Round The World

New Delhi, 14 November 2025

Modi In Bhutan

 A Goodwill Visit

By Dr. D.K. Giri

(Prof of Practice, NIIS Group of Institutions) 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. This was a short visit with long-term objectives. Bhutan is strategically critical for India as a buffer against China. Remember, the military face-off in Doklam, Bhutan. Also, both countries are bound for centuries with cultural, spiritual and developmental ties. 

On 11 November, the first day of his visit, Modi was the Guest of Honour on the occasion of the 70^th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druck Galpo at the Chamllingphang Stadium. While reciprocating Modi’s good-will gesture, the King of Bhutan, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk expressed his country’s gratitude for the presence of the Holy Piprahwa Relics of Lord Buddha from India which is currently in Thimpu for public veneration during the Festival.

Modi inaugurated an important Buddhist spiritual symbol. Bhutan’s Prime Minister elusively acknowledged this, “an accomplished spiritual master Narendra Modi inaugurated and blessed the sacred Kalachakra Empowerment which began today as part of ongoing Global Prayer Festival´. Kalachakra has enormous significance for Buddhists across the world.

However, the key highlight of the visit was the inauguration of 1020MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydro Electric project. Modi called this project a ‘Symbol of Friendship, and exemplary cooperation’ between Bhutan and India. Both countries agreed to resume work on the Punatsangchhu-I and complete it soon. They welcomed the electricity export from Punatsangchhu to India. Bhutan gratefully acknowledged India’s contribution of INR 40b for the energy projects.

Having done the ceremonial parts, Modi, as usual, got down to business. He promised continued support for Bhutan’s economic growth and sustainability. He especially, declared support for Bhutan’s 13th five-year plan with economic stimulus programme that marked India’s commitment to helping Bhutan secure key development priorities and promote sustainable growth across sectors. He also expressed support for King Wangchuk’s noble vision for the Gelephu Mindfullness City.

Modi confirmed that such projects align with India’s Act-East Policy. Modi announced that immigration check post at Hathisar in Assam will be set up to facilitate easy movement of investors and visitors to this promising project at Gelephu. The King appreciated India’s liberal assistance in building Gyalung academics. Bhutan acknowledged the consecration of the Royal Bhutan Temple in Rajgir, Bihar and India’s decision to allocate land in Varanasi for Bhutanese temple and guest house.

Among other things, the contribution of India’s teachers and healthcare professionals was appreciated in strengthening STEM Education and Medical Services in Bhutan. According to the Indian delegation, accompanying Modi, the phase-II of UPI will allow Bhutanese travelers to make payments in India by using local mobile apps by scanning the QR codes. Three MoUs were signed during the visit: First was on cooperation in renewable energy, second cooperation in health and medicine and third, institutional linkages between the Pema Secretariat, Bhutan and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), India. MoUs for two railway links, one, from Gelephu to Kokrajhar and second, from Samtse, Bhutan to Banarhart, West Bengal signed in September this year were reviewed. Also, cooperation in Fertilizer, STEM, Fintech and Space was also reviewed.

India-Bhutan relations have been marked by historical depth and enduring friendship. It started with the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuk ascending the thrown at the age of 16 in 1972. Following his father´s policy of close ties with India, he planned his country´s economy on the Indian model of Planning Commission. He constituted the Planning Commission for framing Five-Year Plans. With Indian support, he designed the First Five-Year Plan after taking over the reins of the country. He aligned Bhutan´s currency (Ngultrum) with Indian Rupee in 1974 to facilitate bilateral trade and financial integration.

On diplomatic sector, he aligned his foreign policy with India`s; for all external initiatives he kept India informed. Bhutan joined UN in 1971 and SAARC in 1985 as a Founding Member. Bhutan conducted border dialogues with China in consultant with Indian leadership. This process was followed on the basis of India-Bhutan Treaty (1949) which provided that Bhutan would be ´guided by India´ in mutual cooperation and sovereign equality. However, this treaty was replaced by India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty (2007). On security, India supported Bhutan in eliminating insurgent camps from Bhutanese soil in a special project called Operation All Clear (2003).

