17 Nov 2023 : The Indian Express

Editorial 1 : More to India’s power

Context: As we step into the spotlight, capitalizing on ‘soft power’ will enable India to be a force for positive change

Introduction

• India’s economic rise, especially over the past decade, is both envied and admired. At a time when global growth has slowed down, the world’s fastest-growing large economy is moving towards the five-trillion-dollar mark and third spot in the pecking order before the end of the decade.

Drivers of Growth

• A combination of a large domestic market, sustained reforms, and favorable demographics is the foundation on which a remarkable transformation is taking place with a clear aim to become a developed nation by 2047.

Nation’s “soft power” is taking rapid strides

• While a successful G20 Presidency set high standards and delivered a joint declaration in a complex geopolitical environment, India’s recent performance in various sporting events has also been a source of pride.
• Even as leading nations of the world look to engage with us through FTAs, our movies — not just from Bollywood — are capturing people’s imagination. Similarly, the Quad and Indo-Pacific Economic Forum (IPEF) serve to further our national security and economic interests while the celebration of World Yoga Day is an ode to our traditions which are relevant even today.

Now it’s not just cricket

• Sports in our country used to largely mean cricket: Today, it is not just the Indian Premier League (IPL) which grabs eyeballs but also the Indian Super League (football), Pro Kabaddi League, Premier Badminton League, and Hockey India League, among others, which see large footfalls and have substantial budgets.
• The Centre and state governments have invested heavily in sports infrastructure as well as supporting and incentivizing sportspeople to pursue medals on the global stage. The country’s first gold medal in athletics at an Olympic Games — Neeraj Chopra’s stupendous performance in javelin throw — was unthinkable just a few years ago. India is now seriously considering a bid to host the world’s foremost sporting competition to showcase its rise.

Film industry

• India’s film industry is among the oldest and produces the largest number of films, many of which are world-class.
• Cultural exports such as ‘Naatu Naatu’ from RRR (2022) — the first Indian movie song to win an Oscar — have taken our stories into homes around the world and will serve as a bridge to connect different perspectives across societies.

Yoga and the Environment movement

• Early in his first term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched the celebration of International Yoga Day to the UN General Assembly. He said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world, and nature”. The proposal was approved by 193 nations, and on June 21 every year, yoga takes centre stage.
• Our Prime Minister then introduced the concept of ‘Lifestyle for the Environment’ (LiFE) at COP26 in Glasgow, calling upon the global community to start an international mass movement to protect and preserve the environment.
  • By following through on various commitments related to addressing climate change, India has acquired immense credibility as we step up to a leadership role on the global stage.

Conclusion

• Active participation in global discussions and strong advocacy for equitable solutions has seen India emerge as the voice of the Global South. Our experience in addressing developmental challenges through technological advancements, such as digital public infrastructure, offers valuable insights to other nations.
• Today, India is seen as a voice of reason even as we firmly protect our national interest while helping shape the international agenda on issues like sustainability, energy security, and resilient supply chains.

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  Editorial 2 : Her knock on closed doors

Context: Forty years after the introduction of the domestic violence provision in the Indian Penal Code, women are still at risk of having their complaints dismissed or disbelieved by police and judiciary

Introduction

• A recent study of over 4 lakh FIRs in Haryana has found that from filing FIRs to getting convictions, the legal process is stacked against women.
• Women who come to Majlis face grave domestic violence: Physical violence, including beatings with an object, banging their head on the wall, choking, strangulation, kicking, etc; economic abuse like not giving money, forcefully taking away earnings, asking the woman to get more money from her parents, etc; verbal abuse, including humiliation using filthy language, and emotional abuse, taunting a woman about her looks, education, cooking skills, etc; sexual violence, including non-consensual and forced sex, and beatings if a woman resists.

Section 498A of IPC

• To address the gruesome violence women face in their homes, a number of laws have been enacted. Section 498A of the IPC was introduced in 1983 to tackle the problem of the large number of women dying in their homes.
• This is not to say that prior to this, women did not have legal provisions. Sections 319 to 338 of the IPC deal with assaults and grievous hurt in various forms. But the police refused to apply these general provisions to cases of domestic violence.
• Hence, there was a need to introduce a special section. One part of Section 498A IPC addresses the subjection of any woman to cruelty (whether mental or physical) of such a nature that is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health. The other part deals with unlawful demand for any property or valuable security.

Reluctance of Police to register FIRs

• Forty years later, the reluctance of the police to file FIRs even in grave incidents of domestic violence is shocking. The police are responsible for recording crimes and investigating a case.
• However, when it comes to recording FIRs in cases of domestic violence, burking (refusal to record FIRs) is done with a sense of righteousness — go for counselling and resolve the matter; save your marriage and family, what are you going to achieve by filing a criminal complaint; we cannot just file an FIR without talking to both the parties; the case will take very long and you won’t get anything; we can’t file a case in family matters, go to court.
• While the police’s apathy towards recording FIRs in cases of domestic violence stems from a patriarchal mindset, one cannot negate the impact of demeaning comments by the Supreme Court and the various high courts.
• A casual internet search on Section 498A throws up reams of posts with comments by the judiciary about how women are misusing the law. The media has also been instrumental in sensationalizing the issue.

Conclusion

• But these errors, if at all, seem to be the responsibility of the police and not the woman. It is the police who record the victim’s statement, investigate the matter and file the chargesheet.
• Instead of pulling up the police and magistrate for these oversights, the court placed the onus on the woman and then went on to make the sweeping comment that “women are misusing the law”.
• Such comments send out a dangerous message to all the implementing agencies and will only serve to snuff out the hopes of women approaching the law to address the serious issue of domestic violence.

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