NLIU Manthan

08/05/2021

NLIU Manthan stands in solidarity with the people who have bravely spoken up, and those who are courageously fighting silent battles. More power to all of you.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for any help you may need.

01/04/2021

𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐔𝐒: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐔 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐘

Dear All,

The NLIU Manthan Centre for Knowledge and Policy Discussion is glad to announce its new initiative, 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗨 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆.

NLIU Manthan believes that every place of education should be free from any social discrimination, in whichever form it might manifest. With this firm belief in mind, the Cell has resolved to undertake 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗨 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 with the aim of making our University more inclusive and accessible while understanding and eradicating any barriers in realisation of this true achievement of equality.

This initiative shall commence with a panel discussion in collaboration with 𝗡𝗟𝗦 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗖 on how caste differences and discrimination manifests itself on campus with eminent personalities working in this field enlightening and guiding us on the issue.

Subsequently, NLIU Manthan shall conduct 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 highlighting the various existing issues as well as a way forward into the future to eliminate these differences and discrimination.

It is our conviction to bring about this much needed change that drives us in this endeavour. We also invite members of the student community who wish to volunteer for being a part of this exercise to submit their names to the undersigned. It is our belief that together, we can make our campus truly equal as per the ideals of our constitution.

𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘆𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗮, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗿
9167090370
𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹, 𝗖𝗼-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗿
9993097170
𝗞𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗹, 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆
8920183954

22/12/2020

It gives us great pleasure to announce that the session on Kashmir, titled 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗿: 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, which had to be rescheduled due to certain unforeseen circumstances, will be held 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗶.𝗲., 𝟮𝟯 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝗮𝘁 𝟱 𝗣𝗠. We look forward to an enthusiastic participation! Please do join in for an invigorating session.

We welcome new registrations as well! However, please note, that those who have registered earlier, needn't register afresh. Kindly click on the link below to register, and send in your questions, if any (only for fresh registrations):

https://forms.gle/XmSuLxiqk8y84dTd8

16/12/2020

𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘

𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

Given below is a summary of the third Manthan session on the farm laws, their implications, and the farmer protests. Special thanks to Harshali Sulebhavikar and Priyam Indurkhya for preparing the same.

The discussion started with one of the participants giving a brief background on the provisions of the Bills, including the aims and objectives of the Bill as well as apparent areas of concern.

Then, the discussion proceeded to the topic of the participants’ views on the Bill and its implications.

The consensus between the participants was that the agricultural system is plagued by many structural and procedural issues, and reforms are necessary. However, the disagreement was whether the current bill is a step in the right direction or not.

The discussion ranged from the provisions regarding Mandi system, Minimum Support Price to contract farming.

Concerning contract farming, the unequal bargaining power between the farmers and the private corporations was highlighted. Here, one participant highlighted that the provisions make mention of certain standard clauses to give a safety cover to the farmers. Another participant pointed out that the benefits of contract farming will not reach small and marginalized farmers.

Questions were also raised on whether the bills were passed in the right manner or not. The chair disallowed the division as asked by the opposition members and proceeded with a voice vote. Some of the participants argued that this was against the parliamentary code and ethics while others thought that it was the discretion of the chair and it was as per the rules.

Initially, there was a consensus that the bills intend to promote reforms; the issue was that of implementation and general concerns related to that. The intention behind the introduction of the Bills was not questioned. But at a later stage, after considering the way the bill was passed without any consultation with the opposition or the farmers, and the collective readings of the three bills and their interrelated implications, some of the participants questioned the very intent of the Government. It was also pointed out that these bills do not introduce any new provisions per se, but instead shift the degree of control from the state to the central government.

On the question of whether the Bills should be completely repealed or not, the participants were divided in their opinion. While some argued that this isn't a black and white situation and that treating it as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question goes against the spirit of negotiations, others argued that repealing the bill would be the right step.
One participant pointed out that with the repealing of the Bill, the discussion would be widened to include other issues that plague the agricultural set-up in India. However, if the Bill is not repealed, the discussion and negotiation would be limited to the provisions of the Bill only. In contrast, another participant opined that if the Bill was repealed, it could derail the momentum for implementation of agricultural reforms because of bureaucratic delays. A third participant suggested that this could be avoided by setting a time-limit for negotiations.

The participants arrived at the following solutions after much discussion and deliberation –

• A more federal approach should be adopted. This could be done by referring to the Draft APMC Rules, 2007 where the provisions and reforms are similar to the ones right now. However, under the Rules, more power was given to the Marketing Committees which were under the state government.

• Legislative backup to the MSP instead of merely written assurance.

• Promotion of Farmer Co-operatives will ensure that the interests of small farmers are not compromised while contracting with the big corporate players.

• Promoting and strengthening the standard contracts to ensure that the private players add certain provisions that are in sync with farmers’ interests.

• More structural reforms such as an updated way of calculating the MSP, which includes the capital expenditure of the farmers, among other things.

• Maharashtra model can be taken as a reference wherein both private Mandis and APMCs co-exist.

