News Bench June 2014 Issue English by News Bench

JUNE 2014

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CONSPIRACY!

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THE ENTRENCHED SYCOPHANTS DID’NT WANT TO REFORM THE PARTY... THEY FOUND RAHUL A THREAT AND CONSPIRED TO DEFEAT AND DEFAME HIM

HOW THE INDIAN VOTER FINALLY SAW THROUGH THE CYNICAL GAMES OF POLITICAL PARTIES

WHO KILLED

SECULARISM?

VOL-1, ISSUE -1

Editor in Chief: Kushal Dev Rathi Editor: Anil Pandey Consulting Editor: Neeraj Kumar Sharma Managing Editor: Megha Sahni Rathi Executive Editor: Gaurav Rathi Associate Editors: Sujit Chakraborty, Sadashiv Tripathi, Mayank Singh, Shubhra Singh Associate Editor (Life Style): Jyoti Raghavan Associate Editor (Real Estate): Rahul Chaudhary Assistant Editor: Vikas Kumar Deputy News Editor: Ravi Prakash Maurya Special Correspondents: Sanjay Kumar Jha, Avinash Mishra (Lucknow), Sanjay Upadhayay (Patna) Correspondents: Narendra Yadav, Ranjeet Pandey Special Investigative Team: Abhishek Kumar Chief Copy Editor: Vikas Chaudhary Senior Copy Editor: Ravi Joshi (Web) Copy Editors: Vaishali Khulbe, Anant Kumar Das Photography Team Consulting Photo Editor: Rangnath Tiwari Photographer: Hariom Sharma Designing Team Senior Designers: Rajendra Singh Negi, Lalit Bisht Operations AGM Operations: Aarti Gambhir Sales & Marketing Business Head: Sushil Arora Manager: Suhas Dutt Circulation Head: Bhupendra Singh Bisht Executive: Chandan, Vinod, Patras, Amar Singh Yadav, Arun Singh Legal Legal Advisor: RAGHAV LAW MAX Owned, Printed & Published by: Kushal Dev Rathi 27/29/14 B, Near Karan Gali, Pandav Road, Shahdara, Delhi-110032 Published From: M P Printers, B-220 Phase-2, Noida-201301 Uttar Pradesh Editor: Anil Pandey (Responsible for the selection of News under PRB act) (All disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of Delhi courts only.) Editorial Office: G-22, Sec-3, Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Pin code 201301 Contact: 0120-2518800

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58 WHEN VAJPAYEE REFUSED TO ACCEPT BHARAT RATNA In1999, after Atal Bihari Vajpayee became PM for the third time, some suggested he be awarded the Bharat Ratna, but he stubbornly refused...

“MODI CAN BE INDIAN PM FOR A LONG TIME”

Ashley Tellis, a top US foreign affairs advisor, writes exclusively for News Bench on the portents of Modi's win and says he can stay PM for long

DIAL 10 FOR RECONSTRUCTION The United Progressive Alliance has left the country’s economy in a shambles. But there is a new buoyancy, with BJP forming a stable government

OLD DAGGERS DRAWN FOR YOUNG RAHUL

The Old Guard in the Congress resisted the organisational reforms Rahul Gandhi wanted actively conspiring to ensure he loses and is humiliated

RNI NO. DELENG18740

SOCIAL MEDIA: PASSAGE TO VICTORY IN 2019! The 2014 polls offered a peek into the power of the social media... 2019 will show the digital generation impact elections like never before

CHANGING UP'S FACE

Akhilesh's model of developing Uttar Pradesh has the potential to transform the social realities of the state, his various schemes changing the face of UP

FORMER FARMLAND NOW ZONE OF LEARNING Noida and Greater Noida are fast developing into an education hub. Students not just from other states but from other countries are flocking

INCREDIBLE NEW YORK The city is always in a hurry, but there is an organised thing about the chaos that first puzzles and then mesmerises the foreign tourists

66 Cover Desigin By Lalit Bisht

NEWS BENCH

JUNE 2014

A few words of gratitude!

hen you begin an exciting new journey, it is no - and it might offend top media professionals - but they must doubt important to focus on the destination. share some blame for the trust deficit, dislike and prejudice But perhaps even more important is to that we have been forced to witness in recent times. pay heed to the signals and symbols of One of the main reasons for us launching News Bench was encouragement from well wishers who give both directions to make a modest attempt at restoring the basic principles and and advice. At News Bench, we consider ourselves enormously values of journalism. I have stated in the inaugural issue quite fortunate that the beginning of our exciting new journey categorically that generating profits is not the reason for News coincides with the beginning of an exciting new journey for Bench. The blessings of the Almighty have given us ample this great country India. Fresh beginnings always come with resources, and if money were the issue, we could have invested tidings of hope. At News Bench, we welcome and salute these in the equity of an existing publication or media by using our tidings of hope and optimism. As a new government begins financial resources in a strategic manner. But we really want a new inning in Delhi, we too, in our own modest way, start to make a new beginning and to make a difference. I dream giving momentum to our new inning. of the day when we see credibility fully restored in media, and In our inaugural issue, I had clearly laid down the mission when journalism once again truly becomes the fourth pillar and vision of News Bench. We had of our wonderful democracy. been noticing over the years that I take this opportunity to express journalism was getting divorced from heartfelt congratulations and thanks to TOP INDIAN MEDIA its core principles. I strongly believe the dynamic young professional team of PROFESSIONALS MUST that the main role of the media is to News Bench that worked tirelessly and SHARE THE BLAME FOR provide information and analysis in overcame all obstacles or being out a an unbiased and objective manner. wonderful inaugural issue that reflects THE TRUST DEFICIT, Unfortunately, large sections of Indian my core vision. More importantly, I take EVEN DISLIKE, THAT HAS media, either in the quest for profits this opportunity to express my gratitude BUILT UP BETWEEN THE or in search of political power and to our readers who have overwhelmed FOURTH ESTATE AND patronage, digressed. us with their valuable feedback. THE PEOPLE Keen followers of media in this It is a matter of pride for us to get so country must have noticed how it many letters, Emails and text messages had succumbed to the temptation praising our effort and helping us with of becoming an active participant, rather than impartial useful suggestions and advice. I am also grateful beyond observer, in an electoral war. People I respect have pointed words to other stakeholders and supporters including out how the faith of ordinary citizens was getting shaken by advertisers who have helped this new effort at idealism in this the praxis by large sections of the media. For quite some time, age of cynicism. All of us at News Bench are committed to instead of supporting each other and acting as collaborators, serving you even more passionately and implementing your the mainstream media and social media have been openly suggestions and advice. critical of each other. This is not healthy, either for the media Friends, this is indeed the age of new technology and new or for the future of Indian democracy. It is no doubt good for media. As News Bench moves ahead in this journey, I promise institutions of democracy to have differences of opinion. But fresh innovations based in new media practices through it is very dangerous when institutions start doubting the basic News Bench. I request you to keep guiding and helping usintentions and credibility of each other. I am sorry to say this with suggestions, praise and criticism.

Kushal Dev Rathi Editor-in-Chief

NEWS BENCH

JUNE 2014

Why The Elite Fears and Detests Modi

here is no need really for me to repeat what you have already read dozens of times since the Lok Sabha election results were announced on May 16. Irrespective of the statistical spin that analysts are throwing up, it is enough to accept that the election results are historic. The vast majority of Indians, including citizens who did not vote for him, have accepted Narendra Modi. But there is one section and class of Indians who refuses to accept this simple fact, and to accept reality. This class of people is like those Americans who refuse to accept Barrack Obama as their President. They thrive on fear and prejudice. And there are three reasons why the rise of Modi has put the fear of God in this class of Indians. On the day of swearing in of the Modi cabinet, one English news channel devoted a lot of time and energy to point how how the presence of Sadhvi Rithambara and many other Hindu religious leaders was a bad omen. When Modi allotted the important HRD portfolio to first time Minister Smriti Irani, some Congress leaders ridiculed the decision asked how a 12th pass TV artiste can run such an important ministry. These people can be called the lost orphans of the so called Nehruvian Consensus. Basically, these rootless people hate religion and religiosity and do not speak openly against Muslim religious practices because it would hurt their "secular" image. They are also offensively elitist and talk derisively about HMT. In case you didn't know, HMT stands for Hindi Medium Types. The unprecedented rise of Modi is correctly perceived as an existential threat by this class of parasitical elitists. People familiar with Hindi must be aware of a derogatory term called "Angrez ke aulad". The rise of Modi in a way represents the revenge of Bharat against the Angrez ke aulad of India. This group of elitists was not so openly hostile to the previous BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee because he had made a kind of peace with them and himself belonged to the "Delhi Establishment". Modi belongs to a different breed altogether. The second very important signal sent by the rise of Modi is the simple fact that it means Indian democracy is becoming

genuinely mature. This class of Indians keeps shouting from rooftops that Modi is authoritarian and his ascent to power is a threat to democracy. They are talking nonsense. The fact is that the BJP is arguably the most democratic party in the country. In 1946, a majority of Congress workers and leaders wanted Sardar Patel to be the first prime minister of India. It was because Mahatma Gandhi insisted that Nehru became PM. Since then, apart from a brief tenure of Lal Bahadur Shashtri, the Congress party has been the personal fiefdom of the Nehru Gandhi dynasty. Even in the BJP, many Delhi centric elitist leaders were vehemently opposed to the idea of Modi becoming the leader of the BJP. It was only overwhelming pressure from ordinary workers that they were forced to make Modi their leader. The third and most tantalising THOSE WHO CALL message sent by the rise of Modi MODI AUTHORITARIAN is the possibility REFUSE TO ACCEPT of aspirational THE FACT THAT HE politics becoming HAS BECOME THE more important LEADER THAT HE IS than identity BECAUSE OF POPULAR politics. In India, GRASSROOTS SUPPORT as elsewhere in the world, people do vote on the basis of ethnic and religious identities. The rise of so many regional leaders in India in the last three decades is testimony to that. But the rise of Modi does indicate that 21st century Indians, particularly the young ones give more importance to jobs, roads and electricity than their caste or religion. If this trend can solidify in the future, it would be good for Indian democracy. Meanwhile, the elitists will keep peddling fear and prejudice. But they fail to understand something that Nehru might have said: India is rediscovering itself.

Anil Pandey Editor

NEWS BENCH

JUNE 2014

DROPBOX

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SMOOTH, EXCELLENT CONTENT! I have read the Inaugural Edition of News Bench and decided to subscribe for three years straight away. This is because from the selection of the newsprint to the choice of stories, writing style and everything else, it seemed to me that from the owners to the rest of the team, everyone is serious about bringing out a high class magazine. It is not as if they decided to somehow bring out just another magazine and make a mockery of the media. They are serious, and I appreciate that they are putting in their money and sparing no expense, from reporting, writing, printing to circulating it. I am sure that if you continue in the same manner, you will soon be in the competitive range of magazines like India Today, Outlook or Tehelka. My hearty thanks to you. Hasibur Rehman, N-168, Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi

• REFRESHING CHANGE

• DIFFERENT ANALYSIS

I found your magazine at the Laxmi Book Stall. He first issue itself gave some excellent stuff. The cover story on Modi’s Real Enemies gave some interesting insights to the ongoing political developments. This kind of incisive writing at a time when the entire country was going through the pangs of the polls was exciting, and I finished reading the reports in one go. The other stories too were very interesting, especially Left Being Left Behind. In the crowd of magazines, all saying the same thing, News Bench is a refreshing change. Keep it up. I shall await the next edition. Mithilesh Yadav Phulpur, Allahabad

I read the Inaugural Issue of News Bench and really appreciated the cover story, Modi’s Real Enemies. Must say that over the past decade or so, the entire media, newspapers, magazines and news channels have been lambasting Modi. The Gujarat riots of 2002 have remained a burning issue not just in India but across the world as well. That negative image has been manufactured by the media. Even the strong stand against Modi by the US is also because of the Indian English media. Despite that, Modi has only moved ahead and today, the entire nation adores him. I am sure he will become the Prime Minister, and all the machinations of Modi’s enemies will come to naught. He will vanquish them single-handedly. The Indian media ought to learn from Time magazine, which sees so much potential in Modi. Our media only sees Modi as an apparition. Very recently, there has been published a survey on the top 100 great men of India. I suggest you conduct a survey on the top 100 politicians. It will make a hit reading. Prof SS Kushwaha Banaras Hindu University

• VERY ALTERNATIVE I was at the New Delhi station when I found this new magazine at the AH Wheeler stall. It was priced at just Rs 10. As I started reading, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Anil Pandey is the editor. I have read many of his reports in The Sunday Indian. He really is a consummate writer. I have been a long time reader of The Sunday Indian, but it suddenly closed down. I have been looking for a similar magazine, and now I have found it. I am sure this will be a better alterative, and I hope to keep on reading it. Hausal Chaubey Buxar, Bihar

NEWS BENCH

JUNE 2014

• ALL THE BEST From a very young age, I have been a regular reader of magazines. I now work for a real estate company. When I saw this

new magazine in a book stall, I decided to buy it. The Inaugural Edition is an excellent mix of really good stories. The magazine covers everything, from politics to Bollywood. The real estate story was very interesting. Afzal Ameen, Pandav Nagar, New Delhi

• NO COMPARISON, ’74 AND ‘14 I just read the new magazine, News Bench. The content is good and it is a highly readable magazine. But I must differ with Editor Anil Pandey on the issue of differences between 1974 and 2014. That comparison is totally wrong. I have been through Emergency. I have suffered during that terrible period. Even the top intellectuals and writers trembled in the name of Indira Gandhi, let alone write against her. Jail stared in the face of

DROPBOX

anyone who dared to speak up. A movement like that run by Jai Prakash Narayan will never be witnessed against. Now, in 2014, everyone clearly seems to be an opportunist politician. However, despite my differences with him, I must congratulate editor Anil Pandey and the Editor-in-Chief KD Rathi. Dr Rajendra Kumar, New Delhi

• NB IS A BIG CHALLENGE I was pretty surprised to find a brand new magazine at the Ghaziabad bookstall near my home. I picked it up and on reading it, immediately decided to subscribe it for three years. You have brought out a terrific product. Every story is excellent. The product mix is extremely interesting. For instance, the completely alternative story on Bollywood trends. We had not thought of this angle in the film world. I would say that from the first edition itself this magazine is a hit, and if you have the staying power you will soon upset the apple carts of even the best in the field, whether it is India Today or Outlook. However, the only thing I missed, and which you can consider, is some reading material for children between 10 and 15. Politics is too heavy for them. But suitable reading material is there for the children, then by the time they come to competitive age, say Class 10, they would have developed a reading habit. Kindly consider this. RP Sharma Gagan Enclave, Ghaziabad

• CONGRATS ON BASHEER I read the heart-rending article on Basheer Badra. It is truly sad that the poet who gave words to so many lakhs of lips has today fallen silent. It is worse that his own hometown, Bhopal has treated him as if he is dead already and buried. It is very heartening, therefore, to hear that even now, people from abroad come regularly to see him. We Indians ought to learn from that. Nagendra Singh Sundar Nagar, New Delhi

NEWS BENCH

JUNE 2014

NEW BEGINNING, NEWS BENCH SMOOTH, EXCELLENT CONTENT! It was a lucky coincidence that a friend of mine, Yusuf Ansari, who heads a news channel, gifted me the Inaugural Edition of News Bench. I read it and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. All the article were really good. I love reading and what was important to me that the language flow was excellent. Most issues in all magazines are the same, so it is presentation that makes the difference. This is why, when I read the subscription offer, the very next day I called up the number and spoke to the Circulation Manager and paid up for a three-year subscription. I was a bit anxious that the offer may be for a limited period so I did not

WITH LOVE... FROM A LIBRARY I saw this News Bench magazine at the Puri News Agency in Tilak Nagar and immediately got attracted to it, so I bought and read it. This is an excellent product. Look at the paper quality, the printing quality, writing… everything is extremely satisfactory to me. So since I run a library, I kept it there. And I must tell you that everyone in our library has taken a tremendous liking to the magazine. That is the most important thing. The Cover Story is being read and the cover headline seems to draw everyone. I can tell you that we have all the magazines here in our li-

want to let it slip by. I have told many friends to subscribe. But I have two requests. First, please do not shut down the magazine, like Sunday Indian did. And two, please see how people can make online payments for subscriptions. All those who I have recommended the magazine to have griped that there is no online payment system. Nowadays, people want to waste no time filling up forms and submitting them physically. I can assure you that if you introduce online payment through your website, your circulation figures will really rise. Syed Ali, 108/5, Gali No 4, Zakir Nagar, Okhla, New Delhi

brary, but after your magazine came up, every just wants to read that. The writing style is excellent too, and besides, what we like also is that the price is so low. I called up your office and told them I shall send the money for three-years’ subscription very soon. I am now hearing that you also bring out a weekly newspaper titled News Bench. Is this true? In that case I would like to receive that too. Please let me if there is a separate subscription for that. Amarjit Singh Amar, In-Charge, Guru Nanak Public Library Subhas Nagar, New Delhi

LISTENING POST! Since we launched, we have been receiving a lot of responses, suggestions and advices. We believe in growing through consensus. We are sure you have some more wisdom to add. Please send your responses to feedback@newsbench.in

CONSEQUENCES

Impact India What happened over the last month that was historic and will have a lasting impact on India, politically, socially, economically or culturally? Here are some immediate aftershocks!

NITISH PLAYS MAHADALIT CARD

itan Ram Manjhi, a Mahadalit leader from Bihar, one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economically very backward states, was sworn in as a successor to Nitish Kumar, who resigned on moral grounds when his party was routed in the LS polls last month. Nitish played the caste card to ensure that he has the support of once-foe Lalu Prasad. Manjhi has been a popular leader amongst the very backward castes in Bihar. His elevation as a CM of Bihar has scripted a new chapter in the caste politics of the state. The Mahadalit community is a brain child of Nitish Kumar, who tried his best to make a loyal support base for himself. Mahadalit is a subsection of Scheduled Caste groups, other than Paswans. The new subsection was created by Nitish Kumar with an eye to ensuring a solid support base, This group accounts for 12 per cent votes

NEWS BENCH

JUNE 2014

in the state. This is a masterstroke of Nitish Kumar, who has sent out a powerful message of transfer of political power from OBC to SC. Manjhi's own caste, Musahar, was recently designated as 'Mahadalit' by the state government. The choice of Manjhi may alter the existing caste-equation in the sensitive state. Nitish had been successful in his first term as CM, but somehow he lost touch with people in the second term and squandered their goodwill. His own calculations of snapping ties with BJP fell flat, as his party was forced to bite dust in the wake of the Modi wave. Manjhi may have to tackle two other influential Mahadalit leaders, Uday Narain Chaudhary and Shyam Rajak. However, Manjhi was chosen because he is more pliable than his rivals. Manjhi becoming CM of Bihar has another deeper implication. This Nitish masterstroke has brought him closer to former foe Lalu Prasad, who has helped the Manjhi government stay propped up in Bihar. But will Bihar voters but this Nitish-Lalu duo in the 2015 elections? At the same time it will be interesting to see if Manjhi is made CM after the coming state polls.

THE AJIT AND MAYAWATI SHOCKERS

he Modi wave in Uttar Pradesh has changed the political landscape in the state forever. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati suffered the most humiliation debacle

of her life when her party failed to get even one Lok Sabha seat from the state she once ruled with an iron fist. The BSP had won 20 seats in the previous LS polls. The worst part is that though the party had successfully juggled caste politics and once procured a substan-

CBI EMPOWERED TO PROSECUTE TOP BABUS

he Supreme Court of India, in a historic verdict on May 6 said that the Central Bureau of Investigation will no more require the government's prior sanction to launch investigations against officers of joint secretary rank and above in corruption cases. A five-judge bench of the court said: “Corruption is an enemy of the nation and tracking down corrupt public servants, howsoever high he may be, and punishing such a person, is a necessary mandate under the PC Act, 1988. The status or position of the public servant does not qualify such a public servant to exemption from equal treatment.”

tial Brahmin support based, its core political identity was the dalits. And it is this base that has failed BSP this time around. Likewise, Ajit Singh was completely wiped out from the Jatland of UP. Considering his political inheritance, he being the son of a towering Jat leader, Chaudhary Charan Singh, this is nothing short of a political nightmare for him. He had never lost an election from Baghpat since 1999. These results will have deeper ramifications for UP in the times to come. The important lesson is that voters have completely rejected caste-based politics in the caste-ridden state. The decimation of the caste-based parties has raised a question on their very raison d’être. Are these parties really representative of the SCs, OBCs and the Dalits? It is a clear signal that the voting public wants to move away from caste politics.

