Here are some controversies which hit headlines everywhere in the year 2018:-
Sabarimala Issue
Image- Reuters
God loves everyone equally. But when the Supreme Court allowed women devotees to enter the
famed Sabarimala temple in Kerala, battle lines were drawn. Both sides -- those who supported
the court's decision and those who resented -- were equally vocal about their stands. One side
argued in favour of the rule of law, gender equality and respect for the judiciary. The other side
cited freedom to follow one's religion and faith as a defence. What followed was a standoff which
continues till today. Protesters clashed with police who were protecting women devotees wanting
to enter the shrine. There were many women who vowed that they would not enter the temple as
long as they are of reproductive age. No comprehensive solution has surfaced so far to end the
logjam.
Padmaavat
Image- Mail Today
The makers of the much-anticipated movie perhaps did not expect situation to escalate so quickly.
In dock was portrayal of Queen Padmavati, played by Deepika Padukone. Several Rajput
organisations launched agitations as they claimed that the movie brings "dishonour" to the
mythical Rajput queen. Posters were burnt, property was destroyed, even threats were made to
Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The furore prompted the filmmakers to
edit 'controversial' scenes. Even a saree-clad Deepika Padukone's midriff had to be 'covered'
using special effects. The movie released on January 25 and crossed the Rs 150-crore mark in
eight days.
CBI vs CBI
This didn't have anything to do with a certain comedy serial but the hashtag reminded everyone
of the hit series nonetheless. For the first time ever, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
conducted raids inside its own headquarters on October 22. As details emerged, it became clear
that raids were part of a feud between CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh
Asthana. The war between the top two officers of India's premier investigative agency spilled out
into the public domain so much that the government had to intervene to do damage control. Both
the officers were sent on leave. An Art of Living workshop was carried out inside CBI
headquarters after a few days.
Ram Mandir
File Photo- PTI
This issue perhaps has a mention in every article covering top controversies for more than two
decades. 2018 was no exception. A clamour for legislation to construct Ram mandir in Ayodhya
grew as the year wore on. Political leaders, personalities like Baba Ramdev and even one of the
litigants in the Babri Masjid case supported bringing in a law to build a Ram mandir in Ayodhya.
That Uttar Pradesh government decided to change the name of Faizabad district to Ayodhya did
nothing to pacify supporters of the legislation. However, there were prominent voices who spoke
in support of a Supreme Court decision to solve the issue. As we welcome the year 2019, no
solution is in sight for the issue that has come to shape Indian politics.
Name changing spree
Image- Reuters
The cliched Shakesperean quote was seemingly taken to heart by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath. Mughalsarai station was renamed as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction,
Allahabad became Prayagraj, Faizabad district became Ayodhya district. Many proposals of
name change were made across the country. One of them included renaming Shimla as Shyamala.
It's only after CM Yogi Adityanath promised to rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar did the pace
of the name changing spree appeared to slow down. Results of assembly elections in five states
including Telangana were declared soon after the controversial statement.
National Register of Citizens (NRC)
Image- Reuters
Assam is only state in the country to have a National Register of Citizens (NRC). The first draft
of NRC was released in December 2017. The first draft identified 1.9 crore people in Assam as
Indian citizens. Assam's population is 3.2 crore. Panic and furore in equal doses rose from those
excluded from the list. Parties like Trinamool Congress warned of social unrest after exclusion of
large number of people from the list. There were demands from within the BJP as well as other
political parties across the country to undertake such an exercise in respective regions. The final
draft of the NRC was released in July this year. The final draft recognised 2.89 crore people as
Indian citizens as opposed to 1.9 crore in the first draft. However, the names of 40 lakh people are
still missing from the NRC.
Aadhaar
Originally meant for the poorer sections of society to help them get government subsidy directly
in their bank account, the Aadhaar card assumed ubiquitous nature after PM Narendra Modi's
push for Digital India. Aadhaar was made mandatory to open bank accounts, new mobile
numbers and many other essential things. It was even directed that Aadhaar should be associated
with PAN number. Some serious privacy concerns were raised.
