The Evening Wrap: PM Modi flags ‘secular civil code’ in Independence Day speech

In his 11th successive Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a renewed push to the BJP’s ideological aim of a Uniform Civil Code, reframing the idea as a “secular civil code” enshrined in the Constitution and a way of ensuring equality before law for all. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly discussed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), in India. A large section of the country believes and its true, that in the civil code, what we have is a communal civil code. The need of the hour is a secular civil code only then will we be free of the discrimination on the basis of religion. It is our duty to fulfil the vision of our Constitution makers,” he said. Besides the UCC, a large part of the customary address by Prime Minister Modi touched on many contemporary issues which packed a strong criticism of the opposition. Without naming the West Bengal government and the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the issue of women’s safety. He also referred to forces of anarchy that wanted to destabilise the country especially economically, again an unnamed reference to the report of Hindenburg research on the Adani group. On Bangladesh, Prime Minister Modi struck a pragmatic note, stating: “As a neighbouring country, I understand the worry regarding what happened in Bangladesh. I hope that the situation becomes normal there very son. The safety of Hindus and minority communities there must be ensured. India always wants our neighbouring countries to walk on the path of peace and harmony. We are committed towards peace and have the best wishes of Bangladesh’s development journey.” He also renewed his pitch for simultaneous polls for Parliament and state assemblies, asking all parties “who understand the spirit of the Constitution” to reflect on the issue. At the same time he said that dynastic politics needed to be countered and said that at least one lakh young people unconnected by family to politics need to enter the field at all levels form Panchayat to the Parliament. Prime Minister Modi also touched on the controversy surrounding NEET, the entrance exams for medical education, promising that his government would be increasing by 75,000 the seats available for medical education across the country. While delivering his longest Independence Day speech in 11 years, (at 98 minutes, it was two minutes longer than his 2016 speech of 96 minutes), Prime Minister Modi also presented a report card of his government in the last 10 years, lauding the pace and intent of reforms undertaken by it, including the new Nyay Sanhitas or criminal and police procedural codes. Prime Minister Modi set the agenda for his government in the fields of Made in India Chip-semiconductor manufacturing, improving designing in India to rival international levels and invoking the “Nalanda Spirit” of excellence in education. Allies wary, seek clarity as PM Modi announces push for ‘secular code’ Allies of the NDA, the Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have struck a cautious note after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of his government’s push for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), albeit reframed as a “secular civil code”. Speaking to The Hindu, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha said that “unless there is a concrete proposal we cannot possibly comment on the issue”. Earlier, JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi had said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s submission before the Law Commission exploring the issue was the party’s stand on the UCC. The TDP too kept its counsel, with a senior party leader saying that the party was determined to protect the interests of the Muslim community, and that the UCC had not been brought up discussion within the alliance as yet. “We are awaiting clarity on the issue,” said the leader, waiting for a cue from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Both the JD(U) and the TDP draw support from the Muslim community and other minorities and have not supported the idea in the past. As late as July this year in fact, Naidu met with members of the Muslim community in Vijayawada and declared that there was no question of his party backing any bill that does not keep the sentiments of Muslims in mind. Modi’s call for the implementation of a UCC albeit framed as one that harks to constitutional values enunciated in the Directive Principles of State Policy, has come after his government, with a nudge from allies referred the Waqf Amendment Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament. With the announcement that he was keen on the implementation of a UCC, Prime Minister Modi has signalled that, he was determined not allow what happened with the Waqf Amendment Bill to stop any efforts at fulfilling the ideological imperatives of the BJP. Kolkata doctor rape and murder: Nine persons detained for vandalism at RG Kar Hospital Police have so far detained nine persons for their alleged involvement in the vandalism incident at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, where junior medics have been protesting over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor. Around midnight of Thursday (August 15), a group of around 40 people, posing as protesters, entered the hospital, vandalising the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras and ransacking a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating since August 9. The BJP criticised police for failing to protect the protesting doctors and prevent the vandalism, demanding that the army be deployed if the TMC government cannot control the situation. Healthcare services in the state remain crippled for seven days in a row due to the cease-work by junior doctors demanding justice for their colleague, with emergency and outpatient departments in most state-run hospitals still closed, causing significant distress among patients. The attack on the nursing station has also prompted nurses to join the junior doctors in their protest at the hospital. Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Doha as deaths top 40,000 Gaza ceasefire talks resumed in Doha on August 15 as pressure mounted for a deal to halt the spread of a war that the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry said has killed 40,000. A source with knowledge of the talks confirmed to AFP that they had begun in the Qatari capital Doha. The source did not disclose whether Hamas had dispatched any delegates to the talks that Israel and CIA director William Burns planned to attend. Ahead of the negotiations, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN the focus would be on implementing details of a proposal that President Joe Biden laid out on May 31. In a veiled warning to Iran, Hamas and Israel ahead of the meetings, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said “no party in the region should take actions that would undermine efforts to reach a deal”, the U.S. State Department said. In a telephone call, the two discussed “efforts to calm” regional tensions “and the importance of finalising a ceasefire in Gaza”, it said. The U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators invited Israel and Hamas for negotiations