SC COLLEGIUM APPOINTS TWO JUDGES FROM THE BAR

n a historic move Supreme Court of India has cleared the name of two senior advocates as judges in the Supreme Court. These judges are Gopal Subramaniam and Rohington Nariman. This is a landmark move as this is happening after 15 years when Santosh Hegde was appointed in 1999. Subramaniam and Nariman are designated senior advocates and were solicitors general in the UPA-II regime.

THE JIGNESH SHAH ARREST

ignesh Shah, Chairman and Group Chief executive of Financial Technologies (India) ltd has been arrested in connection with a fraud involving Rs 5574 .34 crore. This is another high-profile arrest involving a corporate, after Unitech’s Sanjay Chandra and Subrato Roy of Sahara. It was evident from the investigation that the flagship bourse and businesses were not being run in a legal manner. His arrest is a significant development, in the sense that other bourses would now need to work to set their houses in order, and it is a reiteration that the arms of law are long and nobody can escape, however big or small he may be.

JUNE 2014

NEWS BENCH

HOPE-FULL

Positive India Beyond the usual high decibel screeching of television news about scams, rapes, murders and suicides, there is a very positive India, where good things happen, where life often seems worth living...

SAVING THE FLOWERS

hildren are the future of the country but it goes without saying that our country has a lot to do. In this whole mission of making these children, our country’s future, live a dignified life Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) has come a long way. BBA symbolizes India’s largest grassroots movement for the protection of children, ensuring their quality education. By 2013, BBA had rescued more than 82 800 victims of trafficking, slavery and child labour and has helped them reestablish trust in society and find promising futures for themselves. This organisation was set up children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi in 1980

and since then BBA has led the world’s largest civil society campaign in the form of the Global March against Child Labour and has been at the forefront of laying down laws against child labour and trafficking in India. To create a child-friendly society, where children are exploitation free and receive free and quality education. Founder Kailash Satyarthi says, “We have taken it as a movement to identify, liberate, rehabilitate and educate children in servitude through direct intervention, child and community participation, coalition building, promoting ethical trade practices and mass mobilisation.”

The child labour curse is visible everywhere in the country

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Biomass energy is being made and sold to the grid from Kabbigere Village

GREEN MONEY FROM BIOMASS

abbigere village. It is more or less sure that most Indians have not heard of it. But it has an achievement which every Indian would be proud to know. Since 2007, this village has been generating power form biomass and selling it to the grid. The gram panchayat sells the biomass generated power at the rate of Rs. 2.85 kWhto to the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company. This project is a joint initiative between UNDP-BERI along with the GEF, ICEF and Government of Karnataka’s Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Studies reveal that the village generated about 400,000 kWh of electricity in 2007. This equals the annual consumption of 6,000 rural households, and has helped ensure a very reliable electricity supply in the area. And it means that the powerrevenue for the panchayat amounted to Rs 11.4 lakh! This village with a population of around 800 inhabitants is the in a tiny and a semiarid hamlet tucked deep inside the Tumkur district of Karnataka.

WHERE UNDERPRIVILEGED ARE PRIVILEGED

or over 100 years Olcott Memorial High School (OMHS) in Chennai has been giving free education to the poor. At a time when India is seeing fast track development and progress, the narrative of ‘rising economy’ often misses the plight of kids left in the hands of Providence. This school comes as a draught of fresh air for these unfortunate children. This school has become the base which transforms them for life. These are all children of domestic helps, labourers, hawkers, municipal workers, flower seller and artisanal fishermen. Here these children learn social skills, playing together, communicating ideas, creating with hands, expression through song and dance, discussing civic and world issues and speaking up without fear of being stopped have all become a part of OMHS culture. Here positive peer pressure is used to promote discipline and responsible behaviour. Caning and corporal punishment are banned. Silent disapproval is the final extent of punishment.The teachers focus on teaching English language and the computers. The medium of instruction is Tamil, with English as only a language subject. But OMHS adopts novel

Portals of the school where evry unfortunate child is taken care of

methods to expose children to English. The daily assembly is conducted entirely in English. Then they have teachers and volunteers reading from English books with children learning by immersion. The school follows the legacy of Annie Besant. OMHS sits on a 9 acre campus constantly aired by the sea. It has vast playgrounds, as Annie Besant strongly believed sports to be a great character

builder. There are leafy lanes and classrooms are abuzz with children. There are 750 students, of which, 35 per cent are girls. The teachers are mostly alumni of this school. The school won the Intel-Best Integration of Technology into Classroom Award 2002, with a prize money of Rs.100,000. OMHS was one of only three winners from 900 applicants.

THE ‘GREEDY’ INNOVATOR

Girish is a 'permanent innovator' and wants to focus on the agricultural sector

hat can you expect from a boy who could study only till class 10? Girish Badragond has around 250 innovative products like Bird Repeller, Advanced Micro Irrigation Controller, Bore Well Scanner, Soil Sensor, Sensor Tap, Garden Sound System, Security System, Digital Automatic Switching System, Solar Powered Insecticide Spray Equipment and Solar Mini Inverter? Girish, 34, from Bijapur District, Karnataka, could complete his study only till SSLC and

came to Bangalore in 2006 at the age of 28 with just a laptop, a wireless router and a one-way bus fare. Talking to Newsbench Girish says, “I always wanted to do things related to agriculture as it has the capacity to affect the people who work to feed our countrymen”. True to his words his company "Santepp Systems", a technocrat proprietary firm in the field of Agricultural Technology. Girish is committed to solving some of India’s biggest agricultural problems with his simple inventions. JUNE 2014

NEWS BENCH

POLIWOOD BSP’s ‘sick-leave’

igress Mayawati is now a whimpering big cat. Someone who feasted on the blood of her enemies is both, fuming at the humiliation of not getting a single seat and also licking her wounds. Known for her ill temper and intemperate language, top leaders of the Bahujan Samaj Party are staying away from her. So much so, that when she called a working committee meeting, most of the top leaders reportedly ‘fell sick’, or was on some urgent personal work outside the state. Now Mayawati does not know which way to turn, having lost not just the battle, but also her generals and soldiers!

Only Rams from Hajipur

Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor - 16h If with 211 seats we were a "weak" government, with 44 seats we will prove a strong Opposition. @ INCIndia

Trendulkar @ Trendulkar Wait. Aam Aadmi Party got more slaps than seats? Historic.

Glamour Punished

t is amazing that the name Ram is stuck like Feviquick to the Hajipur constituency. The seat was declared Reserved in 1977. Elections came and went, leaders changed, parties changed but the one thing that did not change was the name of the winning candidate: It is inevitably Ram. Till now there have been 11 elections since 1977. And the winner is Ram… Ram Vilas Paswan… Ram Ratan Ram… and then Ram Sundar Das!

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olitics is not IPL, voters seem to say, and glamour does not work. Most of the women candidates, some with high glamour quotient, have lost in the Lok Sabha polls’ 2014 edition. Former film star and beauty queen Jayaprada has lost to BJP candidate Kunwar Bhartendra in Bijnaur. Another beauty and silver screen diva, Nagma, thought she would make a comeback in the public’s eyes through politics, but she got a drubbing in Meerut. Gul Panag, the 1999 Miss India was also defeated roundly from the Chandigarh seat. The same fate met South Indian actress Divya Supandana Ramya , Bollywood item girl Rakhi Sawant and Smriti Irani, who lost in Amethi. But interestingly, this time around the number of women who won has increased marginally, from 58 t0 61.

Twitterbazzi SUHEL SETH @suhelseth 1h DIGVIJAY Amrita Singh just told me that the Congress loves Sanjay Jha. Because he makes even Rahul look intelligent!!!

Why is Rahul Gandhi a role model for Indian youth? Because he shows Indian parents what happens when you make career choices for your kids.

Mandar. @maddyy08 Smirti Irani will be booked for 'child abuse'.. #Results2014

Sir Ravindra Jadeja @SirJadeja BREAKING: Rahul Gandhi is praying for rain so that he can win by Duckworth Lewis.

Factoids •

• •

Cabinet Criminals!

he Home Minister of the country’s new Cabinet has criminal cases against him. That is Rajnath Singh. In all, there are nine MPs with criminal cases against them in Modi's Cabinet. Minister for Water Resources and Ganga Purification, Uma Bharati has been convicted with the largest number of cases. There are 13 cases registered against her, of which two cases are of murder. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transportation and Highways and Shipping Minister has four cases of criminal offences against him. Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan has also booked for crimes before. General (Retd) VK Singh, minister for NorthEast Development, has eight criminal cases pending against him. Even Maneka Gandhi and Prakash Javdekar have much tainted backgrounds.

May 16 saw over two million election-related tweets over a 24hour period and Narendra Modi found himself mentioned in 0.73 million of the tweets on counting day More than 56 million election-related Tweets from January 1 this year till May 12, when the polls ended Each of the poll days saw between 5.4 lakh and 8.2 lakh electionrelated Tweets. To put this in perspective, in the 2009 elections, there was just a single active politician with 6,000 Twitter followers. This Lok Sabha Election, Twitter became the medium of choice for people to engage in and consume political content JUNE 2014

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H I S TO RY TA L K S

—Ashok Tandon

WHEN VAJPAYEE REFUSED TO ACCEPT BHARAT RATNA 16

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ometime in the last week of October of 1999, we were sitting with Atalji at his residence. The mood at this information gathering was upbeat. And rightly so. Atal ji had been sworn in as the prime minister for the third time in a row on October 13, 1999, after winning the mid-term elections for the 13th Lok Sabha held a few months after India’s decisive victory in the Kargil War against Pakistan. Suddenly someone, I don’t exactly remember who, floated an idea. It is high time the country honoured the hero of the Kargil victory. Everybody asked “What?”. Atal Ji should be bestowed the Bharat Ratna. After all, he is a third time prime minister with a more than four decades of distinguished and unblemished public service, the proposer contented. There was complete silence for a few seconds. Each one of us was jubilant and thought silence means Atal ji’s consent. But raising his hand Atal ji said “No”. Nothing doing. Kargil victory was the achievement of our valiant defence forces. How could he take credit for it, Atal ji argued. And victory in the 1999 elections was a people’s mandate to continue the good work. Nothing doing, "Hum yeh shrey nahin le sakte’ (I can’t take this credit). Then the debate started in right earnest, and everyone strongly pleaded with Atal ji that there was nothing wrong in it. After all Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were honoured with Bharat Ratna as prime ministers. “Hum apne haathon apne hee ko Bharat Ratna kaise de sakte hain?” was his objection. Why not, argued someone in the gathering. If Nehru and Indira Gandhi could be awarded Bharat Ratna while in office, why can’t Atal ji? “Ham swayam ko Bharat Ratna nahin denge. Ab aur bahas nahin. Iss baat ko yahin khatam karo,” he literally ordered.

But the matter didn’t end there. Later he got angry when he came to know that plans were afoot to clinch the matter at a cabinet meeting in his absence, when he would be travelling abroad. He had warned everyone against any such move. I remember someone saying, we will do it at an appropriate time. After fifteen years, that appropriate time, according to me, has come, with Narendra Modi becoming the second BJP prime minister. Incidentally, the issue of Bharat Ratna for Atal ji has been surfacing from time to time in the last so many years. On the eve of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections L K Advani, who was BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, had written a letter to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh proposing that Atal ji be awarded Bharat Ratna for his contribution to the national polity and for his statesmanship. The BJP

Talent Ratnas While Atalji refused to confer Bharat Ratna upon himself, as many as eight distinguished personalities have been bestowed the honour sinse then. They are: Ravi Shankar 1999 Classical sitar player. West Bengal Amartya Sen 1999 Economist. West Bengal Gopinath Bordoloi 1999 Posthumous, freedom ﬁghter. Assam Lata Mangeshkar 2001 Play back singer. Maharashtra Ustad Bismillah Khan 2001 Hindustani classical shehnai player. Bihar Bhimsen Joshi 2009 Hindustani classical singer. Karnataka C. N. R. Rao 2014 Scientist. Karnataka Sachin Tendulkar 2014 Cricketer. Maharashtra

demanded that the highest civilian award be bestowed on Atalji after the government announced the honour for Sachin Tendulkar and scientist CNR Rao. Cutting across party lines leaders of several political parties endorsed Bharat Ratna for Atalji, whom Dr Manmohan Singh himself once described as the Bheeshma Pitamah of Indian politics. Dr Farooq Abdullah was the first to back the demand, saying Vajpayee is bigger than the award itself. "I am not a BJP man but I am an Indian and I think no one can forget that he is a fine leader," Abdullah said, adding: "I would personally request that such a big personality, who is larger than the Bharat Ratna, should be given the due honour now itself." Leaving his fight with his former NDA ally BJP, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar too has been backing the demand to bestow the Bharat Ratna on the former prime minister. “He deserves it. Why should it not be given to him,” Kumar, who served as railway minister in the Vajpayee cabinet, said when asked if he supported Bharat Ratna for the former prime minister. Another socialist leader, Shivanand Tiwari also supported that Atal Bihari Vajpayee deserved the award. He said, “Lohia ji should have been given the Bharat Ratna long back. I think even Atal ji must get it.” A Union Minister in Manmohan Singh’s government, Pallam Raju too stated: "Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been a great statesman, and if the country decides, he should get Bharat Ratna." Another Congress minister Shashi Tharoor said in the future other names can be considered for the award and added that everyone has great respect for Vajpayee. While congratulating Sachin Tendulkar and Prof. Rao, deputy leader of the BJP in Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad, had asked why Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not been awarded Bharat Ratna? Prasad, however, said: “After the next general elections if BJP comes to power, it will felicitate Vajpayee with the highest civilian honour”.

Vajpayee: That he was a remarkable statesman has found an all-party consensus

RAJNATH SINGH, THE CURRENT BJP PRESIDENT SAYS THAT VAJPAYEE DOES NOT NEED THE BHARAT RATNA... HE HIMSELF IS THE RATNA. A VAST MAJORITY OF ALL PARTIES AGREE THAT HE DESERVES THIS

On December 25, 2013, the BJP celebrated Atal ji’s 89th birthday. Speaking on the occasion, the party president Rajnath Singh said that Vajpayee “does not need a Bharat Ratna as he is a ratna (gem) to Bharat himself.” Senior journalist Vinod Mehta, while participating in a TV debate on the desirability of awarding the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee, said: “I emerged as the lone voice of opposition. The other panellists thought my opposition was 'personal' or perverse, or both. Was the Bharat Ratna

proposal entirely fatuous? As cross-party support for Atalji grows, my dilemma has deepened. I have joined those who believe you deserve the coveted award. When it comes to national icons, the BJP's cupboard is utterly bare. It is in the country's interest they should have at least one. The day the happy news is announced, I shall drink an extra glass of red wine to toast you”. I personally think one non-political issue on which Narendra Modi can easily evolve an all-party consensus is to award, sooner than later, Bharat Ratna to the living legend of Indian politics Atal Bihari Vajpayee. So far 43 outstanding personalities have been awarded Bharat Ratna, 23 of them are public figures or from political clan including former prime ministers and former presidents and all of them one time or the other have Congress background or served in the Congress governments. (Ashok Tandon was media advisor to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and London Bureau Chief and Diplomatic Editor of PTI) JUNE 2014

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Secularismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sultans Slay Secularism

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It is the convergence of this Hindu revolt and the Muslim disenchantment with secular parties that has shaken the foundations of Indian style secularism. And it is actually good news for India and its future ANIL PANDEY & MAYANK SINGH

arkness descends. The idea of India gutters. The light that lit our freedom struggle and so defined the nature of our nationhood is going out. We are at a moment of history that can only be compared to Lahore, March 23, 1940, when Jinnah persuaded one section of our society to accept that India was comprised of two nations because nationhood had to be founded in religious identity. Thus was conceived a Muslim Pakistan. But Gandhiji resisted India cloning that example with a Hindu India. For that, he

COVER STORY

Leaders like Abu Azmi have fanned minority fears and rage against Indian symbols

WHILE THE SUPREME COURT GRANTED ALIMONY TO THE MUSLIM LADY SHAH BANO, THE RAJIV GANDHI GOVERNMENT OVERTURNED THE VERDICT IN PARLIAMENT

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had to pay with his life at the instance of the very forces that are today most avidly celebrating Narendra Modiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory." That was the passionate and intemperate Gandhi family loyalist Mani Shankar Aiyar writing for The Indian Express one day after Indian voters delivered a historic mandate. The despair and despondency so evident in his words must have been triggered by many reasons. One could be that his beloved Congress party was reduced to a pathetic 44 seats in the Lok Sabha. The other could be that his party failed to win a single seat in his home state of Tamil Nadu. One more personal reason could be the humiliating fact that Aiyar was placed fourth in his constituency and forfeited his deposit. Of course, when it comes to public posturing, Aiyar thinks the rise of Modi signals the death of secularism. If you go by tortured and clichĂŠd definitions, the electoral verdict does seem

to signal the death of secularism. Look at what has happened to the most forceful torch bearers of secularism. One year ago, the then Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of JD(U), severed a 17-year-old alliance with the BJP because he wanted to save secularism from fascist demons like Narendra Modi. He repackaged his inexplicable personal animosity towards Modi as a de facto holy war. In an era of fractured mandates and fractious coalitions, Nitish wanted to be the new Sultan of Secularism. When the results came in, his party had plummeted from 20 to two Lok Sabha seats. When the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case was at its peak, Nitish Kumar had reaffirmed his homage to secularism by calling Ishrat Jahan "Bihar ki Beti". It doesn't look like Muslim voters appreciated his noble gesture. His erstwhile ally and then foe Lalu Prasad Yadav stormed the dusty towns and villages of Bihar with a brand

Salman Khurshid tried to woo Muslim voters by invoking the Batla House encounter

of bravado that is uniquely his. As bemused and sometimes bewildered voters looked on, Lalu boasted of how it was he who had stopped the Advani Rath Yatra back in 1990 and crushed the march of Hindutva; and how it was he who would halt Modi in his tracks. So persuasive was his bluster that even pundits and opinion polls talked of the waning and fading of the Modi wave. Besides, his alliance with Congress seemed to indicate that the secular Lalu might just outsmart the communal Modi. In the end, Lalu won four seats, exactly the number he had won in 2009 and the Congress won two, exactly the number it won in 2009. Contrast that with Ram Vilas Paswan who decided to become communal by joining hands with Modi. His party won six out of the seven seats it contested in Bihar. If secularism suffered a setback in Bihar, it was mauled, mutilated and "chopped to pieces" in Uttar Pradesh. Like

Lalu in Bihar, Mulayam had emerged as a champion cum warrior of secularism in 1990 by ordering his police to open fire on kar sevaks agitating for a Ram Mandir. This time around, ‘Netaji' openly nursed ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister of a rag tag coalition government. He was convinced that the minority and backward votes would stay with him despite the Muzzafarnagar riots and its embarrassing aftermath. To further cement and consolidate his credentials as a blue blooded secular, Mulayam announced his candidature from Azamgarh soon after Modi decided to contest from Varanasi. Till the day of counting of votes, Mulayam was confident of his Samajwadi Party winning the most number of seats from UP. But so fierce was the ‘communal’ onslaught from a Modi led BJP that his party won a mere five out of 80 seats, all winners being personal family members of Mulayam.

