Pakistan becomes the first country to successfully deal with illegal residents

 While we were busy with other major news, Pakistan, on October 3rd, asked everyone living illegally in the country to move out voluntarily by November 1st or be arrested, and thousands of people left - on their own.

The UN tried to intervene, the Afghan government tried to influence, but the *interim* government of Pakistan kept its stand unchanged. They must leave, or they will be arrested.

This, from an interim government.

Some of these undocumented people reached Pakistan in 1979 but never documented themselves or applied for refugee/citizen status.

This makes Pakistan the first country in the world to successfully deal with illegal immigration.

PS: Is there a human cost? Sure. Is this the right thing to do? No idea. But I think it deserves to be recognised that Pakistan became the first country to issue a warning and actually get illegal residents to voluntarily leave.

Voting for the Congress solves one kind of problems

Karnataka had a hijab problem. 

Karnataka voted Congress to power. 

Karnataka does not have a hijab problem since then*. 

Now, Karnataka has a bankruptcy problem. 

#July 2024 

* No hijab rule was passed. As soon as the Congress was voted to power, all protests asking for the right to wear hijab stopped completely. 

On Internal Security under the Indian National Congress

 @Vyasa1968 has compiled the following figures on internal security in India: 

I had compiled the below. The UPA regimes were the worst from internal security perspective. Terrorists were literally running amock in the country. Plus Manmohan Singh meeting Yaseen Malik seen in conjunction with these below events, any wonder why Modi rode a Tsunami in 2014 and 2019. 1. 2005 Delhi bombings – 70 dead 2. 2006 Varanasi bombings – 28 dead 3. 2006 Mumbai local train bombings – 209 dead 4. 2006 Malegaon bombing – 40 5. 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing – 70 dead 6. 2007 Hyderabad bombings – 42 dead 7. 2008 Rampur CRPF camp attack – 8 dead 8. 2008 Jaipur bombings – 80 dead 9. 2008 Ahmedabad bombings – 56 dead. 10. 2008 Delhi bombings – 33 dead 11. 2008 Assam bombings – 81 dead 12. 2008 Mumbai terror attacks – 171 dead 13. 2010 Pune bombing – 17 dead

Let the numbers speak.

***********

So, why did the Congress lose the 1936 and 1945 Provincial elections in Bengal, Punjab, and Sindh?

As we know, the partition of India and the states that were given away to Pakistan was determined, neither by the population of Muslims, nor by any administrative control. It was decided on the basis of whether Congress would win these provinces or not. ki-jaana-main-kaun: Why rioting happens in India?

So, then, I got to thinking - why did Congress lose these elections? 

What happened here. 

And here is the hypothesis: 

Coincidentally, the radical movement - the Krantikari movement, which believed in violent and direct resistance to the British rule, found the highest support in exactly 2 provinces - Punjab and Bengal. 

While Subramaniam Bharathi was a proud poet from Tamil Nadu, the action and mass support mobilisation was in the provinces of Punjab and Bengal. 

The Congress worked actively to convict the Krantikaris and even for Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, did not work to get their death sentence revoked - it would have been a minor thing for the mighty Congress. But it let them die because of "ideological differences" 

I believe that this is the reason that the Congress did not win popular votes in Punjab and Bengal. 

And also the reason that these provinces saw NO proactive planning for human movement. 

Even if people losing their homeland was inevitable, it was perfectly possible to structure and administer a safe passage for everyone. But Nehru and his accomplices ensured that no police arrangement was made and people were left to die at the hands of bloodthirsty mobs especially created by them through decades of hard work. 

That blood is on Nehru's hands. But how much blood on Nehru's hands? A thousand times more than his body weight. As i have explained in the post above. 

Checks and Balances for the judiciary?

On May 24th, an 18-year-old man opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, USA, killing 19 students and two teachers. That is a primary school. Young children. 

This was not an isolated incident. In addition to supplying arms to the world, the US guns lobby also ensures that its citizens are able to use firearms freely, irrespective of the use to which they are put. Whether it is the Dick Cheney hunting accident, or the mass shooting, nothing has been able to convince US lawmakers to control the easy access to firearms and ammunition. 

But the Texas shooting was the straw that broke the camel's back. There was a national outcry and the citizens made it clear that status quo cannot continue. Something would have to change at the policy level. 

And it did. On June 23rd, the US Supreme Court ruled that teachers can henceforth carry guns. 

Then, on June 24th, the American Supreme Court overturned Row vs Wade. This basically means that in most states in the US,  a woman can no longer get an abortion. For Any Reason. 

Abortion is banned in Christianity, but the US is a secular state - legally. 

************* 

India: 

April: Rapist and Murderer of a 4 year old is a sinner with a future. 

On 23rd April, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned (reversed) a death sentence given to a man who had raped and murdered a 4 year old. Their words in the judgement: 

Supreme Court Bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhatt, and Bela Trivedi mention - every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. 

On 20th May, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justice Hima Kohli and including Justice L Nageswara Rao, decided on the Disha encounter case. What was the Disha encounter case? 

May: The Disha Encounter Case 

On Nov 27th, 2019, a 23 year old vet was returning home. On the way, her bike gave her trouble and she called her sister to inform her. She asked the sister to reach her soon because she was scared. When the sister reached, there was no trace of the doctor. 

The doctor had been raped, murdered, and then her body had been burnt. 

Her burnt body was subsequently recovered on November 28 morning from an underpass on National Highway 44. 

4 people were arrested by the police the very next day. By burning the body, the accused had basically obliterated all physical evidence like DNA, injury marks, post mortem, etc. 

Rape and murder arrests in India are abysmal and conviction rates are even lower. 

There was significant public anger after this crime. 

On Dec 6th, the 4 accused were encountered by the police. 

They were hailed as heroes by everyone, including the politicians of India. 

However, on 20th May, 2022, these 10 policemen were found guilty and the High Court was directed to take further action. That day, Indian Twitter trended with "We are with the police." 

