JAISHANKAR ON INDIA’S DEMOCARCY DOWNGRADE: ‘CUSTODIANS CAN’T STOMACH WE DON’T WANT THEIR APPROVAL’

Days after reports by two international organisations criticised India over freedom and democracy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar slammed them for their “hypocrisy” and called them “self-appointed custodians of the world who find it very difficult to stomach that somebody in India is not looking for their approval”.

In its annual Freedom in the World report released on March 3, US-based NGO Freedom House downgraded India from the “free” to the “partially free” category.

Last week, Sweden-based V-Dem Institute said India is no longer an “electoral democracy” and classified the country as an “electoral autocracy” while contending that much of the decline in democratic freedoms occurred after the BJP’s victory in 2014.

Citing the supply of Covid vaccines to more than 70 countries by India’s “nationalist” government, Jaishankar asked about the contribution of “internationalist countries” in this regard.

His unusually candid remarks came during an interview at the India Today Conclave Saturday.

On the recent reports of Freedom House and V-Dem Institute criticising India, he said, “You use the dichotomy of democracy and autocracy. You want the truthful answer — it is hypocrisy. Because you have a set of self-appointed custodians of the world, who find it very difficult to stomach that somebody in India is not looking for their approval, is not willing to play the game they want it to be played. So they invent their rules, their parameters, they pass their judgments and then make out as though this is some kind of global exercise.”

Referring to the reports, he said: “We are supposed to be the nationalist. So let’s talk nationalism. Okay, we are the nationalist guys, we have given vaccines to 70 countries in the world. So tell me, the internationalist countries, how many vaccines have they given, which one of these countries has said, while I’m doing my people, I will also do people outside who need as much as my people. So suddenly, where are these people when it comes to that. We are supposed to be, you know, shrinking civil rights because of, you know, apparently, our mindset.”

Jaishankar was referring to India’s vaccine diplomacy under which 80.75 lakh doses have already been sent free of charge and 165.24 lakh delivered under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation — an estimated 339.67 lakh doses have been sent in commercial deals.

Jaishankar also took a dig at US: “Now, again, look at the politics of these places or whatever you might say, I’m in this country, nobody questions our election. Can you say that in those countries?”

On India-China ties, he indicated that if China extends a hand, then India will do as well — but if it points a gun, then India’s response would be similar.

INDIA, PAKISTAN INDUS COMMISSIONERS SET TO MEET ON MARCH 23-24

The Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan are set to meet on March 23-24 in New Delhi, a top official said on Sunday. “We are committed towards full utilisation of India’s rights under the treaty and believe in amicable solution of issues through discussion,” said Pradeep Kumar Saxena, Commissioner (Indus).

This will be the first meeting of Indus Commissioners after a gap of two and a half years. The last meeting of the India-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held in Lahore, in August 2018.

The Commission was scheduled to meet in March last year but it had to cancel the meeting in view of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Later, India proposed to hold the meeting virtually but the Pakistan side insisted on holding the talks at the Attari check post. However, the Indian side conveyed to them that it was not conducive to hold the meeting at the Attari Joint Check Post in view of the pandemic.

EC SUSPENDS SP, SHUNTS DM FOR ‘LAPSES’ LEADING TO DIDI’S INJURY

After arriving at a conclusion that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sustained injuries at Nandigram due to lapses on part of those responsible for providing her security, the Election Commission yesterday asked the state government to remove IPS officer Vivek Sahay from the post of Director Security and place him under suspension with immediate effect.

“Charges must be framed against him (Sahay) within a week for grossly failing in discharge of his primary duty as Director Security to protect the Z+ protectee,” the EC said in its order.

It also asked the CS and the DGP to “identify within next three days, the other proximate security personnel below Director Security”.

The commission transferred Purba Medinipur District Magistrate (DM) Vibhu Goel and posted 2005-batch IAS officer Smita Pandey in his place. It also asked the state that Goel should not be given any election-related responsibility.

There are no significant pointers to suggest a pre-meditated or planned attack on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s convoy in Nandigram based on police inputs and available video footage, Election Commission’s special observers Ajay V Nayak and Vivek Dube have said in their joint report to the poll watchdog. The special observers based their conclusions on a report by East Midnapore district magistrate and superintendent of police (SP) and said there was a lack of coordination between security arrangements by the police headquarters and the local SP due to frequent changes to the CM’s tour programme. They said no approval was taken from the returning officer for the place where the incident took place and there was blatant disregard of security protocols.

The TMC alleged it disagreed with the EC's observation that there was no pre-meditated attack on Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram and demanded a high-level probe into the incident, insisting the inquiry by the election observers "lacked credibility".

However, party spokesperson Sougata Roy expressed satisfaction that the EC agreed that there were security lapses and took action against some officials.

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MYANMAR FORCES KILL 38 PROTESTERS

Security forces killed at least 22 anti-coup protesters in the poor, industrial Hlaingthaya suburb of Myanmar’s main city Yangon on Sunday after Chinese-financed factories were set ablaze there, an advocacy group said. A further 16 protesters were killed in other places, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said, as well as one policeman, making it the bloodiest day since the February 1 coup against elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Chinese embassy said many Chinese staff were injured and trapped in arson attacks by unidentified assailants on garment factories in Hlaingthaya and that it had called on Myanmar to protect Chinese property and citizens. China is viewed as being supportive of the military junta that has taken power.

