Round The States
New Delhi, 17 July 2014
Why Not Mother’s
Name?
SC LOBS QUESTION TO
STATES
By Insaf
The Supreme Court is breaking new grounds on two vital
issues: Legality of active and passive euthanasia and ushering in gender
equality by admitting a plea for inclusion of the mother’s name in documents.
Towards that end, it has sought the views of States and Union Territories.
Notably, the debate on allowing relatives to pull the plug of life support
machines in passive euthanasia and a doctor injecting medicine to trigger
cardiac arrest has been debated for decades. Till date the courts have treaded
cautiously on this highly emotional and legally complicated issue. However,
with the emerging concept of ‘living will’ the world over, the Apex Court has now
thrown the ball in the States court to discuss the issue threadbare along-with
throwing open discussions to the public and collectively decide on whether
termination of a life was the right way.
Terminal patients with no hope of recovery have their fingers crossed of
release from the pain and discomfiture!
Why should a mother who gives birth not get her due
recognition in a document? Wondered the Apex Court. Arguing forcefully for women
rights, it has sought responses from all States and Union Territories
on a petition seeking that a child be identified by the name of his/her mother
in all official documents and affidavits. Presently, the mandatory
practice is of appending the father's name in official papers given our
male-dominated society. The Court raised a moot point: While a mother’s
identity is certain and definite, a father’s is based on hear-say basis,
therefore his name should be made optional in a document and replaced by the
mother’s name. Moreover,
it sought replies on cases of matrimonial disputes or mother’s remarriage
whereby writing the father's name could spoil the child’s future. A toss
between the basic law of nature or following the ancient Manu Smriti: The father is all.
* * * *
Rajasthan’s ‘Gujarat’ Model
Gujarat seems to be the flavour in other
States. With its former Chief Minister Modi’s ascendency as Prime Minister
various State Governments are busy replicating his State’s model in their Administration.
First of the block is Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje who intends
revamping her State’s social and economic infrastructure and adopt investment-friendly
measures. For starters, Rajasthan is all set to draft a Town Planning and Urban
Development Bill based on a similar Gujarat Bill along-with setting up a Skills University
for Skill Development. There is no gainsaying Raje surprised her supporters and
detractors alike given her ‘annoyance’ with Modi for not making her three-time
MP son a Union Minister and her measured public statements. Pertinently, with
the Prime Minister frowning on Raje’s assertiveness and the consolidation of BJP
power behind Modi, the Chief Minister was left with no option but to bury the
hatchet and make peace with the BJP-led Centre. Change of image and approach to
people, what next?
* * * *
South More
Urbanised
Northern States are green with envy. As their four southern
counterparts- Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (undivided) and
five Union Territories are more urbanized than the
rest of the country. According to the Central Government, against the national
urbanisation average of 33 per cent between 2001-11, in Kerala the urban
population rose by 21.7 per cent, 6.1% in Andhra, 4.7% in Karnataka and 4.4% in
Tamil Nadu. Astounding all was the massive jump in
Daman & Diu (39%), Lakshadweep (33.6%), Dadra and Nagar-Haveli (23.8%), Chandigarh (7.5%), Delhi
(4.3%), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (5.1%) while Puducherry reported an
increase of only 1.7%.
It is not surprising that the laggards were UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Himachal and Assam.
Will this give impetus to Modi’s “Rurban”?
* * * *
Punjab-Haryana Spat on SGPC
An ugly spat has broken out between Akali-ruled Punjab and Congress’ Haryana. Wherein, the former’s Chief
Minister Badal has accused his counterpart Hooda for hatching a conspiracy to
create a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee(SGPC)
in Haryana, which is not only unconstitutional but in violation of the
1925 Sikh Gurdwara Act. Notably, Badal
has taken the fight to the Centre wherein ally BJP heads the NDA Government
asking for it to intervene in the religious matter and stop the Congress
Government from going ahead. It remains to be seen whether the Modi Sarkar will oblige and annul the
Act passed by the Haryana Assembly and initialed by the State Governor. New age
religion feuds, what?
* * * *
Central Pay For Telengana
Spanking new State Telengana has got a bonanza vis-à-vis TRS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar
Rao largesse, announcing Central scales pay parity for State employees, farm
loan waiver up to Rs. one lakh, service regularization of contract employees and
distribution of farmland to the landless Dalits. This is not all. Rao’s bag of
goodies includes old age pension of Rs 1,000, alongside giving widows and the physically-challenged
Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 a month respectively. But this was punctuated with a dose
of not-so-good news. In a significant departure, the State Government scrapped
the fee reimbursement scheme for poor students and in its place announced FAST
(financial assistance to Telengana students) which envisages taking care of the
financial needs of poor and OBC students. Will Seemandhra follow suit?
* * * *
Clubbing In Vesthi
Clubs suffering from the ‘Brown
Saheb’ complex will either have to shut down or change their rules.
Following Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha’s diktat: They would have to allow traditional Indian attire. In a
shocking incident, Chennai’s famous Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Club denied entry
to a sitting High Court judge as he was dressed in the traditional Tamil outfit
Vesthi. According to the State
Government the rules framed since British times disfavours anything Indian need
an urgent overhaul. Astonishingly, the AAIDMK supremo has found support in arch
rival DMK’s Karunanidhi along-with Congress and BJP who are busy lauding her
for upholding Tamil pride. All eyes are
riveted to on whether clubs in the State will bow to her wishes or the Assembly
would need to enact a new legislation putting an end to the practice of denying
dhoti-clad people entry in to clubs.
Three cheers for the Vesthi! -----
INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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