“The enemies of India have seen the fire and fury of our forces,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his surprise visit to Leh, Ladakh, to interact with the Army, Air Force and ITBP personnel stationed at Nimu. “The age of expansionism is over; we are now in an age of development and open competition,” the PM said. “History is rife with examples of countries that had adopted an expansionist attitude and threatened world peace but were eventually either destroyed or had to beat an ignominious retreat,” he added. Modi also visited the soldiers injured during the clash with Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley on June 15 at the military hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew on Friday into the northern border region where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a stand-off, and said the military stood ready to defend his country. His comments prompted Beijing to call for restraint at the tense border area in the northern Himalayan region of Ladakh. Modi, making his first trip to the Ladakh region since the Indian army lost 20 soldiers in a clash with Chinese soldiers last month, said his country’s commitment to peace should not be seen as a sign of weakness. “Today India is becoming stronger, be it in naval might, air power, space power and the strength of our army. Modernization of weapons and upgradation of infrastructure has enhanced our defense capabilities multifold,” he said in a speech to soldiers near Leh, the regional capital. India says Chinese troops have intruded across the Line of Actual Control, or the ceasefire line separating the two armies in the high altitude Ladakh region, and the clash on June 15 occurred because Chinese troops sought to erect defenses on India‘s side of the de facto border. China says the whole of the Galwan valley where the clash occurred is its territory and that it was frontline Indian troops that had breached the border, which is not demarcated. China’s foreign ministry said on Friday the two countries were holding talks to reduce tensions. Spokesman Zhao Lijian, responding to a question about Modi’s visit to the border region, said both sides were in communications through diplomatic and military channels to ease the situation. “In these circumstances, neither side should take actions that might complicate the border situation,” he said at a daily news briefing in Beijing. 
The most serious crisis on the India-China border in years has erupted while Beijing is embroiled in disputes over the South China Sea, Taiwan and its tightening grip over Hong Kong, which have all fanned fears of an expansionist policy. In a separate development, India‘s power ministry stipulated that Indian companies will need government permission to import power supply equipment and components from China, amid rising military tensions between the two countries. In Beijing, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said “artificially setting up barriers” for trade “not only violates WTO rules, but also hurts India’s interests”. He was responding to a question on union minister Nitin Gadkari’s statement about blocking Chinese firms from highway projects. “China will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese businesses,” he added. He said the two countries should work to meet the “consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and uphold overall bilateral relations”. “India should avoid a strategic miscalculation with regard to China.” Chinese embassy in India, in a tweet, said the accusation of “expansionism” is “groundless”. “China has demarcated boundary with 12 of its 14 neighboring countries through peaceful negotiations, turning land borders into bonds of friendly cooperation. It’s groundless to view China as ‘expansionist’, exaggerate and fabricate its disputes with neighbors,” the tweet said. A sign of China’s expansionist agenda is clear as the Chinese spokesperson criticized Japan (on Senkaku islands), the Philippines (Paracel Islands), Australia (on an APSI report on China) and the United States at the same press briefing. China also conflicts with Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia in the South China Sea.
Category: India
Choreographer Who Made Bollywood Sparkle, Saroj Khan Is No More
‘Masterji’ to the stars, Legendary Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 71 on Friday, July 3rd, 2020. Admitted to Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Hospital since June 17 after she complained of trouble in breathing, she tested negative for Covid-19. Her funeral took place on Friday morning in Malad.
Fondly called ‘Masterji’ by stars whom she choreographed, Saroj directed over 2,000 songs in her long and storied career. Born as Nirmala Nagpal, she started her career as a child artiste and graduated to a backup dancer in the ’50s, working with choreographer B Sohanlal. She rose from the ranks, and was the first woman to become chief choreographer, before it was a thing, in Bollywood.
Saroj Khan was born in that place, the 1st of 6 kids. She recalled dancing with shadows there as a toddler, fascinated even then by what would grow to be her contacting. To complement the family’s profits, her father managed to get her operate in Mumbai’s booming movie sector as a little one actress at the age of three, below the title Saroj.
She experienced little roles in a amount of movies in advance of starting to be a qualifications dancer at the age of 10, showing up in the basic “Howrah Bridge,” starring the actress Madhubala.
On the eve of the Diwali vacation, Ms. Khan labored up the braveness to check with the matinee star Shashi Kapoor for enable. “I had just finished one song with him, I was the group dancer,” she mentioned. “I went to him and told him, tomorrow is Diwali and I have nothing at home. I will get paid only after a week. He said, ‘I have 200 rupees right now, please take it.’ I’ll never forget it, that money helped me so much.”
Khan never ever formally experienced as a dancer. Most classical dancers devote several years learning below a instructor in advance of they at any time conduct in general public, but with a household to enable help, that was not an choice for Ms. Khan.
Although nonetheless a younger woman, she turned an assistant to the choreographer B. Sohanlal, doing work with him on some of the most important movies of the . He taught her the basic principles of kathak, a classical Indian dance.
“When he started teaching me, I realized that I can’t keep a posture, I don’t know how to do this,” she recalled in the documentary. “He made me work very hard, I had to remain in the same posture for hours at a , but he turned me into a good dancer.”
Her first break as an independent choreographer came with Geeta Mera Naam (1974) and she would taste fame with the song Hawa Hawai from Mr. India (1987). Her collaboration with Sridevi on other projects like Chandni (think Nau Nau Choodiyan) and Nagina (Main Teri Dushman) further boosted her profile.
But it was her collaboration with Madhuri Dixit that transformed the careers of both the artistes, beginning with Ek Do Teen (Tezaab), and then Tamma Tamma Loge (Thanedaar), Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai (Khalnayak) and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga (Beta).
Saroj was also the one who gave Shah Rukh Khan his iconic open arms pose, in Baazigar. Other standout choreographies included Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast (Mohra), Nimbooda (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and Radha Kaise Na Jale (Lagaan). Her last film was Kalank (2019), where she choreographed Tabaah Ho Gaye, picturised on Madhuri. She also won National Awards for choreographing Dola Re Dola (Devdas), all the songs of Tamil film Sringaram, and Yeh Ishq Haaye (Jab We Met). Saroj was also the very first recipient of the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography, when the category was introduced in 1989. With 8 wins, she holds the record of most awards in this category. Bollywood stars have mourned the death of the legendary Khan. Shekar Kapoor tweeted: “She defined a generation of heroines. Certainly #MrIndia would not have been same film without #SarojKhan. You had to see her dance as she rehearsed with SriDevi. She was messmerizing. And what energy! You could shoot all night, yet she smiled and danced constantly fresh.” Madhuri Dixit said, “I’m devastated by the loss of my friend and guru, Saroj Khan. Will always be grateful for her work in helping me reach my full potential in dance. The world has lost an amazingly talented person. I will miss you. My sincere condolences to the family. #RIPSarojji.” Akshay Kumar tweeted: “Woke up to the sad news that legendary choreographer #SarojKhan ji is no more. She made dance look easy almost like anybody can dance, a huge loss for the industry. May her soul rest in peace.”
Modi Praises The Achievements And Contributions Of The Indian-Origin Physicians, While Addressing AAPI’s First Ever Virtual Summit
(Chicago, IL: June 28th, 2020): “I am proud of the achievements and contributions of the Indian-origin physicians across the world in the battle against COVID-19,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Guest at first ever Virtual Global Summit of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) on Saturday, June 27th.
In his brief remarks, Dr. Suresh Reddy, President of AAPI thanked Prime Minister Modi for his leadership of India and making India a word leader. The First Ever Virtual Summer Summit by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is being held from June 16thth to 28th, 2020.
During his address on Indo-US Relationship During the Pandemic and the Role of AAPI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told members of the powerful and the largest ethnic Medical Association in the United States, “I have closely followed your contributions, sacrificing your life to save that of others. Some of have done the ultimate sacrifice of giving up youir own lives at the service of others. Your will be remembered for forever.”
Acknowledging the sacrifices of Indian Origin physicians, Modi said, “I want to express my sincere gratitude for being the warriors who are committed to save the lives of so many during the pandemic.”
The Prime Minister said that due to lockdown, many initiatives taken by the Government and a people driven fight, India is much better placed than many other nations and India’s recovery rate is rising. Due to this the severity of the virus is less than anticipated.
Prime Minister Modi shared with AAPI statistics of various countries. Modi said India had performed much better in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “As against the death rate of 350 individuals per million in the US and over 600 per million in European nations like the UK, Italy and Spain, the rate of fatalities in India is less than 12,” he said.
India defied the fears of the world’s topmost experts in this regard, according to Modi. He said that lakhs of villages, home to 85 crore people, remain almost untouched by Coronavirus. The prime minister attributed this to the support from the people of the country. “Rural parts of the country have largely remained untouched from this pandemic,” he said.
India’s fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic is driven by its people, Modi said, attributing the “success” against the pandemic to the implementation the nationwide lockdown in its initial phase.
Without people’s cooperation, Modi said, the success would not have been possible in the world’s second-highest populated country — with high density, where social gathering is a norm of life, large religious and political gatherings are regular, and large-scale interstate migration, India has been able to save the lives of thousands and lakhs of its citizens because of the timely lockdown, he told AAPI members.
Modi said COVID-19 had been used as an opportunity to work towards making the country self-reliant. Modi said the COVID-19 pandemic had been used as an opportunity to improve the healthcare facilities. “For instance, at the start of the coronavirus, there was only one COVID-19 testing lab. Now there are 1,000, he said.
The prime minister underlined that India, which imported most of its personnel protection equipment (PPE) kits at the start of the pandemic, was now almost self-reliant and in a position to export them. The country is making more than 30 lakh N95 masks per week. More than 50,000 new ventilators are being made available to the healthcare sector, all made inside the country, he added. “Stay safe and well and continue to contribute to health of the world. Stay healthier and stronger,” he told AAPI members.
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu was introduced by Dr. Seema Arora, Chair of AAPI’s Board of Trustees, as “one of the most experienced Indian diplomats on US affairs, having served in the Indian Mission in Washington DC in various capacities and at the Permanent Mission of India to United Nations, New York.”
Calling the Indian American Physicians as the “real heroes” Ambassador Sandhu “You are the real heroes who have risked your lives and have been out to assist others.” There is a widespread recognition of their contributions in the US, he added. “Lawmakers in the US appreciate your contributions. AAPI members have greatly contributed risking their own lives.”
Expressing his deepest condolences to AAPI and the families of those Physicins, who had lost their lives, the Indian Envoy thanked AAPI for “your support to the Indian Embassy helping Indian students stranded here due to the pandemic. Your online Health Desk has helped many Indians in the US affected by the pandemic.”
Praising AAPI for the several charitable works in India, Ambassador Sandhu, said, “India and the US are strategic partners” and pointed to collaboration between the two nations on cutting edge medical research in healthcare sector and science. With inexpensive medical supply to 127 countries, India has become “a reliable partner in global supply chain of all healthcare needs.”
Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, AAPI members serve every 7th patient in the United States and every 5th patient in rural and inner cities across the nation. Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, will assume as the incoming President of AAPI on July 12th along with Dr. Sajani Shah, Chair, AAPI’s BOT; and his Executive Committee consisting of Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect, Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Secretary, and Dr. Satish Kathula, Treasurer of AAPI. For more details,please visit: www.aapiusa.org
India elected to United Nations Security Council with overwhelming majority
India has been elected to the United Nations Security Council with an overwhelming majority of 184 votes on Wednesday, June 17th, 2002 for a term extending to another years. Though India ran unopposed from Asia, eight countries apparently did not vote for India in the secret ballot in which 192 of the 193 member nations participated. “India’s presence in the Security Council will help bring to the world our ethos that the world is one family — Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” India’s Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti said.
India will serve its eighth two-year term as a non-permanent member without veto powers, even as it pursues on a parallel track UN reforms aimed at getting a permanent seat. India will replace Indonesia, whose term ends at the end of the year, on the Council and join Vietnam as one of the two non-permanent Asian members. Running unopposed for the seat for Latin American and Caribbean countries, Mexico won with 187 votes.
The highly prized election victory comes to India against the backdrop of the conflict in Ladakh with China, whom it will join on the Council in January. New Delhi won the Asia Pacific seat on the highest decision-making body of the UN with the unanimous support of the countries in the 55-member group, with China and Pakistan, at least openly, conceding support in face of overwhelming backing for India from the others.
The ten non-permanent Security Council seats are distributed among five regional groups and elections are held every year for the five that fall vacant on alternate years.
But there were contested elections for the three other seats. Canada was routed in its bid for one of the two seats allotted to the group made up of West European countries and others like Canada and Australia that do not fit in elsewhere.
In a setback to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who personally campaigned hard for the seat, it received only 108 votes. Norway with 130 votes and Ireland with 128 were elected to the two seats. Neither Kenya nor Djibouti received a two-thirds majority and a runoff is to be held later.
Kenya, which received 113 votes for the African seat had the endorsement of the continent’s countries, while Djibouti which counted on a rift between the Arab and Non-Arab nations in the group received 78 votes.
After the vote, Tirumurti acknowledged the victory and said in a video statement, “We are confident in the COVID and post-COVID world, India will continue to provide leadership and a new orientation for a reformed multilateral system. Our election to the United Security Council is a testament to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s vision and his inspiring global leadership.” he said. In a campaign document unveiled by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, India laid out a “5S” approach of Samman (Respect), Samvad (Dialogue), Sahyog (Cooperation) Shanti (Peace) and Samriddi (Prosperity) for its service on the Council.
The document setting out India’s agenda said that a reformed multilateralism is a must for the post-COVID19 era. Besides fighting terrorism, a priority for India, which historically the largest contributor peacekeeping operations, that the document listed was streamlining UN peacekeeping to “ensure greater clarity, direction, and professionalism.”
While addressing the abuse of technology by terrorists, the document said that technology must be promoted with “a human touch” and India will promote partnerships to harness it to reduce human suffering and build resilient communities. “India will become a member of the Security Council at a critical juncture,” Tirumurti said.
India will step into a Council Chamber paralyzed by the polarization of its veto-wielding permanent members that almost harks back to the Cold War era.
It will have to deftly deal with intractable issues like the Syrian civil war with international dimensions, Ukraine’s disputes with Russia, the US — or President Donald Trump’s — obsession with Iran or its fallout and Yemen where the UN has not been able to act because of the standoff between the West and Russia and China.
But at least when China tries to bring up the Kashmir issue in the Council as it has done twice recently, India will be right there. In elections held simultaneously, Volkan Bozkir, a Turkish diplomat and politician who ran unopposed, was chosen president of the next session of the General Assembly that starts in September.
Eighteen countries that ran unopposed for as many seats on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) were also elected. India’s last term on the Security Council was in 2011-12 and Hardeep Singh Puri, who was then India’s Permanent Representative and is now a minister, immediately afterwards planned to bid for its next term not wanting a long gap like the 19 years since the previous 1991-92 tenure.
Intense diplomacy by him and his successor, Asoke Mukerji, sealed India’s bid for the 2021-22 term. Afghanistan had initially expressed interest in running for the 2021-22 term but did not pursue it, leaving the field for India.
India-China Clash In Ladakh Region
The deadly clash between Indian and Chinese troops has officials from both sides blaming each other for the violence that erupted amid a seven-week long military stand-off at their
At least 20 Indian soldiers have died after a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops along the countries’ de facto border in the Himalayas late Monday, the Indian army announced. Indian media say there are 35 Chinese casualties but Beijing has not confirmed if any of its troops were killed or injured.
The incident occurred during a “de-escalation process” underway in the Galwan Valley in the disputed Aksai Chin-Ladakh area, where a large troop build-up has reportedly been taking place for weeks now on both sides of the border, before senior military commanders began talks earlier this month.
The current stand-off is reported to have been triggered by India’s construction of a road in the Galwan Valley, its latest project in years of infrastructure build-up by both sides in the border region.
On June 6, after a videoconference between diplomats, top generals from both sides
met in Chushul-Moldo, in the eastern part of Ladakh. Details of the four-hour discussion were few and far between but the comments made after that were reassuring. In the days that followed, the Indian establishment indicated through leaks to the media that troops from both sides would disengage in some areas while officials would continue talks to ease the situation.
The fighting occurred in the precipitous, rocky terrain of the Galwan Valley. Indian media say soldiers engaged in direct hand-to-hand combat, with some “beaten to death”. During the fight, one newspaper reported, others fell or were pushed into a river.
Indian forces appear to have been massively outnumbered by Chinese troops. A senior Indian military official told the BBC there were 55 Indians versus 300 Chinese, who he described as “the Death Squad”.
“They hit our boys on the head with metal batons wrapped in barbed wire. Our boys fought with bare hands,” the officer, who did not want to be named, said. His account, which could not be verified, tallies with other reports in the Indian media detailing the savagery of the combat.
The Indian army had earlier said three soldiers had died, but added on Tuesday that a further 17 troops “who were critically injured in the line of duty at the standoff location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries.” The deaths are the first military casualties along the two countries’ disputed border for more than 45 years.
India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said China tried to erect a structure inside Indian territory, while China’s Wang Yi said Indian troops attacked first. Senior military officials from both sides are currently meeting to defuse the situation, the statement added.
“India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the de-escalation of the situation in the border area in Eastern Ladakh,” said India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday. He said senior commanders had “agreed on a process for such de-escalation” during a “productive meeting” on Saturday, June 6, and ground commanders had met regarding the implementation.
“While it was our expectation that this would unfold smoothly, the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley,” he said in the statement.
“Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side,” he added. “Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side. We remain firmly convinced of the need for the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. At the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Earlier Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Indian deaths “will not be in vain” and that India would be “proud that our soldiers died fighting the Chinese” in the clash in the Ladakh region on Monday.
Addressing the confrontation for the first time in a televised address on Wednesday, he said: “India wants peace but when provoked, India is capable of giving a fitting reply, be it any kind of situation.”
An Indian government statement following the phone conversation said that Chinese troops had tried to put up a structure on the Indian side of the de facto border, the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the strategically important Galwan Valley.
It described this as “premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties” and urged China to “take corrective steps”. The statement concluded that neither side would take action to escalate matters.
Meanwhile a Chinese statement quoted Mr Wang as saying: “China again expresses strong protest to India and demands the Indian side launches a thorough investigation… and stop all provocative actions to ensure the same things do not happen again. Both sides should resolve the dispute through dialogue, and keep the border safe and tranquil,” he added.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) released a statement Tuesday night calling on the Indian army to immediately stop what it described as “provocative actions” and to “resolve the issue through the correct track of dialogue and talks.”
“The sovereignty of the Galwan Valley region has always belonged to China,” Zhang Shuili, the spokesman of the Western Theater said in a statement on China’s Ministry of Defense website. “Indian troops violated its commitment, crossed the borderline for illegal activities and deliberately launched provocative attacks.” Zhang added that the “serious physical conflict between the two sides” had “resulted in casualties.”
The clash has provoked protests in India, with people burning Chinese flags. China has not confirmed how many of its personnel died or were injured. The BBC’s Robin Brant in Beijing says that China has never given contemporaneous confirmation on military deaths outside of peacekeeping duties.
This is not the first time the two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought without conventional firearms on the border. India and China have a history of face-offs and overlapping territorial claims along the more than 3,440km (2,100 mile), poorly drawn LAC separating the two sides.
The prime minister did say: “India wants peace but, if instigated, it is capable of giving a befitting reply.” But this is seen as aimed more at his political rivals and supporters domestically, rather than as a warning to Beijing. China is not Pakistan and memories of the humiliating defeat in the 1962 war are all too real for any misadventure.
How tense is the area?
The LAC is poorly demarcated. The presence of rivers, lakes and snowcaps means the line can shift. The soldiers either side – representing two of the world’s largest armies – come face-to-face at many points. Border patrols have often bumped into each other, resulting in occasional scuffles.
The two nuclear-armed neighbours have never agreed on the length of the border or how to demarcate it. The dispute dates back to when the British ruled India – a 1914 conference with the governments of Tibet and China set a boundary, known as the McMahon line, but this was never recognized by china. Beijing claims about 90,000 square kilometres of territory, comprising almost all of India’s Arunachal Pradesh state.
In 1959, when India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru went to Beijing, he questioned the boundaries shown on official Chinese maps, prompting Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai to reply that his government did not accept the colonial frontier.
In 1962, Chinese troops swarmed the disputed frontier with India during a row over the border’s demarcation. It sparked a four-week war that left thousands dead on the Indian side before China’s forces withdrew.
Beijing retained Aksai Chin, a strategic corridor linking Tibet to western China. India still claims the entire Aksai Chin region as its own, as well as the nearby China-controlled Shaksgam valley in northern Kashmir.
Another flashpoint has been Nathu La, a high mountain pass in India’s northeastern Sikkim state that is sandwiched between Bhutan, Chinese-ruled Tibet and Nepal.
During a series of clashes in 1967, which included the exchange of artillery fire, New Delhi said some 80 Indian soldiers died and counted up to 400 Chinese casualties.
In 1975, shots were reportedly fired across the official border at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh. Four Indian soldiers were ambushed and their deaths marked the last time anyone was known to have been killed in the long-running dispute until now. Then, Delhi blamed Beijing for crossing into Indian territory, a claim dismissed by China.
Three years ago, India and China had a months-long high-altitude stand-off in Bhutan’s
Doklam region after the Indian side sent troops to stop China constructing a road in the area.
The Doklam plateau is strategically significant as it gives China access to the so-called “chicken’s neck” – a thin strip of land connecting India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country.
It is claimed by both China and Bhutan, an ally of India. The issue was resolved after talks. In 2018, India said Chinese troops advanced around 300-400 metres inside the Demchok area and pitched five tents. Three were later removed after talks between the two armies.
The last firing on the border happened in 1975 when four Indian soldiers were killed in a remote pass in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The clash was variously described by former diplomats as an ambush and an accident. But no bullets have been fired since.
At the root of this is a 1996 bilateral agreement that says “neither side shall open fire… conduct blast operations or hunt with guns or explosives within two kilometres of the Line of Actual Control”.
