5ive in Focus: Top 5 News of 16 June 2023

| 16 June 2023

1. The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh, India, has issued a restraining order against Al Jazeera, preventing the broadcast of an investigative film titled "India ... Who Lit the Fuse?" The court's decision came in response to concerns raised by a petitioner regarding potential social disharmony and threats to India's integrity. The documentary focuses on hate crimes against Muslims committed by Hindu supremacist groups within the country.

"India ... Who Lit the Fuse?" is part of Al Jazeera's Point Blank investigation series, known for its in-depth documentaries. The film examines the activities of Hindu supremacist outfits, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an influential organization associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The documentary raises issues such as training sessions in RSS camps allegedly overseen by members of the Indian Army and the targeting of Muslims in various Indian states.

The BJP spokesperson defended the government's commitment to the rule of law and dismissed the allegations made in the documentary. The court will reconvene on July 6 to further consider the case, leaving the fate of the documentary uncertain.

2. Delhi Police have charged Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP lawmaker and chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), with sexual harassment and stalking of six women wrestlers. The police recommended dropping charges against Singh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the case filed by a minor wrestler due to "no corroborative evidence."

A chargesheet was filed against Singh and Vinod Tomar, a suspended assistant secretary of WFI, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case of the other women wrestlers. The court is yet to decide whether to accept the police's closure report or order further investigation.

Protesting wrestlers have demanded Singh's arrest, but legal experts suggest that he may not be taken into custody due to the maximum sentence being up to five years. The Congress criticized the police's recommendation, accusing the government of neglecting the demands for justice.

3. Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district after churning across the Arabian Sea for over 10 days. Multi-agency response teams were on alert for relief and rescue efforts, and around one lakh people were moved to safer places in the state.

The cyclone, which developed on June 6, set a record for the longest lifespan of a cyclone in the Arabian Sea. Strong winds and heavy rains impacted Kutch and Saurashtra coasts, causing injuries and damage to property. The coastal regions of Pakistan were also on high alert, with over 82,000 people evacuated to safer places in the southern Sindh province.

In addition, northeastern regions of India, particularly Assam, faced worsening flood situations due to incessant rain. Rescue operations were initiated with the assistance of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army, and Indian Air Force.

4. The Law Commission's new consultative process on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has sparked division among political parties. The 22nd Law Commission, which recently received a three-year extension, announced its intention to examine the need for a UCC and seek public and religious organizations' opinions.

The Congress criticized the move as a diversion from the government's failures, while the Janata Dal United (JDU) stressed the importance

of substantive consultations and concurrence from various religious groups, particularly minorities. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the government of divisive politics.

The government had previously informed the Supreme Court that the existence of different property and matrimonial laws based on religion was an affront to national unity. Article 44 of the Constitution, part of the Directive Principle of State Policy, calls for a UCC throughout India.

Meanwhile, the Congress government in Karnataka has decided to repeal the anti-conversion law implemented by the previous BJP government, citing concerns over religious freedom.

5. Thirty-three academicians, including prominent names such as Kanti Prasad Bajpai, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, and Niraja Gopal Jayal, have written to the NCERT Director expressing concerns over the removal of sections from political science syllabi for classes 6 to 12. They stated that their collective creative effort is in jeopardy and requested the removal of their names from the textbooks.

The academicians criticized the lack of transparency in the decision-making process and the removal of chapters and sections covering topics such as the 2002 Gujarat riots, democracy, political parties in India, and the Cold War. Earlier, political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar had made a similar demand, stating that the textbooks had been significantly altered.

The letter emphasizes the violation of core principles of transparency and raises questions about who decides what is acceptable and desirable in the textbooks.