July: The Nupur Sharma case 

An ASI (Archeological Survey of India) survey was going on to figure out if the Gyanvapi mosque was an erstwhile Hindu temple. A shivling had been found in the mosque complex. The Muslim community had then reached the Supreme Court and indicated that the structure was not a Shivlinga, but a fountain (in a place used to wash one's hands before offering namaaz). 

On a May 27 TV debate on the issue, Nupur Sharma, the spokesperson of the BJP, said to the representatives of Muslims that their religion is represented by the prophet marrying a 9 year old. 

Immediately, there was public uproar. The next day, she was suspended. 

The issue of the Gyanvapi mosque was immediately forgotten completely. 

After this, Nupur Sharma started getting death threats for her utterances. No one said that what she said was incorrect. But they objected to her saying it. "How dare she speak so disrespectfully?" 

On June 28th, a tailor named Kanhaiyalal, from Udaipur, who had received death threats because his son wrote a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma, was beheaded in public.

Nupur Sharma approached the Supreme Court to curb the FIRs being filed against her over remarks on Prophet Mohammed. She also mentioned that she has received threats. To which, on July 2nd,  a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala said - "She faces a security threat or has become a threat to the security of the nation?" 

Further: 

“This lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country,” commented Justice Surya Kant, who was extremely critical during the 20-minute hearing.

And these incidents make one think: 

What is the system of checks and balances for the judiciary?

Like, where can Indians and Americans go and say, "Wait a minute.. this needs a review.. ?" 

These judgements make me ask a fundamental question - the system of checks and balances exists for every pillar of government, except one. 

Where is the check and balance for this branch of governance? Appointment of judges is done by the judiciary, the recommendation goes from the judiciary, the appeal against the decision of the lower court is to the higher court. And if such a system of checks and balances is not there, maybe its time to create it?

Impeachment of Judges in India 

While there is no procedural control over the judiciary, individual judges can be impeached. 
But the process is the same as the Amendment of the Constitution by a Special Majority of the Parliament, AND an enquiry committee before that parliament session can be convened. In short, it requires a quorum of 100 in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha. It must be ratified by 2/3rd of the members present and at least 50% of the total members of BOTH houses. 

Impeachment of Judges - Law Insider India

This means that, effectively, a political party must have 2/3rd majority in BOTH Houses of the Parliament to proceed with impeachment. 

Therefore, no. of judges that have been impeached in India: 0. 

************** 

Can the Supreme Court really trivialise the death threats to a person days after another person was brutally beheaded in the country? 

Can the Supreme Court really decide that she was single-handedly responsible for the violence, when the weapons had been lifted by someone else? Which weapon did she lift? Whom did she threaten? Is it ok to threaten someone on the basis of what they said? Or, Does the Court believe that Freedom of Speech is selectively applied?  

Her lawyer said - She responded to provocation.

If there is a misuse of the debate, the first thing she should have done was to file an FIR against the anchor", the bench commented.

However, the same Bench does not think that the people committing violence and setting the country on fire should have filed FIRs.

They can burn the country and Nupur Sharma is 'single-handedly' responsible for that.


So, in one case, the instigator is blameless, and in the other, the alleged instigator is single handedly responsible.

(I use the term alleged in the loosest possible manner. No one is saying what Nupur said was incorrect. Only that it hurt their sentiments. Even the Bench says - 

"We saw the debate on how she was incited. But the way she said all this and later says she was a lawyer it is shameful. She should apologise to the whole country," 

Ahem.. this is how I see these utterances. And, I am reminded of the classic Hillary Clinton quote - would you ask a man that question? 

The Middle Class Indian's Demand Manifest from the politicians

 As Assembly Elections approach in many parts of the country, a few villagers from Uttarakhand submitted a "Maang Patra" - a list of demands, to their leaders. 

I have decided to do the same for our politicians too. Now the thing is, the poor give votes and the rich give money. What does the middle class give to the politician? NOTHING. Therefore, we are milked till there is no more left, to feed the other two. 

Nevertheless, the middle class Indian's Demand Letter is a start. If we want to stop paying 33% tax on income + up to 18% tax on all items of consumption while the other economic classes conveniently create companies or go to the Ration shops and get freebies, then we have to go from being keyboard warriors to vote warriors. 

With that assumption, we present: 

The Middle Class Indian's Demand Note 

1. Some recent political parties have made a habit of promising insane freebies and winning elections. That is the same as the Congress Model. The money given by the rich goes to party funds. So, is your father paying for the freebies? NO, we are. And we will not pay for them any more. Any party that offers freebies will NOT get middle class votes. 

2. In being a welfare state, India has made poverty a rather attractive career option for many. We need the introduction of a yellow Adhar card. This Adhar card will be issued to the third child. This Adhar card entitles the holder to vote and be counted as a citizen of India, but the card holder CANNOT use any welfare schemes of India. No free ration, no free Jan Dhan yojana, no MNREGA, no free treatment at govt centers, no reservation benefits. Not just that, the children of yellow card holders will also not be able to benefit from the welfare schemes of the government. If one parent already has two children, even if it is the first child of the other parent, the Adhar Card issued will be yellow. It won't matter to those who anyway pay for everything for their children through their nose - we pay for education, health, everything, But those who view poverty and reproduction as career options will have to rethink their strategy. 

3. One overarching assumption that decades of socialist mass media has drilled into our heads is that the poor are always hardworking and all of them want to improve their lot. My NGO did a research study on the knowledge needs of the knowledge have nots 2 years ago. It was an eye popping study, but it was unnecessary. The success of the mid day meal scheme should have told us that the average Indian child does not want education, they want freebies. Before the critics eat me out, tell me, why do these poor children only come to school at mid day meal time? Why do they repeatedly refuse food cooked by a Dalit cook? Therefore, welfare measures must provide a means for a family to climb out of poverty, not be the crutch that keeps them there forever. Welfare measures cannot continue ad infinitum for the same set of families. They should be used, rightfully, for families that need them on account of genuine misfortune like riots, war, natural calamities. After a flood, it takes decades to rebuild the house, yet the middle classes get no reprieve because in the books of the govt, they are not "POOR" . 