On economic relations, hydropower cooperation has been the backbone of Bhutanese economy. With India´s support consisting of a grant-loan model (60:40), these projects became the bedrock of Bhutan´s export revenue and India´s clean energy import. In this visit under discussion, Prime Minister deepened the hydropower cooperation. Modi announced 4,000 crore INR on concessional credit line for energy projects. He reaffirmed another 10,000 crore INR assistance for Bhutan´s 13^th Five-Year Plan for development across multiple sectors that include infrastructure, agriculture, finance, and healthcare.

The cultural ties have been a significant component of India-Bhutan bilateral relations. Bhutan has rich Buddhist heritage. The famous development economist E.F. Schumacher wrote his legendary essay called ´Buddhist Economy´ after visiting Bhutan. This concept is currently used as ´compassionate economy´ by scholars across the world. Another rich legacy of the Fourth King is the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) which is recognized globally as a commendable philosophy. It redefines development focused on human well-being, not just GDP.

Bhutan visit by Indian Prime Minister holds a critical security dimension. Bhutan buffers India and China. While Bhutan has intimate ties with India, it has territorial disputes with China. In 2017, Doklam´s standoff highlighted the strategic importance of Bhutan as India militarily intervened to prevent China from building a road in a disputed area between China and Bhutan. Bhutan allowed Indian troops to enter its territory to resist Chinese incursions in Doklam. Beijing building the road in Doklam threatened India´s ´Chicken Neck´ which connects the entire North-Eastern States to the rest of India. The Chicken Neck which is also called Siliguri Corridor, a small stretch of land around the city of Siliguri in West Bengal about 20-22 kms at the narrowest section. Bhutan lies at the Northern end of the Corridor and has disputed borders with China. Chinese military was trying to come close to the `chicken neck´ through Doklam. This corridor also connects as a transfer point with Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sikkim (now in India). According to the Indian Army, the Siliguri Corridor is the army´s strongest defensive line.

The Prime Minister`s visit though appears to be a goodwill step, rejuvenated the multi-dimensional India-Bhutan partnership. Cooperation in hydropower, connectivity, innovation, spiritual bonds, constitute a model of mutual trust, respect and shared prosperity. What is more, Bhutan, for its strategic location is critical for India; hence the importance of maintaining the model. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

REWIND

New Delhi, 13 November 2025

TOWARDS A BETTER PARTY SYSTEM

By Inder Jit

(Released on 10 February 1987) 

Welcome words have been spoken again on India’s party system --- this time by the Prime Minister while addressing the concluding function of the UP Vidhan Parisahd Centenary Celebrations in Lucknow last week. Mr. Rajiv Gandhi stressed the need for having two or three strong political parties in the country to strengthen democracy beyond the threat of dilution. Elaborating the point, he is reported to have stated that principles got reduced to superfluity because of multiplicity of political parties. This damaged both the national interest and the democratic process. Expectedly, the statement has evinced keen interest all round. But, as experience has shown, words by themselves are not enough, howsoever laudable. In fact, similar sentiments have been expressed over the past four decades --- first by Nehru and thereafter by Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister. Little effort has been made over the years to find an answer to the problem posed: Can something be done in the light of experience elsewhere? If so, what and how?

West Germany has much to offer in curbing the malady of multiplicity of parties --- and, indeed, more strengthening the system. During the Weimar Republic, prior to the rise of Hitler, Germany was plagued by a plethora of political parties --- and instability. Governments fell like nine pins. In fact, Hitler took advantage of the people’s disgust for uncertainty to abuse the country’s democratic Constitution and its emergency provisions and impose a dictatorship. The end of World War II saw a nationwide reaction against 12 years of Nazi tyranny and a desire for a Constitution which would not only be democratic on the face of it but also guarantee a stable political and economic future. On May 24, 1949, West Germany gave itself the Basic Law which unequivocally states the following vital elements: All State authority emanates from the people. The legislature, the executive and the judiciary are independent institutions. (This separation of power ensures a system of mutual control of power.) The State exists for the sake of the people, not vice versa as in totalitarian States --- fascist or communist.

The Basic Law has much to commend itself: public funding of elections and the pragmatic combination of direct election for first-past-the-post and the list system on proportional representation basis. Even more important for India’s immediate need is the incorporation in the system of a simple device to cut down the multiplicity of parties: only parties which command at least 5 per cent of the votes or hold three direct mandates in the Federal Territory can be represented in the Bundestag. This five per cent clause was introduced to prevent splinter groups from entering Parliament and rendering it unable to function as they had during the Weimar era. At the first general election in 1949, eleven parties obtained seats in the Bundestag. This figure fell to seven parties at the next election in 193 and then to five in 1957. Until 1983, only four parties held seats in the Bundestag even though some 20 or so entered the field each time. They are the CDU, CSU, SPD and FDP. In 1983, the Greens made their entry into the Bundestag, taking the total number of parties in the House to five.

