by admin | May 25, 2021 | Opinions
By Amulya Ganguli,
There are three aspects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in parliament — which was probably his most combative in recent times — that deserve attention.
First and foremost is the undeniable fact that he is today by far the most effective speaker in Indian politics. His oratory has the potential, therefore, of carrying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) well ahead of the others.
It is such attributes which can have a seminal impact on events. It may not be inappropriate to mention in this context that but for Hitler’s rousing eloquence, the Nazis would not have become — albeit for a decade — the force that they were in Germany.
However, the success of such declamation lies in a one-sided articulation of a viewpoint devoid of nuances and marked by a blindness to the possible flaws in the presenter’s own case. But more of that later. For the present, it is worth noting the second feature of Modi’s speech, which was an unrelenting focus on the Congress to the exclusion of all other parties.
What this approach emphasised is that despite the Congress’s present weakened condition, it is still perceived by the BJP as a major threat. A corollary to this perception is that the BJP’s dream of a Congress-mukt Bharat or an India without the Congress will not be easy for the party to achieve.
What is more, the Prime Minister’s speech was a pointer to the political reality that at the national level, a virtual two-party system has come into being in India. The two leading parties may have their allies but, notwithstanding the latter’s influences in their local areas, they are no more than appendages to the two main players with little possibility of replacing the two top parties at the Centre.
However, a caveat is necessary at this point. It is that the clout of today’s BJP is entirely due to Modi. There is no one else in the party who can take his place. No one can say with certainty how the BJP will fare if he is dislodged. The present primacy of the two parties is heavily dependent, therefore, on personalities (in the Congress’s case it is the Nehru-Gandhis) rather than on their respective organisations.
The third aspect of Modi’s speech is the stress on the Congress’s — and, as a result, on the country’s — past, since the history of the 132-year-old party is intertwined with Indian history since well before Independence.
As it is, the past played a major role in the BJP’s politics considering that its elevation into the mainstream of Indian political life from the margins was based on raking up the depredations of Muslim invaders in medieval times, including the destruction of temples and the building of mosques in their place such as the one in Ayodhya in 1528 on a site regarded as the birthplace of Lord Ram, venerated by Hindus.
From the 16th century to the 20th was but one step for Modi when he put the onus on the Congress for the partition and all that followed, including the division of Kashmir. Modi’s contention that the division would not have taken place if Vallabhbhai Patel was the Prime Minister in place of Jawaharlal Nehru was no more than a surmise, but what it underlined was the BJP’s current game plan of denigrating at every available opportunity India’s first Prime Minister.
The disparagement of Nehru began in Ram Nath Kovind’s first speech as the President when he omitted the first Prime Minister’s name from the list of those he mentioned, which included Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, the Hindutva brigrade’s latest icon about whom little is known to the average Indian outside the Sangh Parivar.
However, nothing showed the bias of the saffron brotherhood more starkly than Modi’s refusal to credit Nehru with the establishment of democracy in India since, as he said, democratic principles have marked the country’s polity since the time of Lord Buddha.
Even if, for argument’s sake, this point is conceded, it would have been interesting if Modi had dwelt on the teachings of Buddha’s disciple Emperor Asoka about tolerance — “one should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others” — when a BJP MP, Vinay Katiyar, was reiterating M.S. Golwalkar’s diktat about Muslims having no right to live in India when they have carved out of the subcontinent two homelands for themselves — West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Pakistan and Bangladesh.
True, the Congress has much to be ashamed of — dynasticism and corruption being the foremost among them — but for a Prime Minister to be so ahistorical in his outlook as to believe that the Congress’s earlier electoral successes were based solely on the weakness of the opposition and help from the NGOs is odd, to say the least. History is as complex as the reasons for the choice of the people of one party over another.
As a matter of fact, Modi undermined his own case by devoting virtually his entire speech to a party which he thinks should listen to Gandhi’s advice to disband itself.
(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmaill.com)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews, Politics
Sheila Dikshit
By Sarwar Kashani,
New Delhi : Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is not averse to returning to active politics if her party asks her because the time is ripe for the Congress to bounce back as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s credibility has hit “rock bottom” due to the “all-talk, no-action” politics of the BJP government.
But the 80-year-old Congress politician does “not have the confidence” to say if her party can beat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) riding a Modi wave in the 2019 general election.
“I don’t have the confidence to give you the answer on this. The Congress knows it well; its leader (President Rahul Gandhi) knows it well. Rahul is doing as much as he can and as much as is possible,” Dikshit told IANS in reply to a question on the Congress’ chances in the next Lok Sabha elections.
She, however, said if the Congress talked about real issues and didn’t get lured by the BJP’s Hindutva agenda, it can stage a comeback.