China’s embassy described the situation as “very severe” after the attacks on the Chinese-financed factories. It did not make a statement about the killings.

GLOBAL VACCINATION RATES ON RISE, BUT MANY COUNTRIES YET TO START

More than 345 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide in the three months since mass inoculation began in December, but there is still a huge disparity in the vaccination rates between countries. Israel continues to stand out in the vaccination race, with 58% of its population having received at least one dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, and 46% having received both required doses. Despite a slow start, Chile is making swift progress, with at least a quarter of its population having received at least one dose.

Despite some initial criticism of Britain’s decision to delay second doses until 12 weeks after the first, the strategy seems to be paying off, as more than a third of its population has received at least one dose, far ahead of any of its European counterparts. Studies appear to have vindicated Britain’s decision after finding a single dose could avert most coronavirus-related hospitalisations.

Some of the starkest differences can be found when comparing continents. In North America, 18 doses have been administered for every 100 people, while in South America, there have been just 4.9 vaccinations per 100 people amid growing outbreaks across much of the continent. Many African nations have yet to start vaccinations, with less than one dose administered across the continent per 100 people.

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EACH VOTE AJMAL GETS WILL FILL ASSAM WITH INFILTRATORS: AMIT SHAH

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lashed out against the Congress-AIUDF alliance in Assam, saying that each vote the alliance gets will lead to the state being “filled” with undocumented migrants.

Addressing two public rallies in poll-bound Assam’s Margherita and Nazira, Shah spoke on how the alliance poses a threat to Assam and how the BJP-led government alone can protect the interests of the people and take the state on the path of development. He also promised to free Assam from the devastation caused by floods.

“Each vote that you give to the Congress will go to Badruddin Ajmal. And each vote that Ajmal gets will fill Assam with infiltrators. But which party do you want in power, the one which encourages infiltrators or the one which will weed out infiltrators… The BJP has thrown out infiltrators who were inside the Kaziranga [National Park], we have thrown out those who were encroaching upon the land of our Sattras [traditional Vaishnavite monasteries],” Shah said in Nazira.

Assam goes to polls in three phases on March 27, April 1 and 6. The Congress has tied up with the AIUDF, led by MP and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal, and three Left parties and two regional parties — the BPF and the AGM — to form the ‘grand alliance’ against the BJP.

The Congress on Sunday released a 12-point “chargesheet” against the BJP government in Assam, accusing it of imposing the CAA on the indigenous people of the state. AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh said before coming to power, the BJP had promised to protect the “Jati- Mati-Bheti”, but instead imposed the CAA on people of Assam.

4 MPs IN BJP’S LIST FOR BENGAL POLLS

Union minister of state Babul Supriyo, former TMC minister Rajib Banerjee, Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta and economist Ashok Lahiri figure in the list of 63 candidates released by BJP on Sunday for the third and fourth phases of the Bengal assembly polls.

Supriyo, the Lok Sabha member from Asansol, is among four MPs fielded by the party in key assembly constituencies. The Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change will be contesting the Tollygunge seat. Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee has been given the party ticket for Chinsurah, Coochbehar MP Nisith Pramanik for Dinhata and Rajya member Dasgupta for Hooghly’s Tarakeswar.

BJP has fielded former chief economic advisor Lahiri in north Bengal's Alipurduar. An alumnus of the erstwhile Presidency College, Lahiri had also served as executive director at the Asian Development Bank and director of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.

MONTHS AFTER POLITICAL CRISIS, GEHLOT GOVT ADMITS TO PHONE TAPS

Eight months after “leaked” phone conversations between a Union Minister and Congress leaders in Rajasthan triggered a political crisis in the state and gave rise to allegations of illegal phone taps, the government of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has confirmed that phones were indeed “intercepted”.

The confirmation, posted on the website of the Rajasthan Assembly in reply to a question asked of the government during the House session of August 2020, flies in the face of earlier assertions both by the government and by the Chief Minister personally.

In its reply, given after a delay of several months, the government has said: “In the interest of public safety or public order, and to prevent the occurrence of a crime which might risk public safety or public order, telephones are intercepted after an approval by a competent officer under the provisions”

The crisis in the Rajasthan Congress and its government began in July 2020 after recordings of phone conversations among Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, then Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh, and Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma among others, were “leaked”. Chief Minister Gehlot had claimed at the time that it was “not the way” of his government to tap the phones of Ministers and MLAs.

INTERVENED TO STOP ARREST OF RAKESH TIKAIT: MEGHALAYA GOV SATYA PAL MALIK

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday urged the government to not use force against farmers protesting against the new farm laws and claimed that he had intervened to ensure that farmer leader Rakesh Tikait was not arrested.