The attempt to alleviate fears completely backfired on the government. TRAI chairman RS
Sharma posted his Aadhaar number on Twitter and threw an open challenge to "show one
concrete example" of any possible harm by way of accessing his private details.
Several online security researchers and experts claimed to have accesed Sharma's private data
including his address, phone number and photos. Some of this information was made public on
Twitter to underline how a serious security breach can take place if someone knows your Aadhaar
number. Though Sharma insisted that he did not lose the challenge, he advised against revealing
your Aadhaar number publicly.
Triple Talaq
Photo for representation (PTI)
The practice of instant triple talaq has always been scoffed at, rightfully so, for being unfair to
Muslim women. The Supreme Court in 2017 declared that the practice is unconstitutional. The
court had asked Parliament to make a law against triple talaq.
The issue became contentious this year when the Modi government introduced a bill in
Parliament that made instant triple talaq a criminal offence with three-year imprisonment. The
bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha.
Thereafter, the government issued an ordinance in September. A fresh bill was introduced in Lok
Sabha and passed on December 27, even though the Opposition staged a walkout. The bill
however faces hurdles in the Rajya Sabha where the NDA does not have a majority.
The bill came up for discussion on December 31, but House could not discuss it and the House
was adjourned. The Opposition has been demanding that the bill should be sent to a select
committee to deliberate it further.
‘Democracy is in Danger’
Four senior judges of the Supreme Court held a press conference to address what
they perceive as a crisis in the Judiciary in January.(Photo: PTI)
The year started off with an “extraordinary event in the history of any
nation”, as Justice Jasti Chelameswar put it, when four senior judges of
the Supreme Court held a press conference to address what they perceive
as a crisis in the Judiciary.
“With no pleasure we are compelled to take the decision to call a press
conference. The administration of the SC is not in order and many things
which are less than desirable have happened in the last few months,”
Chelameswar said.
He was accompanied by Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph, and
Madan Lokur.
ISRO Hits Century
ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) during a launch in January.(Photo
Courtesy: ISRO)
India on Friday reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch
capabilities as it successfully launched its 100th satellite along with 30
other spacecraft, including weather observation Cartosat -2 series.
This was PSLV’s longest-ever mission.
With the successful launch, including 28 satellites of foreign countries, of
the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO put behind it a rare
failure four months ago.
‘I Am Who I Am, Take Me As I Am’: 377
Scrapped
Celebrations erupted across the country after the Section 377 verdict.(Photo: PTI)
In a landmark judgment, the five -judge bench of the Supreme Court
unanimously, on 6 September, partially struck down the British -era law
which criminalised consensual homosexual sex in India.
While reading his judgment on Section 377 of the IPC, Chief Justice of
India Dipak Misra noted, “I am what I am. So take me as I am. No one
can escape from their individuality”.
‘God’s Own’ Wrath
An elderly man wades through flood water in Kerala.(Photo: AP)
Kerala, often dubbed as ‘God’s own country’, witnessed devastating
floods due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was
the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century.
Nearly 500 people died and about a million were evacuated – mainly
from Chengannur, Pandanad, Edanad, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayiroor,
Ranni, Pandalam, Kuttanad, Aluva, and Chalakudy, N Paravur,
Chendamangalam, Eloor and few places in Vypin Island and in few places
of Palakkad.
About one-sixth of the total population of Kerala had been directly
affected by the floods and related incidents. It was the worst flood in
Kerala after the great flood in 1924.
‘Poetry in My Heart, Sangh in My Soul’
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away in August this year.(Photo:
Twitter/MIBIndia)
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away in August this
year. He was India’s 10th PM, and the country’s first non -Congress PM to
complete a five-year-term.
He served three terms, the first for 13 days in 1996, the second for 13
months from March 1998 to April 1999, and the third for five years from
1999-2004.
Over the course of his political career, he contested different elections to
both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, winning nine and two times
respectively.
