Today in History (July 6th, 1901)
On July 6th, 1901 Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangha was born in Kolkata (then Calcutta).
Let’s revise
A) Who is the CM of Jharkhand?
Ans. Hemant Soren
B) Capital of Jharkhand?
Ans. Ranchi
C) Jharkhand was bifurcated from which state and in which year?
Ans. Jharkhand, one of India’s newest states, was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000.
D) Recently S. Jaishankar had meeting with his counterpart from China, who is this person?
Ans. Wang Yi
E) The McMahon Line is a border line between India and ______
Ans. China
F) Which is the only NBFC from India in the mutual evaluation report of FATF 2023-24?
Ans. Mothoot Finance
G) Where is the headquarters of FATF?
Ans. Paris
H) FATF was established in _____
Ans. 1989
I) By which country Taliban has been accepted as the ally in the fight against terrorism?
Ans. Russia
Summary of Today’s News
Spiritual orientation, religious practices and courts
Religious Practices and Legal Perspectives
• Quote from Chief Justice Lathman of Australia: “What is religion to one is superstition to another.”
• Religion central to human society, especially in India.
Case Analysis: P. Navin Kumar (2024)
• Justice G.R. Swaminathan of Madras High Court allowed the practice of angapradakshinam.
• Practice involves rolling over banana leaves used by other devotees.
• Overruled the 2015 order by Justice S. Manikumar.
2015 Order Details
• Petitioner argued practice involved Dalits and non-Brahmins.
• District administration disputed caste discrimination claims.
• Justice Manikumar referenced a Supreme Court order (State of Karnataka vs Adivasi Budakattu Hitarakshana Vedike Karnataka) that stayed a similar ritual.
Justice Swaminathan’s Rationale
• Temple trustees not made parties in 2015, thus not heard.
• No caste discrimination as people from all castes participated.
• Religious practice is part of freedom of religion under Article 25 and right to privacy under Article 21.
Judicial Notice and Essential Practices
• Justice Swaminathan took judicial notice of angapradakshinam as established religious practice.
• Did not question its essentiality or mandatory nature.
• Quoted Krishna Yajur Veda and Bhavishyapurana supporting the practice as noble.
Essential Practices and Constitutional Limits
• Indian Constitution subordinates freedom of religion to other fundamental rights.
• Courts restrict freedom to ‘essential religious practices’.
• Justice Swaminathan’s order revived debate on defining essential practices and judicial consistency.
Historical Judicial Stances on Essential Practices
• Sri Shirur Mutt (1954): Essential parts of religion to be ascertained by doctrines of that religion.
• Durgah Committee, Ajmer (1961): Distinguished between essential practices and superstitious beliefs.
• Gramsabha of Village Battis Shirala (2014): Relied on general Dharmashastra texts over sect-specific texts.
• Mohammed Fasi (1985): Empirical evidence over religious texts.
• Acharya Jagdishwarananda Avadhuta (2004): Ananda Margi faith’s practices overruled based on historical existence.
• M. Ismail Faruqui (1995): Offering prayers essential, but not necessarily in a mosque.
Author’s Perspective
• Judges should not decide theological issues.
• Constitutional values should override even essential religious practices if contrary to constitutional ethos.
• The Constitution of India should govern religious freedoms.
Conclusion
• Personal views advocating for the supremacy of the Constitution over religious practices.
Election results in Britain
• The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has won the recent general election in the U.K. by a significant margin, securing 412 seats in the House of Commons (from 650), while the Conservative Party, led by outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, saw a drastic reduction to 121 seats.
• Despite Labour’s landslide victory in terms of seats, the vote shares indicate a more modest lead with Labour at 35% and Conservatives at 24%. The election also saw gains for the Liberal Democrats and the far-right Reform UK party, which impacted the Conservative vote share.
• Keir Starmer has been appointed the new Prime Minister by King Charles III and has promised urgent work and change for the country after 14 years of Conservative rule.
• Rishi Sunak conceded defeat and congratulated Starmer on his victory, ensuring a peaceful transition of power.
Modi’s Visit to Russia Focused on Bilateral Issues
Visit Details
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia on July 8-9 is purely bilateral, not meant to contrast with the NATO summit in the U.S. on the same dates.
• Modi will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a range of topics including trade, connectivity, space, oil and LNG, defence supplies, and nuclear power cooperation.
Key Topics
• Discussion on the Ukraine conflict and the issue of Indian nationals recruited into the Russian military.
• Addressing trade imbalance: India’s imports from Russia ($60 billion) vs. exports to Russia ($4 billion).
• Efforts to maximize Indian exports to Russia in various sectors to resolve the trade deficit.
• Payment mechanisms between the two countries are currently functioning well despite sanctions.
Events and Ceremonies
• Modi will land in Moscow on Monday, hosted by Putin for dinner.
• Ceremonial welcome and a visit to the tomb of the unknown soldier inside the Kremlin.
• Viewing an exhibition by Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, which operates the Kudankulam nuclear power plants in India.
Broader Context
• The visit is framed within a bilateral context, emphasizing India’s diplomatic stance favoring dialogue and diplomacy regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• The visit aims to strengthen India-Russia relations, focusing on resolving pending issues from the last annual summit in 2021.
