What happened?

On August 04, the Supreme Court put a stay on Rahul Gandhi’s conviction over the ‘Modi’ surname remark. Earlier in March, a court in Surat had handed Gandhi a two-year jail term for a criminal defamation case - which led him to lose his status as an M.P.
The SC said that Gandhi was given the maximum punishment in the case (two-year jail term) “without sufficient reasons and grounds.” Consequently, on August 07, the Lok Sabha Secretariat restored Gandhi’s status as the M.P. from Kerala’s Wayanad.

Why does it matter?

Rahul Gandhi remains to be the country’s foremost opposition leader. With the jail term, he would have been ineligible to contest the upcoming General elections. Many deemed Gandhi’s conviction as a move by the BJP government to suppress the opposition, considering the ruling by the Surat court came a few weeks after Gandhi spoke forcefully in the Parliament on the Hindenburg-Adani matter and flashed pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the businessman.

Moreover, Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha meant that his constituency of Wayanad, Kerala, went unrepresented in the house.

What does this mean for Modi?

The alliance of 26 opposition parties, aka I.N.D.I.A, could prove to be a serious challenge to PM Modi and his party in the upcoming general elections. The coalition, however, has yet to announce its PM candidate. With the stay on Gandhi’s conviction, it’s possible that he might lead I.N.D.I.A in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
It’s worth noting that PM Modi remains the most popular leader in India. In this regard, the SC’s stay on Gandhi's conviction and his reinstatement as an M.P. doesn't seriously threaten Modi or the BJP.

What’s next?
Rahul Gandhi is expected to participate in the ongoing debate on the no-confidence motion filed against the Modi government. Moreover, he is set to begin the second leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra, from Gujarat to Meghalaya, before November.

Demolition in Nuh halted

Why does the government use bulldozer justice?

What happened?

On August 07, the Haryana and Punjab High Court asked the Haryana government to stop conducting the demolition drive in the state's Nuh district. The court has questioned the government’s demolition drive for bringing down structures and has also asked whether properties of a particular community had been targeted under the guise of a law and order problem.

Why does it matter?

After violence broke out in the Nuh district on July 31, the Haryana government began a demolition drive as a part of ‘treatment’ to deal with communal violence. It brought down nearly 750 buildings (such as houses and shops) and 250 shanties, claiming that the structures were built illegally on government land and were used by the suspects during the recent communal clashes. However, many residents have alleged that they received no prior notice.

This phenomenon of ‘bulldozer justice’ isn’t new. It has been on the rise for the past few years. Many have argued that bulldozers have become a weapon in the hands of the BJP government to suppress dissent and destroy the homes and livelihoods of the minority Muslim community. It also finds use in bringing instant justice. For instance, the house of the culprit in the recent urination incident in Madhya Pradesh was bulldozed after the video of the act came to public attention. The governments resort to such measures to display their proactiveness to the public rather than punishing the culprits using the legal system.

What’s next?
The court has ordered the government to file an affidavit on the number of buildings that had been demolished. The demolition drive has been halted until further orders from the court.

Dose of Positivity

An 11-year-old on a mission

In a remarkable story of social service, Akarshana Sathish, a class 7 student from Hyderabad, inaugurated her seventh library at a government school in the city last week.

Akarshana's journey started when she visited a cancer hospital for children in 2021. She had been distributing food with her family when one patient asked her to bring colouring books during her next visit. That’s when Akarshana had her Eureka moment. She decided to collect books and start a library for those in need.

During COVID, she collected more than 4800 books from her relatives, school friends, and neighbours. She then set up two libraries–one at the children’s cancer hospital and another at a police station. She collected more books in the next two years and established another four libraries. They feature an extensive range of books, including fiction, non-fiction, and general knowledge books in Hindi, English and Telugu.

Her seventh library contains more than 600 books. She believes it will encourage students at the government high school to read more frequently.

SHARE THIS VICHAAR 🙌

If you enjoyed reading my newsletter, please consider sharing it with your loved ones.

Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.

If you want to give us feedback, Click here.

Read our previous newsletters here