The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019: A Statement

The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019


 By offering a path to Citizenship, for those belonging to the Sikh,
Jain, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian faiths, minorities in the Islamic
Republics of Pakistan and Bangladesh, India has taken a decisive step
towards reasserting its historical mission as the refuge of persecuted
minorities. Religion based discrimination is openly practiced in the counties
named in the Act and it is incumbent upon India to ensure that such
discrimination is repugnant to the spirit of Indian Civilization. In 1971, India
fought a war against Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and dignity of the
Bengalis of East Pakistan.

The Citizenship Amendment Act does not change the secular fabric of
India in that it does not abridge or restrict the Citizenship rights of Indian
citizens. The Act applies only to the countries named and does not involve
the rights of Indian citizens who are protected by the Constitution. It is highly
irresponsible on the part of certain vested interests to instigate their cadre,
particularly the student community, along communal lines. The Shahi Imam
of the Juma Masjid in Delhi has rightly emphasized that the CAA does not
concern any citizen of India and has come out strongly in support of the Act.
The provisions of the Act are not applicable to Indian citizens and it is really
surprising that students are being misled on this fundamental issue. The
vicious propaganda that is being spread that it curtails the rights of certain
communities is mischievous and has to be condemned in the strongest
possible manner.

The plight of the minorities in the Islamic Republics in the neighboring
areas of India, particularly Pakistan and now increasingly in Bangla Desh as
well is extremely precarious: Life, Liberty, Livelihood and even basic human
right are all threatened. The minorities, particularly the Hindus, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Jains and Christians are being ill treated and are being
systematically threatened and the Indian Press carries horror stories of their
situation in these States. The horrors of Partition and the lack of clarity on the
status of the indigenous minorities in these areas has contributed to the
present situation. These minorities are being persecuted on a daily basis and
the Constitution of these states do not recognize Minority Rights and hence
India has to come to their rescue. Forcible conversion, kidnapping and
forcible marriage of minority women and the indiscriminate use of the
Blasphemy Laws to harass, intimidate and imprison minorities are everyday
occurrences. We know about the suffering of the Christian woman eho was in
prison for 10 years and faced death sentence on account of the misuse of the
draconian Blasphemey Law. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a state that
sponsors terrorism and hence it is necessary for India to keep its population
safe. The Nation has not forgotten 26 th November 2008 and the horrible
Massacre in Mumbai.

The CAA reinforces the humanitarian character of the Indian State.
Throughout the ages India has given refuge to oppressed people and we have
the example of the Jews of Kochi and the Parsis to demonstrate the inclusive
and tolerant character of India. The indigenous people trapped in the
neighboring countries must have been rescued in the years following
Partition and only the Narendra Modi Government took the challenge and
enacted this law. By giving refugee status and opening a Path to Citizenship
the Government is fulfilling one of the promises made by all political parties
right from Independence. India is acting in concert with its legal and
constitutional obligations.

A campaign of misinformation and baseless innuendo has been
launched by certain political parties which do not serve the people but rather
divide the Nation for their own narrow political ends. We must emphasize
that there is no discrimination against any group or religion. Citizenship is
being offered only to those who suffer discrimination harassment and
humiliation on the basis of religion in the neighboring states. Second, no
Indian citizen loses his rights as a result of the CAA. Calculated campaign of
misinformation has been instigated by certain political parties which seek to
stir up trouble and thereby further their political goals.

The Nation thanks Narendra Modi and his Government for enacting
this Law which will go a long way in mitigating the suffering of minorities. world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Animals in Combat: Is the use of Animals in Combat justified

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

K9 Hero honoured by Trump

The use of animals in warfare is as old as war itself. Elephants, Horses, Dogs, Dolphins, Donkeys and even bats have been used in war. The beautiful picture of President Trump honouring the dog that valiantly burst into the tunnel in which the iSIS leader, al Bagdadi had taken refuge raises an importat point: are we justied in using animals in war, combat or in situations in which anima life is considered expendable and therefore sacrificed.  Since animals do not have either the ability or the requirement to give their consent, the abuse of animals in the name of military serive is taken for granted. It is also a fact that when they have bravely discharged their assigned duties, they are put to sleep when they groiw old and are no longer needed in the Army. India too was following the practice of putting war animals especially Dogs and Horses to sleep when their day was done. It is to the eternal credit of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi that this inhuman tradition has been ended and animals declared old or unfit are sent to a State funded retirement home.

Ever since the beginning of warfare animals have been used in combat. tHE GREEK FRIEZE  in the British Museum is an early representaion of a horse in combat. We can see in the picture on the left horses are literally being strangled as they bear the weight of the hoplite and confront the enemy.  Herodotus the great historian was the first to draw attention to the courage shown byEques in combat. The Mongols who conquered and ruled the largest Empire in history used horses to ride into batte and with the stirrup which the Mongols invented harnessed the strength of the horse as a force against the enemy. It is said that a force of just 15,000 Mongol Horsemen coquered the Abbasid Empire. The knights of the middle ages faught on horseback and the tall horses were even equipped with armour. Certainly animals used in war were looked after well. Afterall the fate of battle depended on the health and strenght of the animal.

In World War I, on the battle field of Gallipoli withessed the most amazing animal of all performing its dities admist the dreary tench of death and cannonfire. Duffy, the donkey carried innumerable ANZAC soldiers to safety and a grateful country gave the highest military decoration to Duffy whose satute stands, I beleive, opposite the Parliament building in Canberra. The Donkey never flinched in the face of danger like the cannine hero who wom a military decoration in USA for his role in tracking down al Bagdadi.

While human have been grateful for the services and support provided by animals we have to raise the question: Are we justified in using animals in combat. The use of animals to sniff out drugs and mines does not pose an immediate dange to animals. However if they are sent to war their lives are put to risk. The justification for this is the Christian notion that Man has "Dominion" over animals. However, Sanathana Dharma eshews such simplistic notions. Animals are part of nature and putting them in harms way is certainly not justified.