THE SACHAR COMMITTEE REPORT HAS EXPOSED THE UTTER DEPRIVATION OF MUSLIMS IN TERMS OF EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC WORTH, ESPECIALLY IN STATES RUN BY SECULAR PARTIES

JUNE 2014

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Digvijay Singh lost no opportunity to label suspects like Col Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya as Hindu terrorists and kept harping on Hindu Terrorism

AAP SUDDENLY DECIDED THAT COMMUNALISM WAS A BIGGER THREAT TO INDIA THAN CORRUPTION, THE SLOGAN THAT MADE IT RULE DELHIâ&#x20AC;Ś IT LOST ALL BUT FOUR OF THE 400 SEATS IT CONTESTED FROM

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JUNE 2014

During her campaign, BSP supremo Mayawati kept attacking Modi and proclaimed grandly that her party would never support him if the NDA fell short of a majority. In the event, that imperious proclamation turned out to be empty rhetoric, since her party failed to win even a single seat. Then there is that extremely secular Congress leader Salman Khurshid who preferred to describe Modi as a monkey and impotent. He is the man who kept telling UP voters that the secular heart of his beloved leader Sonia Gandhi was so agonized by the Batla House encounter in which some alleged terrorists were killed that Madam shed copious tears. In his constituency Farrukhabad, Khurshid came fourth and forfeited his deposit. The Jat leader of western UP, Ajit Singh hitched his fortunes to the secularism bandwagon. His party was wiped out with even Ajit Singh being humiliated in Baghpat, a once proud legacy of his late father Charan Singh. Secularism was destined to suffer some more cruel blows in 2014. The enfant terrible and giant killer of contemporary politics, Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party suddenly decided that com-

munalism was a bigger threat to India than corruption, the issue that delivered power to AAP in the Delhi assembly elections. Mesmerised by breathless media coverage and accolades from Modi haters who were frustrated with the inability of Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal succumbed to a disease called day dreaming. Suddenly, he had visions of becoming Prime Minister with about 100 Lok Sabha seats. Like a parrot, he kept repeating that the 2014 elections will deliver a fractured mandate and that fresh elections would be needed in 2016. His "bold and brave" decision to challenge the communal Modi in Varanasi became yet another potent missile in the arsenal of secularism. So deep was this new found love for secularism that the erudite and scholarly Yogendra Yadav, who was contesting from Gurgaon, started telling Muslim voters in campaign rallies that he used to be called Salim in his childhood. This secular affair turned out to be a dud, as Yogendra Yadav forfeited his deposit. His leader Kejriwal fared slightly better in Varanasi, losing by less than four lakh votes. Virtually all the 400 plus AAP candidates forfeited their deposits. And the four seats won by the party in Punjab saw no top leader of the

Secularism was propped up by minority governments

Nitish Kumar went ahead and lauded Ishrat Jahan (top) as Bihar ki beti

party bothering to campaign. It would be interesting to look at the leaders and parties that were not swept away by the communal Modi wave. They are Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, J Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu, Naveen Patnaik in Odisha and KC Rao in Telangana. Of the four, Mamata is the only one who practiced the art of aggressive secularism and anti Modi rhetoric. The other three employed less esoteric agendas to woo the voters. To that extent, Mamata proves the exception to the rule. So can we conclude from all this that secularism has been defeated and is dying in India? Is it time for secular politicians to pack up their bags and retire and for liberal commentators to pack up their bags and seek asylum in more secular countries? The fact is, these fears and apprehensions are manufactured hype and nonsense. The fact is, genuine secularism is integral to the civilisational heritage of India. The country will lose its soul and identity if secularism actually dies an inglorious death. To that extent, secularism is an idea and a belief that is indeed worth fighting for. But the existential question is: what kind of secularism. To be better able to understand and ap-

SO FIERCE WAS THE ‘COMMUNAL’ ONSLAUGHT FROM A MODI-LED BJP THAT IT WIPED OUT THE MUSLIM VOTE FOR SP, THE DALIT VOTE FOR MAYAWATI AND THE JAT VOTE FOR AJIT SINGH

he results of these elections have turned the entire discourse on secularism upside down. A party which was being targeted and condemned by almost every other party that called themselves secular ones, showed a rise not only of its vote share but an unimaginable popularity. The intellectuals who used to raise the bogey of pseudosecularism will have to search for new jobs. What is important to understand is that in the recent times, there have been minority governments. Thus every discourse was limited to the issues which were raised by them. It has become necessary to make the parties free of ideological baggage of religion. This will help every countryman as the government must function as per the need of the people instead of functioning under the influence of ideological baggage. All this is going to change with the new government as it has earned a majority and has support from every section of society. — Prof Rakesh Sinha, Director, India Policy Foundation

JUNE 2014

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Mulayam Yadav completely failed to handle the Muzzafarnagar riots angering Muslims as well as Hindus who voted against his party in the recent national polls

IT WAS INDIRA GANDHI WHO HAD STARTED THE PROCESS OF MAKING SEECULARISM A TOKEN AND EMPTY GESTURE BY FORCIBLY INSERTING THE WORD SECULARISM IN THE CONSTITUTION

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JUNE 2014

preciate this, one needs to go back a bit in recent history. When India was partitioned on religious lines in 1947, the senseless violence and bloodshed that accompanied it left deep scars on tens of millions of Hindus and Muslims. An overwhelming majority of Hindus in India accepted the suggestion of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that the Hindus as the majority must make extra efforts to make minorities feel secure. Despite frequent riots across India, this consensus largely held on till the late 1970s. It is during the 1980s that the kind of secularism dreamt of by the founders of modern India started degenerating into something rotten. on two fronts. The first was overtly political and made a farce of the basic ideals of secularism. In 1985, the Supreme Court passed its historic Shah Bano verdict that ordered payment of alimony to a divorced Muslim woman. Virtually all liberal Indians

of all faiths welcomed the verdict since many Muslim majority countries had personal laws that stipulated the payment of alimony. The then Rajiv Gandhi government committed a blunder that was as historic as the Supreme Court verdict. It used a brute majority in the Parliament to overturn the verdict. Ten years before that, his mother Indira Gandhi had started the process of making secularism a token and empty gesture by forcibly inserting the word secularism in the Constitution. Since then, the Congress and a galaxy of other parties have transformed secularism into hypocritical vote bank politics. Take three recent examples: In UP, the Akhilesh Yadav government announced that falsely implicated Muslims in terror cases must be released. The High Court prohibited the move. In West Bengal, the Mamata Bannerjee government announced a monthly stipend for Imams.

ALL INDIA RESULT STATUS Status Known For 543 out of 543 Constituencies Party

Seats Won 2014

Vote Percentage 2014

Seats Won 2009

Vote Percentage 2009

BJP

282

31.0%

116

18.80%

CPI

3.2%

1.43%

CPM

0.8%

5.33%

BSP

4.1%

6.17%

INC

19.3%

206

28.55%

NCP

1.6%

2.04%

AAP

2.0%

AIADMK

3.3%

1.67%

TMC

3.8%,

3.20%

BJD

1.7%

1.59%

JDU

1.1%

1.52%

LJP

0.4%

0.45%

RJD

1.3%

1.27%

3.4%

3.42%

SAD

0.7%

0.96%

Shivsena

1.9%

1.55%

TDP

2.5%

2.51%

The judiciary stopped it. And in 2013, the then Union Minister for Home Affairs actually wrote a letter to state governments asking them to expedite cases against Muslims so that the innocent among them do not suffer. Even as politicians played these appeasement games, the intellectual establishment mocked and derided Hindus who wore religion on their sleeves. The moment a Hindu asserted pride in his / her religion, s/he was instantly branded a bigot. For the millions of Indians who escaped poverty in the last three decades, this arrogance and snobbery of the intellectual classes proved to be intolerable. Even as the religious Hindu was mocked, heckled and demonised, the religious Muslim started realising something important: Decades after independence, the Muslim community continued to be deprived of the fruits of economic

growth and human development. The now famous Sachar Committee cruelly exposed the so called secular parties. The social, economic and educational status of Muslims were the worst in states where secular parties were the dominant forces. The worst performing state is West Bengal, where the mantra of secularism has been taken to absurd heights. Even as the religious Hindu was beginning to revolt, the religious Muslim realised that s/he had been taken for a ride all along. It is the convergence of this Hindu revolt and the Muslim disenchantment with secular parties that has shaken the foundations of Indian style secularism. And it is actually good news for India and its future. In the 21st century, the job of parties and governments is governance: to deliver infrastructure, security, growth and jobs. Religion should be left to temples, mosques and churches.

Congress, SP used ‘secularism’ to scare Muslims

he meaning of secularism which was conveyed to the people was to polarise the Hindu and Muslim votes. Congress and Samajwadi Party, especially in Uttar Pradesh, tried to scare the Muslims, so that they would vote for them. On the contrary, Narendra Modi did not even care for what was being done by other parties. He took it to a different level. The articulations of Modi gave a different angle to the entire discourse. On October 27, 2013 in Patna, Narendra Modi said in his address that we Hindus and Muslims either fight with each other or we should be ready to fight together against poverty. Narendra Modi converted the mainline cultural unity into political unity. The prevalence of the caste and religion has been turning into a flaw, distortion as it was being divisive. But, it is for the first time that Narendra Modi was able to exhort people to rise above all this. This has happened very rarely and and is a good thing for the future of Indian democracy... — Ram Bahadur Rai, eminent journalist

JUNE 2014

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PEOPLE NEEDED CHANGE! Despite maligning and demonizing Narendra Modi for more than 12 years, the fake seculars and their puppet masters have failed to mislead the average Indian citizen.

ince the last twelve years or so, ever since Narendra a fantasy battle. The manner in which we defined Indian polity Modi assumed power as Chief Minister of Gujarat is based on centuries old tradition of peaceful co-existence, there has been a vicious campaign against him. I don’t while respecting differences. You respect difference while asthink any single man has been so demonised in the serting your right to maintain your own traditions and culture. history of any country in the world. After having studied his Nobody says you must follow mine. All people want is that we tenure as CM, I can say now with confidence that this camshould be allowed to practice our own ways. Nobody in India, paign was orchestrated by the Congress and the Left parties, for example, has ever objected to the existence of mosques the not because Modi had flaws, not because he was anti-Muslim way they still do in Europe. We have no problems if mosques or anti minorities. These so called secular parties did so come up. All we want is that they don’t become centres of hate because Modi was determined to put an end to their divisive agendas. In the same way neither a temple, gurudwara or a agenda. From day one in Gujarat, he practiced Sabka Saath church should become centres of hate or political agenda. Sabka Vikas as his mantra. This is what I, as someone who has studied Modi threatened the Congress and the Left, since October 7, 2001, can say that he is because they have, unfortunately thrived the only politician who has never once on such divisive agendas, on phobic had to retract his words. He stood firm, politics. even when hell broke loose. He started For this Congress has paid a very with Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas with five heavy price. The exposure of their crore Gujaratis. And he continued, no divisive agenda brought the rich and matter how many abuses the Muslim poor, Hindus and Muslims, urban and community hurled at him. It really rural, industrialists and farmers on a takes Yogic calm and determination to common platform. The kind of Congress stay firm in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Mahatma Gandhi had founded bridged To never indulge in hate mongering or all divides: linguistic, caste, etc., and retaliatory rhetoric against any commuactually brought the Birla and the humnity, even when they abuse you is tough. blest farmer, landless poor and landlord, Never once were Muslims or Islam everyone on a common platform with a attacked. focus on the problems of the poor. But Today, the ordinary Muslim is much Congress from Nehru’s days onwards wiser than their leaders, most of whom — Madhu Kishwar started moving away from that slowly. are purchased puppets. It’s a tragedy that Professor, CSDS By the time of Indira Gandhi’s tenure, the Muslim community is not producthe party was well set to play the vote ing independent, dignified leaders. bank politics of the narrowest, meanest and stupidest kind. The Congress has systematically destroyed the self-respecting And Sonia Gandhi’s Congress brazenly played Jinnah-style Muslim leadership that Gandhi led during the freedom movepolitics in pursuit of the Muslim vote bank. It is because Modi ment. The Congress did this in its quest for a captive vote bank, challenged their core, that they set up a whole army of NGOs and today the Muslims are waking up to the fact that their and journalists to harm this man. leaders are not trustworthy. Now, what has happened is that Terms like pseudo-secularism and communalism has the Hindus got consolidated, and then, a section of Muslims been overplayed this time. The trouble is that we have borabandoned the Congress. They realised that they were being rowed these categories blindly from the West. Secularism as manipulated in a very negative manner. Gradually, Muslim practiced in the West makes no sense. In Europe, the kings vote will increase for BJP. That’s why when Modi talked about a fought against the Church which tried to run the affairs of the Congress-free India I think people responded with conviction, temporal establishment. So the Pope had to be shown his place. because all of us realised that this party has become the biggest In India, we did not have such a history. And therefore, this is threat to safety and security of the country.

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MODI RAISES FEARS Indians who truly believe in secularism have been disturbed during these elections by the kind of speeches and messages delivered by a host of BJP leaders, including Modi

he words secular and secularism have not been given cases that the institutions of our country are being tested. And the adequate importance that they deserved. There precisely at such points, the Election Commission should have are many political parties like the Lok Janshakti played a stronger role. Party (LJP), which have sworn in the name of secuBoth, the government and the Election Commission should larism, but when their selfish and sectarian interests so beckbe more proactive and even courts should be taking suo moto oned, or as soon as their purpose of using these word had been cognizance of such issues. Governments can also play a role served, these parties have junked the entire spirit of secularism. with prejudiced approach as the government in power will act The recent utterances of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Giriraj on the basis of its political opportunity so as to gain a betKishore and others are a tremendous slap on the face of India’s ter proposition. The solutions can include even barring the Constitutional democracy. Why, they have even gone to the candidate from contesting election. I agree that we should extent to demand that only Hindu refugees should be treated as make a distinction between hate speeches and mere hurting of refugees in the country! sentiments. The latter should not be a Secularism is a constitutional imperapunishable offence, as it is an expression tive. According to me secularism is when of views to which one is legitimately enevery person, no matter what his or titled. But in the garb of expressing one’s her religion, is confident that he or she views there cannot be deliberate attempt will not face any kind of prejudice or to create a wedge between people, discrimination. But the current Indian no matter to which community they reality is far from this, as minorities sufbelong. Truly speaking, now that Narfer every possible form of prejudice and endra Modi and Amit Shah are going discrimination. Today, there is an urgent to hold important positions of power, need for solutions to hate speeches. Lots I am not sure about their behaviour. of words of hatred were used by NarenBut there is a well founded danger, as dra Modi and Amit Shah with an aim to their conduct during the entire election unite all the Hindus against the Muslims. process was not very reassuring. They There are laws to prevent them. In such may not do anything in the immediate cases one needs to look or understand future but one is not sure whether some these hate words not in their literal sense bigger danger is in the offing. With such but in a deeper sense, from the point of people, one can never be sure. Talking — Kavita Krishnan view of their intent. And the Election in hypothetical terms, let’s say some Activist, CPI(ML) Commission could have done much big scam gets raked up which maligns more to clamp down against the use of Modi, Shah, et al. These persons are such words. then very likely to hit back with the communal card to distract For instance, in the case of spreading hatred, the politicians public attention. may not use exact words. For instance, in the case of its Uttar People of the country and our society as a whole require Pradesh campaign, BJP leader Amit Shah never used the word being sensitive and watchful of every such person or party and ‘Muslim’. Instead, he referred to ‘the party which has given tick- this is not for only Bhartiya Janta Party. I remember that in ets to 19 candidates of a particular community’. Here, Bahujan 1980, when Indira Gandhi was aiming to come back to power Samaj party was the one which had given tickets to 19 Muslim after Emergency, she had done the same thing. She had talked candidates. Clearly, it is not needed to know rocket science to about Hindu religion being in danger and had raised the bogey understand the party which Amit Shah was targeting. of Hindus converting to Christianity. She had shared the dais In another instance, it was propagated that all those who do with Hindu leaders to buy their support. That is precisely the not celebrate Durga Puja will be sent to Bangladesh, as if that danger, and whoever indulges in any such act must be acis the litmus test of who is Indian and who is not! It is in these cused of ruining the secular fabric of the country. JUNE 2014

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GEOPOLITICS

ASHLEY TELLIS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modi can be Indian PM for a long timeâ&#x20AC;?

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JUNE 2014

he 2014 elections in India have produced results that are nothing short of breathtaking. The outcome has been a victory not only for Narendra Modi but for the Indian people who have spoken out clearly against economic mismanagement and policy drift. Hopefully, Modi's election will open new doors for correcting the problems in the Indian economy, and if he manages to set India along a new direction--building effective markets, strengthening state institutions, improving the quality of governance, and pursuing rational public policies he would set the foundations for redefining Indian politics in a way that the Congress did for many decades before. And, if Modi sticks to his winning formula, "Its growth and governance, stupid!" he could remain India's Prime Minister for a long time to come. I believe India's policies towards its neighbours will change--for the better. What does that mean? To begin with, it means recognising that the neighbourhood is both a source of big problems and big opportunities for India. That, in turn, requires smart policies that address both dimensions. A good place to start would be in the economic arena. India needs to push hard on expanding regional economic integration. Tying the South Asian states (to include China) more closely to India's economy offers the hope of enriching both India and its neighbours: that could mitigate some of the geopolitical tensions, but even if it does not, it would still leave India better off if regional integration contributed to greater development all around. In any case, the need for greater integration must not make India starry-eyed about its neighbours. Relations with Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are basically in good shape, but

Modi needs to reassure all three about India's good intentions and its desire for constructive engagement. Threats from Pakistan and China will continue to persist: the Pakistan Army is still deeply suspicious of India and will continue to support terrorist groups, while building up its nuclear forces, as an insurance policy against India. Despite growing economic links, the Chinese conventional and nuclear threat to India will continue to grow and will become worse over time. Dealing with both these challenges will require persistent engagement coupled with strong capabilities for deterrence. And Afghanistan after 2014 remains an open question: India has made sterling contributions to Afghan reconstruction now is not the time to let up. The most important focus area should be setting India on the path to high and self-sustaining growth. If India fails to realise its economic potential, it not only fails its own people but it also ceases to be a worthwhile partner for anyone else. So, fixing the economy comes first. Second, India needs to build a state that empowers, not oppresses, its people. That means improving India's public institutions, making them more effective and responsive to popular needs. This requires attacking red tape, shuttering some government bodies, creating greater economic freedom, and protecting civil liberties, while improving the capacity of the state to do what only states can do: providing effective public administration and a strong national defence, replacing tax terrorism with honest and efficient tax collection, and reinvesting in the provision of public goods for all while drastically revamping the populist welfare programs that the UPA government previously inaugurated. Third, India needs to focus not on grand slogans like "strategic autonomy" but on maximising its national

Former US Ambassador Nancy Powell with Narendra Modi

power. Only powerful countries are truly autonomous: despite whatever the nonalignment crowd may say, a country does not enjoy autonomy because it screams the phrase. It enjoys autonomy only to the degree that it is powerful and if India is to become powerful today, it needs to rethink how it approaches its strategic partnerships. A confident India will not be afraid to collaborate with others because it fears for its autonomy; rather, deep engagements, especially with countries that can fuel India's growth, are essential to ensuring its autonomy. As far as economy is concerned, four things are necessary here. First, to the maximum degree possible, India needs to abolish all caps on foreign direct investment in every sector of the economy. Second, the investment process for both domestic and foreign entrepreneurs must be handled through a "single-window" approach, where the Indian government takes responsibility for completing the inter-ministerial and inter-departmental clearance processes for projects within a clearly defined timeframe. Third, the tax regime must be fair and transparent with policy consistency over time. And, fourth, India needs to develop a