Vajpayee was also a writer and a poet, publishing six poetry books.
World’s Highest Tribute
PM Narendra Modi unveiled Sardar Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’ in October.(Photo:
Twitter/PMOIndia)
PM Narendra Modi in October unveiled Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity'
on the banks of the river Narmada in Gujarat's Kevadiya.
Addressing the nation after the inauguration, Modi said that the day will
be remembered in the history of India.
Touted as the world’s tallest statue, the project has been completed in a
record 33 months. The statue has been built using over 70,000 tonnes of
cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel, 6,000 tonnes of structural
steel and 1,700 metric tonnes of bronze.
Also Read : Look at the Statue of Unity – So Bright, It Has No Shadow?
Tragedy in Amritsar
Mass funeral of victims of rail accident were held in Amritsar.(Photo: PTI)
Over 60 people were killed near Amritsar's Joda Phatak on Friday, 19
October, after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto the
railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over
by an incoming train.
It took just about 10-15 seconds for the train to pass, but it left behind a
heap of crushed and dismembered bodies.
The incident sparked massive protests, with various people staging a sit -
in on the tracks and clashing with security personnel.
Also Read : Podcast | What Caused the Amritsar Train Accident?
‘The Other Men in Blue’
India defended their Blind Cricket World Cup title after defeating Pakistan by two
wickets in the final(Photo: Twitter/CABI)
India defended their Blind Cricket World Cup title after defeating
Pakistan by two wickets in the final in Sharjah on Saturday. It was a nail -
biting finish at the end when Pakistan got two wickets in the fin al 11
deliveries.
But, India managed to hold their nerve and got over the line while
chasing a target of 308 runs.
Also Read : BCCI to announce cash prize for Blind World Cup winners:
Rai
‘Ok Google, Show Me #Nickyanka, #DeepVeer
Photos’
The year 2018 will also be remembered for its celebrated celebrity
weddings. They were big, fat and ostentatious destination weddings – be
it that of #DeepVeer, #NickYanka or the Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal
wedding.
But it was Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding, the most searched
wedlock on Google in 2018, that seemed to steal the show.
The two got married in a four -day-long function that took place in Umaid
Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur in the beginning of December. The reception, in
Delhi, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But just before that, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone sealed the
deal amid much fanfare and got married in a traditional Chitrapur
Saraswat-style ceremony on 14 November, followed by the Sindhi Anand
Karaj ceremony on 15 November.
The couple announced their wedding in late October and enforced a strict
no-photos policy at their wedding. They tied the knot at Lake Como in
Italy after dating for six years.
Sonam Kapoor’s wedding to Anand Ahuja in May also deserves a
honourable mention. Kapoor and her long -time beau Ahuja tied the knot
on the morning of 8 May at her aunt’s home in Bandra in a traditional
Sikh ceremony. The reception was held at The Leela in Andheri, Mumbai,
in what was a star-studded night.
Also Read : Top Entertainment News: First Official Pics From
NickYanka Wedding
Mother of all Weddings
Newlyweds Isha Ambani, right, and Anand Piramal sit holding hands in Mumbai,
India.(Photo: AP)
Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s richest mogul, Reliance Industries
Chairman Mukesh Ambani, wed Anand Piramal on 12 December in what
can arguably be described as the ‘mother of all weddings’.
After a lavish pre-wedding bash in Udaipur, which saw everyone from
Beyonce to Bollywood swinging to the Ambanis’ tunes, the grand wedding
took place in Mumbai at the Ambani estate.
After an evening that saw tons of Bollywood celebrities and major
politicians arrive at Antilla for the festivities, the two tied the knot.
Also Read : Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal Wedding Pics: First Images of
Newlyweds
What’s in a Wink?
All about internet’s viral sensation, Priya Prakash Varrier. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)
The ways of the Internet are strange indeed. A young woman who had
only just made her debut in the Malayalam film industry found herself in
unimaginable fame overnight in February this year.