focused on ending the war that the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on August 15 said has killed 40,005 people in the coastal territory. The Ministry, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties, said the toll included 40 deaths in the previous 24 hours. Events in Bangladesh teach us not to take liberty for granted: CJI Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Independence Day said events in neighbouring Bangladesh were a clear reminder to not take our freedom and liberty for granted. “Independence Day reforges the values enshrined in the Constitution and reminds citizens the duties they owe each other and to the nation”, the Chief Justice said. “What is happening today, say, in Bangladesh is a clear reminder of how precious liberty is for us... It is very easy to take freedom for granted, it is simple to take liberty for granted. But it is important to look to our past [Independence struggle and the Emergency days] to remind ourselves how precious liberty is,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said in his address on the Supreme Court premises after hoisting the National Flag. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Constitution reigned supreme in the Indian democracy. “If this is imbibed by legislature, executive and judiciary, India will be a developed nation,” Mr. Meghwal said. Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior advocate Kapil Sibal recalled the words of first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. “On August 15, he said I am the first servant of people of India. This is the spirit in which we wanted to uphold our freedom. We need to be free, need equality, get rid of poverty,” Mr. Sibal said. In Brief: Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi again to visit Manipur Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi again requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 to visit violence-hit Manipur and impress upon both the central and state governments to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict there at the earliest. Gandhi said he met a group of Manipuri people living in Delhi who shared their heartbreaking struggles since ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state. “As we celebrate Independence Day, let us reflect on the plight of Manipur, where true freedom remains elusive. I urge the Prime Minister once again to visit Manipur and impress upon both the Central and State Governments to work towards a peaceful resolution at the earliest,” the former Congress president said. Probe starts against former Bangladesh PM Hasina, 9 others for genocide, crimes against humanity Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has started an investigation against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and nine others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 to August 5 during students’ mass movement against her government. A complaint was filed on August 14 with the investigation agency of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal against Hasina, Awami League general secretary and former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and several other prominent figures within the party. [logo] The Evening Wrap 17 August 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( In his 11th I-day speech, PM Modi flags ‘secular civil code’, women’s safety, exudes pragmatism on Bangladesh In his [11th successive Independence Day address]( to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a [renewed push to the BJP’s ideological aim of a Uniform Civil Code]( reframing the idea as a “secular civil code” enshrined in the Constitution and a way of ensuring equality before law for all. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly discussed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), in India. A large section of the country believes and its true, that in the civil code, what we have is a communal civil code. The need of the hour is a secular civil code only then will we be free of the discrimination on the basis of religion. It is our duty to fulfil the vision of our Constitution makers,” he said. Besides the UCC, a large part of the customary address by Prime Minister Modi touched on many contemporary issues which packed a strong criticism of the opposition. Without naming the West Bengal government and the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the [issue of women’s safety](. He also referred to forces of anarchy that wanted to destabilise the country especially economically, again an unnamed reference to the report of Hindenburg research on the Adani group. On Bangladesh, Prime Minister Modi struck a pragmatic note, stating: “As a neighbouring country, I understand the worry regarding what happened in Bangladesh. I hope that the situation becomes normal there very son. The safety of Hindus and minority communities there must be ensured. India always wants our neighbouring countries to walk on the path of peace and harmony. We are committed towards peace and have the best wishes of Bangladesh’s development journey.” He also renewed his pitch for simultaneous polls for Parliament and state assemblies, asking all parties “who understand the spirit of the Constitution” to reflect on the issue. At the same time he said that dynastic politics needed to be countered and said that at least one lakh young people unconnected by family to politics need to enter the field at all levels form Panchayat to the Parliament. Prime Minister Modi also touched on the controversy surrounding NEET, the entrance exams for medical education, promising that his government would be [increasing by 75,000 the seats available for medical education]( across the country. While delivering his longest Independence Day speech in 11 years, (at 98 minutes, it was two minutes longer than his 2016 speech of 96 minutes), Prime Minister Modi also presented a report card of his government in the last 10 years, lauding the pace and intent of reforms undertaken by it, including the new Nyay Sanhitas or criminal and police procedural codes. Prime Minister Modi set the agenda for his government in the fields of Made in India Chip-semiconductor manufacturing, improving designing in India to rival international levels and invoking the “Nalanda Spirit” of excellence in education. Allies wary, seek clarity as PM Modi announces push for ‘secular code’ Allies of the NDA, the Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have [struck a cautious note]( after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of his government’s push for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), albeit reframed as a “secular civil code”. Speaking to The Hindu, JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha said that “unless there is a concrete proposal we cannot possibly comment on the issue”. Earlier, JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi had said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s submission before the Law Commission exploring the issue was the party’s stand on the UCC. The TDP too kept its counsel, with a senior party leader saying that the party was determined to protect the interests of the Muslim community, and that the UCC had not been brought up discussion within the alliance as yet. “We are awaiting clarity on the