by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews, News, Politics
Shatrughan Sinha
By Subhash K. Jha,
Mumbai : Veteran actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who is a part of the “non-political” platform Rashtra Manch — aimed at raising issues concerning the Narendra Modi government — says he feels free now as he felt “stifled” by the stepson like treatment by the BJP.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. It’s party time. When and how did the Rashtra Manch happen?
A. It was an idea floating in some of our restless heads for a while. You know how hard it is for me to keep a secret (laughs). Special mention must be made of individuals like Ghanshyam Tiwari and K.C. Singh who made this possible. But I had to keep the plans under wraps until we actually launched the Rashtra Manch. And now here we are.
Q. How does it feel?
A. To have a forum, a platform where I can express myself and most importantly, be able to work towards bettering the country, is extremely liberating. I can’t tell you how free I feel. Khuli hawaa mein saans lene ka mazaa hi kuch aur hai (the thrill of breathing in the open air is something else).
Q. But your parent party the BJP never stopped you from speaking?
A. They never allowed me to do anything other than speak. I seemed to serve no purpose beyond being an outspoken member of my parent party. I felt my parent party was giving me the treatment given to a stepson. Quite honestly I felt stifled. Yashwant Sinhaji is someone I’ve respected and been associated with for a long time. When he came up with this idea of a non-political forum, I was completely for it. You see, we are not a breakaway party. We are not rebelling from our parent party. We are not fence crossers.
Q. So what is the purpose of the Rashtra Manch?
A. Let me first tell you what is not its purpose. We are not fighting any election in the Rashtra Manch. So in that sense we are not a political party. Our motive for coming together is to bring real change and reform in the social order. I am not just talking about lip service. But real changes.
Q. Like what?
A. Like addressing the financial issues, looking into the needs of the poor. We will be addressing farmers’ suicide, unemployment, internal security and external security. I feel too much attention is being focused on irrelevant issues to digress attention from actual problems. A case in point is the “Padmaavat” controversy. It was highly unnecessary and totally uncalled for.
Q. Would you be allowed to address real issues?
A. Why would we not be allowed? Doesn’t our honourable Prime Minister, the country’s biggest and strongest action hero Narendra Modiji want changes and reform to happen? We’ve floated this party to strengthen his hands, just as Jaiprakash Narain and V.P. Singh had floated a party while being a part of the RSS.
Q. Are you confident that your new party would be able to make a difference?
A. We have our hearts and goals in the right place. We have like-minded people in the party. Political optimists like Pavan Varma, Dinesh Tiwary, Renuka Chowdhary, Som Pal are with us. We feel empowered and hopeful.
Q. But the Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao has accused you and Yashwant Sinha of crossing all limits?
A. Iss saagar (ocean) may kitni gehrayee hai yeh toh sabko maloom hai (Everyone knows how deep this ocean runs).
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews
Chutintorn Gongsakdi
By Aroonim Bhuyan,
New Delhi : As New Delhi continues to push for better connectivity with Southeast Asia through the northeast under its Act East Policy, Thailand’s Ambassador to India Chutintorn Gongsakdi has said that “soft connectivity” is the key to India-ASEAN ties.
Commenting on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, work on which is under way, Chutintorn said that construction on the Thailand side has been completed and “we are waiting for India to finish road construction in Myanmar”.
“But what is more important is that when the road is finished, we have to be prepared on the customs, immigration and quarantine aspects because we cannot have roads and then people getting stuck at the border,” he told IANS in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a Thai food festival in the capital.
“So, we are interested in what we call the ‘soft connectivity’, the software for the people, the rules and regulations. Now we are negotiating the motor vehicle agreement.”
According to the Indian External Affairs Ministry, the highway connecting Moreh in the northeastern state of Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand is set to be completed in 2019.
Explaining why customs, immigration and quarantine comprise the difficult part of connectivity, Chutintorn said: “When we had a road going up to China through Laos, at one of the summits, the Prime Minister of Laos said that it cannot be that it takes five hours to get from one country to the next and then you have another five hours of customs, immigration and quarantine. So, we have to make sure that this does not happen. It has to be seamless and smooth.”
His comments come as New Delhi prepares to host on January 25 a commemorative summit to mark the 25th anniversary of the India-Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Dialogue Partnership and ahead of Thailand taking over from Vietnam later this year as country coordinator for India with the regional bloc.