We must also ensure that they function in a healthy way. The West German Basic Law takes care of this. There is no scope in it for what may be described as private limited companies or private mercenary armies masquerading as political parties. There is no scope in it either for arbitrary splits, often based on personal, subjective interest and the absurd spectacle of each existing leader starting a new party and claiming himself to be a national leader without even a hundred followers. The West German system has avoided all this through the fundamental provision of a law on political parties. The founding fathers of the Basic Law recognized two vital points. Competing political parties must be enabled to discharge various tasks of political leadership and supervisory functions in a spirit of responsibility and freedom vis-à-vis the nation as a whole. Second, attempt to trust blindly the free play of forces would amount to ignoring the lessons of history and understanding the latent inclination towards monopolisation.

Apart from the Constitution, which sets out the main points of party legislation, the law on political parties (Parteingesetz) has now become one of the most important guidelines to policy formation. Furtheremore, the conduct of political parties is also regulated by relevant provisions in the electoral laws for the Federal Government and the ten Landers (Federal States), the law governing public meetings, the broadcasting legislation and the Civil Code with its general clauses on the composition and statutes of association as well as various tax laws. The law on political parties comprises 41 Articles which are classified under the following seven sections: (i) Constitutional status and functions of the parties; (ii) Internal organization; (iii) Nomination of candidates for election; (iv) Principles and purview of election expenses; (v) Rendering of accounts; (vi) Implementation of the ban on unconstitutional parties; and (vii) concluding provisions on, for example, the introduction of tax relief for donations and party laws. The law grants the parties a legal status and entitles them to parity of treatment from all public authorities.

Importantly, the Law stipulates the various elements of a democratic party organization. These embrace inter alia its administrative structure from the grassroots to supreme bodies, its written statues and programmes, regular party conferences, election of the party organs including in particular the executive committees, the setting up of party courts for arbitration and the rights to be accorded to party members. Expulsion from the party is only possible if a member deliberately infringes the statues or gravely contravenes the principles of rules of the party. Equal importance attaches to rendering public account of the origin of party funds in accordance with various specified categories. Books and statements of account of a party in respect of the origin of its funds are required to be submitted to the President of the Bundestag annually. Parties which fail to comply are barred from getting reimbursement of their election campaign expenses on the basis of votes received. Party candidates for election to Parliament are required to be chosen by secret ballot by the members of delegates elected by them.

Some West German politicians have, over the years, successfully got around the provision relating to rendering public account of the origin of party funds. A major scandal on this score burst upon an unsuspecting West German nation a few years ago. One of the country’s leading industrialists by the name of Mr. Flick, who was once close to Hitler, took advantage of some loop holes in the law to gain colossal tax gains through a quid pro involving direct and indirect funding of political parties. A new law has now been enacted to plug the loop holes and place greater emphasis on what an expert in Bonn described last autumn as “transparency of public financing”. West German political parties are now required to give much more detailed information about the monies received by them and how these have been spent. In fact, the main change relates more to expenses. At the same time, the new law has barred political parties from receiving funds from various Foundations associated with them. If a political party violates the new law enacted in 1984, then twice the amount illegally taken by it is deducted from the funds due to be paid to it by the State for the votes polled.

Stability has been ensured through the provision in the Constitution of a constructive vote of no-confidence used for the first time in the Bundestag in 1982 by the new coalition of Christian Democrats and Free Democrats to topple Mr. Schmidt, leader of Social Democrats, and install Mr. Kohl as the new Chancellor in a historic secret vote. Under the provision, which seeks to make a negative no-trust vote positive, a Chancellor, who has lost the majority, can be brought down in mid-term only if his successor can muster a majority. In other words, Parliamentarians are barred from playing havoc with national stability and interest on the basis of their personal whims or fancies. The founding fathers of the Basic Law were clear that defeating a Government on the floor of the House was not enough in a system with more than two parties. Those seeking a change of Government must simultaneously provide an alternative in the national interest. Adoption of such a constructive vote of no-confidence in India could ensure greater stability in the States and also provide for a situation in which no single party has a clear majority at the Centre.