Back then, everyone who has an Internet conne ction heard of Priya
Prakash Varrier from Oru Adaar Love. Her expressions in the
song Manikya Malaraya Poovihave floored netizens, leading to instant
fame on social media.
But just how crazy was this obsession? Priya’s Instagram handle managed
to haul an enormous number of fans almost instantly, gaining millions of
digital fans (6.2 million at last count!).
Also Read : Actor Priya Varrier Most Searched Personality on Google in
2018
Bollowood’s First Female Superstar No More
Last rites of actress Sridevi were performed in Mumbai on 28 February 2018. (Photo:
IANS)
Bollywood actor Sridevi passed away in February this year after a cardiac
arrest.
Her passing away came as a shock to everyone, especially the film
industry and her fans.
Sridevi was Bollywood’s first female superstar. She was effortlessly
expressive and her comic timing was imp eccable. She was one of
those rare actors who could make her audience laugh and cry within a few
seconds of each other.
Also Read : State honours for Sridevi's funeral as lakhs gather to bid
farewell
Sky’s No Limit!
Avani Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter jet solo.(Photo: ANI)
Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi scripted history by becoming the first
Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo, an Indian Air Force official
said on Wednesday 21 February.
She undertook the sortie from the Indian Air Force base in Jamnagar,
Gujarat on 19 February, he said.
She is one of the three in the first batch of female pilots, besides
Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, who were inducted in Indian Air
Force fighter squadron on 18 June, 2016.
Also Read : #GoodNews: Avani Chaturvedi 1st IAF Woman Combat Pilot
to Fly Solo
‘Sun’ Sets on TN Politics
People in large numbers participate in the funeral procession of DMK patriarch and
former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.(Photo: PTI)
The ‘sun’ of the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) and five -time chief
minister of Tamil Nadu, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, passed away on Tuesday,
7 August, at the age of 94, leaving behind a heart -broken state of Tamil
Nadu.
The former Chief Minister’s death was mourned across the country and
the state- with political leaders visiting his residence at Gopalapuram, to
pay their last respects.
There are perhaps no parallels in Indian politics to Karunanidhi’s ability
to endure defeats, enjoy success and survive at the helm of a state’s
polity for over six decades.
Also Read : Karunanidhi Laid to Rest at Marina Beach, Next to Anna
Memorial
‘Hello Frens, Chai Peelo!’
The ‘Chai Peelo’ Aunty went viral on social media.(Photo: YouTube Screengrab)
The ‘Chai Peelo’ Aunty challenged the idea that just sitting around
drinking tea won’t make you famous.
YouTube startups trying to crack the viral code should learn from her.
She was trending for like two months and now no one can write off
‘’housewife aunty-types’’ any more.
See more personalities that went viral this year.
Sea of Red - Farmers’ March
Farmers of All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS) march from Nashik to Mumbai(Photo: PTI)
Over 30,000 farmers marched to Mumbai on 12 March in a ‘sea of red’ to
demand a complete loan waiver and the implementation of the MS
Swaminathanan Commission recommendations to safeguard farmers’
rights.
The march was spearheaded by the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (AIKS), a
peasants’ front of CPI(M) that works for farmers’ rights.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Delhi later in the year as hundreds of
protesting farmers marched towards Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on 29
November, demanding that their issues be raised and resolved.
The rally was organised by All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination
Committee (AIKSCC), in collaboration with more than 200 other farmers’
groups.
Sabarimala, a Quest for Equality
Unprecedented high-voltage drama was inevitable as protests gripped
Sabarimala shrine in Kerala this year.
The protests have Lord Ayyappa devotees on one side, who cite tradition
to oppose a Supreme Court judgment overturning a ban on the entry of
women into the temple.
On the other side, the fight has been spearheaded by women rights
activists, who are determined to visit the shrine and uphold the SC’s
judgment allowing women of all ages to enter.
The SC’s landmark judgment on came on 28 September, and dec lared the
ban on women ages 10-40 entering the temple ‘unconstitutional’ and
‘discriminatory’.