Thai Prime Minister Prayur Chan-o-cha will be among all 10 ASEAN leaders who will be participating in the January 25 summit before attending the Republic Day celebrations the next day as guests of honour.
The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Asked what would be the priorities for Thailand when it takes over as the country coordinator for India, Chutintorn said that it was too early to say but “at least we know we will continue with ASEAN-India priorities”.
“Things like connectivity, maritime security, economic integration and especially connectivity link through the northeast,” he said. “But also emphasising on maritime and air connectivity because only one dimension is not enough. We need air, sea and land.”
Asked about India-Thailand bilateral economic ties, the Ambassador said: “We can do more because India-ASEAN trade is over $70 billion and with Thailand it is just over $8 billion, which is just over a tenth. It can be more.”
In this connection, he stressed on the need to conclude the India-Thailand free trade agreement (FTA) and also Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The RCEP is a proposed FTA between the 10 ASEAN member states and the six countries with which ASEAN has FTAs — Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
On the India-Thailand FTA, Chutintorn said: “I think we need to sit down and have a talk about what we can do for each other because there is often the perception that Thailand is the only one benefiting from the early harvest of our FTA. This is because we had a surplus every year.”
Stating that Thailand has no intention of blocking or not entertaining Indian service trade, he said that there is also a benefit to be had from India opening up to Thai products and services.
“We believe that a good agreement is one where we both can gain,” the Ambassador stated.
On Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s proposal for ASEAN countries open consulates in Guwahati, Chutintorn said that it is not feasible at the moment.
“To be honest, we are not rich countries and to do that, it’s not a political act, it’s also an economic act,” he said. “To open an embassy or consulate general is a big financial commitment.”
Chutintorn said the problem with India’s northeastern region for industries to be located is that the size of the population of the state has to be looked at.
He said what would be most feasible would be for the northeast to engage in border trade with Myanmar once the Trilateral Highway is completed.
“In Thailand, we make so much money from border trade with Malaysia, with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. That is what is going to make the Northeast region prosperous. And also, of course, tourism and agriculture,” the Ambassador opined.
(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews
Swati Maliwal
By Somrita Ghosh,
New Delhi : Swati Maliwal, who will complete her term as chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in the next five months, has said that not enough has been done to put an end to rapes in the national capital.
“We have done a lot of work for the cause of women and we have data to prove that. But if you ask me what is DCW’s contribution in effectively reducing or stopping rapes in the national capital, it is probably a question that at times even I ask myself. When I hear about rape cases of minor girls, I question our contribution,” Maliwal told IANS in an interview.
According to NCRB data, Delhi reported 13,803 cases of crime against women and has the maximum number of rape cases — 1,996 — in 2016.
“We need to create deterrents in the capital. People don’t feel scared because they think they can get away after committing a crime. And this has been happening. Compared to the cases registered, very few end in conviction. We need to have faster judiciary, more police strength and more forensic labs,” she added.
Maliwal, 33, was appointed the DCW chief in 2015 after the Aam Aadmi Party came to power that year. Her appointment raised questions and was looked upon as a political move.
“The Delhi government had the guts to appoint an activist to the post of chairperson. We got a lot of support from the state, there is no doubt about that. But this is because they have a vision of a woman’s panel which functions democratically,” she contended.
She pointed out that DCW has issued more notices to the state government than the Delhi Police in the last three years.
In 2016, Maliwal was dragged to court after the Anti-Corruption Branch filed an FIR on irregularities in the appointments she had made in the DCW — but she stoutly defended her actions. She is out on bail in the case.
“I alone cannot handle so many cases. When I was appointed, there were only 30 staffers and major infrastructural gaps. The earlier committee had done nothing. Cases were pending and I needed people, I needed to build a team. The appointments happened according to the procedure. There are many in the committee who are from different political parties. Anyone who is willing to actually contribute and work for DCW is welcome,” she noted.
Maliwal’s first priority on her appointment was to rescue the sex workers from the GB Road area of central Delhi and rehabilitate them. Although the DCW has been successful in rescuing many minor sex workers, she is now planning a pilot project to bring them back into society.
“There are many sex workers who want to come out of the situation but they don’t have any other option; they have lost hope of an alternative livelihood. We need to think big for the effective reformation of the sex workers of GB Road. It’s a sensitive topic and we need to do this holistically. Even if you teach them, it should be ensured that the person’s past is completely erased,” she stated.