“We have to talk about issues, the aspirations of people that the Modi government has failed to address, failed to meet. People are suffering because of rising prices, people find it difficult to buy fuel, there are no jobs, India’s growth is declining… These should be our political planks.
“We have to scrutinise the promises made by the BJP and seek answers from Prime Minister Modi on why he has failed to keep them.”
She said BJP’s Hindutva narrative may no longer be saleable to the electorate of India because “by now they must have understood that Modi is all talk and no action”.
“Modi’s and the BJP’s credibility has hit rock bottom… it is shaken. The BJP has not delivered on its election promises. Mere foreign visits (by the Prime Minister) don’t bring jobs, don’t bring growth. The country has not progressed. In fact, it is on a regressive path. We will have to counter that,” the three-time Delhi Chief Minister said.
Asked if she was ready to return to active politics after she withdrew her nomination as the Congress’ chief ministerial face in last year’s Uttar Pradesh elections, Dikshit said: “I am ready, but am not seeking any role. I am underlining the word seeking. I am ready to take any role if the party asks me to.”
She said she withdrew from the Uttar Pradesh elections only after the Congress allied with the Samajwadi Party much against her wish.
“There was a mismatch. We fought elections with a slogan ’27 saal UP behaal’ (27 years of Uttar Pradesh’s sorry state). It was a reference to the number of years that the state remained in the hands of non-Congress governments, including the Samajwadi Party. However, the alliance contradicted the slogan and I voluntarily announced that I am stepping down.”
About Delhi politics, she said she won’t mind either returning to the capital where incumbent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also failed to keep the promises he made before coming to power.
She, however, regretted how “we underestimated” Kejriwal when he was debutting as a politician in Delhi and thought he won’t make unrealistic promises for contesting elections.
“Kejriwal made promises that he cannot keep because an elected government in Delhi has limited powers. He made promises without understanding the realities of Delhi’s limited statehood and today you see people are realising it. I am not sure if people at the grassroots level have understood it, but I know he (Kejriwal) won’t be able to do much about it.”
Having grown and lived most of her life in Delhi, Dikshit, who is largely credited with transforming the capital during her 15-year rule, said it “of course hurts” to see the city called unsafe for women or the crime capital of India.
She has penned a 175-page autobiography “Citizen Delhi: My Times, My Life” (published by Bloomsbury India), recalling her childhood days cycling around the city in a carefree manner.
“The times were also such that it never occurred to my parents that something could go wrong if we were left largely to our own devices,” she recalls in the book, wishing if only those days of innocence could return and children of Delhi could be safe and carefree.
“Rape was not talked about, at least in our family and in our circle. We didn’t know what it was. In fact, I didn’t know what rape was until after many years of my marriage when I read about it. That was the age of innocence, those were times of innocence,” she said.
(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
By Arul Louis,
New York : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump pledged to strengthen security and economic cooperation and build on the Indo-Pacific partnership, according to the White House.
While discussing on telephone on Thursday bilateral cooperation, they looked forward to the “2+2 Meeting” of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in April, a White House statement said.
“The leaders pledged to continue working together to enhance security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said. “Affirming President Trump’s South Asia strategy, they reiterated their commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s security and stability.”
In their review of the South Asia and Indo-Pacific regions, the statement said: “Both leaders expressed concern about the political crisis in Maldives and the importance of respect for democratic institutions and rule of law.”
On Afghanistan, which was the keystone of the South Asia Strategy announced in August 2017, they reiterated their commitment to back efforts to support the violence-hit nation’s security and stability.
Closer to India, they discussed ways to address the plight of the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and the situation in that country, the statement said.
On North Korea, an issue at the top of US foreign policy priorities, the two leaders discussed further steps to denuclearise Pyongyang.
While China is backing Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen amid a political crisis, New Delhi and Washington share a common perspective and want a return to democracy and an end to the state of Emergency declared by Yameen on Monday.
After the Supreme Court overturned the terrorism conviction of former President Mohamed Nasheed as well as the convictions of eight other politicians on several charges, Yameen clamped the Emergency.
Two of the five Supreme Court judges were arrested by government forces and the other three overturned their unanimous ruling ordering the release of the nine politicians.
As part of his South Asia strategy, Trump wanted India to provide more aid to Afghanistan.
He also put Islamabad on notice for harbouring terrorists, and followed it up last month by withholding security assistance to Pakistan estimated at over $1 billion.
In the Indo-Pacific region, Trump is promoting cooperation between the four democracies – India, the US, Japan and Australia – to be a countervailing force to China.