Addressing a felicitation ceremony in Baghpat’s Sheelchand Inter College, Malik said he had requested the Home Ministry to not harm the protesters at Delhi borders. “I requested both PM and HM that they should not send the farmers back empty-handed. And that they should not use force against them. The day there was talk of Tikait (BKU leader Rakesh Tikait) being arrested, I intervened at 11 pm, making sure it didn’t happen,” he said.

“I recently met a journalist who is close to the PM. I told him I have already tried, it’s now his turn to explain that it’s a bad move to send back farmers by putting pressure on them and humiliating them. They have not come to go back. If they go back, they will remember it for 300 years. They want a guarantee on MSP. If the government gives MSP a legal backing, the farmers will go back home.

The Governor said he was advised by people to not speak up but he couldn’t hold himself back.

AMBANI BOMB SCARE CASE: VAZE TEAM’S VEHICLE TRAILED BOMB SCARE SUV

A white vehicle seen trailing the SUV that was found outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence with gelatin sticks and a threat note on February 25 was allegedly being used by Mumbai Police’s Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) led at the time by Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, media reports say, quoting sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The NIA took custody of the white Innova vehicle from the Motor Transport department of Mumbai Police in Nagpada late Saturday night, around the time the agency arrested Vaze in connection with the bomb scare case. On Sunday, a special NIA court remanded Vaze in the agency’s custody for 12 days.

Earlier, the CIU, which was investigating the case before the NIA took over, was said to have been on the lookout for the white vehicle. On the day of the bomb scare, the vehicle was parked for some time behind the SUV before it was driven away by an unidentified person.

Earlier in the day, the NIA, in their plea before the court seeking Vaze’s custody, said they were investigating the conspiracy involved in the case and wanted to investigate him in this connection.

The NIA stated in court that they had received inputs about Vaze’s involvement in placing the gelatin sticks in the SUV, and claimed that he had confessed.

PSU BANKS STRIKE TODAY, TOMORROW

Banking services are likely to be hit across the country today and tomorrow (March 16) as lakhs of bank employees are set to go on a strike against the privatisation of two public sector banks.

10 lakh bank employees, part of the United Forum of Bank Unions have been protesting in the country for the last month and have now called for a two-day nationwide bank strike on March 15-16.

Services such as deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals would be affected due to the strike.

However, ATMs, and ionline banking is expected to operate normally.

Services of private banks like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank and IndusInd Bank that account for about one-third of banking services are expected to remain normal.

The strikes comes after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of two public sector banks as part of the government's disinvestment plan as part of the 2021 Union Budget. The names of two public sector banks are yet to be announced.

77% ACTIVE COVID CASES IN M’RASHTRA, KERALA, PUNJAB

KEY COVID NUMBERS:

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 2,16,297

New Cases in last 24 hours: 26,506

Recovered in last 24 hours: 17,588

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 8,798

No. of deaths in last 24 hours: 120

India’s total active caseload has surged to 2,16,297 with Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab accounting for 77 per cent of the burden.

With Maharashtra accounting for 58 per cent of active cases, followed by Kerala (14%) and Punjab (5%), the Centre yesterday flagged the top five highest load districts of each of the three states.

In Punjab, Jalandhar has maximum active cases, followed by SBS Nagar, SAS Nagar, Patiala and Hoshiarpur .

Maharashtra’s highest burden districts are Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai, Thane and Nasik while that of Kerala include Ernakulum, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.

GOVT SET TO FULLY EXIT PRIVATISED AIRPORTS

The government plans to sell its stake in already privatised Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports as part of the ambitious Rs 2.5-lakh-crore asset monetisation plan. Sale of Airport Authority of India’s (AAI’s) remaining stake in the four airports as also13 more airports have been identified for privatisation in FY22, say media reports today.

The aviation ministry will obtain requisite approvals for divestment of equity stake of AAI in the respective joint ventures running Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, they say, adding the issue is likely to go to the Cabinet for approval in a few days.

2ND T20I: DEBTANT ISHAN KISHAN, VIRAT KOHLI TAKE INDIA TO AN EASY WIN

Young Jharkhand batsman Ishan Kishan, making his international debut, struck 56 off 32 balls, hitting five fours and four sixers, while captain Virat Kohli made 73 not out off 49 balls as India won the second T20I against England by seven wickets to level the series 1-1.

Set a relatively modest target of 165, India cruised to victory in the 18th over when Kohli struck Chris Jordan for a six over fine leg.

After KL Rahul had fallen for a duck in the first over, a wicket-maiden bowled by Sam Curran, Kishan opened his account with a four off the first ball he faced in international cricket, glancing Jofra Archer to the boundary. Kishan hit his first six off Tom Curran, in the sixth over, and then struck two fours, with a drive through the covers and a pull behind square on the leg side.

Earlier, at 130/4 in the 15th over, England looked set to reach close to 200, but the Indian bowlers conceded only 34 runs in the last five overs. Washington Sundar (2/29) and Shardul Thakur (2/29) were the pick of the bowlers.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. - Walt Disney

OFF TRACK

A new study found that humans started wearing clothes about 170,000 years ago. And the first sentence ever spoken was, 'Me look fat in this?'