of pushing him off the roof. The police fabricated the story of a fall to cover up their brutality, they alleged. They have refused to claim the body, staging a dharna outside the civil hospital for over nine days, demanding justice and the suspension of the 'guilty' officers. The family further alleged that when they sought accountability from the police, they faced harassment and brutality, including attacks on women. At a mahapanchayat held Wednesday, the Dalit community formed a 21-member committee that set a three-day ultimatum to the police to carry out action against those responsible for Ganesh's death. They warned that if the police forcibly cremate the body, the family will launch a nationwide agitation, including a permanent dharna at the office of the Hisar deputy commissioner. The unrest has spilled beyond Hisar, with demonstrations in Bhiwani, Karnal, and Jhajjar. In Bhiwani, a memorandum was submitted to the chief minister demanding action. The Youth Congress workers protested alongside the teenager's body in Karnal, while the Valmiki community in Jhajjar staged a sit-in, amplifying the call for justice. Tensions remain high as the police prepare to forcibly cremate the body. The incident has reignited debates on police accountability and the treatment of marginalized communities in Haryana, with the opposition vowing to escalate the fight for justice. In a press conference Thursday, Hisar Range Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) released two CCTV footage showing the youths setting up a cot in the middle of the street, playing loud music, and arguing with officers who attempted to intervene. Rao said the youths tried to snatch a policeman's mobile and attacked the team, forcing officers to seek refuge in a house. The police were only there to stop the disturbance and were willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove innocence, he asserted. Also Read: Nasir-Junaid murder: Accused gau rakshak who 'killed self' named Bajrang Dal Haryana chief in 'last video' Oppn cranks up pressure Punjab's former chief minister and Congress' Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi visited the dharna site at Hisar's civil hospital on Thursday and condemned the police action. Former minister and Dalit leader Raj Kumar Verka told the people that Rahul sent Channi to Hisar, and added that he would submit a report to the LoP to ensure justice to Ganesh. Joined the protesting family of Ganesh Valmiki in Hisar, Haryana. A young Dalit boy was brutally dragged and beaten to death by the police; several others were seriously injured. Instead of delivering justice, the BJP government has filed an FIR against his grieving family. For… — Charanjit Singh Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) July 17, 2025 In his speech, Channi said that the incident reminded him of the old 'Manuwadi Soch' against the Dalits. 'Earlier, they didn't allow us to visit temples or take water from the village well. Today, they can't tolerate a Dalit celebrating his birthday by playing a DJ,' he said. Channi also took to X in which he alleged that a Dalit boy was brutally dragged and beaten to death by the police. 'Instead of delivering justice, the BJP government has filed an FIR against his grieving family. For 11 days, they have been waiting to cremate his body. The anti-Dalit Haryana government remains silent and is protecting the culprits,' he added. Before Channi's visit, Congress MP Kumari Selja visited the dharna site on Wednesday, expressing solidarity with the grieving family. 'This is not just one family's fight but a question of the dignity and justice for the entire society. When the police and administration, under BJP's patronage, become perpetrators, it is an assault on the Constitution and social justice. Congress will fight for Ganesh Valmiki's justice from the streets to Parliament under Rahul Gandhi's leadership,' the Dalit leader from Haryana said on X, condemning the police's alleged brutality. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 'Ladki Beautiful' to Lok Sabha polls—Rahul Fazilpuria, Haryana rapper who survived Gurugram gun attack
The Print
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Anger over Dalit teen's death spills over in Haryana, Rahul's slams ‘BJP-RSS's Manuwadi ideology'
In a lengthy post Thursday on X, Rahul described the incident as a 'murder of the Constitution' and accused the Modi government of turning the police into 'tools of oppression' against the marginalised communities. The harassment meted out to the family for seeking justice is not just a crime but exposes the 'ugly face of BJP-RSS's Manuwadi system' that discriminates against the Dalits, he added. The Hisar episode from the night of 7 July has drawn sharp criticism from Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who condemned the Nayab Saini-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Gurugram: Protests are spreading across Haryana in the wake of a Dalit teenager's suspicious death in Hisar, with angry family members ignoring the police's 12-hour deadline to conduct the last rites. While an First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against 