A STRONG AND CAPABLE INDIA WOULD NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A STABLE BALANCE-OFPOWER IN ASIA, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR INDIA'S OWN SECURITY AND STRATEGIC INTERESTS culture that strengthens private property rights, upholds the sanctity of contracts, and enables the speedy adjudication of disputes. I certainly hope that is the case. The Ministry of Defence under AK Antony had reached levels of dysfunctionality that India had perhaps not seen since Krishna Menon. The defense acquisition process is completely clogged and needs to be cleaned up. India's defense investment policies are completely counterproductive, given its objective of increasing indigenous capability. The quality of the professional military education in the Indian armed forces needs a thorough makeover and new ways of integrating India's military leaders in strategic

policymaking must be devised. Force modernisation is more than buying fancy equipment and civilian policymakers must pay close attention to what modernisation involves beyond simply the purchase of new hardware. This is a huge agenda in toto and there is perhaps no better person than Modi to make this happen. Selecting a thoughtful, knowledgeable and motivated individual as Minister of Defence would be a good place to start, not to mention the importance of having an effective Defense Secretary. A strong and capable India would not only contribute towards a stable balanceof-power in Asia, but it is essential for India's own security and interests. The United States has welcomed the rise of Indian power for almost a decade now. If India effectively builds up its strength-through its economic, military, and diplomatic capacities China's potential to be disruptive is automatically impeded and that is something that would be welcomed throughout Asia. (The author is a Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and was Advisor for US President George W. Bush in his National Security Council) JUNE 2014

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SOUTH ASIA

US is a friend, but we need more in the east The previous government got hooked to the US after the nuke deal, and ignored strategic interests by ignoring Japan, Korea and other countries, that looked at us to ward off China’s domination in the South Asian region, and immediate neighbours like Bangladesh need better treatment MAYANK SINGH

hen historic changes sweep across a country, it does appear as if all the old maxims and shibboleths come under fresh scrutiny. Foreign policy is no different. Just as a meaningful democracy nurses change with a modicum of continuity, an effective and meaningfully strategic foreign policy must encourage deep changes even as it maintains continuity. There is no contradiction in this. As an unprecedented mandate allows a new Modi regime to take charge, foreign policy analysts celebrate the fact that Indian foreign policy has retained a basic coherence even in turbulent times. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, India's foreign policy has been subtly, but inexorably moving from the idealism of non alignment to strategic goals and economic considerations. Even as they have jousted and corralled each other as rivals in domestic politics, rival parties have sustained a broad consensus even when it comes to controversial issues like dealing with Pakistan. Ashok K Behuria, Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, sees no deviation from the past. He says, “There has been a tacit understanding on all major decisions taken by all the governments, and that includes the Atal Behari Vajpayee’s decision of con-

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Leaders of South Asian countries have already met Modi and know him well

BANGLADESH’S SHEIKH HASINA HAS DONE HER BEST TO CONTAIN TERRORISM, AND SHE DESERVES A BETTER DEAL ON THE TEESTA WATER ISSUE ducting the second nuclear test and his Lahore visit. Had this not been true, the Congress could have drummed up negative campaign, but it did not.” He considers this good, as there has been a general consensus and a broad agreement on the major issues affecting country’s standing

internationally. But a tectonic shift like the arrival of a Modi regime is bound to have consequences. The fact of the matter is that like almost everything else to do with governance, the UPA-2 regime had displayed a strange kind of apathy bordering on paralysis when it came to foreign policy. For reasons that only be discovered by future historians digging through declassified documents, Indian foreign policy seemed to have become a hostage to both internal as well as external vested interests. An important task and challenge for the Modi regime is to make our foreign policy truly independent and not subject to vested interests. Two examples will reveal the repair job that the Modi regime has to do. In Bangladesh, the Sheikh Hasina regime has

gone out of her way to crack down on Islamist elements as well as ULFA terrorists hostile to India. In return, Bangladesh expected a fair agreement on sharing of waters of the Teesta River. The Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was publicly committed to this agreement. Yet, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee threw such tantrums that the deal was cancelled at the last minute. Similarly, political parties in Tamil Nadu have decided to veto any step by India to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime in Sri Lanka. The previous regime acquired a terrible reputation for succumbing not just to domestic political blackmail, but also external pressures. During the standoff between Iran and the United States on the issue of nuclear weapons, India inexplicably supported sanctions against Iran. The dismay and anger that was triggered in Iran, and its consequences are yet to be fully assessed. Then again, India supported the hypocritical American stance of not engaging at all with the military regime in Myanmar, even though the rulers of that country wanted India as a friend. This perverse mindset was so pervasive that India even balked at attracting foreign investments from Taiwan for fear that it may offend China. What were the consequences of this self defeating foreign policy? For one, India allowed China to implement its strategic "string of pearls" policy to encircle India. Because we offended Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmaar, it was China that won contracts to build and develop strategic ports in all these countries. Our obsession with the United States in the aftermath of the Indo-US nuclear deal also meant that China was able to outfox and outsmart India in the race to secure energy supplies. Worse, policy paralysis ensured that even willing foreign investors were forced to look at other options. The cruel irony is that decelerating growth and business opportunities resulted in even the United States

Modi and members of the Chinese business delegation during his Beijing visit

THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY INDIA SUPPORTING THE US SANCTIONS AGAINST A FRIEND, IRAN, IS YET TO BE FULLY ASSESSED treating India as a poorer cousin. The end result: not long ago, countries ranging from America to Australia, and Japan to Vietnam, had started looking at India as a strategic partner in containing China. They are not so sure anymore. But there is high hope from Modi to give a new direction to foreign relations. Suba Chandran, Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, believes that there will be a lot of activity on the foreign policy front. He says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Certainly, we will see lots of things happening, as there was no foreign policy at the end of the last government. Manmohan Singh invested too much on United States and Afghanistan, and he overlooked business. More business from foreign countries means international interest. Countries like Japan, Singapore and South Korea were anxious to invest but reforms were so slow and corruption so high. In fact, Shinzo Abe

wanted to disinvest in China and invest in India, but it was not happening. Once a friendly environment is created, relations are going to be different." Even elementary students of geopolitics now know that the 21st century will be dominated by Asia. It is the Asia Pacific region that will lead economic growth for most of this century. And there can be no doubt that a country needs to have a vibrant and powerful economy to be able to project and protect its strategic interests through foreign policy. To that extent, the Modi regime has its task clearly cut out. By all means keep engaging with America and the other western nations. But pay more attention to what is happening in Asia. A win-win situation for India would be a close strategic alliance with Japan and a businesslike relationship with China. Fortunately for India, the popular and Modi-like "nationalistic" leader of Japan Shinzo Abe shares the same vision. Back in the 1960s, when India was more industrialised and boasted of higher per capita incomes than East India, it had committed a monumental foreign policy blunder. It had rebuffed an offer by a then nascent ASEAN to become a strategic partner. Modi must ensure that history doesn't repeat itself this time. JUNE 2014

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TRIBAL 'NO'

THE NEW TRIBAL AFFAIR Tribals were once thought to be an unshakeable captive Congress vote bank, but they too have turned their backs on the party

Tribal ladies queue up to vote in Jharkhand, and it seems many of them voted saffron

SUBHASH CHANDRA & RAVI SINHA

nce upon a time, there were three things that were guaranteed in the Congress: the primacy of the Gandhi family, the support of the Muslim community and the blind loyalty of the "adivasi" or tribal vote. Only the first one regarding the primacy of the Gandhi family remains;

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though even that guarantee no longer looks guaranteed. The Muslim vote, of course, had started moving away from the Congress since a long time. But the most fascinating long term trend is how the tribals have moved away from the Congress to the BJP in recent times. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has cornered 27 out of the 41 seats reserved for tribals. Analysts say that if the BJP had done better in West

Bengal and Odisha, the the tally could have assumed proportions of a sweep. Like so much else in the election gone by, the Modi factor and the so called Gujarat model seem to have played a role even here. The region of Udaipur and Banswara in Rajasthan has a large tribal population and has traditionally voted for the Congress even during times when the party fared badly. The situation was different this time. Ram-

lal belongs to a typical rurban area of the region. Explaining why the tribals of Rajasthan have lost faith in the Congress, he says, " Congress has never bothered about the tribals and the poor. The whole are is poor and the lack of water and electricity has made us poorer. For people here, the only hope is Gujarat where we go work and send money back to our villages". Do note: these words have been heard in tribal areas ranging from Vidharba in Maharahstra to Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. No wonder, the Congress was wiped out from the tribal regions of Udaipur. The Modi factor may be short term. But there are deeper and more long term reasons for the popularity of BJP in tribal areas. And that factor is the RSS and its affiliate organisations. Long before even Vajpayee

and to fight the efforts of Christian missionaries who have been active in trying to convert tribals since the 19th century. The students who were taught in the Saraswati Shishu Mandirs in the late 1980s and the 1990s are active voters now. There can be no doubt that long years of hard work and dedication to a cause have started finally delivering results for the BJP in tribal areas. Supporters of Congress claim that the BJP has been spreading hatred through these affiliate organizations. Supporters of the BJP say that the party has actually treated tribals as true citizens of India rather than mere vote banks. Secular intellectuals claim the BJP affiliates are misusing and abusing the tribals. BJP supporters say that bodies like Vanvasi Kalyan Kendras are preventing prejudiced missionaries from spreading hate against

Modi at a rally in Ranchi, capital of the tribal-dominated Jharkhand state

and Advani had started dreaming of power, there was an organization called "Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra" that roughly translates to Center for Welfare of Forest Dwellers. This body has played a very crucial role in Chattisgarh. More important, affiliate bodies have launched thousands of primary schools in tribal areas called " Saraswati Shishu Mandir". These primary schools had a clear mission: to propagate Hindu values

Hinduism. At the moment, it does appear as if the BJP supporters have won the argument and the tribals have voted. The success of this strategy is visible not just in Chattisgarh, but also in Madhya Pradesh. The tribal dominated region of Malwa in the state has eight Lok Sabha seats. For the first time, the BJP has decimated the Congress in all of them. BJP leader Arvind Mohan says, " Atal Bihari

Vajpayee was the first leader who truly understood the plight of the tribals. It is under his regime that many genuine policies were adopted for the welfare of tribals. The most important was the grant of forest land to tribals. This has made a huge difference to their lives and they have responded by supporting the BJP". This strategy of using leaders with a tribal connect was used very successfully even in Jharkhand. Before the elections, there were many reports about the ability or inability of the BJP to win in the predominantly tribal state. In what now looks like a master stroke, a long serving leader Vishnudutt Sharma was sent to Jharkhand to shore up the party's chances. When he was sent to the state, tribal seats like Lohardagga, Khunti, Singhbhum, Dhanbad and Godda were doubtful for the party. But smart and sustained campaigning ensured that the BJP managed to trounce not just the Congress, but also powerful local parties like JMM. It was inevitable that the BJP would win a majority of tribal votes in this election when it has succeeded in smashing the caste and religion based formations that had become part of Indian politics since the 1980s. But that is not the real story. The real story is about how tribals have been exploited ruthlessly since the British Imperial power passed laws like the Forest Acts that effectively made tribals aliens in their own homes. Unfortunately, no government since 1947 has made any serious attempt to address this issue and make tribals genuine stakeholders in democracy. Even today, you will find a lot of voters in tribal areas who yearn for "Indira Amma". But that generation is fading away and the new age young tribal as is aspirational as any other Indian. They have been exposed to mass media and the telecom revolution. And what they seem to be making clear is that they want growth, jobs and prosperity just as much as other sections of India. Perhaps it is this aspiration that the BJP leader Modi has managed to tap while leading his party to a historic victory. But then again, Modi must thank the tireless efforts of RSS affiliates! JUNE 2014

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SOUTHERN CRASH

Now the times are when the magic of the Congress that Indira Gandhi banked on is not working

Where is My South? In the 2014 elections, the myth about the undisputed control of the South by Congress has been ruthlessly destroyed. News Bench analyses why and how the Congress party has lost its last bastion N ASOKAN & NARESH NUNNA

n the United States of America, the Republican Party remains relevant because it still manages enough voters to choose it over the Democratic Party in the "south". Even though Barrack Obama became President in 2008 and 2012, voters in the south were clear in their choice: Republicans. Since 1967, the Congress Party has been a mirror image of the stretchy fate of the Republican Party. So what if you lose the national elections? There are enough voters in the south who will ensure you have a role when it comes to national affairs.

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Well, the Republican Party might still claim that in America. But for the Congress in India, that is now looking like a distant dream. One of the key reasons for the party looking at the humiliating tally of a mere 44 seats in the current Lok Sabha is the thumbs down and drubbing it has received from citizens in the "south". And this really is an existential problem for the Congress. If even the South can no longer save the party, can you expect the dynasty to perform miracles? Let's go back to 1977. That was the election in which Indian voters seemed to have been so angry with Indira Gandhi because of the Emergency that they

decisively voted her out. The electoral results seemed to prove that: the Congress won just about 154 out of the 542 Lok Sabha seats. But the interesting fact to see is from where the Congress won these 154 seats. The fact is, as many as 92 out of these came from the southern states, with Andhra Pradesh contributing 41 and Karnataka chipping in with 26. Not surprising then that when Indira Gandhi pondered her comeback, she chose the Chikmagalur constituency in Karnataka to storm back to Parliament. For Indira Gandhi, winning from Chikmagalur was almost a foregone conclusion. Despite anger against the Congress, the party

and the dynasty still were unquestionably popular in the south. Indira Gandhi repeated this by contesting from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh in the 1979 Lok Sabha elections and winning handsomely as she came back to power as the Prime Minister in 1980. For voters in Andhra, Indira was Amma and the Congress was the default party. Incidentally, when PV Narasimha accidentally became the Prime Minister in 1991, he contested from Nandyal and won with a record margin because voters still remained loyal to Indira Amma. Of course, by the time Narasimha Rao won that now forgotten election, the Congress had already become a party in decline. In the elections of 1989, the Congress party then under Rajiv Gandhi faced yet another electoral rout because of the public anger generated by corruption charges related to the Bofors scandal. The Congress party did better than in 1977 and won 195 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. But you could say that was the high tide of Congress fortunes in the south. The party actually managed to perform even better than 1977 and won 102 seats. The state of Tamilnadu contributed an incredible 27 seats. That was the last time the Dravidian parties gave seats to the Congress. Now, after the 2014 elections, the party seems to be seeking solace in political platitudes. "Congress has fared better in Kerala and Karnataka. Because they have a better organisational structure there. But in Tamilnadu historically we are weak. We relied on alliance parties for too many elections. Organisationally also we are very weak. The only organisational activity that gave hope is youth and student Congress organisations, which have been built with the help of Rahul Gandhi's vision." That is what youth leader Johtimani, hand picked by Rahul Gandhi says. But let's again visit another year when the Congress faced a debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. That was in 1999 when the Congress was reduced to a low of 114 seats in the Lok Sabha. That was also the year in which it was the first time that a

non-Congress government in the form of the NDA led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee actually won a mandate to govern again. By the time it was 1999, the warning signals were very clear for the Congress. From 102 in 1989, the tally of the Congress had crashed to 33 in 1999. In that election, the TDP had stitched up an alliance with the BJP that ensured a massive defeat for the Congress in 1999. The signs were very clear even in 1999. In Andhra,

Swaraj in Bellary, Karnataka. When Sonia Gandhi won comfortably from Bellary, the media as well as Congress leaders ignored the warning signals coming from the south. In the 2014 elections, the myth about the undisputed control of the south by the Congress has been ruthlessly destroyed. That familiar old bastion of Andhra is now gone with both the newly founded Seemandhra and Telengana reducing the

The return of Yeddyurappa ensured that the Congress once again fared poorly

THE LOSSES IN THE SOUTH ARE SYMBOLIC OF WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE CONGRESS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

the Congress was defeated by an alliance. In Tamilnadu, it was defeated by an alliance. And in Karnataka, it was yielding place to a resurgent BJP. Of course, the power of Congress and the dynasty was still in display in the 1990s because Sonia Gandhi, like her mother in law , chose the south to stage a comeback and won a keenly fought election against Sushma

Congress Lok Sabha tally from 33 to just too. In Tamilnadu, the party has scored a zero. It is only the nine seats from Karnataka and 8 from Kerala that have saved the party from utter disaster. The fact is, even a heavyweight promoted by all and sundry like Nandan Nilekani lost badly to the BJP candidate Ananth Kumar. And of course, many tall Congress leaders of Tamil Nadu have lost their deposits. How does the party regain its southern stronghold? That looks very difficult now. The losses in the south are symbolic of what is happening to the Congress across the country. The question is: Can Sonia Gandhi dare to attempt a revival by contesting elections from Andhra or Karnataka? That would be interesting! It would be even more interesting if Rahul Gandhi takes that bold step! JUNE 2014

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ASSAM

There has been an unprecedented surge of support for the BJP amongst the original inhabitants of Assam

BJP rides the waves of Brahmaputra The Congress’ Muslim vote bank got fractured, and the Hindus listened seriously to the BJP’s consistent stand that it will not allow the illegal Bangladeshi migrants to settle in Assam! That is why… URMI BHATTACHARJEE

JP has finally broken its jinx in the northeast, not only doubling its tally over the last general elections but with its allies the National Democratic Alliance has

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bagged a never-before 10 seats. The Naga Peoples’ Front and the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) in Meghalaya have won one seat each. It was a daunting task, given the fact that just before the elections, BJP’s presence in the northeast was dismal. Out of

25 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP had only four MPs, all from Assam. The party has only nine MLAs in the 498-strong Assembly spread across the northeast, and does not have any legislators in Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim. If the Modi wave has to be seen, it is in Assam, where all pundits and all opinion polls were drowned in the Brahmaputra, as the Bharatiya Janata Party plundered half of the 14 Lok Sabha seats and left the ruling Congress party gaping at the Kamakshya Temple in disbelief, with just three seats in its kitty. Let’s not make a mistake. The Tarun Gogoi government is in its third term and in sectors like education and health, the two areas that touch the common people most, after employment, it has done remarkably well. But even calculations that the BJP’s Assam camp was crowded by former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) men, whom the state electorate had roundly rejected over the last 13 years, did not stop the Modi wave. In Assam, the Congress got it where it hurts most. Since 1951,

Congress had lost the Dibrugarh seat just once (2004), when the then AGP candidate, Sarbananda Sonowal, won the prestigious seat in Upper Assam. Sonowal is now the state BJP president. The Congress candidate and former Union minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar had won the seat four times earlier. But he faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of a young BJP candidate, Rameshwar Teli. He trumped Ghatowar by a mammoth 1.85 Tarun Gogoi found that rival Ajmal lakh votes. had successfully In neighbourtaken away the Muslim vote ing Jorhat, another Congress fortress and the home district of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the BJP candidate and tea labour leader Kamakshya Prasad Tassa defeated six-time Congress MP and former Union minister Bijoy Krishna Handique by more than 1.15 lakh votes. The Congress Muslim vote bank has crumbled. While Hindu votes consolidated behind the BJP in the Brahmaputra Valley, in Lower Assam, the Muslim vote split, and in fact, some swung over to the minority-dominated All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). In 2009 LS polls, AIUDF, which is the main opposition party in Assam with 18 seats in the state assembly, wretched the Dhubri seat from Congress, when perfume baron Maulana Badruddin Ajmal won it. This time, Ajmal not only retained Dhubri, but his younger brother Sirajuddin Ajmal own the minority-dominated Barpeta seat. The Modi wave was certainly the tipping point in Assam. BJP has come first in 70 Assembly segments and that would mean that if Assam goes to the polls within a month, BJP has high chances of coming to power in the state, something which was unimaginable even about a month back. BJP in fact, now holds the key in Assam. Dominated by ethnic and community blocks, no party or community can aim to become a majority party. Hence today, the saffron party can dictate terms