4. There should be no caste based reservations in urban areas. In rural areas, these reservations should be proportionate to their share in the population. Minority reservations should be at state level, not national level. Which means that in the states where the majority religion is not Hinduism, Hindus should be able to benefit from minority reservations and the majority communities of that state should not benefit from reservation that is meant to support minorities. 

5. The Economic Survey of India should also include a report on the previous year's budget. Did the government make the right allocations? What percentage of that allocation was actually spent? What was it spent on? Did we get the desired results? Is the entire detailed budgeting exercise doing anything for the macro planning of the country, or is it a cosmetic, PR exercise? 

6. Election day should be a holiday only for those who vote. I have asked for this earlier also. No ink mark, no paid leave. This should be true for all. 

7. A politician needs to be corrupt because the people need money for everything. Even to come to the rally they need biryani and money. Henceforth, rallies should be banned and prachar should only be in the localities of the voters. We, the middle classes get no Biryani benefits and no politician comes to explain their manifesto to us. Further, all manifestos should be freely available and all candidates should take questions from voters on their website. If you can go to the slums to meet the poor voters, come online also, where the middle class voters are :) 

Lakshadweep: What's really happening there?

In December 2020, Praful K Patel was made the administrator of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. 

Since then, he has managed to make himself rather unpopular. 

So, I decided to understand why someone would want to be so unpopular. 

I have just finished reading over 2000 pages of content on Lakshadweep - History, Census reports, official documents, the works. 

Let me try to piece that complex story bit by bit. 

First, the current state

It is the smallest UT in India, with just one district. 

It has 36 islands, of which 10 are uninhabited. 

It also has the highest population density in India. 

The density of population of the district as per 2011 Census is 2,149 persons per sq.km as against 1895 in 2001. 

In terms of participation in the work force, 70% of the people in the island are "Not Working" - neither full time nor part time, as per the 2011 Census. 

There are two aerial connects - Agatti and Bangaram. The other way to get there is to take a cruise ship from the mainland (Kerala). The commute is 14-15 hours. 

All tourism is owned by the state government, except one private hotel, which is on Bangaram island. This hotel is now closed on account of some legal issues with the administration. 

Lakshadweep is 97% Muslim. 

The entire place allows no alcohol because it is an Islamic region (yes, this is different from alcohol ban in Bihar and Gujarat, where the cause of ban is control over crime rate. Here, the reason for the ban is the religion of the majority). Further, carrying of drugs and narcotics is a punishable offence. 

There is only one crop on the entire region - coconuts. Some people have private vegetable gardens etc. but mostly everything, including the diesel needed to provide electricity on the island, is carried from the mainland. 

In terms of livestock, most islanders keep goats and poultry. Cattle is rare because feed is expensive and hard to come by. 

There are only 2 occupations - fishing and coconut farming. Tourism is NOT a major employment option. 

There is a solar power plant that was operational even in 2012, but the island has made no move towards solar, hydel, tidal, wind, or any other renewable energy resource. Diesel continues to be the mainstay of power generation. 

There is ONE coir processing factory, nothing to create processed food items from coconut. 

The per capita income is, as expected, low. But what is even more interesting is the level of skew. Because of the strong caste based employment, the land owning communities make a lot more money than the (non) working other communities. 

Tuna is one of the most expensive fish in the world. It is abundant in the waters around Lakshadweep. What is even more remarkable is that because of very low pollution, the tuna of Lakshadweep will command high prices. But the first time tuna was exported from Lakshadweep was in June 2021.  This was because the processing centers and cold storage were built very recently. 

So, how do people manage? Well, there is free drinking water, free education, reservation for Lakshadweep students in many mainland colleges, and cheap electricity and petrol/diesel. 

There are no movie theaters. 

Choppy phone connection (only BSNL).  

The closest port to Lakshadweep is Maldives. While both regions are very similar in terms of what they offer to tourists (Maldives is larger, but the coral reefs, tropical climate, etc. are very similar and offer the same tourism experience), the tourism arrivals to both areas are poles apart. Maldives has NOT spoilt its natural beauty or resources. Therefore, the idea that tourism will destroy the natural beauty is not true.  

(Up to 1956, people used to visit each other from Maldives to Lakshadweep and vice versa with no paperwork. But when Lakshadweep became an Indian territory in 1956, these visits were stopped). 

The History 

This is where things get really interesting. For 32 sq kms, this place really has some history to its credit. 

The official website of Lakshadweep mentions that Lakshadweep is, and always has been, Muslim Majority. In fact, according to the Census, only three religions even make up the count - Muslims, 97%, Hindus, and Christians. 

But there is a problem with that. The main surnames are all Hindu. The matrilineal tradition followed on the island is the same as Malayali Hindus. The caste system is a derivative of the Hindu system. 

This account of the history helped me piece a few things together: History of Lakshadweep from British Era to status of a union territory of India (mapsofindia.com) The Wiki history also corroborates largely what is given in the mapsofIndia article. 

According to this, there was mass conversion in the middle ages. This is in line with what happened in the rest of Karnataka and Tipu Sultan's domain. 

However, in the rest of the country, diversity returned slowly. What is absolutely remarkable is that in Lakshadweep, this concentration has only deepened with each decade. 

The Census Records for Lakshadweep are only valid from the 1971 Census, because until then, there was reorganisation. This is the population chart. 

The only other place where we observe this patterns is Kashmir after the 1990 Hindu exodus 

The Moplah Massacre 

In 1921, the Muslims of Malabar, Minicoy, and other islands (in the area we now collectively call Lakshadweep) joined the Khilafat Movement with the mainland Muslim leaders. 

This event is euphemistically called the Moplah Rebellion and other names. While the area usually marked for the Moplah is Kerala, it is interesting that the population of Lakshadweep reduced from 1911 to 1921. 

There were many causes for the Moplah massacre. But the motivation for participation was religious. All non Muslims were massacred. These were mostly two classes - the colonial overlords (all of whom were Christians) and the Hindus.  

Administrative History 

This is also very interesting. This 36 island, 32 sq km archipelago has seen the Beebi empire - Tipu Sultan (1787, after a revolt by the islanders against the Beebi) - British (1799, after the third Carnatic war) - South Canara - Madras Presidency  - India - Reorganisation and eventually, Lakshadweep. 

