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Op-Ed JULY 02, 2021 | The Indian Eye 14

Terror from pakistan, vaccines and dissent

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

ith the Taliban vio- to the pandemic are found. Re-
lence surging, the Af- ports of the pandemic, whether
Wghan government and in scientific literature or in pop-
ethno-religious groups are al- ular media, may undoubtedly
ready mobilizing regional mi- be distressing, but even more
litias. While the Afghan pres- so would be turning our faces
ident, Ashraf Ghani, kept his away from our fellow humans
chin up and struck all the right in their suffering. This is as true
notes in his just-concluded visit of developed countries as it is of
to Washington, D.C., the overall developing countries. Unhappi-
atmosphere appeared somber. ness does not occur in a vacuum.
The Afghan entourage, which There is usually a very real, very
included Abdullah Abdullah, evocative context. Our current
head of the country’s High context is the long Covid. Pos-
Council for National Reconcili- itivity and productivity may be
ation, did not ask for delaying or possible in this context, but are
postponing the US troops with- often accompanied by privilege
drawal. The Afghan focus was The drone attack from across the border is a matter of concern and must be recognized as such.”
rightly on securing the material for Indian security (ANI) Debanjan Banerjee and Migita
support needed for the technol- D’Cruz,
ogy-reliant national forces to Enforced vaccination bare their arms because they want The Telegraph

fend off the Taliban. “There’s also human nature to. For my part, I got my jabs as
Unlike Iraq, which had to consider. New research based soon as they became available.” Cinema rules
loads of oil money to finance on surveys in Germany suggests Andreas Kluth, Let’s go back in time and
the counter-insurgency after that a vaccine mandate might The Print review a farcical amendment
the US withdrawal, Afghani- send psychological signals that made by the health ministry of
stan’s meagre resources are al- actually hinder overall compli- Dissent in democracy the previous government which
ready stretched thin. After the ance. People resent being ma- “There has been discussion enforced a rule that a ticker of a
summit, President Joe Biden nipulated, with either carrots about whether such dissent is to statutory warning should run on
pledged to continue the US eco- or sticks, an effect known as be tolerated or not, or if express- the screen whenever a charac-
nomic, military and diplomatic “control aversion.” Coercion ing criticism of how healthcare ter uses tobacco products. This
support to Afghanistan, but his also tends to cause “moral dis- systems or governing bodies are rule made us the only country
own intelligence community engagement,” making people handling the crisis is disloyal or in the world that imposes such
appeared to be hitting the pan- who might have gotten jabbed even anti-national. Based upon an extreme measure that disre-
ic button. In his signature aca- for altruistic reasons tune out. recent verdicts by the Supreme spects the art of cinema. In in-
demic style, Ghani, publicly and Enforced vaccination also Court of India and addresses ternational film festivals, people
privately, rubbished the reports undermines trust between cit- by Justice D. Gupta and Justice laugh while watching our films.
warning of his government’s im- izens and their institutions, as D.Y. Chandrachud, dissent con- I wished that authorities treat-
minent fall but his remark that they wonder why coercion is tinues to fall well within the pur- ed the root of the disease rather
Afghanistan was having its own even necessary and what could view of the constitutional rights than clipping branches.
1861 moment – a reference to be wrong with the jabs. In an of the citizens of India. That Instead of forcing an un-
the start of American Civil War, age of conspiracy theories, feed- said the citizens may express aesthetic and impractical tick-
even though in the context of ing the quackery on the fringes this right to dissent and thus er on the beautiful frame of a
Afghans pledging defense of is the last thing we need in fight- express disapproval of, dissatis- film, make tobacco products so
their republic – was telling. The ing the virus. faction with, and disagreement expensive that they go beyond
last civil war in Afghanistan not The complexities of the de- with governance while grap- the reach of the majority. But,
only devastated that country but bate mean that the choices fac- pling with disease and death is it seems that the tobacco lobby
sent jihadist ripples through- ing policymakers won’t get easi- perhaps, to be expected. In fact, is much stronger than the film
out the region and ultimately er any time soon. Even lovers of the rule of psychosocial and po- guilds of our industry.
around the world. While Paki- freedom, like me, can agree that litical well-being is mutually re- Vishal Bhardwaj,
stan may still want to have its sometimes coercion is necessary spected dissent or agreeing to The Times of India
jihadist cake and eat it too, the to prevent harm. But what’s per- disagree for better solutions.
world can ill-afford to ignore missible needn’t always be wise. That most people with Every week, we look at what
and abandon Afghanistan at Our best shot for now is still to Covid-19 may be asymptom- the top commentators in the
this critical juncture.” keep rooting for science, to stay atic or recover uneventfully is Indian media are talking about
Mohammad Taqi, ruthlessly transparent with the true. It is, however, of very little and bring to you a slice of their
opinions and comments.
The Wire data, and to hope that people comfort until lasting solutions

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