IF MODI DELIVERS ON DEVELOPMENT AND STOPS THE BANGLADESHI MENACE, BJP WILL COME TO POWER IN ASSAM WITH A BANG in the state. While Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has blamed Modi’s anti-Bangladeshis hate speeches for fomenting communal distrust in Assam, it seems clear from the mandate that BJP has been able to sway the sentiments of the people towards its campaign. BJP’s vote share in Assam has gone up from 16.21 percent in the 2009 polls to 36.6 percent, more than doubling it. This is unbelievable political turnaround. Contrast this to the Congress’ vote share, which plummeted from 34.89 per cent in the previous elections to 29 per cent this time. Gogoi plans to resign on moral high grounds, but unless he finds an able man to run the team, the Congress will get seriously fractured. For over two years, the party is witnessing dissidence, as voices against Gogoi have been gathering momentum. A strong 50-legislator anti-Gogoi lobby led by state health minister Himanta Biswa

Sharma is trying to dislodge Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. The Congress inner party attrition has not only benefitted the BJP but even the AIUDF. Ajmal’s party was floated about 10 years ago, and first came to be noticed in the 2006 Assembly polls. Since inception, Ajmal has been eating into the Bengali Muslim vote bank of the Congress. The latter has been accused of favouring the illegal Muslim settlers from Bangladesh for vote bank politics. A hardcore stand on the Bangladeshi migrant issue by Narendra Modi might have created ripples and the Bengalispeaking Muslim votes could have further swayed towards AIUDF. But polarisation of votes is not the only problem for Congress in Assam. The present PCC chief Bhubeneswar Kalita has been found incapable of managing the party. Gogoi himself has also lost his control. And after the poll disaster, tha daggers are out. The only reason Gogoi survives is that the inner-factional permutation combinations have not yet frozen into shape. The Assamese people have been voting so long for the Congress because they are tired of violent separatist movements. They have been feeling that the Congress would help rein these elements in. But now with a huge majority in Parliament, if Modi delivers on development and stops the Bangladeshi menace, the BJP can come to power in Assam with a bang. JUNE 2014

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JAMMU & KASHMIR

J&K Votes ‘Communal’ NDA Stunned pundits saw the Goliath of Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah bite the dust in his own bastion Srinagar, and the BJP as well as the PDP have together wiped out the UPA from the state

The NC was reeling under the Modi impact, with not a single seat in the state

RUHAAN HAROON

t every poll campaign rally in the politically vandalised state of Jammu & Kashmir, the poll seekers of the National Conference (NC), ally of the Congress, never failed to remind the voters that every vote for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would be a vote for Modi. The unsaid part was, those votes would be anti-Muslim. But despite that, after 32 years in politics, the state’s political icon Farooq Abdullah was defeated for the first time ever,

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something that even the most objective pundits had not contemplated. Abdullah, who is called Qaid-e-Saani, or the second father of Kashmir, after his father, Sheikh Abdulla, tumbled to a 42,280 vote defeat at the hands of PDPs Tariq Karra. And yes, in Srinagar! This state, as also Assam, perhaps best exemplifies the twin factors of hatred against the Congress and a desire for a stable, single-party government that has created what is being called the Modi Wave. The PDP won all the seats in Muslim dominated Kashmir division. The BJP

won all the seats in Jammu and the lone seat in Buddhist dominated Laddakh. It could not get more secular than that! Interestingly, the people of the Muslim dominated Kashmir Valley seem happy with the NDA’s victory in the elections. Reason: Congress has completely failed to deliver vis-à-vis the political impasse on the Kashmir issue. Apparently, the change of regime at the Centre has generated hope among the Kashmiris. And Prime Minister Narendera Modi’s initiative to invite Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend his swearing-in ceremony has accelerated the hope and expectations among the people and the leaders in Kashmir. In his immediate reaction to Modi’s move, the chief cleric of the Valley and a senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said: “It is a good start. The move would reduce the trust deficit between India and Pakisan, which is necessary for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.” Pertinently, Mirwaiz was the first Kashmiri separatist leader who expressed his faith about Modi when the latter was nominated as the Prime Ministerial candidate by the BJP, saying: “Kashmir had seen the best forward movements towards the resolution of the crisis during the NDA era headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and if Modi follows Vajpayee’s footsteps, then there is a lot of hope.” These utterances had generated a heated debate in Kashmir with many criticising the Mirwaiz for his positive remarks about BJP and its prime-ministerial candidate. But the Mirwaiz, swimming against the tide, believes that Modi can prove to be a crucial leader for Kashmiris. The Mirwaiz told News Bench: “Modi has a reputation for being a good administrator, and I believe he can become a statesman if he contributes to solve the Kashmir issue.” But why should the leader of a party like BJP, which in its election manifesto carried a pledge to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution that grants a special status to Jammu & Kashmir, try for a po-

There was a curious excitement revolving around the Modi campaign in J&K

litical solution to the Kashmir issue up to the satisfaction of Kashmiri separatists? The Mirwaiz, who is the sole head of Muslims in Kashmir Valley, replies: “The solution to the impasse will bring peace, not only in Kashmir but also in the entire region of South Asia, and Modi himself would prefer a peaceful environment for the proper execution of his promised agenda for the development and progress of the country. India is in a financial mess, and on the other hand the country’s annual defense budget has reached $37 billion. I believe we all need peace and stability and for that, a peaceful resolution to this problem is a must.” Modi has not only generated hope in the separatist camp, but even mainstream leaders of the state seem optimistic and happy about the policies of his government. Both, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and leader of the opposition in the state, Mehbooba Mufti, have enthusiastically welcomed Modi’s decision to invite Nawaz Sharif for his oath-taking ceremony. Abdullah, who had never missed an opportunely to ridicule and oppose BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate during his election campaign, now sees hope in Modi. He said: “Modi meeting his Pakistan counterpart on the first day at

THE EUPHORIA THAT HAS GRIPPED THE COUNTRY AFTER BJP’S SINGLEPARTY WIN IS ECHOING BACK FROM THE PEER PANJAL RANGE work is a good sign in respect of Jammu & Kashmir…. We have always suffered due to poor relations between India and Pakistan, and have always benefited from good relations ” Meanwhile, moderate separatist leaders seem readying themselves for the restoration of talks with the Centre. “We will surely go to the talks if the new government at the Centre offers it. We believe meaningful conversation will be fruitful,” Bilal Gani Lone, a senior Hurriyat leader told News Bench. Bilal Lone was part of the group of Kashmiri leaders who met LK Advani in 2004, when the latter was Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India. It may be recalled that during the Vajpayee-led NDA government (1998– 2004), several significant steps had been taken for the restoration of peace and for

the political solutions of the seemingly intractable issues. Vajpayee was the first Indian leader who had offered dialogue and reconciliation. He had kicked off a 'Composite Dialogue' process with Pakistan. At that time, a series of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) were undertaken to defuse the tension in the region. Under the Composite Dialogue process, as many as eight contentious issues were identified. These included peace and security, Jammu & Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage, terrorism and drug trafficking, etc. The starting of the first bus service between the two parts of Kashmir (Srinagar in India and Muzaffarabad in PoK), resumption of Lahore-Amritsar bus service, train link between Rajasthan and Sindh, resumption of Delhi-Lahore Samjhauta Express and several other measures had helped create a peaceful and hopeful environment in the region. “Modi’s promise to pursue Vajpayee’s Kashmir policy is the reason for prevailing hope here. Congress has failed to address the issues related to Kashmir. But the BJP government at the Centre seems capable enough to make a difference,” Riyaz Masroor, a senior political analyst and BBC’s Kashmir correspondent told News Bench. Analysts also believe that BJP will not try to see a heating up of the political weather in Kashmir by trying to abrogate Article 370, despite the party’s election manifesto. “I think things like Ram Temple construction and abrogations of Article 370 in the BJP manifesto were just an attempt by the party to allure the vote bank across the country. I don’t think the party, now wthat it is in power, will meddle with such unwise attempts. I personally believe Modi will try to streamline the political environment in the country. Why would he invite trouble by doing things that may derail the stability in the country?” Prof. Noor Baba, analyst and the head of Kashmir University’s Political Science Department told News Bench. JUNE 2014

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ECONOMY

The United Progressive Alliance has left the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy in a shambles. There seems to be a new buoyancy, however, with the promise of a stable government not at the mercy of alliance partners coming to power. News Bench talked to well known economists to etch out the ten most critical needs of mending the economy

Dial 10 for reconstruction VIKAS KUMAR & MAYANK SINGH

ll new governments are formed with a plan and an agenda in place. We can be sure now that the Modi government also has a clear plan and agenda. Burdened with an economic crisis left behind by the previous government under the United Progressive Alliance in its second term, the new government will have many issues to tackle, but if at all it wants to give itself a second chance five years later it will have to have crash down to create an economy that practically does not exist except in a shambles. Prior to the resounding poll results, well known journalist R Jagannathan wrote in FirstPost: "What is not so well known is that the Congress is steadily de-

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stroying what's left of a slowing economy by executive actions that will lob timebombs in the next government's lap even before it has a chance to settle down. The UPA under Sonia Gandhi will hand over a poisoned fruit to the next government. Possibly enough to call the UPA's economic actions anti-national." That has happened. And News Bench thinks it is important to kick start this debate right away, so that there is clarity on what needs to be done to rebuild the Indian economy. STEP 1 Raise GDP growth rate The UPA, which replaced the NDA in 2004, inherited a very healthy economy that was growing at a rapid rate. Today, it has reduced GDP growth rate to almost 4.5 per cent, a disgraceful performance by

any yardstick. The fact is, the higher the GDP growth rate, the higher the growth rate of per capita income and the faster the decline in poverty. STEP 2 Increase savings and investment levels Any student of economics is taught the elementary fact that the rate of growth of GDP depends on the rate of savings and investments in an economy. This is true even of individuals and households. Families that save more money and invest wisely have brighter economic futures. In the latter part of its ten-year rule, the UPA 2 regime has managed to force people and companies to reduce savings and investments. Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s savings and investment peaked at 36.8 per cent and 38.1 per cent of GDP, respectively, in FY08. In

FY13, the overall savings rate dropped to 30.1 per cent of GDP and investment to 34.8 per cent of GDP. Savings and investments have a lot to do with signals and sentiments. The next government has to immediately send out strong signals that it is taking concrete steps to encourage savings and investments.

people looked forward to a brighter economic future. But inflation has persisted even after growth rates have crashed and the economy has virtually tanked. In a column for BBC, journalist Soutik Biswas writes: "For nearly four years now, inflation has hounded India relentlessly, pushing up prices, corroding savings, hurting the poor the most and making life difficult for its large middle class." Every student of economics knows that the people most hurt by inflation are poor. Leaders of the UPA have given a strange explanation: prices of food articles are growing because more poor people are buying food. That would have been a joke, were the logic not so cruel and perverse.

suicide rate in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Big 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122; is slightly up, despite a decline in Karnataka. And also a fall in Maharashtra. The latter has the worst record of any state. At least 53,818 farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; suicides since 1995. " The next government will have to tackle this head on. The first step that needs to be taken is to increase farm productivity through better use of modern technology and increased farm incomes by enabling farmers to get a better price for their harvest. In the longer run, the solution is to reduce the number of people dependent on agriculture from the current level of 66 per cent to about 40 per cent.

STEP 3 Create jobs While releasing the party manifesto for the 2014 elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had claimed that if the UPA is re elected, it will create 100 million new jobs in the next five years. A majority of economists and analysts laughed at this empty boast. But for young Indians, this STEP 6 Manage fiscal deficit This is one of the most dangerous legais a matter of life and death. The last UPA cies being left behind by government will be known the UPA government. A in history as a unique one complete disregard for bathat delivered "jobless" ecosic fiscal discipline and a nomic growth. Even if you propensity to spend reckdiscount the propaganda lessly on poorly planned part of it, there is simply no and implemented social doubt that the NDA governwelfare schemes have led ment created many times to an unprecedented fiscal the number of new jobs in crisis. If urgent steps are not six years than the UPA has taken to stem the rot, the managed in 10 years. This Indian economy could well is despite its much vaunted be staring at a crisis similar Rural Employment Guarto 1990-91, when both the antee Scheme that promises government and the econ100 days of work to at least omy had gone bankrupt. one family member of every For the poor of the country, doles are no substitute for jobs In his last budget speech, village who seeks work. The outgoing Finance Minister next government will face a P Chidambaram patted himself on the huge political challenge here. One major STEP 5 Solve the agriculture crisis Renowned scribe and author P Sainath back for restricting fiscal deficit to well reason for jobless growth in India is the obsolete labour laws that protect only a writes in a column for The Hindu: "Sui- below five per cent of GDP. But too many cide rates among Indian farmers were a economists and analysts have pointed out small minority of organised workers. chilling 47 per cent higher than they were that Chidambaram is indulging in statisfor the rest of the population in 2011. In tical jugglery and being economical with STEP 4 Control inflation This is easily one of the most spectacu- some of the states worst hit by the agrar- facts. lar failures of the UPA government, apart ian crisis, they were well over 100 per cent from delivering jobless growth. Not a sin- higher. The new Census 2011 data reveal STEP 7 Reduce current account deficit This will be another momentous chalgle major economy in the world has seen a shrinking farmer population. And it is the kind of stubbornly persistent inflation on this reduced base that the farm sui- lenge for the next government. Just about that India has witnessed in the last ten cides now occur...Ten states show a high- a year ago, the situation was so grim and years. During the first term of the UPA, er farm suicide rate in 2011 than in 2001. the trade deficit was growing so alarminghigh inflation was not an existential crisis That includes the major farming zones of ly that India was knocking on the doors of because the economy was booming and Punjab and Haryana. The average farm a repeat of the balance of payments crisis JUNE 2014

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ECONOMY

of 1990-91 when India had barely enough foreign exchange reserves to finance just 15 days of imports. A telling indicator of this looming crisis was the manner in which the Rupee was falling against the dollar. In 2013, there was a poignant joke about the price of onion and the Rupee in a race to touch the Rs 100 mark. The next government will need to take immediate steps to send the right signals.

it is the most pro-poor government in the history of India. To add muscle to that claim, it has formed the National Advisory Council that has aggressively pushed for social welfare laws like NREGA, Right to Education and Right to Food to name just a few. On the other hand, it has used discretionary powers to preside over the most brazen loot and plunder of national resources by industrialists and fly by night STEP 8 Attract FDI operators close to the powers that be. A substantial increase in FDI will posiThere is no need to analyse in detail the tively benefit the economy in the followlist of scams ranging from CWG to 2G to ing ways in the immediate future. It will Coalgate. Suffice to say that no other govprovide a boost to manufacturing; it will ernment in independent India has pregenerate more jobs; it will sided over so many scams. raise GDP growth rates and Well known journalist it will also help the governParanjoy Guha Thakurta, ment tackle the looming writes in a recent column balance of payments crisis. about the Coal gate scam: But most important, an in"This is indeed crony capicrease in FDI will send a talism at its most brazen powerful signal to global and venal. Will the governinvestors that India is ready ment weather the crisis in once again to engage meanthe near term? Probably ingfully with the global yes, even if more scams are economy. There can be no unearthed. The more imdoubt that FDI alone canportant point to note is that not solve the myriad probthe legacy of the criminal lems confronting the Indian mismanagement of the naeconomy. But the fact is, if tion's natural resources will Runaway inflation and fiery vegetable prices hurt the most multinationals make a beebe borne by future generaline for India, big industrial tions. Be it electromagnetic houses like Tatas, Birlas, spectrum or coal, these are Ambanis and others, who have been in- suggests that infrastructure projects in resources that belong to all people of Investing away from India in recent times, the mining, power, highways, ports and dia...when those in positions of power will also be encouraged to concentrate other verticals to the tune of more than and authority fail to allocate these in a more on India. This will be a win win Rs 600,000 crores are stuck. The next fair, prudent and transparent manner, the situation for all stakeholders. government has to ensure that vested entire country pays a stiff price for the interests do not succeed in stalling such corruption of a fewâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? STEP 9 Invest in infrastructure projects by invoking controversial issues The new government has to immediBack in 1999, the Atal Behari Vajpayee like environment, land acquisition and ately take steps to ensure that policies are government imposed a cess on petrol to tribal rights. transparent and fair. Again, it is a quesfinance the construction of new highways tion of intent and will rather than rocket and the Golden Quadrilateral that prom- STEP 10 Curb crony capitalism science. The multi-billion dollar question Actually, over the last ten years, India that will affect the future of India's youth ises to link four corners of India through modern highways. This resulted in a pro- seems to have witnessed more of crony is: Will the Modi government have the cess whereby India actually saw about 20 socialism rather than crony capitalism. will and gumption to take steps to revive kilometres of new highways being built On the one hand, the UPA regime has the economy? every day. Under the UPA regime, that never lost an opportunity to proclaim that

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has crashed to less than three kilometres of construction per day. No matter which way you look, this government has spent money on welfare schemes that provide temporary relief rather than investing in infrastructure projects. To give just one example, it has wasted money in schemes like NREGA without building schools, irrigation canals and rural roads. The fact of the matter is that the Indian economy needs more than one trillion dollars in investments in the infrastructure sector in the near future. But since 2010, policy paralysis of the most perverse kind has stalled virtually all infrastructure projects. A recent estimate

KERALA

Aranmula: A Secular Fight For Heritage The village that produces the only one of its kind metal mirror in the world, and has been declared a UNESCO Global Heritage Village, is under threat from an illegal airport project, but a spectacular agitation has brought all parties and religious leaders to crush it

Poetess-activist Sugathakumari, addressing the dharna on its 83rd day

M RAJASEKHARA PANICKER

he historic resistance movement to save the UNESCO heritage village Aranmula from a nefarious airport project crossed 100 days recently, with most political parties expressing support. The government chief whip PC George attended the 100th day ceremony and lent his expectedly outspoken voice.. Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala received the UNESCO stamp on its global heritage village status. An ancient temple dedicated to Lord Krishna (Parthasarathy), snake boat regatta on the holy river Pampa and the unique metallic mirror Aranmula Kannadi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are a few unique features of the village. The Aranmula metal mirror is patented and protected with a geographical indication tag.

