With parliamentary elections in India only a few days away, the ruling party is bent on enacting a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and imposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This is seen as a strategy to benefit the party in the upcoming elections. While the very idea of UCC contradicts India’s diverse and plural social fabric, the CAA is discriminatory on religious grounds. The ruling party’s hidden rationale behind imposing CAA is to disenfranchise millions whom they think would vote against them. It is noteworthy that although CAA is presumed to be against Muslims at large, it is a political miscalculation that will encompass multitudes of tribal communities across India, the economically disadvantaged sections of the society and the people living in several disaster-prone areas. Above all, the CAA poses a grave threat to women in India across communities, caste and class, as the Indian women are demographically least likely to possess any document of their existence due to their illiteracy and the prevalent gender disparity in society.

It is about time that the ruling party shuns divisive ideology and realises that it’s now critical to adapt pluralism and promote an environment of mutual respect and cooperation among different communities of India. If India has to continue on the path of development, policies that uplift all sections of society are the need of the hour. This alone will ensure inclusive economic growth and the country’s overall development.

As April comes with many days to commemorate, Aura has myriad topics for its readers to explore and get inspired. From arts and science to culture and technology, Aura covers issues of interest for people from different walks of life. World Health Day is covered with emphasis on the importance of oral health, the significance of sports activities and the menace of sleep deprivation. World Autism Day is discussed with the know-how of integrating persons with autism as valued members of their families and societies. Aura also discusses the dangers of fake news and suggests tools to fact-check them efficiently. These and the engrossing regular columns await our readers in April.

The month of Ramadan is striding to its culmination, spreading the essence of unity, spirituality and steadfastness everywhere. Eid ul Fitr is about to arrive, bringing a sense of gratitude and accomplishment among the believers who have just experienced the bliss of the holy month of Ramadan. As Palestine remains oppressed and Gaza violently suffocated, let us remember to exercise the spirit of empathy and compassion that Eid ul Fitr teaches us and let us not forget to keep raising our voices against the atrocities.

May peace prevail everywhere. Aura wishes its readers and admirers a blessed and joyful Eid ul Fitr.