31st January 2021
Shorts:
News at a glance
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Farmer-government standoff goes awry
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-Devansh mishra
After repetitive confrontations between the farmers and the Indian Government over the past few weeks, a drastic measure was undertaken by the former party, which had far-reaching repercussions. Farmers standing on the outskirts of the nation’s capital announced a one-day hunger strike to protest against the unjust laws issued by the government of our nation.
Let’s get some backstory here. In December of 2020, the Government of India drafted and issued three new laws under the Agricultural Reforms Act of 2020. Supposedly, the farmers of North India believe that these laws will further enable the MNCs and large businesses to exploit them and take more produce at a lower price. On the other hand, the legislation argued that it would favour the farmers and the retailers by removing all unnecessary middlemen from the middle of the production process.
As a result of these allegedly unfair laws, farmers from all over North India culminated at the nation’s capital, New Delhi, to launch a protest. To curb the unintended consequences of this large-scale standoff, the Haryana police were ordered to use water cannons and tear gas against the protesters, and eventually were able to subdue the march. Unfortunately, one person was found dead and many more injured from the farmers’ side. It was because of this that they scheduled this non-cooperation hunger strike last week. Reportedly, they said that they will not move until the laws are taken back.
Oftentimes, Indian authorities have blocked internet services when they feel there is some unrest in a region, which can potentially adversely harm the society. Even in this situation, authorities followed the same tactics, and jammed internet accessibility during the hunger strike, affecting areas around Delhi.
Eleven round-table talks between the farmers and the government have returned with no mutually acceptable agreement, as solution to this standoff seems hazy at the moment. The matter has evolved to become highly fragile and needs to be handled with utmost care, as it has the potential to make or break the country.
Sources: The Guardian, The Hindu, News 18
A productive week in the US - after a 4-year drought
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-DEVANSH MISHRA
Upon his swearing-in ceremony, President Joe Biden has been nothing but signing legislative bills left and right. His latest set of executive orders which went through were signed on Thursday. He has come in with a clear cut out plan, and he seems to be knocking off tasks off his bullet list systematically at this moment.
A few major bills that have gone through include the coronavirus relief package and the transgender service in the military. President Biden had planned to launch a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan, including vaccinating 100m people within 100 days. However, the stimulus plan approval is still stuck in the Congress, but has been officially passed by the President. The other hallmark of the week was reinstating the representation of the transgender community in the military. This ban had been enforced by his predecessor, which he actively removed in his first week of presidency.
President Biden has also taken large strides in recognising issues plaguing their nation, such as the Paris Accords and the environmental future of the world, and also regarding the unemployment status present in the country. He has not called out any action plan on those topics as of now, but soon plans to buckle down and get to work on them.
The last one week in the US has been far more successful than was achieved in the past four years, but granted, the bar was set very low. At this point, if President Biden just casually sits back, relaxes on his couch and watches a television serial, he will still be doing much better than his maniacal predecessor. Will we see any drastic turnarounds in the US in coming weeks, or will all those bills prove to be ineffective? We can only wait and watch.
Sources: NYTimes, FT.com
A Furtive COmeback:
chinese vaccine Story
-Snigdha Dhameja
China strives to lead in the race against COVID-19, but infamy and inefficiency have prevented it from reaching its goal. The birthplace of the pandemic that continues to grip the world, China used to be the country to watch out for, in a pre-virus era. But now, the nation attracts headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The rollout of the Sinovac vaccine has begun in Indonesia, and Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Chile and Brazil have secured deals with China to receive shipments. UAE and Bahrain have approved the Sinopharm vaccine. However, officials in these countries have reported that they need to repeatedly reassure their citizens regarding the safety of these Chinese vaccines, and the fact that they provide no threat.
CoronaVac, the vaccine being developed by Sinovac, was said to be 91.25% effective in tests conducted in Turkey, and 65.3% in Indonesia. Brazil initially reported the vaccine to be 78% effective, but the implementation of more data reduced the percentage to 50.4%. Countries that have received doses of the vaccine claim that the shipments were delayed, and the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from the US are more effective in combating the virus.
Xi Jinping has vowed to set aside $2bn for the African continent, and has offered a $1bn loan to Latin American and Caribbean countries, so that they can buy the vaccine. This philanthropic gesture is surely meant to reinstate China’s position in the world economy, and will aid in providing the diplomatic relations that the country so badly needs right now.
The scarcity of vaccines, especially in underdeveloped and developing nations has given China an opportunity to show off its scientific prowess and spirit of generosity. While there are several candidates for vaccines, some nations do not have the privilege to pick the ones with the highest effectiveness, and must take what they can. That is where China steps in with its vaccines, which are less effective than their competitors, and low income countries can only graciously accept the offer. Of course, this will only soften China’s image, bring it back up in the world economy, and the nation will reprise the role of a superpower once again.
