IN his Independence Day speech this year, the prime minister has made a ‘major’ announcement. It is about the launching of NDHM (National Digital Health Mission). He said, “From today, a major campaign is being launched in which technology will play a big role. The National Digital Health Mission is being launched today. This will bring a new revolution in India’s health sector and it will help reduce problems in getting treatment with the help of technology,” PM has said.

AS we approach our 73rd Independence Day, a new national narrative is being scripted to bequeath to India’s future.  This narrative of a `New India’ suggests that on August 15, 1947, India achieved its independence; on August 5, 2019, with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution; and August 5, 2020, when the Ram temple construction was formally launched by the prime minister is the day of India’s real freedom.

THE people of Jammu and Kashmir had opted to become part of secular India rather than the Muslim Pakistan not simply by virtue of the Instrument of Accession which is the legal basis of the association, but more importantly because of those promises of building a pluralist, secular India in which the people of J&K were to have a very special status and maximum autonomy. Those promises were contained in Article 370 of the Indian constitution and in the constitution of J&K itself.

QUINTESSENCE of human rights is the dignity of the human being.  Universal declaration of human rights adopted by the United Nations(UN) keeps this dignity of humans in focus when it says, “ everyone has the right to work, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection of himself and his family and an existence worthy of human dignity---everyone has the right to standard of living adequate for health and wellbeing for himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.”

THE congruency between the US and India is increasing over the years. Both have strong leaders, who reciprocated ‘very bravely’ to the Covid-19 pandemic: “the virus cannot affect us”; and the results are in front of everyone. India is fast catching up to the US in the total number of Covid affected patients. Thanks to the common genetic material between both the leaders-Trump and Modi: stubbornness and not science is the guiding material.