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It is unique because it is made of metal, reflects from the surface,, and it is made only by a few families and that too, only in Aranmula. For the past 100 days, locals have been agitating against a proposed 700 acre airport project being pushed here by the KGS Group, reportedly, supported by the Congress. The state government has a 10 per cent in the project, which is what lends the support of PC George a large significance. The group eyes this prime location close to top tourism destinations like Kumarakom, Alappuzha backwaters, famed as the Venice of the East, the high ranges of Kumily, Thekkady Tiger Reserve and the Sabarimala pilgrim centre with an annual rush of around 60 million devotees. Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Alappuzha districts account for about 21

per cent of foreign tourists and 14 per cent domestic tourists. The project proposal includes an SEZ, multi-specialty hospital, shopping mall, star hotels and an international school. In short, a money spinner The Group promises to generate direct employment to 1,500 and indirect employment to more than 6,000 people, and claims they have all necessary approvals required from ministries of civil aviation, environmental and forests, defence, home affairs and the state government. But the Aranmula people wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t relent. Kerala , with an area of just 38,863 sq km, already has four international airports. The fifth one has ulterior motive, the villagers say. Eviction will be the first threat. And when the airport expands for Boeing 747 and Airbus A-320 to land, with additional runways needed, parking space and other infrastructure, more space will be needed and more evictions are guaranteed. The technical committee report of Airports Authority of India (AAI) recommends reducing the height of the temple masthead to 23.7 metres from 30.8 metres. Light should be fitted to the masthead as warning to pilots, temple gopura should

be shifted to 285 metre away. The airport and its runway area are only 1,012 metres high above sea level and its proximity to the Pampa river may lead to water logging, hence the land should be raised. For this purpose, seventy-two lakh tonnes of earth and 1,000 acres of land are required to fill the paddy fields. Fears are that the hills near Aranmula temple - Kozhimala, Chittur Purayidam, Chakkakkunnu, Kontoormodi, Kanakakkunnu, Komalappoozhi – will be blasted, ruining the ecology. “Levelling land by demolishing hills will make Aranmula a desert,’’ environmentalist and Kerala River Protection Committee leader Dr CM Joy says. The villagers smelt a rat and formed Aranmula Paithruka Grama Karma Samithi (Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council) to “protect, conserve and promote the priceless heritage of Aranmula”. The Council has been spearheading an agitation for two and half years

against the airport project that “threatens the very survival of the heritage village”. Poetess, activist and environmentalist Sugathakumari, who waged a battle for the protection of Silent Valley, and is the chairperson of the Samithi, issued an ultimatum in her inaugural address to the agitators on February 10, that the project

CPM, RSS, Hindus and Muslims unite

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to shoulder If secularism M mandarins stand shoulder a top Imam from Kerala and CPI even a superstar. Here is the amazing list: and with NGOs, Christian leaders

Gandhi Peace Foundation chairman P Gopinathan Nair Super star Suresh Gopi CPI (M) politburo member and former state minister MA Baby RSS state general secretary P Gopalan Kutty Master Mosque Imam Shahir Moulavi Former ministers M Vijayakumar, Binoy Viswam, NK Premachandran and Mathew T Thomas BJP state general secretary K Surendran Bishop Geevarghese Mar Coorilios AICC member Peelipose Thomas CPI(M) district secretary K Anandagopan CPI district secretary P. Prasad BJP district president TR Ajithkumar CPI(M) district secretariat member A Padmakumar BJP national council member VN Unni P R Shaji and P Induchoodan Hindu Aikyavedi general secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan

must be summarily cancelled. The support from the political firmament has been spectacular (See Box). The activists of the agitation allege that the rocket speed with which the company acquired all approvals from the State and Centre shows the proximity of the Group to Number 10 Janpath. KGS purchased 232 acres from Ebraham Kalamannil for Rs 52 crore.Those who know the group allege benami deal behind the venture. Unconfirmed reports links even the names of Robert Vadra and Reliance. Top environmentalist and biologist Professor Madhav Gadgil visited Aranmula and said the project is violating rules. Based on complaints from different quarters and enquires held, the district authorities reclaimed a part of the land filled by the company, and a committee of the Kerala Assembly asked for the cancellation of the project and also revival of the water ways filled for the project. As per the Aviation rules, distance between two airports should be 150 km. The Aranmula airport is only 90 km away Kochi airport and only 120 km from Thiruvananthapuram. It is a gross violation of rules, Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad says. Opposition Leader VS Achuthanandan addressed the satyagraha and said, “I salute the patriotic people who are making such a concerted effort to resist the anti-national step of the corporate forces destroying the paddy fields and the drinking water sources of Kuttanad and Vembanad lakes.” Pathanamthitta Collector declared the 232 acre land purchased by the company as surplus land. High Court has prohibited any construction here. Remaining 210 acres of land is with the company. There are cases against the alleged unlawful activities of the project in High Court, Vigilance Court and Green Tribunal. Unless the company crosses these riders, it cannot begin work. There could be a silver lining, perhaps, for the agitators. With the Narendra Modi government in power, it seems most unlikely the project will go ahead. JUNE 2014

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CONGRESS

They do not want organisational elections. They do not want the youth to ‘infuse energy’ into the party. They hate mending their sycophantic ways. So they tried to disgrace Rahul Gandhi. They want to prop up Priyanka and divide the family. They are the new 'Syndicate' that wants to rule from their doddering old ramparts

Old Daggers Drawn For Young Rahul R SANJAY KUMAR JHA

ahul Gandhi, after remaining a reluctant heir-apparent, is set for his own tryst with destiny. He has to lead a beleaguered party which is completely ruined in the election. Though, he had sensed his defeat long ago, the quantum and the shameful manner of defeat is perplexing. He had to battle an enemy called ‘Narendra Modi’.

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However, he was fighting more subtle and invisible battles at the same time. A powerful section within Congress had hatched a conspiracy to negate him. The old-guard in the party has not accepted Rahul Gandhi as their leader and they are doing everything to humiliate Rahul. The planning was made long ago. The conspiracy was to ensure the defeat of Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. However, Priyanka Gandhi had some idea about this

conspiracy and this is why she camped in Amethi for a few weeks and at least ensured a respectable victory for him. Eventually, the old syndicate smiled when Congress suffered its worst defeat since independence. The party got just 44 seats in the election. Though their first plan to defeat Rahul failed, but with the humiliating defeat of Congress, they were successful in putting a question mark on his leadership skills. The Rahul Brigade

The most trusted loyalists of Sonia Gandhi, who frame the party's strategy, conspired to see that Rahul is humiliatingly defeated

was completely routed in the election. Only Jyotiraditya Scindia and Deependra Hooda could save their faces because of their strong family backgrounds. All the strong pillars of Rahul’s block lost badly. The battle lines in the party are now clearly drawn, and the battle has now come out in the open. The signs of defeat were palpable at the January 2014 Congress Adhivesan. The old guard was nervous over the possible generational shift ever since Rahul was elevated to the number two position last year. The decision to declare Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate was almost final. But, on the very first day of the meeting in Talkatora Stadium, the old guard botched up this plan. A meeting took place at Ahmed Patel’s residence at Crescent Road. More than 50 old leaders were present in the meeting. These were among the most trusted loyalists of Sonia Gandhi. The agenda of the meeting was to sabotage the planning to declare Rahul Gandhi as a Prime Ministerial candidate. These people are seasoned politicians who have seen many political battles. At last, they decided to convince Sonia Gandhi to drop this idea. Ahmed Patel was the leader of this movement. He was capable of sending the signal to Sonia Gandhi directly.

According to the plan, the political advisor to ‘Madam’ convinced her about possible dangers of declaring him Prime Ministerial candidate. The message was conveyed in a manner as if a mother was sending her son to battle. They advised her to give full rights to Rahul in the election and fight the election under his lead-

RAHUL FEELS LEADERS LIKE AHMED PATEL, GHULAM NABI AZAD, AK ANTONY, SUSHIL KUMAR SHINDE, KAPIL SIBAL AND SALMAN KHURSHID ARE IMPORTANT ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR SYCOPHANCY ership instead of declaring him as a Prime Ministerial candidate. The motive was if the party loses election badly, he could not be held responsible. The old syndicate turned the discussion towards subsidized cylinders. They convinced Sonia Gandhi to increase the number of subsidized cylinders from

nine to twelve, as this would appease the public. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved of this decision. The whole issue of projecting Rahul as a Prime Minister was lost somewhere. This is why Narendra Modi had sarcastically said, “Gaye the Pradhanmantri khojne, teen cylinder lekar aaye”. The signs of conspiracy against Rahul Gandhi started becoming visible during the Uttar Pradesh election in 2012. However, it came out in the open during the Amethi Lok Sabha election. Few nongovernmental organisations had started crying about the lack of development in Amethi. The All India Muslim Federation and Jagruk Nagrik Manch made a lot of hue and cry much before the Loksabha election. The issue of development was raised through hoardings and banners. A Rajiv Gandhi Nyaya Yatra was organised. For the first time in Amethi, development was made an issue. Rahul Gandhi was shown the black flag during his road show. It is said that these people were in constant touch with the old syndicate. It is also said that more than Rupees 200 crore was distributed during the Uttar Pradesh assembly election to sabotage Rahul Gandhi. Many dummy candidates were fielded from this money to cut the Congress JUNE 2014

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CONGRESS

vote. These candidates were fielded in the areas where the Congress candidate was looking in good shape. A Congress leader from Rahul Gandhi’s block said, “A chit fund company and an infrastructure company openly funded at the behest of the old syndicate. This spoiled Rahul’s prospect in the election and Congress could only win 28 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The result was a shocker for Rahul. During the last days of UPA government, a section of the party demanded that Rahul be made the Prime Minister. This was also part of the conspiracy. An old leader, on condition of anonymity, tells News Bench, “Our scheme was to bring Rahul from organisation to government, so that he engages himself in the government and his attention from the organisation is diverted. However, Rahul’s block sensed this conspiracy. They sabotaged the conspiracy by telling him to work for restructuring the organisation.” The idea behind the conspiracy was that Rahul would be made PM and then the old guard would sabotage him. After the Lok Sabha election, they would give him the last push. Then the clamour to bring in Priyanka Gandhi into direct politics and party will increase. Thus, they would successfully create a rift in the family. This would ensure that many old leaders would become advisors. There is another twist to this story. Sanjay Singh was once an old friend of Rajiv Gandhi. The 60-year-old Singh does not fit in the Congress scheme of things. He was the MP from Amethi, but his aura could not ensure a victory for Congress candidates in the nearby areas. In his heydays, he was the undisputed leader in the Uttar Pradesh. His Lok Sabha ticket was almost denied. In such a situation, he rebelled. He held a meeting with a few BJP leaders in his palace Bhupati Bhavan on the occasion of his birthday. The BJP leaders assured him of a ticket in the Lok Sabha election. This posed a dilemma for Rajnath Singh, as he was not sure if it was worthwhile to draw the battle line directly with

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the Gandhi family for the sake of Sanjay Singh. It was difficult to say whether he would have been able to defeat Rahul Gandhi or not, but it was certain that Rahul could have been trapped in Amethi. Even more, it would have also created problems in Rae Bareli. A senior leader of the party says, “Rahul’s block understood the seriousness of the matter. Sanjay Singh was assured of a

to campaigning. But, Rahul failed to make an impact. Congress lost the election everywhere except in Mizoram. However, Rahul took one good decision: leaving campaigning responsibility to local leaders. The old guard did not participate in the election at all. Ashok Gehlot did not even campaign for the party. All the old leaders sat passively to see the outcome. Whenever Rahul called these senior lead-

Political Advisor to the Congress president Ahmad Patel was the chief conspirator

THE CLAMOUR TO BRING PRIYANKA GANDHI AS THE LEADER OF THE CONGRESS WAS PART OF THE CONSPIRACY TOO. TOP LEADERS LIKE SATYAVRAT CHATURVEDI WERE PART OF THIS GAME Rajya Sabha berth in the future and his wife was assured a ticket from Sultanpur.” The old syndicate’s impact was also visible during assembly election in five states. Rahul Gandhi was completely in-charge of this election from ticket distribution

ers, they only said, “As you say”. The message was clear. An old leader says, “Had he consulted us, we would have solved half of the problems. These younger leaders have no idea of ground politics.” The clamour to bring Priyanka Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister was part of the conspiracy too. Leaders like Satyavrat Chaturvedi were part of this game. The daggers were, in fact, drawn much long ago, when Rahul had been elevated to Congress General Secretary in 2007, and he started intervening in the party affairs. He also took charge of National Students Union of India and the youth wing of Congress. In the 2013 Congress Working Committee’s Jaipur session, Rahul talked about giving one-third of the seats to the youth. This infuriated the old syndicate,

and differences came out at the session. After that, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi had to assuage the senior leaders. On a few occasions, senior leaders and the youth brigade had heated arguments in the presence of Rahul. A member of the Rahul Brigade openly criticised a senior leader on some issue, and the latter openly termed him lumpen element. Rahul’s youth brigade leaders are challenging the existing power structure within the Congress and this is the reason for the increased tussle within the party. The old syndicate is of the view that they have made Sonia Gandhi their leader. She should not forget the Narasimha Rao days. Had Sitaram Kesri not shown loyalty, the Gandhi family would have been nowhere. In Congress, loyalty to the Gandhi family plays a very important role in deciding a party post. Once Arjun Singh had openly wept, saying now the Congress does not respect loyalty. The old syndicate leaders are of the view that the Congress has an age-old culture of showing loyalty towards the family. The Congress has a tradition where party president chooses leaders. Then why is Rahul Gandhi talking about organisational elections? Leaders like Ahmed Patel are not at all happy over timely organisation elections and giving important positions to young leaders. Rahul is giving important posts and portfolios to the youth, causing dissidence among senior leaders in the party. Senior leaders like Janardan Dwivedi are of the view that youths should not be given important portfolios for at least three to four years, even if they are from the Rahul Brigade. They should work as normal Congress workers initially. However, Rahul Gandhi does not attach much importance to this view. Rahul, since childhood, has seen only those leaders whose only ability is loyalty to the Gandhi family. He is of the view that leaders like Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AK Antony, Oscar Fernandes, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and Abhishek Manu Singhvi are important only because

PERFORMANCE OF INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS IN ALL LOK SABHA ELECTIONS Election Year

Total Seats

Votes Percentage

1951

364

45.00%

1957

371

47.78%

1962

361

44.72%

1967

283

40.78%

1971

352

43.68%

1977

154

34.52%

1980

353

42.69%

1984

404

49.10%

1985

32.14%

1989

197

39.53%

1991

232

36.26%

1992

49.27%

1996

140

28.80%

1998

141

25.82%

1999

114

28.30%

2004

145

26.53%

2009

206

28.55%

2014

19.3 %

of their sycophancy, and he attaches no importance to them. Rahul Gandhi is of the view that people vote for the Gandhi family and not in the name of these leaders. If the party has to grow, it will have to induct fresh faces to infuse enthusiasm and energy. It is not that all the senior leaders are hostile to Rahul. He had never touched Veerbhadra Singh or Kamalnath. Rahul likes leaders like CP Joshi, who dares to call a spade a spade, and his hot favourite is Madhusudan Mistry. He gave a chance to Pawan Bansal to come clean. In fact, this is a typical power struggle, when a party goes through a transition phase. The old guard does not want to lose its stranglehold. The interesting thing is it was Veerappa Moily who had advocated Rahul Gandhi as a Prime Minister, and

after that other leaders such as Salman Khurshid started singing the same tune. But now they feel insecure about Rahul Gandhi. A senior leader says, requesting not to be named, “Hamne Rahul ko isliye upadhyaksha nahi banwaya tha ki kal ke hi-bye karnle wale laptop liye chhokre hamara patta saaf kar de.” (We had not made Rahul the party vice president that these young, laptop-carrying lads sweep us out of the party) It will be interesting to see how Rahul copes with the challenges and how he tackles the conspiracy in the party. If today leaders such as Milind Deora and Priya Dutt are telling bitter truths openly, it is because of internal democratic culture brought in the party. But, old guard is terming this as a rebellion. This is also a conspiracy. JUNE 2014

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Narendra Modi's tweet on the party's victory was retweeted a record 69,000 times

VIKAS KUMAR

Social media: Passage to victory in 2019! The 2014 Lok Sabha elections were actually a preview of the shape of things to come. Social Media played a signiﬁcant role in inﬂuencing voter opinion and choices. By 2019, when 800 million Indians will have access to FaceBook and Twitter, political parties cannot afford to ignore this medium 52

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hen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won the general elections, the news first flashed through Narendra Modi’s tweet, “India has won. Good days are ahead.” This tweet was retweeted 69,000 times. Technology comes naturally to Narendra Modi, and it is not a new found fad for him. Journalists vividly recall how he used to work on a brand new laptop in the BJP headquarters before becoming Chief Minister of Gujarat. Before anyone could have realised what is actually happening, he had already taken an invincible lead. During voting Modi posted a selfie on his Twitter account showing his inked finger just after casting the ballot. After BJP’s victory became clear on May 16, he shared a picture showing him receiving his mother’s blessings. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and particularly Modi tapped into

an increasingly connected electorate on the various social media platforms. They realised the immense potential of the fact that 70 per cent of people in the world’s largest democracy have a mobile phone, and India is the third-largest mobile smart phone market in the world. According to LIQVD Asia, data analytics firm, India has an estimated 205 million Internet users. ILQVD MD Arnab Mitra forecasts that this will reach 370 million by the end of 2015. The Internet using population is fast rising and if they grow at this pace, it will reach around 700800 million in the next four years. There were about 80 million users of social media in urban India at the time of the 2014 polls, according to Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) estimates. A third live in towns with populations of less than 500,000 and a quarter in areas populated by under 200,000 people. Political parties were shocked when IRIS Knowledge Foundation and Internet and Mobile IMAI published a report which estimated that out of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, social media will play an important role in influencing voters and poll outcomes in at least 160 seats. Shantanu Gupta, who looks after Baba Ramdeo’s social media cell, told News Bench: “Based on the report, we observed that the number of Facebook users in 160 constituencies outnumbered the victory margin between winning and losing candidates, which means social media played a role in shaping the results.” Narendra Modi made it compulsory for every BJP candidate to have a Facebook account. Even those candidates from far-flung areas had Facebook pages. "Political parties in urban areas are realising this is one of the best ways to reach out to the young, as this could change the democratic political dialogue," says Rajan Anandan, MD, Google India. There are about 160 million first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24 years, many of whom are digitally savvy. "More and more of the political class are getting on to social networks in order to tap this

significant number of voters," he adds. Prabhakar Singh, Head, CMS Media Cell, avers: “The way Internet penetration is increasing in the country, by 2019 we expect it to more than double. Facebook users in India have crossed 10 crore mark and even on very conservative estimates it will more than double. In addition to that, millions of youths in the age-category of 13-17 will have adult franchise rights. This class is digital savvy and will be social media conscious. Obviously, if you can engage them in your conversation, you can mould their opinion.” Twitter data also confirms that from January 1 to May 12, the graph for the political parties went up and down with the rise and fall in the number of tweets. The popularity of the BJP soared slowly

NARENDRA MODI MADE IT COMPULSORY FOR EVERY BJP CANDIDATE TO HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. EVEN THOSE CANDIDATES FROM FAR-FLUNG AREAS HAD FACEBOOK PAGES and it actually peaked later. Vikas Pande, a media advisor and volunteer for the BJP campaign, says: "The reach of the social media is vast. In fact, even with two of the top YouTube Channels, 'Narendra Modi' and 'I Support Narendra Modi', there has been a hike in the number of subscribers." He further says: “Social media played an important role in reaching out to voters even in tier-two and tier-three cities. "Even in places like Gorakhpur, the reach of the Internet, no matter how limited, helped voters obtain information, not only about Narendra Modi, but about the elections in general." It is obvious that Internet packages will be cheaper in the

coming days and hence, more accessible. This will help to increase the penetration of social media further. Arvind Gupta heads the IT cell in BJP and he was instrumental in setting up its social media cell. He was educated in the US and data analytics is his forte. Ankit Lal is the head of IT cell of AAP, and his office is in a narrow alley of Connaught Place. There, with a table and a few plastic chairs Lal devises the strategy to beat Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi on social media. A closer analysis of AAP’s social media strategy revolves around a simple principle, “The AAP's strategy is very simple: do anything and everything to defeat Rahul and Modi in their respective constituencies and win the posturing battle with them." Politicians have lately started understanding power of social media. Rahul Gupta, Internet savvy journalist says, “Many politicians have explained their desire to maintain social media accounts and queries have really increased.” Facebook profile is now as much important as plastering a candidates photos on billboards. SocialBakers, a company that offers tools for monitoring and analysing social media, offers a detailed breakdown of the performance of the main political parties, including the percentage of shares, comments and Likes that the posts by the parties and politicians generated. The trends observed for the period between April 19 to May 18 shows how the popularity of the BJP surged, with Modi-related interactions hitting a record of over 15 lakh. Kejriwal was at just over a lakh, and Digvijaya Singh of the Congress at just 19,500. When you look at the performance of these individuals and their parties in the elections, it's easy to infer a relation between social media and actual results. The activity on Twitter is increasing with every passing day. Now, social media discussions are shaping the opinions of people in more visible manners than mainstream media, which is largely maJUNE 2014