But there have been tense confrontations along the border in recent weeks. In May Indian and Chinese soldiers exchanged physical blows on the border at Pangong Lake, also in Ladakh, and in the north-eastern Indian state of Sikkim hundreds of miles to the east.
India has accused China of sending thousands of troops into Ladakh’s Galwan Valley and says China occupies 38,000 sq km (14,700 sq miles) of its territory. Several rounds of talks in the last three decades have failed to resolve the boundary disputes. India also disputes part of Kashmir – an ethnically diverse Himalayan region covering about 140,000 sq km – with Pakistan.
There are several reasons why tensions are rising again now – but competing strategic goals lie at the root. The two countries have devoted extensive money and manpower to building roads, bridges, rail links and air fields along the disputed border.
Both India and China see each other’s construction efforts as calculated moves to gain a tactical advantage, and tensions often flare up when either announces a major project.
“We have not had casualties on the Line of Actual Control for at least 45 years,” said Happymon Jacob, an associate professor and political analyst at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. “This is perhaps a game-changer. This is perhaps the beginning of the end of the rapport that India has enjoyed with China for 45 years.”
India Eases Travel Restrictions For Certain Foreigners, OCI Card Holders
OCI card holders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death have also been granted permission to travel to India.
The Home Ministry on Friday eased restrictions on entry of foreign nationals into the country norms, allowing a larger number of Overseas Citizen of India cardholders and foreign nationals related to OCI cardholders or citizens to enter India.
The specific categories who have been issued permit to travel to India include minors who the OCI Card and whose parents are Indian nationals.
OCI card holders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like critical medical conditions of immediate family members or death have also been granted permission to travel to India.
Government has also allowed married couples, where one spouse is an OCI card holder and the other is an Indian national, to enter the country.
Students who are OCI card holders, where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI card holder, can also travel to India.
Trump Wants India To Be Part Of Expanded G-7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted President Trump’s invitation to attend the G-7 meet as a guest, and has also welcomed Trump’s proposal to include India in an expanded G-7.
The G-7 nations include the United States, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Italy and Canada, and the European Union.
With the planned expansion, it’s unsure as to how the endgame is going to be. Trump is looking at “G-10 or G-11” with India, South Korea, Australia and Russia as additional members. The math is clear; it should become the G-11. Why G-10? Russia. It was kicked out of the group in 2014 (when G-8 became G-7) for annexing Crimea and it remains in the doghouse for most G-7 heads, who don’t share Trump’s enthusiasm for Russia.
But this uncertainty alone should not cast doubts on Trump’s plans for G-7 overhaul. Negotiators had looked at competing numbers for the 1997-99 expansion as well, but had settled on the smaller number to keep it manageable. India made it to that group.
The endgame is unclear, as it was then. Trump is looking at “G-10 or G-11” with India, South Korea, Australia and Russia as additional members. The math is clear; it should become the G-11. Why G-10? Russia. It was kicked out of the group in 2014 (when G-8 became G-7) for annexing Crimea and it remains in the doghouse for most G-7 heads, who don’t share Trump’s enthusiasm for Russia.
But this uncertainty alone should not cast doubts on Trump’s plans for G-7 overhaul. Negotiators had looked at competing numbers for the 1997-99 expansion as well, but had settled on the smaller number to keep it manageable. India made it to that group.
There was a clear need for a broader platform in 1997 to address challenges to global financial stability due to the widening economic crisis in Asian countries. And the G-20 provided an answer. The forum played an effective role after the 2008 crisis.
Trump’s expansion plan, on the other hand, is not well-thought-out. It does not appear to be about the coronavirus pandemic, the worst health crisis faced by the world in 100 years. If he believed in multilateralism to deal with it or prevent the next, he would have continued to fund the World Health Organization and forced to change it from within.
There was a clear need for a broader platform in 1997 to address challenges to global financial stability due to the widening economic crisis in Asian countries. And the G-20 provided an answer. The forum played an effective role after the 2008 crisis.
Trump’s expansion plan, on the other hand, is not well-thought-out. It does not appear to be about the coronavirus pandemic, the worst health crisis faced by the world in 100 years. If he believed in multilateralism to deal with it or prevent the next, he would have continued to fund the World Health Organization and forced to change it from within.
President Bill Clinton had broached the need for broadening the Group of Seven nations, called the G-7, in the wake of the Asian economic crisis of 1997. And that led to the launch of the G-20 in 1999, a group of 19 countries and the European Union. Today, President Donald Trump, has called for expanding the same body, G-7, on the basis that it is “very outdated.”
It was unclear whether Trump’s desire to invite the additional countries was a bid to permanently expand the G7. On several previous occasions, he suggested Russia be added, given what he called Moscow’s global strategic importance.
Russia was expelled from what was then the G8 in 2014 when Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was U.S. president, after Moscow annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine. Russia still holds the territory, and various G7 governments have rebuffed previous calls from Trump to readmit Moscow.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would postpone a Group of Seven summit he had hoped to hold next month until September or later and expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One during his return to Washington from Cape Canaveral in Florida, Trump said the G7, which groups the world’s most advanced economies, was a “very outdated group of countries” in its current format.
“I’m postponing it because I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world,” Trump said. Most European countries offered no immediate comment on the proposal, with a spokesman for the German government saying Berlin was “waiting for further information”.
The decision to postpone the G7 summit is a retreat for Trump, who had sought to host the group of major industrialized countries in Washington as a demonstration that the United States was returning to normal after the coronavirus epidemic, which has killed more than 113,000 Americans to date. Trump had canceled an in-person G7 meeting scheduled for March as the virus spread, but had recently sought to revive it.
French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea of an in-person meeting, according to the White House. But Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to endorse it, saying there were too many health-related questions. This week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she could not attend.
South Korea is aware of Trump’s invitation and will discuss the matter with the United States, a government official in Seoul told Reuters on Sunday. It’s also not about the economic crisis that has accompanied the pandemic.
All Trump cares about, at this time, is his re-election prospects. That’s why German chancellor Angela Merkel, the sharpest of politicians in the western world, who has made it a practice to not visit the United States in election years, is skipping the summit, although, to be sure, she has other reasons.
Q&A With David BarunKumar Thomas: Helping Indian Women During COVID-19
Since 2005, India Nirman Sangh has worked toward women’s development in the villages and hills in and around the Kodaikanal and Palani towns of Tamil Nadu. India Nirman Sangh has distributed basic grocery packs to 2000 women and their families while running a tailoring centre producing free masks. INS is also providing basic income support to those in utmost need. The organization is led by David BarunKumar Thomas, who serves the non-profit as a volunteer.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How did you get into this line of work?
Thomas: I was working for IBM. When I was 45, I decided to leave that job and go back to a place close to where I was born and do something that I found more interesting, which was working with people. In 2004 I started an organization that worked among the poor, particularly women, and helped them organize into groups to start small businesses, send children to school, and improve their standards of living. Part of our strategy includes distributing microloans, but we also go beyond that with organizing and education.We now have 4,000 women who are a part of the group, and the members of the organization work among them. For the last two years we have also started to work among farmers. Farming in the area is becoming unprofitable, so we are working to bring new technology and methods to improve farming’s profitability, all while remaining organic and environmentally sustainable.
Q: How has your organization assisted with the COVID response effort?
Thomas: We have distributed groceries to more than 2000 poor women in the Kodaikanal and Palani Blocks of Dindigul District in Tamil Nadu. In addition, we have given monetary assistance to 42 of the poorest families in this area. We have also produced more than 2000 reusable masks at our tailoring centre in Kodaikanal and distributed them free to the poor.
We have located poor migrants from Nepal in Kodaikanal and have given them food, groceries and monetary assistance. We have also helped a group of 15 LGBT community members with groceries in Palani.
Q: How does diversity of faith and caste impact your organization’s work?
Thomas: The organization is secular, but about 80 percent of the women we work with are Hindus, 10 percent are Muslims, and 10 percent are Christians. We respect the beliefs of all with whom we work. The people in this area belong to a variety of castes, mainly the lower castes, so roughly about 40 percent of the people we work with belong to the most depressed castes. We make it a point not to bring caste into the equation. Society is still divided along caste lines, but we make everybody sit together, eat together, and keep telling them in various ways that caste should not be important.
Q: Is there also government relief aid, and is it reaching the neediest?
Thomas: The government here is giving free rations to people, and that covers roughly about 95 percent of the people in this area. They get rice, lentils, and sugar. It’s not really enough for a family to live on, but it does prevent complete starvation. In the North it’s not as good, but here they are giving rations to almost everybody. As a supplement, our group has distributed lentils, sugar, tea, and rice to 2,000 people, and this week we are in the process of distributing wheat flour and a form of pasta and spices. For that, we have used all the funds that we had … which came from those regularly supporting our organization. We like to concentrate on the 2,000 who are very, very poor and who have no family members earning income. We would also like to expand to help others who are not quite so badly off, but who are still very poor. We could very much use additional funding.
Q: What gives you hope?
Thomas: How much poor people help each other. They share a lot more than people who are [financially] better off. They have a very informed support system among the very poor. They share the little they have. You see this happening all the time. That’s what really keeps people from starvation; the poor helping the poor. That is something Gandhi used to admire a lot and which we see at times like this.
India Opens Up Even As Coronavirus Case Spreads
Nearly two months after the unplanned and abrupt lockdown of the country by Modi government, putting millions of immigrant workers and the poor stranded on the streets without food and shelter, India is cautiously opening up its economy and the lifting the lockdown in phases.
More states opened up and crowds of commuters trickled onto the roads in many of India’s cities on Monday as a three-phase plan to lift the nationwide coronavirus lockdown began despite an upward trend in new infections.
Businesses and shops reopened in many states and the railways announced 200 more special passenger trains. Some states also opened their borders, allowing vehicular traffic.
India reported more than 8,000 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day, another record high that topped the deadliest week in the country.
Confirmed infections have risen to 182,143, with 5,164 fatalities, including 193 in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Sunday.
Overall, more than 60% of the virus fatalities have been reported from only two states — Maharashtra, the financial hub, and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new cases are largely concentrated in six Indian states, including the capital New Delhi.
India implemented the lockdown — one of the world’s strictest — on March 25, ordering everyone to stay inside, except for emergencies and essential services, leading to a sudden halt to the economy. The lockdown was brutally devastating for daily laborers and migrant workers, who fled cities on foot for their family homes in the countryside. The country’s unemployment rate rose to 23.48% in May, according to official data released this week.
Public health experts have criticized the Modi government’s handling of the outbreak. A joint statement by the Indian Public Health Association, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and Indian Association of Epidemiologists, which was sent to Modi’s office on May 25, said it was “unrealistic” to eliminate the virus at a time when “community transmission is already well-established.”
The coastal state of Maharashtra, home to the financial hub of Mumbai and Bollywood, allowed the resumption of film production with some restrictions in place. In New Delhi, the capital, authorities announced the reopening of all industries and salons, while keeping the borders sealed until June 8 to try to prevent a spike in new virus cases.
Although social distancing and the wearing of masks in public are still mandatory across India, some people were seen forgoing both in many places. Others violated lockdown rules. In Prayagraj, a city in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state, hundreds of Hindu devotees took a dip in the sacred Ganges river even though congregations at religious venues remain barred.
But as India eases more restrictions, it continues to report a rise in infections. India on Monday climbed to the seventh spot in countries worst hit by the virus, passing Germany and France, as its confirmed cases rose to more than 190,000, including over 5,400 deaths.
The first phase of the easing of the lockdown, called Unlock 1, will restrict curbs to containment zones — areas that have been isolated due to coronavirus outbreaks. It gives states more power to decide and strategize lockdown implementations locally.
More than 60% of the country’s virus fatalities have been reported in only two states — Maharashtra and neighboring Gujarat. The new cases are largely concentrated in six states, including New Delhi.
Critics fear that the lockdown, which started over two months ago, is being eased too soon. There are concerns that the virus may be spreading through India’s villages as millions of jobless migrant workers return home from big cities.
The real number of coronavirus patients in the country is likely much higher than the official numbers show, as India is among the countries testing the lowest proportion of its population: With just over 1.1 million tests conducted in a country of 1.3 billion, that’s only about 800 tests per million inhabitants, according to data website worldmeters.info.
The U.S., by comparison, has tested about 21,000 per million residents, and America is nowhere near the leader in that regard.Experts warn that the pandemic has yet to peak in India, and many states have begun to identify more high-risk zones where coronavirus lockdowns will continue until June 30. But restaurants, malls and religious venues are permitted to reopen elsewhere on June 8.
In a radio address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned citizens and asked them to remain vigilant.
“Becoming careless or lackadaisical cannot be an option,” he said. Modi’s government has stressed that restrictions are being eased to focus on promoting economic activity, which has been severely hit by the lockdown.
A Border Clash Between The World’s Biggest Nations. What Could Go Wrong?
By Adam Taylor (Courtesy The Washington Post)
China’s ongoing border clash with India may seem remote, but it has global impact. Reports say thousands of troops moved into the disputed area 14,000 feet up in the Himalayas after skirmishes broke out on May 5 near Pangong Lake in Ladakh and then on May 9 in North Sikkim, leaving more than 100 soldiers injured.
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, assessing exactly what is happening in this dispute between the two most populated countries on Earth is difficult. Much of the border region is closed to the press, so reporters have to rely on statements and leaks.
Many accounts suggest that aggressive Chinese patrols in the area known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were to blame – or, in what may not necessarily be a contradiction, that Indian construction in the region had been interpreted as an aggressive challenge to Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure project.
Ultimately, India and China’s border problems are not new – it’s the circumstances surrounding them that have changed. Both Beijing and Delhi are led by governments in the thrall of nationalistic ambition. The pandemic has further pushed many nations into pro- or anti-China positions, camps that were already forming amid a global trade war that has lasted years.
The United States, locked in its own squabble with China, has voiced terse support for India’s position and offered to mediate. Hu Xijin, the outspoken editor of China’s party paper the Global Times, seized on the conflicting messages, mocking President Trump and arguing that the United States “seems to be the beneficiary of China-India border tension.”
India and China’s relationship is based on their status as two giant, wary neighbors. They share a 2,167-mile-long border. Together, their populations are around 2.7 billion, more than a third of the world. Both have achieved rapid economic development in recent decades and increased their territorial ambitions. Both have nuclear weapons.
India was among the first democracies to recognize the People’s Republic of China in 1950, but border disputes between the two increased as Beijing took control of Tibet. In 1962, they fought a month-long war on the Himalayan border, with China inflicting serious casualties on India before withdrawing to the LAC.
There were skirmishes over the border for years. In 1988, after one incident in the Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi traveled to Beijing to meet his counterpart Deng Xiaoping. The two nations, both undergoing a wave of economic development just as the Soviet Union began to collapse, put aside their differences out of pragmatism.
Now, that pragmatism is being tested. China, whose economic development has dwarfed India’s, has a gross domestic product of roughly $14 trillion, compared to India’s less than $2.7 trillion. “While India has risen as an economy and a global power in the past three decades, its relative strength to China has in fact greatly declined,” Sumit Ganguly and Manjeet S. Pardesi wrote in Foreign Policy.
China’s close relationship with Pakistan, an unequal partner in the Belt and Road project, and lingering disagreement over Tibet have soured relations with India further. The tension between the two nations spilled over in 2017 in the Doklam area of the Himalayas after Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese military from building a road into territory claimed by Bhutan, an ally of India.
Over two months, the two powers flooded the area with military personnel. The threats, especially those from China, were apoplectic. “India will suffer worse losses than 1962 if it incites border clash,” the Global Times wrote.
The Doklam dispute ultimately fizzled out. Both sides withdrew troops in late August of that year and issued vague remarks about a resolution. Exactly what was decided behind the scenes was unclear, though reports that China had halted construction of the motorway suggested that Beijing had backed down.
Some Indian analysts have suggested that the current situation will end similarly, pointing to a number of conciliatory messages from Chinese officials. “We should never let differences overshadow our relations. We should resolve differences through communication,” China’s ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, said Wednesday.
But another inconclusive end to a standoff will fail to address the root of the problem. The Indian government has claimed that the Chinese military crossed into Indian territory 1,025 times between 2016 and 2018 (the Chinese government has not released comparable figures).
India and China are both in the throes of aggressive nationalist movements, each displaying their own brand of “wolf warrior” foreign policy. Under President Xi Jinping, China has moved from subtle pushes to strong shoves to bring the city of Hong Kong under Beijing’s sovereignty, while also applying pressure in the South China Sea and against Taiwan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered his second term in power bent on changing many norms of Indian policy. The long-disputed territory of Kashmir has been under lockdown for months, while last year India and Pakistan were drawn into their most serious military escalation in decades. Reuters reported this week that Modi’s plans to build 66 key roads by the Chinese border, including one to a new air base, had probably drawn Beijing’s anger.
In the past, this might have remained a bilateral dispute. But now, anything that involves China seems to involve the United States too. The Hindustan Times reported Wednesday that Trump’s offer to mediate was “part of [a] growing anti-China juggernaut.” Under such a juggernaut, ambiguity may not exist.
Indian government allows OCI cardholders to travel back to India
Giving a major relief to the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders stranded abroad, the Ministry of Home affairs on Friday relaxed the visa and travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 lockdown for certain categories.
The MHA Spokesperson in a tweet said, “Relaxing visa and travel restrictions imposed in wake of COVID-19, certain categories of OCI cardholders stranded abroad have been permitted to come to India.”
The MHA in a detailed notification said that the categories now eligible to return to India for minor children born to Indian nationals abroad and holding OCI cards, OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies, such as a death in the family, couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national, and they have a permanent residence in India and University students who are OCI cardholders (but are not minors) and whose parents are Indian citizens living in India.
The MHA also said that travel restrictions imposed on May 7 would not apply to any aircraft, ship, train or any other vehicle deployed for bringing back the above-mentioned categories of OCI cardholders who are stranded abroad.
The decision comes in the wake of several complaints raised by the Indians stranded abroad. The OCI card is issued to people of Indian origin, allowing them visa-free travel in most cases.
Over 23,000 Indians, who had been stranded abroad after the lockdown was imposed in March, have been repatriated from dozens of countries under the government’s “Vande Bharat Mission”.
The government has deployed Air India passenger jets and Indian Navy warships to the United States, Europe, the Gulf region, Australia and several countries in Southeast Asia, as well as neighbouring nations like Nepal and Bangladesh, to bring back Indian citizens.
On Thursday the government said the “Vande Bharat Mission”, whose second phase was to end today, had been extended to June 13, with nearly 50 countries being covered. (IANS)
India bars travel by Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders
India has kept in abeyance multiple-entry, life-long visas given to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders till international travel remains suspended, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday.
The order, however, said that card holders who are already in India can stay in the country for any length of time.
The ministry said that it has issued an order “specifying that the right of multiple entry life-long visa facility for visiting India for any purpose granted to persons registered as OCI cardholders would continue to be kept in abeyance till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India”.
“Any foreign national holding an OCI card who intends to travel to India for compelling reasons during this period would have to contact the nearest Indian Mission,” it said.
Further, in case of persons holding OCI card who are already in India, the OCI card shall remain valid for their stay in India for any length of time.
All existing visas granted to foreigners — except those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN international organisations, employment and project categories — shall remain suspended till prohibition on international air travel of passengers from and to India is lifted by the government, the order said. (IANS)
The Finance Ministry on Friday announced relief to those who have been facing difficulty with the status of their residency in India under the provisions of the Income Tax Act, due to lockdown and suspension of international flights.
Owing to outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19), several NRIs and foreign visitors have been forced to prolong their stay in India. This has changed the status of their residency having implications on their taxability in India.
The Finance Ministry has now decided not to include extended stay of foreign visitors and NRIs in India due to lockdown in determining their residential status.
Considering various representations received from people who had to prolong their stay in India due to lockdown and suspension of international flights, expressing concerns that they will be required to file tax returns as Indian residents, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday allowed discounting of prolonged stay period in India for the purpose of determining residency status, a government statement said.
The Finance Ministry further stated that as the lockdown continues during the financial year 2020-21 and it is not yet clear as to when international flight operations would resume, a circular excluding the period of stay of these individuals up to the date of normalisation of international flight operations, for determination of the residential status for the financial year 2020-21 shall be issued after the flights are resumed.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued a necessary circular to this effect. The circular makes it clear that any period of stay in India post March 22 to March 31 will not be included for calculation of number of days required to determine residency status for tax purpose. Also, visitors who had to be quarantined for a period even before March 22 will also get relief.
Even if an individual has departed on an evacuation flight on or before March 31, 2020, his period of stay in India from March 22 to his date of departure shall not be taken into account.
It may be noted that there are number of individuals who had come on a visit to India during the previous year 2019-20 for a particular duration and intended to leave India before the end of the previous financial year for maintaining their status as non-resident or not ordinary resident in India.
The status of an individual whether he is resident in India or a non-resident or not ordinarily resident, is dependent, inter-alia, on the period for which the person is in India during a year. (IANS)
CHINA’S HIDDEN AGENDA: WINNING OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIA
Globally, we are running the risk of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, uncontrolled.
President Trump during a recent coronavirus task force briefing said, “If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences.” This strong and vehement announcement is viewed by the international defense experts as “the threat by the US President against China is not just an emotional expression, repercussions may follow.”
Meanwhile Karma News web channel has warned in detail that the world is going to turn topsy-turvy due to the once-in-a-century Covid-19 pandemic which has engulfed the whole human race. As per their narrative in the social media, the US and Allies may wage a shadow economic war against China.
According to Fox News, China lied from the very beginning of this virus, covering up the origins and severity. They manipulated the WHO to spread misinformation about the human-to-human transmissions. Hence Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky is proceeding to pass a resolution to establish a bipartisan select committee to probe China’s conduct and hold it accountable.
