Social Security - Opinion Express

Vol: 23 | No. 6 | June 2015 | R20

www.opinionexpress.in A M O N T H L Y N E W S M A G A Z I N E

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and Atal Pension Yojana will go

a long a way in providing social security to citizens

Social SecurityCover StorY

O p i N i O N E x p r E s s 3June 2015

After Jan Dhan and providing bank accounts to 15 crore unbanked people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi niw has launched three social security schemes, including a Re 1 per day insurance cover, and said that the poor

need empowerment, not aid – three mega social security ini-tiatives plus one pension and two insurance schemes in all.

These are Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMS-BY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

Narendra Modi said Rs 15,800 crore has been deposited in the 15 crore Jan Dhan accounts opened in four months and the scheme to provide cooking gas subsidy directly into bank accounts of beneficiaries has helped stop pilferages and leak-ages worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

“I told the poor, this nation, this government and our banks are for you… poor do not want ‘sahara’. We need to change how we think. The poor need ‘shakti’,” he said at the event, also attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PM Narendra Modi said 80-90 per cent people in the country neither have insur-ance cover nor any possibility of pension.

While the three schemes will come into force from June 1, the Prime Minister said that in the first seven days of the trail-run, banks have enrolled 5.05 crore peo-ple, including 42 lakh from West Bengal. The schemes — Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) — were simultaneously launched at 115 locations throughout the country.

Stating that it is a misconception that large industrial houses provide more jobs, Modi said about 5.5 crore small and medium entrepreneurs provide employ-ment to more than 14 crore people. “We can achieve whatever but if the fruits do not reach the poor, our development journey is incomplete… we are calling the world to make in India and at the same time we are opening bank accounts for the poor,” he said.

The Prime Minister also urged people to pay small premiums towards insur-ance schemes for their domestic helps, drivers, and liftmen, among others. Paying tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Modi said “this land (Bengal) has been blessed by Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati”.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said governments must always work for the people. “Centre and states have to work together. That is when good of the nation happens. Let us dedicate this programme to the people of India,” she said.

PMSBY will offer a renewable one year accidental death-cum-disability cover of Rs 2 lakh for partial/permanent disability to all savings bank account holders in the age group of 18-70 years for a premium of Rs 12 per annum per subscriber.

PMJJBY, on the other hand, will offer a renewable one year life cover of Rs 2 lakh to all savings bank account holders in the age group of 18-50 years, cover-ing death due to any reason, for a premium of Rs 330 per annum per subscriber. Atal Pension Yojana will focus on the unorganised sector and provide subscribers a fixed minimum pension of Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000, Rs 3,000, Rs 4,000 or Rs 5,000 per month, starting at the age of 60 years, depending on the contribution option exercised on entering at an age between 18 and 40 years.

—Prashant tewari, editor-in-Chief

three govt schemes to ensure social

security for citizens

editorialRNI UP–ENG 70032/92, Volume 23, No 6

EDITOR PRASHANT TEWARI

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ALLIANCE NO.1P16-18

O P I N I O N E X P R E S S JUNE 2015 I 5

The air crash in Mangalore thatkilled 158 people has under-lined fears about safety gaps inthe country's booming airlineindustry and raised doubtsabout whether infrastructure

can keep pace with rapid economicgrowth.

It was not clear what causedSaturday's crash, but pilots and aviationexperts say regulatory oversight of safetyand quality control are often poor. Stafftraining standards are also falling, theysay.

Although India has had few major acci-dents in recent years, some half a dozenmid-air misses over the past year has un-derscored that safety issues exist.

Last year an Indian Airlines plane withabout 150 passengers on board barelyavoided a collision with an army helicop-ter that was part of the President's en-tourage in Mumbai.

Media regularly reports about routinechecks finding pilots reporting drunk forduty and in one instance last year pilotsand crew were involved in a mid-air scuf-fle, leaving the aircraft to fly on its own forsometime.

"The Air India Express crash was wait-ing to happen," said A. Ranganathan, anairline safety consultant and pilot instruc-tor.

"Safety standards in Indian aviationhave been on the wane for the last sixyears. Efforts being made to correct thedrift, but the systematic rot is so deep ...we are not likely to see any improvementin safety unless drastic changes aremade."

Sustained robust growth has put moremoney in people's pockets, spurring airtravel and an exponential growth in thenumber of low cost airlines. Domesticpassenger traffic has tripled and interna-tional traffic doubled in the past fiveyears.

But infrastructure may not have keptpace and a shortage of staff may bestretching both airlines and traffic controlstaff. Indian Commercial Pilot Associationsaid in a statement 78 percent of crash-es took place due to fatigue-related hu-man error.

"You also need to augment the strengthof air traffic control which is stretched,"Kapil Kaul, head of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation in South Asia, toldReuters.

The hill-top airport at Mangalore, thesite of Saturday's crash, had other geo-graphical challenges, and critics say therunway, though adequate for landing theBoeing 737 that crashed, was not long orwide enough to leave any room for error.

"This was no accident, but the direct re-sult of the deliberate failure of officials atthe high levels," said a statement ofEnvironment Support Group which hadsought to block the construction of therunway.

While it was yet to be established if theaccident was related to wider problems inthe country's aviation industry, expertssay a lack of training, overworked staffand inadequate infrastructure only com-pounds the situation.

For instance, only seven radars serveIndian air space and only big airports havethe latest low-visibility landing systems, asenior official of the Airports Authority ofIndia told Reuters.

"A disaster was waiting to happen andwe have been very lucky to have had nomajor accidents in the past 10 years," theofficial involved with aviation security saidon condition of anonymity because of theissue's sensitivity.

In April 2008, then director general ofcivil aviation, Kanu Gohain, told the Mint

newspaper that India had just three in-spectors for 10 commercial airlines and600 planes.

That number has now gone up, butmany remain under-trained and a backlogof lapsed inspections may take years toclear.

A 2006 safety audit by the InternationalCivil Aviation Organisation listed India asworst on "technical personnel qualifica-tion and training".

As the airline sector expanded, a short-age of pilots was met by hiring foreign pi-lots, some 565 of them flying now. Butthe government has ordered airlines to re-place them with Indians by next summer,raising concerns about how the countrywill be able to produce enough qualifiedpilots so quickly.

There are also calls to make inquiriesinto air accidents transparent. "To myknowledge in the last 50 years no inquiryreport has been made public," Kaul said."There is also the need for an independ-ent safety board."

IN NEWS

Question markon air safetyMangalore Air India Express crash has exposed

chinks in the air traffic safety rules

HISTORICWIN FORALLIANCE

IN BIG LEAGUE: NAVIN RAM-GOOLAM, WIFE WITH THE OBAMAS

With 41 out of 60seats, the Alliancede l'Avenir, led byNavinchandraRamgoolam hasscripted a landslide...


RAJIV AGNIHOTRI in Mauritius

The Alliance de l'Avenir led by Dr Navin Ramgoolam has won in the general elec-tions by a comfortable majority. It secured 41 out of the 60 directly elected seatsin the Assembly. This is a remarkable achievement in view of the strength that theAlliance du Coeur had been gathering during the past three weeks, aided in thisby an aggressive campaign on its behalf by the pro-MMM press, namely the l'ex-press media group and Week-end.

The alliance that the Alliance Sociale contracted with the MSM did not directly contributeto raise the number of votes secured by the Alliance de l'Avenir if only for the fact that thereis little differentiation between the voters of Labour and the MSM when both are aligned on

COVER STORY

SHEER JOY: ALLIANCE SUPPORT-ERS CELEBRATE THE VICTORY

COVER STORY

O P I N I O N E X P R E S S8 I JUNE 2015

the same side. However, this alliance wasof a highly strategic importance, it beinggiven that any alternative potential MMM-MSM alliance would have so considerablytrimmed down the margins as to be ableto upset the applecart. Had an MMM-MSM alliance materialised instead, itwould have turned Labour's incumbencyinto a heavy liability and changed the out-come of voting unpredictably.

The election has shown if it was at allnecessary, with what speed and effec-tiveness a vast propaganda machine canbe mounted and launched by the oppos-ing camp. It stopped short of nothing, in-cluding the whipping up of past communalreflexes. In that sense, despite the defeatof the MMM, the clock has been set backon the question of national unity. It wasamazing how identity suddenly assumedan overwhelming importance in the elec-tion.

It became so important that politicalparties including the Alliance de l'Avenirhad to concede on some of the most op-portunistic vindications made from a pure-ly ethnic standpoint. Inroads were soughtto be made even within individual com-munities in order to tribalise whole com-munities into sub-groups. It can only behoped that the wounds inflicted by theseethnic tactics will not fester and arrest thenation's progress towards a more glob-

alised outlook with feet firmly planted in agrowing culture of sharing, understandingand meritocracy.

There have been times in the country 'spolitical history when ethnicity has beengiven a prime position against a poor eco-

nomic background facing the country. Itwas easy to flog up ethnic feelings ofapartness when unemployment was onthe rise and economic prospects bleak asit was the case in the 1960s and the late1970s.

However, this time on, the feeling wasaroused despite much better prevailingeconomic conditions. It was perhaps the

only plank that could have salvaged thequickly patched-up Alliance du Coeur togather steam enough to make a braveshowing in the elections for which it hadbeen caught napping.

The results show that even this devicewas not enough to turn the tide in itsfavour. One hopes however that the virusof ethnic politics as we have just wit-nessed it is not here to stay, especiallywith the younger generation that is goingto vote on an altogether different platformin 2015. Unfortunately, this factor has re-quired that both major political alliancesconcentrate their campaign on objectivesof immediate importance without attend-ing to much broader issues of national im-portance. The sights have not been set ona choice of more long-lasting nationalgoals; they have been focussed on wel-fare spending.

There is one positive factor that hasemerged from the 2010 elections howev-er. Abstracting from the ethnic factorwhich was infused during the past fourweeks in the campaign, voters in severalconstituencies have clearly signalled tocandidates that they will not tolerate can-didates who appear only at the time ofelections to solicit votes but are absent orinexistent during the bulk of the mandatefrom their constituencies. Many deputieswould have learnt at their expense that a

The election has shown if itwas at all necessary, withwhat speed and effective-ness a vast propagandamachine can be mountedand launched by the op-posing camp. It stoppedshort of nothing, includingthe whipping up of pastcommunal reflexes.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER: NAVINCHANDRA RAMGOOLAM WITH INDIA PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH


high price needs to be paid to compen-sate for such absences or inadequateidentification with the circumstances oftheir local voters. The permanent proxim-ity which politicians of yesterday rightlyused to cultivate with their constituentshas disappeared in the present set-up.

Voters have indicated quite clearly thatthey are not prepared to tolerate absen-tee deputies who come over on the eve ofelections to give a semblance of involve-ment in their wards. In this sense, a com-mitted presence translated into tangibleprogress made in each constituency willhave a real effect during the next elec-tions. This means that political partiesmay not be able to opportunistically des-ignate candidates in the different con-stituencies at the last minute; they maywell suffer defeat. Nor may political par-

ties defer the execution of economic proj-ects till the last minute as a demonstra-tion of "work-in-progress" and thus hopeto impress voters. Without the essentialplanning that makes for timely implemen-tation of well integrated, cost-saving andvalidly prioritised projects, political par-ties may not be so lucky the next timeover. The age-configuration of voters andthe tools they will employ to communicatewill not yield to the assumption that per-sonal charisma will be enough to win over.Next time over, voters cannot be taken forgranted.

The Alliance de l'Avenir has won a man-date to govern the affairs of the countryfor the next 5 years. It should govern andnot lose its way in internal bickering, aswe have seen it happen so many timeswith different governments. While much

COVER STORY

Voters have indicated quiteclearly that they are not pre-pared to tolerate absenteedeputies who come overon the eve of elections togive a semblance of in-volvement in their wards. Inthis sense, a committedpresence translated intotangible progress made ineach constituency will havereal effect during next polls

VOTE TO VICTORY: NAVEENCHANDRA RAMGOOLAM CASTING HIS VOTE

COVER STORY


credit goes to Navin Ramgoolam for hav-ing neutralised the recent irrational cam-paign based on ethnicity, he should takethe opportunity to democratise the deci-sion-making process within his alliance sothat people are convinced that new and ca-pable figures will emerge to take on thevarious challenges which will inevitablyface the country in a world that is not re-ally out of the economic woods. The elec-tions of 2015 will be decided on a platformunlike those of 2005 and 2010 which beara lot of resemblance to each other.

The more there is projected an image ofcohesiveness and authentic team spirit ofthe new governing alliance, the less diffi-cult it will be for Navin Ramgoolam to geton successfully to 2015. There is a dearthof talents the world over; Mauritius cannot

be an exception to this condition. It wouldtherefore not be appropriate to invite thetribalism that almost dismembered our so-ciety in the course of the last electoralcampaign. We will inevitably have to incul-cate new values that will match the ambi-tions of the younger generation which willform the core voter group the next timeover. The new voters will need to be in-spired to aim at higher goals in a spirit ofsolidarity, rather than being incited bysome socio-cultural leaders and priests tobelieve falsely at each turn of the electoralprocess that some weird conspiracy wouldbe hatching up against them or those be-longing to their flock by some unidentifiedadversary. Tangible results will count as ademonstration of management capabilityin social and economic affairs of the na-tion. For the present, a spirit of magna-nimity will pull together the fabric that hasjust been unfairly torn apart putting at riskthe social fabric. The work of confident re-construction can help save the situation.

(Writer is bureau chief in Mauritius & MD,OEMCL with inputs from local press)

The new voters will need tobe inspired to aim at highergoals in a spirit of solidarity,rather than being incited bysome socio-cultural leadersand priests to believe false-ly at each turn of the elec-toral process that someweird conspiracy would behatching up against them orthose belonging to theirflock by some unidentifiedadversary. T

From local press...