• Linking MSP with global food prices can be thought of, if not done straightaway.

12/12/2020

For a better understanding of the farm bills and the farmers' protest, please refer to the following readings:

1. This article talks about why the farmers are staging protests against the new farm laws even as the government maintains that the laws will reform the agricultural sector and remove middlemen. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/why-punjab-haryana-farmers-are-more-apprehensive-about-new-agri-laws/articleshow/79600639.cms

2. This article further elaborates on the concerns of the farmers and explains how the government can negotiate. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/farmers-big-concern-and-what-govt-could-negotiate-7073291/

3. This clarifies some important aspects of the stand-off between the farmers and the government: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/four-key-aspects-of-the-farmers-protest/story-UKuhPOVY7N3nAs1OZXBU0L.html

4. In this article, the authors argue that the farm bills, contrary to popular opinion, shall bring about some much-needed structural reforms and modernize the agricultural sector. https://thedailyguardian.com/beyond-political-sloganeering-actual-benefits-of-new-farm-bills/

5. These articles list the amendments proposed by the government to the protesting farmers. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-send-proposal-to-farmer-unions-list-of-7-amendments-proposed-in-it/story-QUFaCCaH3jHWP8f8qLgGhJ.html
https://thewire.in/agriculture/full-text-the-governments-proposals-to-protesting-farmers

6. In this article, the author argues that the government should aim at a fair settlement and fulfill the promises made to the farmers rather than attempt a political compromise. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/grain-and-chaff-the-hindu-editorial-on-dilli-chalo-farmer-protests-against-new-agriculture-laws/article33302466.ece/amp/

India Business News: The farmers protesting against the new farm laws have expressed their apprehension that the new farm laws will eliminate the safety cushion of MSP and

09/12/2020

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹

The NLIU Centre for Knowledge and Policy Discussion (Manthan) is happy to announce that the following first years have been inducted into Manthan for the Academic Year 2020-21:

1. Ronak Lodha
2. Priyam Indurkhya
3. Harshali Sulebhavikar

We congratulate all the newly inducted members and look forward to working with them!

07/12/2020

Dear first years,

Manthan would like to thank each candidate who participated in the Induction Test conducted by Manthan with such enthusiasm. We received some really great answers, and it was a difficult task shortlisting candidates for the interview as each of you had performed exceedingly well. However, after much deliberation, the Executive Council has shortlisted the following candidates for interviews (in no particular order):

1. Astha Jain
2. Harshali Sulebhavikar
3. Mahak Saxena
4. Pranav Sharma
5. Priyam Indurkhya
6. Ronak Lodha
7. Vaishnavi Salimath

The interviews shall be conducted at 5:00 pm tomorrow via zoom call. We congratulate all the candidates who made it to the next round.

Manthan hopes that this enthusiasm and passion for discussion continuously grows in the batch and we are excited to see you all at our next event!!

30/10/2020

𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗨 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 is pleased to announce that we are hosting our first guest lecture this week!

The lecture is titled "𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗿: 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗔𝗿𝘁, 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲", and the speaker is 𝗠𝗿. 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗵𝗮𝘁.

Mr. Bhat is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate in Public Policy at the University of Oxford. His doctoral research focuses on 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘄.

Before his DPhil, Sameer read for the MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy at the University of Oxford and for the Master of Public Policy on the Rhodes Scholarship. Prior to Oxford, he obtained an undergraduate degree in law from Gujarat National Law University. He is currently the Chief Editor for Oxford Transitional Justice Research, and his research interests include international law, constitutional law, human rights and counterinsurgency policies.

The lecture shall be held on 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗶.𝗲., 𝟭 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬, 𝗮𝘁 𝟯:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠.

Please use the Google form given below to register for the session as well as to send in your questions, if any!

https://forms.gle/XmSuLxiqk8y84dTd8

Looking forward to your participation!

27/09/2020

𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐘.

Given below is a summary of the second Manthan session. Special thanks to Vidhi Saxena for preparing the same.

The discussion began with participants identifying the functions of the media as a watchdog or a second opposition in a large democracy like ours where the media should report not only what is happening but also what is not happening so that the general public can participate more conscientiously and form opinions on the basis of reliable information. The role of the media is not limited solely to reporting news but also to be a voice for the deliberately silenced.

Participants then questioned if the quality of news has suffered in recent times after the tragic death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. One participant said that there is a race among media houses to report issues first accompanied by a tendency to dwell on stories that are sensational. As a result, the media takes up issues without doing a background check.

Participants also discussed how the press needs to be more introspective of their content especially when it comes to reporting issues related to su***de and mental health, considering their sensitivity and vulnerability among masses to get affected by such news.

We then touched upon the advent of adventurism in media due to its commercialisation in 1990 which led to an exponential growth in media platforms and a hunt for TRPs which has caused a stiff competition among media houses, especially post the Arushi murder case in 2008 when a parallel media trial received more public attention than a fair trial by the Judiciary. Some participants held the view that it is the general public that demands such content for their entertainment by responding to such dramatization.

