Indian Opinion

Mukesh Devrari Consumers cannot buy liquor at MRP (Maximum Retail Price) mentioned on the liquor bottle anywhere in Uttarakhand. If any consumer argues with retail liquor stores, they simply taunt the buyers and chase them away. They challenge buyers to purchase liquor on MRP wherever they can find it.  Interestingly during the tenure of Congress government in Uttarakhand, a similar situation existed, but there were voices of protest all around. Mainstream media also raised the issue time and again. All liquor buyers abused Congress government for overpricing.   Congress lost power in state elections. Among many other reasons, corruption in the liquor market also contributed to the defeat. BJP came to power, but nothing changed on the ground. Almost all liquor stores are still charging over prices. And if any consumer dares to oppose liquor stores or argues with them or requests them not to overcharge, he or she immediately puts his life in danger. Buyers are constantly thr

Mukesh Devrari Whether you like it or not, Diwali is definitely not a thing which we have made out of it. This madness about fire crackers define and describe Diwali other than anything else in India. Bhagwan Shri Ram and ancient sages of his time who are known for their internal peace would not have sanctioned this madness about the use of fire crackers during Diwali. For most Indians, nature and environment is not important at all. Most of the Indian population is still struggling to make two ends meet. Majority of population is somehow surviving. In the name of religion and ritual this country did not shy away from burning women on the funeral pyres of their husband, it would be insane to imagine that this society would abdicate the use of fire crackers for the sake of environment and nature without any resistance. There are two specific problems with fire crackers. First, burning fire crackers insert poisonous gases in the air which we all inhale. Second, people s

Pakistani Flag. Source - Wikipedia Mukesh Devrari Pakistan has been carved out in 1947. It was an artificial nation. Islam was used as a tool to create a nation by encouraging separatism in Muslim majority areas. Violence was used as a tool to pressurize British government and Congress party. Finally, they gave in to the demands of Muslim separatists who claimed that Hindus and Muslims cannot stay together in one nation. Pakistan has seven provinces – Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Occupied Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. Out of those 7 provinces, four are completely under the control of Punjabi Muslims.  Many Indian Muslims believe that Pakistan was created and imagined as a home for all South Asian Muslims. Only after partition, they realized that it was not the case. It provided a home to the Muslim elite who were not satisfied with the democratic turn India was about to take after the end of the British rule. Out

Mukesh Devrari Congress is going through a difficult phase. Every party must go through such phases. During the two terms of UPA, many Congress leaders were indulged in large scale corruption scandals. Right-wing forces fought the general election against the failures of Congress party. People were frustrated as there was talk about inclusive growth and development but it did not reach the larger population. Nothing is irreversible in politics. There is no allegation of corruption against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. There is no corruption allegation against Priyanka Gandhi. His husband is under the scanner for BJP for last few years. First of all the ruling party cannot make charges of corruption against opposition party leaders and their family members. If anyone of them is involved in corruption, they should be immediately put into jail, but BJP knows that Gandhi family and their track record is absolutely clean. Otherwise, BJP would have put them in jail long ago. I

Mukesh Devrari A former civil servant Khalid Bashir Ahmad recently published a book ‘Kashmir: Exposing the Myth, Behind the Narrative’. Respected Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari who has the expertise to write on the edges of varying narratives emerging from Kashmir wrote a review of the book for the Frontline Magazine. The book is an ambitious attempt by the author to replace the recorded history of Kashmir by the Islamic version. There were certain things in the review which were suggesting how majority Muslims view Kashmiri Hindus in the valley. After a long time, this author came across such an article which puts forward almost all politically incorrect arguments against the minority community in the garb of larger notions of Islamic victimhood. It is just amazing how Kashmiri Hindus have been described as enemies of pious, gullible and innocent Kashmiri Muslims. The first argument, the reviewer claims that scientific methods have been used to correct the Kashmiri

Khima Nand Balodi is working for the conservation of vultures in Uttarakhand. His efforts have been recognized by many national and international organizations. His projects have been funded by many international conservation organizations including the Oriental Bird Club, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and  Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), a co-creation of Bird Life International, Flora and Fauna International (FFI) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) . He is closely working with the SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vulture from Extinction), a consortium of international conservation organizations in South Asia for vulture conservation. He has also undergone the Conservation Management and Leadership Training Workshop in Canada, after receiving the prestigious ‘Future Conservationist Award-2016’ given by CLP. He talked to Mukesh Devrari about his experiences so far as emerging conservation ecologist from this region. Excerpts fro