10 people, including the Dalit teenager, an Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already started probing the case. The family of Ganesh Valmiki and Hisar police have different versions of the events that unfolded at Hisar's 12 Quarter area. They, the police said, were called to stop the loud music being played late at night in a birthday party, leading to a confrontation with Ganesh and his friends. According to the police, the situation escalated when the group attacked officers with stones and sharp weapons, injuring a sub-inspector and another officer. Ganesh and Akash jumped from a rooftop while fleeing, resulting in Ganesh's death and injuries to Akash, they added. A post-mortem, conducted by a medical board, supports the police's version that Ganesh's death was due to the fall. However, Ganesh's family and Dalit outfits accused the police of pushing him off the roof. The police fabricated the story of a fall to cover up their brutality, they alleged. They have refused to claim the body, staging a dharna outside the civil hospital for over nine days, demanding justice and the suspension of the 'guilty' officers. The family further alleged that when they sought accountability from the police, they faced harassment and brutality, including attacks on women. At a mahapanchayat held Wednesday, the Dalit community formed a 21-member committee that set a three-day ultimatum to the police to carry out action against those responsible for Ganesh's death. They warned that if the police forcibly cremate the body, the family will launch a nationwide agitation, including a permanent dharna at the office of the Hisar deputy commissioner. The unrest has spilled beyond Hisar, with demonstrations in Bhiwani, Karnal, and Jhajjar. In Bhiwani, a memorandum was submitted to the chief minister demanding action. The Youth Congress workers protested alongside the teenager's body in Karnal, while the Valmiki community in Jhajjar staged a sit-in, amplifying the call for justice. Tensions remain high as the police prepare to forcibly cremate the body. The incident has reignited debates on police accountability and the treatment of marginalized communities in Haryana, with the opposition vowing to escalate the fight for justice. In a press conference Thursday, Hisar Range Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) released two CCTV footage showing the youths setting up a cot in the middle of the street, playing loud music, and arguing with officers who attempted to intervene. Rao said the youths tried to snatch a policeman's mobile and attacked the team, forcing officers to seek refuge in a house. The police were only there to stop the disturbance and were willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove innocence, he asserted. Also Read: Nasir-Junaid murder: Accused gau rakshak who 'killed self' named Bajrang Dal Haryana chief in 'last video' Oppn cranks up pressure Punjab's former chief minister and Congress' Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi visited the dharna site at Hisar's civil hospital on Thursday and condemned the police action. Former minister and Dalit leader Raj Kumar Verka told the people that Rahul sent Channi to Hisar, and added that he would submit a report to the LoP to ensure justice to Ganesh. Joined the protesting family of Ganesh Valmiki in Hisar, Haryana. A young Dalit boy was brutally dragged and beaten to death by the police; several others were seriously injured. Instead of delivering justice, the BJP government has filed an FIR against his grieving family. For… — Charanjit Singh Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) July 17, 2025 In his speech, Channi said that the incident reminded him of the old 'Manuwadi Soch' against the Dalits. 'Earlier, they didn't allow us to visit temples or take water from the village well. Today, they can't tolerate a Dalit celebrating his birthday by playing a DJ,' he said. Channi also took to X in which he alleged that a Dalit boy was brutally dragged and beaten to death by the police. 'Instead of delivering justice, the BJP government has filed an FIR against his grieving family. For 11 days, they have been waiting to cremate his body. The anti-Dalit Haryana government remains silent and is protecting the culprits,' he added. Before Channi's visit, Congress MP Kumari Selja visited the dharna site on Wednesday, expressing solidarity with the grieving family. 'This is not just one family's fight but a question of the dignity and justice for the entire society. When the police and administration, under BJP's patronage, become perpetrators, it is an assault on the Constitution and social justice. Congress will fight for Ganesh Valmiki's justice from the streets to Parliament under Rahul Gandhi's leadership,' the Dalit leader from Haryana said on X, condemning the police's alleged brutality. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 'Ladki Beautiful' to Lok Sabha polls—Rahul Fazilpuria, Haryana rapper who survived Gurugram gun attack
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Can Congress's Haryana revamp serve as its template for other states?
