NATIONAL NEWS
Tamil Nadu becomes eighth State to pass resolution against CAA
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging the Centre to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 to protect and ensure unity and communal harmony and uphold the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution. The Centre should also fully give up its initiatives related to preparation of the National Population Register and National Register of Citizens, Chief Minister MK Stalin said in his initial remarks on the CAA ahead of proposing the resolution. Tamil Nadu became the eighth State to pass a resolution against the CAA, while neighbouring Kerala and Puducherry were the first State and first union territory respectively to go against the Centre’s 2019 amendment law on citizenship. The Union Territory was under Congress rule last year. Stalin said the CAA was a big betrayal of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees as it usurped the rights of a section of them who do not desire going back and wanted to settle down in India. If those (refugees) from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can come (to India and get citizenship), why is there a bar on those belonging to Sri Lanka? This is the biggest betrayal of Sri Lankan Tamils (refugees), he said. Far from being concerned about Tamil refugees, the Union government actually discriminated against them and that was why this piece of legislation has to be opposed, he added. Refugees should be treated as only fellow human beings and there must be no discrimination on any grounds, be it religion, race or their country of origin and only this could be the correct view. Among the arguments advanced by Stalin against the CAA included a contention that it was against the basic structure of the Constitution and divided people. While the CAA provided for citizenship for refugees belonging to several faiths, Islamic people have been deliberately avoided and since this divides people based on religious lines, our party opposed this in the introductory stage itself (in Parliament), he said. The resolution moved by Stalin said the CAA passed by Parliament in 2019 is not in tune with the secular principles laid down in our Constitution and also not conducive to the communal harmony that prevails in India. As per established democratic principles, a nation should be governed taking into consideration the aspirations and concerns of the people belonging to all sections of society, the resolution said. Tamil Nadu follows Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh (Cabinet resolution) and Telangana (also, against National Population Register and National Register of Citizens), which had passed resolutions against the CAA. Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Jharkhand Assemblies had passed resolutions against the NRC and NPR, while Gujarat and Goa passed resolutions and a congratulatory motion respectively in favour of the CAA. The Meghalaya Assembly had passed a resolution, urging the Centre to keep the state out of the ambit of the CAA.
Women will be allowed to enter National Defence Academy, Centre informs SC
The Centre today gave the Supreme Court the good news that it had taken a decision to allow women entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA), so far a male bastion, for recruitment into the Armed Forces. If this decision comes through formally on paper, women can prepare for a career in the Armed Forces immediately after Class 12. There is good news. The Forces at the highest level and the government has taken a decision last evening to induct girls for permanent commission through the National Defence Academy, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed a Bench led by Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.M. Sundresh. The Bench asked the government to file an affidavit in this regard by September 22, the next date of hearing. It said the Armed Forces was a respected institution, but it had more to do regarding gender equality. The court admitted that it was not a happy situation for it to constantly nudge the authorities into taking action on bettering gender representation. The Bench said authorities needed to act by themselves. The court commended Bhati for taking pro-active measures in favour of women interested in a career in the Armed Forces. Bhati urged the court for the time being to maintain status quo about the admissions to NDA in the present academic year. The law officer said the NDA exam, originally scheduled for September 5, had been postponed to November. Consider granting status quo for this examination and let it continue, as it will need policy, procedure, training and infrastructure changes, Bhati submitted. On August 18, the court had issued an interim order allowing women candidates to take the NDA exam, which was then scheduled on September 5. The court had also then questioned why co-education is a problem in the Armed Forces. The court had orally observed that it was absurd that women were not allowed to appear for the NDA exam even after the Supreme Court, in a judgment, had directed permanent commission for women in the Army. On February 17, 2020, the Supreme Court had upheld permanent commission for women officers. The court had dismissed the government’s submissions that women were physiologically weaker than men as a sex stereotype and declared that Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers were eligible for permanent commission and command posts in the Army irrespective of their years of service. Women officers of the Indian Army have brought laurels to the force… Their track record of service to the nation is beyond reproach. To cast aspersion on their abilities on the ground of gender is an affront not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army – men and women – who serve as equal citizens in a common mission. The time has come for a realisation that women officers in the Army are not adjuncts to a male-dominated establishment whose presence must be ‘tolerated’ within narrow confines, Justice Chandrachud had observed in a 54-page judgment in the Army case.
