Editorial

As the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due in early 2022 draw closer, the determination and fighting unity of vast sections of UP’s people against Yogi Adityanath’s misrule is growing in intensity.

The Modi Government’s use of Israeli “Pegasus” spyware technology to secretly and illegally hack into and take control of the phones of thousands of Opposition leaders, journalists, Supreme Court judges, activists and other Indian citizens is by far the biggest criminal act by a Government in 75 years of independent India.

Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, the Modi government has effected a mega cabinet reshuffle. Several ministers resigned before the reshuffle to make room for the changes, several had their responsibilities swapped or modified, while a few others were inducted for the first time. Modi’s self-proclaimed motto of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’ is fast turning into its opposite: ‘jumbo cabinet, zero governance’!

The Delhi High Court judgments ordering the release on bail of three of the anti-CAA student activists charged under UAPA is a long-awaited breath of oxygen. It offers some relief from the Delhi Police witch-hunt that since last year has been been choking off democracy’s life-breath: protests against unjust, discriminatory and fascist laws like the CAA, NRC and NPR have inspired courage and hope in the struggle for democracy.

As expected, the Prime Minister is being thanked by all his cabinet colleagues and NDA CMs for his belated announcement to provide free vaccine to the 18-44 age group. The general public opinion thanks the Supreme Court for its scathing indictment of the government's arbitrary and irrational vaccine policy which forced these policy amendments a week later.