by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews, Muslim World
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
Tehran : The US is addicted to applying sanctions on Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told CNN in an exclusive interview.
“I believe there is a disease in the US and that is the addiction to sanctions,” he told CNN on Sunday from Tehran.
“Even during the (former President Barack) Obama administration, the US put more emphasis on keeping the sanctions it had not lifted rather than implementing its obligation on the sanctions it lifted.”
The interview is the first Zarif, the key architect of the complex nuclear deal between Iran and the West, gave to Western media since some of the US sanctions against Tehran were renewed last week.
The US-educated minister gave the interview in English on the 65th anniversary of a Washington-backed coup that overthrew democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
Zarif retained a clear belief during the hour-long interview that the nuclear deal could be revived regardless of President Donald Trump’s administration’s denunciation of it.
In May, Trump withdrew from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and intended to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief, calling it a “horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made”.
The first wave of sanctions that were to “snap back” under the administration’s move hit the import of car parts and precious metals on August 6.
Zarif expressed his dismay that the US has not learned that sanctions were ineffective in changing the political climate in Iran.
“We felt that the US had learned that at least as far as Iran is concerned, sanctions do produce economic hardship but do not produce the political outcomes that they intended them to produce, and I thought that the Americans had learned that lesson. Unfortunately I was wrong,” the Minister told CNN.
He said that the same ’50s thinking embodied the current US approach.
“I think the US administration still believes that it is working with the government it installed in Iran after the 1953 coup,” he said, adding “As they say, they have to wake up and smell the coffee.”
For much of the interview, Zarif appeared to dismiss the possibility of future talks with the Trump administration and maintain the hope the deal can be revived.
“We do not want to revisit that nuclear deal… We want the US to implement that nuclear deal. Today the closest US allies are resisting those sanctions. The US basically arm-twisting — its attempt to put pressure. I don’t want to use the term bullying … (but) that’s what it amounts to.”
Additional sanctions are due to hit Tehran in November against the Iranian oil industry, which accounts for a fifth of the country’s GDP.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Entrepreneurship, Interviews, Startup Basics, Success Stories, Women Entrepreneur
Greek-American journalist-entrepreneur Arianna Huffington
By Vishnu Makhijani,
New Delhi : Greek-American journalist-entrepreneur Arianna Huffington raised many an eyebrow worldwide when she stepped down as editor-in-chief of the US web portal that bears her name to focus on a wellness start-up she says draws much from Indian traditions and practices.
“India has long held a special place in my heart, from the time I went to study comparative religion at Visva-Bharati University (Santiniketan). India faces many challenges with stress and burnout — employees in Mumbai work 64 hours per week on average, the most in the world, and 80 per cent of working professionals in India feel stressed at work — but it also has many of its own solutions,” Huffington told IANS in an email interview.
Because of her attraction to things Indian, she decided to open the first overseas operation of her start-up here.
“Its ancient wisdom and spiritual traditions, in addition to traditional Indian practices like yoga and meditation, have been validated by modern science and form the basis for many of Thrive Global’s tools and strategies,” Huffington said.
To this end, the start-up’s conducted workshops and master classes at companies in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and will be launching a media platform in October.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Though that shouldn’t be too surprising, since so many of the principles that can help us lead a thriving life in today’s distracted digital age are actually grounded in the ancient wisdom that’s deeply rooted in India’s history and culture,” Huffington, who in 2009, was #12 in Forbes’s first-ever list of the Most Influential Women In Media, said.
She’s had a flourishing career in politics and journalism. What prompted her to change stride and launch Thrive Global?
“I’ve always been interested in the principles that are now the foundation of Thrive Global, but I didn’t always live them. For me, that process really began in 2007 when I collapsed from exhaustion and lack of sleep. Afterwards, as I went from doctor to doctor to find out if there was any underlying medical problem, I had a chance to ask myself a lot of questions about the kind of life I was living — like, was this the life I wanted? Is this really what success looks like?”
That prompted changes to the way she was living and working.
“I learned about the connection between well-being and productivity, and wrote two books — ‘Thrive’ and ‘The Sleep Revolution’ — on the topic. And as I went around the world speaking about them, I saw how deeply people want to change their lives. And the reaction was the same all over the world,” she said.
“There was this huge demand not just for change, but for support in making that change, for a focused and targeted response. So, I wanted to go beyond just speaking out and raising awareness — I felt the need to turn this passion into something real and tangible that would begin to help people change their daily lives and change the culture around them to support those changes. And so, I founded Thrive Global,” Huffington explained.
Expanding on the India connect, Marcus Ranney, who heads the company’s operations in this country, said India’s ancient wisdom and spiritual traditions “are now at the center of a global conversation” about what it means to live a good life.
“The truth and power of India’s centuries-old traditions are being increasingly and conclusively validated by modern science. What these studies show about the connection between well-being and performance is enough to convince even the most sceptical and secular societies to embrace the knowledge embedded in Indian culture for centuries: The power of meditation, yoga, contemplation and compassion to change our lives and our world,” he said in his email to IANS.