At least 1 dead, 35 missing in Assam after ferries collide in the Brahmaputra
One person died and at least 35 others were missing after two ferries collided in the flooded Brahmaputra off Neamatighat in eastern Assam’s Jorhat district in the afternoon of September 8. The dead and the missing were on the smaller ferry that capsized after the collision with the bigger ferry from the opposite direction about 350m off the Neamatighat ferry point at about 3.30 p.m. IST. Jorhat district officials said 42 people onboard ‘Maa Kamala’, the smaller ferry that had set sail from Neamatighat for Kamalabari ferry point in Majuli island, either swam to safety or were rescued. All passengers on ‘Tipkai’, the bigger ferry that was en route to Neamatighat from Kamalabari, were rescued by the personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Jorhat’s Superintendent of Police Ankur Jain said the rescued included seven children. A few were admitted to local hospitals, but a 28-year-old woman among them died. A communication error between the operators of the two boats perhaps led to the collision after which the smaller ferry sank, Mr. Jain told The Hindu.
Don’t want press freedom muzzled, says SC, granting interim protection to journalists of news website from any coercive action by U.P.
The Supreme Court today said it did not want press freedom to be muzzled, as it granted interim protection to journalists of a news website from any coercive action by the State of Uttar Pradesh. We are aware of fundamental rights. We do not want press freedom to be muzzled, Justice L. Nageswara Rao addressed advocates Nitya Ramakrishnan and Shadan Farasat, appearing for the Foundation for Independent Journalism, which runs The Wire website. The foundation and some journalists with the website had approached the court against FIRs registered against them by the State. The court, however, advised the petitioners to approach the Allahabad High Court first rather than the apex court directly. The petitioners agreed to withdraw from the Supreme Court, which granted them interim protection for two months. Ramakrishnan said the FIRs were baseless. The news reports on which the FIRs were registered were factual and correct. The police action stifled the constitutionally guaranteed right of press freedom.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Iran urged to resume nuclear talks
The U.S. and Germany on Wednesday stepped up pressure on Iran to return soon to talks on its nuclear programme. The last round of talks by the remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear accord ended in June and no date has been set for their resumption.Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said it takes two to three months for the new administration to establish and do planning for any sort of decision. Asked whether the delay suggested by Iran is too long, Mr. Blinken said: I’m not going to put a date on it, but we are getting closer to the point at which a strict return to the compliance with the (nuclear deal) does not reproduce the benefits that that agreement achieved. We’ve been very clear that the ability to rejoin the (deal), return to mutual compliance, is not indefinite, he added. On Tuesday, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Iran has continued to increase its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in breach of the accord. The IAEA also said that its verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined.
China welcomes Taliban govt. as ‘end to anarchy’
China on Wednesday welcomed the Taliban’s announcement of formation of an interim government as a necessary step and an end to the anarchyin Afghanistan. Beijing also appeared to water down its earlier stand of underlining the importance of the Taliban setting up an inclusive government, which some officials had suggested was an expectation of Beijing as it considers recognising the new regime. Asked how China viewed Tuesday’s announcement by the Taliban of an interim government – one comprised of several sanctioned terrorists, no minorities, and no women and whether Beijing would recognise this government, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan is operating normally. We stand ready to maintain communication with the new Afghan government and leaders. We hope the new Afghan administration in the capacity of interim government will broadly solicit the opinions of all ethnic groups and factions and live up to the expectation of the Afghan people and aspiration of the international community, he added. We noted that the Afghan Taliban stressed that all people will benefit from the new administration. Necessary step China earlier said it would consider recognising the Taliban only after government-formation in Kabul. Mr. Wang welcomed the announcement of an interim government, saying this has put an end to the anarchy in Afghanistan that lasted for over three weeks and is a necessary step for Afghanistan to restore domestic order and pursue post war reconstruction. China’s position on the Afghan issue is consistent and clear, he said. We always respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, adhere to noninterference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, and support the Afghan people in independently choosing a development path suited to the country’s conditions. Mr. Wang did add that China hoped Afghanistan will establish a broadly based and inclusive political structure, follow moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely combat all types of terrorist forces, and live on friendly terms with other countries, especially its neighbours. China and Russia, as well as China and Pakistan, have been regularly engaging on the Afghan issue in recent weeks. Mr. Wang said China had on September 5 attended a meeting with special representatives of Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan held under the chairmanship of the Pakistani side.