Once the Coronavirus is contained, China can expect the reward for their malicious acts if proven. Experts from world over validate this warning. European countries are also questioning China for a clear-cut answer on how the virus started spreading from Wuhan. Australia is also demanding an answer blaming China for the deaths in their country due to COVID-19. Only Russia is keeping quiet.
It seems, if needed, superpowers will dare to stand shoulder to shoulder with an unprecedented level of cooperation to teach a lesson to China, their common enemy for erasing so many human lives from the earth already. Meanwhile, many nations angrily rejected China’s preliminary explanation that the coronavirus might have originated and spread through bats. US had its initial investigations exposing the fact that there are no such varieties of bats in or around Wuhan province. Recently, a report from China confirmed that a lady working in Wuhan Institute of Virology got infected and then infected her boyfriend. So the strong suspicion is that the world is dealing with a man-made virus. If true that this evil virus escaped from their lab, China has created a monster which may bite back, leading to the fall of the Great Wall!
Nobel Prize winner Japan’s professor of physiology Dr. Tasuku Honjo created a sensation when he claimed that coronavirus is not natural. Only an artificial virus can spread to different countries with cold or hot climate simultaneously.
Even if not true that the virus escaped from their lab, China won’t be spared, as they failed to disclose the attack of a deadly virus early enough, or not alarming the world about its dangerous transmissibility. Instead, their evil minds seem to have conspired to export it worldwide through infected patients. Hence, it appears intentional and China may face heavy bouts and punches, as tweeted by the US President; while the global death toll has crossed 240,000.
European countries like U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain are sharpening their arsenals. US has umpteen reasons to declare an open war with China. Australia wants China to answer for each Covid fatality in their country. They affirm that the anti-democratic policies of the Iron Curtain Communist dictatorship caused this havoc, which would not have originated from a socialist democratic system.
China still says they are in the investigating process, and the world is keenly awaiting their report. America, on the other hand, is expediting the investigation, and the report will instigate a drastic action against China.
The war if initiated against China will of a different kind never seen before, and act quicker than the epidemic itself. China will be opposed by all affected nations rallying behind the super powers. China will then be unable to export even a single pin or paper clip to any foreign country, clipping China’s wings as a superpower.
Gulf countries may stop exporting crude oil and gas to China. Chinese people will then find life horrible due to oil scarcity. Its almost 80% of economy will collapse. Chinese passport holders will be shunned everywhere.
The biological war that China seems to have waged will be retaliated by the world in the form of economic warfare. Maybe the recent exports of gloves and masks from China will be their last piece of international trade. The imposed restrictions and prohibitions the world over may shrink China to a mere skeleton of its present self. That is what the world wishes to see in the post-Corona war. We may see a new world without China. But for now this is only a projection.
Now let us look at what the changed world means for India. The immediate impact will be noticed in attempts by companies of relocating most of their manufacturing units from China to India, where the labor cost is also cheap. Countries and corporates will turn to Indian sources and resources to produce all things as per their requirements, for which they will push enough economic assistance to India with immediate effect. Yes, this is where India has the golden opportunity to emerge as the new superforce.
Only Pakistan and China will be jealous of the fast growth of Indian economy in the near future while the rest of the world entrusts their utmost faith in India. Ours is a clean history of never inducing any war against any country, nor will we cheat anyone for selfish reasons.
Will India rise to the occasion in a new world without China? For that to happen it has to demonstrate high quality fidelity in their contracts and delivering better products than China did so far? The Indian government and industrial houses need to better focus their resources to take the challenge – that is an imperative necessity to make India export oriented.
Though we have cheap labor, high intelligence and infrastructure, we have fallen short in exports in many instances. Indian exports of agricultural products like black pepper, cardamom and other spices have gone down due to adulterated supplies. Even in USA, we have heard instances poor quality garments and damaged zippers on signature products, and rusty containers imported from India.
Indian government has earlier launched the very ambitious scheme of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and ministries concerned have to initiate speedy steps to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and red-tape delays for which the country has been notorious but on the amend. Now that India is going to be the center of attraction, and if we need to emerge as the most favored nation in the world, we need to be trustworthy and high quality-conscious in every aspect of the international trade orders we are likely to get soon from many big economies.
Once exports are boosted, India’s domestic economic downturn will be mitigated instantly. The federal government and its departments concerned should gear up to motivate organizations to produce high quality products to export and earn precious foreign exchange. We need to modify the framework of export incentives in the form of duty exemptions and remission schemes to serve the interests of exporters as well as the commitments India is going to undertake. Time is coming close to see the world filled with ‘guaranteed Made in India products’.
We may need lot of imports too. The Duty Exemption Scheme helps exporters import duty-free inputs required for manufacturing export products.
Of late media is abuzz with the encouraging news that many leading mobile phone manufacturers and automobile companies have already commenced discussions with Indian officials.
The Indian government should get ready to reap the fruits of the opportunity knocking at our door that unexpectedly the world may entrust in us on the other side of the Covid pandemic. We can ‘Make India Great’ – Welcome to incredible India!
Dr Mathew Joys is Las Vegas based Kerala origin Journalist and Columnist in various media and a published author. He is currently Executive Editor of Jaihind Vartha, Associate Editor of Expressherald and MalayaliFM and Vice Chairman of Indo American Press Club
India’s global stature has gone up; Modi has shown the world in successfully fighting coronavirus
Thanks to the legendary administrative acumen of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visionary leadership, at their best display during the current coronavirus pandemic crisis, India’s global stature has gone up.
The deadly coronavirus pandemic, which was first spotted in Wuhan city of China in November, has so far killed more than 183,000 people globally and infected another 2.6 million, has emerged as the deadliest public health challenge in more than a century.
In the past few months, economies of countries, which have the world’s best health care facilities, have per capita income much more than India are falling apart like a pack of cards. The number of people to have died due to coronavirus in these countries is shocking, to say the least, and not been seen since the Spanish flu of 1918-1920.
The United States which is the global leader in health care facilities, medical research and availability of resources, has emerged as the global hotspot of COVID-19. The number of Americans to have died because of coronavirus is fast approaching 50,000; an unbelievable figure for us till a few months ago. More than 8.5 lakh people have been tested positive with coronavirus.
And notably, New York, which is global financial capital and is the best in America’s health care facilities is its epicenter. More than 17,000 people have lost their lives and 2.5 lakhs have been tested positive. Let’s look at numbers of some of the other top five countries hit by coronavirus.
In Italy, more than 25,000 people have died and 187,000 infected; in Spain over 21,000 have died and more than two lakhs infected; and France over 21,000 have died and 119,000 have been infected. In United Kingdom, where its Prime Minister Borris Johnson had to be taken to ICU, more than 18,000 have died and 1.3 lakhs have been infected.
Well, it’s for these countries to ponder upon their fight against coronavirus, and review post-COVID 19 as to what went wrong and how this shocking loss of lives could have been prevented.
No doubt, we are in the middle of this pandemic and we still have a long way to go, before this could be brought under control, India by any standard, so far, has performed much better than others. A country of 130 billion people living in one of the highest densely populated areas of the world, with a poor basic health care infrastructure and facilities including a low number of per capita availability of beds and doctors, the thus far low infection rate (a little over 20,000 by April 23) and 652 deaths, is nothing but remarkable.
Sitting thousands of miles away in New York, under stay-at-home order for the past several weeks, I feel proud of my country and the leadership that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his “Team India” has shown in this fight against invisible coronavirus. One of the key reasons for this, I believe is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team acted early and decisively.
Team India, under Prime Minister Modi has been acting at a lightning speed. It was on January 7 that China identified coronavirus as the causative agent. A day later on January 8, the Union Ministry of Health held its first joint monitoring mission meeting and within 10 days on January 17, India started screening of all passengers coming from China.
By the end of the month, the government had identified and activated to test for coronavirus and established quarantine centers. Remember, at this point the rest of the world was very unfamiliar with the dangers that COVID 19 poses to humanity. In the first week of February, India started evacuation of its citizens from other countries and on February 3, Prime Minister constituted and chaired a meeting of empowered group of Ministers on COVID-19, which issued the travel advisory against China. States were taken into confidence and a strong monitoring mechanism was established. The list goes on.
India’s relatively low figure is basically attributable to the very basic principle that the Prime Minister acted on: prevention is better than cure. Being part of New York, where I have been witness to deaths of more than 17,000 people, I wish the authorities here would have thought on those lines. I wish, both the State Government and the City Mayor would have enforced a strong locked-down, as India has enforced nationwide. If India a country of 130 million people can do it, why cannot New York. The difference here is leadership and preventive action.
In the crucial first few weeks in New York, the leaders here were busy in war of words because of their political differences.
In India, Prime Minister Modi brought the entire country together. For the first time probably in decades, or seen normally under war like situations, Chief Ministers from opposition parties joined his call of action. He successfully formed “Team India.” As the first phase of three-week nationwide lockdown was about to end, it was the opposition ruled State Government which started talking about its extension.
And at the regional and global level too, Prime Minister Modi took the initiative and leadership role in this fight against humanity. He convened a video conference of SAARC leaders and took the initiative of setting op a regional fund with an initial contribution of USD 10 million to help South Asian countries. He encouraged the same within the G-20 group. Soon Saudi Arabia, which holds the current presidency of the group, organized the video conferencing.
And as word spread that hydroxychloroquine is effective in treatment in early COVID-19 patients, India under Modi started flying plane loads of this malaria drug to countries across the world. So far more than 80 countries, including the United States have received this key India made drug. India is in the forefront of this wart against humanity.
Today, India is seen as a country, which not only takes cares of its citizens, its neighbors but also the rest of the humanity to the best of its ability. This is what “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam” is all about, which is the guiding philosophy for Prime Minister’s foreign policy.
(Jagdish Sewhani is President of The American India Public Affairs Committee. He is a resident of New York for past several decades)
Life in the era of COVID-19
Chicago IL: It has been a topsy-turvy start to the third decade of this century. COVID-19 has brought with it many disruptions. Coronavirus has significantly changed the contours of professional life. These days, home is the new office. The Internet is the new meeting room.
For the time being, office breaks with colleagues are history. I have also been adapting to these changes. Most meetings, be it with minister colleagues, officials and world leaders, are now via video conferencing.
In order to get ground level feedback from various stakeholders, there have been videoconference meetings with several sections of society. There were extensive interactions with NGOs, civil society groups and community organisations. There was an interaction with Radio Jockeys too. Besides that, I have been making numerous phone calls daily, taking feedback from different sections of society.
One is seeing the ways through which people are continuing their work in these times. There are a few creative videos by our film stars conveying a relevant message of staying home. Our singers did an online concert. Chess players played chess digitally and through that contributed to the fight against COVID-19. Quite innovative!
The work place is getting Digital First. And, why not?
After all, the most transformational impact of Technology often happens in the lives of the poor. It is technology that demolishes bureaucratic hierarchies, eliminates middlemen and accelerates welfare measures.
Let me give you an example.
When we got the opportunity to serve in 2014, we started connecting Indians, especially the poor with their Jan Dhan Account, Aadhar & Mobile number. This seemingly simple connection has not only stopped corruption and rent seeking that was going on for decades, but has also enabled the Government to transfer money at the click of a button. This click of a button has replaced multiple levels of hierarchies on the file and also weeks of delay.
India has perhaps the largest such infrastructure in the world. This infrastructure has helped us tremendously in transferring money directly and immediately to the poor and needy, benefiting crores of families, during the COVID-19 situation.
Another case in point is the education sector. There are many outstanding professionals already innovating in this sector. Invigorating technology in this sector has its benefits. The Government of India has also undertaken efforts such as the DIKSHA Portal, to help teachers and boost e-learning. There is SWAYAM, aimed at improving access, equity and quality of education. E-Pathshala, which is available in many languages, enables access to various e-books and such learning material.
Today, the world is in pursuit of new business models. India, a youthful nation known for its innovative zeal can take the lead in providing a new work culture. I envision this new business and work culture being redefined on the following vowels. I call them- vowels of the new normal- because like vowels in the English language, these would become essential ingredients of any business model in the post-COVID world.
Adaptability:
The need of the hour is to think of business and lifestyle models that are easily adaptable.
Doing so would mean that even in a time of crisis, our offices, businesses and commerce could get moving faster, ensuring loss of life does not occur.
Embracing digital payments is a prime example of adaptability. Shop owners big and small should invest in digital tools that keep commerce connected, especially in times of crisis. India is already witnessing an encouraging surge in digital transactions.
Another example is telemedicine. We are already seeing several consultations without actually going to the clinic or hospital. Again, this is a positive sign. Can we think of business models to help further telemedicine across the world?
Efficiency:
Perhaps, this is the time to think of reimagining what we refer to as being efficient.
Efficiency cannot only be about- how much time was spent in the office.
We should perhaps think of models where productivity and efficiency matter more than appearance of effort.
The emphasis should be on completing a task in the specified time frame.
Inclusivity:
Let us develop business models that attach primacy to care for the poor, the most vulnerable as well as our planet.
We have made major progress in combating climate change. Mother Nature has demonstrated to us her magnificence, showing us how quickly it can flourish when human activity is slower. There is a significant future in developing technologies and practices that reduce our impact on the planet. Do more with less.
COVID-19 has made us realise the need to work on health solutions at low cost and large scale. We can become a guiding light for global efforts to ensure the health and well being of humanity.
We should invest in innovations to make sure our farmers have access to information, machinery, and markets no matter what the situation, that our citizens have access to essential goods.
Opportunity:
Every crisis brings with it an opportunity. COVID-19 is no different.
Let us evaluate what might be the new opportunities/growth areas that would emerge now.
Rather than playing catch up, India must be ahead of the curve in the post-COVID world. Let us think about how our people, our skills sets, our core capabilities can be used in doing so.
Universalism:
COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking.
Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood.
We are in this together.
Unlike previous moments in history, when countries or societies faced off against each other, today we are together facing a common challenge. The future will be about togetherness and resilience.
The next big ideas from India should find global relevance and application. They should have the ability to drive a positive change not merely for India but for the entire humankind.
Logistics was previously only seen through the prism of physical infrastructure – roads, warehouses, ports. But logistical experts these days can control global supply chains through the comfort of their own homes.
India, with the right blend of the physical and the virtual can emerge as the global nerve centre of complex modern multinational supply chains in the post COVID-19 world. Let us rise to that occasion and seize this opportunity.
I urge you all to think about this and contribute to the discourse.
he shift from BYOD to WFH brings new challenges to balance the official and personal. Whatever be the case, devote time to fitness and exercising.
Try Yoga as a means to improve physical and mental wellbeing.
Traditional medicine systems of India are known to help keep the body fit. The Ayush Ministry has come out with a protocol that would help in staying healthy. Have a look at these as well.
Lastly, and importantly, please download Aarogya Setu Mobile App. This is a futuristic App that leverages technology to help contain the possible spread of COVID-19.
Photographs and Press release by: Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi
The Future of India-U.S. Relations: Trump Versus Biden
As the coronavirus pandemic dominates global news in the United States, progress toward the next presidential election scheduled to be held on Nov. 3 moves slowly forward. President Donald Trump had no real opposition in the Republican party and is running for re-election. And it has now become apparent that former Vice President Joe Biden will be his opponent as the Democratic candidate for president.
What would a Trump victory bode for the future of U.S.-India relations? What would a Biden victory bode? Let me answer each of those questions in turn.
Given the love fests of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, Texas, in which Trump participated in September of 2019, and Trump’s ‘Namaste Trump’ event hosted by Modi in India in February of this year, it might be assumed that the future for U.S.-India relations is a splendid one. This would be an incorrect assumption.
Both of these events were more symbolic than substantive. Trump’s participation in them undoubtedly helped to persuade some – perhaps many – Indian American Modi supporters who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 to cast their ballots for Trump in 2020. Trump’s campaign team took steps to ensure this by holding an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in which a group of prominent Indian Americans announced their plans to work for his re-election and to mobilize Indian Americans on his behalf.
To understand the future potential of India’s relations with the U.S. with Trump as president, however, it is necessary to look beyond these political moves and to examine the present state of those relations and Trump’s personal style.
In a word, the best way to characterize the current relations between the U.S. and India is “functional.” The relationship was relatively good for the first two years of Trump’s presidency. In fact, near the end of 2018, Alice Wells, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, was quoted in the media as saying: “This has been a landmark year for U.S.-India ties as we build out stronger relationships across the board.”
Then, in 2019, the relations went off the track in the first half of the year after the U.S. and India got into a tit-for-tat tariff war after the U.S. terminated India’s Generalized System of Preferences which allowed India to send certain goods to the U.S. duty-free. There have been continuing efforts to structure a “modest” trade deal since then. It was thought there might be some type of deal done in September of 2019 while Modi was in the U.S. by year’s end, and then during Trump’s India visit. But, as of today, there is still no deal.
This inability to get any meaningful trade agreement in place speaks volumes about India’s potential future relations with India with Trump as president. So, too does Trump’s style.
Trump’s campaign slogans this time around are “Keep America Great” and “Promises Made, Promises Kept.” Trump is not a policy wonk and most of his effort will go toward “America First.” This involves making the U.S. more isolated by withdrawing from international agreements, restructuring trade agreements, emphasizing building walls to stop immigrants at the border, using tariffs to block trade with countries who are taking away American jobs, and confronting businesses who are allegedly stealing American trade secrets.
This perspective suggests what India can expect for its relations with the U.S. if it has to deal with Trump for a second term as president. The relations will stay functional at best. As I have said before, that’s because the words partnership, cooperation and collaboration are not in Trump’s vocabulary. Nationalism, isolationism and protectionism are.
Joe Biden stands in stark contrast to President Trump both professionally and personally. Biden is a strategic thinker and doer with a solid eight-year track record of leadership experience as vice-president in forging alliances that have made a difference around the world and he has also been a long-standing friend of India.
He was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a leading advocate for the Congressional passage of the Indo-US civic nuclear deal in 2005.
At a dinner convened 10 years later in 2015 by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Vice President Biden discussed the tremendous joint progress that had been made by the two countries in the past and declared, “We are on the cusp of a sea change decade.”
Early in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president in July of 2019, in laying out his foreign policy vision, Biden stated that the U.S. had to reach out to India and other Asian partners to strengthen ties with them. The items on Biden’s foreign policy agenda for strengthening which are of importance for India include climate change, nuclear proliferation and cyberwarfare.
During his vice presidency, Biden worked side by side with President Barack Obama to do things that would contribute to achieving Obama’s vision stated in 2010 of India and America being “indispensable partners in meeting the challenges of our time.” In 2020, those challenges are even greater than they were a decade ago.
That is why it is so essential that India and the U.S. develop a strategic relationship that enables them to become those indispensable partners. That can happen if Biden assumes the presidency on January 20, 2021. It cannot happen if Donald Trump remains as president for a second term.
The results of this upcoming election in the U.S. matter greatly for the future of the United States. They matter greatly for the future of India-U.S. relations as well. Time and the American electorate will tell what that future will be.
(Frank F. Islam is an Indian American entrepreneur, civic and thought leader based in Washington, DC. The views expressed here are personal.)
Fascinating story of the connection between Hydroxychloroquine, British India, Srirangapatna and Gin & Tonic
As most of us are already aware, Hydroxychloroquine has taken the world by storm. Every newspaper is talking about it, and all countries are requesting India to supply it.
Now, a curious person might wonder why and how this chemical composition is so deeply entrenched in India, and is there any history behind it.
Well, there is an interesting history behind it which goes all the way to Tipu Sultan’s defeat. In 1799, when Tipu was defeated by the British, the whole of Mysore Kingdom with Srirangapatnam as Tipu’s capital, came under British control. For the next few days, the British soldiers had a great time celebrating their victory, but within weeks, many started feeling sick due to Malaria, because Srirangapatnam was a highly marshy area with severe mosquito trouble.
The local Indian population had over the centuries, developed self immunity, and also all the spicy food habits helped to an extent. Whereas the British soldiers and officers who were suddenly exposed to harsh Indian conditions, started bearing the brunt.
To quickly overcome the mosquito menace, the British Army immediately shifted their station from Srirangapatnam to Bangalore (by establishing the Bangalore Cantonment region), which was a welcome change, especially due to cool weather, which the Brits were gavely missing ever since they had left their shores. But the malaria problem still persisted because Bangalore was also no exception to mosquitoes.
Around the same time, European scientists had discovered a chemical composition called “Quinine” which could be used to treat malaria, and was slowly gaining prominence, but it was yet to be extensively tested at large scale. This malaria crisis among British Army came at an opportune time, and thus Quinine was imported in bulk by the Army and distributed to all their soldiers, who were instructed to take regular dosages (even to healthy soldiers) so that they could build immunity. This was followed up in all other British stations throughout India, because every region in India had malaria problem to some extent.
But there was a small problem. Although sick soldiers quickly recovered, many more soldiers who were exposed to harsh conditions of tropical India continued to become sick, because it was later found that they were not taking dosages of Quinine. Why? Because it was very bitter!! So, by avoiding the bitter Quinine, British soldiers stationed in India were lagging behind on their immunity, thereby making themselves vulnerable to Malaria in the tropical regions of India.
That’s when all the top British officers and scientists started experimenting ways to persuade their soldiers to strictly take these dosages, and during their experiments, they found that the bitter Quinine mixed with Juniper based liquor, actually turned somewhat into a sweet flavor. That’s because the molecular structure of the final solution was such that it would almost completely curtail the bitterness of Quinine.
That juniper based liquor was Gin. And the Gin mixed with Quinine was called “Gin & Tonic”, which immediately became an instant hit among British soldiers.
The same British soldiers who were ready to even risk their lives but couldn’t stand the bitterness of Quinine, started swearing by it daily when they mixed it with Gin. In fact, the Army even started issuing few bottles of Gin along with “tonic water” (Quinine) as part of their monthly ration, so that soldiers could themselves prepare Gin & Tonic and consume them everyday to build immunity.