issue,” said the leader, waiting for a cue from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Both the JD(U) and the TDP draw support from the Muslim community and other minorities and have not supported the idea in the past. As late as July this year in fact, Naidu met with members of the Muslim community in Vijayawada and declared that there was no question of his party backing any bill that does not keep the sentiments of Muslims in mind. Modi’s call for the implementation of a UCC albeit framed as one that harks to constitutional values enunciated in the Directive Principles of State Policy, has come after his government, with a nudge from allies referred the Waqf Amendment Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament. With the announcement that he was keen on the implementation of a UCC, Prime Minister Modi has signalled that, he was determined not allow what happened with the Waqf Amendment Bill to stop any efforts at fulfilling the ideological imperatives of the BJP. Kolkata doctor rape and murder: Nine persons detained for vandalism at RG Kar Hospital [Police have so far detained nine persons]( for their alleged involvement in the vandalism incident at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, where junior medics have been protesting over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor. Around midnight of Thursday (August 15), a group of around 40 people, posing as protesters, entered the hospital, vandalising the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras and ransacking a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating since August 9. The BJP criticised police for failing to protect the protesting doctors and prevent the vandalism, demanding that the army be deployed if the TMC government cannot control the situation. Healthcare services in the state remain crippled for seven days in a row due to the cease-work by junior doctors demanding justice for their colleague, with emergency and outpatient departments in most state-run hospitals still closed, causing significant distress among patients. The attack on the nursing station has also prompted nurses to join the junior doctors in their protest at the hospital. Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Doha as deaths top 40,000 [Gaza ceasefire talks resumed in Doha]( on August 15 as pressure mounted for a deal to halt the spread of a war that the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry said has killed 40,000. A source with knowledge of the talks confirmed to AFP that they had begun in the Qatari capital Doha. The source did not disclose whether Hamas had dispatched any delegates to the talks that Israel and CIA director William Burns planned to attend. Ahead of the negotiations, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN the focus would be on implementing details of a proposal that President Joe Biden laid out on May 31. In a veiled warning to Iran, Hamas and Israel ahead of the meetings, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said “no party in the region should take actions that would undermine efforts to reach a deal”, the U.S. State Department said. In a telephone call, the two discussed “efforts to calm” regional tensions “and the importance of finalising a ceasefire in Gaza”, it said. The U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators invited Israel and Hamas for negotiations focused on ending the war that the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on August 15 said has killed 40,005 people in the coastal territory. The Ministry, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties, said the toll included 40 deaths in the previous 24 hours. Events in Bangladesh teach us not to take liberty for granted: CJI Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Independence Day said [events in neighbouring Bangladesh were a clear reminder]( to not take our freedom and liberty for granted. “Independence Day reforges the values enshrined in the Constitution and reminds citizens the duties they owe each other and to the nation”, the Chief Justice said. “What is happening today, say, in Bangladesh is a clear reminder of how precious liberty is for us... It is very easy to take freedom for granted, it is simple to take liberty for granted. But it is important to look to our past [Independence struggle and the Emergency days] to remind ourselves how precious liberty is,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said in his address on the Supreme Court premises after hoisting the National Flag. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Constitution reigned supreme in the Indian democracy. “If this is imbibed by legislature, executive and judiciary, India will be a developed nation,” Mr. Meghwal said. Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior advocate Kapil Sibal recalled the words of first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. “On August 15, he said I am the first servant of people of India. This is the spirit in which we wanted to uphold our freedom. We need to be free, need equality, get rid of poverty,” Mr. Sibal said. In Brief: Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi again to visit Manipur Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha [Rahul Gandhi again requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 to visit violence-hit Manipur]( and impress upon both the central and state governments to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict there at the earliest. Gandhi said he met a group of Manipuri people living in Delhi who shared their heartbreaking struggles since ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state. “As we celebrate Independence Day, let us reflect on the plight of Manipur, where true freedom remains elusive. I urge the Prime Minister once again to visit Manipur and impress upon both the Central and State Governments to work towards a peaceful resolution at the earliest,” the former Congress president said. Probe starts against former Bangladesh PM Hasina, 9 others for genocide, crimes against humanity Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has started an [investigation against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina]( and nine others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 to August 5 during students’ mass movement against her government. A complaint was filed on August 14 with the investigation agency of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal against Hasina, Awami League general secretary and former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and several other prominent figures within the party. Today’s Top Picks [[Watch: Resumption of the Indo-Lanka ferry service] Watch: Resumption of the Indo-Lanka ferry service]( [[Matthew Perry’s assistant among five people charged in ‘Friends’ star’s death] Matthew Perry’s assistant among five people charged in ‘Friends’ star’s death]( [[U.S. vice-presidential candidates Walz, Vance agree to October debate] U.S. vice-presidential candidates Walz, Vance agree to October debate]( [[Elusive consensus: even those backing UCC demand exemption for tribal communities] Elusive consensus: even those backing UCC demand exemption for tribal communities]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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