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nipulated by corporate bosses. Rishi Jaitly, Twitter India Market Director, says: "Like the Obama campaign, everyone knew that this Lok Sabha election would also be influenced by social media, particularly with over 150 million first-time voters between the ages of 18-23 years. Everyone could see tweets from the main parties, politicians and voters on their mobile devices, on their TV screens or in their daily news reports, and follow key political and media accounts via a missed call to consume their tweets." Ranjit Nair, CEO, Gemin8, a data analytics company that tracks social media, told News Bench: “What we saw was a glimpse of a much bigger political battle on social media in 2019. The real and more decisive battle will be fought in 2019 polls. Its potential will be fully harnessed then.” After five years, political parties will have fully understood the importance of reaching out to the people in urban and rural India. Not only that, it will also encourage more and more people to come out and volunteer in all these areas. For now, it was the urban educated youth that did the volunteering. By 2019, this process will become more inclusive." The IMAI report estimates a vote swing of three to four per cent in 24 states. These are the states which have a significant number of Internet users. Here, the impact of social media will be felt the most. But many experts feel that the impact is being exaggerated. India’s rural belt still does not have access to Internet and penetration is notoriously small. A report by McKinsey says that Internet penetration in villages is just one-twelfth of the urban penetration. But this is changing fast. The impact of social media on the general elections in 2019 will be even more critical. Ranjit Nair says: “By 2019, we can expect that mobile devices will be the primary Internet device for most Indian voters. Extrapolating from the growth in Internet-enabled mobile phones and social media usage, there will be at least 400 million Internet users, of which at least 300 million will be on some form of so-

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YEAR 2019 No. of estimated Internet users in India

40-50 crore

No. of people on social Facebook and Twitter

30-35 crore

No. of estimated Facebook users Social media affected seats

cial media site in five years. This means close to one in two actual voters would be on social media. Given this, we can expect social media to play a far greater role in 2019, with an ability to impact the fights in at least 300 seats.” Even if we include margin of errors, it will be difficult to deny that social media will be a major agenda setter in Indian politics. There is one more interesting aspect of this discussion. Narendra Modi might have had a thumping victory in the election and he might not have given due

BEFORE THE 2019 POLLS, POLITICIANS AND PARTIES WILL HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR VOTERS IN THEIR LOCAL LANGUAGES AND NOT JUST IN ENGLISH AND HINDI importance to the USA in his initial reactions on Twitter or in his speeches, but three big American companies Facebook, Google and Twitter are smiling, as Indian elections have given them a chance of multiplying their presence in India. Twitter account holders have more than doubled. There were more than five crore election related tweets on Twitter. These companies invested heavily and diverted significant resources. Facebook launched the Election Tracker in March. What is more interesting is that Pin-

20 crore 300

storm, a digital marketing agency, which collects, stores and analyses thousands of political statements, has bagged a few political clients as well. The agency tracks social media and online conversations at national and local levels and makes it a useful tool for parties. Indian elections have helped such companies to flourish. The AAP, taking part in its first general election after an impressive debut in local polls in Delhi last year, uses Pinstorm to "compare how we are faring against others", said Ankit Lal. On being asked what will be the real impact of social media in 2019 election, Nair told News Bench: “Two fundamental changes I expect to see by then are social media plans getting more local, with each candidate within a constituency using social media actively to connect with his or her voter base; and second, parties and politicians will be using social media listening and analytics tools more scientifically to figure out the mood, needs and issues pertinent to their voter bases.” He adds: “There is more and more social media content getting created in regional languages. This is a trend that will continue. This means that politicians and parties will have to communicate with their voters in their local languages and not just in English and Hindi. In addition, political parties and candidates will need to be active on social media continuously, and not just in time for the next elections. They will need to engage with their existing fan bases, so that they keep them continuously engaged, and not just try and recruit new fans before the next polls. This means politicians and parties will need to have social media teams working for them from now itself.”

U T TA R P R A D E S H

From the beginning Akhilesh Yadav had this penchant for keeping in touch with the masses, and the E-rickshaw scheme is an example

Changing UP's face Akhilesh's model of developing Uttar Pradesh has the potential to transform the economy of the state. His scheme of giving free laptops had been derided even by some of his friends, but this has led to school children, especially girls, to try and complete Class 12 to be entitled to the wonder machine P ANIL

eneral elections are over. The Samajwadi Party in UP has been completely routed. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav reaches his office and takes a decision which was quite anticipated by many within the party. The CM, within a fraction of minutes, stripped off the status of MoS from 36 leaders in the party. The decision was quick, brutal and stringent and sent out a clear signal that incompetence and mediocrity will not be tolerated anymore. This is indeed the first assertion of power by a much criticised and perhaps

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the most pliable chief minister in the history of India’s politically most sensitive state. Is he coming out in true form? Generally, the chief minister remains positive, confident and puts his argument politely, which is often misconstrued as meekness. Though he is disappointed with media scrutiny, but in the shrill of 24X7 electronic media which often have tendency to go beyond extreme, we have forgotten his very powerful social initiatives taken in the state which has the capacity to transform an entire generation in Uttar Pradesh. He says: “Our vote share has increased, but we failed to propagate our good things to the people.This has taken

its toll on the seats.” When Akhilesh Yadav,, after completing his masters in Australia, took over the reins of the party, it was going through the worst phase since its inception. He crisscrossed the entire Uttar Pradesh in his bicycle and communicated with people. He presented a new and modern UP model to the people of the state, and people believed him! People bestowed him 226 seats, a whopping increase of 147 seats from the last election! So, what happened in the last 1.5 years that party seems to look tired and lost its vigour? People talk about the Gujarat Model of development, but have no idea that Akhilesh Yadav’s so-

Reema Kumari, beneficiary of Kanya Vidhya Dhan, with family (Left). Laptops on headtops, a salute to education (Top)

cial model has the potential to transform the entire state. Is Akhilesh a victim of unprofessional media management? Or, is media simply biased? Perhaps, Akhilesh is a victim of both. He accepts it to Newsbench, “We have better schemes than Gujarat, but could not market properly. The results of social programmes come late, but they are long-lasting. Our focus was on building social infrastructure than on physical infrastructure.” His claims seems true. His schemes portray his larger vision for UP. His schemes talk about the most marginalised sections in the society. However, it can be derided as socialist profligacy by the English dominated media. To understand the true impact of his policies, we chose the Chambal region. The region has been notorious, be it for dacoity, foeticide, or the frequent kidnappings. Chakranagar block is the most backward region in Chambal. The region has not heard the ‘development’ word. However, badlands of bandits are silently witnessing another revolution being led by Youtube! And credit goes to the laptop distribution scheme of Akhilesh Yadav.

People, including a section in his own party, derided him for the scheme. But, this has actually helped to increase enrollment ratio in the state, as those who completed Class 10 exam they were encouraged to complete 12th in order to get

HIS SCHEMES PORTRAY HIS LARGER VISION FOR UP AND TALK ABOUT THE MOST MARGINALISED SECTIONS OF SOCIETY. HIS CLAIMS SEEM TRUE

their laptops. Pradhan Sajjan Singh Rajawat, Sindos village told News Bench, “People earlier not interested to send their child to school because of the crime. But, this decision to distribute laptops has encouraged people to take education seriously.” Private tutor Jagatpal says, “People are scrambling to

get laptops. They at least want to complete 12th. I had mostly 10th standard students. Now, I take classes for 10th and 12th.” The most surprising fact is the increasing interest of girls to complete education and people are giving them private tuitions.” In fact, the Akhilesh government has tried to kill two birds with one stone. He has created potential voters for himself and erased the fear of technology from their minds. People have almost never shown interest in learning English, but their slumber is breaking, because to use the laptop effectively one needs to have basic English skills. This is also entertainment medium in the villages. Student Sonam Bhadoria says, “When we first saw a laptop, it was nothing less than a wonder. We had never imagined that IT will reach our village so soon. We had not even seen it. Older generation people are watching it to see television soaps.” Till 2012, Akhilesh government had already distributed 12 lakhs laptops. This has germinated a lots of CD parlours in the various parts of the state. There is a famous adage, if you teach a JUNE 2014

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son, you teach a person. When you teach a girl, you teach an entire generation.” Akhilesh Yadav understands importance of women’s education. His flagship schemes have great focus on girl education. The most popular ‘Kanya Vidyadhan’ scheme has been restarted. His government has a target of distributing 15 lakh laptops for girls in the next few years. The government award Rs 20,000 to any girl who passed Class 12. More than 2.85 lakhs girls have been given the Protsahan Rashi. The government has earmarked Rs 900 crore in the financial year 2013-14. For BPL families ‘Padhe Betiyan, Badhe Betiayn’ scheme has been started for all those girls who have passed out 10th class examination. This scheme is open to all section of society. Tribhuvan Singh, Manager of Gaya Prasad Verma Secondary School, says, “ Kanya Vidyadhan Yojna is running inthe whole state. But, backward regions are getting more benefits. Even bandit infested regions are getting benefits.” The dropout ratio has come down. People are sending their daughters to get the benefit of government education.” Mansa Parihar, 10th class student in Bharthan Tehsil, says, “I am the first girl in my family to pass 10th class examination. My two elder sisters have not even seen schools. I have conveyed to my family that I will marry only after completing graduation.” Mansa’s eyes now brims with dreams. Akhilesh had infused this dream in every girl of the state. He has started a scheme for improving the lives of backward minorities, “Hamari Beti, Uska kal.” Girls who pass 10th standard are given Rs 30,000. If this scheme is successful, it will have long-term benefits. the government is also trying for better implementation of schemes so that benefits actually reach the real beneficiaries. Mohd Aslam, a parchun shop owner in Itawah district, has two daughters, Farjana and Hina. Together, they got Rs 60,000 under this scheme. They have been able to continue their studies. This has helped improve their economic standard. Even

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IT has reached distant homes and has even become a source of family infotainment

Check the cheque: padhengi betiyan, badhengi betiya scheme has helped girl students

Mamta Banerjee has praised this scheme. Only five countries in the world have more population than UP. Maintaining health facilities has been nothing less than a challenge. Admission charges in all of the government hospitals have been waived off. All medical tests are free for BPL cardholders in district hospitals. Samajwadi ambulance service has been started. More than 15 lakh people have taken benefit of the scheme. CMO, Itawah, Manju Sharma says: “ It has be-

come easier to provide emergency services to those in road accidents. We've been able to save many lives which would resulted in death earlier.” Of course, he's been not very successful in the law and order front, but his achievements can't be ignored. His socialist model has the capacity to change the dynamics of the entire state. The start is good. But if he is able to take it forward will be interesting to see. With inputs from Dinesh Shakya

E D U C AT I O N

Former Farmland Now Zone of Learning

Photos: Hariom Sharma

Noida and Greater Noida, the twin cities are fast developing into an education hub. What was a few decades ago just miles of farmland has now become a zone of learning. And the halcyon days are yet to come

The twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida have become major education hubs

VIKAS KUMAR

oida and Greater Noida house some of the most well known institutes in the country. At the same time, they also have some of the best management institutes. The twin cities have over 70 engineering and management colleges, attracting students from all over India and even

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from other countries, like Iraq, Botswana, Uganda, Ukraine, Nigeria, Syria, China and Vietnam, to name just a few. Pankaj Agarwal, Vice-Chairman, GL Bajaj Group of Institutions told News Bench: “Since Greater Noida is close to Delhi, it has its own advantage. Secondly, Greater Noida does not have what is called a native population. So, students flock here for the quality education.” Says Prof Bharat Singh, of

PIIT, Greater Noida "Students from all over India are taking admission in Polytechnic course. Some of the foreign students have also started approaching us for various courses.” "There is a significant gap between the demand for educational institutions and the number of universities in our country. We are trying to bridge this gap with a university that embraces quality education,"

They hardly ask about the faculty. But how can I get the students that kind of emoluments if they don’t have good knowledge. And to impart good knowledge, faculty should be of high quality. ” He is clear that students will have to change their mindset. Excessive emphasis on luxury infrastructure in the college is not good, as it distracts from studies. Good infrastructure is important but not at the cost of studies, and at the same time it creates peer pressure and raises the cost of education. Pankaj Agarwal says, “Study is very important. The basic role of a college is to provide good knowledge, and there is no problem if you provide swimming pool, gymnasium or The JRE Group of Institutions is an emerging brand now

says Suneel Galgotia, Chairperson and Chancellor of GEI. However, when asked about initial problems in building brands of the institute, Pankaj Agarwalreplied, “It was very difficult to convince students about the quality, as we were new in the market. There is no short-cut if you have to survive. Good faculty, top class infrastructure and placements are very important things. Placement assurance is the first thing that students and their parents ask when they visit the campus for admissions.” When pointed out that many colleges had indeed closed down over the last few years, Agarwal was quick to respond: “This is typically happening everywhere. Because we are a brand, we sailed smoothly. We have worked really hard to create the brand over the last few years. Economic slowdown or recession does not bother us as our hands are always full. ” Over the last couple of years, a few new engineering institutes have opened here. Among them, the JRE Group of Institutions has certainly created a niche for its quality education. The reason for this is not very difficult to fathom when you talk with Dr Vishal Talwar, Dean, School of Management. Under his affable smile he hides his deep intellectual knowledge and vast academic experience of London School of Economics. He says: “Instead of hardware,

Suneel Galgotia, Chairperson and Chancellor of GEI. "There is a signiﬁcant gap between the demand for educational institutions and the number of universities in our country. We are trying to bridge this gap with a university that embraced quality education,"

Pankaj Agarwal, Vice-Chairman, GL Bajaj Group “There is no short-cut, if you have to survive in the market. Good faculty, better infrastructure and placements are very important things. Placement is very important as it is the ﬁrst thing that they ask when they thronge in the campus for admission."

our focus is more on the software side of education. For us, it is the quality of the faculty that matters and we ensure that the faculty is contemporary. So, we try to find out if the person has 20-years of solid experience or 1-year-experience repeated for twenty years.” He further adds: “Our thrust is quality faculty and in my view they should produce knowledge. We ensure that our faculty should be best.” Dr Talwar says they have systems in place to promote faculty development process. . Placement is of course an integral part for the sustainability of an institution. But, Dr Talwar has a question, “Everybody demands a Rs 15 lakh per annum package.

any other facilities additionally.” Galgotias, JRE, GL Bajaj, Amity and Sharda universities have already turned into a big brand, but, there are a few confusions at the policy level. For example, change of governments in Uttar Pradesh has created confusion. Student community is perplexed between UPTU, MMTU and GBTU. There are a few other problems. Aviary Educational Hub is among the emerging institutions situated in Sector-62 of Noida. This institute works on a different model altogether. It specialises in distance education. Talking in his state-of-the –art newly constructed campus, Sandeep Singh, ChairJUNE 2014

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Dr Vishal Talwar, Dean School of Management, JRE Group

“Our thrust is quality faculty and in my view they should produce the best possible knowledge. We ensure that our faculty is the very best. ”

Sandeep Singh, Chairman, Avviare Education Hub

"More can be done to clarify norms. The government should clearly lay out norms so that quality in the distance education could be ensured.”

Prof Bharat Singh, Chairman, PIIT, Greater Noida

"Students from all over India are taking admission in polytechnic courses. Some of the foreign students have also started approaching us for various courses.”

man, points out to a few inconsistencies at the policy level. “There is a lot of confusion on the issue of distance education. More can be done to clarify the norms. The government should clearly lay out norms so that quality in distance education can be ensured.” The institute provides classroom training for various courses and it has tieups with various industries. “Distance education was taken from IGNOU and given to UGC, but they have not brought out fresh guidelines to follow, creating confusion among the colleges,” Singh says. Pankaj Agarwal has a different view on

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the matter. The problems are there, he admits, but they are manageable. It is quite natural that with the change in government, policies would change too. Dr Talwar adds: “Initially there are quakes and then there is consolidation. This is a normal process in the industry. Norms are evolving and things will settle down after some time.” Another problem is lack of soft skills among students. Institutes are tackling this problem in their own ways. JRE has a dedicated department for that and that keeps a close watch on the performance of

the students. It keeps analysing strong and weak parts of the personality and this is a constant process. They are taking external professional assistance. Dr Talwar says, “Personality development is a constant process. Education in itself is an intangible thing. We think such things should start before the placement session.” GL Bajaj has a different approach. They prefer taking students from CBSE board over those from the state boards. It helps them in ensuring better placements. Avviare, on the other hand, thinks completely differently. Sandeep Singh says, “We cater to the needs of the students who have 4080 percent marks. We work very hard, as they are students from smaller cities and they lack confidence.” Recently, GL Bajaj was the venue for the Imagine Cup, which is organised by Microsoft. The institute also runs a Microsoft Innovation Centre, which adds hugely to their brand. On the other hand, JRE has invited marketing guru Dr Phillip Kotler. Galgotia University is another prominent player in the region. They try to provide a healthy mix of fun, games and learning to all. It held the NASA Challenge, where their students won the competition. They had designed a moonbuggy which is now on permanent display at NASA in Huntsville. Galgotia’s Educational Institutions (GEI) has published 100 research papers, which is very good among private colleges. There is one more clearly emerging trend among NCR colleges. They are tying up with foreign universities. The trend mirrors the economic boom in both NCR cities and an exponential rise in the number of youths seeking quality higher education as a result of increased migration into the region. Amity University and Galgotia’s have a lot of international tie-ups. JRE has a tieup with Raffels, whereas Amity has more than 75 tie-ups. Technology giant IBM has partnered Galgotias University for an MBA programme in Business Analytics. It is aims to help organisations build high quality skilled resources in areas of managerial decision-making and strategy.

R E A L E S TAT E

The seamless flow of a compact, well appointed studio apartment is drawing the GenNext

With thousands of new professional ‘huntergatherers’ moving out of their cities on job needs, the need for small-investment studio apartments are growing as witnessed in Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, Yamuna Expressway or even… pilgrim cities like Mathura, Vrindavan and Haridwar

Sunrise days for studio apartments VIKAS KUMAR

autam Agate, a software engineer had to shift from Bangalore to Noida. The job was highly paying, and he could well last in it for a few years. He first jammed up with an office colleague in Vasundhara. But as happens, such proximity often ushers in friction. So before the relationship could get tarnished, Gautam decided to shift. Then came the pinch. Rents were high. And he calculated that instead of going on paying rent, with a ten per cent hike pucca per every eleven months, half his purse would belong to the landlord. It is then that he saw an advertisement for studio apartments. He scoured the area and he liked what he saw. A

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bachelor’s pad, neat, airy, well located amongst many other such apartments. And he bought it. The housing sector has really boomed, as can be seen all across the National Capital Region, especially now Noida and Greater Noida, especially since Gurgaon has stopped growing. Explaining the business proposition of studio apartments, Kushal Dev Rathi, MD ECNON Group, says, “Studio flats are a valuable option among corporates, because they are much cheaper than Four or Five Star hotel rooms, without compromising on the quality of service, which helps them cut costs in times of subdued demand. Besides, studio flats or fully furnished apartments are emerging as popular choice for travelling devotees at pilgrimage towns like Haridwar,

Mathura, Vrindawan and Shirdi.” Many busy professionals such as doctors, lawyers or architects are also using these as their offices. Eldeco, Earth Infra, Supertech, Waves and the Jaypee Group have become entrenched in this sector by now. The trend of studio apartments is true now of many cities. They were already popular in Bangalore, Pune and Chennai. And now northern Two Tier cities are seeing a boom, especially in Lucknow, Indore, Bhopal, Jaipur and Gurgaon. The growth of Noida, Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway new township areas as a tech zone and knowledge hub has pushed the realtors to see this as highly profitable business. The realtors also have a clear advantage here: the exceptional infrastructure that

is already in place. The Ajnara Group, Supertech, Wave Infotech and many other realty chains are making studio apartments here. Real estate consultancy firm Jose Lang La Sale’s director Asutosh Limaye says: “The demand for larger homes that cost more are going down. People are now preferring inexpensive compact homes at lesser prices. This is why realtors are making hundreds of such flats on the outskirts of big cities. “The rising cost of housing in inner city locations has tiegerred downsizing the apartment. The concept suits those who spend more time at office and less time at home. This is the lowest entry point for investors,” says Vikas Raj Sharma, MD, Cosmic Structures Limited. There is one more emerging trend in the field of studio apartments which is pilgrimage tourism. Devotees spend a week every six months. Having a fully furnished studio flat is a better option than staying at hotel or old-fashioned dharmshala. Looking at the growing popularity of such properties, some real estate builders have come up with a few unique theme societies, or housing colonies. For example, the Krishna Valley project in Vrindavan has Krishna as the theme. The project has collected scores of tunes that soothes the mind that are spiritual. In mornings one will hear

“Suprabhat”; in the parks, you will hear “Pravah”; meditation and yoga centres will play the “Spandan”; the melody “Prayan” will play in every vehicle going to the temple of Banke Bihari; and your nights will be tempered by the melody “Krishna Dwar”. Not just that. The developer backing the project has utilised aura mapping technique to select colours that suit your inner self. The project is being brought in by Hi-View Construction Pvt Ltd, which is the leading developer in Vrindavan. Its director Sujit Singh told News Bench in an exclusive interview: "Studio apartments give better returns at low investments. If you have gone to or are planning to go to a holiday home, and if you cannot afford to buy something in the big cities, then Krishna Valley offers you a good deal.”