The Alliance de l'Avenir, led by the Prime Minister Dr Navin Ramgoolam,won a clear-cut victory at the general election which was held on May5, with 41 seats out of 60. The MMM-led Alliance du Coeur won 18seats and the big surprise came with the election of Cehl Meeah, who

is now at the head of the FSM ( Front Solidarite Mauricienne). This is the firsttime a small party not belonging to a major alliance wins a seat at the gener-al elections since independence.

All the three leaders of the Labour-PMSD-MSM alliance topped the polls intheir respective constituencies, Ramgoolam in Pamplemousses Triolet,Pravind Jugnauth in Quartier Militaire-Moka and Xavier Duval in Belle roseQuatres Bornes. The MMM leader also topped the list in his constituency ofStanley Rose Hill but several of his top team lost. His designated deputy PrimeMinister, Ashok Jugnauth lost in Quartier Militaire-Moka and his designatedFinance minister, Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo lost in Riviere des Anguilles-Souillac.

At a press conference he on May 6, the Prime Minister and leader ofl'Alliance de l'Avenir Dr Navin Ramgoolam stated that he was fully satisfiedthat his alliance had rallied support from both the rural and urban areas andthat all communities had voted for the Labour Party/ PMSD/ MSM alliance. "Together we will build the future," he promised. He added that all through theelectoral campaign he has noticed that a majority of the population had ad-hered to the programme of government of l'Alliance de l'Avenir, which he in-sisted has been prepared 100% by Mauritians.

" There has not only been adhesion to our programme but there has beenenthusiasm. I received telephone messages, letters and e- mails fromMauritians disapproving of the demagogic campaign of our opponents."

" Whether in the villages or in the towns, the electorate has trusted us.Some try to insinuate that there has been a division but we have elected fivecandidates in the four constituencies of Port Louis. In Belle Rose/ Quatre


Bornes, we have two elected candidates, in Vacoas/ Florealwe have two elected candidates and in La Caverne/ Phoenix wehave three elected candidates," said the Prime Minister.

" The entire population has adhered to our philosophy of uni-ty, equality and modernity. I have been able to rally a majority ofthe population. It is vote for national unity. At the start of thecampaign I said that we should not focus on petty matters butwe should indulge in a debate on ideas." He blasted a " sectionof the press" whom he accused of behaving like agents ofl'Alliance du Coeur under the cover of " independence". " Theduty of an independent press is to inform and not to try to ma-nipulate public opinion. These are the same people who will givelessons on freedom of expression and on the liberty of thepress."

Dr Ramgoolam explained that there are still numerous chal-lenges ahead, mainly on the international front. "The situationis still volatile and we still do not know when the sustained re-covery will start. There are positive signs in the US but for uswe must see what happens in Europe." Security of all citizensremained one of his priorities, he said, adding that he will con-tinue reforms in the Police Force. He also listed his other prior-ities, which are education, health, youth, empowerment ofwomen and the democratization of the economy. He insistedthat economic growth should go hand-in-hand with social justice.

COVER STORY

PROMISE TO FIGHT BACK : PAUL BERENGER, LEADER OF L'ALLIANCE DU COEUR, AT A RALLY

Our struggle willcontinue: Berenger

On his part, speaking to his constituents after his vic-tory in constituency No. 19 ( Stanley/ Rose Hill),where he topped the list, the leader of L'Alliance du

Coeur, Mr Paul Berenger, said the general elections " werenor free and fair because of role of the MBC". " We con-cede defeat on the national level but the MBC has madethe elections not to be free and fair. Beyond that there hasbeen dirty money." " I would like to make an appeal. Weshould not do anything or say anything that will divide thepopulation in whatever way. I am proud that on the list ofelected candidates of l'Alliance du Coeur there are allcommunities." " We should not be discouraged. Weshould not feel bitter," advised Mr Berenger. He an-nounced that the politburo of the MMM will meet this af-ternoon ( Friday) to analyse the election results. He alsoannounced that l'Alliance du Coeur' will hold a press con-ference on Saturday morning. " At each difficult momentwe say the struggle must continue," said Mr Berenger.

COVER STORY


Representationin parliament

The Electoral Commission metto allocate the 12 Best Loserseats. Parliament contains

70 MLAs: 60 are elected by directvote in the island of Mauritius, 2 bydirect vote in the island of Rodriguesand the remaining 8 seats are allo-cated according to the Best Losersystem.

Before the allocation of theseseats, the representation in parlia-ment is as follows: MMM: 18 seats,MR ( Rodrigues), 2 seats, Labour-ledalliance :41( Labour: 27, MSM:12,PMSD:2) and FSM of Cehl Meeah,1.

Rodrigues: MRon top

In the constituency of Rodrigues,it is the MR( MouvementRodriguais) which has elected

its two candidates, Christian Leopoldand Nicolas Von Mally. They won re-spectively 10, 477 and 10, 456votes. The two candidates of theOPR( Organisation du PeupleRodriguais), Francisco Francois andSoopramanien Sooprayen won 9,468and 9, 345 votes respectively.

Cabinet sworn in

The new members of the cabinet were sworn in on May 11 in front of thePresident of the Republic, Sir Anerood Jugnauth. The cabinet comprises 25members including the Prime minister. 15 ministries have gone to theLabour party, 7 to the MSM, 2 to the PMSD and 1 to the MouvementRodriguais.

Twelve MPs who were not ministers in the outgoing government, as well as thenew Attorney General Mr Yatin Varma, took the oath of allegiance: they are PravindJugnauth, who has also been appointed as Vice Prime Minister, NandcoomarBodha, Showkutally Soodhun, Deva Virahsawmy, Leela Devi Dookun Luchoomun,Santi Bai Hanoomanjee, Mookhesswur Choonee, Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum,Louis Joseph Von Mally, Ashit Gungah, Shakeel Mohamed and Michael Yueng SikYuen.

Eight ministershave kept their original portfolios. Dr

Rashid Beebeejaun has been reappointed Minister of Energyand Public Utilities, while Anil Bachoo keeps the Ministry of Public Utilities, Land

Transport and Shipping and also " inherits" the National Development Unit. Dr ArvinBoolell remains at Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, DrAbu Kasenally ( Housing and Lands), Dr Vasant Bunwaree ( Education and HumanResources), Satish Faugoo ( Agro- Industry and Food Security) and Devanand Ritoo( Youth and Sports). Mr Aimee, who has been appointed again as Minister of LocalGovernment and Outer Islands, loses the portfolio of Rodrigues, which has beengiven to Mr Nicholas Von Mally, the leader of the Mouvement Rodriguais ( MR). Hewill also hold the portfolio of Fisheries.

Mrs Sheila Bappoo, who was Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity andSenior Citizens Welfare, is back at the ministry of Women's Rights, now restyledas the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare.

Mr Duval, leader of the PMSD, finds himself with a new, challenging super min-istry - that of Social Integration and Economic Empowermen.

CARNIVAL: ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING IN MAURITIUS


1. Dr the Hon Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM, GCSK, FRCP,Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs andExternal Communications2. Dr the Hon Ahmed Rashid BEEBEEJAUN, GCSK, FRCP,Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities3. The Hon Charles Gaëtan Xavier-Luc DUVAL, GCSK, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Social Integration and EconomicEmpowerment4. The Hon Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH, Vice-Prime Minister,Minister of Finance and Economic Development5. The Hon Anil Kumar BACHOO, Minister of PublicInfrastructure, National Development Unit, Land Transportand Shipping6. Dr the Hon Arvin BOOLELL,Minister of Foreign Affairs,Regional Integration and International Trade7. Dr the Hon Abu Twalib KASENALLY, Minister of Housingand Lands8. The Hon Mrs Sheilabai BAPPOO, GOSK, Minister of GenderEquality, Child Development and Family Welfare9. The Hon Nandcoomar BODHA, Minister of Tourism andLeisure10. Dr the Hon Vasant Kumar BUNWAREE, Minister ofEducation and Human Resources11. The Hon Satya Veyash FAUGOO, Minister of Agro-Industryand Food Security12. The Hon Showkutally SOODHUN, Minister of Industry andCommerce

13. The Hon Devanand VIRAHSAWMY, Minister ofEnvironment and Sustainable Development14. Dr the Hon Rajeshwar JEETAH, Minister of TertiaryEducation, Science, Research and Technology15. The Hon Satyaprakash RITOO, Minister of Youth andSports16. The Hon Mrs Leela Devi DOOKUN-LUCHOOMUN, Ministerof Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions17. The Hon Louis Hervé AIMÉE, Minister of LocalGovernment and Outer Islands18. The Hon Mrs Santi Bai HANOOMANJEE, Minister ofHealth and Quality of Life19. The Hon Mookhesswur CHOONEE, Minister of Arts andCulture20. The Hon Tassarajen PILLAY CHEDUMBRUM, Minister ofInformation and Communication Technology21. The Hon Louis Joseph VON-MALLY, GOSK,Minister ofFisheries and Rodrigues22. The Hon Ashit Kumar GUNGAH, Minister of Civil ServiceAffairs and Administrative Reforms23. The Hon Shakeel Ahmed Yousuf Abdul Razack MO-HAMED, Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations andEmployment24. The Hon Yatindra Nath VARMA, Attorney General25. The Hon John Michaël Tzoun Sao YEUNG SIK YUEN,Minister of Business, Enterprise, Cooperatives and ConsumerProtection

COVER STORY

FORMIDABLE TWOSOME : NAVINCHANDRA RAMGOOLAM AND AHMED RASHID BEEBEEJAUN

THE NEW CABINET

OPINION


Roshni Banymandhub

The dice is cast. The ballet boxes have revealed their se-crets and now the time has come for the winners to sitdown together and to draw the necessary lessons. Voxpopuli Vox Dei goes a Roman saying.The English trans-lation reads, the voice of the people is the voice of God.

It is also said of Democracy that it is not the best form of gov-ernment but it is better than any which has been invented so far.

I leave it to political Pundits to analyse what has been thepsyche of the voter at the polls.In fact,since the verdict of thepolls was known, everyone -- layman or political analyst alike-hasbeen trying to find the reasons behind the victory of the LabourParty,MSM and PMSD alliance led by Dr.NavinchandraRamgoolam. People may speculate but it is only the individualface to face with his or her conscience in the Polling-booth whoknows the reason why he or she is taking such a decision. Thereason may be emotional or logical. Absenteeism in itself car-ries a message which has to be interpreted. The Alliance of the

future has the task of translating into reality the ideas men-tioned in its manifesto. We have no doubt that these will improvethe way of life of the Mauritian people and bridge the gap be-tween the poor and the rich. Also, the little inconveniences ofthe people have to be looked into and steps taken to make theirlife more comfortable.

The new Government issued from the polls, indubitably, canlook into these areas and take the necessary steps. After all,politics implies managing the affairs of the city.

PROUD TO BE MAURITIAN

For quite some time now, I have noticed that as a nation wehave gained in maturity. barring a few stray incidents, the elec-toral campaign was devoid of squabbles among the supportersof the different parties. Many are the examples of peaceful co-existence among them that can be quoted. This bodes good forthe future. Elections come and go, alliances are made and un-made but as one people, as one nation we have to live togeth-

er here. It is important that no tension should prevail amongpeople.

I have mentioned it to many persons that I am proud of thepeople who live in my locality. I am proud to be a Mauritian. Inmy locality no one openly expressed his or her political inclina-tions. When we met our neighbors we talked about all andsundry matters except politics. The same situation prevails inthe aftermath of the elections. I am given to understand that thesame spirit has prevailed in other localities. I cannot but be hap-py at this thought. We can teach many countries a lesson or twoabout how to behave at the polls. People may not be sharing thesame ideology but this does not mean that they should not beon speaking terms. This childish attitude is behind us.

I also admired the magnanimity of both the winners and los-ers. One has to know how to be humble in victory and to acceptdefeat with equanimity. There are moments in life when the in-dividual is confronted with both though at different times per-haps. Let our minds be set on the future for the greater gloryof this country. It will not be out of place to say that a great fu-ture awaits it, provided we set aside our petty quarrels and jointogether. In unity, it is said, lies our strength. I for one cannotdiffer.

(The writer is the Resident Editorof Opinion Express Group, Mauritius)

People may speculate but it is only the in-dividual face to face with his or her con-science in the Polling-booth who knowsthe reason why he or she is taking such adecision. The reason may be emotional orlogical. Absenteeism in itself carries a mes-sage which has to be interpreted. TheAlliance of the future has the task of trans-lating into reality the ideas mentioned in itsmanifesto...

VOICE OF MAURITIUS: PRIME MINISTER NAVINCHANDRARAMGOOLAM AT THE UN HEADQUARTERS

VOICE OF THE PEOPLEWHAT DOES THE VERDICT OF THE MAURITIUS POLLS 2010 SAYS?


It is a pity and a loss as well as such anintelligent and self made man finishedor almost ended his career in such a

humiliating manner. He himself shouldshare the responsibility. The PM had triedto spare him such degradation by shiftinghim to a different constituency for he waspretty well aware that a strong antiSithanen current was blowing in QuatreBornes for the fiscal measures takenthough with his consent had affected alarge number of middle class civil ser-vants.

Many had had to sell cars and bunga-lows as they found the new taxes im-posed upon them difficult to bear andthey had vowed revenge. The PM has hisnetwork of informants in every ministryand knows what happens therein andtakes action in the light of information pro-vided to him. As a friend, in gratitude toSithanen for having saved the countryfrom the traumatism of a recession, hetried to rescue him. Alas! Sithanen was avictim to Hubnis Syndrome. He did notsee the danger lurking at him. He consid-

ered himself powerful, indispensable andoverconfident. It is these that spelled hisdoom.

He thought that the PM would later woohim, court him and ....plead to him. Hewas mistaken. He could not foresee thatnone is indispensable however good hemay be. There are so many top civil ser-vants, top professionals who have left usbut time does not stop and the countrygoes on hobbling and wobbling. After alllife goes on. This is not all.not enough.Sithanen went further and history won'tforgive him, he behaved exactly like some-body out of his mind.