The administrative entity as we know it today, dates back to 1956. 

This article provides the best administrative history that I could find in brief. 

My questions for Lakshadweep 

There are some questions I have about Lakshadweep, as a citizen of India. 

1. In the table I shared earlier, Lakshadweep has not allowed any diversity to develop in the region. In every part of India, diversity has been restored as people moved from one place to another and also as old prejudices were overwritten by modern education and tolerance. But Lakshadweep has been sending its young people to reserved seats all over mainland India, without allowing any incursion into itself from that same mainland. Why? 

2. From the same table, the part of the table that, for me, deserves the most attention: 

Where are the Hindu women? In 1991, the same time that it happened in Kashmir, the population of Hindu women started decreasing. Within a decade, they were 62% of what they were in 1991, but in 2011, this population reduction was too drastic to not be alarming. Only 185 Hindu women remain on the islands? WHY? 

3. This question has a half page background. You can read or skip straight to the question.  

As per the Budget Document of 2020-21, the actual expenditure on providing ONLY the central govt benefits and administration expenses on Lakshadweep was 1376.46 crores. Let us assume that the rate of population growth over one decade is the same as the rate of population growth over the previous 3 decades (rolling average). According to this, the average rate of decadal population growth on the island is 17%  and the expected population in 2020-21 should be 75,662. 

This means that the per capita govt expenditure of the government on Lakshadweep was 1,81,922 rs. Read that again: The Government of India spent 1,81,922 rs on the diesel, electricity, and other freebies on EVERY INDIVIDUAL citizen of Lakshadweep. This number, in 2021, according to the Budget document linked above, is going to rise to 1,93,930 rs. 

Receipts from Lakshadweep for the last 3 years: 0. 

Why is this number shocking? Because, dear heart, the per capita income of an Indian in 2020 is Indian rupees 94, 954. Yes, half of the subsidies received by someone from Lakshadweep. 

Why would Lakshadweep be such an honoured citizen? 

Why is it that India is ok with 70% of Lakshadweep residents not doing any work, giving them more in subsidy than a mainland citizen makes in per capita income, and also being ok with ZERO receipts from the island? 

The answer i got was that Lakshadweep islands are strategically located and it is important to keep the local population happy to ensure the protection of our marine borders and to keep an eye on international waters through the local residents. 

So, How did we do on that front? 

After the Church attacks in Sri Lanka, the boat carrying the terrorists made its way to Lakshadweep. As the Swarajya mag asks, How did the terrorists know they would find shelter and support in India's Lakshadweep? 

Today, the administrator actually has to send government officials on local "fishing" boats to monitor its own local citizens and their activities. 

The locals insist that they keep their eyes and ears open. Since actual data is not in the public domain, we will simply say that for some reason, that surveillance is not being seen as enough. 

Therefore, my question is - 

Would it not make more sense to rehabilitate the 65000 residents of Lakshadweep and convert the area to a pure naval base, with no civilian activity? 

We are not earning from tourism, the local population continues to depend on the mainland for everything, and the Navy is missing out on a very important base. 

4. This is purely tactical. In 2018, Amitabh Kant presented a holistic development plan for Lakshadweep islands. 

In this plan, about 5 tourist facilities were ready to be deployed for eco-tourism. Where are they today? 

Why does the island not want to serve alcohol when Maldives, with an absolutely similar religion profile, has no such issues and has been able to sustainably tap the eco-tourism potential? 

5. If you read the articles related to the Lakshadweep issue, they have either been written by islanders based in the mainland, or by mainland journalists. In most cases, the correspondents have given a voice to the Muslim population of the island. That is great. But any impartial journalist would at least ask a couple of Hindu islanders how they feel about the changes? 

6. In the Lakshadweep Census, only a Hindu can belong to a Scheduled Caste, but Muslims can also belong to a Scheduled Tribe. If all Muslims are universal brothers, and they have no concept of tribe, why is ST reservation available to them? Tribe and caste are both ethnographic concepts endemic to the Indic people - largely called Hindu (as in the religion) but both these are social constructs within that religion. The concept of tribe does not exist in Islam (the religion). So, why are non-Indic religions eligible for  SC, ST, or OBC? They are entitled to minority benefits in all parts of the country. (In my view, minority religion benefits should be by state population compositions). 

And now, to what's really going on

The Swarajya mag does a very good job of explaining the orders and the details, and I largely agree with them. That no mainstream media has even bothered to explain these points is a very telling data point. 

But lets go over them one by one:  

A. No one who has more than 2 children can contest Panchayat Elections  (with exceptions) 

As a citizen, I FULLY SUPPORT and endorse this. This provision is also in force in other states and makes perfect sense. An ecologically sensitive area should, on its own, be mindful of its population.

When the locals tell us in their news reports that they have only 32 sq. kms of land in all their islands, we want to say the exact same thing back to them - you should not have waited until there is a govt directive. You should have controlled the population on your own one decade ago. 

If people feel that this directive is aimed at a certain religion - that religion should understand that the fertility rate of Iran is 2.115 Iran is an Islamic country. The fertility rate for Maldives, its closest cousin, is 1.8! The documented fertility rate of Lakshadweep is 1.6. Which means that in effect, there should not be an issue in implementing this rule. Since its a matrilineal society, I am not sure that the reason of the man having multiple wives and therefore having more than 2 children will be valid in Lakshadweep. One user on Quora mentions that this is because most Panchayat contenders are senior citizens who do have more than 2 children. And that is how misinformation is spread. The rule applies only to infants born after the date of notification. Which means that if you have been elected before and have more than 2 children, no issues. If you are planning to get elected and are expecting your nth child already, no problem. The regulation is only for the future. 

Further, the rules provide for 50% of the Panchayat seats being reserved for women. I support this too. 

B. The Goonda Act - The argument being provided against this is that with such low crime rate, why is Goonda Act needed? 

Crime Rate is a function of reported crime. If, as the locals allege, there really is no crime, why the fear of the Goonda Act? 