WITH THE EXPECTED GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY DUE TO A STABLE GOVERNMENT AFTER DECADES, THESE CAN BE TERMED SUNRISE DAYS FOR THIS NEW TREND

New properties are tailor-made with fixtures aspired to by the GenNext crowd

There are hundreds of professionals who come from outside and have to stay for a long period in places like Noida or Greater Noida. Costs of hotel stay are prohibitive. For them, studio apartments are the best option. Consultants say that due to the smaller ticket size, it is easier to sell such property and the cash flow is faster. The price appreciation on such apartments are 15 to 20 per cent annually. But one must be cautious about selecting the location of the project. It is ideal to purchase properties where there are already developed IT companies, corporate offices or hospitals. And of course, the other factor one must keep in mind is the connectivity. Studio apartments generally come cheap, but there is a catch. If you buy a studio-cum-serviced apartments, chance is that the per square feet price could be higher than a normal studio flat of the same size. This is because the developer had to spend hefty amounts for the modular kitchen, chimney and air conditioning, which come with the property. But of late there seems to be growing demand for high-end serviced apartments in the NCR region. The management of such properties are being taken over by large hotel chains. For example, the Krishna Valley project will be finally managed by the internationally known Clarks Inn. The hotel chains prefer this type of property because they can function very well with a lower resident-staff ratio compared to a big hotel. Hence, many international hotel chains are tying up with Indian developers to start projects that are better suited to their business models. Groups such Leela, Carlson and Grand Hayatt are working on several such projects. However, these are early days, and this has just started picking up. At the moment there are scanty professional investors in this field. But with the expected growth of the economy running on the shoulders of a stable government after decades, these can also be termed sunrise days for this new trend. JUNE 2014

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FOOTLOOSE

SHIVANI PANDEY

The city is always in a hurry, but there is an organised thing about the chaos that ďŹ rst puzzles and then mesmerises the foreign tourists

Incredible

New York

PHOTOS: SHIVANI PANDEY

The magnet that has attracted millions of tourists

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he first few steps in New York City gives you an indescribable feeling. From fast cars that speed past you to many different types of people from various parts of the world greet you. The city has a certain pace that far outpaces the speed of big Indian cities like Mumbai or Delhi. However, despite so much traffic and people around, there is a certain order about it all that seems to hold the megapolis together in the midst of an organized chaos. New York City is by far the most populated city in the United States. The five boroughs of Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island together constitute the city. According to the 2013 census estimates, a population of 8,405,837 is distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles or 790 square kilometres. This is not surprising, since New York City is often referred to as the commercial capital of the world, with executives, businesses, students, art enthusiasts, fashion lovers, entertainment seekers and international media houses, all playing a significant role in contributing to that impact. The place has a very strong pulse and the typical vibe of rapidity in the city, especially the Manhattan area, which also happens to hold the distinction of being one of the most expensive real estate hubs in the world. Imagine, once upon a time Manhattan was marshy land! About 55 million visitors from around the world throng the city every year. The home of the United Nations, the New York Stock Exchange, the Broadway and Columbia University are favourite amongst tourists. People from various ethnicities, including many Indians can be seen walking around the city. An early morning stroll in the blocks of Manhattan is a must. Even if you happen to be on a holiday, just looking around at the huge number of people pacing down the streets makes for an interesting pastime. For me, being on a vacation gave

There seems to be respect for symmetry even in the urban clutter that is classically New York

me all the time in the world to do just that, in the meanwhile collecting some exciting pictures for my NY collection. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a striking sight of office goers, men all dressed in business suits and women in heels heading tirelessly to their work places. This could also be the reason why the city has some of the best breakfast options, with cafes and lounges lining up the streets. Most people seem to be too busy to cook, especially in the mornings, so they catch some food on the way to office. So it is difficult to find any empty cafe seat in he mornings. Another important relief for residents and visitors alike is the immensely helpful transport system in the city. The New York City Subway with 468 stations in operation is one of the largest public transportation systems in the world in terms of number of stations. It is also one of the world's oldest public transit systems. So if one happens to stay in Manhattan, getting to other boroughs like Brooklyn or Queens is a easy. In

AS I MOVED TO OTHER STATES IN THE US, I REALISED THAT ICE CREAM TRUCKS WERE A NEW YORK SPECIALTY fact, visiting many tourist sites spread across the city becomes so easy if you know which subway train to catch. I used the subway extensively during my stay and one long ride was to the other end of Manhattan to reach the Battery Park. This is the place you reach to visit the world famous Statue of Liberty and the Ellis island. One should be prepared for long queues and it is good idea to book tickets in advance online. The ferry ride that took us to the Liberty Island provided the ideal time to take some great pictures of the Statue. The Statue of Liberty was given by the people of France to the people of

the United States in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as international friendship. The statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the statue and its assembly in the United States. The statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbour in June of 1885 on board a frigate. In transit, the statue was dissembled into 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. In four months time it was re-assembled and finally the iconic symbol designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, was unveiled to the public on October 28, 1886. I was quite overwhelmed to see the statue which looks more splendid in reality. After buying a few souveJUNE 2014

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FOOTLOOSE

Never be surprised by what you can encounter in New York; ranging from parks to memorials to those gone by

nirs from the souvenir shop I sat down for a typical American meal of burger and French fries. I noticed another interesting thing about the States, the size and portions of food are actually quite big! While in Lower Manhattan, after seeing the Statue of Liberty, I used the rest of my day exploring this side of the City. The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street is the financial hotspot of the world while the Federal Hall is historically notable for being the first capitol building of the United States of America under the Constitution. However the most remarkable was the 9/11 memorial site built on exactly the same area where the twin towers were attacked in 2001. I could not help but applaud Americans for their knack of preserving history even if that includes heart wrenching details. A short walk through the blocks led

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JUNE 2014

LOOKING AROUND I COULD SEE PEOPLE WORKING ON THEIR LAPTOPS MAKING USE OF THE FREE WI-FI IN THE PARK me to another architectural marvel called the Brooklyn Bridge. Completed in the year 1883, it is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. The first steel-wire suspension bridge constructed connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. The impressive bridge spans the East river between Brooklyn and Manhattan and stretches for a length of 5989 ft, about 1.8 km making it the world's largest suspension bridge.

An elevated pedestrian path not only gives you the opportunity to cross the river without being bothered by the traffic that rushes past a level below, but it also offers a great view of the bridge's towers as well as downtown Manhattan's skyline. After a long day I stopped for some coffee at Starbucks and soon stepped out to a park outside to enjoy my coffee. As two little boys played with water while drinking from the water fountain I thought what a useful feature indeed. The water fountain or bubbler which is a constant feature in most public places across the States offers free drinking water. Looking around I could see people working on their laptops making use of the free Wi-fi in the park. And I thought these are some important support systems provided by the government of United States that go a long way in the development and building of a nation.

THE WATER FOUNTAIN OR BUBBLER, A CONSTANT FEATURE IN MOST PUBLIC PLACES ACROSS THE STATES OFFERS FREE DRINKING WATER I call it a day not before deciding my next day’s itinerary, including the Central Park. A trip to the city cannot be completed without a walk in the Central Park and like everything else in the States this is gigantic. A huge park in the middle of a hyper city gives the much needed break to those on a leisure trip. Interestingly, it offers many activities such as boating and open theatre besides housing a few eateries. Apart from the natural landscapes and the flora and fauna one can appreciate the many sculptures inside the park. For tourists, each summer the Central Park Summerstage hosts a series of free performances including music, dance, spoken word, and film presentations. So as far as entertainment is concerned New York City lives up to the expectations. However nothing compares to the Broadway theatre performance that is an opportunity that every tourist should exploit. New York City's Theatre District is the area in Midtown Manhattan where most Broadway theatres are located. Walking along the streets housing the biggest brands and the many ‘Fancy Pants’ restaurants I ended up at the Majestic theatre to watch the longest running musical “The Phantom of the Opera”. This one opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York on January 9, 1988 and is the longest running show ever. The interesting part is that the Phantom’s makeup takes two hours to put on and 30 minutes to take off. There are 130 cast, crew and orchestra members directly involved in each performance with 230 costumes, 14 dressers, 120 automated cues, 22 scene changes, 281 candles and 250 kg of dry

The sheer variety of cusine in the city is mind boggling.

You will never lack entertainment in the city that never sleeps

ice and 10 fog and smoke machines. Now with so much effort and strive for perfection the show is bound to be a legendary act of the finest performances. New York is replete with similar legends of ambitious theatre projects that have captured the imagination of the world! While strolling around in the Manhattan area it is difficult to know when one famous street ends and another starts. The many streets are so intermingled and it is but a small walk to most important landmark buildings and attractions. The very effervescent Times Square area that literally lights up in the evenings caters to thousands of people with its many elite

clubs and shopping options. The life of New York is definitely sought after for its vibrancy and I feel it has a way of making people feel at home. Though Indian daal and naan is not difficult to find I opted for the New York style pizza full of cheese, winding up with the special sundae from the ice cream truck on the street. As I moved to other states in the US, I realised the ice cream trucks were a New York speciality and one of those many things in the city that beckon you to be back. i did travel across the United States. But nothing beats or even matches New York. JUNE 2014

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EVENT

INAUGRATION OF 2

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NEWS BENCH 8

ON April 19 this year, News Bench saw its formal launch at the Constitution Club of India. Published in Hindi and English, it is a magazine based on politics. The formal launch was preceded by an enlightening seminar on "Media and Politics". Here are some ďŹ&#x201A;ashes... 1. The esteemed guests after receiving their copies at the launch 2. Editor in Chief Kushal Dev Rathi makes a point on the occasion 3. Gaurav Rathi, the Executive Editor of News Bench magazine 4. Megha Rathi, the Managing Editor of News Bench addresses the audience 5. Editor Anil Pandey gives the opening remarks at the function 6. Kushal Dev Rathi welcomes noted TV journalist NK Singh 7. The ceremonial lamp being lit by all the guests at the launch function 8. Guests on the dais watch as a video presentation is being made 9. Gaurav Rathi hands over a memento to former Dupety Bureau chief BBC India Satish Jacob 10. Around three hundred people came to attend the launch ceremony, SP youth leader Sanjay Lathar with Gaurav Rathi 11. Staff members share the dais with the editors of the magazine 12. Veteran journalist Acchutanandan Mishra addresses the audience 13. Editor Anil Pandey hands over a memento to noted child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi 14. Kushal Dev Rathi honours philosopher and Ex-Governer Bhishma Narayan Singh 15. Mishra, Singh, Satyarthi and Jacob inaugurate the bilingual weekly newspaper, News Bench

JUNE 2014

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GLAMOUR

KANGANA: Queen of Quirky Reality The very independent girl who walked out of her family at 16 and started doing roles of quirky females has now become a rage, and despite her setback in between, she has started rebuilding her career and her image

SUJIT CHAKRABORTY

ear 2003: A Rajput girl aged just sixteen stepped out of her haveli in Bhambli, now Surajpur, her curly hair drawing curious looks, and reached Delhi. The flashy world of Bollywood did not know then that the great grand-daughter of a Himachal MLA, granddaughter of an IAS officer, and the daughter of a school teacher mother and a small-time businessman father, Kangana Ranaut had started her walk to shatter many stereotypes that the film world in India feels very smug about. The stormy petrel of Indian cine divas had started her voyage… The Queen’s walk had started. In just eleven years since, she delivered the fourth highest grossing film, “Queen” to Bollywood, applauded by everyone, from Big B to Aamir Khan and the rest. The only real challenge

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to Vidya Balan, and the only film diva who dares to live and speak about her personal life as daringly as Manisha Koirala, the once hard-drinking, man-seeking femme fatale of Indian cine world. In between had come the landmark film Fashion by Madhur Bhandarkar. It was remarkable. A substance abusing fashion model Shonali, who had reigned supreme for those short years which are enough to turn the heads of young boys and girls, now challenged in her own domain by an utter newcomer (played by Priyanka Chopra) and losing her head. Her every movement of eyes, her pouted lips proud with contempt for her rival, her controlled but weighed demand that she be given her makeup before anyone else, because “I am the show stopper!”… her acting was mesmerising. Ranaut's performance drew unanimous critical acclaim.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote, "The real star is Kangana. Her role may not be as lengthy as that of Priyanka, but the actress pitches in an awesome performance. Her confidence at the very start is infectious and her overall performance deserves an ovation." Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India labelled Ranaut as the "scene stealer", adding that she "does an exquisite metamorphosis from a wispy, high-strung, nervous child-woman to a stunning ramp diva." Her portrayal earned Ranaut several awards, including the National Film Award and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress That has been the hallmark of this strange girl, who poohpoohs what she calls the Bandra-Juhu girls (aspiring filmstars), saying she would rather be a tutor to them. And the dawn showed how the day would go. From childhood, she had been a very independent female. Perhaps a born feminist. If someone gave her brother a toy gun, and at the same time gave her a doll, she would not take it. She thought it, at that tender age, discrimination. That trait stayed with her Kangana Ranaut had been slated to become a doctor. But a failed chemistry test at Class XII convinced her that science was not for her. This did not at all sit well with the conservative Himachali family, with a great grandfather who was an MLA when Indian politics was still somewhat honest. She decided to go to Delhi, without deciding what she wanted to do. Because of her unusually good looks, a modeling agency offered her some assignments. But soon, she chucked the job, saying that she found nothing creative in the fashion industry. She later decided to go to Bombay for acting in films, and that broke her ties with her traditionalist family for a long time. Her father refused to support her, and she did not care. But she took acting training from Arvind Gaur of Asmit Theatre, just for one hour a day. Then she reached the ultimate dream city, Bombay, and that was in 2004. Producers Ramesh Sharma and Pahlaj Nilani announced that Ranaut would make her film debut with the Deepak Shivdasani-directed I Love You Boss. Before the film could get off the ground, though, in 2005, director Anurag Basu spotted Ranaut at a coffee shop in Mumbai, and offered her a chance to audition for the lead role in the romantic thriller Gangster. After being confirmed for the lead role, she opted out of I Love You Boss to film Gangster. Ranaut was cast as an alcoholic woman caught in a romantic triangle between a notorious gangster and a sympathetic friend. Ranaut was seventeen while filming and said that she "had difficulty first in understanding and then unwinding from the character", describing her craft as "raw and immature." Gangster received critical acclaim and this marked the entrée of the daring actress who sought out quirky roles. Kangana Ranaut is not a Brechtian actress. In Brechtian acting, the character portrays the persona of the protagonist, yet remaining detached from the being, often coming out of the arena to tell the audience that this is, after all, a drama. Kangana is a proscenium actress who ‘gets into the skin’ of the

character and lives the role. No wonder she often gets drowned by the role she plays. For instance, she played the role of the schizophrenic actress of yesteryears, Parveen Babi (though she and her director officially denied this later). She later said that portraying Babi had left her emotionally drained: "I had become so close to her that I had begun to feel her desolation and loneliness." Film critic Subhash K Jha wrote that Ranaut "is the first female performer of Bollywood since Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi who isn't scared to strip her soul naked for the camera". Jha added that she is a hugely expressive actress with a phemomenal ability to convey torment, hurt and incredulity through the eyes". Her filmography is marked by roles that are unusual, whether it is the role in Rivolver Rani, Life in a…

The Revolver Rani who promises to be the Queen!

Metro, or Queen. In Queen, she is the single female who had planned her honeymoon in Paris with her hubby-to-be, but the latter junks her a few days before the wedding. Nevertheless, she goes to Paris and goes through an intense phase of selfrealisation as a woman. Before Queen, though, the unusual girl had tried at being ‘usual’, trying out sexy, two-piece attired roles in glam films, but the world that had embraced her as the ultimate player of intense and mentally different women... the sort who are becoming more and more visible in the Indian real world outside of being home-makers. In that sense, even as low budget films dealing with hard realities are becoming more and more commercial successes, Kangana Ranaut is the best portrayer of the emerging new Indian feminine world. JUNE 2014

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The Best Money Managers MEGHA SAHNI RATHI

t would be stating the obvious if I say that women have made giant strides over the last few decades in India. There is hardly a profession or area of activity where women have not displayed the ability to excel, to display tenacity and determination, to struggle and beat the odds and to make day-to-day living examples of work-life balance. Captains welcoming passengers during a flight in a dulcet voice no longer arouse any curiosity. Tough and no nonsense police officers who have shattered patriarchal citadels are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon. Athletes have for long shown that medals are no preserve of men. In the corporate arena, leaders belonging to the fairer sex are becoming a common sight in corner offices and board rooms. Gender equality is still far away; but I have no doubt that we are getting there. Even as we celebrate these facts, I would like to use this column to share a long held dream of mine. Look carefully at the corporate world and observe: which is the sector in which women have notched up successes that now exceed the most talked about triumphs of men? The answer is easy: it is financial services. Go back to the end of 2008, when the global economy was engulfed by a financial collapse. Many banks and financial institutions in western countries started collapsing like packs of cards. A bloodbath was prevented only because of direct and massive government intervention. Even Indian banks and financial institutions faced troubled and challenging times. One of the banks worst hit by the 2008 financial crisis was the ICICI Bank. In 2009, this dynamic and aggressive bank actually confronted a crisis of confidence and credibility. ICICI Bank was facing this crisis of confidence and trust when Chanda Kochar was given the task of leading the bank out of the morrass. It was no easy task by any means. And indeed, there were some idiotic financial market analysts who wondered if handing over the corner office to a woman at that juncture was a wise move, since there was as an urgent need for brutal decisions. Even her worst critics now applaud Chanda Kochar for doing a phenomenal job as the CEO and reviving the glorious days of ICICI Bank. Kochar, it so happens, is just one example of what women have achieved in the financial

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services sector. Many of her contemporaries too have excelled, and how. Former colleague of Kochar, Shikha Sharma has blazed new trails as the CEO of Axis Bank and has made it one of fastest growing, biggest and most visible financial services brands in the country in a very short span of time. Colleague Renuka Ramnath, who led ICICI Ventures, now heads her own enormously successful fund management company called Multiple Alternates Asset Management. Yet another contemporary, Kalpana Morpraia is going places as the CEO of JP Morgan India. Let's not forget the spectacular achievements of Naina Lal Kidwai who heads HSBC in the country; or Meera Sanyal who has transmitted from being CEO of RBS India to an activist politician; or Renu Sud Karnad who has delivered both sucINDIAN WOMEN HAVE cess and stability as the BEEN BLAZING NEW MD of HDFC. There TRAILS IN THE BANKING are many other names AND FINANCIAL that adorn this list of SERVICES SECTOR, successful women in the financial services TRADITIONALLY A MALE sector. Of course, the STRONGHOLD AND icing on the cake was STRANGLEHOLD the elevation of Arundhati Bhattacharya as the first woman chairperson of India's largest banking institution, the State Bank of India. Why just banking. It is women who have pioneered new initiatives in the micro finance sector. There are thousands of women who have transformed millions of lives through successful micro finance initiatives. Even government policy now accepts the fact that women are better managers of money. That is why cash benefits are transferred to the bank accounts of females in a household. Having said all that, it should now be clear to you what my long held dream is. I would like to see a woman as the Union Finance Minister of this country. And I am sure, my dream will come true one day!

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CONSPIRACY!

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WHO KILLED

SECULARISM?