India Observes Anti-Terrorism Day Today

Terrorism is the most serious threat that we face in today’s world. It is a heinous crime that knows no human emotion – no love, no mercy and no compassion. It is incumbent upon all human beings to condemn the atrocious act of terrorism and we have a moral duty not to condone or justify terrorism of any hue. On the 18th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was tragically killed by terrorists at Sriperumbudur in 1991, India observes Anti-Terrorism day today.

Anti-Terrorism day is observed to wean away youth from embracing the deadly theories of terrorism by highlighting how it is a cause of large scale human suffering and how it is inimical to the national interest and the interest of humanity. We Indians are born and brought up in a culture of non-violence; we gained our independence by struggling mainly on the high moral ground of non-violent resistance. Therefore it is the inherent moral duty of all Indians to reject the idea of terrorism, which is based only on violence and brutality.

Terrorism has been used by left-wing and right-wing ideologists to gain their desired objectives, religious fanatics to reign in supremacy of their religion, nationalists to gain independence and some countries, as a state policy. More and more terrorist groups are using modern technology to inflict more shock on people as a means of coercion. They are using satellite phones, internet connectivity and high-technology weapons to wage their crude war. There is a constant threat of terrorists getting hold of nuclear weapons that are in the vaults of unscrupulous nation states. We can remain oblivious to the threats of terrorism only at our own peril. We need to be aware of the dangers of terrorism and violence and we should do everything possible for a mass awakening against the cynical designs of the terrorists to destroy humanity. This is a day meant exactly for that – to take a pledge to abandon flawed ideals of terrorism, to ostracise terrorists and to take every possible action to promote peace, harmony and understanding among all our fellow human beings.

International Day of Families 2010

Family is the greatest institution established by God. The United Nations observes 15th May as the International Day of Families in order to strengthen and support families in performing their societal and developmental functions. The theme of this year’s International Day of Families is “The Impact of Migration on Families around the World”.

Migration touches upon every country either as a place of origin, destination, transit, or a combination of all these. About 3.1 percent of global population, that would come around 214 million, are international migrants. In this, about 20 – 30 million have migrated to a country without authorisation. The reasons for migration are diverse – a desire to settle in a new country, search for better job or better wages, as an escape from discrimination, prosecution, violence or war or as asylum seekers and refugees.

However, migration becomes a burden on the families as it often separates family members; women are increasingly forced to migrate without their children and most people find it difficult to reunite with their families because the legislations in the destination countries don’t allow it. The impact of migration on families is severe as family is often the source of emotional and material support and the separation has high emotional costs for those who migrate and for those who are left behind. The theme of this year’s International Day of Families is hence meant to increase awareness and to open the minds and hearts of people to the plight of the migrants and to the needs of the families of migrants.

Source: Website of the United Nations

Tory-Lib Dem Coalition Government in Britain

At last the long wait of the Britons is over. After five days of negotiations, the Tories under David Cameron and the Liberal Democrats under Nick Clegg have reached a deal. According to the deal, the Conservatives and Lib Dems will form a coalition government with David Cameron as the Prime Minister and Nick Clegg as the Deputy Prime Minister. The Lib Dems will also get 4 more cabinet posts. Gordon Brown left 10 Downing Street and its new resident David Cameron has occupied it.

In one of the most hardest fought elections in the recent past, the Tories under David Cameron got 306 seats, 20 less of an outright majority in the 650 member British Parliament. Labour party under Gordon Brown got just 258, while the Lib Dems got 57 seats, much less than what was expected after their leader Nick Clegg’s good performance in the election debate. The final deal between the Tories and the Lib Dems came after five days of intense negotiations between the leaders of both parties. While the Lib Dems were negotiating with the Tories, they simultaneously held discussions with the Labour Party leaders as well. The Lib Dems, with their centrist to centre-left outlook, are ideologically more close to the Labour having centre-left ideology. But at the same time they had issues with going together with the Labour because in the elections Labour was rejected by the people. Therefore any deal with the Labour would have shown the Lib Dems in poor light as they would have been accused by the media and the general public for having no appreciation for the people’s verdict.

It seems that Nick Clegg and his Lib Dems have gone for the most logical and safe option of going with the Conservatives. A coalition government with the Labour would have been difficult to maintain and to take forward as it would have been a minority government. Such a coalition, with 315 seats and with the support of lot of other smaller parties, would have faced many problems in passing laws in the Parliament because of their lack of numbers. Though both the Tories and the Lib Dems are upbeat about the coalition, they both know that it wouldn’t be easy for them to run the government as there would be difference in opinion on all major issues between them. But as Cameron said on arriving in Downing Street, both parties have to set aside party differences and work hard for national interests as they have many pressing problems to face.

According to the deal between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems a referendum will be held to bring in an alternative voting system, a major demand and poll promise of the Lib Dems. There will be new five-year fixed term Parliament, an entirely or mainly elected second chamber and a commission to review party funding. There will be reduction in the tax burden on low earners and a substantial increase in personal tax allowance with a long term goal of a £10,000 personal tax allowance. The Tories’ plan to reduce the inheritance tax, which would have mostly helped the richest people, has been scrapped. There will be more funding to schools for every pupil taken from poor homes in a bid to close class gap in school results. Meanwhile a cap on immigration will be set and Lib Dems proposal of amnesty on illegal immigration will be dumped. School reforms will be introduced with an emphasis on Swedish-style free schools. The commitment to keep Britain’s nuclear deterrent will be intact and there will be no proposal to join the euro. Also, there will be £6 billion cuts this financial year and a reversal of some planned rises in national insurance contributions.

For the Labour party, after 13 years in office, this is time for self-assessment. As Gordon Brown has resigned as the leader of the party, there will be a hunt for his successor. Now that the acting leader of the Labour party, Harriet Herman has effectively ruled herself out, there will be some contest within the party to choose the next leader. Alan Johnson and David Miliband and Ed Miliband are the front-runners for the post of leader of the Labour party. Labour has to redeem themselves from the criticisms they had to face while in power including the Iraq war, poor economic management, MPs expenses scandal, to name a few.

The coalition cabinet has been named in London with the confirmation coming from 10 Downing Street. Main cabinet positions have been announced with Theresa May as Home Secretary, Liam Fox as Defence Secretary, Kenneth Clarke as the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, George Osborne to the role of chancellor, William Hague as Foreign Secretary, Michael Gove as Education Secretary and Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary. Clegg's chief of staff, Danny Alexander, was announced as Scottish Secretary, Vince Cable as Business secretary and David Laws as Chief Secretary of Treasury.

Now that the political stalemate is over with the installation of a Tory-Lib Dems government and the naming of the cabinet positions in London, all eyes will be on how Cameron-Clegg duo move on with their governance with the very new coalition government. Britons would be hoping that the new government would be able to ride over the economic problems of the present day and bring about social changes and the much debated electoral reforms.

Courtesy: The Guardian