In order to achieve this and more, China must swallow its pride, and accept its role in the pandemic as the root, and perhaps even the one to curb its consequences. The country boasts of spectacular scientific minds and is doing well enough to fund future research. For now, it needs to accept past mistakes and understand that it’s not just about China anymore; it’s about the way the world runs in situations like this. China’s bold moves affect everyone in a time like this.
The worldwide vaccine race has just begun. Where will China stand in solving a problem that started within?
Sources: BBC, NYT
Women's rights take a backseat
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-Grace Treesa
Women are on the frontlines in the battle against coronavirus. However, they are left out of many response plans, according to a global survey published on Thursday. New York based group Women Deliver and Paris based group Focus 2030 gathered the views of about 17,000 people in 17 countries. Most responses included the fact that women wanted a greater say and they were anxious about their rights going under the bus due to the ongoing pandemic. The poll also showed that women only made up a quarter of the decision makers, hence said decisions were often not in their favor.
In addition to not having enough representation, an additional 47 million women will fall into extreme poverty this year because of the over-representation in the hard-hit sectors such as hospitality and domestic workers.
8/10 people surveyed, including men that women's rights are a top priority with figures rising above 90% in countries like Kenya, South Africa, India and Colombia.
However, there is another shadow to be fought. As lockdowns prevail in most countries, calls to domestic helplines increase, according to UN Women. There is also an increasing request for emergency shelter, and the figures are worryingly high. “In Australia, 40 percent of frontline workers in a New South Wales survey reported increased requests for help with violence that was escalating in intensity”
This was a problem even before the virus existed, and has been one of the greatest violations of human rights. IN the last year or two , more than 250 million women and girls have been subject to physical and sexual violence, the worst being that it is usually committed by an intimate partner.
We cannot say even then that these figures are accurate, because there is under-reporting due to blackmail and fear. This may compromise the aftercare and supporters victims need, like psychological support, clinical management of rape, wtc.
Furthermore, 1 in 4 countries do not have the law favoring them or offering support in cases of domestic violence. This not only impacts women’s health overall, but indirectly affects the economy. The global cost of violence has been previously approximated at 1.5 trillion US dollars.
To remedy this there must be measures with economic support and care packages for women who face discrimination. They must meet the gravity of the situation.
Helplines, online counselling and psychological support should be invested in. Cases where women have been harmed must be taken as priority and the perpetrators must face consequences. There must be sound education within schools and awareness campaigns for safety.
The coronavirus is already affecting families economically and mentally. We must emerge from it victorious, with women at the front of the recovery cycle.
Sources: UN Women, Focus 2030
Republic Day 2021
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-Devansh Mishra
It was 18 past 10 in the morning of a cold, chilly day.The country was officially pronounced as a ‘Sovereign Democratic Republic’. Six minutes later, Dr Rajendra Prasad stepped onto the podium for his swearing in as the first President of India. The nation erupted to celebrate their solidified freedom. The longest constitution the world had ever seen was enforced on this day, 71 years ago.
Celebrated to commemorate the day the Constitution of India was published and signed by more than 300 ministers, Republic Day of India is always a joyous occasion. Marked with a parade held in New Delhi containing a plethora of tableaus and platoons to portray the different sects of the nation, the celebrations have a comprehensive schedule they follow.
Since this year was plagued with difficulties and hardships, it was only fitting that the Republic Day too had to be accorded to the needs of the ‘new normal’. Only a fifth of last year’s attendance was allowed to watch the celebrations live, as the parade was performed in front of a meagre 25,000 people. The culmination of the parade has usually been on the steps of the Red Fort, but this year, authorities deemed that route to be unsafe, and the parade ended at the National Stadium instead. Interestingly, the first Republic Day parade too ended at the National Stadium, then called the Irwin Amphitheatre, as the nation has come full-circle over the past 71 years.
After 55 long years, it was with a heavy-heart that no foreign chief guest was invited to witness the day’s celebrations in light of the ongoing pandemic. It was previously conceived to be UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but unfortunately, he had to pull out due to the outbreak of the new strain of the coronavirus in the UK.
However, the whole program was not totally happy-go-lucky. To honour the farmer community in light of their recent standoff, the government decided to grant them the permission to be part of the Republic Day parade. They strode out on their tractors, but everything went downhill from there. Violence raged on the pathway, as many people were both injured and killed. Police are still rounding up the perpetrators of the act, but it was really saddening to watch the tractor parade.
"Today, for the first time in our long and chequered history we find the whole of this vast land from Kashmir in the north to Cape Comorin in the South, from Kathiawad and Kutch in the west to Coconada and Kamrup in the east, brought together under the jurisdiction of one Constitution and one Union, which takes over the responsibility for the welfare of more than 320 million men and women that inhabit it," said President Prasad 71 years ago in his historic speech. And we intend to keep it that way.
Sources: Tribune India, NDTV