CURRENT AFFAIRS
29 December 2020
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) Govt. invites farmers for talks on Dec 30
The Union government has invited protesting farmers’ groups to resume negotiations with a ministerial delegation on December 30. Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal sent the invitation to 40 farmers’ organizations on Monday evening. However, the letter does not specifically reference the farmers’ key demand for repeal of the three reform laws. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha is set to hold an internal consultation to discuss their response. Agarwal noted that the farmers’ groups had communicated their willingness to hold discussions with an open mind. The Government of India is also committed to finding a logical solution of the relevant issues with an open mind and honest intentions, he said. Five rounds of talks have been held with the farmers, who have been protesting on Delhi’s borders for the past 33 days. Negotiations broke down on December 9, when farmers’ groups rejected the government’s proposal to amend the three contentious laws, insisting on their full repeal instead. Last week, Agriculture Ministry joint secretary Vivek Aggarwal wrote to the farmers’ groups urging them to resume negotiations, suggesting that they pick the date and the issues of their choosing to be discussed.
B) Karnataka cabinet approves anti-cow slaughter ordinance.
The Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to promulgate an ordinance to give effect to the contentious anti-cow slaughter Bill, which is yet to be approved by the legislative council. Once it comes into effect, there will be a blanket prohibition of slaughter of cows in the state. However, slaughter houses will continue to function and beef consumption will not be prohibited with respect to buffalo meat. Previously, there was a ban on slaughter of cows until the age of 13. We have extended it with an intention that older cows should not be left out. Since the prohibition does not extend to buffaloes, there is no ban on beef consumption, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said. He added that the ordinance is likely to be sent to the Governor within a day for his assent. Earlier this month, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had passed the Bill even as there was ruckus in the House. The BJP government could not table the Bill in the Karnataka Legislative Council. Despite being the largest party in the Council, it did not table the Bill saying it had no numbers on its side. The Congress party has opposed the Bill. Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah, had alleged that the bill was being brought in only for emotional reasons. It is draconian as it economically burdens the Dalits, OBCs and farmers. Each head of cattle consumes about 6 kg of fodder per day and how can a small farmer, who is on the brink of poverty, manage this, Siddaramaiah had demanded. Former Chief Minister and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader H D Kumaraswamy too had opposed the Bill and said that in 2010 when the BJP government introduced the anti-cow slaughter bill, we opposed it. Even now we are opposing the bill. There are several negative issues so we are opposing it.
C) JD(U) leader slams ‘love jihad’ laws, says they are an attempt to create an ‘atmosphere of hatred’
After its two-day national council meet, Bihar’s ruling party Janata Dal (United) slammed ‘love jihad’ laws and said there was an attempt to create an atmosphere of hatred and mistrust over love jihad in the country. Our Constitution says any two consenting adults can choose to be life partners irrespective of one’s religion or caste but an atmosphere of hatred and mistrust is being created in society in the name of love jihad, senior JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi said. Socialists had upheld the right of adults to marry irrespective of caste and creed since the days of socialist leader Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, added Tyagi. He said the party was unhappy and anguished over the recent political developments in Arunachal Pradesh where six of the seven JD(U) MLAs had switched over to the ruling BJP. It was an unfriendly move by an alliance partner and against the spirit of coalition dharma, Tyagi said.
D) PM flags off India’s first driverless train.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the country’s first driverless train on the Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line. Stating that unlike previous regimes, his government has taken steps towards urbanisation, Mr. Modi said that by 2025 metro services will expand to 25 cities across India from the current 18. In Delhi, discussions around the metro rail service went on for a long time but it became operational only during former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure. In 2014. only 248 km of metro lines were operational. Today, at 700 km, it is almost three times of what it was earlier. They are working to expand it to 1,700 km by 2025, said Mr. Modi. ‘Ease of living’ The Prime Minister said that the expanding metro network was an indication of ease of living among the citizens. In cities where passenger numbers are less, work is being done on the MetroLite version, Similarly, MetroNeo is being planned in cities where the ridership is less. It would be built at 25% cost of the normal metro. Also, for cities where there are large waterbodies, a system of Water Metro is being worked upon, he said. The National Common Mobility Card was also introduced by Mr. Modi for use on the Airport Express Line. The NCMC will give access to all modes of transport and will help do away with long queues for tokens, he said.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Trump signs policy to preempt China move on Dalai Lama.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a Bill which calls for establishing a U.S. consulate in Tibet and building an international coalition to ensure that the next Dalai Lama is appointed solely by the Tibetan Buddhist community, without China’s interference. The Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 modifies and re-authorizes various programmers and provisions related to Tibet. The U.S. Senate last week unanimously passed the Bill despite China’s protest. It authorises assistance to non-governmental organizations in support of Tibetan communities in Tibet, and places restrictions on new Chinese consulates in the United States until a U.S. consulate has been established in Lhasa, Tibet. The law now authorises the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and expands the office’s duties to include additional tasks such as pursuing international coalitions to ensure that the next Dalai Lama is appointed solely by the Tibetan Buddhist faith community. It also directs the Secretary of State not to open a new Chinese consulate in the U.S. unless China allows the opening of an American consulate in Lhasa.
B) After much delay, Trump signs $900 Billion Covid Relief Bill.
President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package on Sunday, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal, which will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. Trump announced the signing in a statement on Sunday night where he conveyed his displeasure over the fact that the Covid-19 relief package included only $600 checks to most Americans. He is signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return their airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more, Trump said in a statement from his Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. For days, Trump had refused to put his signature on the relief package approved overwhelmingly by Congress following months of negotiation, calling it a disgrace. He also complained about what he considered unnecessary spending by the government at large. But Trump’s eleventh-hour objections created turmoil because lawmakers had thought he was supportive of the bill, which had been negotiated for months with White House input. He will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed, Trump said in his statement.
C) China jails four journalists for Wuhan reporting.
A Chinese court handed a four-year jail term on Monday to a citizen-journalist who reported from the central city of Wuhan at the peak of last year’s coronavirus outbreak, on grounds of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, her lawyer said. Zhang Zhan, 37, the first such person known to have been tried, was among a handful of people whose first-hand accounts from crowded hospitals and empty streets painted a picture of the pandemic epicenter that was more dire the official narrative. They will probably appeal, the lawyer, Ren Quanniu, told Reuters, adding that the trial at a court in Pudong, a district of China’s business hub of Shanghai, ended at 12.30 p.m., with Zhang being sentenced to four years. Ms. Zhang believes she is being persecuted for exercising her freedom of speech, he had said before the trial.