All the ideas are exciting – and stimulating. If accepted and implemented, we in India could then curb the multiplicity of parties --- and also have truly democratic parties and a healthier party system. As I have stated earlier, there would then be no scope for what may be described as private limited companies or personal armies masquerading as political parties claiming to work for the common man and the best national interest when, in fact, they are only serving their own petty interest as in the case of the Pindaries of yester centuries. Almost without exception, none of our political parties can be said to be functioning democratically. True, all the parties have written constitutions. But there is no law to enforce them --- little commitment to healthy conventions and traditions as in Britain. The mightiest of all, the Congress-I has not had any organizational election for years. Clearly, India needs what West Germany already has: a device to cut down the number of parties and a law on political parties. There is no other way if we are serious about strengthening our party system and, indeed, our parliamentary democracy. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Open Forum

New Delhi, 12 November 2025  

Emissions Reduction

GRIM FUTURE AHEAD

By Dhurjati Mukherjee 

Seas are rising, forests are burning and governments are still courting fossil fuel companies as if none of this is happening. As the Earth crossed a crucial, irreversible climate tipping point, the scale of destruction seems too vast and the climate-deniers too influential to foresee the looming environmental crisis.  The future scenario appears grim but governments the world over are in no way seriously concerned about it. Conferences come and go, pledges taken and targets set but they are rarely adhered to. 

Just a few days’ back, a new UN report assessing countries against climate action pledges stated that the current commitments would collectively reduce global carbon emissions by 11% by 2030 and about 17% by 2035 from the 2019 levels. Though this would be the first ever decline, the extent of the fall would be far short of the 60% reduction required to limit global warming by 1.5⁰ Celsius. Even the 2⁰ C limit would not be achieved. 

The report, released just before the coming COP30 (which has started in Brazil from November 10) synthesised information from 64 countries’ new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) though the major emitters including China, India and the European Union have yet to submit their new targets. 

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere touched an all-time high in 2024, setting theground for Earth’s warming to aggravate further, according to another recent report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). It blamed the CO2 surge from continued emissions from human activities and an upsurge from wildfires besides the waning carbon absorption capacity of land ecosystems and the ocean. “The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather. Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security”, the WMO Deputy Secretary General aptly pointed out. But it remains doubtful how many countries are serious in their approach in reducing emissions and adhering to environmental standards. 

The report comes just before the COP30 climate summit being held in Belem, Brazil. But such conferences are held every year with lofty promises and long-term programmes, most of which are not kept by different nations. This report, apart from CO2, which had tripled since1960s,rose exponentially by 3,5 ppm in 2024, the largest ever since modern measurements started in 1957. Apart from this whose rise may be attributed to drier vegetation and forest fires, trends are similar for methane and nitrous oxide, the other critical GHG gases. Methane accounts for around 16% of the warming effect on the climate while nitrous oxide, the globally averaged concentration reached 338ppb in 2024, an increase of 24% over the pre-industrial levels. 

As regards India is concerned, India reported the highest absolute increase in emissions – with an addition of 165 million tonnes of greenhouse gas during 2023-24 -- followed by China, Russia, Indonesia and the US, as per the recently released UN Emissions Gap Report 2025. The report confirmed that India is caught in a climate justice trap. While the country’s low per capita emissions are a moral high ground, its rising total emissions, lack of proper reporting and non-submission of an NDC 3.0 put the country in a tight spot, observed experts 

The traditional high emission industries, including aluminium, cement and pulp and paper will have to reduce the intensity of their greenhouse gas emissions to meet specific targets by 2026-27 compared to a 2023-24 baseline, as government notified rules for the country’s first legally binding emission reduction target for such carbon-heavy industries. The rules notified by the environment ministry (in early October) make it mandatory for 282 industrial units to reduce GHG emissions per unit of product beginning 2025-26. These are notified under the compliance mechanism of Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) 2023. The highest number of industrial units (186) that will have to reduce GHG emission intensity within a specified time belong to the cement sector followed by pulp and paper (53), plants that use chlor-alkali process to extract certain chemicals (30) and aluminium plants (13). 

Meanwhile, the air quality not just in Delhi but also in Kolkata has been deteriorating though the onset of winter is at least three weeks away. Obviously, the control of emissions is not up to the mark despite various regulations. It needs to be reiterated that the monitoring mechanism regarding environmental guidelines and laws remains much to be desired. 

