BackFrom surgical strikes to demonetisation, PM Modi grabbed headlines this year
In other news, Donald Trump's surprise victory in the US presidential elections, rift within the Samajwadi Party, Ratan Tata-Cyrus Mistry spat too made an impact
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New Delhi: For most part of the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dominated headlines this year whether it was surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan or his decision to demonetise the old Rs500, Rs1,000 currency notes.
Here is a random list of events that kept us riveted through the year:
• Demonetisation: The biggest surprise of the year came on 8 November when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announced his government’s decision to demonetise the old Rs500, Rs1,000 currency notes. While the jury is still out whether the Modi government has achieved its purported economic objectives from demonetisation, the ruling regimes’ political stake will be put to test early next year with assembly elections in key states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
• Surgical Strikes: In a press briefing on 29 September, the army declared that it had carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir to target terrorists waiting at multiple launch pads to cross over into India. The surgical strikes occurred reportedly between midnight and 4.30am and Army para commandos attacked seven terrorists’ launch pads two kilometer across the LoC. Each launch pad is estimated to have had 30 to 40 terrorists and the Army said there were massive casualties of terrorists and their handlers.
• 19th Islamabad Saarc Conference: India’s decision to not attend the 19th Saarc summit in Islamabad triggered Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan to boycott it over concerns of Pakistan’s support to terrorism and meddling in internal affairs of other countries.
• US Presidential debates:The process for the election of 45th US president will remain etched in public memory for a long time both for being the most acrimonious and bitterly fought election and the stunning upset pulled off by Republican nominee Donald Trump over media-favourite Democrat Hillary Clinton. During the year-long election process, Trump spared no one from his tirades and took it to new low in the three-rounds of presidential debates.
• Samajwadi Party Mahabharat: Uttar Pradesh’s first family in politics since post-Mandal era has attracted publicity for all the wrong reasons in the last one year with several rounds of ugly verbal spats between chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle and party president Shivpal Yadav. While an ageing Mulayam Singh Yadav has been able to thwart a split in the party, the fragile peace between uncle-nephew may not hold up should the party lose the upcoming legislative polls.
• Ratan Tata vs Cyrus Mistry: The 24 October boardroom coup against Cyrus Mistry and his subsequent removal from the Tata Group along with bitter, public spat that followed has hit the image of one of India’s most respected corporate houses. The corporate infighting in the group has contributed to nearly a $10 billion decline in the market value of Tata’s many listed companies.
• Cauvery water Crisis: The more than a century old Cauvery water sharing dispute flared up once again after the Supreme Court directed the release of the Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu triggering wide protests and violence by Karnataka farmers.
• Triple Talaq – All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board’s (AIMWPLB) decision to file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on triple talaq, and talaq given over email, SMS or by post to be declared invalid veered into a polarizing debate exposing India’s socio-political-legal divide. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) passed a resolution favouring triple talaq and alleging the government of interfering into the personal laws of Muslims. In a recent judgment, the Allahabad High Court’s declared the practice of triple talaq among Muslims unconstitutional and said no personal law board is above the Constitution.
• JNU Sedition case – One of India’s premier university Jawaharlal Nehru University and its student union president Kanhaiya Kumar grabbed national attention for being slapped with sedition case on alleged protests against the hanging of Afzal Guru and shouting anti-India slogans. They were eventually let off due to lack of evidence.
• Samsung Note 7 fiasco: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was to take on the Apple’s iPhone 7 and Google’s Pixel. After some handsets from the initial run as well as in the replacement phones caught fire, Samsung initiated what could be the biggest ever recall in electronics industry.
• Google Pixel launched: Google abandoned its Nexus line of handsets and replaced them with the Pixels – a product what the company claims will offer a pure android experience with Google taking over hardware manufacturing role as well. With Samsung Galaxy Note 7 yanked out, it remains to be seen where the Pixel can overtake the iPhone.
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