CREAMY LAYER POLITICS

The Modi government has decided to  hike the creamy layer ceiling from Rs. 6 lakh to 8 lakhs per annum and has announced the formation of a committe to decide on the sub categorization of OBC categories.

The decision is fraught with political connotations. The move  is being viewed as Mandal 2.0.  To  divide the spoils of benefits, Other Backward Castes  will be  further fragmented and sub cateogorized. This will cater to the ever increasing demands from different OBC groups for more handouts.

Political mobilization of OBC seems to be the prime mover behind the move. BJP is no stranger to dalit politics. In Uttar Pradesh hustings it has proved its stategy correct by fielding non Yadav’s and backwards and garnering a comfortable majority.

In the year end Gujarat is going to polls. OBC mobilization can work wonders for BJP here. The threat from Patidar movement can be effectively neutralized.

In Bihar BJP can consolidate its ground. Though the party has tied up with Nitish, still it is in effort to create its own mass base. Nitish had created the Maha Dalit category and appropriated a section of backwards. He had undercut Lalu’s dominance. BJP is set to do a course correction here.

Some other states are also in the electoral fray. General elections are not far away. Like other moves of Modi this policy manoeuvre is also loaded politically. 

TRIPLE TALAQ : HIDDEN AGENDA OF MODI

The Supreme Court is to finally give its verdict in the Triple Talaq case. The legal adjudication of the triple talaq issue has been pushed unto the court by the Modi government. It has been on the agenda of the BJP for a long time. However, now with Modi going strong politically, and the need of muslim votes being vetoed in the hustings, the agenda had gained imminency and urgency.

Before the Modi era BJP’s stand on triple talaq was seen as an extension of its pro Hindu posturing. It also was seen as a move to establish the party’s credo of opposition to pseudo secularism, of which legal -religious codes were seen as an extension.

However, Modi has given the whole issue a new inflection.Modi government is now pursuing its agenda of abolishing triple talaq as an progressive move of gender equality and women’s rights. It has been holding that the personal rights of Muslim women are being trampled by instant talaq, and that the practise is very much against the grain of Indian Constitution.

The Muslim community, on the other hand is very defensive. All India Muslim Personal Law Board has rather cautiously enunciated that the practise is bad, but that the courts and the government should not meddle in the affairs of the community. It has promised to institute measures to give women rights to counter the evils of triple talaq.

But now the matter is in the court, and once the judgement is pronounced it will open a Pandora box of litgation for polygamy and nikaaah halaala. This is sure to put the Muslim community, especially the orthodoxy on the backfoot 

LIFELINE OR DEATHLINE ?

The lifeline of India is turning out to be a deathline. Oft bragged as the biggest transporter of Indian population, the Indian Railways has become a threat for the common man who chooses to travel in it. Khatauli rail accident has brought to the fore the lackadaisical attitude of railway authorities in security and track maintenance.

Initial investigation has revealed that track was being repaired without following the norms. No deadline was being followed, and the maintenance work was being done on an ad hoc basis. Ideally, repair time should be blocked and en route trains should be informed in advance. Red flags should be put in place. No such measure were taken.

Clearly the accident was a travesty of human judgement. In fact it was blunder which cost a score of lives. A recent Niti Aayog study has pointed that 87 percent of Railway accidents are due to `human failure.’ Clearly the Railways are no stranger to such human errors. Inspite of spike in accidents the Railways have yet to take serious measures to curb mishaps.

The government is trying to bring sea changes in the functioning of the Railways, but has failed to initiate ground level changes which can stem such tragedies. Focus is too much on profit building moves and less on safety measures.

It is no wonder that the accident has given the political parties and people to question the Modi government moves to operate bullet trains.