(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused his attention on the “importance of stress-free examinations” and has called on the young students to “pursue knowledge over marks”. In a new book, “Exam Warriors”, he authored, Modi has set out to provide “a handy guide” for students in India and across the world.
“This book seeks to add to the debate and discourse around the importance of stress-free examinations and the need to pursue knowledge over marks. It aims to be a catalyst that will trigger discussions whose ultimate beneficiaries will be our Exam Warriors. The more we talk about these issues, share our views and experiences and learn from others, the greater will be the chances of ensuring that our children have the fun-filled childhood that they deserve.
“It is our collective duty to ensure that their childhood is not overshadowed by the burden of exams and the constant anxiety of ‘what do I do next,” Modi mentions in the author’s note.
The Prime Minister also mentions that the idea of the book came from the various “Mann Ki Baat” episodes that he did on the subject of school exams. He recalls that many students had written to him, saying that those episodes “helped them immensely in their preparation” and reduced their pre-exam stress.
In the book, Modi presents 25 mantras for young students to fight the exam stress. “I have also written about other aspects, such as why one must always pursue one’s passion, try to discover oneself, and why youngsters must play, travel extensively and devote some time in the service of the society,” he adds.
He has also thanked the parents and guardians for “the crucial role they play” and has sought their “continued support in encouraging our exam warriors”.
Modi ends his Author’s note by welcoming feedback and “more ideas on the questions” that he raises in the book.
The 189-page book carries rich illustrations and is printed on fine paper. The book, published by Penguin India and BlueKraft Digital Foundation, is priced at Rs 100 only. Notably, books of similar length and genre from the same publishing house are priced anywhere between Rs 250 to Rs 400.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, Business Summit, Corporate, Corporate Governance, Emerging Businesses, Events, Investing, News, Politics
Guwahati : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the two-day Global Investment Summit in Guwahati, a first of its kind initiative in the northeast, and said a new terminal being constructed at Guwahati airport would boost the region’s connectivity with Asean countries.
Addressing the event, being held at the Sarusojai Stadium in Guwahati, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness that Bangladesh and Bhutan have opened their consulate offices in Guwahati and said the northeast is at the heart of India’s ‘Act East Policy’.
Modi said the initiatives taken by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for the last three and half years “are becoming evident” and that his government had spent Rs 5,300 crore every year in northeastern states to improve the railway network.
“Rs 4,700 crore was allocated to extend railway connectivity to 15 new destinations. When the Agartala (Tripura)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway connectivity becomes a reality in the near future, the whole region will be benefited,” said Modi.
He said the tagline of the meet – ‘Advantage Assam: India’s expressway to ASEAN’ – is very appropriate and not just a statement but it is a “comprehensive vision”.
“We created the Act East Policy and the Northeast is at the heart of it. The Act East Policy requires increased people to people contact, trade ties and other relations with countries on India’s east, particularly Asean countries,” Modi said.
“Our vision is development of the eastern part of India, as the country’s fast pace of development will only be effective when the people living in the northeast develop,” he said.
Modi said that roads and railways are being constructed at a faster pace in the northeast and electricity is being generated at a similar pace.
The summit, a first of its kind two-day initiative, is expected to see participation of top industrialists of the country including Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani.
The summit is likely to see the participation of over 5,000 delegates from across the world, including Asean countries.
Officials said that over 250 MOUs worth Rs 60,000 crore are expected to be signed on the first day of the summit on Saturday.
Other top industrialists are expected to participate include, Anand Burman (Dabur), Subhash Chandra (Essel Group and ZEE), Amar Abrol (Air Asia India), Rashesh Shah (Edelweiss), Sushil Goenka (Emami Group), Sanjiv Puri (ITC Limited), Harshavardhan Neotia (Ambuja Neotia Cements), and Balakrishan Goenka (Welspun Group). Naresh Trehan (Medanta- The Medicity) and filmmaker Subhash Ghai are also expected to attend.
Business seminars on 12 focus sectors will be held on both the days including Agriculture and Food Processing – Organic Cultivation and Bamboo, Handloom, Textile and Handicrafts, Logistics, River Transport and Port Township, IT and ITeS, Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment, Plastics and Petrochemicals, Power, Tourism, Hospitality and Wellness, Civil Aviation, Petroleum and Natural Gas and Startups Innovation.
“Investments in our promising sectors are key to the economic growth of the state. The objective is also to position Assam as India’s Expressway to Asean. The Summit is based on the core principles of the Act East Policy,” Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said on Saturday.
He said the Government of Assam is fully geared up for its first maiden Global Investors’ Summit. Several Union Ministers including Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Smriti Zubin Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Jitendra Singh, Kiren Rijiju are expected to take part in the proceedings as well.
—IANS