(Vishnu Makhijani can be contacted at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Commodities, Commodities News, Commodity Market, Interviews, Investing
Tudor Ullanovschi
By Aroonim Bhuyan,
New Delhi : The East European nation of Moldova is wooing Indian investors in the areas of textiles, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and IT among others as it is set to open an embassy in this country in 2019, 28 years after attaining independence following the dissolution of the USSR.
“This year I took the decision of opening three new embassies from the beginning of next year – in Argentina, in Ghana and, of course, number one in India,” Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ullanovschi told IANS in an exclusive interview here.
Ullanovschi, who assumed office in January this year, is the first Moldovan Foreign Minister to visit India after the country came into being in 1991.
“We have a strong interest in increasing our trade balance,” he said. “At this point we have 30-plus million euros (around $34 million/over Rs 2 billion) of bilateral trade.”
Stating that Moldova imports much more from India than it exports, he said both countries have agreed to synchronise the certification of food and agricultural products.
“Moldova has organic fruits and vegetables. We have very good quality apples, plums, walnuts, and other types of fruits as also sunflower oil, grains, cereals,” he said.
“So the export of Moldovan agricultural products is a priority that we have.”
Ullanovschi also said that Indian producers can use the “extremely high quality” agricultural land in his country.
He said that Moldova invites Indian companies to explore its market because of the advantageous position it is in.
Moldova has free trade agreements with the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Turkey.
“Now we are discussing a free trade agreement with EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries – Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland,” the Foreign Minister said.
“The Moldovan government provides extraordinary fiscal incentives for investments. If a company invests more than $1 million in a free economic zone in Moldova, it does not have to pay taxes for three years.”
Ullanovschi said that he would like to send a message Indian companies, be it in textiles or pharmaceuticals, involved in production activities to come to Moldova.
“In September, we are going to send a delegation of 10-12 textile business people of Moldova to India to see what are the benefits of cooperation to either buy yarn or fabric from India,” he said.
He also said that of the around 300 Indians living in Moldova, over 280 are students of the Moldova State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the country’s capital Chisinau.
He said that another area of interest for both Moldova and India is the IT and ICT sector.
“Moldova is among the top 10 countries with the fastest internet speed in the world,” Ullanovschi said.
Stating that his country has a unique tax system for the IT sector, he said: “If a foreign company invests in the IT sector in Moldova, there is only one tax of 7 per cent. You invest and you will have a successful business in the IT sector.”
Ullanovschi said that both Moldova and India have nearly finalised a memorandum of understanding on setting up ICT knowledge centres in both countries.
He also said that his country is interested in an economic and trade agreement as also a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement with India.
He stressed on a visa agreement between Moldova and India as Indians need an invitation from Moldova to visit that country now.
“We have to remove the barriers between our countries, so people can travel freely for tourism to flourish,” Ullanovschi said.
In this connection, he said that his country is also interested in signing an air services agreement with India.
“The Republic of Moldova is a member of the European Common Aviation Area and there is no limit in the number of flights from Moldova to the EU,” he said.
“One idea could be to sign an inter-airline or code-share agreement between the Moldovan airlines and Indian air operators.”
Stating that there was 35 per cent increase in the number of Indian tourists to Spain after Indian films were shot in that country, the Moldovan Minister invited Bollywood to explore his country.
With Moldova being one of the top wine exporters in the world, another point of interest for Indian tourists, Ullaovschi said, will be the 200-km-long underground wine cellar in his country, which figures in Guinness World Records for being the world’s largest.
For Moldovans, an area of interest in India is medical tourism.
“We are thinking of vacation packages that will include consulting doctors in India and then going on vacation to places like Goa,” Ullanovschi said.
(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews
Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini
By Archana Sharma,
Jaipur : He is a farmer who comes from a very simple background; he loves ploughing his fields and has been travelling by a state roadways bus from Jaipur to Sikar, his hometown. In Sikar, he wakes up at 4 a.m. to finish his household chores, like washing clothes, on his own.
When this humble man was picked as the Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief on June 30, it literally sent shock waves in the state as there were several prominent names in the fray. However, BJP president Amit Shah finally picked Madan Lal Saini.
Soon after his appointment, there were whispers that Saini was being made a fall guy by the BJP sensing defeat in the assembly elections later this year. Even Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot commented that Saini has been made a “sacrificial lamb” and was given a task which no one was willing to take up in the face of what many term as imminent defeat.
However, unaffected by all such claims, Saini, told IANS in an interview: “I am not here to become a sacrificial lamb. I am here to wipe out the opposition. In fact, time shall prove who has become a sacrificial lamb in the coming elections.”
The BJP had appeared more like a headless party for over two months after its president Ashok Parnami resigned on April 16.
Between April 16 and June 30, the names of proposed candidates were being exchanged between leaders in Delhi and Jaipur. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited Delhi frequently to select the right candidate for the coveted post.
Meanwhile, with Saini’s appointment, things seem to be stablising as he has swung into action sensing the criticality of his position. He is busy forming his own team, strategising and charting a way forward for the BJP.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit to Jaipur, had words of praise for Saini.
“I have worked with Madan Lal Saini-ji. I have also done many organisational tours with him,” he said, adding that Saini had tremendous knowledge of organisational matters.