Because it is arbitrary. Because it allows law enforcement to detain someone at will. 

And to that extent, my view is that if the administration is allowing this, it must be for a very good reason. It is a case of he says - she says, and it is up to each one of us to think whom we believe. 

C. Allowing alcohol on the islands - The locals are up in arms against this because of their religious beliefs and the latest I have read is that it will encourage hooliganism. But alcohol is being allowed for tourists. The locals do not have to consume it if it goes against their religious beliefs. The key word is allow, not impose. No one is forcing the locals to consume alcohol, and the locals should not force non locals to abstain. They may be only 2000 Hindus on the island, but they are still there. If the dietary preference of the majority is important, then the preference of the minority also should be. 

D. Ban beef - In a largely Muslim island, banning beef is stupid to say the least. Even as it comes to picking battles, this one is best left to a skirmish zone. At this point, national security and the role of the islanders in it is more important than their feeding habits. 

But how much cattle is there in Lakshadweep? According to a Quora user, 44 cows and 8 buffaloes support the dairy needs of 60,000 people. I will leave it at that. Could not find the official livestock numbers. 

E. All coconut solid waste must be disposed responsibly - The islanders are protesting because "this is how we have always done it" and if you want us to do more responsible waste management, you must create the infrastructure for it. We have always just thrown our coconuts around. 

Time to stop, I think. 

F. Govt officials will go on fishing boats to gather intelligence - Again, given the strategic importance of these islands, this should be welcomed, not resisted, by the locals. In most such cases, one would worry about corruption on the boat, but like, what are the fishing boats earning except the fish? Observers being on the boats will help the officials to benefit from the outreach of the fishing boats in the ocean. I see no reason to resist this. 

G. And we keep the best for the last  - The Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation. This allows the government to acquire land for development projects in Lakshadweep. Let's go back to two data points: 

A. The 2018 sustainable ecotourism development proposed by Niti Aayog. (linked above) 

B. The fact that 70 percent of the island's population is "Not Working". 

It has now been 3 years since that report. The report has maps of areas that have been identified for specific projects. Yet, not ONE of those projects has taken off. 

The LDAR rules are being touted as "autocratic" yet they are no different from land acquisition rules anywhere in the country. 

The locals are indicating that this will allow the govt to kill the sensitive ecology of the place. 

Inherent in this accusation is a distrust of the government's intentions. I want to challenge that inherent distrust. If they have inherent distrust in the intentions of the government, they should not remain under the doles given by that government. One cannot take incredible subsidies with one hand and write notes of distrust with another. If the intentions of the government in ensuring that Lakshadweep residents get easy admissions on the mainland in higher education, ensuring that the islanders are not left wanting for anything, are trust worthy, then the intentions of the govt in this development are trustworthy too. 

The population pyramid of Lakshadweep indicates a very high young population - a population that needs to work. 

Source: Population pyramid charts for the States of India (Gallery) (sainathadapa.github.io)

Lakshadweep needs to create opportunities to work, and do it in a sustainable way. And they have to trust the government to do this right. OR they have to find a way to make sustainable economic opportunities for their people. I would support that. That population pyramid, left without work, on the coastal area of the islands, is recipe for unlawful activities. 

And therefore, according to me, the issue is not the LDAR, but the growth and sustenance of Lakshadweep. I am ok if the islanders take charge. But if not, they have to trust someone else to do the right thing. 

Update on 22nd December 2021: 

On December 17th, an order was passed to make the holiday in line with the rest of the country. This triggered another row. 70 years after independence, Lakshadweep had Friday as the weekly off on "Religious grounds". 

The Kerala assembly passed a unanimous resolution seeking the recall of Patel over it. As many as 93 retired bureaucrats sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticising Patel’s “partisan attitude”. They urged him to protect the region’s unique culture and tradition. - According to Hindustan Times 

My take: 

So, what is the unique culture and tradition? Only Muslims allowed? Why is religion the basis of weekly holiday in a secular country? What partisan attitude is displayed by synchronising academic holidays with the rest of the country? If all the Muslims of India can send their children to school with Sunday weekly off, why are Lakshadweep Muslims unique? 

Bibliography 

A. Detailed Census reports of the islands from 1951 to 2011 

B. Quora answers on Lakshadweep 

C. Various online mainstream media publications on the issue 

D. Gazette notifications where applicable

E. Blogs et al as linked 

G. Research reports by private organisations who researched tourism, both as a commission from the state govt, and on their own 

H. Academic papers on tuna fishing and other industries of Lakshadweep 

I. India Budget documents related to Lakshadweep

J. Niti Aayog and other govt plan documents 

K. Maps - both Google and Bing maps and paper atlases from India and historical atlases. 

How to divide societies that the British could not divide

The year was 1905. Bengal was the strongest opposition to British rule in India. It was educated, wealthy, and vocal. In short, Bengal was a pain for the British Empire in India. 

Because Divide and Rule must solve all problems, the British decided to divide Bengal - on religious grounds, what else? 

But Britain had not accounted for what came next? 

Bengal would not be divided. 

For 6 years, Britain proposed, Bengal disposed. 

Finally, in 1911, the mighty British empire had to concede defeat and the partition of Bengal was annulled. The Hindus and Muslims of Bengal were united, and united they shall remain. 

The year was 1919. Punjab was now becoming a hotbed of protest, led by able leaders. Before and after Jallianwala Bagh (April13th), the British rule tried its best to divide Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab. It was that unity that was holding Punjab together. If the Sikhs and Hindus would fight, there would be no protests. 

That did not happen. The wedge was divided between the Punjabi Hindu and the Punjabi Muslim (largely based on geography - there was a difference between Eastern and Western Punjab), but the Hindus and Sikhs remained united. There was, in fact, no difference between the 2 communities. It was impossible to drive a wedge where the eldest child in many families was Sikh and the rest of the family Hindu. 

In short, the great Dividers failed to drive a wedge on these 2 occasions in India. 

But what the Brits can't do, the Congress always can. 

In 1945, once the partition of  India was finalised, the Direct Action Day was ordered - directly by Jinnah. Over 5000-7000 people died in a single day, and whatever images of that day have survived, are blood curling, to put it mildly. 