He joined the opposition and cam-paigned against his former colleagues byasking the Q.B and B.R electorate to votefor MMM candidates. This is beneath thedignity of a man of his caliber. He will godown in history as the poor man whoreached the top by sheer hard work and fi-nally arrogance and overconfidence undidhim. Sometimes one is tempted to ques-tion what he has after all done to help thepoor come out of their vulnerable and

downtrodden sit-uation.

On the contrary, it is felt that heavenged his poverty by inflicting untoldhardships. During his term of office, priceof basic goods had risen beyond limit andthe poor grumbled under it. He did notcome to their rescue. He had the consentof the cabinet and foresee the conse-quences of his measures and inform thecabinet with a view to making the situa-tion tenable. Yet he did not move a fingerand who knows their tears and sobs felllike a curse on him. It become a trap setup by himself hence the dramatic downfallfor Sithanen was designed by ultimately-himself.

B.Gopaul & Ramlakhan from Mauritius

COVER STORY

Shock defeat forRama Sithanen

DESPITETHUMPINGWIN OFTHE LAI-IANCE LEDBY NAVINRAM-GOOLAM(ABOVE),FINANCEMINISTERSITHANNEN(RIGHT)COULD NOTMAKE IT

INTERVIEW


evanand Virahswamy is appointed as the new environment minister in the newMauritius cabinet post general election 2010 victory. He played extremely vi-tal role in shaping up the election strategy for Labour Party being the generalsecretary of the Labour party led alliance that emerged victorious in the re-cently concluded elections. Prime Minster Hon'ble Dr Navin Ramgoolam hasrewarded him with important ministerial berth in the cabinet. The new minis-ter elaborated his priorities in brief chat with Rajiv Agnihotri, our bureau chief,Mauritius in, Port Louis.

Question: Congratulations for your party's spectacular victory in the recent elections,how satisfying is the experience for you being the general secretary of the party?

Ans: Many thanks, i am grateful to the people of my constituency for electing me as mem-ber of Parliament and I am highly obliged to the entire population of our country for electingDr Ramgoolam led Labour Party alliance to the power. The elections were remarkable becausethere was no violence and bitterness hence reflective of the maturity that our countrymenhave acquired in understanding the true value of democracy. Today I can proudly claim a de-cisive leadership for Mauritius in the entire African region to show case Mauritius as the bestgoverned and managed country.

MAN WITH MIDAS TOUCHENVIRONMENT MINISTER DEVANAND VIRAHSWAMY IS A MASTER STRATEGIST

D


Question: Now you are Environment & sustainabledevelopment minister of the country, what prioritieshave you short listed for your ministry?

Ans: When the world is debating the environ-ment degradation, i would focus on buildingunique strategy for Mauritius and its coastal as-set resource to preserve nature and multiplysustained development via alternate means togenerate eco friendly revenue module.

Question : India and Mauritius are tradition-al friends, it is said that Mauritius can be usedas the gateway to Africa by India to explore en-tire African market. What efforts are initiated byyour government to consolidate this strength?

Ans: Our government headed by Dr NavinchandraRamgoolam is working on propagating strategic loca-tion strength of Mauritius to the world in general and Indiain specific. India can utilize Mauritius location to expand busi-ness ties with the entire African continent using COMESA andSADC treaties of which Mauritius is a prominent partner. Theworld class infrastructure and high living standards in Mauritiusoffers tremendous operating base for Indian Multi National

companies to set up regional head quaters in Mauritius forexpanding in Africa.

Question : India and Mauritius have focused extensivelyon trade and commerce in the recent time, effecting cultur-al ties between the two nations. What efforts should be doneby both the countries to preserve this unique similarity?

INTERVIEW

CLOSE LOOK: DEVANAND VIRAHSWAMY BROWSING THROUGHT THE PAGES OF ‘OPINION EXPRESS’

Our government headed by DrNavinchandra Ramgoolam isworking on propagating strategiclocation strength of Mauritius tothe world in general and India inspecific. India can utilizeMauritius location to expandbusiness ties with the entireAfrican continent using COME-

SA and SADC treaties of whichMauritius is a prominent partner.

INTERVIEW


Ans: Yes, lately the international relations are govern by eco-nomics rather than cultural affirmity but government of Mauritiushave taken series of steps to keep the cultural ties alive with India.There are many cultural groups exchange programs orgainised byboth government and private sectors in Mauritius to keep the localpopulation aware of the cultural roots with India.

Question : This question is for entire global PIO community,how do you assess the development of democracy in Africa in therecent times, the road map ahead and your vision for the zone.

Ans: Africa should learn from our experience in imparting democ-racy. Mauritius can be a role model for the entire Africa zone to em-ulate in governance. We have a vibrant democracy with a stronggovernment and equally vocal opposition. Judicial and Media free-dom have ensured better delivery of democratic norms in our coun-try. There are many countries in Africa which have transformed ina better ruled states but i agree that much more efforts are re-quired to improve the democratic values in the entire African con-tinent. It is having huge natural resources and potential but lack ofproper governance have ruined the probable explosive growth ofthe continent. We will work with the global community to impartbasic lessons of democracy so that the entire governance of thecontinent can be drastically changed, it is heartening to know thatthe young leadership of many African countries are visionary andliterate, hence the application of technology with the conventionalmeans of governance tools are implemented to achieve macro lev-el improvement. The road ahead may be tough but the leadershipof African nations is united to bring about realistic change for thepopulation at large.

We will work with the globalcommunity to impart basic les-sons of democracy so that theentire governance of the conti-nent can be drasticallychanged, it is heartening toknow that the young leadershipof many African countries arevisionary and literate, hencethe application of technologywith the conventional means ofgovernance tools are imple-mented to achieve macro levelimprovement.

CANDID: ENVIRONMENT MINISTER DEVANAND VI-RAHSWAMY IN A TETE-A-TETE WITH OE BUREAUCHIEF RAJIV AGNIHOTRI IN ST LOUIS


Divyansh Bajpai

s the euphoria unfolds in Mauritius with the re-markable election victory for Indian-origin leaderDr Navin Ramgoolam, another Indian-originleader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was elected asthe Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago in therecently concluded election in Trinidad andTabago. She is the first woman PM who had a glo-rious victory defeating the 43 years of ruling gov-ernment.

Leading the political coalition People'sPartnership, Kamla Persad got the majority win-ning 29 of the 41 parliamentary seats in theelection on Monday. The 58-year-old Hinduwoman, who is a granny of two, is grateful for thewomens' immense support across the countryfor choosing her as the PM.

With an excellent educational and profession-al background in West Indies, Ms. Persad-Bissessar was the first woman attorney general.She had also served as minister of legal affairsas well as minister of education earlier.

An Indian-origin PM hails from 1, 48,000Indian labourers, who were shifted there to workon sugar and cocoa plantations during 1845-1917.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar was to become thefirst female prime minister of Trinidad andTobago as her five-party coalition headed for astrong victory in snap elections in the formerBritish colony. Skip related content

A subdued Prime Minister Patrick Manning con-ceded defeat some five hours after the close ofpolls. "What I do know is that we've lost the elec-tions," Manning said on live television. "The peo-

DIASPORA

Indian-origin Kamla createshistory in Trinidad and Tobago

A

DIASPORA


ple have spoken." Meanwhile, jubilant crowds gathered at theheadquarters of Persad-Bissessar's United National Congress(UNC), the main opposition party, which heads the People'sPartnership coalition.

Persad-Bissessar's campaign tapped into voters' worriesabout rising gang violence and corruption scandals here. The58-year-old has promised to increase pensions and create amulti-million-dollar fund for sick children in a campaign focusedon change. "I take full responsibility for the defeat," Manningsaid, after calling the risky vote in the middle of his five-year-term in the energy-rich Caribbean nation. The 63-year-old veter-an politician from the People's National Movement (PNM) hadgrown increasingly unpopular over accusations of neglecting

healthcare, after pouring millions of dollars into giant build-ing projects and hosting two major summits last year. The

winner needs a simple majority of seats in parliament,where until now the PNM held 26 seats, with the rest

going to the UNC. The tables started to turn as keymarginal seats began to go to the yellow coalition ofPersad-Bissessar before the final count had end-ed. Just over one million people were eligible tovote, while first estimates put turnout at around60 percent. Foreign observers expected little

change in energy policy in the oil- and gas-richnation, regardless of the outcome. Politics

here have long been divided along lines ofIndian or African descent.Manning's PNM draws most of its support

from Afro-Trinidadians while the UNC of Persad-Bissessar largely relies on Indo-Trinidadian backing.

Her coalition campaigned strongly for multi-ethnicsupport. It also includes the multi-racial Congress of

the People, and the smaller National Joint ActionCommittee, the Tobago Organization of the People and the

Movement for Social Justice. After loud campaign rallies withpartying in the spirit of the nation's famous carnival, the elec-tion took place calmly, with no music near polling stations andan alcohol sales ban in place. Foreign diplomats overseeing thevote reported no major incidents, while the Electoral andBoundaries Commission called for a probe into ballots report-edly not initialed by officials in five seats, including two key mar-ginals. It was unclear why Manning decided to dissolve parlia-ment in April, shortly before a vote of no confidence he was ex-pected to win but also amid corruption allegations, which havedamaged both main parties in recent years.

(Writer is our US bureau chief )

Manning's PNM drawsmost of its support fromAfro-Trinidadians while theUNC of Persad-Bissessarlargely relies on Indo-Trinidadian backing. Hercoalition campaignedstrongly for multi-ethnicsupport. It also includes themulti-racial Congress of thePeople, and the smaller

HISTORIC FEAT: KAMALA PERSAD-BISSESSAR


Jo Birring

The recent circular by Ministry ofhome affairs in India puttingschools on high alert have fu-eled speculation about intelli-gence agencies apprehension

of new terror threat. Terrorist attacks in ourcountry and threats or realities of war arefrightening experiences for all Indians andinnocent people throughout the World.Children may be especially fearful thatthreatened or actual military action over-seas will result in more personal loss andviolence at home. Because repeatedscenes of destruction of lives and proper-ty are featured in the news media, they un-derstand that "enemies of the UnitedStates" and enemies of India can causeharm in India AS WELL AS TO NRI IndiansOverseas.

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Childrenand Fearof War &Terrorism

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Adults need to help children feel safe at a time when theworld seems to be a more dangerous place. Parents andteachers in particular must help youngsters understand currentevents factually, how events do or do not impact their lives, andhow to handle their emotional reactions. The degree to whichchildren are affected will vary depending on personal circum-stances. Children who have suffered a personal loss from, orhad firsthand exposure to, terrorist acts or military actions willbe much more vulnerable. Especially American/ BritishChildren whose parents may be involved or serving with thearmed forces in conflicts in Iraq/Afghanistan so are at greaterrisk and those children whose parents are involved in emer-gency response or public safety.

Children are not responsible for their parents actions so Allchildren, however, are likely to be affected in some way by waror terrorism. For many, the guidance of caring adults will makethe difference between being overwhelmed and developing life-long emotional and psychological coping skills. Teachers andcaretakers can help restore children's sense of security bymodeling calm and in-control be-haviour. It is crucial to provide op-portunity for children to discusstheir concerns and to help themseparate real from imagined fears.It is also important to limit expo-sure to media coverage of violence.It will also be important to teachchildren that not all from one par-ticular religion or country are thesame so that discrimination factorsare erased from the child's mind.

EMOTIONAL RESPONSESEmotional responses vary in na-

ture and severity from child tochild. Nonetheless, there aresome similarities in how children(and adults) feel when their livesare impacted by war or the threat ofwar:l Fear: Fear may be the predomi-

nant reaction--fear for the safetyof those in the military as well asfear for their own safety.Children's fantasies of war mayinclude a mental picture of abomb being dropped on theirhome. While their worries areprobably exaggerated, they areoften based on real images ofterrorist attacks or war scenes.When children hear rumours atschool and pick up bits of infor-mation from television, theirimaginations may run wild. They may think the worst, how-ever unrealistic it may be. Any publicized threat of war or ter-rorism close to home may also add to their fear.

l Loss of control: Military actions are something over whichchildren--and most adults--have no control. Lack of controlcan be overwhelming and confusing. These feelings were ex-perienced by most people in the immediate aftermath of theterrorist attacks. Children may grasp at any control that theyhave, including refusing to cooperate, go to school, part withfavourite toys, or leave their parents.

l Anger: Anger is a common reaction. Unfortunately, anger isoften expressed at those to whom children are closest.Children may direct anger toward classmates and neighboursbecause they can't express their anger toward terrorists orcountries with whom we are at war. Some children may showanger toward parents who are in the military, even to the ex-tent that they do not want to write letters. Knowing that thosewho are involved in the military are volunteers only helps tojustify anger. Patriotism and duty are abstract concepts, es-pecially for younger children who are experiencing the con-crete reality of separation from a loved one.

l Loss of stability: War or military deployment interrupts rou-tines. It is unsettling. Children can feel insecure when theirusual schedules and activities are disrupted, increasing theirlevel of stress and need for reassurance.

l Isolation: Children who have a family member in the military,but who don't live near a military base, may feel isolated.

Children of reserve memberscalled to active duty may notknow others in the same situa-tion. Such children may feel jeal-ous of friends' undisturbed fami-lies and may strike out at signs ofnormalcy around them. Anothergroup of children who may feelisolated are dependents of mili-tary families who have accompa-nied a remaining parent back to ahometown or who are stayingwith relatives while both parentsare gone. Not only do these chil-dren experience separation fromparents, but they also experiencethe loss of familiar faces and sur-roundings." Confusion: This can occuron two levels. First, children mayfeel confused about terrorist at-tacks and war, what further dan-gers might arise, and when the vi-olence will stop. Second, childrenmay have trouble understandingthe difference between violenceas entertainment and the realevents taking place on the news.Today's children live in the worldof Armageddon, IndependenceDay, Air Force One, and cartoonSuper Heroes. Some of the mod-ern media violence is unnervinglyreal. Youngsters may have diffi-culty separating reality from fan-

tasy, cartoon heroes and villains from the government sol-diers and real terrorists. Separating the realities of war frommedia fantasy may require adult help.