Mukesh Devrari Universities in India appoint Assistant Professors in four categories. However, the categories are not defined by UGC itself. They have been created in the policy gaps of UGC regulations over the years. First, universities appoint permanent Assistant Professors, who have a job for life. Second, universities appoint Assistant Professors on full salary as fixed by the government but on a yearly contract basis. Thirdly, universities also appoint Assistant Professors on a fixed salary of 35000 or 25000 per month on yearly contracts. It is discretionary for universities. Fourthly, Universities also appoint Assistant Professors on per class basis with a ceiling of 25000 per month. Some universities pay 500 rupees per class, others pay 1000 rupees. DAV PG College in Dehradun pays 300 rupees per class to the faculty members of all self-finance departments. Minimum qualification for the post of Assistant Professors as per UGC regulations is UGC - NET or PhD degree.  I

Mukesh Devrari This author feels that people who are running the globe are not as smart as we would like to believe. We read about many idiots, fanatics, lunatics and maniacs who ruled different parts of the world at different point of time. They were there because of the monarchy. It was a political system which did not give the choice to citizens to elect their own masters.  In the 21 st century, we believe our common sense has evolved to a great extent. No matter what may come, we will never accept dictatorship or one party system or any other form of the totalitarian regime. However, this belief is rubbish and cannot be further from the truth. The world easily accepts that a 33-year-old Dictator King Jong Un running North Korea with the help of another totalitarian regime (China). He has made his nation de facto nuclear power.  Soon, he will have the capability to annihilate the human race from this planet, if his regime was threatened by its own people or by another

Mukesh Devrari    It is good to have nationalism in newly carved out states, but it is grossly wrong to use lies and untruths and twisted history to mislead about the greatness of the past. RSS and its ideologues are ravaging the modern Indian history. They are giving new twists and turns to thoughts of our great leaders of the past. Unfortunately, they also have great acceptance among the youngsters who have no exposure to social sciences beyond school days. In the absence of access and exposure to correct history, youths pursuing disciplines other than social sciences do not have a tool to deal and make sense of right-wing propaganda.  Recently Indresh Kumar, member of the national executive of RSS visited Dehradun and delivered a speech in Graphic Era Hill University in a seminar organized on national security. He said many good things, but also many baseless things. This author dismisses some notions narrated by RSS ideologue in his speech. He said, “Mahatma Gandhi

Book Review  Mukesh Devrari Eldad Beck’s new book ‘Germany, at odds’ reminds us about the resurgence of German nationalism in the 21 st century. German patriotism and racial nationalism, popularly known as Nazism, posed a threat to humanity in the 20 th century. Germans would like to forget about their troubling history. It reminds them of their barbarity and unconscious brutal tendencies. This book yet again proves that Nazi ideology did not end with the suicide of Adolf Hitler and hanging of many of his associates. Hitler was an elected leader. He came to power through democracy. When Jews were killed in concentration camps and pulled on roads from their houses like cattle, the German population remained silent. In connivance with their leaders, German population attempted extermination of Jews from the face of the earth. Now, almost 75 years after the end of the Second World War, Germans are trying to forget their past. They are attempting to embark on a path l

Mukesh Devrari If you love this state, this controversy can frustrate you. Uttarakhand government has decided to appoint dentists in place of doctors, as MBBS doctors are not ready to join in the remote areas. BJP government in Uttarakhand has decided to make appointments after a written test and interview. Government has decided not to take any doctor from Uttarakhand in the interview board for selecting candidates. BJP MLA from Haridwar & Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik said, “Outside experts will bring transparency and honesty to the process. He did not make it clear how it reached on a conclusion that local doctors are dishonest and doctors from other states are honest and impartial. Doctors from other states may also prefer candidates from their own states or castes or of any other affiliation. If BJP government is bothered about honesty and transparency, then it can do away with interview and make appointments entirely based on score in written test. By t

Dust and smoke billows out from a residential house which was blown up during a gunfight between militants and Indian soldiers in Durbagh village of Chadoora, 15 km from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir on March 28, 2017. One militant was killed and an Indian soldier injured during a 10-hour-long gunfight. Three civilians were also killed and at least 15 injured during clashes near the gunfight site. Photo courtesy Agencies SOURCE - NAM NEWS NETWORK Mukesh Devrari First, Young generation of Indians are least bothered about freedom and liberty ensured in this country to each and every citizen. They feel too much of freedom is hampering decision making and implementation of policies. Students, mostly upper caste, who have never seen any hardships in life, have been coaxed to believe that democracy in India is a barrier in our rapid progress and economic development. These emerging militant nationalists are not ready to accept that almost all rich nations o