My views with reference to the recent Vande Mataram song controversy that's being discussed in the Indian Parliament today

Vande Mataram, Bhagwad Gita, how Literature is read, and why the Official Version (of Vande Mataram) should NOT include the names of Gods and Goddesses (My expert opinion as a student of Literature) :

I happen to have bought a mini Bhagwad Gita on Puri Rath Yatra Day 2025 at Khan Market, New Delhi, and placed it on display in my private drawing room in Gurugram (and might present English versions of it to any friends).

The Bhagwad Gita is a long poem WITHIN the Mahabharata, and its messages need not be quoted within the context of the larger Mahabharata story (of which I have a very sardonic view, to say the least, esp from the point of view of women's rights).

Furthermore, a student of literature will tell you that while anything, even the fine print on a medicine bottle, counts as Literature, there are certain ways in which to understand and analyse Literature.

Extracts often go way beyond the intention of the writer, and may be viewed as a piece of writing in itself.

This is how we view the employment of the lines that made it to National Song (by the way, not Anthem) status.

The background of Vande Mataram could therefore be of academic and cultural interest, but those who selected certain lines to make it the national song very deliberately selected only those lines. I agree with them (whoever they were), and not the BJP government that is trying to recontextualize the official usage and force religion down the throats of secular citizens.

We are not America that sings Christian songs at official functions.

We are Secular India.

V. Shruti Devi

My differentiated "macro-views" on the BJP Government's recent attempts at labour law reform (Also on my Twitter/X and Facebook handles today)

 My concerns, broadly speaking, on the BJP government's new set of Labour Laws:

1. I think the onus should be on the government's Essential Services-ensuring role, to make budgetary allocations for certain labour concerns, and to not impose that role and power on the private sector's other processes by making it one of it's incidental by-products as has been the case for some time. My previous reluctance to welcome Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), is a matter of written record. Therefore, while I would not jump into the fray to agitate for such workers' rights to be obtained from their employers, I would definitely hold the government to account if it fails to address the above macro view in a dramatic way in its budgetary planning. My pro bono advice to the BJP-led Union Government would then be to ask them to specify if this is their thinking on the issue. If not, we definitely have a problem on our hands in terms of there being a lack of ideological clarity on the part of all planners. 2. In my humble opinion, it is my view that Collective Bargaining by Labour Unions leaves much to be desired as of today. I think the present government ought to be held to account in terms of what it is doing for individual unorganized workers. 3. My answer to some of the above concerns has been, for some time, the setting up of a central-level legislation, for employment guarantee across the country, not only in rural areas, and for it to include, in it's scheduled list of activities, a number of skilled and unskilled Services, including in the peripheral healthcare sector. 4. I speak for all, but I believe Affirmative Action in the area of unorganized labour in fields such as Domestic Labour needs to be in favour of individual girls and women in the Employers' families, and that one should refrain from populistic and feudal politics by piously speaking for Employees. This would also apply to agricultural labour. I speak as a Social Reformer.

Reports of Taliban's discrimination against women journalists in New Delhi, India, being tolerated by the Modi government!

 11th October, 2025, Andhra Pradesh, India

Sections of the Taliban need to be checked!

The way women are treated is a priority in Indian Foreign policy.

The Constitution of India ensures the right to equality and the right to livelihood.

We cannot allow the Taliban in India's capital, New Delhi, to place unreasonable restrictions on women journalists like they reportedly just did!

We seek immediate clarifications!

How is the Modi Govt. allowing this? Are they not capable of appropriate international diplomacy?

A total red flag, calling for an immediate clamp-down on those who think this is insignificant.

What are the BJP government's alliance partners like the TDP of Andhra saying about this?

- V. Shruti Devi, India

Member, All India Congress Committee, Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Travel logs to follow!

Sharing a link to my post on Twitter/X today...exclusive writings for this blog to follow over the next few weeks, hopefully! - Shruti

https://x.com/ShrutiDevi/status/1937799567619051947

On Twitter today: My point on locus standii w.r.t. checking those attacking India

 10th May, 2025, Gurugram, India

In my humble legal opinion, at least the human beings on the civil airplane that the other side endangered by allowing them to fly after initiating trouble in the skies, would have the locus standii to seek addressal somewhere, even if at a consumer forum of some sort, initially. Obviously, the perpetrators were trying to put my country, which has the right to defend itself, into a Catch 22 situation.

V. Shruti Devi

A special session of Parliament is advisable: My note on social media

 30th April, 2025

I truly hope our government (of India) holds a special session of parliament as soon as possible, where all parties field speakers who make non-political speeches reiterating solidarity with the GOI, and perhaps enunciating each party's precise stand with a view to constructively advising the government and enhancing its work through the forum of our parliament. As an environmental lawyer, I am for maximum possible transparency, esp. in this nuclear-armed region of the world. It is a kind of relief to see that the term Kinetic Action is being used, as Kinetic is to be interpreted as non-nuclear in this context. I sincerely hope that not a single person from civilian populations suffers in the days to come. In my opinion, there ought to be complete clarity, brought about by investigation, regarding exactly who needs to be punished, in order to avoid collateral damage, albeit of people on the other side. V. Shruti Devi Advocate, Supreme Court of India 30th April, 2025, Gurugram, National Capital Region, India

V Shruti Devi attending the AICC Session on 9th April, 2025 at Ahmedabad, Gujarat (A link to a detailed Tweet with photos)

V. Shruti Devi's detailed Tweet with photos, on having attended the AICC Session at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India