In India’s resolve to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, the spotlight has largely been on renewable energy, carbon markets and industrial decarbonisation. As of now, it appears that the target set is quite challenging, but these are, no doubt, essential. However, there is another facet relating to public procurement, which incidentally is a significant contributor to the country’s emission footprint. Procurement decisions cannot ignore environmental factors, making future carbonisation costlier and more complex. This is specially important in areas of public transport, construction materials or the long-term performance of public buildings. 

India is not a signatory to the WTO’s Agreement on Government Procurement and there is no unified national law either in this regard. Meanwhile, the EU has embedded environmental standards into its procurement system. Also, South Korea, way back in 2005, encourages agencies to set voluntary green procurement targets and rewarded high performers with fiscal incentives. In view of this, India could adopt a somewhat similar approach, at least in some sectors. 

It has been estimated that a 15-20% cut in procurement linked emissions in line with international benchmarks could avoid 88-115 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent annually. Even a modest 1% improvement in procurement efficiency could save around Rs 70,000 crore. Experts have rightly suggested that sustainability criteria should be embedded in tender templates, compliance monitored and performance publicly reported. Thus, it is expected that in the coming years green procurement would be adhered to cut emissions, driving innovation and building a green economy. 

As has been pointed out in earlier reports and in the present one, the updated pledges are not adequate enough to get the desirable of keeping global warming within 2 degrees Celsius thus, controlling the escalation of emissions is indeed quite challenging, considering areas such as transport, construction and industrial sectors are not monitored strictly. The lack of a strong governance mechanism, deep-rooted corruption of officials and an unholy nexus between political leaders and businessmen are obviously the reasons for slackness in controlling emissions. And it is the poor and marginalised sections who are most affected in various ways due to uncontrolled emissions and have to bear the brunt of the business houses who are all out to maximise profit without bothering for the community. 

Why can’t the Indian government implement the ‘polluter pays’ principle, which is being talked and accepted the world over? Is it because the government does not want to be strict on business houses from whom political funding comes? This obviously cannot continue, when the looming environmental crisis is accentuating at a fast pace and affecting the lives of the people in different ways every year. It is time that the government changes its stand and acts tough by taking a strong stand to save the country from impending disaster and the looming environmental crisis.---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Political Diary

New Delhi,, 11 November 2025

Religious Gush

ALL IN NAME OF FAITH

By Poonam I Kaushish 

As the last vote is in ballot box in Bihar wherein beside caste, it was a battle royale between the Gods as our political undatas busily churned the political cauldron underscoring communication is all about rabble rousing, spreading hatred and widening the communal divide on religious lines.

Unfortunately, instead of asking rivals what they brought to the table and their vision about the State’s future all fell prey to poll exigencies. Why do we revel in creating dissonance and divisiveness? And masquerade interests as principles? And why do we love churning the Ram-Rahim wheel a full circle in the electoral arena?

Turn North, South, East or West the story is the same. Religion in politics is turning out to being a vote spinner.  An issue which is close to our leaders’ heart and on their permanent radar to woo voters with.  Who cares if it is destructive, stokes communal violence, sows seeds of rabid communalism and ghettosiation of religion unleashing a Frankenstein?

All to sway sentiments before elections in all religions whereby every Party is stoking the fire, hoping it would gain dividends underscoring the games politicians play at the altar of political expediency. To keep their gullible vote-banks emotionally charged so that their own ulterior motives are well-served.

In Bihar India Bloc Parties were busy wooing Muslims by giving tickets to candidates from the community. With more than two crore population, Muslims comprise nearly 17.7% of the State’s population as BJP tried to consolidate its Hindu vote bank.

In adjoining UP police is busy removing 1400 loudspeakers at religious spaces after complaints of widespread violations of prescribed voice limits. Enough to ignite a rabid volley of Hindu-Muslim tu-tu-mein-mein.

Yesterday a video surfaced of Muslims offering namaz at Bengaluru  airport and as always a slanging match between BJP-Congress with the former asking if permission had been granted to offer prayers at a public space and demanded accountability, despite a prayer room within the terminal. Asking why State Government continued to restrict RSS activities, Patha Sanchalana after obtaining due permission?

With the State set for polls next year, countered Chief Minister Siddaramiah, “The order regulates activities of private organisations on Government properties and RSS is not in the order. Sic. 