On his part, Saini said: “Modiji took me back to the days when I was rendering my services to BJP’s Kisaan Morcha as national general secretary. At that time, Modiji was BJP’s national general secretary. We both shared the same headquarters in the same building; Modiji also shared a Sangh background and so did I. As we had the same association’s backing, ideology and thoughts… we often used to meet during tea time.”
“Thereafter, I became the Rajasthan in-charge for the Sardar Patel Sangrahan Samiti and Modiji was Gujarat Chief Minister in those days. He often used to discuss the progress of pending tasks with me. At that time, neither did I think of him becoming the Prime Minister nor did I dream of becoming the party president of Rajasthan,” Saini said.
“But then, this is how our party works; we promote our grassroots leaders to reach the top if they work with sincerity, honesty and dedication,” he added.
Interestingly, during Modi’s visit in Jaipur on July 7, Saini was standing a little behind the other leaders. Observing this, Modi indicated to him to take step forward and shook hands with him.
Saini said he was confident of attaining the 180-plus target set by the BJP in the coming elections to the 200-member house, in which it currently has 160 seats. Reminded of the recent losses during bypolls in Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh, he retorted: “Have you seen a tiger? Before attacking his prey, he takes two steps back and then takes a leap forward. So is the case with the BJP. We went two steps back only to invigorate ourselves to take a big leap and wipe out the opposition.”
Speaking about the infighting in the BJP cadre on caste lines, he said this was also true of the opposition Congress, with three chief ministerial candidates — Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot and C.P. Joshi — in the fray.
“They are busy portraying themselves as CM candidates. We have resolved all our crises,” Saini added.
Asked about party workers’ claims that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje still had an attitude and portrays herself as a queen, Saini countered: “I have seen Vasundhara-ji visiting rural areas to redress the grievances of people. Had she been a queen, she could have assigned the task to any of her party members. But she herself is taking the lead, which is the task of the leader.”
On the lynching cases in Alwar and Bharatpur, he said people should learn to respect the religious sentiments of different communities. “This is the only way we can retain communal harmony in the nation.”
“In fact, we should work to ensure our country has a strong presence on the global map. As we discuss America’s viewpoint on significant developments of the world, we want the world to discuss India’s viewpoint on crucial subjects in the coming days and the party is working to accomplish this aim,” Saini said.
(Archana Sharma can be contacted at archana.s@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews
By Nivedita,
New Delhi : Talented Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu, who turned 31 on Wednesday, says her forthcoming film “Mulk” presents “true patriotism and nationalism” and those who are having problems with it need to have an open mind.
“True patriotism and nationalism have been presented in this film, and if anyone has a problem with it, then their idea is probably diluted and they are not open-minded (enough) to see the point from the other side as well. Whoever has a problem with it… the problem lies within their minds,” Taapsee told IANS in an e-mail interview.
“I feel it’s better we have an open mindset to see what exactly we are trying to say. In ‘Mulk’, we have not criticised any community, and neither have we said any community is good or bad. We have just shown the true picture and left it to the audience to make the choice,” she added.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film tells the story of a Muslim family trying to reclaim its lost honour. Releasing on Friday, the film also stars Rishi Kapoor, Prateik Babbar, Rajat Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana and Neena Gupta.
Asked how the film could contribute to changing people’s mindsets, Taapsee said her intention was not to preach.
“There has been a lot of prejudice around beliefs about communities and religion, (and also) caste, for that matter. In this film, we deal with those prejudices and how they are wrong and how this conditioning has been done to our minds over all these years and to the benefit of certain people.
“Over the years, we have been conditioned that certain communities need to be looked upon in a certain typical way. So I think we need to question the logic behind it. ‘Mulk’ is going to question that logic — and where did it start and why did it start and the need to change it immediately,” said the actress who has been roped in as the brand ambassador of NoMarks and will be seen in brand’s latest TVC campaign which focuses on the #CheherePeSirfShaanNoNishaan philosophy.
She said that, with “Mulk”, they are not providing any solutions, but only hoping for discussions to begin.
“We are hoping that, after this film, people will discuss this issue amongst themselves, talk about these questions, ask each other these questions and eventually try to find a solution. It’s only you and me who can make a difference — and no third person can help us out,” she said.
Keeping in mind the criticism that some filmmakers are facing, the big question is about creative freedom in cinema nowadays.
Taapsee said: “Cinema is a form of art and like every other art form, cinema also needs freedom of expression.”
“It does come with a sense of responsibility… but when we try to do that, it should get support from the media and the public because we are trying to raise social issues that are prevailing in our society right now and that needs certain consideration and help.
“That’s why cinema needs to be given a certain sense of freedom, so the director and writer can portray what they actually feel. And then it is up to you if you really want to watch it. It’s a democratic country and people can do what they want to do.”
After her powerful performance in “Pink” and “Naam Shabana”, “Mulk” promises to add more feathers to her filmography.
“With every movie, I am trying in my own little way to do whatever I can to change the way female characters have been presented and how an actress that comes from a family outside the industry is making an impact. All this is slowly getting noticed and my ultimate goal is to get that faith and trust from my audience.”
(Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)
—IANS