What Can Parents and Teachers Do?Everyone, including adults, feels stressed during times of cri-

sis and uncertainty. If your children or students seem to needhelp beyond what is normally available at home or school, seekmental health services in your community. School psycholo-gists, counsellors and social workers can help identify appro-priate services and help with the referral process. For most

Fear may be the predominant reac-tion--fear for the safety of those in themilitary as well as fear for their ownsafety. Children's fantasies of warmay include a mental picture of abomb being dropped on their home.While their worries are probably exag-gerated, they are often based on realimages of terrorist attacks or warscenes. When children hear rumoursat school and pick up bits of informa-tion from television, their imaginationsmay run wild.


children, adults can provide adequatesupport by the following actions:

ACKNOWLEDGE CHILDREN'SFEELINGS

l Knowing what to say is often difficult.When no other words come to mind, ahug and saying "This is really hard foryou/us" will work. Acknowledge thatyou don't like war either, but we hopethat our military can stop the terror-ists or help bring peace to other coun-tries.

l Try to recognize the feelings underly-ing children's actions and put theminto words. Say something like, "I cansee you are feeling really scaredabout this," or "It is hard to think thatyour dad had to go so far away to helpour country, " or "I know it will feelgreat when your mom comes home."

l Sometimes children may voice con-cern about what will happen to them ifa parent does not return. If this oc-curs, try saying, "You will be well tak-en care of. You won't be alone. Letme tell you our plan."

l Some children will be afraid that therecountry will be attacked. Tell them thisis a real concern and life offers no ab-solute promises. Nonetheless, reas-sure them that our government hastaken many steps to prevent attacksfrom terrorists and that the militaryconflict is very far away. For youngerchildren, saying that you love themand will keep them safe is often suffi-cient. For older children, you can dis-cuss specifics such as heightened se-curity in airports and significant publicbuildings.

l At times when your children or stu-dents are most upset, don't deny theseriousness of the situation. Sayingto children, "Don't cry, everything willbe okay," does not reflect how thechild feels and does not make themfeel better. Nevertheless, don't forgetto express hope and faith that thingswill be okay.

l Older children, in particular, may needhelp clarifying what they believe aboutwar and the roles of the UnitedStates/Canadian/British in the spe-cific conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.Questions such as, "Could my parentshoot someone?" and "Are we killinginnocent people in other countries?"are issues which may need discus-

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sion.l Always be honest with children. Share

your fears and concerns while reassur-ing them that responsible adults are incharge.

HELP CHILDREN TO FEEL PERSONALLY SAFE

l Differentiate between terrorism andwar. Our homes and schools are not atrisk. Only a very few people in the worldare terrorists. The war itself will be car-ried out far away.

l Help children understand that precau-tions are being taken to prevent terror-ism (e.g., bomb-sniffing dogs, passportchecks, heightened airport security) orattacks on the United States. Whilethese efforts might seem scary or frus-trating to children, explain that theseprecautions might actually make themsafer now than they were before.

l Deal with fears such as the end of theworld. Discuss what realistic moderntechnology of war versus science fic-tion is. If children are imagining StarWars-type battles, help them to under-stand that even the most sophisticatedweapons available are not capable of

reaching distant targets as seen in themovies. Let children share their fearsregarding war in our own country, mostof which are unrealistic and a result ofrumour and anxiety. Put these fears inperspective as to what is realistic.

l Let children who are worried about aloved one know that the chance of re-turning from a war against terrorism isvery high. Advances in medicine andtechnology have greatly reduced poten-tial losses from military actions.

Acknowledge that the loss of any life issad, but that their individual familymember is likely to be fine.

l If participation in a faith community ispart of your family life, talk to your faithleader about how to help your childthink about the concepts of death andkilling, in age-appropriate terms. Thiscan be very important to calming chil-dren's fears for their own safety andthat of loved ones.

l Try to maintain normal routines andschedules to provide a sense of stabil-ity and security.

l Stop children from stereotyping peoplefrom specific cultures or countries.Children can easily generalize negativestatements. Adding tolerance curricu-lum to school lessons during this timecan help prevent harassment of stu-dents and improve their sense of safe-ty.

HELP CHILDREN MAINTAIN A SENSE OFCONTROL BY TAKING SOME ACTION:

l Send letters, cookies or magazines tothose in the military and public safetyjobs.

Top children from stereo-typing people from specificcultures or countries.Children can easily general-ize negative statements.Adding tolerance curriculumto school lessons duringthis time can help preventharassment of studentsand improve their sense ofsafety.


l Help older children find a family who has a parent on activeduty and arrange some volunteer babysitting times for thatfamily or offer to provide meals occasionally.

IF A FAMILY MEMBER IS AWAY, MAKE PLANS FOR SOME SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

l Gatherings with other families who have a loved one on ac-tive duty can help provide support for you as well as for yourchildren.

l Special parent and child times can pro-vide an extra sense of security, whichmight be needed. Let your child knowthat you will set aside a particular halfhour each day to play. Make the time aspleasant and child centered as possible.Return phone calls later and make yourchild the real focus of that special time.

l Involve children in planning how to cope.Control and ownership are fosteredwhen children help to plan strategies fordealing with a situation. Children oftenhave practical and creative ideas for cop-ing.

PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO CHILDREN WHO MAY FEEL ISOLATED

l Children who are new in school due to relocation may bene-fit from a special network of "friends" to help orient the stu-dent to new school routines and encourage participation inschool activities.

l Children who are one of a few with parents involved in themilitary may need extra attention to their feelings of sepa-ration and fear of loss.

EXPECT AND RESPOND TO CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR

l All children will likely display some signs of stress. Some im-mature, aggressive, oppositional behaviors are normal re-

actions to the uncertainty of this situa-tion.

l It is important to maintain consis-tent expectations for behavior. Be surechildren understand that the same rulesapply.

l Some children may have difficultyat bedtime, particularly those whose par-ents are on active duty. Maintain a regu-lar bedtime routine. Be flexible aboutnightlights, siblings sharing a room,sleeping with special toys, and sittingwith your child as they fall asleep. Doingso typically does not cause life-longhabits.l Children may play "war," pretendto blow things up, or include images of vi-olence in artwork and writing. This may

be upsetting to adults under current circumstances, but it isa normal way for children to express their awareness ofevents around them. Gently redirect children away from vio-lent play or efforts to "replay" the terrorist attacks, but don't

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Children may play "war,"pretend to blow things up,or include images of vio-lence in artwork and writing.This may be upsetting toadults under current cir-cumstances, but it is a nor-mal way for children to ex-press their awareness ofevents around them.

SECURITY


be overly disapproving unless the play isgenuinely aggressive. Talk with childrenabout their art or written images andhow they feel. Share your reactions.Help them to consider the conse-quences of war or terrorist acts-whathappens if a building blows up or abomb explodes? For children who seekpretend play as an outlet, encouragerole playing of the doctors, firemen, po-licemen, etc. who have helped to savelives. If a child seems obsessed with vi-olent thoughts or images for more thana few days, talk to a mental health pro-fessional.

l Some children may be at increased riskof suicide because of their emotionalreaction to increased stress and anypre-existing mental health problems.Consult a mental health professionalimmediately if your child shows signsof suicidal thinking or talk, or other self-destructive behaviors.

l Extra support, consistency, and pa-tience will help children return to rou-tines and their more usual behaviorpatterns. If children show extreme re-actions (aggression, withdrawal, sleep-ing problems, etc.), talk to your schoolpsychologist regarding the symptomsof severe stress disorders and the pos-sible need for a referral to a mentalhealth agency.

KEEP ADULT ISSUES FROMOVERWHELMING CHILDREN:

l Don't let your children focus too muchof their time and energy on this crisis.If children are choosing to watch the

news for hours each evening, find oth-er activities for them. You may alsoneed to watch the news less intenselyand spend more time in alternativefamily activities.

l Know the facts about developments inthe war and protections against terror-ism at home. Don't speculate. Be pre-pared to answer your children's ques-tions factually and take time to thinkabout how you want to frame eventsand your reactions to them.

l Try not to let financial strains be a ma-jor concern of children. Although theeconomic impact of the terrorist at-tacks and resulting military action mayresult in job cutbacks, or going from acivilian job to active duty in the militarymay cut family income, children are notcapable of dealing with this issue on anongoing basis. Telling children that youneed to be more careful with spending

are appropriate, but be cautious aboutplacing major burdens on children.

l Take time for yourself and try to dealwith your own reactions to the situationas fully as possible. This, too, will helpyour children and students.Coordinate between school and home:

l Parents and other caregivers need tolet school personnel know if a familymember is being called to active dutyor sent overseas. Tell your child'steacher if he or she is having difficul-ties and what strategies make yourchild feel better. If necessary, seek thehelp of your school psychologist, coun-sellor or social worker.

l Teachers should let parentsknow if their child is exhibiting stress inschool. Provide parents with helpfulsuggestions or information on commu-nity resources. Maintain general aca-demic and behavioral expectations, butbe realistic about an individual child'scoping skills.

l Teachers should share with parents'information about social studies/histo-ry lessons and other relevant discus-sions that take place in the classroom.This will help parents understand whattheir children are learning and can fos-ter thoughtful discussion at home.

l Invite parents with relevant profes-sional experience to come to school totalk about their jobs, in age appropriateterms, and how their skills contributeto the war effort or safety at home.

l Create a sense of collective securitybetween home and school. This willhelp children feel safe and provide asense of protection. Children are our future and their posi-

tive growth is very important as thesechildren will be adults one day and whowill be in professional positions. Let usnot destroy or distort the truth of realityin the world we presently live in, let us allgive them the positive love, time and at-tention they require so that they can growup to be balanced, educated ,compas-sionate and law abiding adults. Childrenare not responsible for their parent's ac-tions and should not be punished for theparents' sins. World Homeland SecurityGroup is there for ALL irrespective ofone's country, culture or religious be-liefs.

(Writer is an international securityexpert , He can be connected at

[email protected])

Some children may be atincreased risk of suicidebecause of their emotionalreaction to increased stressand any pre-existing mentalhealth problems. Consult amental health professionalimmediately if your childshows signs of suicidalthinking or talk, or otherself- destructive behaviors.


C.K. Arora

India was absent at the month-longNuclear non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT) Review Conference, which be-gan at the United Nations'Headquarters in New York on May

3. This was no surprise in itself. Themost astounding aspect, however, wasIndia's decision to stay out even as anobserver. On the eve of the conference,which assembles every five year, Indianmission at the U.N. issued a brief writ-ten statement, saying that the country isnot a member of the 40-year old treaty.Therefore, it will not participate in its re-view process. But, the general impres-

sion here is that the Indian move is in-tended at warding off the expected in-ternational pressure to join the treaty.As an observer, India could have beenpresent at the conference but withoutthe right to express its views on thetreaty, the privilege available only to itsmembers. Formally, India may not be as-sociated with pact, it had made knownat every international form that it is com-mitted to the idea of nonproliferation.But, it has certain objections to the veryfoundation of the NPT.

In India's view, the NPT is a flawedtreaty as "it does not recognize the needfor universal, non-discriminatory verifi-cation and treatment." India is a nuclearweapon capable state. Pakistan andIsrael enjoy the same status. All thethree are out of the NPT. India andPakistan had undertaken nuclear testsbut Israel avoided such a course appar-ently considering it unnecessary. But, itis a known fact that Tel Aviv possessesabout 200 nuclear weapons. NorthKorea which had been a signatory to thetreaty from the very inception walked outof it 2001 and conducted tests in 2006and 2009 to demonstrate its weapon ca-pability. Pyongyang's action raised anew threat of proliferation not only forthe Korean peninsula but for the worldas a whole.

The treaty, opened for signatures inJuly 1968, came into force on March 5,

POLITICS

In India's view, the NPTis a flawed treaty as "it doesnot recognize the need foruniversal, non-discriminato-ry verification and treat-ment." India is a nuclearweapon capable state.Pakistan and Israel enjoythe same status.

TILL THEYMEETAGAIN

UN MEET ON NPT STARTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS ON MAY 4

India absent atUN-Sponsored non-proliferation meet toavoid pressure

SECURITY


1970. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided againstassociating with the treaty on the advice of retired administra-tor L.K. Jha. The policy laid down by Gandhi still holds good.India considers the international pact as discriminatory, deny-ing equal rights to all its signatories. New Delhi, along withIsrael and Pakistan, contend that the NPT establishes a club of"nuclear haves" and a large group of "nuclear have-nots. It re-stricts the possession of nuclear weapons to those countrieswhich tested them before 1967 (the United States, Britain,France, Russia and China), without spelling out the rationale forsuch a distinction.

India's Security environ had a lot to do with the country 'sdecision. China, by conducting a nuclear test in 1964, hadfound a seat in the club of "nuclear haves." (According to an es-timate of the Federation of American Scientists China has about180 active nuclear weapon warheads and 240 total warheadsas of 2009, which would make it the fourth largest nuclear ar-

senal amongst the five major nuclear weaponstates.) The same year, India's first PrimeMinister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru died. A coupleof years ago, India and China had a brief borderwar. Then in 1965, Pakistan attacked India withthe intention of acquiring Kashmir by force.China's sympathy was with Pakistan. AlthoughIndia's nuclear program had begun aroundsince its independence in 1947, its objectivehad always been peaceful. It is widely believedthat the then Prime Minister Lal Bhadur Shastri,who succeeded Nehru, set in motion theprocess of reconsideration of the existing policyand in May 1974 India tested its first device atPokhran in Rajasthan. The test, which shockedthe world, attracted international sanctions.Indira Gandhi successfully withstood the pres-

sure and stuck to the policy. How for the 1974 international sanctions affected the coun-

try's progress? Both, media and the political class avoided anypublic debate on the issue. The domestic politics that obtainedat that time had lot to do with this silence. Indira Gandhi's gov-ernment and the opposition were in a state of confrontation.Railways workers, at the behest of the leftist opposition groups,went on an indefinite strike, bringing the economic life to astand still, though briefly. A popular anti-government movementin Gujarat, known as 'navnirma' was at its peak. Veteran free-dom fighter Jaya Prakash Narayan had taken to active politicsin Northern India, protesting against the administrative corrup-tion. In that highly polarized political climate, India's nuclearachievement virtually went unnoticed at home. But, there ap-peared to be a general consensus on the issue in the country.That was one of the main reasons for the silence on the con-sequences of the nuclear-related economic sanctions.