Amid the cacophony the Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary to study measures taken by Tamil Nadu Government to restrict  RSS’s activities. Though there are no specific “rules” there to curb RSS activities, rather, the Dravidian, anti-Brahmin movement has historically made it hard for RSS to penetrate the State. This, in turn, has made it easier for Government to impose restrictions, despite a constant push back. All resulting in centrifugal bickerings.

Questionably, what do acrimonious allegations achieve? Zilch. Only the aam aadmi became targets. Forgetting, creating controversy and a divide doesn’t achieve anything and neither does insult of a creed.

Alas, our netas have made religion the tour de force of politics wherein the electoral incentive to use religion is too strong as it has salience and appeal. Thus, in a milieu of competitive democracy which blots pledges of development, if politics based on religion ensures convergence of electoral booty, increase popularity and has better chances of polarising voters, so be it.

Congress accuses BJP for engineering Hindu majoritarian communal style of politics by using tactics like attempting to electorally marginalise Muslims to patronising communal violence. Opposition despite taking its opponent to task over its anti-minority plank and opposing aggressive Hindutva consolidation, doesn’t want to be labeled “pro-Muslim.” Reading the ‘Muslim mind’ as an anti-BJP phenomenon on which they base their political strategy.

Undeniably, BJP’s new Hindutva rajneeti of polarization is attempting to make inroads into regions with little or no significant minority presence as it revolves around Sab Ka Saaath, Sab Ka Vikas which reads: There is no need to treat Muslims as a separate social entity. Yet it realizes the ‘Muslim mind’ is problematic and slams its rival as ‘Muslim Party’ part of “tukde-tukde gang” which protects terrorists, “working on Pakistan’s agenda” and belongs there.

True, religion is clearly a massive emotional, spiritual and vote leveler. Given our netas use religion to increase their vote-banks, pitting Hindus against Muslims for political nirvana.  Who cares if it creates fissiparous tendencies resulting in a communal divide?

India’s misfortune is that Hindu, Muslim and Christian fundamentalism is growing thanks to political and intellectual double-speak. Whereby, secularism has degenerated from its lofty ideal of equal respect for all religions to a cheap and diabolical strategy for creating captive religious vote-banks. With our netagan refusing to acknowledge they are culprits. 

Clearly, in a milieu of competitive democracy, if caste politics ensures convergence of electoral booty, politics based on religion has better chance of polarising voters via vicious poison tongued speeches inducing raw emotions of hostility and hate.

Sadly, politics has meandered into narrow confines of polarisation and appeasement rhetoric not only spreading hatred but also widened the communal divide pitting Hindus, Muslims and Christians. There is no desire to uphold equal respect for various faiths. Instead, unashamedly use religion to with voters.

Undoubtedly, this ping-pong over warped religious nationalism spun by our netagan, Parties, self-styled religious-political authorities and their cheerleaders is dangerous. When selfish vote-banks politics dictate our polity’s political ideology, attitude and stance is fashioned according to the electorate’s diktat then all stand tarred by the same brush.

Time Parties realize the collateral damage it causes will be permanent. Both are destroyers of the State, which has no religious entity except Constitution. Thus, our moral angst cannot be selective but should be just an honourable.

In the present political scenario if our leaders could segregate religion from politics, the problem of communal violence would end. To combat this will require iron political will, a compact between all Parties on no use of religion for vote-bank politics. Unfortunately, India’s current fragmented political arena holds out little hope for such an eventuality.

In the ultimate our petty-power-at-all-cost polity needs to think beyond vote-bank politics and desist from playing the religious card for vote-bank gains, abstain from using creed as a pedestal to stand on to be seen and look beyond the perilous implications of their decisions wherein the country is being pushed towards brazen communalism and delink religion from politics.

Their Constitutional office calls for sagacity and restraint. They need to do a cost-benefit analysis and realize a nation is primarily a fusion of minds and hearts and secondarily a geographical entity. All must desist from succumbing and using religion for converting religious gush into political slush!

The aim should be to raise the bar on governance and equality, not lower it any more. Parties need to realize the collateral damage it causes will be permanent. Remember, wounds do not heal for ages. They need to desist using religion as an elevator to power and Heaven which all are scrambling to get on. As, neither Lord Ram nor Allah will forgive them for playing havoc in its name. ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)