Who was blamed for the Direct Action Day? Jinnah and the Muslim League. Yet, just 40 years ago, these 2 communities had defeated the entire Imperial power and intrigue, to remain united. 40 years is a really short time - how did we go from United Bengal to Direct Action Day? Was it really just the Muslim League? And the Muslims? 

In 1978, Punjab started to see something it had never seen - Sikh terrorism. For 6 years, that land of milk and honey was coloured red. At the end of it, Punjab was not partitioned, but the unity had taken a toll. Who got blamed? Bhindrawale and Sikh terror. 

But was it really that? 

In short, The Congress has managed what even the Brits could not manage. 

Recently, in the farmer protests, Khalistani and other words started being reported in the media and suddenly, within a week, the Sikhs were branded Khalistanis and terrorists again. 

Still wonder why we hate the Congress? 

Why are they walking?

India, like the rest of the world, is in the middle of a pandemic caused by Covid 19. The casualties are small - just 3000 odd. The numbers are not staggering. This has been the result of a really strict lockdown imposed by the government.

But there is a really curious phenomenon unfolding here. 

Since March, we have had lakhs of migrant workers travelling home on foot. 

The earliest report I found on this phenomenon was this one, published on March 27th  

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/caught-in-the-middle-of-an-epidemic/story-kJhANZhDiU7SkU5OYUKJbO.html

Since then, the story remains the same. People without resources, walking hundreds of kms, falling ill, dying, reaching home to find that there is nothing to eat. 

The other side of this story is that literally thousands of people came forward to help - individuals, NGOs, spontaneous initiatives, just popping up out of nowhere. People were helped on the roads, they were helped once they reached the villages, they were helped before they could leave. At literally every step, people thronged to help. 

This question, however, needs an answer - WHY WERE THEY WALKING? 

The answers in various media reports were similar - we have no money. We have no home to go to. But here's the thing - they had no money where they were going either. there is NOTHING to eat back home. That's why they left their villages in the first place. They knew that.

But here's the thing: Imagine you lost your job. But there are NGOs that are giving food in the slums. There is a minor support system - some ppl from the same village.

On the other hand, is the village - far away, with no means to travel there (because of the lockdown). You have no money to make that journey. At the destination, what is waiting for you is a 15 day quarantine and more hunger (because there are no jobs in the village. None at all. That was why you left in the first place).  On the way, is the risk of hunger, starvation, heat, and Covid.

As the poorest of the poor, would you:
A. Try to find an NGO that is giving food in the city and live on the footpath with your family
B. Try to leave on foot with your little children - with hunger, heat, and disease on the way, and no guarantee of actually reaching home.

Which of the two will you choose? Why?

It is obvious that a person will NOT subject their children to disease, heat, and starvation at this time. Yet, millions did just that. Which means that the information they received, somehow changed the options to:
A. Stay in the city and starve
B. Leave for the village and MAYBE you will survive there.

Please note - both the options are PATENTLY UNTRUE. Very few ppl are starving in the cities. Workplaces are opening up. NGOs and individuals are providing food and dry rations. Why did they think they'd starve?

The village is dry. And starved. Reaching the village only means that you will live in a house instead of the footpath. But there is nothing to eat. The NGO structure is even more overburdened and the ppl who reach there are completely dependant on the NGOs even for their 2  basic meals. People are getting infected on the way. They are getting heat stroke. Its not "going home" .

2 things happened here:
A. Pervasive misinformation
B. Action based on that misinformation. 

In any mass movement like this, many people being influenced is key. How did that happen? Inertia is the default state of humanity, even more so of those who are underprivileged. In fact, the privileged depend on this inertia to remain in power. So, it does need escape velocity for misinformation to read the tipping point where it becomes action. Massive escape velocity. 

The key question is - HOW DID THAT TIPPING POINT HAPPEN? 

Here is my assertion: 

The Indian migrant labour has been the victim of a mass scam. A pernicious and malicious campaign was run to ensure that this migrant labour - millions of them, take to the streets. 

In my head, that is a crime. A genocide. To send people to ill-health, financial distress, and potentially, death. If that is not a crime, I don't know what is. 

Like all previous campaigns, this one was done in the subterranean layer, no one can tell who was behind the program, and no one can trace the chain of whatsapp forwards. No one can trace the trail of misinformation. 

Just like the other malicious campaigns by opposition parties, this one will go unnoticed and untraced too. But not forgotten. There is no evidence. But there is a pattern. In this case, it is not the evidence of this case that gives the perpetrator away. It is the unfailing pattern of the perpetrator. Always the same thing. 

Indians are neither Bhakts nor liberandus. Here's why

Most Indians think that most other Indians are either Bhakts or Liberandus. But most Indians are basically selfish and will vote for whoever serves their own interest.

They don't vote for caste. They vote for the derived power that will accrue to them if someone from their caste is in power. They don't vote for religion. They vote for the derived power that will be theirs if someone from their religion is ruling.

Today's original question of the day

If the term for those who support BJP at all costs is Bhakts,
What is the term for those who oppose the BJP at al costs?

Note: Just like 'Bhakts', the new term is used as a abuse or slur word and is used indiscriminately against anyone who opposes the work of the ruling party. They don't actually have to know what they are talking about.They just have to face some logical opposition from you to some nonsensical stuff they have put up against the ruling party.

And quote:
Now, waiting for the day when the liberals will blame the BJP for the red colour of Planet Mars.

Aaj ka Geniune Doubt

What did Varun Grover say when he reached the entrance of Shaheen Bagh? 

Notes:
1. Varun Grover is a person who protested against the govt's National Registry of Citizens by reciting a poem that said, "I will not show you my papers"

2. Shaheen Bagh is a place in Delhi where protestors against CAA have been holding a sit-out protest. This protest has blocked a major road of Delhi but the protestors are least bothered. Recently, a video was made at this location, in which the speaker was talking about the need to cut off the North East from teh rest of India by blocking the train tracks using the sheer manpower of the Muslim community. After the video surfaced, the speaker was booked by the law. After that, the protestors at Shaheen Bagh started checking the identity papers of everyone who wanted to enter Shaheen Bagh.  (The same people who want to enter and live in a country without showing their papers)

Budget 2020: 10 point analysis

A. Dis-incentivising or penalising savings is not going to increase consumption automatically. Indians are savers. As consumption patterns within and outside India would show, Indians like to splurge on non-essentials after creating a secure nest egg.