Later, we discussed the extent of control by the government and the Judiciary and concluded that lately the media is not exactly ‘independent’ even if it wishes to be owing to the lack of access to authoritative sources, pressures from political or religious groups, death threats, defamation allegations, etc. This was evident when the Supreme Court’s injunction on the UPSC Jihaad show on Sudharshan TV led to an intervention from various religious groups. To further this point, participants cited the horrible consequences faced by Gauri Lankesh and Rana Ayyub in being fiercely independent in their profession.

Some participants were of the opinion that the government plays a major role in filtering the news before it gets disseminated. While on the one hand, the government has made regulations and norms of journalistic conduct to promote media standards and ensure that the media follows certain ethics given its cascading effect on the society and the individuals and institutions concerned, this power is also misused when the media tries to portray the failures of the government. This is evident in Nagaland where the army threatens the local media if it tries to present alternate facts. Participants also discussed the use of sedition laws by the government, and added that in such cases, the onus lies on the Judiciary to dismiss cases involving baseless allegations.

We then focused on the influence of social media in spreading misinformation, seen especially in recent times when people are being brainwashed through platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, resulting in the increase in polarisation of opinions. This has a lot of AI and big data involved. It was pointed out that good journalism comes with a cost which is why reliance on paid subscription features like New York Times Paywalls has increased.

Lastly, we tried to think of possible solutions, some of which are listed below:

• Since we are on the verge of entering the ‘Age of Misinformation’, it is upon us to rely on authoritative sources. We can promote good journalism by making small contributions such as donations, subscriptions, etc.

• There is no requirement of any additional law but proactiveness on the part of the judiciary is expected.

• Promotion of entities such as the Facebook Oversight Board in making content moderation decisions.

• Balance between regulation and access to news should not be curbed.

• There is a need for greater scrutiny on the standards of journalism and the conduct of media houses.

• Media houses need to self-regulate more because their function is not to decide a matter but to report it.

• We are still a 'maturing democracy', so all institutions, including the general public, need to be more mindful in ensuring that their actions do not have a negative impact.

20/09/2020

SOCH: Manthan Discussion Series

The second discussion under the Soch series will be held on the topic, ‘The Media and its Responsibility as the Fourth Pillar of Democracy’.

Date & Time: 21 September 2020, 5.30 PM.

Kindly register for the session at https://forms.gle/TbkdhUMpVqJeuXE78

For a better understanding of the issue, following are some recommended readings.

1. Full Text Of Ravish Kumar's Speech At Magsaysay Awards Lecture Series: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ndtv-ravish-kumar-delivers-ramon-magsaysay-award-2019-public-lecture-full-text-2096432

2. Read what the law says in the ongoing media trial in the Sushant Singh Rajput case: https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/08/31/sushant-singh-rajput-case-what-does-the-law-say-about-the-ongoing-media-trial

3. In this 2010 article, Madabhushi Sridhar, Coordinator, NALSAR Centre for Media Law and Public Policy writes about how the investigation in the Arushi murder case raises disturbing questions about the role of the police and media. http://asu.thehoot.org/media-watch/media-practice/maligned-by-police-and-media-4750

4. Twelve years after the deplorable treatment of the Aarushi Talwar murder case, journalism is at its lowest ebb again. https://thewire.in/media/rhea-chakraborty-sushant-singh-rajput-aarushi-talwar-media-trial

Looking forward to your participation!

28/08/2020

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐕: 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

Lastly, to highlight the plight of the victims and survivors of the Kunan Poshpora Mass R**e incident, I would like to add here a quote by a Kashmiri, taken from the book "Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora"–

“To begin with, my only question is to ask the people of this country how on earth can a r**e be justified”. The scariest night that still haunts the entire village when talked about, a tragic night of 1991, a group of soldiers and officers of the Indian army stormed into two villages in Kashmir, seeking out militants assumed to be hiding there. Incensed at the villagers’ refusal to share any information, soldiers pulled residents from their homes, torturing men and ra**ng women. According to village accounts, as many as thirty-one women were r**ed. The Indian army initially carried out cursory investigations before shelving the case without explanation. Kunan and Poshpora have since become known as the villages of r**ed women, and their residents have found it difficult to escape this stigma. The inhuman treatment of the forces which destroyed the integrity, jeopardized the values and the most costly ornament that Kashmiri women wear with pride, i.e. their shyness and the pride they take in their values and healthy boundaries. All was over for once and all. Imagine the entire battalion still walks free as if nothing had happened or its their duty to teach innocents a lesson.
My reality, though, remained gloomy. My name hadn't been cleared and my family life was in shambles. Who would host a ra**st? With nowhere to go, I would sleep on the pavement outside the High Court crying for Justice. It broke my heart to see the ones responsible for my condition walk free with their heads held high. All I wanted was Justice not for me but for my children who have not been able to come out of this everlasting circle of pain and misery.. I wanted justice because I am Kunan – Poshpora, don’t forget me because I am in pain.