Meanwhile, the pro-gresses on the nuclearweapons research re-portedly slowed down.

The Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) revived theissue by including it inits election manifesto.Shortly after its leaderA.B. Vajpayee installedhis ministry, India con-ducted, one after an-other, five nucleartests. Pakistan re-sponded promptly andwith equal strength.Once again, India wassubjected to interna-tional sections which,unlike its first nucleartest in 1974, weredetrimental to the poli-cy of economic liberal-ization set in motion in1991. Vajpayee dis-patched Jaswant Singhas his special envoy toWashington to mendfences with the UnitedStates. He met with un-expected hostility in

Washington. None of the ClintonAdministration officials was willing tosee him. Apparently in a bid to pavefor the dialogue, the Indian govern-ment, through middlemen, sent amessage to the ClintonAdministration pledging against con-ducting nuclear tests in future. Theoral commitment led to the com-mencement of talks between the twocountries which subsequently result-ed in the signing of the U.S.-Indiacivilian nuclear agreement. Signedinto law by President George Bush inOctober 2008, the agreement lifts30-year-old ban on the sale of nu-clear material technology and equip-

A couple of years ago, Indiaand China had a brief bor-der war. Then in 1965,Pakistan attacked India withthe intention of acquiringKashmir by force. China'ssympathy was withPakistan. Although India'snuclear program had begunaround since its independ-ence in 1947, its objectivehad always been peaceful.


ment to India. Pakistan reacted ratherangrily. It said that the deal "would haveimplications on the strategic stability (ofthe region) as it would enable India toproduce significant quantities of fissilematerial and nuclear weapons from itsun-safeguarded nuclear reactors.Pakistan wants similar agreement for it-self. American officials have, however,repeatedly declined Islamabad's de-mand, insisting that India's situation isunique. The nuclear know-how andequipment are available only to the sig-natory to the NPT. The exception madein case of India added to its credibility asa responsible nuclear power.

Though the U.S.-India nuclear deal isnot on the agenda of the review confer-ence, Pakistan has intensified its anti-India lobbying. Some other countries de-mand bringing India, Pakistan and Israel

into the NPT fold. In reply to a relatedquestion, Secretary Hillary Clinton said:Well, we want every country be a signa-tory to the NPT. And, we continue to urgeall states, every single one outside theNPT, to join the treaty, accept full-scopesafeguards by the International AtomicEnergy Agency (IAEA), as required underthe treaty. We believe strongly in this.That's why we are taking steps whichhave never been taken by any adminis-tration before. And, we would like to seeevery nation become a signatory and wewant every nation that is a signatory tolive up to their obligations. And, it is im-portant that the United States take thesteps, we are taking, to build confi-dence, to demonstrate our commitment.But, we continue to hope that we will see

all nations eventually agree that being asignatory to the NPT is not in their inter-est and also in the interests of global se-curity and safety."

Besides, expansion and strengtheningof the NPT, others issues that dominatethe conference without being part of itsagenda included Iran's clandestine at-tempts at developing nuclear weapons,Israel's undeclared nuclear weaponsprogram and North Korea's aggressiveattitude.

Even before the commencement ofthe conference, reports of its failure hadbegun to be heard. They are not totallybaseless. According to its tradition, theconference takes all decisions by con-sensus. It can not pass any resolutioneven if one of its 189 members oppos-es it. The last two conferences had end-ed in failure. Prospects of the current

conference, the 8th in the series, areequally bleak. Iran's attitude is a proof.Its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadwas the only head of the state who ledhis country's delegation; others wereled by their foreign ministers. TheIranian leader hit out at the UnitedStates, for introducing nuclear weaponsto the world and for fueling the global nu-clear arms race. He accused the UnitedStates and other nuclear states of ma-nipulating the international arms controlsystem, including the IAEA to preserveits nuclear privileges and pressuringnon-nuclear states to give up their rightsto produce their own nuclear fuel for en-ergy purposes.

The U.S. and its European allieswalked out in protest against Iran's nu-

clear stance. U.N. Secretary GeneralBan Ki-Moon also administered a snubto Ahmadinejad. Ban left the GeneralAssembly hall when Iranian leader roseto address the conference, denying thatTehran was trying to develop atomicweapons. Clinton, in her response, ac-cused Iran of trying to hide its crimesand that the international communitycould not allow the treaty to be under-mined. Earlier, Ban had scolded Iran fordefying U.N. resolutions.

The purpose of the conference is toreview the implementation of the NPTand highlight those issues that have notbeen properly addressed. In this con-text, North Korea's decision to opt outof the treaty and reported Syrian moveto build a reactor without informing theIAEA, as required, would figure promi-nently.

Reports are that the conference isdiscussing a second draft, circulated onMay 19, calling on the nuclear "haves"to set clear benchmarks for the elimina-tion of atomic weapons. The first draftcalled on them to meet no later than2011 to discuss how to move forwardon nuclear disarmament, after whichtime United Nations Secretary-generalBan Ki-moon would convene an interna-tional conference some time in 2014 tomake further progress. The new docu-ment simply says that the Geneva-basedConference on Disarmament (CD)should immediately establish an appro-priate subsidiary body to reduce nuclearweapons with the ultimate goal of theirelimination. The review conference isscheduled to end on May 28 and hopesare that a consensus would emerge bythen.

(Writer is Washington-basedfree-lance journalist)

POLITICS

The purpose of the confer-ence is to review the imple-mentation of the NPT andhighlight those issues thathave not been properly ad-dressed. In this context,North Korea's decision toopt out of the treaty and re-ported Syrian move to builda reactor without informingthe IAEA, as required,would figure prominently.

ODDBALL: IRANIAN PRESIDENT AT THE NPT MEET

THEPOLITICS OFCORRUPTION

MAYAWATI WITH

O P I N I O N E X P R E S S June 2015 31

Day "Musings". Had the NDA won the2004 election, he would have complet-ed his task. But the NDA's defeatbecame the springboard for a whole-sale rejection not only of his closest col-leagues in the BJP, but also of the phi-losophy of tolerance, and respect fordiversity, that he had tried to instill intothe Sangh Parivar.

There is reassuring evidence thatModi, like Vajpayee before him, hasdevoted a good deal of thought to thischallenge, and has come to similar con-clusions. As long ago as at theHindustan Times Leadership summit in2007, he had insisted that Hindutwadoes not mean Hindu cultural, let alonereligious supremacy but its opposite - arespect for India's religious pluralismand cultural diversity. He has not madea single anti- Muslim statementthroughout his campaign, and hasrebuked those who have. But likeVajpayee when the NDA first came topower in 1998, he too will have to finda way of making the Sangh Parivaraccept this definition.

Modi's task, however, will be farharder than the one that Vajpayeefaced a decade ago. For India is now inthe dangerous middle stage of capital-ist development that Europe passedthrough in the late nineteenth and earlytwentieth centuries. This is the stage inwhich a relatively new, and still finan-cially insecure, propertied class tries totame growing class conflict by diverting

the attention of the have-nots towardsconvenient scapegoats on whom theycan pin the blame for their misfortunes.Europe chose Jews to be the scape-goats. The result was a rising , increas-ingly virulent, anti-Semitism that culmi-nated in the Holocaust.

In India, extremists in the SanghParivar have elected Muslims to be thescapegoats. If Modi does not reignthem in India will, literally, have nofuture. For India is a world of minorities,in which the Muslims are only thelargest. An attempt to impose culturalhomogeneity upon them will lead to itsdisintegration.

The BJP's absolute majority, and thedecimation of not only the Congress butall the caste-based smaller parties ofnorth India, has made Modi's task moredifficult, for it has removed most of thenatural checks to cultural authoritarian-

ism within our democracy. However,absolute majority has also created onesilver lining: Absolute power brings withit absolute responsibility. For the lastfive years the BJP has played the role ofa spoiler in India politics, constantlystoking religious and cultural animosi-ties, disrupting the functioning of par-liament and ensuring that an alreadyweak Congress is able to do nothing.Absolute majority has put an unambigu-ous price upon that kind of irresponsi-bility. That road is now therefore a cost-ly one for the party to travel. One canonly hope that its leaders will realizethis before they have had the time to dofurther damage to India's social fabric.

The Congress has only itself toblame for its rout , for in the past sixyears it has given the country the worstgovernment it has ever had. The list ofits mistakes, and of the opportunities it

Modi's task, however, will be far harder than the one thatVajpayee faced a decade ago. For India is now in thedangerous middle stage of capitalist development thatEurope passed through in the late nineteenth and earlytwentieth centuries. This is the stage in which a relativelynew, and still financially insecure, propertied class tries totame growing class conflict by diverting the attention of thehave-nots towards convenient scapegoats on whom they canpin the blame for their misfortunes.

32 O P I N I O N E X P R E S SJune 2015

has missed, is too long to accommo-date in this essay, but one stands outabove all others because of the miseryit has inflicted upon ordinary Indians,and because it became the launch padfor Modi's rise to power. This is the com-plete dog's dinner it made of the econo-my.

In the last four years GDP growthhas halved from 8.4 percent (in 2009-10) , to a little over four percent in thepast year. Industrial growth has col-lapsed spectacularly - a 16.4 percentdrop from 14.5 percent in October2009 to March 2010, to minus 1.9 per-cent in January to March 2014.

This has devastated the economy.The construction industry is moribund:the skyline of Gurgaon and NOIDA inDelhi is pockmarked by the silhouettesof half-competed skyscrapers. Thegrowth of real fixed investment has fall-en by 80 percent from the level reachedin 2010-2011. There has been only onelarge Initial Public Offering of shares bya private company for an industrial orinfrastructure project, since ReliancePower's 7,500 crore IPO in February2008, and that too occurred as longago as in January 2011. Over 200 bluechip companies, that had borrowedheavily or issued convertible deben-

tures abroad, are staring a debt defaultin the face, because of the collapse oftheir share prices and the 40 percentdevaluation of the rupee in the past fiveyears.

Within the country tens of thou-sands of small companies have gonequietly bankrupt, with no one evenbothering to keep count. Data onemployment collected by the NationalSample survey and the Ministry ofIndustry suggest that at least 40 millionjob-seekers have lost, or failed to find,jobs and been deprived of a future.

Had the collapse been caused byforces beyond the government's controlthere would have been misery but notthe level of anger that they have shownat the polls in the past five months. Thisanger has been fed by the suspicion,that has hardened into conviction, thatthe government's faulty polices wereresponsible.

While they may not have understoodprecisely what the UPA did wrong, theyhave not believed its repeated asser-tion that the economic collapse hadbeen caused solely by the global reces-sion. If this was true, they have won-dered , how did industrial growthbounce back in July 2009 within lessthan a year of the start of the recessionwhen the global recession was at itsheight.

To industrialists, shopkeepers andworkers unorganized sector workers, ifnot to Dr Manmohan Singh's legion ofeconomists, the mistake has been obvi-ous for three years. His governmentbecame obsessed with fighting inflationin order to retain its popularity, and didnot realize that unlike the inflation of1993-95 and all previous bouts of infla-tion in India, the inflation that began inthe summer of 2006 was not driven byan excess demand but by global and

In the last four years GDPgrowth has halved from 8.4percent (in 2009-10) , to alittle over four percent in thepast year. Industrial growthhas collapsed spectacularly- a 16.4 percent drop from14.5 percent in October2009 to March 2010, tominus 1.9 percent in Januaryto March 2014.


local shortages of supply . FromJanuary 2007 , therefore, it beganapplying the wrong remedy. It kept rais-ing interest rates and cutting downmoney supply to lower demand whenthe cause of the price rise lay in arelentless rise in global commodityprices fuelled by China's voraciousdemand , by freakish weather condi-tions and limitless exports of vegeta-bles and fruits regardless of what thatdid to domestic prices.

Not only did the government startraising interest rates as far back asJanuary 2007, but it persisted in doingso for seven years in the face ofunequivocal evidence that these hadhad absolutely no effect on the cost ofliving. Instead of giving price stabilityand economic growth all that theManmohan Singh government gave thepeople was stagflation and despair.Untramelled power was therefore theCongress' gift to the BJP, perhaps thelast gift that it will ever be in a positionto give.

Indian politics has entered unchart-ed waters, but these are not asunfriendly as many secular and liberalintellectuals believe. As of 7.00 PM onFriday , with the counting almost overThe Congress' share of the vote hadfallen by almost 10 percent to 19.8 per-cent. This is huge and probably spellsthe end of the party as an all-Indiaparty. But 19.8 percent is 1.4 percent

more than the BJP got in 2009. So theCongress is down but not necessarilyout. Whether it will continue to declinewill depend on its capacity to staytogether in defeat and to realize thatthe slavish sycophancy that it fosteredwithin itself by clinging to the so-calledGandhi-Nehru charisma has outlived itspurpose and become a millstonearound its neck.

Second and more important, theAam Admi Party may have got only 2.2percent of the national vote but for thepoor and underprivileged it has openedthe gates to an empowered future. Notonly has it won four seats in Punjab, butstarting with nothing in a totally alientown, Kejriwal collected 36 percent ofthe vote in Varanasi. And although itdidn't win in Delhi it retained 33 per-cent of the vote.