To cater to the growing demand of gin & other forms of liquor among British soldiers, the British East India company built several local breweries in and around Bengaluru, which could then be transported to all other parts of India. And that’s how, due to innumerable breweries and liquor distillation factories, Bengaluru had already become the pub capital of India way back during British times itself. Eventually, most of these breweries were purchased from British organizations after Indian independence, by none other than Vittal Mallya (Vijay Mallya’s father), who then led the consortium under the group named United Breweries headquartered in Bengaluru.
Coming back to the topic, that’s how Gin & Tonic became a popular cocktail and is still a popular drink even today. The Quinine, which was called Tonic (without gin), was widely prescribed by Doctors as well, for patients who needed cure for fever or any infection. Whenever someone in a typical Indian village fell sick, the most common advice given by his neighbors was “Visit the doctor and get some tonic”. Over time, the tonic word was so overused that became a reference to any medicine in general. So, that’s how the word “Tonic”, became a colloquial word for “Western medicine” in India.
Over the years, Quinine was developed further into many of its variants and derivatives and widely prescribed by Indian doctors. One such descendent of Quinine, called Hydroxychloroquine, eventually became the standardized cure for malaria because it has relatively lesser side effects compared to its predecessors, and is now suddenly the most sought after drug in the world today.
And that’s how, a simple peek into the history of Hydroxychloroquine takes us all the way back to Tipu’s defeat, mosquito menace, liquor rationing, colorful cocktails, tonics and medicinal cures.]
A potential vaccine that could cheer India
With scientists across the world burning the midnight oil to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, every week a potential life-saver emerges. The latest in this long list of possible vaccines to the coronavirus is an age-old combination: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, better known as BCG. BCG, used as a vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), is being trialled for Covid-19 in Australia. Thousands of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and other health care workers are taking part in the randomised controlled trial, reports the New York Times. A clinical trial has also begun in the Netherlands. The Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is seeking permission to do so, saying there is strong data that BCG is effective against viral and parasitic infections.
While it is still early days to bet on one single vaccine, BCG’s emergence is particularly important for India. India is among the many developing countries that have had BCG vaccination drive for many years — a policy to combat TB, which according to the World TB Report, 2019, kills 1,200 a day in India. A correlation study of 178 countries by an Irish medical consultant working with epidemiologists at the University of Texas in Houston shows countries with vaccination programmes — including Ireland — have far fewer coronavirus cases by a factor 10, compared to where BCG programmes are no longer deployed.
The fall of the ‘last Citadel’ of justice: Supreme Court of India
“I am surprised as to how Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who once exhibited such courage of conviction to uphold the independence of the judiciary, has compromised the noble principles on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary,” said Retired Justice Kurian Thomas. He was reacting to the appointment of recently retired Supreme Court Chief Justice to the Rajya Sabha by the Modi Administration. “Mr. Gogoi’s decision to accept the nomination to Rajya Sabha has certainly shaken the confidence of the common man on the independence of the judiciary,” Mr. Joseph added.
Not so long ago, on January 12, 2018, Mr. Gogoi was part of the four-member Supreme Court along with Justice Kurian Joseph, who held an unprecedented news conference to warn about dangers of political interference in the judiciary. “The four of us are convinced that unless this institution is preserved and it maintains its equanimity, democracy will not survive in this country,” Justice Jasti Chelameswar said during the press conference held at his home.
Since independence, the Supreme Court has remained a firewall against abuse of power by the Executive branch and the elites of the ruling class. The integrity of judges has been a critical component in rendering impartial decisions that have far-reaching effects on society. Judicial independence is vital in reassuring the public that judges would dispense cases with honesty and impartiality, in accordance with the law and evidence presented to them. The Supreme court must be free of fear and favor from the Executive; if and only if that is the case will the Court be trusted by the public.
If we look at the record of Gogoi as the Chief Justice, he has headed a five-member constitution bench that delivered a historical and unanimous judgment deciding the fate of the Babri Masjid land in Ayodhya in favor of Hindus. He also headed the bench that put SC’s stamp of approval on the Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France clearing the BJP government of serious corruption charges from the Opposition. Moreover, the Supreme Court headed by Gogoi appeared to have dragged its feet in setting up a quick hearing on the violations of the civil rights of Indian citizens in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government.
Therefore, his nomination to the Rajya Sabha raises a serious question of quid pro quo that would have a diminishing effect on the judges who serve on the Court and debilitating impact on the Institution and its Independence. An Institution that the public relies on for the final word. One may argue that Mr. Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to Rajya Sabha is not unprecedented, and it has happened under the rule of the Congress Party as well. When Justice Rangnath Mishra, the former Chief Justice of India, was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1998, most observers also saw it as a case of quid pro quo. Two wrongs don’t make it right.
There are indeed widespread criticisms around Gogoi’s nomination, and some prominent citizens have spoken out loud. “What concerns me is that Justice Gogoi had relinquished charge as the CJI as recently as on November 17, 2019, exactly four months ago. In my view, offering the higher members of the judiciary nominated positions such as the Governor of a State or a Membership in the Rajya Sabha undoubtedly sets an unhealthy precedent, as it tends to weaken the institution of the judiciary,” wrote E.A.S Sarma, a former IAS officer of 1965 batch in a letter written to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Some others are also wondering about the evolution of Ranjan Gogoi from an independent justice, who has spoken out against the tyranny of the Executive interference in the judiciary, to a vassal of a Machiavellian ruling hierarchy that is hellbent on controlling the judicial process for the purpose of promoting their political agenda. As soon as Mr. Gogoi was nominated to the position of CJI, a 35-year-old junior court assistant wrote to 22 Justices in the Supreme Court, accusing him of sexual harassment. Later, a three-member Supreme Court panel investigating the allegations gave a clean chit to Gogoi in the matter. The woman who filed the charges was fired, and her family was reportedly harassed. The complainant said in a statement, “Today, my worst fears have come true, and all hopes of justice and redress from the highest Court of the land have been shattered.” However, in a curious and shocking twist to the whole story, the woman was magically reinstated after Gogoi vacated his office. One wonders who is behind this entire drama and how the justice may have been compromised.
When those four justices, including Gogoi, conducted that 2018 press conference, they expressed their disapproval about how then-Chief Justice Dipak Misra was assigning cases. Particularly pertaining to a petition seeking an independent investigation into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of BH Loya in 2014. At the time of death, Loya was presiding over the Sohrabuddin encounter case, in which the current Home Minister was a prime accused. In November 2017, the caravan reported the shocking claims raised by the family of Judge Loya.
In Expressing their strong disapproval of the process, on behalf of the four Justices, Mr. Chelameswar said “they don’t want another twenty years later some very wise men in the country to say that Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph sold their souls; they didn’t take care of their institution; they didn’t think of the interest of the nation. So, we place it before the people of the country,”
Only time will tell whether Mr. Ranjan Gogoi has sold his soul or compromised the noble principles. Still, his actions during his tenure as CJI and now his acceptance of Rajya Sabha seat from the BJP has indeed cast a cloud suspicion around him and may have irreparably damaged the independence of the institution, he was sworn to protect and proclaimed to defend. However, for the people India, it is a steep and tragic fall of the last citadel of justice and a threat to freedom itself.
(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations and Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA)
India Suspends Travel Visas to India Until April 15, With a Few Exceptions
In view of the rapid spread of coronavirus, the Government of India has suspended Travel Visas to India until April 15, with a few exceptions, according to a statement by the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC.
The Indian government has issued the following instructions:
All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN / International Organizations, employment and project visas, stand suspended till 15 April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT (0800 EST) on 13 March 2020 at the port of departure.
Visa free travel facility granted to OCI card holders is kept in abeyance till 15 April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT (0800 EST) on 13 March 2020 at the port of departure.
Any foreign national who might need to travel to India for compelling reasons may contact the nearest Indian Mission / Consulate.
All incoming travelers, including Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany after 15 February 2020 shall be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT (0800 EST) on 13 March 2020 at the port of departure.
All incoming travelers, including Indian nationals, would be subject to medical screening and can be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days on their arrival in India.
International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated check posts with robust screening facilities. Ministry of Home Affairs will separately notify these check posts.
Following the shutting down of university campuses in various parts of the US in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the government on Thursday advised Indian students to avoid international travel.
The Consulate General of India in New York in its advisory asked the students to either stay put in on-campus housing or move in with friends unless it is necessary. The campuses which have closed are now offering online classes to the students in the US.
The government advised the students who are staying in on-campus housing and have been asked to leave by the school authorities, to check with the university if they can stay back. “If the universities are not accepting applications or have not approved applications for continued housing, ask friends if they will be able to host for the period for which the university has shut down,” the advisory said.
The consulate asked the students to check with their respective university about how to avail of health services, international student services, and any other essential services which are impacted in case on-campus services are suspended.
The consulate has advised the students to avoid all non-essential travel internationally and domestically. “In case students do plan on international travel, they should check with designated school officials (DSOs) how any possible future international travel restrictions may challenge their F1 or J1 visa status,” the advisory said.
The government in its advisory told students that they will be subjected to medical screening upon arrival and may be put in quarantine for a minimum of 14 days, in case they plan to return home in India. (IANS)
Protests in 21 US varsities against Delhi violence
A student-led group from the Yale University has called for demonstrations across 21 varsities in the US against the violence in Delhi, which has claimed the lives of 46 people in the Indian capital, a media report said.
“A Holi Against Hindutva” demonstrations have been organised by Students Against Hindutva, a South Asian student activist group, the American Bazaar newspaper said in the report on Monday.
In a statement on Monday, Shreeya Singh, founder of the group, said: “This fight is the most patriotic fight I have ever fought for, and I believe it is the diaspora’s duty to stand behind the protesters risking their lives day after day for India’s secular soul.”
On the demonstration plans, the organisers said that they will ask participants to be dressed in black as opposed to Holi’s traditional white attire and will also supply only white coloured powder.
“The goal of this symbolic use of black and white is to signify that we are not in celebration but in condemnation. Raising awareness about recent events in India among people in the US and students on campuses across the country is of utmost importance to our mission,” they added.
The universities where the demonstrations will take place are Yale University, Cornell University, UCLA, Claremont Colleges, UC Davis, Harvard University, Princeton University, Brown University, Dartmouth University, Purdue University, American University, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern University, Columbia University, Wellesley College, University of Illinois, Chicago, Rutgers, UC San Diego, Michigan State and Duke.
Besides the 46 fatalities, the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi last week also injured over 260 people (IANS)
India defends citizenship law as UN rights chief joins legal challenge
India defended its contentious citizenship law as an internal issue Tuesday as the UN rights chief sought to join efforts challenging the legislation in the country’s highest court.
The law, which makes it easier for religious minorities from three neighboring countries to get Indian citizenship — but not if they are Muslim — was the spark for last week’s deadly riots in New Delhi.
More than 40 people were killed and hundreds wounded in the worst sectarian violence to rock the capital in decades.
That followed street demonstrations that have occasionally turned deadly across the Hindu-majority country since the law was approved by parliament in December.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act is an internal matter of India and concerns the sovereign right of the Indian parliament to make laws,” foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.
“We strongly believe that no foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India’s sovereignty.”
Dozens of petitions filed in the Supreme Court, including by social rights activists and political parties, are challenging the law’s constitutionality.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet informed India on Monday of its application to be a third party in one petition brought by a former civil servant, Kumar said.
The court is hearing all the petitions together. Kumar said the government was confident in the legality of the law, which was approved by parliament in December.
The UN application came as the government Tuesday summoned the Iranian ambassador over tweets by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif condemning the “wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims” in the Delhi riots.
Kumar said a “strong protest was lodged against the unwarranted remarks”, adding that they were “not acceptable”.
— Agence France-Presse
Trump Given Rousing Welcome in India
President Trump was on a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
Trump’s two-day visit was designed to partially tickle his vanity, but, as importantly, it was to boost his chances of returning to office in the 2020 US general election, trying to gain the support both politically and finically among the affluent Indian American community.
He visited three cities in India: the national capital, Delhi; Agra, where he saw the Taj Mahal; and Ahmedabad, the main city in the western state of Gujarat, where he addressed an audience of more than 100,000 people in an event aptly called “Namaste Trump”.
President Trump and first lady Melania visited the Taj Mahal Monday, hours after the U.S. leader gave a rousing speech to more than 110,000 at a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
The president and first lady strolled around the grounds of India’s most famous attraction, taking in the sights. It was a rare occasion of the president visiting a cultural site on an international visit.
Trump, who once owned the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. and foreclosed the same after declaring bankruptcy, had never visited the Indian site until now. The president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were also on hand, taking photos in front of the building.
The first day of the visit was all about optics – tens of thousands, if not ten million, lined up the streets to greet him on his way from the Ahmedabad airport to the Motera cricket stadium in Gujarat, the home state of Modi.
At the stadium, he addressed more than 100,000 people. He evoked Bollywood, cricket and saints – good enough topics to get Indians interested. The rally, titled “Namaste Trump,” was a sequel to the “Howdy, Modi” event Trump held with prime minister Narendra Modi in Houston last September.
Mentioning Pakistan and Kashmir is a line foreign leaders try not to cross when visiting India – but Trump did. He said he had excellent relations with Pakistani PM Imran Khan and once again offered to mediate in the Kashmir issue.
Trump’s motorcade passed seemingly endless crowds in Ahmedabad with many cheering and waving American flags on the way to the 110,000 capacity Sardar Patel Stadium where the rally was conducted. Large billboards were spread throughout the route showing Modi alongside Trump and his wife Melania.
When Modi handed the podium to Trump, the president thanked those in attendance for the welcome he received, adding that he and Melania would remember the hospitality given.
Mentioning Pakistan and Kashmir is a line foreign leaders try not to cross when visiting India – but Trump did. He said he had excellent relations with Pakistani PM Imran Khan and once again offered to mediate in the Kashmir issue.
Trump was in India this week visiting a nation that is increasingly subsumed by Hindu nationalist fervor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now a Trump ally, has been linked with the movement since he was chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat.
Modi is accused of attempting to establish a Hindu-dominated society there, where Muslims would effectively be second-class citizens, and of complicity in a 2002 riot that reportedly led to the deaths of 1,000 Muslims. Since he was elected prime minister in 2014, the movement has spread nationally.
Modi is now pushing a citizenship law that specifically discriminates against Muslims. India’s status as the world’s largest secular democracy is very much in the balance.
As President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down to a dinner on Tuesday of cajun-spiced salmon, mutton biryani, marinated leg of lamb and hazelnut apple pie, protesters took to the streets to voice dissent against the proposed citizenship law—and were greeted by police and Hindu counter-protesters.
New Delhi became a battlefield for the worst communal violence the city has seen in decades, and there was a dissonant and surreal spectacle of toasts and chumminess unfolding at the regal Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace, where Trump was being hosted.
“America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people,” Trump said. He announced that he will sell $3 billion worth of state of art helicopters and other equipment to the country.
Trump also refused to comment on the ongoing protests and religious intolerance. In fact, he went a step further than expected. He praised Modi’s efforts in giving religious freedom to every community in India. Trump insisted that Modi, who hosted the U.S. president at a huge rally in India on Monday, “wants people to have religious freedom.”
“The prime minister was incredible in what he told me. He wants people to have religious freedom and very strongly,” Trump told reporters at a press conference toward the end of his two-day trip to India.
“He said that, in India, they have worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom. And if you look back and you look at what’s going on, relative to other places especially, but they have really worked hard on religious freedom,” Trump added.
Just as when White nationalist shot and killed dozens in a Black majority Church, and Trump failed to condemn such violence, it was not unusual for him to condemn the violence in India, during his visit.
The strength of secular democracies, like the United States and India, is that they theoretically grant the full rights of citizenship to anyone who subscribes to ideas about human life and flourishing that transcend religious and ethnic divides. But in this age of extreme inequality and growing tribalism, we are beginning to lose our grip on the American—and, perhaps, the Indian—Idea. As Orwell told us, this descent into unreason is at the core of nationalist fervor.
But these visits are not just about theatrics and atmospherics. They are also about forcing a change in American leaders’ general approach to India.
Trump wanted to show people in the US that he was hugely popular abroad and that he was capable of negotiating good deals out of a country he once described as the “king of tariffs”.
On the other hand, the Indian PM desperately needed some good headlines after being under the spotlight due to his controversial decision to revoke Kashmir’s autonomy and the ongoing protests against his new citizenship law. In the end, both leaders had their wishes fulfilled despite not achieving much that would benefit either country and the peoples of these two great nations.
Migrants to face tougher US green-card hurdle under new rule
A new federal regulation that took effect throughout the US could make it more difficult for legal immigrants dependent on government assistance to obtain permanent residency permits, known as green cards.
The so-called “public charge” rule, which went into effect on Monday, also applies to applicants for extension of non-immigrant stay in the US or change of non-immigrant status, reports Efe news.
Amid a months-long legal battle, President Donald Trump’s administration will start enforcing the regulation, which may transform the current US immigration system into one with a heavier emphasis on criteria such as a migrants’ income, age or academic training.
Although court appeals were still pending, the measure was implemented after the US Supreme Court on February 21 lifted an injunction that had been imposed by an Illinois district court.
The high court had earlier lifted injunctions against the policy that had been imposed by courts in the states of New York, California, Washington and Maryland.
The rule will not apply to immigrants who already have green cards nor to those applying for citizenship.
Refugees and people seeking or have been granted political asylum were also among those excluded from the restrictions.
Trump’s run to the White House in 2016 was fuelled in part by his vow to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and take other steps to crack down on illegal immigration.
Although the President enjoys strong backing from within his own Republican Party just over eight months prior to the 2020 general election, some former supporters-turned-critics say he has not done enough in that regard.
But many Republicans also want a partial – or even total – crackdown on legal immigration, warning that conservatives will not be able to win national elections in the future due to a steadily increasing number of traditionally Democratic-voting Hispanics in Texas and other states.
How Modi keeps the American Christian leadership at bay while befriending Trump
On the surface, President Trump appears committed fully to the idea of Religious Freedom. He has been very vocal about the issue on many forums that include the United Nations. To his credit, he has appointed Mr. Sam Brownback, a conservative Catholic, to the position at the State Department as the Ambassador of Religious freedom. Evangelical leaders in the U.S. are some of the most ardent supporters of this President anywhere because of his clear commitment to the cause. To the delight of his Evangelical base, he has not only spoken against the ‘Johnson Amendment’ that prohibits Clergy from commenting on politics from the pulpit but also issued an Executive order that lessens its enforcement power and limits its bureaucratic oversight.
However, a different picture emerges if one delves deeply into the inner workings of this President concerning this very issue. As someone who has participated in the Religious Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., I witnessed the selective application of this issue firsthand that suits his political purposes. There were many speakers from countries like China and Iran who detailed the suppression of religious freedom in those countries and the persecution of the faithful by the authorities. However, India rather conspicuously was missing any representation at the conference.
The weaponization of religion by the current Administration – so they can preserve their power -has reached a fever pitch in India, where minorities are being lynched for their dietary habits and churches are being torched by the Hindutva radicals. When questioned about this absence, an official of the State Department could only respond by saying that India was invited but declined to participate. It is hard to believe that speakers from authoritarian regimes of China and Iran somehow found their way to the conference, but Indian representatives willing to speak on the matter could not be found! Upon questioning, Mr. Brownback feigned his ignorance in this regard and said someone from India should have been present. However, according to several sources, White House appears to have given special instructions to the State Department not to bring the current BJP government’s shabby record on religious freedom to the table.
Now that President Trump is on the way to India to meet with Prime Minister Modi, whom he considers his strategic partner, it is important to examine how the wellbeing of the minority Christians in India, as well as the interests of American Christian leadership, may have been undermined by this Administration for either political expediency or plain business interests.
Firstly, let us take the case of ‘Compassion International,’ a Christian Charitable organization in the U.S. that has done incredible work around the World, including India, by clothing, feeding, and educating impoverished children by allowing their upward mobility. The Modi Government has decided to throw out the organization while knowing fully well that they are jeopardizing the futures of 145000 poor children only because the organization is considered ‘Christian.’ If the country is so opposed to foreign funding, why then the Hindu organizations like ‘Eka Vidyalaya,’ a Sangh Parivar affiliated outfit in the U.S. continue to collect funds from all Americans including Christians?
To add insult to injury, Mr. S. Jaishankar, the diplomat, turned politician who is the current Minister of External Affairs, is said to have invited the lead attorney for the organization and gave him a tongue-lashing at his office lambasting the organization and accusing its leadership of engaging in proselytizing. The organization had vehemently denied these charges often raised by anti-minority zealots who could care less about the lives of the lower caste and poor folks around them. Moreover, it is genuinely disappointing to see a diplomat who had such a rich multi-cultural global experience, including being Ambassador to the United States, to behave with such arrogance and lack of empathy.
Another arena where American Christian leadership is unfairly treated by India is in the issuance of visas to those who aspire to visit their fellow Christians to attend a conference or a convention. In a shocking display of bad faith, only a few months ago, nine leaders from the New York Council of Christian churches headed by Rev. Peter Cook, who traveled to India with valid visas were denied entry at the Chennai airport. And after subjugating them to a grueling 12-hour questioning, they were deported back to the United States. ‘The team was there to meet some people and learn,’ said Mr. Cook, who is also the Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches. They were even denied the basic courtesy of making a phone call to their would-be hosts. According to one of the team members, an immigration official went as far as to pronounce, ‘we don’t want Christians to come here’!
Visas are indeed considered a privilege, not a right; however, protocol and courtesy call for reciprocity. Hindu religious leaders from India appear to have unlimited access to visit or serve their fellow faithful in this country. The number of religious visas issued to Hindu temples and other religious institutions by the U.S. stand at an all-time high. However, an American Christian leader does not even have an option to apply for a visa on such a ground. If one dares to take a tourist visa and attend any of the church meetings, he/she risks not only being deported but will be banned from an entry back to India for their lifetime.
