Newsletter 14 January

Sino-Indian Standoff: Pakistan, China together forms potent threat: Army Chief

2020 challenging year for India, Armed Forces stayed bravely at Northern borders: Gen. Naravan

Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thu said 2020 had been very challenging for the country and the Armed Forces bravely stayed at the Northern borders while also battling the coronavirus pandemic efficiently. He was apparently referring to border standoff with China,
He was speaking at the Armed Forces Veterans Day meet.
The Army Chief also said 2021 will be celebrated as ‘Golden Victory Year’ to mark the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War Victory.
The Army Chief also informed that a small memorial would be built at the National War Memorial with the soil from the villages of the gallantry awardees of 1971 war and the places where they came out victorious at that time.
Gen Naravane said the Indian Army will always continue working for welfare of veterans.

Deep displeasure: India sends a stinker to WHO’s Tedros over incorrect map

The Jan 8^th letter is the 3^rd communication (last 2 were on Dec 3^rd and 30^th) to the World Health Organization in a month, reminding Tedros and his office to fix the maps
India has expressed its “deep displeasure” at the WHO’s maps that inaccurately depict the boundaries of the country in the map used by the organization’s web portals and asked Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to immediately replace them with fresh maps, people familiar with the matter said.
WHO maps show the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in a different shade than the rest of India.
The Shaksgam Valley spread across 5,168 sq km, which was illegally ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963, is shown as part of China.
The Aksai Chin region occupied by China in 1954 is shown in light blue strips, a shade similar to the color used to depict Chinese territory.

India: Growing Crackdown on Activists, Critics: Meenakshi Ganguly, Director South Asia at HR Watch

Attacks on Muslims, Marginalized Groups; Abuses Persist in Kashmir
The Indian Govt increasingly harassed, detained, and prosecuted activists, journalists, and others critical of the government or its policies, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2021.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Govt brought politically motivated cases, including under broadly worded sedition and counterterrorism laws, against human rights defenders, student activists, academics, opposition members, and other critics.
It blamed them for the communal violence in Feb in Delhi, as well as caste-based violence in Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra state in Jan 2018.
In both cases, BJP supporters implicated in the violence were not prosecuted.
Police investigations were biased and aimed at silencing dissent and deterring future protests.
The authorities also used foreign funding regulations to target outspoken groups for their human rights work.

CBI books several of its officers for corruption in favoring companies accused of bank fraud, misuse of official position

The search operation is believed to have spread across at least five locations, the officials said.
The CBI has booked several of its officers in a case of alleged misuse of official position, and started a search operation on Thursday morning.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is tight-lipped about the embarrassing case in which its own officials are under scanner for allegedly taking bribe from bank fraud accused companies, which were being probed by them, they said.
It is understood that some of these officers were allegedly receiving regular payments from the accused companies, they said.

Farmer Protest Row

Centre willing for 9th round of talks but farmers doubtful

A section of farmers believe that as the apex court has set up a committee which will hear their grievances, there is no use of continuing parallel talks with the Centre.
As it was decided during the 8th round of talks between the Centre and Union leaders of protesting farmers, both sides are scheduled to meet on Jan 15^th again to further the ongoing consultation that began in Dec.
But, with the Supreme Court order staying the implementation of the three contentious farm laws and setting up of a 4-member committee to mediate between the two sides, tomorrow’s meeting remains uncertain.
Though there has been no official statement from either side
Bhupinder Mann, a member of the SC-formed committee over Farm Laws, recuses himself from it.
“In view of prevailing sentiments & apprehensions amongst farm unions and public, I’m ready to sacrifice any position so as not to compromise Punjab & farmers’ interests,” his letter reads
Mark my words. Take it from me. The Govt will be forced to take these laws (the three FarmLaws), back. Remember what I said: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Tamil culture, history, language essential for India's future, needs to be respected, says Rahul Gandhi

Tamil culture, history and language are essential for the future of India and are needed to be respected, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is in Madurai to attend the traditional bull-taming sport – ‘Jallikattu’ – and celebrate Pongal.
Rahul’s Tamil Nadu visit is a case of trying to hit several birds with one stone. By choosing to visit Madurai district to witness Jallikattu, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to connect with the cultural consciousness of rural Tamil Nadu. But will Tamil Nadu buy Rahul Gandhi’s love for Jallikattu?
Because it was Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in his capacity as Environment Minister in the UPA regime who ensured a ban on Jallikattu by making it clear that bulls could not be used as performing animals or for betting purposes. Ramesh went on record to say “Jallikattu was a barbaric sport”.
It is this ‘hypocrisy’ that the BJP is pointing out, while patting itself on the back for having brought back Jallikattu in 2017.

