The basis of the Bill is not at all on the intervention of the Centre in any of the states. This was one section and even by this one section being there The National Advisory Council, led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, has dropped a controversial section in a draft legislation on communal violence that opponents have interpreted as placing too much authority on the federal government. “The basis of the Bill...
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Bihar Government orders judicial probe into Forbesganj police firing by Neena Vyas
A judicial inquiry has been ordered by the Nitish Kumar government into the police firing in Forbesganj on June 3 in which four Muslims were killed and several others injured. The Government would await its findings before taking action against anyone, said senior Janata Dal (United) leader Shivanand Tewari here on Tuesday. Talking to journalists, Mr. Tewari virtually justified the lack of any immediate compensation for the relatives of those killed,...
More »A bill to settle a terrible debt by Siddharth Varadarajan
For decades, the victims of communal and targeted violence have been denied protections of law that the rest of us take for granted. It's time to end this injustice. In a vibrant and mature democracy, there would be no need to have special laws to prosecute the powerful or protect the weak. If a crime takes place, the law would simply take its course. In a country like ours, however, life...
More »Is the government serious about dealing with corruption? by Team Anna
The Lokpal is designed to be a comprehensive anti-corruption institution independent of the government, empowered to effectively investigate corruption of all public servants. But most of the critical elements in this vision have been rejected. The latest draft report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on hydrocarbon production sharing contracts and the transfer of oilfields to Reliance is only the latest of the mega scams to surface in...
More »A very special case by Partha Chatterjee
I must begin with two disclaimers. The Singur land development and rehabilitation bill, 2011 was moved in the West Bengal legislative assembly last Tuesday by the industries minister with whom I happen to share a name. However, I believe he does not share any of the opinions or sentiments expressed below. Second, I was a persistent critic of the Left Front government when it was in power and what I...
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