Indeed, had the regional and castebased parties known any history, andrealized the danger that the combina-tion of prolonged economic distress and

a powerful orator promising immediateeconomic relief could pose to them, andhad AAP got out of its nihilistic mood,understood the reasons for its suddenrise in Delhi, and planned its electoralcampaign around a national platform ofreforms that would empower the have-nots, the result of this election wouldhave been far more balanced.

The Mayawatis Mamatas andyadavs of the world may not have gotthe esage before, but it is difficult tobelieve that have not got it now. This isthat the days of fighting nationaelelctions on the basis of caste , creedand community are rapidly coming to aclose. A Yadav or Kurmi or Chamar'svote is not a party's entitlement. It hasto be earned. Throughout the electoralcampaign Kejriwal and Modi had onething in common - neither of them onceappealed to the voter to caste his or herballot for anything other than perform-ance and justice. Therein lies our hopefor the future.

Second and more important, the Aam Admi Party may havegot only 2.2 percent of the national vote but for the poor andunderprivileged it has opened the gates to an empoweredfuture. Not only has it won four seats in Punjab, but startingwith nothing in a totally alien town, Kejriwal collected 36percent of the vote in Varanasi. And although it didn't win inDelhi it retained 33 percent of the vote.


Kapil's Khichadi Follow me on Twitter: @kdudakia

16th of May 2014 will go down inhistory when India was given asecond chance to secure its inde-

pendence. Our Shri Narendrabhai Moditranscended the binds of caste, creed,religion, language and ethnicity to takethe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to itsmost profound election victory ever.The landslide victory decimated thedynastic socialist Gandhi Congress andthe so called 'Third' front. The mediawas left breathless as the results start-ed to come in. TV anchors that had formore than a decade shown total bias

against PM Modi ji were left dumb-founded. As the minutes ticked by youcould see the shock on their faces - thesudden realisation that they had got itall wrong and backed the wrong horsein Rahul Gandhi and Congress. In adesperate attempt to salvage somecredibility, TV/Media anchors changedtheir tune to pro-Modi. In one instancewe even had mithai being shared by TVanchors and their guests. In the end,those who had for years fed the massesuntruths about PM Modiji were left hav-ing to eat their own words. It truly wasawe inspiring to see these parasitesgrovelling in full public view.

PM Modiji has shown that regard-

less of the opposition, the Lion ofGujarat can handle it all. He is morethan capable of sorting India out.However for us the UK we must takestock of who our friends are, and thosewho wish us harm and show disrespect.It is now time for the Modi tsunami tohit our shores and for us to take up thatchallenge closer to home.

Let me remind you also how thethen Labour government in 2002 insti-gated a diplomatic ban on Gujarat -even though there was no shred of evi-dence implicating Chief Minister Modi.It was the Congress Government inIndia under Manmohan Singh thatstayed silent whilst one of its democrat-

Independence Day -NaMo Style


ically elected CMs was hounded by for-eign powers. How disgraceful knowingthat for political gain Congress stoopedto the gutter instead of protecting CMModi. On that day the integrity of theCongress Government died totally.They had sold their souls and the coun-try to the imperial masters for whomthey do the bidding.

I must therefore congratulate andcommend David Cameron who withinmonths of getting into power lifted thestupid illegal diplomatic ban. He trav-elled to India thrice showing that thefuture belongs to India and that the UKwants to be part of that bright vision.On his last visit he even stated live onCNN-IBN that he was very happy to workwith Narendrabhai Modi. DavidCameron therefore became the firstwestern leader to openly nail hiscolours to the mast. I can now also tellyou that our Prime Minister was one ofthe first to send his congratulations toPM Modiji. In fact from the informationI have, PM Modi ji took only one call onthat day - and that was from DavidCameron.

I am disgusted with Ed Miliband andthe Labour Party. Did you know that the1st tweet made by Ed Miliband on theIndian elections was at 12:02 pm - 18May 2014. By this time I had alreadyreminded him at least three times thathe had failed to tweet his message ofcongratulations to PM Modiji. I thenchecked to see if this was a patternwithin the Labour MPs - and guess

what, yes it was. It seems Labour MPswere either all ignorant of the biggestelection taking place in the world, orthey had been instructed not to com-ment on it. Even the so called 'LabourFriends of India' had not posted a mes-sage of congratulations to PM Modiji.

I don't know about all of you, but Itake that as the highest form of disre-spect to PM Modiji, to Indian democra-cy, to the Indian people and to allIndians in the UK. Ed Miliband wants tobe the Prime Minister of UK yet on theworld stage he failed monumentally inhis duty to do the right thing. I havebeen informed by a number of peoplethat the Labour Party wanted to securethe Muslim vote in the elections. Ineffect it seems it was easier to ignoreHindus, Sikhs and Jains as long as theMuslim vote was kept happy. How trueand widespread this might be - only EdMiliband knows. However the evidencesuggests that the Labour Party has

shown a distinct lack of judgementwhen it came to PM Modiji and theHindu community in the UK.

I wish to leave you all with a partingthought. Huge expectations exist bothin India and overseas with regard to PMModiji and what he can do for India. Iwould just say to everyone, 60 years ofbankrupt corrupt governance will taketime to sort out. Let us all support PMModiji in whatever way we can. Let usunderstand that time and space will berequired to restructure Bharat so that itis fit for the 21st Century. In my viewPM Modiji will require at least two clearterms to turn the Indian juggernautaround, but a glimpse of what we canexpect in the future will become a reali-ty within months. The next few yearswill see breath taking changes andopportunities in India. It is time Bharatand its people took their rightful placeon the world stage. India has finallysecured its Independence. Jai Hind.

I must therefore congratulate and commend David Cameronwho within months of getting into power lifted the stupidillegal diplomatic ban. He travelled to India thrice showingthat the future belongs to India and that the UK wants to bepart of that bright vision. On his last visit he even stated liveon CNN-IBN that he was very happy to work withNarendrabhai Modi. David Cameron therefore became thefirst western leader to openly nail his colours to the mast.


At India's first general election in1951, the Congress won 81 seatsin Uttar Pradesh alone. Today,

they are reduced to 40-odd seatsacross the entire nation. Not only is it astunning reversal for the outfit that haslong considered itself India's naturalparty of government - it is also anupending of many of the truisms sur-rounding electoral politics. Like the1977 general election, which saw theJanata Party win over half of the popu-lar vote, 2014's result is a turning-pointthat reconfigures Indian democracy.Many old assumptions will have toswept aside as a new dispensationforms.

First is the rule that the BJP can winsupport nationally only by appealing tothe baser instincts of voters, and willgovern only by forming post-pollalliances with reluctant allies. Neitherof these is true any longer. The BJP hasan undeniable mandate. Their cam-paign conspicuously avoided invokingHindutva as a reason for voting BJP,and focussed instead on governance,development, aspiration and the prom-ise of jobs.

Second is the Congress conventionthat leadership is unimportant, primeministerial candidates don't have to bedeclared and the press will take care ofitself. The amateurishness of theirmedia campaign, compared with theslickness of the BJP's operation, had adirect bearing on the number of votesthey received: Rahul Gandhi's flat-foot-ed TV interviews inspired nobody to jointhe cause. Astonishingly, given his third-person oration about how "RahulGandhi and millions of youngsters inthis country want to change the way thesystem in this country works," it was theyoung who turned most defiantly awayfrom his Congress worldview, andtowards a 63-year-old leader. Narendra

Modi won a sweeping victory partlybecause he broke with convention andcampaigned in presidential style.According to exit polls, it was first-timevoters aged 18-22 who backed the BJPmore strongly than any other demo-graphic.

Third: even disadvantaged voters nolonger regard the dispensing of entitle-ments as a reason to back a party. Theymay have no objection to support fromthe centre, but are more concernedwith getting opportunities to make a liv-ing on their own terms. Gifts handedout by Delhi - the granting of a right tocheap food, statehood for Telangana, orthe promise of jobs through MGNREGA- do not translate into seats in the LokSabha. The 2014 election result wasmuch more than an anti-incumbencywave: it was a dismissal of the tradi-tional right to rule, a vote against bothentitlement and entitlements. An oldkind of politics practiced by India's par-ties of the left, including those like theCongress which depend on a swathe of

junior hereditary politicians, was reject-ed by voters. Many of the 'Young Turks'have been evicted from office.

Fourth - and this is the most impor-tant message of today's historic elec-tion - the Indian electorate is morevolatile than it has been before. Theextent of the swing away from Congressand towards the BJP is greater than anypsephologist could have predicted ayear ago. Expectations that a region orcommunity will reliably support a par-ticular leader no longer hold true, asMayawati has discovered to her cost.The speed of this change shows thatyounger Indians in particular obtaintheir information and make their choic-es about which party to support ontheir own terms, not on the basis ofcaste and family. This volatility will beboth a threat and an opportunity toNarendra Modi's new government: heknows voters now want results, deliv-ery, better infrastructure and jobs morethan they want uplifting words andpromises.

Patrick French (Patrick French is an award-winning historianand political commentator. His books include 'Liberty or

Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division', 'TheWorld Is What It Is' and 'India: A Portrait')

India's Journey toIndependence and Division


Sanjeev Miglani & Shyamantha Asokan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliv-ered a blunt warning to traditionalneighbouring foe Pakistan on his firstday in the job on Tuesday that it mustprevent militants on its territory fromattacking India.

Despite the directness of his mes-sage, both sides said Modi’s meetingwith Pakistani Prime Minister NawazSharif in New Delhi was cordial and theyagreed to push for a restart of peacetalks between the nuclear-armed rivals.

They also agreed to pursue normal-ising trade ties, which have long beenheld hostage to distrust between theircountries after fighting three wars sinceindependence from Britain in 1947.

Modi, 63, invited Sharif and severalother South Asian leaders for his swear-ing-in ceremony on Monday.Unprecedented in India’s history, theinvitations were seen as a reflection ofModi’s eagerness to play a prominentrole on the global stage following astunning election victory for hisBharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After Tuesday’s 50-minute meeting

between Modi and Sharif, India said thenew prime minister had “underlined ourconcerns relating to terrorism”.

“It was conveyed that Pakistan mustabide by its commitment to prevent itsterritory and territory under its controlfrom being used for terrorism againstIndia,” Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singhtold a news conference.

Modi also pressed for speedyprogress of trials in Pakistan of peopleaccused of masterminding a 2008commando-style attack on Mumbai inwhich 166 people were killed.

“A NEW PAGE IN RELATIONS”The BJP has long advocated a tough

stance on Pakistan, and Modi has beenseen as a hardliner on issues of nation-al security. In that respect, Modi’s invi-

tation to Sharif was a surprise andraised hopes for a thaw in relations,which have been particularly frostysince the Mumbai attacks.

Responding later, Sharif sounded aconciliatory note, describing the raremeeting as an historic opportunity toturn “a new page in our relations”.However, he rebuffed assertions thatPakistan was a launch pad for militantsto attack India.

“We have to strive to change con-frontation to cooperation: engaging inaccusations and counter-accusationswould be counter-productive,” he said.

Modi also held talks with HamidKarzai, outgoing president ofAfghanistan, a country over which Indiaand Pakistan are vying for influence asWestern troops prepare to withdraw.

MODI PRODS PAKISTAN ONTERROR ON FIRST DAY AS PM

Modi, 63, invited Sharif and several other South Asianleaders for his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.Unprecedented in India’s history, the invitations were seenas a reflection of Modi’s eagerness to play a prominent roleon the global stage following a stunning election victory forhis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).


Karzai told Indian TV that, accordingto information given to him by aWestern intelligence agency, thePakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was responsible for anattack last week on India’s consulate inthe western Afghanistan city of Herat.

The LeT, which has also beenblamed for the Mumbai attack, has longtargeted Indian interests and New Delhihas accused Islamabad of shielding, orworking with, the group.

“They wanted to cause embarrass-ment to both Afghanistan and Indiaaround that inauguration of the newprime minister,” Karzai told Times Now.

Karzai, who has presented Indiawith a wish-list of weapons to tackleIslamist Taliban militants after thedeparture of foreign forces, said someon the list had already been offered andhe was confident that Modi would con-sider the rest favourably.

Pakistan took three days to decidewhether to accept Modi’s invitation, asignal that there were sharp differenceson the matter in a country where themilitary has traditionally called theshots on security and foreign policy.

Still, the two leaders were seenshaking hands and laughing duringtheir meeting on Monday, and in thebriefings later there was no mention of

the disputed Himalayan territory ofKashmir, over which their countrieshave gone to war twice.

NEW FINANCE MINISTERAIMS FOR GROWTH

The low-caste son of a tea stall-owner, Modi this month won India’s firstparliamentary majority after 25 years ofcoalition governments, giving himample room to advance economicreforms that started over two decadesago but stalled in recent years.

He named his new cabinet onMonday, handing the job of revivingeconomic growth to Arun Jaitley, anurbane corporate lawyer and closeparty colleague.“We have to restoreback the pace of growth, contain infla-tion and obviously concentrate on fiscalconsolidation itself,” Jaitley toldreporters.Public finances are in direstraits as government spending hasoutpaced revenues. The new adminis-tration will immediately need to take adecision on slashing subsidy spendingwhich is threatening a budget blow-outand a sovereign ratings downgrade.

Jaitley, a student leader who wasjailed during a period of emergency in1975, will also be handling the impor-tant defence portfolio for the transition.

Modi, who built his reputation as an

economic moderniser by putting hishome state of Gujarat on a high-growthpath, has moved to streamline the cab-inet towards a more centralised systemof governing.