Hyderabad Nizam's grandson seeks one-time settlement from Centre over pending Income, Wealth Tax

Family members of the last Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan has written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urging her to resolve the Nizam Jewellery Trust Income and Wealth Tax issue which has been pending with the Income Tax department for the last 26 years.
Najaf Ali Khan, grandson of the last Nizam urged for a one-time settlement of the issue stating that 39 of the 114 beneficiaries from the Nizam Family had either expired during this period and most of those remaining were senior citizens facing health and financial issues.
In the 1950s, the last Nizam had created various Trusts, one of which was the Nizam Jewellery Trust.
The Trustees, which included Prince Muffakham Jah and a Govt nominated official from the Finance Ministry, were empowered to sell the jewelry.
In a statement, Khan said that the GoI had in 1995 agreed to purchase jewelry for Rs 206 crore after the intervention of the Supreme Court.
The Corpus was distributed among 114 beneficiaries from the Nizam Family.
Around the time the Trustees were to hand over the Jewellery, the Income Tax department raised a total demand of Rs 30.50 crore towards arrears of Income Tax and Wealth Tax.

Congress links Kerala Chief Minister to gold smuggling

Congress MLA PT Thomas claimed Vijayan was aware of the activities of his Former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar, who was arrested three months back in connection with the gold recovery at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport.
Congress lawmaker PT Thomas on Thu targeted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the recovery of 30 kg of gold smuggled into India in baggage addressed to the UAE consulate last year, saying he cannot get away by sacrificing some of his officials.
ED denies Sivasankar’s allegations of pressure to name political targets
Thomas claimed Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the case, was threatened in jail “not to take big names.”
He added Vijayan was aware of Sivasankar’s foreign trips with Suresh.
Thomas said initially Vijayan gave “a good certificate” to the probe agencies but turned against them after they summoned his close aide C M Raveendran.

Dushyant Dave Resigns As SCBA President Post Disagreement Over Conduct Of Virtual Election

On Thu, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave stepped down as the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) with immediate effect.

In a letter addressed to the Executive Committee of the SCBA, Dave stated, “I feel that I have forfeited my right to continue as your leader”.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan (Jeyhun Bayramov) met in Islamabad, resolve to enhance cooperation, continue mutual support on national issues

The Ministers agreed to enhance joint efforts on combating Islamophobia, discrimination and persecution of Muslim minorities, in particular at Regional and International fora.
According to the declaration, the three Ministers also reaffirmed the most recent Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolution on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute adopted in Niamey in Nov and “expressed deep concern over the unilateral actions of Aug 5, 2019, continuing grave human rights violations in and efforts to change the demographic structure of Jammu and Kashmir“, reiterating their position for a peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions.
Foreign Minister SM Qureshi said the people of Pakistan and Kashmiris remained “profoundly grateful” to Turkey and Azerbaijan for their “principled and steadfast support” on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He said he had informed the Ministers about the evolving situation and the “dire situation of human rights violations” in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, including the prolonged military siege and “deliberate, unilateral and illegal actions” to make demographic changes in the valley.

Police crackdown on demonstrators opposing Parliament dissolution in Nepal (ANI)

Nepal police cracked down and arrested dozens of people protesting in the country’s capital city on Wed against the dissolution of the House of Representatives (HoR).
Police cracked down on a symbolic protest by Nepal Student Union, where later had planned to shave off heads.
Police intervened in protest arresting dozens of demonstrators after short scuffles.
The streets of Kathmandu were filled with anti-Govt slogans after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced new dates for elections.
The move of KP Oli which is claimed to be unconstitutional has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
A total of 13 petitions were filed against the move to dissolve Parliament. Hearing on the case has already started with the next hearing scheduled for Fri.
This comes after Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the Lower House on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s recommendation on Dec 20.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to begin India visit today ANI

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will be on a visit to India from Jan 14 to 16, according to the India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
During the visit he will participate in the 6^th India-Nepal Joint Commission Meeting and also meet his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar, a media advisory issued by the MEA on Thu stated.
The visit comes in the backdrop of last year’s border row between the two nations when Nepal published a new political map that showed the three Indian Territories — Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh as part of Nepal.

COVID-19

Serum Institute expects WHO emergency approval for AstraZeneca shot soon

SII CEO Adar Poonawalla also said his company, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, would start stockpiling millions of doses of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine candidate from around April.
Eminent group of 49 scientists & doctors release a statement over COVID vaccine row saying, ‘The 2 approved vaccines are safe. Some people are making irresponsible statements and doubting credibility of our scientists’.

MHA likely to accept ITBP’s request to reduce strength of doctors at Sardar Patel COVID center

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to accept Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)’s request for cutting down the strength of doctors and paramedics deployed at Sardar Patel COVID center, the world’s largest COVID care center, in Delhi’s Chhatarpur area, according to a Senior Govt official.
ITBP had requested to cut down the strength-giving details of a number of patients, the Govt official said.