It is not only the American Christian leadership that is put under the grind but also Indians who have immigrated to this country and acquired U.S. Citizenship. Many of them took the opportunity to avail themselves of the Overseas Citizenship (OCI) card, believing that it would give them privileges on par with Indian citizens except for voting or owning agricultural lands. However, as Dr. Christo Philip from Houston found out, one of his frequent trips to India turned out to be a nightmare. He was stopped at the airport and deported back to Spain, where the flight originated, ending up in prison for a day and losing his OCI status. He was falsely accused of evangelizing though, as a medical doctor, his primary interest was to serve the needy people over their health concerns at some of the remotest parts of India. Although the Delhi high court has finally restored his OCI status, the Judge involved may have paid a higher price and said to have been reassigned since then.
The current OCI application contains obvious conditions preventing ‘Missionary work’ and ‘Journalism’ and combined with the provision in the newly passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) empowering the bureaucracy to cancel OCI card for any ‘violation of the law’ has sent shivers down the spine in the Indian Christian leadership in America. Mere participation of religious activity while visiting India could now be construed as a violation of the OCI agreement, and there are plenty folks in the RSS cadre and in the bureaucracy who are more than willing to collude in making such a participation a violation of the law that may also be beyond any judicial review. The provision of ‘journalism’ may shield the Government from any form of criticism from OCI cardholders who may want to pen their experiences in any of the media outlets.
Let me also quote from a letter recently sent by a multi-faith group to President Trump highlighting the plight of an American Pastor named Bryan Nerren that shows Religious persecution is not restricted to Indian citizens only. “In October 2019, police arrested U.S. pastor Bryan Nerren in Bagdogra airport in India. The police arrested him on the grounds of failing to declare funds, this followed after the officers in New Delhi interrogated him, asking him if he was Christian and if the money was for Christians or Hindus, they cleared him at the airport in New Delhi only to have him arrested in Bagdogra. The pastor was compliant and said he would fill out the customs form but was instead arrested. Authorities confiscated the pastor’s funds and passport, and while he has now been released, he is still waiting to receive his passport. Senator Alexander and Senator Blackburn are working on his case. The boldness of the authorities’ arrest and discrimination of a U.S. national because of his faith – shows that actors of religious persecution in India, afforded government impunity, further embolden state and non-state extremists to continue their discriminatory and abusive actions towards non-Hindus”.
The ill-treatment of the Christian leadership by the officials is not just limited to American Christians but includes leaders from other countries as well. Considering that India, which has 30 million of its citizens living abroad and more at home are looking for opportunities around the World, what the Modi government has done to a Spanish Nun who lived in India for five decades and serving the poor is deeply shameful. Sister Enedina, 86 years old, a member of the Daughters of Charity, was denied the renewal of her visa and was told by the Government that she had ten days to leave the country. She flew August 20 from New Delhi to Spain. It should also be noted that the Modi administration has so far not extended an invitation to Pope Francis, who is eager for such a visit, despite appeals from various Christian and secular quarters.
In many of the incidents highlighted above, so far, Trump Administration appears to have taken a wait and see attitude in dealing with the Modi Administration. In light of President’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly that it is necessary to “increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities”, the world is waiting to see whether he will raise the issue privately with Modi during the state visit, make a public statement in support of constitutional rights similar to Obama, or remain silent. Then we will have a much clearer idea whether religious freedom is merely a political football or a sincere goal of the Trump Administration.
(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations)
Popularity of Trump on rise in India but some of his policies not-so-welcome: Pew survey
The popularity of US President Donald Trump in India is on the rise but some of his policies and trade attitudes do not garner the same warm reception(Bloomberg)
The popularity of US President Donald Trump in India is on the rise but some of his policies and trade attitudes do not garner the same warm reception, a latest Pew Research survey said on Thursday ahead of his maiden presidential trip to the country.
President Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He would be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
Based on face-to-face interviews, 2019 Global Attitudes Survey of 2,476 respondents conducted from June 24-October 2, 2019 in India, Pew said that the majority of Indians have confidence in Trump to do the right thing when it comes to the world affairs.
“And while Trump himself receives positive marks from the Indian populace, Indian public opinion toward some of his specific policies and trade attitudes in general do not garner the same warm reception,” Pew Research said in a survey report released on Thursday.
According to the report, Trump’s image in India has gained favour since his candidacy in 2016, jumping from 14 per cent confidence to 56 per cent over three years. Much of this movement is accompanied by more people now offering an opinion about the US president, it added.
“These latest numbers resemble those of Trump’s predecessor: Before Barack Obama left office, 58 per cent of Indians had confidence in him in world affairs, while nine per cent had no confidence and 33 per cent did not offer an opinion,” Pew said.
Those who associate more with the BJP are more likely than supporters of the Indian National Congress opposition party to voice confidence in Trump, it said.
However, when asked about their views of Trump’s policy on increasing tariffs or fees on imported goods from other countries, about half of Indians (48 per cent) say they disapprove. A quarter approve, and roughly another quarter do not offer an opinion.
Those who most identify with the BJP are just as likely as the Congress supporters to disapprove of this measure and less likely to provide an answer, Pew said.
The Pew Research Center is a non-partisan American think-tank based in Washington. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the US and the world.
India Awaits Trump Visit
The planned visit by the President of the United States, Donald Trump has created excitement among sections of the Indian society. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are scheduled to visit India February 24-25 for the first time since he occupied the White House.
President Donald Trump will get a red carpet welcome in Gujarat later this month, on a grander scale than the event organized for Modi in Houston last year. The government is organizing ‘Kem Chho, Trump’, the Gujarati equivalent of the Texas event ‘Howdy Modi’ in the Prime Minister’s home state, Gujarat. President Trump and Modi are scheduled to do a roadshow from the Ahmedabad airport and visit Sabarmati Ashram to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Later, President Trump will inaugurate Ahmedabad’s newly-constructed Sardar Patel Stadium with a seating capacity of over 100,000 people.
US-India analysts tracking President Donald Trumps scheduled visit to India later this month are keenly watching for a much anticipated trade deal that holds the promise of ending three years of escalating trade tensions, but are dialing down expectations of this being a “transformational” moment.
Speaking to reporters this week, Trump said the trade deal with India will happen if “we can make the right deal”. He added, “I’ll be watching most closely the much-anticipated trade deal, which is likely to represent some good progress in solving a handful of price caps and tariff issues, but as far as I can tell, (it) will not mark a transformational moment,” Alyssa Ayres, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the media.
President Donald Trump downplayed a limited trade deal that was supposed to be announced during his upcoming visit to India but is currently mired in uncertainty and said Tuesday he was “saving the big deal for later on”, possibly after the US election in November when he will be seeking a second term.
Trump did not seem happy about the situation though. Speaking to reporters before leaving town for a string of election rallies, he fell back to his old grievances about India on trade saying the United States is “not treated very well by India”.
Meanwhile, US First Lady Melania Trump has expressed her excitement about the forthcoming trip. In a tweet, Melania, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the invitation, saying: “Looking forward to visiting Ahmedabad and New Delhi later this month. POTUS and I are excited for the trip and to celebrate the close ties between the USA and India.”
She was responding to Prime Minister Modi’s tweet which described their visit as a “very special one” which “will go a long way in further cementing India-USA friendship”. India, he said, will “accord a memorable welcome” to them. Former US First Lady Michelle Obama, who visited India with former President Barack Obama in 2015. had created a buzz with her dressing and fashion sense. Melania is also known for elegant style quotient.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he expects to see “millions” of people on the way from the Ahmedabad airport to the Sardar Vallabhai Patel stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, where he is expected to address a massive public rally with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, Trump, accompanied by wife Melania Trump and a high-level delegation, will arrive in Ahmedabad around noon on February 24 for a little less than 36-hour-long trip. From Ahmedabad, he will travel to Agra before arriving at the national capital for the main leg of the visit.
In Ahmedabad, President Trump will address the ‘Namaste Trump’ event jointly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newly built Motera cricket stadium.
“It will be similar to the landmark ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event hosted by the Indian-American community in honour of Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Houston in September 2019, in which President Trump participated,” Shringla said, briefing reporters on the visit.
“The route will feature decorations depicting different events in the life of Gandhiji, whose association with the city is so well-known,” said the foreign secretary. Shringla said as many as 28 stages representing the various parts of the country are being set up along the route, in what is being called the India Road Show.
Dr. Sampat Shivangi, A Veteran AAPI Leader, Among NRIs To Accompany President Trump During India Visit
Dr. Sampat Shivangi, a physician, an influential Indian-American community leader, Chair of Mississippi State Board of Mental Health, and a veteran leader of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) , along with several high profile Indians will be accompanying US President Donald Trump during his visit to India. Dr. Sampat Shivangi was recently appointed by the US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M Azar to serve on the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council.
Dr. Shivangi was instrumental in lobbying for first Diwali celebration in the White House and for President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India.
Other Indian Americans who are expected to accompany the US president are: Rita Baranwal Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Prem Parameswaran, Member, Asian Americans Advisory Commission; Bimal Patel, Assistant Secretary, Treasury for Financial Institutions; Manisha Singh, Assistant Secretary, Economic & Business Affairs Bureau; Ajit Pai, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission; Seema Verma, Administrator, Centers for Medicaid Services; and, Kash Patel, Adviser, National Security Council.
Indian-Americans in top government positions view Trump’s India visit as an opportunity to send a message to the immigrant community in the US. This is an election year for Trump and he is likely to use the optics around his Delhi and Ahmedabad visits to reach out to the Indian-American electorate back home.
“For the Indian prime minister to visit the US and do a joint event with the president, followed just five months later by the president visiting India and doing a joint event with the PM is unprecedented. This is certainly a new high for the relationship between the two nations and Indian Americans will relish this,” says Niraj Antani, a state representative in the Ohio House and the first Indian American elected in the state.
Vanila Singh, who was chief medical officer in the US department of health from 2017 to 2019, too says Indian Americans in top government positions will see Trump’s India visit as an opportunity to send a message to the immigrant community in the US. “The president has a team which is driven to produce results. Many of his team members of Indian origin are certainly advising him on his strategic engagements in India in trade, entrepreneurship and health,” she told the media.
Dr. Shivangi has held high offices in USA including as a member of the Mississippi state Board of Health by Governor Haley Barbour, and as a Chair of the State Board of Mental Health by the Governor Phil Bryant, a strong supporter of President Trump.
A conservative life-long member of the Republican Party, Dr. Shivangi is the founding member of the Republican Indian Council and the Republican Indian National Council, which aim to work to help and assist in promoting President Elect Trump’s agenda and support his advocacy in the coming months.
Dr. Shivangi is the National President of Indian American Forum for Political Education, one of the oldest Indian American Associations. Over the past three decades, he has lobbied for several Bills in the US Congress on behalf of India through his enormous contacts with US Senators and Congressmen.
Dr. Shivangi is a champion of women’s health and mental health whose work has been recognized nationwide. Dr. Shivangi has worked enthusiastically in promoting India Civil Nuclear Treaty and recently the US India Defense Treaty that was passed in US Congress and signed by President Obama.
Dr. Sampat Shivangi, an obstetrician/gynecologist, has been elected by a US state Republican Party as a full delegate to the National Convention. He is one of the top fund-raisers in Mississippi state for the Republican Party. Besides being a politician by choice, the medical practitioner is also the first Indian to be on the American Medical Association.
Dr. Shivangi has actively involved in several philanthropic activities, serving with Blind foundation of MS, Diabetic, Cancer and Heart Associations of America. Dr. Shivangi has been carrying on several philanthropic works in India including Primary & Middle Schools, Cultural Center, IMA Centers that he opened and helped to obtain the first ever US Congressional grant to AAPI to study Diabetes Mellitus amongst Indian Americans.
Dr. Shivangi has been at the forefront of the powerful American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and has served as the Secretary and Vice President of the Association, besides representing it at the American Medical Association.
A member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Washington, DC, – based conservative think tank, International Leaders Summit, Joel Anand Samy, who co-founded the International Leaders Summit along with Srdoc, welcomed Shivangi to the group’s Board.
“Dr. Shivangi’s commitment to advancing America’s first principles, his distinguished career as a physician, and a leader at the state and national levels has made a profound difference in the lives of many,” Joel Anand Samy said. “We look forward to working with Dr. Shivangi in his new capacity as an Executive Advisory Board Member of ILS in advancing principled policies in America and strengthening the US-India ties on the healthcare, economic and security fronts.”
Dr. Shivangi, from Ridgeland, Mississippi, is one of the most plugged in and savvy Indian Americans in the South, who has cultivated strong bonds with governors, senators and members of the House and been a fixture at GOP conventions.
Dr.Sampat Shivangi was awarded a highest civilian honor, Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Sanman award for the year 2016 in Blengaluru, by the Hon. President of India, Shri Pranab Mukhejee. He was awarded with the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York in 2008. He is married to Dr. Udaya S.Shivangi, MD, and his children are: Priya S.Shivangi, MS (NYU); Pooja S. Shivangi who is an Attorney at Law.
Trump to Visit India Feb. 24-25
US President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit India on February 24 – 25, 2020, the White House said in a statement.
“The President and The First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi’s home state of Gujarat and played such an important role in Mahatma Gandhi’s life and leadership of the Indian independence movement,” said a statement from the White House.
During a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip will further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people, according to the statement.
The confirmation of Trump’s visit comes days after India’s new ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu presented his credentials to the US President.
“President @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS will travel to India from February 24-25 to visit Prime Minister @narendramodi! The trip will further strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people,” the White House tweeted.
Earlier in the day, the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency informed that the Donald Trump administration has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) to India for an estimated cost of $1.867 billion.
Last week, Trump was cleared of all charges by the US Senate in the impeachment trial.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said in January that India and US are in contact through diplomatic channels over the US President’s proposed visit.
AAP scores landslide victory in Delhi polls
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scored a landslide victory in Delhi assembly elections for the second time in a row as it swept aside both BJP, which was again restricted to a single digit, and Congress which could not win a single seat.
AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member assembly, five seats short of its 2015 tally when it had won 67 seats. The BJP won eight seats, five more than its tally in the previous election. The Congress, which had failed to win a seat in the last election also, saw a dip in its vote percentage.
AAP’s victory came in the backdrop of a campaign marked by shrillness and dashed BJP’s hopes to form government in the capital. The victory, which has raised political stature of Kejriwal, saw BJP raking up Citizenship Amendment Act and the protest at Shaheen Bagh against the legislation which has been continuing for the past over 50 days.
“The Delhi election gives a sense of optimism to scores of people in India who are concerned about the growing threat BJP poses to India’s democracy and its venerable constitution,” said Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of IOC, USA.
The victory also shows that when there is a clear alternative to BJP, India’s voter may choose wisely, and the people have ultimately determined development over communal politics based on hyper-nationalism. Although Modi gained power in 2014 promising development, the party has lately sunk more into playing divisive politics, pitting one religion against the other to retain control. Delhi elections also witnessed some of the most vitriolic and divisive statements coming from prominent BJP leaders who banked on Hindu consolidation as a path towards victory.
‘IOC, USA, would like to see more accountability from those who are engaged in vituperative politics that are harming India’s pluralism and its secular fabric’, the statement added.
Joyous celebration of 71st India Republic Day Anniversary in New York
India Republic Day Celebration by the Indian Overseas Congress, USA began with an elegant setting and color at the Sohna Punjab Restaurant on January 26, 2020 where a large gathering of leaders of various local communities as well as several elected political officials had joined the Indian diaspora, to wish “Happy Republic Day” to one another and enjoy the splendid evening. Special appreciations were expressed to Dr.Sam Pitroda ji, Mr. Himanshu Vyas ji. Mr. Anura Mathai ji, Mr. George Abraham ji and Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian ji.
Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General of IOC, USA spear-headed the event with a rendering of the Indian National Anthem sung by Amir Rashid in which all the audience participated solemnly with a deep sense of conviction, love and patriotism. Everyone remained standing as Harbachan Singh next read the Preamble to the Constitution of India with the Indian diaspora guests repeating after him while some stood in attention with a salute. General Secretary Rajinder Dichpally loudly hailed “Bharat Mata ki Jai” giving vibrance to the meeting.
V.I.P. illumenaries included, New York State Senator John C. Liu , New York City Council Member Barry Grodenchik, New York City Council Member Donovan Richards Jr., Democratic Leader Richard David, and several other community leaders who had joined the celebration. They unanimously praised the joint efforts of the two largest Democracies in the world, India and the US, for collaborating and upholding the principles of Democracy,
Appreciating the significant contribution by the Indian Americans to the economic, social and legal components of USA, speaker after speaker also praised the great efforts of the Indian diaspora in maintaining the culture and customs of their homeland thereby enriching the mosaic composition and zest of the American people.
Prof. Indrajit Saluja believed that the present government must ensure that the provisions of the Indian Constitution were applied in a just and fair manner. The local community leader from the Nepalese group, Mr. Somnath Ghimire, the Guyanese -American leader Albert Baldeo, the African-American Leader and Pastor Emmanuel Asse, the former Secretary of local DC 37 Trade Union, Ahmed Shakir, all spoke highly of their cordial and bustling inter-relationship with the
Indian community. It was happily noted that India’s soft power attributes, like Yoga, Indian cinema, music and cuisine were unparalleled and it generated tremendous goodwill and support for India.
Other leaders who addressed the gathering included, Satish Sharma, Tejinder Singh Gill, Leela Maret, Amir Rasheed, Jose George, Devendra Vora. Dr. Jayeshkumar Patel, Gujrat Chapter President sent in sweets for the occasion for the guests, but he was unable to attend due to death in the family. Sophia Sharma, General Secretary IOC, USA emceed the meeting and Malini Shah, Vice-President gave a vote of thanks and then opened the door to a sumptuous dinner that was awaiting all the invitees. It was a truly befitting tribute for the Republic Day of India which was enjoyed by all.
India will tax NRIs only on income earned from India
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the Indian government has full sovereign right on the income generated by an NRI in India and as such they will be taxed as per Indian laws. She, however, said, the income accruing to the NRI from the country one is living in wouldn’t be taxed by India.
“Here’s a situation where an NRI is earning in some other country and he is not taxed there. He has some earnings in India as well, but because he doesn’t live here, he doesn’t pay tax here too. What we are saying now (in Budget) that pay tax for the income generated in India,” said the Finance Minister.
“If he is earning in a no-tax jurisdiction, why would we include that into our calculations? If you have a property in India and have got a rent through it, therefore, you carry this income too, meaning no tax there or no tax here. We have corrected this because this income is in the jurisdiction od India,” she said.
“We have got full sovereign right to take consideration of the income from India property for those NRIs. I am not taxing what the NRI is earning elsewhere,” the Finance Minister told IANS in an interaction on Sunday.
The Union Budget 2020 proposed to tax Indians who are not residents in India, but “their earnings” will be taxed. So there was confusion if all their incomes from all sources all over the world will be taxed by India. Now the FM has cleared that it is only India income that would be taxed for NRIs.
Tightening the residency provisions, the Budget also proposed to reduce the period of stay in India to 120 days from 182 days earlier for persons of Indian origin (PIOs) to be categorised as non-resident Indians (NRIs).
Reworking the definition of non-resident Indians (NRIs), the Budget document said the I-T Act provides that an Indian citizen or a person of Indian origin shall be Indian resident if he is in India for 182 days in that year.
But with 240-day change, the government still has not confirmed what the definition of RONR now will be (RONR as in Resident but not ordinarily resident).
The RONR status applies to returning Indians where they got two years of continued tax-free status on offshore earnings.
7 million join Kerala human chain to protest against CAA
Billed as one of the biggest protests against the CAA, Kerala’s CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Sunday organised a human chain extending from Kasargod to the Tamil Nadu border near here, involving participation of an estimated seven million people.
People came out in large numbers to participate. After a trial at 3.30 p.m., the chain running on the side of the National Highway from Kasargode to Thiruvananthapuram, a distance of about 600 km, began forming at 4 p.m.
The preamble of the Constitution was first read out and then every participant took a pledge to be ready to give their lives to protect the Constitution, “which is now facing threat on account of the CAA by the BJP-led Central government”.
The human chain was the brainchild of the CPI-M and at the northern point in Kasargode, its Politburo member S.Ramachandran Pillai was first in the chain and at the southernmost end, at the Tamil Nadu border at Kaliyakevala near here, was another Politburo member M.A. Baby.
“Kerala has always led numerous protests and also shown to the rest of the country, what very strong protests can lead to. This show has been near total and even though the leadership of the opposition is not taking part in this, numerous of their supporters have taken part and this shows that we are all one to a wrong decision of the Centre,” Baby told edia soon after he finished taking part in the human chain.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with his family members, stood in the chain at Palyam in the heart of the state capital. Soon after his participation, Vijayan told a public meeting that all the protests against CAA was so huge and massive across the state.
India losing friends over citizenship law – Key allies like Bangladesh and Afghanistan are upset, while trade partners like the US are expressing concern
In February, New Delhi is hoping to host US president Donald Trump on his first visit to India after assuming office four years ago. His visit will come at a time when India finds itself isolated globally like never before, as protests over its controversial religion-based citizenship law continue to grow.
For years US President Donald Trump has turned down invitations from India, always seen as a major hallmark of the bilateral relationship. While former president Barack Obama came to India in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term, his comments on religious intolerance in India cooled the relationship. Modi had been put on a visa ban for nearly 15 years by the US, for his alleged role in the communal riots in his home state of Gujarat in 2002. However, after the ban was lifted when Modi won the general elections in 2014, he has made several trips to the US to forge closer ties, first with Obama and then his successor Trump.
But while the US president’s trip is still being planned, Indian diplomats are fighting a rearguard action in South Asia as two close allies, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have expressed their displeasure at India’s new citizenship law.
Just a few months ago India was reveling in its comprehensive diplomatic victory after abrogating Article 370 in August 2019, a special constitutional provision that gave the lone Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir a special status. While Pakistan, China, Turkey and Malaysia emerged as trenchant critics of the move, India remained unscathed, with most of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council siding with New Delhi.
But the move to amend its citizenship law in December and fast-track applications for naturalization by non-Muslim citizens from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan has now created an unprecedented wave against India.