Several government ministries havebeen clubbed under one minister,aimed at breaking decision-making bot-tlenecks widely blamed for draggingdown economic growth. The newadministration has 45 ministers com-pared with 71 in the outgoing govern-ment.“I am sure the political changeitself sends a strong signal to the glob-al community and also domesticinvestors,” Jaitley said. “I think over thenext few months by expediting decision-making processes, I am sure we will beable to build that.”

The chief of the BJP, Rajnath Singh,will be the new home minister, chargedwith the task of ensuring internal stabil-ity and calming the anxieties of India’sreligious minorities who see his partyand its hardline Hindu affiliates as pur-suing a partisan agenda.

Modi himself has been dogged byallegations that he didn’t do enough toprotect Muslims during an upsurge ofviolence in 2002. He has denied thecharge and a Supreme Court-orderedinvestigation acquitted him of anyresponsibility


Prof R. Vaidyanathan

More than six years ago, in February2008, the German authorities had col-lected information about illegal moneystashed away by citizens of variouscountries in a Liechtenstein bank. TheGerman Finance Minister offered toshare the names of these account-hold-ers with any government interested inthem. The UPA-1 government, unfortu-nately, did not act for many monthsand, after much prodding by theOpposition, asked for the list in late2008.

A German intelligence agencyappears to have paid an unnamed

informer more than $6 million for thisconfidential and secret data aboutclients of the LGT group, a bank ownedby the Liechtenstein Prince’s family.The revelations have already led to theresignation of the head of DeutschePost, which is currently the world’slargest logistics company. Liechtensteinleaders were furious and have focusedall their ire on the theft of the datarather than on the facts of the case.

The German list contained thenames of 1,400 clients of theLiechtenstein bank, of whom 600 wereGermans. A spokesman for the Germanfinance ministry, Thorstein Albig, hadsaid in March 2008 that information on

the other accounts would be sharedwithout charging any fees. Finland,Sweden, and Norway quickly obtainedthe data, but our government beganpussyfooting around this issue. If it hadgenuinely wanted to act against blackmoney, it should have immediatelydespatched senior officials/ministersto get the names. Pushed and proddedby the Opposition and the media, whenthe government finally moved, it gotnearly 100 Indian names – but thosenames have been kept a secret.

This writer, who has been studyingtax havens for more than a decade,wrote in April 2009 (in the journalEternal India, published by India First

SIT on black money: If there ispolitical will, it should go for

gold and a big haul


Foundation) about the need to get backthe illegal deposits kept by Indians invarious tax havens, includingLiechtenstein. A public interest litiga-tion was then filed by Ram Jethmalaniand others in the Supreme Court, towhich the government responded that itwas taking steps to recover suchamounts. It had also mentioned thatthe German government had given alist of people who had kept money inthe LGT Bank of Liechtenstein (May2009). The government's response alsosaid that steps were being taken in thecase of Hasan Ali Khan, a Pune horse-breeder, who was alleged to haveindulged in several illegal transactionsthrough the UBS Bank of Switzerland.

In the meanwhile, the then Leaderof the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, LKAdvani, had constituted a committeeconsisting of S Gurumurthy, well-knownChartered Accountant, Ajit Doval, thecurrent National Security Advisor,lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, and thiswriter. The report of the committee wasalso used by Ram Jethmalani in his PILfiled with the Supreme Court.

The government maintained that itcannot reveal the names received fromGermany since it had obtained thesame under the double taxation avoid-ance treaty. The point is: why did thegovernment ask for information under

the double-tax treaty with Germanywhen the issue – stolen data from theLiechtenstein bank by Germany – wasunconnected to the treaty? Where isthe issue of confidentiality vis-a-viscriminals? Actually, it is wealth kept ille-gally in the bank in Liechtenstein, andthe money does not even concernGermany.

The double-tax treaty generally pre-vents the use of information suppliedunder the treaty for any purpose otherthan the levy and recovery of tax. It isdoubtful whether the income taxdepartment can share the details it hassecured under the treaty with theEnforcement Directorate or theNational Investigation Agency which

tracks terror cases, or the NSA. That iswhy the Supreme Court had refused toregard it purely an issue of tax evasion.

The finance ministry says it has thenames but will not reveal them. But isthis right? The accounts are those ofinternational crooks who have deprivedour land of huge financial resourcesthrough capital flight. It is an unpatriot-ic act which can be equated to financialterrorism. Domestic black money (thatis untaxed income) is merely a no-confi-dence motion against the government'stax policies, but black money in taxhavens abroad amounts to no-confi-dence against the country - which isakin to treason.

A report in The Economic Timesdated 4 June 2009 said that of the 50Indians who have stashed funds in LGTBank, 25 belong to Mumbai. The taxauthorities have reopened assess-ments of these 25 tax evaders undersection 148 of the Income Tax Act. Thisimplies that the government is treatingit as tax evasion and not capital flightand a crime against the country. But on19 January 2011 – after two years ofwaiting - the Supreme Court made ahistoric observation about this shame-ful phenomenon of Indian funds beingkept illegally abroad and the obstruc-tionist attitude of the central govern-ment in unravelling the truth.

A report in The EconomicTimes dated 4 June 2009said that of the 50 Indianswho have stashed funds inLGT Bank, 25 belong toMumbai. The tax authoritieshave reopened assessmentsof these 25 tax evadersunder section 148 of theIncome Tax Act.


A report in The Hindu quoted thecourt as saying that black moneystashed abroad by Indians was “pureand simple theft of national money.”The court “questioned the Centre'sapproach to tackling this menace andretrieving the huge amounts kept in for-eign banks. When Solicitor-GeneralGopal Subramaniam furnished in asealed cover a list of 26 names whohad accounts with (the) LiechtensteinBank, a bench of Justices B SudershanReddy and SS Nijjar was not convincedof the steps taken by the governmentfor getting back black money. JusticeReddy, after perusing the list, told theSG: ‘This is all the information you haveor you have something more? We aretalking about huge money. It is a plun-der of the nation. It is pure and simpletheft of national money. We are talkingabout mind-boggling crime. We are noton (the) niceties of various treaties.”

The court then insisted on the for-mation of a special investigation team(SIT) with ex-Supreme Court judgeJeevan Reddy as Chairman, assisted byJustice MB Shah, and asked the gov-ernment to share details about theLiechtenstein list. The UPA governmentdilly-dallied and used every ruse in thelegal book to buy time. But theSupreme Court was very upset and toldthe government that it can be hauledup for contempt of court. The court, in

its order of 1 May 2014, had given thegovernment three weeks' time to issuea notification for setting up an SIT to bepresided over by Justice MB Shah(since Justice Jeevan Reddy haddeclined to head it for personal rea-sons), with retired Justice Arijit Pasayatas vice-chairman, to guide and directthe investigation.

The three weeks ended on 22 Mayand extended to 27 May due to achange in the government. Hence, thefirst decision of the new governmentwas about the SIT. It was a decisionpushed down the throat of the govern-ment of India by the court due to thesustained efforts of Ram Jethmalani,represented by Anil Dhavan, and armedwith reports of this writer. The SIT willconsist of the Chief of the FinancialIntelligence Unit, the ChiefCommissioner of Income Tax, a DeputyGovernor of the RBI, the IB Director, theNarcotics Bureau chief, and the head ofthe Enforcement Directorate. The groupwill also have access to the accounts ofHSBC Bank, Geneva, details of whichwere given by the French government.

The SIT is essentially a group ofbureaucrats with varying degrees ofexpertise about tax havens. This ismainly for illicit money kept abroad andnot for domestic black money. Most ofthe double tax treaties which the UPA-2entered into are prospective in nature

and the task of looking into past illegalfunds is complicated.

The group should distinguishbetween pure tax evasion (let us call itvegetarian black money) and fundsconnected to terror/armssmuggling/narcotics (say, non-vegblack money). The former is easy tofocus on and can be dealt with throughpenalties. A recent Supreme Court judg-ment, which says that “that Indian resi-dent beneficiaries shall not be taxed onthe income of an offshore discretionarytrust as long as the trustees do not dis-tribute income to the beneficiaries,”may help many in the first category.

The best way to proceed is to have ajoint sitting of Parliament and pass aresolution stating that “any fundsabroad held by Indian nationals belongto the Republic of India” unless theyhave been kept abroad under legalrules and regulations. Armed with sucha resolution and recent agreementsentered into by Switzerland andSingapore with OECD countries, the SITcan go for gold! Actually, the SIT shouldbe willing to use the concept ofsama/dhana/bheda/dhanda in achiev-ing its task - many secretive jurisdic-tions, including Switzerland, can andshould be arm-twisted to part with infor-mation. After all they have huge invest-ments in India

It is also necessary to consider thegold/diamonds/precious items kept byIndians in the lockers of banks in taxhavens abroad. The road ahead for therecovery of illegal money stashedabroad is full of pot holes and craters,but we Indians have a way of navigatingsuch impediments. What is needed isthe political will for the same.

(The author is finance professor,IIM Bangalore. These views

are personal)

The SIT is essentially a groupof bureaucrats with varyingdegrees of expertise abouttax havens. This is mainly forillicit money kept abroadand not for domestic blackmoney. Most of the doubletax treaties which the UPA-2entered into are prospectivein nature and the task oflooking into past illegalfunds is complicated.


N.V. Subramanian

New Delhi: The Crimea has joinedRussia. The United States and the restof the West demand that the world turnagainst Russia. Russia has thankedIndia and China for such support asthey have shown. The Kashmir disputeon one hand and China’s troubledXinjiang and Tibet regions limit thescope to uphold Russian actionalthough private sympathy runs strongin Beijing and New Delhi. But theCrimea affair won’t go away soon. Inthis writer’s thinking, Crimea is foreverRussian, unless Russia breaks up,which is unforeseeable.

Simultaneously, the Barack Obamaadministration is out-of-depths with thedevelopment. The United States needs

capable diplomats such as GeorgePratt Shultz and James Addison BakerIII but it evidently does not produce

their kind. The United States has tolevel with Russia, talk to it as an equal,and return to the first Cold War phase

AFTER CRIMEAINDIA’S RISE BECOMES MORE

IMPORTANT THAN EVERSimultaneously, the Barack Obama administration is out-of-depths with the development. The United States needscapable diplomats such as George Pratt Shultz and JamesAddison Baker III but it evidently does not produce theirkind. The United States has to level with Russia, talk to it asan equal, and return to the first Cold War phase of settingup separate spheres of interest. In the 100th anniversary ofthe First World War, the present situation has some chillingsimilarities with it. Nationalism has not gone away. Andmilitarism comes togged out in military uniform andwrapped in fraudulent slogans of democratic liberalism.


of setting up separate spheres of inter-est. In the 100th anniversary of theFirst World War, the present situationhas some chilling similarities with it.Nationalism has not gone away. Andmilitarism comes togged out in militaryuniform and wrapped in fraudulent slo-gans of democratic liberalism.

How should India handle the newsituation and the defining one for thiscentury?

The new government in June wouldsquarely have to deal with the new ColdWar, and a single-party governmentwould be better at the task, provided itkeeps India’s interests at the core of itsconcerns. The new Cold War is not ide-ological if you have the inclination andthe capacity to look through Westernhypocrisy. In bed with the worst regimesin the Middle East, aligning with the Al-Qaeda in Syria, and playing the hyphen-ation game with India’s terrorist neigh-bour, Pakistan, the West has exhaustedits capital of goodwill with this country.On India’s disputes with China, theUnited States has been weighing in,more often than not, on the side ofChina, keen on a peace-making role forit in South Asia. There are also specificcases where the United States has hurtIndia. In a position to prevent the 2008Bombay terrorist attack, it let it happen.It won’t hand over the Pakistani-American terrorist involved in theattack. It is livid at the inability toaccess India’s markets threatening

retaliation. And it has re-indicted anIndian diplomat in the “maid case”after a local court dismissed it. A knowl-edgeable official attributed it to India’ssupport for Russia on the Crimea. This

writer cannot readily believe it, butoften, facts are stranger than fiction.

So, to return to the question. Howdoes India deal with the Crimea? Modiis new Prime Minister of India, howshould he go about it?

Rather than look for clues in thebeginning of the first Cold War whenJawaharlal Nehru alighted on Non-Alignment, the starting point for thepresent may be the phase of the unrav-elling of the Soviet Union whenPamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Raowas the prime minister. Coming to polit-ical maturity in the Cold War andmoulded by it, he had an instinctive dis-taste for the manner of Boris Yeltsin’sdestruction of the country. He support-ed the coup against Yeltsin, and even-tually reconciled to the lush, but Russiadidn’t, after the euphoria over the col-lapse of communism gave way tobread-and-butter issues, to terrifyingconcerns about survival and future.

What did Narasimha Rao do in thatphase, when terrorism and insurgencywere raging in Jammu and Kashmir andPunjab, the economy was in a sham-bles, and the unity of India was threat-ened by a Soviet Union-like breakup?The prime minister concentrated onrebuilding India brick by brick, while hetried to handle the external environ-ment with as much finesse and wilinessas his nature and intellect permitted,coloured by huge and abiding suspi-cions about the West. Narendra Modi

The new government in Junewould squarely have to dealwith the new Cold War, and asingle-party governmentwould be better at the task,provided it keeps India’sinterests at the core of itsconcerns. The new Cold Waris not ideological if you havethe inclination and thecapacity to look throughWestern hypocrisy. In bedwith the worst regimes in theMiddle East, aligning withthe Al-Qaeda in Syria, andplaying the hyphenationgame with India’s terroristneighbour, Pakistan, theWest has exhausted itscapital of goodwill with thiscountry.


would find himself located in not a verydissimilar situation, but with the addedcomplexities of resurgent Russia andrising China and a declining and injudi-cious United States.