B. An environment of economic insecurity does not lead to consumption. When you give tax breaks to startups going bust, you have to remember that this here today gone tomorrow model of employment is creating a lot of negative stress in the talent and consumption market. Find a way to stop this environment of financial insecurity, esp in the job market.

C. In a country like India, the small trader and the bottom of pyramid hold the key to economic activity. The current budget allocations will not put the money directly in their pocket. The tax provisions will make it harder for them to do work. In a depressed economy, the small trader is the key to reversal. Because s/he is among the few entities in the system that are financially stable, independent, and profit positive. Further, the trickle down effect from the small trader to the bottom of pyramid is instant. Pay attention to the small trader.

D. The key to giving power to the farmer is to make it possible for him to trade on location and timing arbitrage. The best part about this Budget is that it hopes to give the farmer both - a series of village level storage owned and operated by women-led SHGs, and Indian Rail and airways working to give the farmer the location advantage. (the minister announced that both railways and the UDAN scheme will run special charters for agri produce). Today, we see goods shipped from one end of the country to another in a jiffy.This was unthinkable just half a decade ago. If the govt executes it right, buyrs will compete on a pan-India e marketplace for agri-produce, and shipping will be taken for granted. The power of that change will be immense. The FCI dreamed of this, but could not realise it. For the first time, the govt is using inland waterways. Since the agri-belts are typically around rivers, the sector is a natural beneficiary.

E. I cannot remember the last time the Finance Minister missed mentioning the Defence outlay in the Budget. The irony is that security is one of the key planks holding this govt aloft. In such a long budget, to not give credit to the defence forces, and equally importantly, the paramilitary forces , is a sore miss for me. The other sore miss is sports. If there is one sector in which India has seen a hockey stick growth curve under BJP, it is sports. Today, we win medals in pretty much every sport we choose. To miss the sports outlay in a budget speech was unfortunate.

F. It is fantastic that the minister has earmarked 103 lakh crores (thats 10 to the power of 12, by the way), for national infra pipeline. Heres a supplementary question - after this awesome highway, waterway, etc. is built, who is going to ensure that it remains usable? Highway Patrol and policing. Policing may be a state subject, but I do believe that police reform is one fo the top 3 priorities for India today. And the center could have "urged" the states to collaborate on a national project involving police reforms, peer benchmarking, and experience sharing across states.

G. I also loved the focus of the FM on all the sectors in primary produce - horticulture, fisheries, dairy, irrigation, input costs, power, (the scheme that allows farmers to produce solar energy on their barren land, and then sell it to the grid if they would like had me going yooohooo), distribution, storage, et al. At 2.83 lakh crores, agriculture is not just the second highest outlay in the budget , it is also well distributed.

H. Why, in God's name, does Kashmir need 30,757 crores in a year? And Ladakh barely one fifth of that?

I. SC, ST, and OBC, between them, will get 1,38,700 crores. But no idea what this will be used for. How will we end caste based politics in this country? By officially creating caste based sops, like everyone else has done? I really thought BJP was different.

J. And now for my second most favourite part of the Budget: 3150crores for heritage and culture. India has history in literally every sq km. But it suffers from so much neglect and apthy. Every single Indian I know who has gone outside has come back to say, God we have so much, and we dont value it! Well, I am glad that someone is valuing it, and not just that, also realising the tourism potential of this wealth of history that we sit on and take for granted. The new museums, and the recurating/renovation of the historical ones, is so necessary. Not just that, the 5 sites that are going to be developed - that is going to be a tourism goldmine if we do this right. I am quite, quite looking forward to this one.

And that, ladies, and gentlemen, are my ten humble points on Budget 2020

Why rioting happens in India?

Today's GK question:

Why were only Punjab, Sindh, and Bengal partitioned in 1947? 

They were not the only high-Muslim areas of India (UP-Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra). They were not geographically together (in fact, 2 ends of the subcontinent)

So, why were they the only ones partitioned?

Think Think..


Don't know?
Here's the next thing. This is a list of major communal disturbances since independence.
What is common to all of them? 
1969: Gujarat
1979-84: Punjab
Mid 1980s: Naxal Movement in Andhra Pradesh
1992: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Hyderabad
2002: Gujarat
2014 Onwards: All over India.

If you haven't figured it out, here's a hint for you: (you can stop reading anytime)

1936: The first elections under the modern federal system are held in India. The elections are held in 11 provinces. 
These are the results:
The Congress swept the polls. It won absolute majority in 5 provinces viz. Madras, United Provinces, Central provinces, Bihar & Orissa, Bombay. In Assam and North West Frontier Province it emerged at the largest political party and formed the governments. Later Assam and NWFP also came under Congress rule.

In Bengal, Punjab, and Sind, the Congress had no majority. 

It is NOT a coincidence that these three places were the seats of the most brutal political mauling in 1947. Sindh was completely cut off, Punjab and Bengal were brutalised.
The Congress does not forget. Or Forgive.

1945/46: In the provincial elections of 1945, The Muslim League won ALL the seats reserved for Muslims. i.e., for all their appeasement, the Congress did not win even ONE seat where Muslims were in majority. These seats were in the same geographies - Sindh, Punjab, Bengal.

Even though UP/Bihar had a lot of Muslim population, the rioting happened in the places where the Congress lost its seats.

Who was blamed for the violence? The Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha.

Do you know what a general call for rioting and killing Hindus is called in Indian history? It is called, not The Day of the Great Massacre, or "The Day of Calcutta Riots" , but simply "Direct Action Day". The killing of 5000 people and the burning of homes for 1,00,000 people is called "Direct Action Day"


Result: In 1946, The Congress saw that there was no way to win these territories. These territories were cut out and given to Pakistan. The Congress won.