A few weeks ago a former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan received a message from a top Afghan minister seeking his opinion about the law. “Why does it discriminate against Muslims? This will not go down well with the Afghan people,” the person said. “I did not know how to react. There is tremendous affection among the Afghans for India. This move has pushed India into a corner and isolated those in Afghanistan who support us,” the former Indian envoy said.
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai categorically stated that the classification was wrong, in an interview to the newspaper The Hindu. “We don’t have persecuted minorities in Afghanistan… the whole country is persecuted. We have been in war and conflict for a long time. All religions in Afghanistan – Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs – which are our three main religions, have suffered,” he said.
Ever since US forces landed in Afghanistan after the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, India had renewed its diplomatic and security relationship with the Afghans. A long-term supporter of slain Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Masoud, New Delhi began a close relationship based on intelligence and economic cooperation.
“We carried out a number of operations with the Afghans through the decade to counter Pakistan’s support of terrorism. This was cemented during the years that Amrullah Saleh headed Afghan intelligence,” a senior Indian security official said. “That relationship has been the bedrock of many of our counter-terrorism policies. Those are now under stress since the Afghans are worried how this citizenship law will pan out,” the official said.
To its east, Bangladesh has proved to be one of India’s staunchest allies in South Asia. Much of that has stemmed from India’s unstinting support for its current prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. Through the years the Hasina government eliminated all the bases inside Bangladesh that were being used by Indian insurgents. She also started a rendition program where all those suspected of carrying or supporting terror strikes in India were quietly sent back across the border. Indian intelligence worked closely with their Bangladeshi counterparts to not only secure Hasina’s regime against any possible coup but also to identify people who worked with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to target Indian interests.
Trump to visit India after impeachment trial begins
In the midst of Impeachment trial and as though seeking to divert attention from the fallout, President Donald Trump is reported to be visiting India next month for the first time since he joined office and before he goes to elections for a second term later this year.
Top sources told media that New Delhi and Washington DC are in the process of finalizing dates. “We are working on mutually agreed dates. It is likely to happen soon,” an official of the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump share a strong relationship, a glimpse of which was displayed last year in Houston where the two leaders endorsed each other before a massive Indian diaspora.
Though, majority of Indians in the US have historically and traditionally been Democrat voters, the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Texas, may have struck a new political dynamic. Republicans in the US hope to swing Indian votes in their favour in the next presidential elections.
President Trump’s visit to India, sources said, will most likely be finalized after his impeachment trial begins in the Senate next week. The trial is an outcome of the initiative of the House of Representatives which voted in favour of impeaching President Trump allegedly for seeking help from Ukraine to influence the 2020 presidential elections.
The last US President who visited India was Barack Obama in 2015. New Delhi and Washington DC are expected to sign a trade deal pending since 2018, amid an economic slowdown in India.
Officials from New Delhi and Washington are in touch to work out mutually convenient dates for US President Donald Trump’s visit to India on a standing invitation, a year after he expressed his inability to attend the Republic Day parade in the Indian capital, people aware of the developments said.
According to a person familiar with the planning of the tour, the visit could take place as early as the second half of February. However, the timing will depend on the duration of the US Senate trial, expected to start this week, to determine if Trump should be removed from office in impeachment proceedings, the person added.
The US President was unable to participate as the chief guest of the Republic Day celebrations due to scheduling constraints, the White House said in October 2018, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him for a bilateral visit during their talks in Washington.
An Indian official who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “Both sides are in touch to work out mutually convenient dates for the visit.” He did not elaborate on the timeline of the state visit.
There has been a standing invitation to Trump after he expressed his inability to visit India last year, essentially in view of his State of the Union speech, the annual presidential address to a joint sitting of the US congress.
“He wants me to go there,” Trump told reporters in November last year to a question about the invitation from the Indian Prime Minister. “I will be going at some point to India,” he added.
The Indian invitation to Trump was reiterated last month by defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, when they called on the US President at the White House after their meeting with their American counterparts Mark Esper and Mike Pompeo.
The US President gave a positive response, the first person said, adding that planning picked up for the visit along with progress in trade talks that have been touted to be “close” to being formalized between the two countries.
India and the US have indicated that a short-term deal is in sight and could be signed soon, with a more ambitious longer-term agreement set for a later date. The two sides have been in talks to resolve trade differences and the dialogue could lay the ground for an ambitious Free Trade Agreement.
A trade deal with India, though not of the same size as the one the US and China are scheduled to announce in Washington this week, will be an important achievement of the Trump administration, especially in an election year, with the US President seeking a second term in November.
Satya Nadella Criticizes CAA by Modi Government
As Microsoft Corporation CEO Satya Nadella’s statement voicing concern over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act went viral, netizens took to social media platforms to ask whether people will boycott Microsoft and Windows next.
“As retaliation to @satyanadella’s statement on CAA, millions of Indians #BoycottWindows, there have been reports of people removing all windows from their houses,” a user said.
“If you thought Microsoft’s CEO would be in favour of keeping people out, you obviously haven’t used the Windows Firewall,” another user said.
“Western media reported that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella criticised CAA & said that It’s sad & bad. But what Satya Nadella really said was altogether different. He said every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly,” read another post.
A user commented: “Yes, he is very confused in his statement. Must be the Indian leftist academics in the US who have confused him by misinformation. Plz study the CAA before you comment! We respect you as CEO and you must not make comments to malign India.”
Talking to editors in Manhattan, Nadella who hails from Hyderabad and became the Microsoft CEO in 2014, said he would like immigrants to come and set up startups in India and whatever is happening in India on this new legislation is just bad.
“I think what is happening is sad…It’s just bad…I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or become the next CEO of Infosys,” tweeted Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of buzzfeednews.com, quoting Nadella when he asked the Microsoft CEO about the CAA at the meeting.
Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla Appointed India’s Foreign Secretary
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India’s Ambassador to the United States, has been appointed as India’s next Foreign Secretary. Shringla will take charge on January 29, 2020, after incumbent Vijay Keshav Gokhale’s two-year term ends the previous day.
“I look forward to performing my duties to the best of my abilities under the guidance of our leadership,” Shringla was quoted as saying, of his new appointment, by the Hindu.
Shringla assumed charge as Indian Ambassador to the United States on January 9, 2019 as the youngest Ambassador of India to the United States. He received a rousing welcome at the Congressional Reception hosted by the Senate India Caucus and Congressional Caucus on India which was attended by an unprecedented 67 Members of the US Congress, including Senators.
A highlight of Shringla’s tenure in the US was his planning and organization of the hugely popular “Howdy Modi” event in Texas, that saw President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a rally together.
An Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1984 batch, who topped the civil services exam that year, Shringla has held several important positions in his diplomatic career spanning 35 years. He has served as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Thailand, apart from serving in France, India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in the US, Vietnam, Israel and South Africa.
Shringla has worked closely with India’s Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar when he was Foreign Secretary (2015-2018), and Jaishankar is understood to have strongly endorsed his appointment to the top job in the Foreign Service, reported The Hindu.
In particular, Shringla’s handling of India’s neighborhood will be valued in his new assignment, given recent tensions with Bangladesh over the CAA-NRC controversy, China’s new inroads in Nepal and other South Asian countries, as well as continuing tensions with Pakistan, which have practically derailed the SAARC process, the report said.
“He is a highly respected professional with a proven track-record of competence and performance, both at headquarters and in sensitive assignments abroad,” former Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha told the Hindu.
Shringla completed his undergraduate education at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University after being schooled at Mayo College, Ajmer. He worked in the Indian corporate sector prior to joining the Indian Foreign Service.
Shringla went on his first ambassadorial assignment to Thailand and served for two years from January 2014 to January 2016. He has the distinction of being the youngest Indian Ambassador to Thailand, according to Wikipedia.
Shringla served with distinction as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh from January 2016 to January 2019. During his time in Bangladesh, the bilateral relation between India and Bangladesh witnessed huge strides towards a multi-faceted bilateral relationship. He played a pivotal role in the successful visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, to India in April, 2017, adding a new chapter to strengthening bilateral relationship, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described as heralding of a ‘Sonali Adhyay’ or a ‘Golden Era’ in the bilateral ties.
One of the major landmarks of Shringla’s career was the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh for which he worked as a Joint Secretary during the UPA era. He also lobbied for the bill in Parliament and briefed MPs personally to build consensus, reports said.
Shringla has actively engaged with US think-tanks where he has spoken, participated in round-table discussions and given keynote speeches on various topics related to India-US relations and on other topics of mutual interests to both countries, according to Wikipedia. In April of this year, Shringla addressed the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he emphasized upon the need to preserve a global order based on international rules that all can adhere to.
In a panel discussion in California, at the Bay Area Council Pacific Summit on Economic Prosperity in the Century of the Pacific, on June 21, 2019, Shringla spoke at length about the business opportunities in the “rising India” and urged the Governor to lead a business delegation to India as well as open a trade office in India.
Addressing a sizable gathering of students and teachers at the Harvard Kennedy School on December 8, 2019, Shringla stated that the chariot of the Indian economy was moving forward and all the conditions for India to become a superpower in the 21st century were present. He added that India took 60 years to become a trillion-dollar-economy and another 12 years to become a 2 trillion dollar economy, 5 years from 2014 to 2019 to become a 3 trillion dollar economy, and it aims to become a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2025.
Deepika Padukone Visits JNU, Stands With Students Attacked By Goons On Campus
Actor Deepika Padukone visited Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday, two days after a masked mob attacked students and teachers on the campus, leaving over 30 injured and provoking nationwide outrage.
Though Ms Padukone did not speak at the university, she was seen standing with a group of students who were attacked including president of the students’ union Aishe Ghosh. Former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was also present.
Padukone reached the university campus at around 7.40 pm and attended a public meeting, called by the JNU Teacher’s Association and JNU Students’ Union in response to Sunday’s attack on students and teachers by a masked mob armed with sticks and rods.
Padukone remained standing as former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar raised slogans; she then left by the time current president Aishe Ghosh started to speak.
Sources close to Ms Padukone said she had gone to express solidarity with the students. However, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh was critical of the actor for not speaking at the meet. “When you are in a position you should speak up,” JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said after the actor left without addressing the meet.
Deepika was spotted standing with students at the Sabarmati T-point, where a public meeting had been called by JNU alumni over Sunday’s violence. She also met Ghosh who received injuries. Padukone didn’t address the meeting and left after an hour.
Amid drones flying over the meeting to keep an eye on students, Aishe targeted the JNU administration for filing complaints against her. “There are 3 FIRs against me, but I am not scared of the V-C. Even if you file 70 FIRs for all the 70 days of struggle against fee hike, we will continue our struggle”
The meeting was also attended by former JNU students, including Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, D. Raja and Kanhaiya Kumar.
Kumar, who was targeted for allegedly raising anti-national slogans in JNU few years ago, said, “I am called the leader of tukde-tukde gang. I take it as an honour.”
“Hatred for the JNU is not hatred for a university or ideology, but the thought as how a country should be,” Kanhaiya. “The government is making a mistake. They have chosen an enemy that is intelligent and studies,” he remarked.
The 34-year-old actor is in the capital to promote her upcoming release, Meghna Gulzar-directed ‘Chhapaak’. Padukone said she feels proud that people have come out and raised their voice without fear, in reference to the protests against the amended Citizenship Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and violence in JNU.
“I feel proud to see that we aren’t scared to express ourselves… I think the fact that we are thinking about the country and its future…. Whatever may be our point of view, it’s nice to see,” she had said.
“I feel proud about it that people are coming out — be it on the streets or wherever they are — they are raising their voice and expressing themselves as it is important. If we want to see change in life and society, it is important that a point of view be put forward,” she added.
The Padmaavat star’s solidarity and visit in support of the JNU students in Delhi instantly triggered calls by the ruling BJP to boycott her movies.
Students Across India Join Protests Against ‘Hindu Rashtra’
Along with numerous premier Universities across India, Delhi University’s premier college, St Stephens, joined the nationwide stir in university campuses against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register.
According to a post, students and faculty members in large numbers came together on Monday to discuss and plan “long term resistance” to the CAA, NRC and NPR. “Of utmost importance is to realize that the approval of these provisions aren’t isolated actions but steps towards the Sangh’s vision of a Hindu Rashtra,” the post said denouncing in words what is usually said by Opposition parties.
“The abrogation of Article 370 in August and the internet suspension in Kashmir is not to be forgotten either; Kashmiris continue to face innumerable human rights violations and suspension of civil rights,” it added.
“Further, we must keep in mind the condition of the working class of the country who continue to suffer the consequences of a negligent government that doesn’t care about fixing rampant unemployment and poverty,” St Stephens’ students and faculty said, criticizing the economic policies of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
“Government is committed to distracting the populace from the economic crisis it has created and is now abjectly failing to deal with; the students and professors of St Stephens will not stand by and tolerate the marginalisation of the people’s real needs and interests,” the post said, blaming the Modi government for trying to distract from the economic woes facing the country.
“The unleashing of unabashed terror in universities like JNU, Jamia and AMU and the passing of divisive legislation like CAA seeks to destroy the secular character of India and the right to dissent that is intrinsic to any genuine democracy. The exercise of this right is an intrinsic aspect of university campuses. We wholeheartedly the necessity of dissent on campuses and refuse to allow its dilution in the face of fascist violence running riot in the country today,” the post said affirming the right to dissent in campuses and slamming “fascist tendencies”
U.S. Indian Groups Call for Sanctions on Home Minister of India Over New Anti-Muslim Citizenship Law, Human Rights Abuses
A coalition of Indian-American and American civil society, civil and human rights organizations today held a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., calling for U.S. sanctions on Home Minister of India in response to that country adopting the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) – a law that discriminates against India’s religious minorities and could categorize India’s 200 million Muslims and others as non-citizens as illegal aliens.
Organizations participating in the news conference included:
Indian American Muslim Council
International Society for Peace and Justice
Islamic Circle of North America Council for Social Justice
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on Minority Rights in India
Emgage
Justice For All
Baltimore County Muslim Council
During the news conference, coalition members urged President Trump, the Department of State and members of Congress to reject the human rights violations and the discriminatory laws being passed in India and take the following actions:
Formally request the Indian government to revoke the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), as it violates India’s international obligations to prevent deprivation of citizenship based on race, religion, color, descent, national or ethnic origin as found in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other human rights treaties.
Sanction India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Yogi Adityanath, in light of their blatant violations of human rights, as per the recommendations of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The commission previously stated should the CAA pass, the US government “should consider sanctions against the home minister and other principal leadership.”
Summon the Indian Ambassador and Foreign Minister of India to meet with President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo to address the human rights violations taking place in India and remind them of their nation’s international obligations.
Carry out a U.S. State Department inquiry and report into accounts of law enforcement-led violence against anti-CAA protesters and the more than 20 confirmed deaths of protesters. The U.S. should demand that India comply with the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
The coalition also called on India to:
- Release all student protesters arrested for opposing CAA in UP, Delhi and other states.
- Release protesters who were not involved in any unlawful acts
- Arrest and remove from duty and prosecute police officers guilty of human rights violations against anti-CAA protesters
- Remove Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from office for his direct involvement in the police brutalities directed against the protesters.
BACKGROUND:
On December 10, the government of India passed the CAA, which legalized the granting of citizenship based on religion and specifically excluded Muslims from obtaining citizenship. India also is planning to implement a pan-India citizen verification process known as the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The combination of CAA and NRC would give the Indian Government legal grounds to declare Indian Muslims as non-citizens.
Since enactment of CCA, dozens of Indian protesters have been killed by police firing into crowds of unarmed anti-CAA protesters, and hundreds of others were injured. In Uttar Pradesh, state police under the administration of Modi’s extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have violently attacked students at the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University. The Indian government has also banned protests and cut internet in parts of the nation’s capital Delhi and throughout the states of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
Bharat Bachao rally in front of the Indian Consulate in New York
“When India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, ran for the top job five years ago, he promised development but what he has delivered us is a mismanaged economy” Stated Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA who was addressing the crowd which has gathered in front of the Indian Consulate in New York on December 14th to protest Narendra Modi Government’s economic policies as part of joint protest called by the All India Congress Committee. “Under the Modi Government, the unemployment has reached a 45 year high with increasing suicides among the farmers and rising inflation, it is apparent that Modi’s governance has brought the country to economic stagnation and to the brink of paralysis” Mr. Gilzian added.
About 150 people mostly belonging to IOC, USA gathered in front of the Consulate for this protest rally and shouted slogans like ‘Modi Hatao, Bharat Bachao” and displayed slogans like “farmers are dying, and Modi is flying”, “Save secularism and Save India”,and “save democracy”.
Mr. George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the IOC, USA, spoke about the deteriorating economic conditions where Modi’s crony capitalistic policies have contributed to the highest level of Non-performing Assets (Bad debt) thereby putting the banks and its depositors at risk. “Modi government is busy diverting attention away from the real issues that affect the people but rather engaged in promoting a divisive and polarizing agenda to create a majority vote bank to retain power,” Abraham added.
Mr. Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General lamented the sharp decline of the Indian economy and said: “factories are slowing down and with GDP in a free fall to 4.5% at this point, the employment situation for the young people looks rather dim, and Modi is not only damaging the economy but also its democracy”.
Mr. Rajender Dichpally
, General Secretary, decried Government’s apathy in addressing youth unemployment in India. “With over 8% unemployment and rising, Modi has broken his promise to the young people of crating 2 Crores jobs a year,” Dichpally added.
, General Secretary, decried Government’s apathy in addressing youth unemployment in India. “With over 8% unemployment and rising, Modi has broken his promise to the young people of crating 2 Crores jobs a year,” Dichpally added.Mr. Gurmit Gill Mulapur, President of the Punjab Chapter spoke about the declining prices of Real Estate in India and added that the second generation Indians are increasingly afraid to travel to India because of the security concerns.
The leaders who spoke at the rally included Phuman Singh, Sr. Vice-President,Rajesh Alladad, vice-President,Pradeep Samala, Vice-President, John Joseph, Vice-President, Sawaran Singh, Treasurer, Satish Sharma – Chairman Punjab Chapter Chairman, Leela Maret, President, Kerala Chapter, Rajeswara Reddy – President, Telengana Chapter, Dr. Jayesh Patel – President, Gujarat Chapter, Sandeep Kumar – President, Delhi, Chapter, Devendra Vora, President, Maharashtra Chapter, Pavan Daris – President, Andhra Chapter, Gurmit Buttar – Vice-President, Kris Arora, Senior leader, Vijay Nadella, Pappy Badesha, Manoj Shinde, Chairman, IOC-IT Wing, Vinay Vikas- Vice-President, IOC-Massachusetts Chapter and Dhananjay Nawadner of IOC, Mass.
IMF paints grim picture of India’s economy
Declining consumption, investment and falling tax revenue combined with other factors put the brakes on the economy
The International Monetary Fund has expressed concern about India’s economic downturn and called for “urgent steps” to return the country to growth.
In its annual review, the IMF observed that declining consumption and investment, as well as falling tax revenue, had combined with other factors to put the brakes on one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Ranil Salgado of the IMF Asia and Pacific Department has said that after lifting millions out of poverty, “India is now in the midst of a significant economic slowdown” and urgent policy action was needed to help the country return to high growth.
However, he felt the slowdown was mostly cyclical and not structural and felt a recovery would not be quick. But he refused to call it a crisis.
The IMF wants India to continue with sound macroeconomic management and hopes the new government with its strong mandate will reinvigorate the reform agenda to boost inclusive and sustainable growth.
Last week IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said the fund was set to significantly downgrade its growth estimates for the Indian economy in the World Economic Outlook, which will be released next month.
Salgado also concurred with this view. In October, the IMF slashed its forecast for 2019 by nearly a full point to 6.1%, while cutting the outlook for 2020 to 7%.
Salgado said India’s central bank had “room to cut the policy rate further, especially if the economic slowdown continues.” The Reserve Bank of India has this year cut the key lending rate five times to a nine-year low.
However, at its last meeting earlier this month the central bank defied expectations by keeping policy unchanged.
The RBI slashed its annual growth forecast to 5% from 6.1%, as consumer demand and manufacturing activity contracts. India’s economy grew at its slowest pace in more than six years in the July-September period, down to 4.5% from 7% a year ago, according to government data.
Salgado called for restoring the health of the financial sector to “enhance its ability to provide credit to the economy.”
Salgado felt the current slowdown was due to the abrupt reduction in credit expansion for shadow bankers and the associated broad-based tightening of credit conditions appears to be an important factor.
Moreover, weak income growth, especially in rural areas, has hit private consumption. He also felt that poor implementation of structural reforms, such as the nationwide goods and services tax, may also have played a role.
The IMF official, however, expressed satisfaction over the fact that reserves have risen to record levels and the current account deficit has narrowed. He felt the issue was primarily how to address the growth slowdown.
In the short term, he said, the most critical thing was carrying out reforms in the financial sector.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, who teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School in the US, stated in an academic paper that the Indian economy was going through a “great slowdown.”
Subramanian said the Indian economy was now experiencing a “second wave” of the Twin Balance Sheet crisis, which was behind the slowdown. He described the crisis as debts accumulated by private corporates becoming the non-performing assets of banks According to Subramanian, the first wave of this crisis happened when bank loans extended to steel, power and infrastructure sector companies during the investment boom of 2004-11 turned bad. The second crisis largely occurred after the demonetization of high-value currency notes. It involved the shadow banking sector and real estate firms.
Former central bank governor Raghuram Rajan said he was concerned about the state of India’s economy and urged the government to decentralize power, focus on rural poverty alleviation and stimulate private spending.
Rajan said India was in the midst of a “growth recession” with signs of a deep malaise in the economy.
Gandhi Alone is the ‘Father of India’
The ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston was an eye catcher for more reasons than one. While Modi was saying ‘All is Well’ in India, thousands of protestors outside were showing the real mirror to state of affairs in India. At the same time Donald Trump, US president, while on one hand due to face the process of impeachment, on the other he was trying to promote his electoral prospects in the next US elections.