Maliwal also expressed concern over the rising cases of children and women being trafficked in the national capital and lamented the lack of support from the Centre for the DCW’s activities.
“There is only silence in response to our requests, whether it is about women being trafficked, rape cases, deploying more police for ensuring safety and the utilisaion of the Nirbhaya Fund. I have met the Home Minister, have written several letters — but there has been no response. It’s unfortunate,” she said.
Asked why the central government had not bothered to reply to the DCW, Maliwal said this “may be” due to the differences between the state and the Centre.
“I don’t want to get into the politics of the situation. I don’t think that should be the case — but it can be one of the reasons,” she said.
On her plans if she gets another term, Maliwal said that she is not concerned one way or the other, adding it was for the Delhi government to take a call.
“I am not expecting anything. I live in the moment. My priorities will be the same — which have been already set. Three years is much too less a time to bring about major changes because it takes time to understand how a system works. Whether I am there or not, I will set the system in a way that the work will go on,” Maliwal concluded.
(Somrita Ghosh can be contacted at somrita.g@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance, Interviews
Government’s Chief Statistician T.C.A. Anant
By Vishav,
New Delhi : Government’s Chief Statistician T.C.A. Anant has no worries that the government may breach the fiscal deficit target of 3.2 per cent of the GDP for the current fiscal. In fact, he feels revenue would be buoyant by year-end and that the targeted deficit would be bridged.
“It’s bad accounting to compare the fiscal deficit reaching 96 per cent of the target in October (compared to 79 per cent last year). They are not taking into account a significant policy initiative that the government has taken this year — the preponement of the Budget,” Chief Statistician T.C.A. Anant told IANS in an interview.
He said it was a conscious policy reform and the surprise about its impact on fiscal deficit was “befuddling” because the move had led to expenditure profile shifting towards the beginning of the year with revenue profile remaining the same.
“This is something anyone could have predicted when we decided to prepone the budget. That, come October, we are going to get a higher fiscal deficit picture,” Anant said.
India’s budgetary fiscal deficit for the first seven months of 2017-18 stood at 96.1 per cent — Rs 5.25 lakh crore — of the full year’s target of Rs 5.46 lakh crore, as per the data furnished by the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGA).
“The Budget preponement was done largely with a view to permit government expenditure to start from April 1… The purpose was to shift the time-profile of the government expenditure to increase the expenditure in the earlier quarters — front-loading.”
“To a certain extent, that has succeeded. Because if you look at the share of government expenditure as a percentage of budget expenditure which was done in the first six months — it is higher this time than the share of expenditure to budget expenditure of last time,” the Chief Statistician said.
However, the revenue profile has remained pretty much the same, he added.
“Just these two phenomena would lead you to get what you should get: A higher deficit this time than you got last year. Remember, the revenue profile also has the bulk of the revenue coming in the last quarter.
“So if the budgetary estimates remain on line, then there is nothing to worry about. Since revenues come in during the last quarter, what you really need to look at is how does it work out in the full year,” he pointed out.
Anant added the reason for the conscious decision to advance the Budget this year dates back to almost a decade when there were a series of reports on expenditure management recommending the same.
These expenditure management commissions had said there was a tendency to bunch government expenditure in the last quarter, which was criticised for a variety of reasons.
“The argument was the quality of expenditure is inferior when you bunch it in the last quarter. Largely what happens is that you are into exhausting the budget, so you spend it on whatever you can spend it on, rather than what you should be spending it on,” Anant said.
“Also, from the viewpoint of capital formation and investment-related things, when you begin expenditure on a project late, the risk of the project getting held up is higher because the budgetary approval will lapse… So the whole work will be held up until the amount gets reauthorised,” he said.
Anant added that the budget schedule was a detriment to front-loading because the formal authorisation was often not made available till some time in June, which used to create a handicap because, by that time, the monsoons used to set in and some activities could not be initiated.
“So all of this was a conscious choice as to why you would wanted to bring the budget date a little ahead so you could begin the expenditure on April 1,” he said.