1977: The Akali Dal becomes powerful in Punjab and the Akali alliance wins 13 out of 13 seats Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.  

Out of nowhere, Bhindrawale is brought out and raised as a hero. Over the next few years, Punjab saw what even the British could manage to do - divide Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab. Once Bhindrawale was created, Pakistan used the opportunity completely.

Who was blamed: Only Bhindrawale was blamed for Bhindrawale, and Pakistan provided the money.
We needed to do Operation Bluestar and KPS Gill needed to work for years to uproot the insurgency problem. 

Result: After losing the 1977 elections badly, the Congress came back to power in the 1980 elections. Since then, the Congress and Akali Dal have been alternating power in the state.

1967: Gujarat: The Indian National Congress loses foothold to Swatantra Party , and Congress itself splits. 

The communal problems start getting bigger and bigger, until, in 1969: The famous 1969 Gujarat riots take place. 

Result: 1972: Congress returns to power with 140 out of 168 seats. 

There is communal harmony again until 1990, when Janta Dal + BJP form power and Congress loses power once again. 

Mid 1980s: Naxal Movement in Andhra Pradesh 
In 1983, the Indian National Congress lost to the Telugu Desam Party for the first time in independent India. Within 2 years, by 1985, the Naxalite movement was a major problem in Andhra Pradesh. 

Who was blamed: The Naxalites were blamed for the violence. 

Result: Congress returned to power in 1989. Now, the 2 parties alternate power in the state. The Naxawl movement was slowly and painfully curtailed. Some people are still scared to venture to those areas. 


1992: Rioting iin the wake of Babri Demolition in Dec 1992. 
In fact, 1992 saw rioting in many other states - most notably Mumbai in Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Andhra. But you don't even hear about it. Do you know why? Because in 1992-3, the Congress was in power in Andhra Pradesh and in Maharashtra. But you only hear about Gujarat.

Result: In the subsequent elections, the Congress consolidated its position. The Congress has not been able to return to power in Gujarat. Which means that the Gujarat riot cases after 1992 (including the 2002 riots) simply refuse to die from the public's memory, while the 1969 riots are never mentioned.

We see a similar pattern in 1992, when Narsimha Rao was in power at the center. As the Home Minister in 1984, he had wanted to reduce the bloodshed in the rioting. For this, he was never forgiven by the dynasty. Further, the Congress govt in 1992 was a minority govt and the Congress needed to consolidate its position.

So in 1992, there was massive rioting in the country. Instead of treating this like an organised riot, these cases were treated as spontaneous public response.

No one saw a thing. No enquiries were set up into who did these riots, no one was punished for the 1992 riots.

2014: The Congress loses power decisively and at the helm is a leader who is a serious challenge to the dynasty. What's worse, the dynasty has no pm face to show.

Start, the gradual seeding of the communal headlines. (I have a separate post on that one)

The headlines and the Hindu nation (sorry... Hindutva headlines) reach a crescendo by the 2019 elections.

But the electorate has been quiet, and very one-sided. The BJP comes back with 303 seats in the parliament. So the communal hatred stories must continue. 

So, what is the point? 
The point is NOT that every time the Congress loses, there is a communal riot. The point is that every time there is a communal attack/riot, the Congress has either just lost, or is about to lose an election.  In fact, over other instances, i figured it is actually quite specific. When the DYNASTY is out of power, there are communal riots until the dynastic order is restored.

So, if you want a communal riot, all you have to do is rout the Congress in an election. OR, threaten th power of the Congress. And there WILL be massive bloodshed and hatred. 


Bibliography: 
1. http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ambedkar/ambedkar_partition/index.html
2. http://danasurdanu.blogspot.com/2014/07/1945-1946-elections-who-voted-for.html

On the radicalisation of Islam

So, I can't stop thinking of this.

1. Not ONE Islamic country has benefited from the radicalisation of Islam. Not ONE.

2. In each case, radicalisation was enforced, not by the majority, but by a small, well-armed, and well-funded group, which then went on to use armed occupation to enforce radicalisation. (Turkey is an exception)

So:
A. Who was paying? How were they well-armed and well-funded?
B. Who is benefitting?

What is the new Citizenship Act of India?

All you need to know to understand the Citizenship Amendment Act:

The basic Citizenship Act:
https://indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4210/1/Citizenship_Act_1955.pdf

The Text of the Amendment:
egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/214646.pdf

Articles 5 to 11 of the Indian Constitution:
https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/pdf1/Part2.pdf

And to the geniuses spouting Article 14: You are like the dog lovers who start their letters by stating: Removing strays is a violation of Article 51 of the Indian Constitution. Matlab, कुछ भी!! 
Have you ever read Article 14? The entire Haj Subsidy, Minority Benefits, Subsidised land for religious institutions, Minority educational institutions - THOSE are in violation of Article 14.

And if you want the shortcut, here is a Supreme Court lawyer who explains the legality of the Act:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04eLoIyKAhE

Contribution of the Congress Party to India

So first, Pakistan gives the UNHRC a 115 page dossier on Kashmir with quotes from Rahu Gandhi, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Martya Sen and Arundhati Roy.

Then Shashi Tharoor goes out to say "We are Opposition can say anything, but we are united against anyone outside."

Like, seriously, WTF! ?

The best thing I read this week was: There is a reason that no one names their child "Vibhishan"

The Ramayana can lie about the truth of our history, but we all know better. Way better. 

Elections 2019 - Why did Modi win?

Elections 2019, the BJP has come back to power with a much larger majority than in 2019. 

A lot of people on my timeline today are confused. How did Modi win? So I've tried to create a table that kind of explains the perception of both sides. In case it helps anyone.

Disclaimers: 
1. This is a purely personal analysis.
2. My own political views and biases are as under:
 A. Indian National Congress: My hatred for the INC is deeply personal. I will release that hatred after justice is served for breaking up my family in 1947, and then for subjecting us to religion based violence in 1984.
B. Aam Aadmi Party and BJP: I don't think of the Aam Aadmi Party at all. They are not on my thought radar. About the BJP, I am positive but wary.
C. All others: What others?