The Vivekean Times

Grossly Mind-boggling Injustice: Framing & Arresting Innocent People to Protect the Guilty The Elgar Parishad (or Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad) case is claimed by its critics to be "fraudulent" primarily because of allegations that key electronic evidence used against several accused persons was planted on their computers through malware, and because of broader concerns about the investigation and prolonged incarceration of the accused. However, it is important to note that these are allegations and findings advanced by defense lawyers, independent forensic experts, and civil liberties groups, while the NIA and prosecution reject those claims and maintain that the case is genuine.  How It All Started A large number of Dalits came together at the Vijay Stambh memorial at Koregaon Bhima to commemorate the battle of 1828 where Mahar soldiers fighting under the British army vanquished the Peshwa forces. Clashes broke out between the Dalit attendees and local right-wing group...

As you are all aware, India is home to one of the world's most diverse religious landscapes, where communities of various faiths have coexisted peacefully together for centuries. Most importantly, Christians constitute a relatively small minority, accounting for roughly about 2.3% of India's population, and yet they are known to operate thousands of schools, hospitals, social service entities, and charitable non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the length and breadth of the country.  However, in recent times, multiple legal and policy developments have stirred up the conscientious among us and caused intense debate among policymakers, civil society groups, religious organizations, and human rights activists in India. This blog post looks at 3 issues that have become particularly significant for Christian communities in India, particularly in the state of Maharashtra: the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) amendments, anti-conversion legislation, and Maharashtra...

Don't get brainwashed by the propaganda around the recent US indictment of Adani and his accomplices. Just go through the following facts: 1) Adani was first arrested for fraud in 2002 by the Delhi govt directly under Vajpayee, a Non-Soros influenced, non-deepstate BJP Prime Minister. 2) The over-invoicing and over-pricing scams of Adani on equipment, coal, etc through global proxies and coercion tactics of Modi Sarkar make Indian consumers pay huge power bills due to inflated costs of acquisition. 3) The govt sets agencies like ED, IT, and CBI to target dozens of Indian businesses which result in the ownership of these businesses ending up in Adani's hands. 4) There is a set pattern and strong correlation between Modi's visits to multiple nations and Adani getting huge contracts by these governments a few weeks later. 5) Adani has got large amounts of land and infrastructure at throwaway prices by governments all over the country. Even the manner in which he got the Dharav...

         -   by Vivek Pereira So many humans But so little humanity Amidst the great rally For one man’s vanity. So much passion, But so little empathy; No expression of remorse Not even thru’ telepathy. Such a lot of promises, But most remain unfulfilled; All they want is power No matter who gets killed. So large a nation, But so few citizens, Daring to take on evil, And preventing all these sins. Such a small mindset, But an even narrower vision That’s taking us all backwards Thru’ the politics of religion So little time, But still a lot to do; Let’s work even harder And make our dreams come true.

My issue with the whole thing is why was the RBI flooding the ATMs and banks with 500 & 1000 INR currency notes when they had already planned to withdraw these notes six months ago. Was it to harass the public? All bank counters and ATMs were dishing out only 1000 and 500 Rupee notes in these past six months. Senior citizens and the poor will be deeply affected by this move. Let s forget the black money folks for a while. And, we re not sure what can happen to the econom y at this stage? Choppy waters for the stock and currency markets for sure! And why are there no measures to curb black money in the stock market through participatory notes and the inflow of tainted funds to political parties? Why are political parties still allowed to accept black money? They have good intentions but poor implementation - the time window should have been at least 3 months. And, how will it help if the present currency notes were once used by terrorists and changed hands twe...

GST will almost certainly be passed in the monsoon session of parliament. It will be wonderful news for the union and state governments, the economists, the political parties who will rush to claim credit (not input credit) for its passage and the businessmen who will no longer be harassed by multiple tax authorities and will find the new tax system extremely streamlined with fewer hassles. But what's in store for the consumers? Not very good news, I m afraid. The tax rates for goods and services may be 20% or higher and it is bound to lead to inflation, at least in the short term. GST may have a profound impact on Indian eCommerce as all online transactions would be subject to this tax. Then there is the recommendation of 40% GST on aerated drinks as a form of sin tax since these drinks are considered unhealthy. I found this a ridiculous argument as it will open a pandora s box and make taxation in India arbitrary, judgmental and discriminatory. And finally the most stupid recomm...

Hey, now it's officially confirmed that India is a Banana Republic. The details of the  Essar Leaks scandal have finally blown the lid off the subterfuge. Our democracy is a joke! In fact, it is actually a THEM-OCRACY. Read in sync with the Radia tapes controversy and recent press reports, I declare that whichever government is at the helm, whether it is a BJP, Congress, Left, AAP or any other formation, India will still remain a Banana Republic, at least for a while. And here's why I say this: 1) The details of the Essar and Radia scandals reveal that even Union Budget decisions, ministry formations and important government policies are decided by big corporates . What's more? It shows that even the judgment of a supreme court judge was bought in the 2G corruption case (We already know that the CBI director had taken money from guilty parties in the case) and journalists are being paid to write news articles in favour of politicians and large bu...

Here are a few points that expose the fallacy and evils of the Beef Ban implemented by BJP in Maharashtra and Haryana: 1) Cowslaughter was already banned 4 dec ades ago, but what we are protesting against is the extension of the ban to bulls and bullocks. 2) Most of us respect the religious sentiments of Hindus vis-a-vis cow worship; but the bull should not come under this category especially as the Hindi word for bull i.e. bayl is used to abuse people who don't have their own minds. How can it then be claimed that bulls are divine? 3) The leather Industry would be badly hit in Maharashtra ruining the state economy badly. 4) Lacs of people employed in the beef trade will face unemployment in Maharashtra 5) Sexual offenders face lighter jail terms than the 5 year sentence for possession of beef. In Haryana, you will be charged with manslaughter if beef is found in your possession. 6) Beef constitutes a major part of the diet of millions of people in Maharashtra (representing nea...

It will be a peaceful march but a strong protest in the heart of Mumbai against the harsh, sadistic, illogical and unconstitutional Beef Ban implemented by the states of Mumbai and Haryana. The patriotic and secular stakeholders of the action-packed 'Indians in Pakistan' Novel feel that the BJP governments in these states do not have the mandate to enforce such a stringent and outrageous legislation that deprives millions of Indian citizens of their right to choose what to eat, of their right to livelihood as beef traders or vendors of leather products, and of their right to possess beef for whatever reason they deem fit. We respect the religious sentiments involved in the slaughter of the COW and many of us may agree with state laws banning their (cow) slaughter, but still feel it preposterous to include bulls and bullocks in the definition of the cow for purposes of this act. By fast tracking these legislations within a few months of assuming power, and that...

Merely ten days have elapsed since Modi's swearing-in ceremony on 26 May, 2014 but the signs are ominous - Modi Sarkar is heading for disaster and may well drag India down with it. Many of us who did not vote in Modi and the BJP should ideally have the right to relax and not spend sleepless nights as our conscience is clear, but the fear of the future of our beloved nation is what haunts us - and the following actions, stances and declarations by the Modi Sarkar and its symbiotic supporters have only added fuel to the fire: (1) The Hindu Rashtra Sena, reportedly a sister organisation of the BJP, brutally murdered a Muslim techie in Pune because of a derogatory Facebook post against Bal Thackeray and Shivaji. Many more people may have been injured in the riots in Pune and the rest of Maharashtra. The FB post seems to be the handiwork of Pakistan's ISI and seems to be working well for them as Indian fascists are both morally and intellectually bankrupt. Meanwhile, Narendra Mod...