JAIPUR l THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019 l Pages 14 l 3.00
RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/01082 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 70
—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR
“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.” The excerpt from first PM Jawahar Lal Nehru’s speech - Tryst With Destiny, is valid after 72 years of gaining Independence. However, here we are seven decades later, when a simple misunderstanding leads to a major portion of Jaipur being held hostage to violence, to terror and to disharmony. Tricolour in the pic represents the Nation, and the broken glass represents the broken fabric of our PINK CITY, ready to shatter and bring the city down on its knees... See Page 3
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
Aditi Nagar
New Delhi: The feelings and sentiments of multi-crore voters of BJP and other sections across the country are deeply hurt and disappointed with a sudden cancellation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s August 15 meeting scheduled at Srinagar to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk. Three days back, it was sounding almost certain that the powerful Union Home Minister, under an overall Narendra Modi order, will ultimately fulfil much awaited desire and expectations of crores of BJP voters to hoist Tricolour at Srinagar on Independence Day. Everyone was anxiously and curiously waiting for this historic moment to take place, but at the eleventh hour, under advice from political quarters and Intel agencies, Amit Shah’s Srinagar visit was called off. Really, an unfortunate chapter
NATION DISAPPOINTED... AMIT SHAH GIVES UP HIS AUGUST 15 SRINAGAR LAL CHOWK FLAG HOISTING SCHEDULE
in BJP’s entire Kashmir story. According to political observers, whatever may be the reason or advice from security agencies or someone else, this cancellation has virtually spoiled the enthusiasm and jubilant mood of the nation (except Valley) on this great Independence Day. The general morale and sentiment of the nation is that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have lost a golden opportunity and their “Kashmir Mission” will always remain incomplete, till either of the two goes to Srinagar and hoists Indian Flag at Lal Chowk. A large section of people feel that a “wrong and unfounded” advice
LAL CHOWK —Photo for representational purpose only
to either Prime Minister or Home Minister has derailed the entire show and now they will have to wait till January 26 or August 15, 2020, to fulfil
this unfulfilled desire of crores of Indian voters. At this juncture, someone has remarked that “an August 15 Srinagar visit
cancellation will always be remembered as a Himalayan blunder of BJP and RSS in Indian history.” Unfortunately, the can-
cellation has come at such a time when Union Home Ministry and security agencies had come in complete control and command over law and order situation in the Valley, where not even a single firing incident has taken place during the last one week, barring a few small stone pelting incidents at some places. A section of top BJP and RSS leadership feels that a proposed August 15, Amit Shah Srinagar flag hoisting would have been a befitting and matching response to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s August 14 (Pakistan’s Independence Day) speech. Pakistan PM on Wednesday
threatened to go to war following Indian government’s decision to scrap Article 370. Khan said people of his country are ready to fight for “freedom” of Kashmir. Notably, this was the first time when Pakistan celebrated its Independence Day function not at Islamabad but in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). This conveys a specific message to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, who had categorically stated in the Parliament that when he talks about Kashmir, the POK and Aksai Chin is also included in his reference to Kashmir. Political observers feel that riding over his own statement,
Pehlu Khan case: 6 accused People of J&K will benefit from acquitted, Raj to file appeal revocation of special status: Prez First India News Alwar: An Alwar court on Wednesday acquitted all six accused in the lynching of Pehlu Khan, killed two years ago by a mob while he was transporting cows. The Additional Judicial Magistrate acquitted the six men, giving them benefit of doubt, according to a lawyer. Pehlu Khan, 55, his two sons and a few others were transporting cows when they were allegedly stopped and
Our State Government has enacted law against mob lynching in first week of August 2019. We are committed to ensuring justice for family of late Sh Pehlu Khan. State Government will file appeal against order of ADJ. —Ashok Gehlot @ashokgehlot51 beaten up by a mob near Behror in Alwar district on April 1, 2017. Khan died in hospital on April 3, triggering outrage over the murder and focusing attention on attacks by cow vigilantes. “The court gave benefit of the doubt to all
six accused and acquitted them of lynching charges. We have not received the court order copy and will wait for it to study it and appeal in higher court,” Additional Public Prosecutor Yogendra Khatana told reporters. Turn to P4
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday expressed confidence that scrapping provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories will be of “immense benefit” to people of those regions. Delivering his Independence Day address to the nation, Kovind also said the changes made in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh recently will enable the
President Ram Nath Kovind addressing the nation on the eve of Independence Day on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
people to access and enjoy the same rights, same privileges and same facilities as their
fellow citizens in the rest of the country. “...I am confident that the recent changes
made in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh would be of immense benefit to those regions. They will enable the people to access and enjoy the same rights, same privileges and same facilities as their fellow citizens in the rest of the country,” Kovind said in the address on the eve of the 73rd Independence Day. The Modi government announced on August 5 the removal of some provisions of Article 370 Turn to P4
Amit Shah must have gone to Srinagar to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk to further strengthen and corroborate his statement as well as to send a message to Pakistan. But it did not happen. On the contrary, Pakistan availed this strategic opportunity to hoist Pakistani flag from POK and also to give a clear warning to Indian leadership saying that any “misadventure” of Indian Army in POK will initiate a full-scale war between the two old rivals over the issue of Kashmir. In this way, India missed a strategic and political opportunity to give a matching response to Pakistan from Srinagar’s Lal Chowk. In this scenario, the best combination would have been Modi’s flag hoisting at Lal Quila and Shah’s flag hoisting at Lal Chowk... and the nation was waiting for that!
VIR CHAKRA FOR ABHINANDAN Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down Pakistani F-16 fighter jet during Feb 27 aerial conflict with Pakistan, has been awarded the third-highest wartime gallantry award, Vir Chakra. P7
HOLIDAY NOTICE
First India wishes you a very Happy Independence Day. The office and press will remain closed on August 15. There shall be no edition on August 16. —Editor