CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 January 2021
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) ‘Ghar wapsi’ only after ‘law wapsi’, say farmers as 8th round of talks proves inconclusive.
The eighth round of talks between the government and representatives of protesting unions ended without any outcome on Friday. The next meeting is likely to take place on January 15, sources told. Sticking to their key demand of the repeal of three farm laws to end their protest, farmer leaders told the government their ghar wapsi from protest sites at the Delhi border can happen only after law wapsi. But the Centre insisted talks must be limited to contentious clauses and ruled out a complete withdrawal of the three laws. Sources said the talks did not make much progress and the next date has been decided keeping in mind a scheduled hearing of the Supreme Court on January 11. Government sources said the apex court may look into the legality of the three laws, besides other issues related to the farmers’ protests.
B) The senior lawyer said forced confessions violated the right to privacy.
When asked by the court why it should intervene in an obviously ecclesiastical issue like this, Rohatgi reminded the court about its interventions in questions concerning the personal laws and customs of communities such as the Bohra Muslims and Parsis. He said the court could examine the issues in the petition as they came within the ambit of the questions of faith, rights of women, and equality referred to in a nine-judge Constitution Bench in the Sabarimala case. He sought more time to amend the petition and add more facts. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, when asked for an opinion by the court, said the whole issue stemmed from the Jacobite-Orthodox dispute. The Supreme Court had upheld the validity of the 1934 Constitution of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church to govern the parishes under the church. He suggested that the Kerala High Court should hear it. The Kerala High Court knows the entire case history, he said.
C) SC to hear plea against ‘compulsory nature’ of confessions to priests.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider a petition filed by a group of women against the compulsory nature of sacred confessions to priests in Christianity. Appearing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the petitioners, said confessions are being abused. But Chief Justice Bobde said the veracity of such allegations would depend on the individual facts in every case. There cannot be a rule to impose confessions on a worshipper. Ladies are forced to confess before the priest. The court has to see whether confessions are an integral part of the religion, Rohatgi went on to submit.
D) Supreme Court tells govt. to arm forest officers to fight poachers.
The Supreme Court on Friday urged the government to arm forest officers and provide them with bullet-proof vests and vehicles when told that India recorded the greatest number of mortal fatalities among forest officials in the world. Appearing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, senior advocate Shyam Divan said India accounted for 30% of fatalities among forest rangers in the world. Chief Justice Bobde said forest officials were up against a very powerful force. Proceeds of crime are in millions of dollars. This is an international crime. Recently, he was told that the pangolin skin trade extended to China, he noted. The court said the Centre should consider involving premier organisations such as the CBI to help the forest staff. There should even be a separate wing or wildlife division in the Enforcement Directorate with dean officials to track and investigate crimes of the poachers and the proceeds of their crime. The amounts involved are huge and justify the formation of a separate wing by the ED, Chief Justice Bobde addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. CJI Bobde pointed out how forest rangers in Assam were armed and no one dares come near them. But in States like Madhya Pradesh, they roam around with lathis. In Karnataka, forest guards are in chappals and just lathis. In these States, forest guards are slapped around by poachers, the CJI said.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Trump changes tone, says he is ‘outraged by the mayhem’
A day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Trump condemned the violence and acknowledged that a new administration would be sworn in on January 20. The remarks were made in a video released on his Twitter account, which was earlier suspended to prevent the President from inciting further violence. Like all Americans he is outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem, Trump said as calls for removing him via impeachment or the U.S. Constitution’s 25th Amendment grew louder. Several prominent GOP lawmakers had criticised Wednesday’s violence and in the aftermath, more administration officials handed in their resignation.
B) U.S. President Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump addressed the rioters in his video message, saying they did not represent the country. To those who broke the law, you will pay, he said. This was in sharp contrast to Wednesday, when Trump had called the rioters very special in another video message in which he also asked them to retreat. In a tweet he had called the rioters great patriots even as some of them were inside the Capitol. Trump said that emotions were high following an intense election and tempers must be cooled now. Now Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation, Trump said without mentioning Biden by name or offering congratulations, as is the norm.
C) The man who waved the tricolour during the storming of U.S. Capitol.
A video of someone waving the Indian tricolour amid the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol had caused much speculation. Now it has emerged that one of the persons waving the tricolour was Vincent Xavier Palathingal, a Kerala-native hailing from Kochi. In a detailed Facebook post, Palathingal claimed that he was protesting a stolen election. The post, in which he claimed that he was not part of the violence, has now been taken down after people inside and outside Kerala criticised him, saying he had insulted India by carrying the tricolour to a violent protest in which five people died. Vincent Xavier Palathingal taking part in the US Capitol protest. Vincent Xavier Palathingal taking part in the US Capitol protest. Trump rallies are always a lot of fun. And today was not an exception. About 50 or so lawless people who breached the U.S. Capitol perimeter by climbing the walls, breaking the windows, and attacking police inside this sacred temple to American Democracy is not a reason to throw the million-plus peaceful protestors under the bus, he had written in the deleted post. Palathingal also posted images of himself with the Indian national flag near the Capitol, along with other Trump supporters who laid siege to the Capitol. Palathingal is an active commentator in social media on Kerala politics as well, with several posts criticising the LDF Government.
D) Hong Kong grants bail to arrested pro-democracy activists.
Authorities in Hong Kong said on Friday that they have granted bail to most of the 55 pro-democracy activists who were arrested this week in a sweeping crackdown on dissent. One of the activists said they could still be charged under a tough national security law. The activists were accused of taking part in an unofficial primary election last year that authorities said was part of a plan to paralyse the Legislative Council and subvert state power. The primary was held to choose the best candidates to field as the pro-democracy camp sought to win a majority of seats. The mass arrests on Wednesday were the biggest move against Hong Kong’s democracy movement since Beijing imposed the national security law in the semi-autonomous territory last June to quell dissent following months of anti-government protests in 2019. Former Democratic Party legislators Andrew Wan, left, Lam Cheuk-ting, second from left, and Helena Wong, right, attending a press conference after being released on bail in Hong Kong on January 8. Former Democratic Party legislators Andrew Wan, left, Lam Cheuk-ting, second from left, and Helena Wong, right, attending a press conference after being released on bail in Hong Kong on January 8. Three of the 55 arrested people were not released, activists Joshua Wong and Tam Tak-chi, who were already in jail on separate charges, and former Hong Kong Democratic Party Chairman Wu Chi-wai, who remained in custody for failing to meet bail conditions in a separate protest-related case.