Pragmatism will see India through.The current crisis cannot be visualizedin ideological terms because no ideolo-gy underwrites it. This is not themoment for Non-Alignment or balanc-ing. The moment concerns -- and oughtonly to concern -- India. Relations withthe United States have reached aplateau. Barack Obama is not interest-ed in India. He does not understandIndia. It may be equally said that hedoes not understand the world. There isan interesting phrase about Obama,which is that he leads from the rear. Heis on the side of public opinion, neveragainst. American public opinion wantsAmerica to mind its own business andlook inward. That is what he is about.When he is reminded about America’sresponsibilities as a world power, helooks for short-term solutions, whichinevitably become party-politicalresponses. His secretary of state doesnot talk the language of the UnitedStates which has often led the world indiplomacy but of a Democrat whoremains in denial, and who lies at the

smallest opportunity. A great power isbeing today helmed by mediocre peoplewith zero vision.

In the circumstances, India cannotbe committed to the United States inany form. Their relations must be need-based and absolutely and entirelyfounded on reciprocity. While the UnitedStates has undeniable sway over thefinancial world, India is not a meanpower, and if Narendra Modi focuseshis energies within, the terms ofengagement would be satisfactory. Thesimple truth is that the United Statesdoes not wanted Narendra Modi inpower. It wants a puppet prime minister.Rising India is unfavourable to theUnited States. So Narendra Modi has tobe clinical and businesslike in his deal-ings with the United States.

India and the United States cannothave strategic relations because, ulti-mately, the United States is untrustwor-thy. It has toppled more governmentsworldwide than any comparable democ-racy. It is the only power to have usednuclear weapons. Contrasted withRussia, the United States cannot -- andwill not -- aid the growth of Indian mili-tary power. It will not sell aircraft carri-ers or lease nuclear submarines orassist in developing cruise missiles. The

United States is a transactional powerand the new government in June mustnot forget this. Put alongside the UnitedStates, Russia is a more dependableally. Indian entrepreneurship andRussian science and technology can begame-changers. But a lot of this neednot be stated.

Finally, India’s own rise will deter-mine where it stands on the new ColdWar inaugurated by the Crimea action.It must aim to become its own pole ininternational politics and not follow any.Pragmatism is the key. Non-Alignmentmakes no case for action. India mustact to further its interests, and in manyways, its interests would be served byacting in concert with Russia on issuesconcerning Eurasia, from which theUnited States is separated by oceans.The United States is a declining power.The present administration is unable toarrest the decline. The solid Republicanadministrations of the first Cold War arewhat the United States needs, but vot-ers are unlikely to deliver them soon.Indian calculations must take this intoaccount.

N.V.Subramanian is Editor,www.newsinsight.net and writes on

politics and strategic affairs.


This is the oldest motor vehiclecar in the world that still runs.It was built one year before

Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimlerinvented the internal combustionengine.

The world's oldest running motorvehicle has been sold at auction foran astonishing $4.62 million(R36.5-million), more than doublethe pre-sale estimate, as two bid-ders chased the price up in a three-minute bidding war.

The 1884 De Dion Bouton etTrepardoux Dos-a-Dos SteamRunabout drew a standing ovationas it was'driven up onto the stage'at Friday's RM Auction in Hershey,Pennsylvania - to prove that this127-year-old car really does run! -and attracted a starting bid of$500 000, which was immediatelydoubled to $1 million. Encouragedby the applauding crowd, the bid-ding went swiftly up to $4.2 million(R33 million) - 4.62 million (R36.5million) including the 10 percent

OLDEST RUNNING CARFETCHES $4.62M


commission - before the car wasknocked down to a'unnamedbuyer'.

The Dos-a-Dos (Back-to-Back)Steam Runabout was built in 1884by George Bouton and Charles-Armand Trepardoux for Frenchentrepreneur Count de Dion, whonamed it 'La Marquise' after hismother.

In 1887, with De Dion at thetiller, it won the world's first evermotor race (it was the only entrantto make the start line!) covering the32km from the Pont de Neuilly inParis to Versailles and back in onehour and 14 minutes (an averageof 25.9km/h) and, according tocontemporary reports, hitting abreathtaking 60km/h on thestraights.

La Marquise has only had fourowners, remaining in one family for81 years, and has been restoredtwice, once by the Doriol family andagain by British collector TomMoore in the early 1990's. Sincethen, it has taken part in fourLondon-to-Brighton runs and col-lected a double gold at the 1997Pebble Beach 'd'Elegance inCalifornia'.

Count de Dion winning the firstever motor race.


The Royal College of Surgeons ofEdinburgh (RCSEd) in Britain is torecognize the achievements of Dr.

Jatin Shah, chief of Head and NeckService at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, at adiploma ceremony at the EdinburghCollege April 25.

Chair of the Council of theInternational Academy of Oral Oncology,Shah will receive the HonoraryFellowship from the RCSEd's Faculty ofDental Surgery in recognition of thecontribution he has made to medicine,particularly in the field of oral oncology,RCSEd said in a press release.

"I am deeply humbled and sincerelygrateful to the RCSEd, for bestowingthis distinguished honor upon me," the

press release quoted Shah as saying."Recognition by colleagues from a dif-ferent background is a high point in mycareer, and a unique privilege with aspecial meaning.

Such recognition will go a long waytowards strengthening the commonplatform created between surgeonsfrom differing backgrounds involved inthe care of patients with Oral Cancer,such as Head and Neck Surgeons,Otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons andDental / Oral / maxillo facial surgeons,"he added.

Having received medical training inBaroda, Shah undertook a research fel-lowship in Philadelphia, before movingin New York and undertaking a series ofresearch and senior surgical positions,

including most recently being appoint-ed to the position of professor ofSurgery at the Weill Medical College ofCornell University, New York. In addi-tion, he has over 400 peer reviewedpublications to his name as well asHonorary Fellowships from the RoyalCollege of Surgeons of Edinburgh,England and Australia.

Established in 1505, and with aworldwide membership, The RoyalCollege of Surgeons of Edinburgh is oneof the world's oldest and largest surgi-cal establishments dedicated to thepursuit of excellence and advancementin surgical and dental practice, throughits activities in education, training andexaminations.

By a Staff Writer

Renowned Cancer Surgeonto Receive Honorary

Fellowship in Edinburgh


India-born Hinduja brothers, Srichandand Gopichand Hinduja, haveemerged as the richest men in Britain

with a net wealth of 11.9 billion pounds(about $20 billion), according to areport.

The owners of the global conglomer-ate Hinduja Group saw their fortune riseby 1.3 billion pounds during last year,the Daily Mail reported citing the 2014Sunday Times Rich List that will be pub-lished May 18.

The London-based businessmen,

who ranked third last year, replaced lastyear's richest man Russian businessmagnate Alisher Usmanov at the topafter the Arsenal shareholder saw hisfortune fall to 10.65 billion pounds, thereport said.

Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian steeltycoon owning ArcelorMittal, rankedthird in the list with a fortune of 10.25billion pounds.

The study revealed a total of 104 bil-lionaires based in Britain with a com-bined wealth of more than 301 billion

pounds.That number has more than tripled

in a decade, according to the list.The richest Briton on the list is the

Duke of Westminster whose fortunerose to 8.5 billion pounds.

Of the 104 billionaires, London ishome to 72 of them - the highest in anycity in the world.

The list also pointed out that Britainhas more billionaires per head of popu-lation than any other country in theworld.

India-born Hinduja brothersemerge richest in Britain


Date: 19th May 2014

Sir,

I have written to you in the past as well as tweet-ing questions directly to your twitter account. Yourresponses thus far have been poor and I write toyou again in the hope that you will begin to recog-nise the importance of taking the issues I raisewith you seriously.

I do not profess to speak on behalf of the Indiancommunity nor the Hindu community. However Ido believe I have my finger on the pulse of thecommunity to know what the issues of concernare, and other matters that impact our community.

In the form of this open letter I seek yourresponses to the following points:

a. Can you confirm that it was the then LabourGovernment that imposed a diplomatic/visa banon the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, ShriNarendrabhai Modi?

b. Can you confirm the date on which thisdecision was taken (I believe you were quite closeto the government of the day) and the peopleinvolved in that decision making? In addition, canyou confirm if the then Labour Government waslobbied by anyone or any entity in the UK or exter-nal to affect such a decision? If so, who?

c. Can you confirm the exact reasons forimposing such a ban on an officially and demo-cratically elected politician who had never beenfound guilty of any wrong doing by any court?

d. Can you confirm if the then LabourGovernment had introduced any type of ban oninvestments into the State of Gujarat either via thegovernment departments and/or corporate enti-ties?

e. Can you confirm how many British led proj-ects were established in the State of Gujarat dur-ing the tenure of the Labour Government? Pleaseinclude the total sums involved.

In addition to these points, the following requireyour attention also:

f. On 26th February an anti-modi event washosted by some Labour MPs/Peers with organisa-tions such as Awaaz and TMG-UK. Can you pleaseconfirm that you denounce the role of the LabourMP/Peers? In addition can you also confirm thatyou reject the report titled, 'Narendra ModiExposed'?

g. On 1st May another anti-modi event washost by some Labour MPs at the House of

Commons in Committee Room 14. You shouldnote this took place on the same day when theHouse of Commons was celebrating 'GujaratFoundation Day'. Can you please tell us why afterthe fiasco of the 26th February, you still allowedthis event to go ahead with the assistance ofLabour MPs? In light of this current history can youconfirm that you denounce the role of these MPs inthe said event?

h. Shri Narendra Modi became PM elected on16th of May 2014. As far as I can make out youtweeted your congratulations at 12.02PM on 18thMay 2014. This is a good 48 hours after the land-slide victory by PM Modi was known. Can youplease explain why as the leader of the LabourParty and the official opposition, it took you so longto respond to the biggest event taking place in theworld at that time? I am sure you will appreciatethat I had to remind you at least three times tomake such a statement.

Mr Miliband there is a rising concern within thecommunity that you and your Party appear to beshowing incredible levels of disrespect in howsome of your MPs are behaving, and what appearsto be a total lack of any control on your part toensure that a sizeable and important community isnot disrespected.

By way of this open letter, which I will share with-in my community, I hope you will take the opportu-nity to respond with clear responses. I do hope youappreciate that rhetoric and platitudes don't workany longer, and that as a community, we deserveto know what the leader of the Labour Party, a per-son who wants to be the next PM of UK, reallythinks about us.

In addition, I am willing to meet you in person toconduct an interview to secure your responses - ifyou would find that more helpful.

You now have had ample opportunities torespond but unfortunately hitherto you have failed.I do hope that you consider this letter as yet anoth-er attempt by me to give you the option of sharingyour thoughts. Failure to do so will be telling initself.

I leave the matter in your good hands and trustthat I may have your reply within the next 7 days.

I thank you for your time and am availableshould you wish to clarify any of the points raised.

Thank you.Yours sincerely,KKaappiill DDuuddaakkiiaa

OPEN LETTER TO THE Rt HonsEd Miliband MP


Ranjana is an actor & presenter -explain your acting background andvision for future? And presentermeans you are hoisting events,launches etc?

I have been modelling from past 3years. Ventured into acting sometimeback with my first kannada moviecalled kidigedi. Releasing soon.I shall bdoin next a tamil film called aiyram poisolli and doin a telugu next.

Mainstream films fromHollywood & Bollywood alwaysattracts global talent, you have anambition to explore the option, ifoffered?

I already completed a srilankan filmcalled paragon which is goin for film fes-tivals so I have already put my 1st stepforward in d international mkt. Yes bol-lywood is my goal if I get a good offerand a good break. Hollywood films areseen world wide so it attracts me toobut am not dying to again a good filmshould do. Even it's a metier role withgreat stars counts a lot.

You are business managementgraduate, how the studies havehelped you in shaping your career inentertainment industry?

I am a bsc student. My study hasnothing to do in shaping my carrier. Mnot using my education when m actingcos acting is totally different. But I canproudly say m educated and haveworked with an mnc company too unlikemost of d actors who start acting at anearly stage without completing theirstudies.

As a liberated soul and educatedgirl, how do you think we canchange the life of millions of girls inIndian conservative society. Thereare sever cases human right viola-tions and submission of basic rightsto the female population in theregion, how this issue can beaddressed for the welfare ofhumanity?

it's a very soft topic to b spoken

about.lot have discussed and still dis-cussing. I have no powers as such tochange d society but if my words andinitiative can help I would love to b apart of women organisation. Am alreadypart of 2 ngo programmes for poor anddeprived. Called rya and sparse. I feelto b free which is our right no one canstop us, v dun have to b educated for it.We women have to fight N be a rebel foreverything. We deserve all so let's fightthis evil out. And education is an addedadvantage no doubt. Let's b strong joinhands and be free.

Returning to the entertainmentindustry, how the famous artists areaccepted in the mainstream socie-ty? The icons are remunerated inparity of the quality work if we com-pare it with western societies?

an artist is an artist big or small. To

get there is a struggle. Am sure we all raccepted well and with respect. We areno different from normal being just thatthe work is different and bcos peoplesee us on silver screen so to them vlook different offscreen. We are enter-tainers and it's a job and we are paid asalary. That our bread and butter too.

Ranjana is living for makingchange via art or vice versa?

M passionate about acting.Television is a medium for change amsure all will accept. What we see welearn we follow we live we are driventowards cinema and serials, N v relateour life to it cos v can see reality in mostof the movies apart from the Sci-fi ones.M here to do quality work N be a part ofthe change in process of changing thesociety.

---------------------------------

Ranjanna from bangalore. She is modelled for various brands and designers down south. To name a few they are alicejewellers,karnataka silk,levis and wrangler,aircel,3 roses add with jeeva and santhanam, emmanuel silk, kalaniketan,royalorchid goa and many more. Have walked bangalore fashion week, signature show and walked ramp for many famous design-ers. Presently shooting for a kannada project called kidigedi. Upcoming project is with actor jd chakravarthy (satya fame)which is a bilingual called gundu chettyil kudru ottam. Upcoming project is aiyram poi solli. Acted as a lead in an internationalfilm (srilanka)called paragon which is a documentary film and paragon is a part of few international film festivals.

Bollywood is my goal : Ranjana

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