As is his wont he does flatter visiting dignitaries, for achieving goals of his diplomacy. He went on to praise Modi to the sky; as a great leader; saying, “I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension; fighting and he (Modi) brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the ‘father of India’.”
Right within US there are many views about Modi. The last time the similar debate cropped up was just before Indian General Elections of 2019. On the eve of the elections US premier magazine Time came out with a cover story “Modi: the Divider in Chief’. Of course in another article in the same issue of the magazine he was presented as the one who is central to the process of economic reforms in India. What we see here in India and what the lead article of Time magazine presented was on the dot, the divisive role of Modi.
The observation here has been that Modi’s coming to power has strengthened the divisive forces, the forces who want Hindu nation. It is precisely these forces who have gone on rampage to unleash their agenda around Cow-Beef, the communal divisions have been deepened and identity issues have come to the fore like never before.
The minorities are being alienated and dalits-Adivasis are being marginalized. Even language wise talk has been floated to make Hindi as national language. The identity issues, which create emotive atmosphere and divide the people are to the fore. While Trump is talking in one tone, the earlier hopeful in previous Presidential elections in America, Bernie Sanders in a tweet hinted that Trump is emboldening the authoritarian leaders like Modi, the leaders who are presiding over religious persecution, repression and brutality against minorities.
Till few years ago Modi himself spoke very divisive language. Now this job has been passed down to his associates. Yogi Adityanath’s anti Muslim utterances abound. Anantkrishna Hegde like many of his ilk have been openly been talking of Hindu nation. To add to the list Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, the accused in Malegaon blast, out on bail, has been praising Gandhi’s killer Godse among other things. Lately the way Article 370 has been abrogated the alienation of people of Kashmir is going up.
In a way Time magazine’s cover story did capture the state of things prevalent here. Trump is no scholar of history, ignorant of the fact as to why India regards Mahatma Gandhi as the ‘father of the nation’.
Trump’s considerations are driven by his political contingency of gradually shifting America’s closeness to India. The reason for US favoring Pakistan in yesteryears was the compulsion of cold war era. Later it kept siding with Pakistan as US designs of controlling oil wealth of West Asia were its prime motive and Pakistan was made a part of American designs in West Asia.
Now with emergence of China as a major power, and China being close to Pakistan, US gradually want to become close to India. These may be some of the factors due to which Trump is making such utterances. But that’s not about all. US is also keeping its Pakistan relationship on some scale and very shrewdly Trump did say that Modi had made aggressive remarks in Houston rally. He seems to be buttering his bread from both the sides at present.
Many a reaction to Trump’s formulations showed his hollowness. Gandhi’s grandson Tushar, tweeted that whether Trump will like to replace George Washington as one of the founding fathers of America?
What Trump has stated has pained those for whom Gandhi is the ‘father of the nation’. Any way the followers of Modi ideology do not regard Gandhi as the father of the nation. Their argument is that India the Hindu nation; is there from times immemorial and so how can Gandhi be its father. Gandhi being father of the nation also relates to the concept of nationalism.
All those who were part of ‘India as a nation in the making’ see Gandhi as the central uniting figure. During freedom movement in the anti colonial movement, it was Gandhi who played the role of uniting the country which was scattered along the lines of religion, region, caste and language. The communalists like the followers of Muslim League saw Gandhi as a Hindu leader and Hindu communalists saw Gandhi as the appeaser of Muslims.
Through the very profound and complex process, India emerged as a Nation with the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Surely the likes of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar, Nehru and Patel played great role in making of the modern India. The process had multiple components, anti colonialism being the core where the likes of Bhagat Singh inspired the idea and Gandhi led the greatest ever mass movement, the movement directed against British Empire.
It is due to this that Subhashchandra Bose on July 6 1944, in broadcast from Singapore Radio, sought blessings of Gandhi, addressing him as Father of Nation. Sarojini Naidu on April 6, 1947, on the eve of Independence, addressed Gandhi as Rashtrapita (Father of the Nation). So where do we go from here, the Hindu nationalist followers are going euphoric about what Trump said and all those whole identify with India’s struggle for Independence and uphold democratic values are in anguish due to this statement from US President. Trump’s superficial observation is neither sound in history of India nor knowing of what is happening in India, it’s a mere diplomatic ploy to please the visiting leader.
U.S. lawmakers take a step against India on Kashmir – Senate panel adds appeal to end the “humanitarian crisis” in Kashmir in its report.
In what could become the first step towards legislative action by American lawmakers against India on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has added an appeal to end what it calls a “humanitarian crisis” in Kashmir in its report ahead of the annual Foreign Appropriations Act for 2020.
The amendment was proposed by Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited Delhi this week as a part of a congressional delegation that discussed the Kashmir situation as well as India-U.S. bilateral relations, trade ties and defence purchases with key officials.
According to the report, which was submitted to the Senate by Lindsey Graham, senior Senator and key Republican leader known for his close ties to President Donald Trump, the committee on Appropriations “notes with concern the current humanitarian crisis in Kashmir and calls on the Government of India to: fully restore telecommunications and Internet services; lift its lockdown and curfew; and release individuals detained pursuant to the Government’s revocation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution.”
What makes the report as well as the tough language on Kashmir more startling is that the document was submitted on September 26, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was still in the US, and came just a few days after his joint address at the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston with Mr. Trump, as well as their bilateral meeting in New York.
“This amendment, which was accepted unanimously by the bipartisan committee, is a strong expression of concern by the Senate about the situation in Kashmir and sends the signal that we are closely monitoring the human rights situation there, and would like to see the Government of India take those concerns seriously,” Mr. Van Hollen told The Hindu here, adding that he had “hoped to share his concerns privately” with Prime Minister Modi, but had not been able to meet him.
Van Hollen had met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Washington last week and Senator Bob Menendez, also a part of the delegation, met with Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal this week in Delhi. Both Senators have made public statements in the last two months on the Kashmir situation.
While it is unclear whether their concerns over Kashmir elicited any responses from the government, The Hindu has learnt that Senator Van Hollen was rebuffed when requested permission to visit Srinagar in an effort to assess the situation on the ground.
When asked, MEA officials said the Ministry of Home Affairs handled such requests. No diplomat or foreign journalist has yet been given clearance to visit Kashmir since the government’s decision on Article 370 on August 5.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit in Delhi on Friday, Mr. Jaishankar said many key decision-makers in the US had been “misinformed by their media” and that he had spent considerable efforts in the past few weeks to clear misconceptions on the government’s decision to drop the “temporary” Article 370.
Trump and Modi address Indian-Americans at HowdyModi! Event in Houston
While praising their own achievements, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the friendship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies at the HowdyModi! event at the NRG stadium Sept. 22, attended by over 50,000 people from across the nation.
For Modi, it was a political victory when the leader of the most powerful nation seemingly endorsed his position on Pakistan as a key problem in the fight against global terrorism, as well as the controversial step downgrading Article 370 relating to Kashmir’s special status; For Trump it was an opportunity to join Modi in showering high praise on the Indian-American community and its accomplishments, cashing in on an estimated 50,000-strong captive audience in an election year.
In his speech, Modi lashed out at Pakistan without naming it, for fomenting terrorism in South Asia, and justified his steps to end Kashmir’s special status saying it brought Kashmiris on par with the rest of Indians.
President Trump said that just as he had promised before his election, “You have never had a better friend than Donald Trump,” in the White House. Trump paid lavish compliments to Indian-Americans. “I’ve also come to express my profound gratitude to the nearly 4 million amazing Indian Americans all across our country. You enrich our culture, you uphold our values, you uplift our communities, and you are truly proud to be American. And we are proud to have you as Americans,” the President said in language typical of a campaign rally, adding, “We thank you. We love you. And I want you to know my administration is fighting for you each and every day.”
This rally has been called a win-win for both the leaders. For President Trump, it was a chance to court Indian-Americans for the 2020 presidential election race where Texas could emerge as a battleground state. For Mr Modi, a PR triumph and picture with the president of the United States may help him shrug off the criticism over his recent strong-arm polices at home.
Houston’s NRG Stadium, where the event was hosted, was the first stop for Mr Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landslide victory in this year’s Indian elections.
Greeted by a standing ovation, Mr Trump used his speech to heap praise on Mr Modi, who he said was doing a “truly exceptional job for India” and its people.
Mr Trump also paid tribute to the Indian-American community, telling them “we are truly proud to have you as Americans”.
The US has a population of about 4 million Indians who are seen as an increasingly important vote bank in the country.
Apart from Mr Trump, organisers also invited Democrats to the event – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was among those who spoke.
The 2010 US census shows that Texas is home to the fourth-largest Indian-American population in the country after California, New York and New Jersey. Analysis of voting patterns shows the community tends overwhelmingly to support the Democrat party.
The rally gave Trump an opportunity to appeal to Indian-American voters in Harris County, which has been at the heart of Texas’ gradual shift from reliably Republican to competitive battleground. Modi, who is set to attend the United Nations General Assembly this week, could help give Trump a bump in his battle for reelection.
On stage, Modi introduced Trump as India’s “true friend” in the White House, and he invoked Trump in his signature campaign slogan, “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar,” which translates to “This time, Modi government.” On stage, Modi replaced his name with Trump’s.
He commended the Trump administration for celebrating Diwali at the White House, and he invited Trump and his family to come to India.
Modi said he is “certain that some positive developments” will come out of upcoming talks at the UN. “President Trump calls me the top negotiator but he himself is great at the ‘Art of the deal’ and I am learning a lot from him,” he said.
The event was the first of two events on Sunday with foreign leaders in battleground states. After the rally, Trump flew to Wapakoneta, Ohio, to tour an Australian-owned cardboard manufacturing plant alongside Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who Trump feted with a state dinner on Friday.
The events were an opportunity for both Modi and Morrison to show the US President they can deliver in ways that are especially appealing to Trump.
The exhibition of bonhomie with lots of hand-holding and hugs, culminated in a victory lap with both leaders joining hands and intermittently holding their arms aloft, around the track of the stadium to standing ovation. Modi appeared in control of the agenda at the massive gathering, as according to some news reports, the walk around the stadium was unscripted and spontaneous.
For his part, Modi showered exuberant praise on President Trump while introducing him as the first speaker, saying the American President’s “every word is followed by tens of millions,” and that his name “is familiar to every person on the planet,” and even praised Trump for having “left a lasting impact everywhere.”
The Indian leader extended an invitation to Trump to visit India with his family, and Trump in his speech joked that he may suddenly land up to watch the first ever NBA match to be played in Mumbai next month.
Both India and the U.S. stand against “radical Islamic terrorism,” Trump said. “We’re especially grateful to be joined by over 50,000 incredible members of our nation’s thriving, prospering, flourishing, and hardworking Indian American community. Thank you,” said President Trump. He had more to say in a year when election campaigns are the order of the day. “Prime Minister Modi and I have come to Houston to celebrate everything that unites America and India: our shared dreams and bright futures,” Trump said.
Indian-Americans are the highest educated, highest earning minority in the country, and their rising importance in U.S. politics was more than clear when Trump sat through Modi’s nearly forty-minute speech after delivering his own.
Modi got his share of praise when Trump said he had done “a truly exceptional job for India and for all of the Indian people. Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the world is witnessing a strong, sovereign, and thriving Republic of India. (Applause.) In a single decade, with the help of Prime Minister Modi’s pro-growth reforms, India has lifted nearly 300 million people out of poverty, and that is an incredible number. Incredible. That’s incredible. In the next decade, 140 million Indian household will rise to the middle class,” Trump said.
Close to 20 U.S. lawmakers representing both parties, jump-started the event by lining up on stage with brief speeches by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, and senior Texas Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, was the only Indian-American lawmaker from among the four elected representatives currently in the House of Representatives, and an Indian-American Senator. Among other notable officials who attended were Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Cornyn said Texas was unmatched among the U.S. states, in engaging with India, and praised the large Indian-American community in Houston; Hoyer introduced Modi saying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also welcomed him, and in being present, delinked domestic politics from international diplomacy, while keeping Kashmir out of the equation. Every speaker made mention of “common” values of democracy, the people-to-people ties, and the contributions of Indian-Americans to this country.
“Today we are seeing new history being made,” said Modi who spoke in Hindi. “And a new chemistry.” The presence of President Trump, the bipartisan lawmakers is a sign of the respect they hold for 1.3 billion Indians, he said. “Unity in diversity is our specialty. India’s diversity is proof of our democracy. It is our strength and our wish,” the Prime Minister said. “Wherever we go we take our diversity with us,” he added. “In this stadium, the more than 50,000 people represent our ancient history,” he said. “There are many among you who participated in the 2019 election,” which he noted saw 610 million come to the polling booth, two times the size of the American population.
A 21st Century India, Modi said, is impatient to become a “new India” and working to “challenge ourselves, we are changing ourselves.” He then trotted out figures to prove the expansion of electricity, cooking gas, rural road connectivity, bank accounts, to achieve “ease of living.” Modi also promised American investors India presented a “great opportunity” for them.
Outside the NRG Stadium, scores of protesters held placards and shouted slogans criticizing Modi, as did supporters of the Prime Minister. Two opposing opinions were also apparent in social media, and in statements released.
On the other side, were commentators like Houstonians Swati Narayan, director of the non-profit Culture of Health Advancing Together which works with immigrant and refugee families, and Manpreet K. Singh, director and trustee with the Texas chapter of the Sikh Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union. They wrote an opinion on CNN, entitled, “Why we won’t be cheering Modi and Trump in Houston,” which condemned actions in Kashmir, saying, .. we want the people of Kashmir to have a voice in their own state, and we want democracy restored. And most of all, we want India to live up to the pluralist and secular society it claims to be.”
Narendra Modi Given Global Goalkeeper Award
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Global Goalkeeper Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Swachh Bharat mission on September 24th. The PM said the honor bestowed on him was for the millions of Indians who participated in the mission.
He said receiving the award on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th anniversary is especially significant for him, for it shows people’s power – of the determination of 1.3 billion people to achieve any goal.
Three Nobel prize laureates – Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian activist, Mairead Maguire, a peace activist from Northern Ireland who was honoured in 1976, and Yemini journalist Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman – wrote an open letter urging the foundation to change its decision to give the award to Modi.
“We were deeply disturbed to discover that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be giving an award to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi later this month,” they wrote. “Under prime minister Modi’s leadership, India has descended into dangerous and deadly chaos that has consistently undermined human rights, democracy. This is particularly troubling to us as the stated mission of your foundation is to preserve life and fight inequity.”
Modi said that when he first talked about the Clean India campaign five years ago, there were “different reactions”, but “if you are committed to your goal then these are of no importance. What is important is the united efforts to make India clean and the development of a mindset in 1.3 billion Indians, and every single effort that people make for this effort. I therefore dedicate this award to those who made cleanliness the highest priority in their daily lives,” he said.
He said though the Swachh Bharat mission was begun by his government, the people took charge of it. “I think of the woman who sold her sheep to build a toilet, of the retired man who donated his pension for a toilet, or the lady who sold her mangalsutra to build a toilet. Such a campaign has been unheard of in recent times,” the PM said.
When he took over in 2014, less than 40 per cent homes had toilets in the country, and now it is close to 100 percent. He said the success of the Clean India mission has benefited women the most, as in rural areas women had to wait for it to get dark to venture to the fields to relieve themselves. “For mothers and sisters, not having a toilet at home is the biggest difficulty, it also goes against their self-respect,” the PM said.
He said lack of toilets in schools would force girls to give up their studies and sit at home. He said the Clean India Mission has also helped save thousands of lives, and cited a WHO report that said building toilets in homes helped save 300,000 lives. He cited a UNICEF study that said that every family with a toilet will be able to save Rs 50,000 a year, while a Bill and Melinda Gates report said that increase in sanitation has improved the BMI of women.
“I recall that Mahatma Gandhi said he believes that cleanliness is more important that independence. I am very happy that the dream of Mahatma Gandhi of cleanliness is going to become a reality.”
He said the main objective of the UN is to make peoples’ lives better and the Clean India Campaign plays an important role in achieving the UN goal. He said that the construction of so many toilets had also generated employment opportunities for poor people in rural areas.
“Our government has tried to change governance to cooperative federalism in the way different states have taken part in the campaign, through creating awareness, constructing toilets, through training. The states were given full assistance to fulfil the resolution,” he said.
Modi said that states now compete among themselves to rank higher in a cleanliness survey competitions. Modi said that India is ready to share its experiences with other countries.
“India is very close to achieving its goals, we are working at a fast pace. Through Fit India movement for preventive healthcare, and we have made 2025 the target to make India Tuberculosis free. We are making fast progress in the National Nutrition Mission, and will be able to overcome malnutrition. The Jal Jeevan Mission has been launched to provide regular supply of clean water to every home. We have also decided to stop single use plastic by 2022,” said Modi.
“I have complete faith in 1.3 billion Indians,” he said. He was conferred the award by Bill Gates at an event on the sidelines of the UNGA.
50,000 Expected at “Howdy, Modi!” in Houston
Nearly 50,000 attendees are expected to attend “Howdy, Modi!” event on Sunday, September 22 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, organizers of the spectacular event say. They will get to see “Woven: The Indian-American Story,” a 90 minute cultural program that is a celebration of Indian-Americans and their contributions to the cultural, intellectual, and social landscape of the United States.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the United States to address the United Nations General Assembly next week and will be visiting Houston address the event.
Presented by the Texas India Forum, Woven is a 90-minute music, dance, and multimedia show featuring close to 400 artists and community members from Texas and across the nation. There are 27 groups performing in a seamless live and multimedia experience that will showcase the diversity in the Indian-American community. Two original songs have been written for the program, which will trace the journey of Indian-American youth learning their roots to understanding how to put that together with the contemporary world.
“A challenge that many second and third generation Indian-Americans go through is navigating the complexity of having a hyphenated identity as an Indian and an American. Woven showcases the multiplicity of Indian-American experience. Our hope is that each person sees themselves in at least one form of expression and recognizes that whatever mix of Indian and American they are, it is just right,” said Heena Patel, CEO of MELA Arts Connect and co-producer of the program.
The show will also shine a light on unsung heroes in the Indian-American community who have undertaken selfless acts benefiting the broader American community without any need of recognition. From the classical and folk traditions passed on in basements across America to the creative exchange between Eastern and Western arts and ideas, Woven illuminates the stories of generations of Indian Americans and snapshots of home, and builds on the theme of “Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” that is the foundation of the event.
“We really look forward to presenting this unique and interesting cultural show at the event, which will tell the story of our community in a way that’s never really been done before. We want all the attendees and those watching from home to connect with a program that shows the Indian-American community and understand what drives our community to be part of the larger American experience,” said Gitesh Desai, spokesperson for the event.
The Texas India Forum, Inc. (TIF) is a not-for-profit organization that encourages cooperation between the United States and India, advancing the shared values of democracy, inclusive economic development, and mutual respect. TIF brings together Indian-American organizations and institutions to encourage collaboration within the region and expand opportunities for engagement with India.
For more information about the “Howdy, Modi!” community summit, please visit www.howdymodi.org. Texas India Forum 12600 Cardinal Meadow Dr. Sugar Land, Texas 77478 832.356.MODIinfo@howdymodi.org www.howdymodi.org
Modi keynote speaker at Bloomberg Global Business Forum
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at the 3rd Bloomberg Global Business Forum, which will feature several top global political and business leaders, on September 25 during his visit to New York.
After his address, Modi will participate in a conversation with entrepreneur and climate change activist Michael Bloomberg.
The forum on the theme “Restoring Global Stability” will focus on “aligning governments and businesses on combating the greatest current threat to global prosperity — the rise of economic and environmental instability,” according to the organizers.
“Meeting big challenges requires governments and businesses to work together, especially at a time when tensions and temperatures are both rising around the world,” said Bloomberg, who is the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action, and WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases.
Listed as participants in the forum are titans from the business and political world, including former US President Bill Clinton; Christine Lagarde, incoming President of the European Central Bank and former head of the International Monetary Fund; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden; Bank of England Governor Mark Carney; and CEOs Bob Iger of Walt Disney, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, Michael Corbet of Citibank, Tidjane Thiam of Credit Suisse and Dara Khosrowshahi of Uber.
Mahindra Group is one of the partners of the forum. Bloomberg, a former Mayor of New York, is also the founder of Bloomberg financial information company and a philanthropic foundation. Former British Prime Minister Theresa May was the keynote speaker at last year’s forum.
Gates Foundation criticized over award to Indian PM Modi
A petition with nearly 100,000 signatures calls on Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to rescind its decision. A decision by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to honor Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his campaign to improve sanitation in India has come under fire from activists and members of the civil society.
The award comes in recognition of the Hindu nationalist leader’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India Mission) program under which millions of toilets have been built across India, where open defecation is a major problem.
A petition circulated by a group of South Asian American academics, lawyers and activists has called on the Gates Foundation, known to be philanthropic, to rescind its decision, citing human rights violations committed under the Modi rule.
“While we understand the award was given for [Modi’s sanitation initiative], it nevertheless seems inconsistent to give a humanitarian award to a man whose nickname is the ‘Butcher of Gujarat’,” the statement said.
Modi has been accused of inciting and condoning the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which more than a thousand Muslims were killed during his time as chief minister of the western state. However, Indian courts have cleared him of complicity in modern India’s worst anti-Muslim violence.
As a result of the Gujarat violence, the US government – under its International Religious Freedom Act – denied Modi a visa in 2005. The ban remained in place until 2014, the year he was elected as India’s prime minister.
The petition, which at the time of publication had garnered more than 95,000 signatures, said the award “could not have come at a more awkward time”, pointing to the current crackdown in Indian-administered Kashmir and a citizenship exercise that has excluded nearly two million people in the northeastern state of Assam.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has been accused by the critics of pursuing exclusionary policies against the minorities in India as part of its far-right agenda.