(Vishav can be contacted at vishav@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews
Chief Statistician T.C.A. Anant
By Vishav & Biswajit Choudhary,
New Delhi : The factors responsible for a five-quarter slump in the growth rate, including the adverse effects of demonetisation and GST implementation, have played out and the Indian economy is now poised to take an upward trajectory in the coming quarters, says the government’s Chief Statistician.
He also feels that concerns over slow agricultural growth and inflation were “over-blown” and that the current fiscal would “certainly end with inflation below four per cent”.
Although refusing to forecast the GDP growth rate for the complete fiscal, Chief Statistician T.C.A. Anant says the likely direction was going to be upward.
“If one considers the factors which led to a decline in GDP till the fourth quarter of the last fiscal and the first quarter this fiscal, it would be possible to argue that those factors have worked their way out and we should, therefore, see an improvement in growth,” Anant told IANS in an interview.
The first factor, Anant said, had to do with global commodity prices. These had crashed in 2014-15, resulting in lower input costs that boosted growth rates in 2014-15 and 2015-16. But once the commodity prices recovered they pulled down growth rates, as reflected in the slowdown in the last five quarters.
“Now, the general reading of market experts is that they are likely to stay at this level. If that expectation is maintained, then on this ground, I don’t expect to see any further changes or influence (on GDP calculation) from this source,” he said.
Last week, the CSO released the nation’s GDP for the quarter ending September, which showed a break in the slump of the five quarters, a rise in the manufacturing sector’s output and the economy poised to take an upward path in the coming quarters.
Anant added that there were also several domestic factors at play, including the crisis in the real-estate sector which saw very rapid growth in the high-growth period, and somewhat linked to it, the non-performing assets (NPA) situation.
“The government sought to address this problem through creating a new governance regime for the real estate sector. This regime is now in place and its adoption is under process. In so far as the real estate sector is concerned, the expectation is that as and when the adoption process becomes more complete, we will expect to see a revival in the sector,” he explained.
Regarding the NPA crisis, “which is causing a certain degree of drag in so far as private investment is concerned”, Anant said the process of creation of NPAs, or assets which turned bad, was now over to a certain extent and the economy was in the phase of trying to resolve the issue.
“In addition, during 2016-17, there were short-run effects caused by currency replacement where old notes were de-notified and a replacement process was put in place which led to a temporary shortage of cash. That cash replacement was pretty much complete before the end of the fourth quarter of last year.”
“The fourth major structural change which influenced the decline in growth rate up to the first quarter was the fact that the government decided to introduce the GST. This also created a natural disruption, particularly in manufacturing companies which were faced with the difficulty of the treatment of goods produced prior to GST and were, in their judgment, supposed to be sold after GST came in,” Anant elaborated.
He said this uncertainty led manufacturing companies to first pull down production and then get rid of inventories, all of which came to an end on July 1.
“If you look at all of these events as causation to the declining story which we see in place from the last five quarters, given the sort of responses which have been put in place to them, the belief is that you should now see an upward trajectory.”
“All of these have, so to speak, played out. Or at least the negative elements of these have played out. Their positive elements are still being played out. So if you put all of that together, the likely direction is going to be upward… The growth should improve. But how much is very hard to quantify,” Anant said.
Though the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) adopted a neutral stance on the policy rates earlier this week citing pressure on prices as one of the main reasons, Anant dismissed the concern over inflation.
“We are at a much lower level of inflation than we have ever been any time in the past… In fact, my judgment personally would be that we are going to end the financial year certainly below four per cent.
“The reason why I expect inflation to fall is because one of the factors which has led to prices rising in the last couple of months is food and we are now in the seasonal part where food prices tend to traditionally soften. So chances are that you would probably see the overall effect, even if it rises a bit, would not exceed four per cent. That’s my judgment,” Anant said.
On the slowdown in agricultural growth, the Chief Statistician said while there was a concern, it was over-blown. While there still is considerable dependence on the monsoon, agriculture had become a lot more robust, he said.
“In fact, if you look at our data, our output figures show much less volatility than moisture data, or monsoon data.
“This year’s production relative to last year is slightly lower. But if you look at it in a long-term perspective, this year’s production is substantially better than not just the previous two years — which you can say were drought years — but (also in terms of a) long time series, it is better than the best which was achieved any time in the past, even four or five years ago, when you had very good monsoon,” Anant said.
(Vishav can be contacted at vishav@ians.in and Biswajit Choudhury at biswajit.c@ians.in )
—IANS
