Newspaper Must Read Articles of The Day – 07 August 2015

(So much news today that my hands have gone numb from the typing)

Front Page/National

• Assam, Manipur, Arunachal CMs still in the dark on Naga accord: CMs have said that the Naga interlocutor who had been appointed for signing the agreement on behalf of the Union govt had no legal standing in signing the agreement. The Naga Accord is shrouded in secercy, and it has been alleged that even the Home Ministry had been kept out of the loop while the details were being finalised.

• India to counter Italy’s claim in marines case: The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is scheduled to hear the case on the Italian marines who shot dead Indian fishermen on August 10-11. The Indian contention is that the incident occurred in Indian territorial waters, and there was no need for approaching the International Tribunal.

• RS panel for ombudsman to deal with online porn: A parliamentary panel from Rajya Sabha has recommended appointing an ombudsman committee to handle complaints on cyber porn. (Because Internet service providers do not have any mechanism to filter out from websites any content that deals with child pornography, all 857 websites continue to remain blocked).

• India flies aid to flood-hit Myanmar: India has flown rice, medicines and other emergency relief supplies to Myanmar on a request from the flood-hit country. The External Affairs Ministry is conducting the operation in close coordination with the Myanmar government, the Indian Ministries of Home, Health and Defence, the Indian Embassy in Yangon and Consulate in Mandalay.

• Public consultation on Western Ghats a sham: The Western Ghats are currently at the centre of a political battle pitting local ‘development’ needs against conservation efforts. Six States – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat – which the forest region encompasses, were supposed to submit recommendations to the Centre on demarcating Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) by July 31, but only Kerala and Goa did so. What is emerging is that the local residents interviewed for the report knew nothing about what an ESA demarcation would entail. Many feared that if a particular village is designated as ESA, the villagers will be relocated or they will be deprived of access to basic facilities, such as water supply or electricity, though both the Madhav Gadgil Committee report and the Kasturirangan Committee report, suggest nothing of that sort.

• A repository of avifauna under threat: The Kolleru Lake is under threat with the State Government proposing diversion of water from its feeder rivulets and drains towards irrigation. The lake is a declared wildlife sanctuary and a RAMSAR Site.

• Boosting digital footprint in rural areas: A research group at IIT Bombay has set up India’s first pilot test-bed, which uses unused TV spectrum to provide broadband Internet connectivity. It could be used by the current government’s flagship “Digital India” programme to enhance broadband Internet connectivity to rural areas at a cheaper cost.

• Subsidy common in canteens world over: As the question of whether to continue Parliament canteen subsidy or not has divided MPs, it has been suggested that subsidised food was common to canteens in legislatures the world over.

Opinion/Editorial

• Jihadist-military project at work: The Pakistani govt is claiming it had no idea about the Udhampur attack. If this is true and the militants are acting of their own accord, the govt should rein them in, rather than pretending to be helpless. Otherwise there is a chance that a situation similar to that on Pakistan’s North-Western border could be born in Pakistan’sNorth-Eastern border as well.

• Between prurience and pragmatism: The government’s flip-flop on the issue of banning websites that carry pornographic content highlights both policy confusion and the difficulty involved in having a policy on it.  The most pragmatic way for the govt to deal with it will be to be vigilant against child pornography while moving against other alleged violators only in specific cases.

• The rope and a chance to reform: Life imprisonment not only punishes and institutionalises criminals, but also offers them an opportunity to feel genuine remorse and make use of their time in prison. But this is an option that is ruled out when one is handed capital punishment for the sake of retribution, or on basis of public demand. Must-read.

• A worrying ban: An analysis of the constitutionality of Rule 16 of the “IT Rules”, drawing inferences from the ban of pornographic websites in the country.

• Missing some muscle: The element of retribution that has been missing from India’s policy of combating cross-border terrorism for decades. We should give back as much as we get. Because if we continue to remain passive, the ISI will see no reason to discontinue the attacks.

• Beyond ‘Wild West’ diplomacy: Is there a lesson for India in the Israeli model of response to terror attacks? Because Israel has always given a disproportionate response to groups that have harmed its interests. The intent of India to cross borders and hit terrorist installations should gradually become a point to be considered by the terrorists as a possible Indian response. If we can manage to instill this fear in terrorists’ minds, that will itself help in curbing cross-border terrorism.

International/World Affairs