🖋️ From The Desk of Abhijeet Rane
- dhadakkamgarunion0
- Oct 16
- 3 min read
🖋️ From The Desk of Abhijeet Rane
V.Rao Seminar Cancelled—Academic Freedom or Ideological Overreach?Somaiya Vidyavihar University’s cancellation of a seminar on Varavara Rao’s poetry, following objections from Vivek Vichar Manch, reignites the debate between academic freedom and national security. The event, titled “An Electric Wire is Better than a Poet,” was scheduled for October 16 under the “Civilisation Seminar Series.” Rao, currently out on bail in the Elgar Parishad case, faces charges under the UAPA for alleged Maoist links.While universities must remain spaces for critical inquiry, glorifying a figure under active prosecution for alleged involvement in violent extremism raises legitimate concerns. The CPI (Maoist) is a banned terrorist organization in India, and Rao’s association with it is not merely ideological—it’s judicially scrutinized.The university’s swift cancellation reflects institutional responsibility. But this episode also underscores the need for clearer norms: where does intellectual engagement end and ideological endorsement begin? In a democracy, that line must be vigilantly debated—not blindly crossed.
🔽
🖋️ From The Desk of Abhijeet Rane
India’s joint statement with Afghanistan, recognizing Jammu & Kashmir as an integral part of India and condemning Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, marks a strategic shift—not a diplomatic endorsement of the Taliban regime. Pakistan’s furious reaction, including summoning the Afghan envoy, underscores its discomfort with losing narrative control.India has not granted formal recognition to the Taliban government, nor backed it on global platforms. The engagement is pragmatic, driven by geography and security calculus. With China and Pakistan tightening their regional grip, India’s presence in Afghanistan acts as a buffer and a counterweight.The outrage over India’s technical mission is misplaced. Global powers—including the US, UK, and Germany—maintain functional ties with Kabul. India’s approach mirrors this realism. The joint statement isn’t about moral alignment—it’s about strategic necessity. In geopolitics, vacuum invites adversaries. India’s presence is not optional—it’s essential.
🔽
🖋️ From The Desk of Abhijeet Rane
A 60 year old man Jumped to his Death from Shivajinagar Court Building Over a 27-Year-Old Pending Case. 27 year old case! A civil dispute that too. Imagine that. The man must have been 33 years old when the case was filed. Imagine the frustration. 27 years of Lawyers fees, wastage of time, not being able to do anything about the land till the dispute is resolved, putting your life on hold, just because corrupt judges need to be paid their salary! No one will cry over Namdev Jadhav. No one will do a candle march for him. Maybe some judge would callously tell him to ask his Lord Vithoba to settle the case! Indian judiciary is an institution from hell. Truly!
🔽
🖋️ From The Desk of Abhijeet Rane
Petrus Gaikwad’s Transfer: A Symptom of Legal Silence. The transfer of Beed Jail Superintendent Petrus Gaikwad to Nagpur, following allegations of religious conversion among inmates, exposes a troubling gap—not just in conduct, but in law. Gopichand Padalkar flagged the issue, citing Gaikwad’sproselytizing and symbolic erasure of national icons. Yet, instead of suspension or dismissal, Gaikwad was merely reassigned.This soft response stems from a legal vacuum: Maharashtra lacks a specific anti-conversion law, and India has no national statute criminalizing religious persuasion within state institutions. The silence of other local leaders and officials—despite Gaikwad’s prior controversies—suggests either complicity or institutional inertia.Padalkar’s intervention was timely, but the system’s reaction was tepid. If conversions occurred under duress, it’s not just unethical—it’s unconstitutional. Transfers aren’t accountability. Without legal reform, such breaches will remain administrative footnotes, not democratic reckonings.
🔽
🖋️ From The Desk of Abhijeet Rane
BJP’s Self-Nomination Trend: A Crack in the Collective Code? A curious shift is unfolding within the BJP: candidates publicly declaring their own nominations via social media, bypassing the party’s traditional collective decision-making. In a party known for its organizational discipline and ideological hierarchy, this trend signals more than mere ambition—it hints at a fraying trust in internal processes. While expressing electoral intent is democratic, announcing one’s candidacy unilaterally challenges the party’s core ethos: “organization above individual, ideology above organization.” It raises questions—are these declarations born of broken communication channels or unchecked personal aspirations?Factually, such announcements have surfaced across states, often from sitting MLAs or prominent office-bearers. Though not officially endorsed, they remain unrebuked, suggesting tacit tolerance or strategic ambiguity.Whether this is a fleeting trend or a deeper structural shift, the leadership must introspect.
🔽
Comments