After years of organisational drift, the Congress in Haryana is attempting a structural reset that could determine whether it remains electorally relevant in the part of its 'Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan' (Organisational Rejuvenation Campaign), the party is set to appoint a new crop of District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents across Haryana—for the first time through a semi-democratic, consultative high command is expected to finalise and announce the new district chiefs by the end of July. According to B.K. Hariprasad, AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana, the party has received feedback from all districts. 'Some districts sent two to three names, others five to six. The observers have done interviews, and deliberations are on,' he eligibility criteria for DCC presidents include at least five years of party work and being in the age group of 35-55. However, caste representation and district-level political suitability will also play a decisive role. Party insiders say the AICC observers—appointed in coordination with the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC)—conducted extensive interviews with shortlisted candidates, assessing their ideological alignment, ability to counter the BJP-RSS narrative and potential to unify faction-ridden local units. Special emphasis was laid on including women, minorities and grassroots organisers with credibility beyond the party the first week of June, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a brief visit to the Haryana Congress headquarters in Chandigarh to convene a meeting of a 17-member committee, comprising senior state leaders and AICC officials. Among them were former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana PCC chief Uday Bhan, Lok Sabha MP Kumari Selja, former Union minister Birender Singh, and Rohtak MP Deepender reportedly urged them to rein in factionalism. Subsequently, the AICC appointed 22 observers, including MPs and former ministers, to work alongside the 51 Haryana PCC-appointed observers to assess aspirants across marks the first time in over a decade that the Congress is methodically rebuilding its organisational pyramid in Haryana. Earlier attempts floundered. When Rahul loyalist Ashok Tanwar was the state unit chief, the Hooda camp resisted; when Kumari Selja and later Uday Bhan took charge, factionalism continued to plague the process. The 2024 assembly polls exposed the underbelly of a defunct organisation, with the BJP managing an improbable win—securing 48 seats in the 90-member the overhaul was inevitable. In the past, appointments were largely top-down—decided by the state Congress president in consultation with the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. This time, however, the exercise carries the imprint of Rahul's push for internal reform, catalysed by his visit to Chandigarh after the party's electoral Congress appears to be adopting a hybrid model—partly democratic, partly high command-driven. It resembles the BJP's older practice of appointing district presidents based on ground-level feedback from RSS-aligned workers but retains Congress's penchant for top-down endorsement. Whether this becomes a durable template remains to be the Congress is rolling out similar Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan exercises in Gujarat, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and other states where the party faces organisational atrophy but harbours electoral ambition. Haryana, with its history of alternating governments and caste-based polarisation, could serve as a pilot model for this new approach to internal the surface of this rejuvenation effort, however, lies an unspoken tension: the Congress high command's unease with Bhupinder Hooda's continuing dominance in Haryana. His loyalists currently account for 32 of the party MLAs and four of its five Lok Sabha MPs. PCC chief Uday Bhan is also from the Hooda camp. Yet, the high command has conspicuously left the CLP leadership post vacant, refusing to officially confirm Hooda as its is growing apprehension in Delhi that Hooda may continue to treat the Haryana unit as a political fiefdom, restricting the rise of new voices and alternative power centres. The central leadership is wary—its unplanned removal of Captain Amarinder Singh as Punjab chief minister in 2021 led to a party collapse and paved the way for the Aam Aadmi Party's aftershocks of that misstep echoed in Rajasthan (where Ashok Gehlot resisted pressure), Chhattisgarh (with Bhupesh Baghel's dominance), and now Karnataka, where balancing Siddaramaiah's influence remains a this context, the Haryana reboot is being viewed as a test case of whether the Congress high command can assert itself without alienating powerful regional satraps. Political observers in the state are watching closely: will the new DCC appointments reflect Hooda's continued influence or signal a shift toward a broader, more inclusive mandate from Delhi? Once the list is made public, it will serve as a litmus test for assessing the strength of the Hooda camp in the restructured the new DCC chiefs are not just symbolic. According to party sources, they will have the power to recommend election candidates—though they themselves must resign from their DCC posts at least 18 months prior if they wish to contest. This makes them pivotal figures in candidate selection and grassroots mobilisation for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in yet, scepticism persists. 'This looks good on paper, but we don't yet know whether the final list will reflect ground realities or be reduced to political tokenism. If Delhi imposes names without genuine local consultation, it could backfire,' a senior Congress leader from Haryana once-formidable BJP-JJP (Jannayak Janta Party) combine is now history. The BJP contested and won the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections on its own. In a bid to revive their fortunes, the Dushayant Chautala-led JJP and uncle Abhay Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are looking at how Congress deals with an ageing Hooda, 77. The Chautala family competes with Hooda for the dominance of Jat voters. This bloc could easily shift towards them if the Congress doesn't plan the transition is perceived that the BJP's Nayab Saini government takes cues from Saini's political guru and predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar and that decision-making is dominated by a group of bureaucrats. Thus the Congress senses an unless the new DCC chiefs can overcome the legacy of internal sabotage, caste tokenism and organisational apathy, they may end up as placeholders rather than powerbrokers. For the Congress to mount a credible challenge in 2029, these appointments must go beyond symbolism. The Congress's future in Haryana may hinge on whether this quiet overhaul results in genuine grassroots mobilisation or fizzles out as yet another aborted experiment in to India Today Magazine- Ends advertisement