Last month, India stripped Kashmir of its special status and imposed a crippling security lockdown in the Muslim-majority region, which has entered its second month. “In Kashmir, more than 800,000 Indian armed forces have kept eight million Kashmiris detained in their own homes without phones or internet services for the last month,” the petition said.
“Since the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] came to power in 2014, the use of organised mobs and militias have undermined the rule of law so frequently that the Indian Supreme Court warned that these ‘horrendous acts of moboracy cannot be permitted to inundate the law of the land’.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, the Gates Foundation stood by its decision to honour Modi “for the progress India is making in improving sanitation” as part of its drive in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“Sanitation is a key factor in improving the health and wellbeing of millions of people, especially women and children,” the foundation said. “Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do,” the statement continued, adding that the mission can serve as a model for other countries struggling with poor sanitation.
Yet critics have slammed the foundation’s rationale, arguing that hygiene and cleanliness cannot compensate for rights abuses. “Modi’s sanitation campaign has no doubt benefitted people, but how can access to a clean toilet outweigh the violence and persecution they may face in the rest of their lives?” an opinion editorial in The Washington Post asked. “If the Gates Foundation really wants to amplify sanitation efforts in India, it should give the award to community workers instead of a far-right nationalist.”
Protests Planned Against Modi Visit to USA
Several groups of Indian Americans have planned to stage protest rallies during India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled to visit the U.S. this month, who is scheduled to address the Indian community at NRG Stadium in Houston on 09/22/19 and the United Nations in NY on 09/28/19.
Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has pointed out that Modi’s government has been orchestrating a pogrom of hate, violence, and religious persecution against Christians, Muslims and Dalits in India. The Modi regime is also rapidly amending existing laws to expand its powers in an unprecedented fashion, from designating individuals as terrorists without trial, to doing all it can to weaken India’s federal system. Most recently, the Modi government resorted to unconstitutional and undemocratic means in order to change the constitutionally mandated special status of Jammu and Kashmir, split it into two, and brought both under the central government’s direct control.
It did this by sending tens of thousands of additional military personnel to the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, placing Kashmiri political leaders under house arrest, blocking all phone and internet connectivity, and imposing a complete lockdown. It has curbed free reporting by journalists and human rights’ activists, while its forces continue to brutalize the population.
“We call upon all people of conscience in the US to join us in protesting Modi’s visit and exposing the retrograde, near-fascist politics of Modi’s government,” the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), in a statement here, while urging all those who care about justice and human rights in India, in the United States, and in the world at large to express their condemnation of cruelties against Minorities in India.
.Modi, his party the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and their affiliates – including the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal – have a long history of indulging in politics of violence and hate. They are adherents of an ideology called Hindutva, distinct from Hinduism, that openly extols Hitler and Aryan supremacist views. This virulent ideology’s stated objective is to make India a homeland of Hindus and those who profess other faiths can live in the country only at the sufferance of Hindus. Modi and BJP pursue the Hindutva ideology of pushing attrition, bigotry, and religious persecution of minorities as state policy.
In 2002, as Chief Minister, Modi oversaw riots that targeted Muslims in Gujarat – over two thousand people were killed; thousands more were forced to leave their homes and businesses, and Muslim women were raped. Since Modi came to power in 2014, India, a pluralistic and multi-ethnic democracy, has seen a sharp escalation in religious violence, lynchings, and denial of fundamental rights. Violent mobs, mostly inspired by the atmosphere of hate perpetrated by the BJP, now attack and lynch Muslims, Christians, and Dalits on a daily basis with complete impunity. Criminals in all these cases have not been punished thanks to the complicity of the ruling party and its machinery.
The U.S. Department of State, USCIRF, U.N. Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others, have noted that Mr. Modi’s Hindu extremist BJP party encourages sectarian violence, and the BJP’s federal and state governments provide impunity to perpetrators, pushing bigotry and religious persecution as part of state policy, the organiers of the protests rally pointed out.
Donald Trump agrees to Modi’s wish to keep US away from Kashmir issue
US President Donald Trump has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels he has the situation in Kashmir “under control” and that India and Pakistan could handle the issue on their own, reiterating New Delhi’s position that the issue is a bilateral one.
The two leaders, who met for the first time since India scrapped the special status to Jammu and Kashmir, also agreed to a meeting of trade ministers ahead of Modi’s September visit to New York to address sticky trade issues that the two countries have been working at ironing out.
Trump’s remarks on Kashmir, made ahead of a bilateral meeting with Modi on the margins of the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, came a month after he angered New Delhi by saying the Indian premier had asked him to mediate on the issue. Modi said India welcomed suggestions from the US on many matters but did not reach out to other countries to resolve bilateral issues with Pakistan.
“We spoke last night about Kashmir and the prime minister really feels he has it under control. They speak with Pakistan and I’m sure that they will be able to do something that will be very good,” Trump said in response to a question from a reporter.
Modi added: “All the issues between India and Pakistan are of bilateral nature and because of this, we do not trouble any country of the world about these issues. I believe India and Pakistan, which were one before 1947, we can together discuss our problems and solve them.”
The Q and A session with Trump and Modi was marked by bonhomie and banter. At one point, as Modi was finishing responding in Hindi to a question, Trump quipped that the Indian Prime Minister actually speaks very good English but chooses not to.
The two enjoyed a laugh over the quip, clasped hands briefly, and Modi playfully slapped the US President’s arm. If the idea was to convey that the two leaders and countries shared a warm relationship, it worked.
Pressed by another reporter on his offer of mediation on the Kashmir issue, Trump replied: “I’m here, we have a very good relationship with both gentlemen (Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan), and I’m here. If for any reason, but I think they can do it themselves, they’ve been doing it for a long time.” Modi said there were many bilateral issues between India and Pakistan and that he had told Khan soon after his election last year that the two countries have to fight poverty, illiteracy and disease.
“I have given this message to the Pakistan prime minister and with President Trump, I always talk about bilateral issues between us,” he added.
Pakistan has stepped up efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue since India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5. On Monday, Khan said during an address to the nation that Modi’s decision was a “historic blunder” that had opened the doors for “Kashmir’s freedom”.
US officials had said ahead of the meeting on the margins of the G7 Summit that Trump intended to raise a security lockdown and communications blackout in Kashmir with the Indian side. It was not immediately clear whether this issue had figured in discussions between Trump and Modi during a dinner on Sunday night.
A US readout of the 40-minute meeting said Trump had “reaffirmed the need for dialogue between India and Pakistan to reduce tensions and acknowledged India’s role as a critical partner in Afghanistan”.
Briefing the media in Biarritz, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said Modi had made India’s position on Kashmir clear to Trump on Sunday night and there was no further discussion at Monday’s meeting. The Kashmir issue also hadn’t figured in Modi’s meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday, he added.
There was “some discussion” on the Kashmir issue when Modi met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday, and the prime minister laid out India’s position on Article 370 of the Constitution being an internal matter, and that New Delhi had taken no step on the international front “in any way or form to threaten regional peace and stability”, Gokhale said.
He contended normalcy was returning to Jammu and Kashmir and restrictions had been substantially eased or entirely removed in many areas. Gokhale said Modi had underlined the primary threat was the terrorism faced by the people and the state for more than 30 years.
Gokhale said Monday’s meeting between Modi and Trump was focussed on trade and energy. The two leaders agreed that before Modi’s visit to Washington in September, the trade ministers of the two sides should discuss the whole range of trade issues, he said.
Robust ties between India and the US have been buffeted by differences on a range of trade issues, including tariffs, market access and withdrawal of benefits under the Generalised System of Preferences programme.
Gokhale said Modi spoke of the importance of energy imports from the US, including $4 billion in imports already in the pipeline and India’s expectation “to step it up”.
Modi also said he intended to hold a roundtable with CEOs of top energy companies in Houston during his US visit to see how to import more energy from the US and to boost Indian investments in the US energy sector.
Modi also told Trump India is now in a “forward-looking position” on trade issues following his re-election and he reiterated his offer to send commerce minister Piyush Goyal to Washington to discuss all trade issues.
(With agency inputs from Biarritz)
AAPI Celebrates India’s Independence Day; Joins India Day Parade in Chicago
(August 12, 2019) Chicago, IL. American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) joined the India Day Parade, spreading the message of health and wellness at the India Day Parade in Greater Chicago area with much fanfare for the fifth time in a row on Aug 11, 2019. The float was organized by Dr. Suresh Reddy, President of AAPI, Dr. Meher Medavaram, Chair of the upcoming Chicago Convention and Dr. Niranjana Shah, President of IAMA, local chapter in Illinois.
“As we celebrate the 73rd anniversary of India’s Independence. AAPI, the premier organization that represents over 65,000 physicians and 25,000 Residents of Indian Origin in the United states, we want to convey our greetings to all the people of Indian origin on this day of national celebration,” Dr. Suresh Reddy, President of AAPI, said here on August 11th.
Attendees from AAPI included Dr. Seema Arora, Chair BOT, Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, President Elect, Dr. Anupama Gotimukula Vice President, Dr. Ravi Kolli, Secretary and Dr. Raj Bhayani, the Treasurer. Other dignitaries include Dr. Jagdish Gupta, Regional Director, Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Chair of IT Committee and Dr. Rupak Parikh, Past YPS President and. Co-Chair of the Chicago Convention 2020.
Attendees from IAMA (local chapter) were, Dr. Niranjana Shah, President, Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, immediate Past President, Dr. Dilip Shah, Treasurer, and Dr. Ram Medavaram and several others.
Dr. Bharat Barai, Board of Trustee, AAPI also attended the event. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, US congressman was one of the Chief Guests at the event. The much anticipated annual parade, which is one of the largest community event, was organized by the Federation of Indian Americans (FIA-Chicago Chapter).
Around 80 floats paraded through the streets of greater Chicago, while tens of thousands of Indians watched and cheered as the floats pass by. The evening entertainment included a free concert by the famous Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan, and several food stalls representing various parts of India.
Dr. Suresh Reddy and Dr. Seema Arora on behalf of the entire Executive committee and Board of Trustees of AAPI, wishes the entire AAPI community a wonderful India Independence Day this week.
“AAPI takes special pride in saluting our beloved tricolor. Let us recall with pride the great sacrifice of our freedom fighters, whose undying love for India secured us our freedom,” Dr. Reddy said, as the AAPI leaders from across the nation marched at the parade. For more information, please visit: www.aapiusa.org
Scrapping of Article 370 for Kashmir Receives Mixed Responses
The decision by Narendra Modi’s recently re-elected government to remove Kashmir, the Himalayan region’s special status under the Indian Constitution, has been described as a statement of intent and ideology.
India on Monday, August 5th, revoked the special status of Kashmir, the Himalayan region that has long been a flashpoint in ties with neighboring Pakistan, moving to grasp its only Muslim-majority region more tightly.
In the most far-reaching political move in one of the world’s most militarized regions in nearly seven decades, India said it would scrap a constitutional provision that allows its state of Jammu and Kashmir to make its own laws.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a ‘momentous occasion’ and said, “Together we are, together we shall rise and together we will fulfill the dreams of 130 crore Indians.” Modi said Jammu and Kashmir is now free from the shackles of “vested interest groups”, who believed in emotional blackmail and never cared for people’s empowerment. He lauded people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for their courage and resilience. “A new dawn, better tomorrow awaits,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
“The entire constitution will be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir,” Home Minister Amit Shah told India’s Parliament, as opposition lawmakers voiced loud protests against the repeal.
The government has also decided to split the state into two federal territories, one formed by Jammu and Kashmir, and the other consisting of the enclave of Ladakh, citing internal security considerations. Turning the state into a federal territory allows Delhi to exert greater control.
As the predominantly Hindu India’s only Muslim majority state, adherents of the country’s secular tradition of politics have long seen Kashmir’s continuing inclusion within the vast democracy as evidence that all faiths can thrive together. This contrasts India’s immense religious diversity with neighboring Pakistan’s strong Muslim identity.
But for Hindu nationalists such as Modi and his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), the privileges granted by article 370 of the constitution to Kashmir were concessions that a strong India united under their saffron banner no longer needed to make.
The provisions for Kashmir have their origin in the deal made when the former princedom opted to join India in the immediate aftermath of its independence from Britain in 1947. Introduced decades ago, the constitutional provisions reserved government jobs and college places for Kashmir’s residents, among other limits aiming to keep people from other parts of the country from overrunning the state.
Their sudden cancellation will have consequences that are difficult to predict. The issue of Kashmir is fiercely emotive in neighboring Pakistan, which has fought three full-scale wars with India, two over the disputed province.
Both the Houses of Parliament gave the go-ahead to immediately scrap Article 370, a historical provision that had extended a special status to Jammu and Kashmir for nearly seven decades, and carve two union territories out of the Himalayan state. The two changes that would bring the state under the direct control of the Centre, the government insists, would help curb terrorism backed by Pakistan and fast track development.
India lifted a ban on property purchases by non-residents, opening the way for Indians to invest and settle there, just as they can elsewhere in India, although the measure is likely to provoke a backlash in the region.
Pakistan, which also claims Kashmir, said it strongly condemned the decision, which is bound to further strain ties between the nuclear-armed rivals. “As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps,” its foreign ministry said in a statement.
Islamabad issued a terse statement that it would “exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps” and that the region was internationally recognized as a disputed territory. Leading Pakistani politicians spoke of Kashmir as their country’s jugular vein.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, convulsed by a nearly 30-year armed revolt in which tens of thousands of people have died, with hundreds of thousands of Indian troops deployed to quell it. India blames that rebellion on Pakistan, which denies the accusation, saying that it backs the right to self-determination for Kashmir.
Hours earlier the Indian government launched a security crackdown in the region, arresting local leaders, suspending telephone and internet services and restricting public movement in the main city of Srinagar.
Regional leaders have previously said stripping Kashmir’s special status amounts to aggression against its people. The streets in Srinagar were largely deserted as travel curbs kept people indoors, said a Reuters photographer who found a telephone connection in a restaurant near the city’s airport. There was heavy deployment of security forces across Srinagar, but no signs of protest.
“Politically, it’s advantage BJP,” said Happymon Jacob, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in the Indian capital. “The scrapping of Article 370 of the constitution is likely to set off a slew of political, constitutional and legal battles, not to speak of the battles on the streets of Kashmir.”
“Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy,” said one of the leaders placed under house arrest, Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. “It will have catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent,” she said in a post on Twitter.
India’s interior ministry ordered all states to put security forces on “maximum alert” to maintain public order and quash the spread of any rumors. Tension had risen in Kashmir since Friday, when Indian officials issued an alert over possible militant attacks by Pakistan-based groups. Pakistan rejected those assertions, but thousands of alarmed Indians left the region over the weekend.
US says no change in its policy on Kashmir
The US has said that there has been no change in its policy on Kashmir and reiterated its call for India and Pakistan to maintain “calm and restraint”, amid heightening tensions between the two neighbours after New Delhi revoked special status for Jammu and Kashmir.
When asked by reporters on Thursday if there has been any change in the Trump administration’s policy on Kashmir, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus replied: “No.”
“And if there was, I certainly wouldn’t be announcing it here, but no, there’s not,” Ortagus said in response to a follow-up question during a press briefing.
“I mean, I think obviously this is something that we watch incredibly closely. It’s something that we’ve called for calm and restraint by all parties. We want to main peace and stability, and we, of course, support direct – the direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on Kashmir and other issues of concern.”
Responding to a question on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement that “India was carrying out a genocide in Kashmir”, Ortagus said that the US urges the rule of law, respect for human rights and respect for international norms.
“Yeah, I mean, I really don’t want to go beyond what we’ve said, because it’s such a tenuous issue. It’s something that we’re talking to them about quite closely. We obviously, whenever it comes to – whenever it comes to any region in the world where there are tensions, we ask for people to observe the rule of law, respect for human rights, respect for international norms. We ask people to maintain peace and security and direct dialogue.
“There are reports, as you’ve mentioned, of detentions and restrictions of residents in Jammu and Kashmir. And again, that’s why we continue to monitor this very, very closely,” she added.
The spokesperson reiterated that the US was neither consulted nor informed by India about its decision to scrap Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution. “There was no heads up given,” she said. The US urged for peace and stability along the Line of Control.
The statement read: “We are closely following the events in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We take note of India’s announcement revising the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and India’s plan to split the state into two union territories.
“We note that the Indian government has described these actions as strictly an internal matter. We are concerned about reports of detentions and urge respect for individual rights and discussion with those in affected communities. We call on all parties to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Control,” the statement said.
J & K events unfolding as per Nazi-inspired RSS ideology: Imran Khan
After accusing India’s BJP government of having a “racist” ideology and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having the “mindset of Hitler”, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the events in Jammu and Kashmir were unfolding “exactly according to RSS ideology inspired by Nazi ideology”.
The Pakistan Prime Minister, whose diplomatic overtures to get the global leaders to denounce India’s moves on Kashmir have failed to yield any result, also wondered if the world would “watch and appease” the events in Jammu and Kashmir “as they did Hitler at Munich”.
In two loaded tweets, on the eve of Eid ul-Adha, Imran Khan tweeted: “The curfew, crackdown and impending genocide of Kashmiris in IOK (Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir) is unfolding exactly according to RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) ideology inspired by Nazi ideology. Attempt is to change demography of Kashmir through ethnic cleansing. Question is: Will the world watch & appease as they did Hitler at Munich?
“I am afraid this RSS ideology of Hindu Supremacy, like the Nazi Aryan Supremacy, will not stop in IOK; instead it will lead to suppression of Muslims in India and eventually lead to targeting of Pakistan. The Hindu Supremacists version of Hitler’s Lebensraum,” he posted.
His comments come as India relaxed curfew in Jammu and Kashmir, days after revoking its special status, to allow people to make preparations for celebrating Eid on Monday.
The Indian government has strongly denied media reports, including by the BBC, alleging police had fired on demonstrators in Kashmir. India has termed the media reports as “mischievous and motivated”.
Pakistan, which has termed India’s revoking J&K’s special status and dividing the state into two Union Territories an act of “annexation”, has approached the UN Security Council over it. Imran Khan has been dialling world leaders, including many from the Muslim majority nations, to get them to censure India, but he has failed in his efforts so far.
As part of unilateral actions, Pakistan has expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, suspended bilateral trade, and also permanently suspended two cross-border train services and a bus service.
In his address to the special joint session of Parliament that was called on August 6 to censure India’s moves, Imran Khan had accused India’s BJP-led government of having a “racist” ideology, which he said was behind changing the status of J&K in order to “put Hindus above all other religions” and “establish a state that represses all other religious groups”.
Khan had said the decision by India to abrogate Article 370 that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir was “not a decision they (the BJP) have taken out of the blue. It was part of their election manifesto all along. It is, in fact, ingrained in their ideology that puts Hindus above all other religions and seeks to establish a state that represses all other religious groups”.
He had also said the act would incite more “Pulwama-like incidents”, referring to the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama in which a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militant killed over 40 security personnel in a suicide attack.
On August 9, Imran Khan, while speaking to select journalists in Islamabad, had said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the “mindset of Hitler” who can do anything, and that India will get a “befitting response” from Pakistan if it decides to go to war.
Imran Khan said that Pakistan will take the issue of Indian violence against Kashmiris to the United Nations and that the international community will be apprised of the “Indian tactics, such as ethnic cleansing and plans to change demography of occupied Kashmir”. (IANS)
Congressman Souzzi Withdraw Your Statement: Demands Jagdish Sewhani
Congressman Suozzi and Leaders of the Indian American community:
Thank you for coming here in such a large number at such a short notice. This is reflective of the strong sentiment of we Indian Americans, which have been hurt by the letter written by Congressman Suozzi to Secretary of State Pompeo.
In fact, we are agitated by the tone and tenor of the letter. We demand that the Congressman withdraw this letter.
We believe Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India. The removal of discriminatory Article 370 and Article 35 A of the Indian constitution – which by the way was a temporary provision that got to live for 70 years – was purely constitutional and reflects the will of the people of India. It was passed by the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha by an overwhelming majority. The debate on this was live. The entire world watched it. Even members of the opposition party voted for it.
Congressman Suozzi, I will like to tell you that, revocation of Articles 370 and 35A and reorganization of the State has not made any changes in either the international boundary or the line of control.
Secondly, Congressman Suozzi, the internal matter of India has nothing to do with the situation in Afghanistan. I will like to draw your attention to the statement issued by the Taliban in which it distances itself from the Pakistani effort to link and says that Afghanistan and Kashmir should not be linked together.
Yes, India has deployed a large number of troops in Kashmir and taken several steps that has caused temporary inconvenience to the people there. But these steps have been taken to maintain peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir. This is because, we Indian Americans believe, of the past bitter experiences that India has had.
Congressman Souzzi, I hope you know it very well, thousands of terrorists are as we speak being trained inside Pakistan by several terrorist organization like Lashkar-e-Taiba or LeT, which has been declared a terrorist organization by the UN and the United States to create disturbance inside Jammu and Kashmir. These terrorists and terrorist groups are being provided shelter and their armed training and finances are being facilitated by the State of Pakistan.
I hope you are aware of not only Congressional records, but also statements made by the top administration officials. For the past several years, the US has been demanding Pakistan to take “irreversible and decisive actions” against terrorist groups.
India has deployed additional troops to stop infiltration of these terrorist groups from across the border to create panic and havoc inside Jammu and Kashmir. We all know the track record of Pakistan in this regard. If any letter you need to write to Secretary Pompeo should be about the nefarious actions of Pakistan.
What India has done is within its boundary. And Pakistan including its leader Prime Minister Imran Khan – please listen to his speech in his parliament – are openly threatening against India, including the N-word. Please use your influence, if any, to ask Prime Minister to stop interfering in India’s internal affairs and take decisive and irreversible actions against terrorists.
Last but not the least, situation in Kashmir is improving. As such, we Indian Americans demand that you immediately withdraw this letter written to Secretary Pompeo.
(Jagdish Sewhani, President, The American India Public Affairs Committee)
Sante Santhanam Chary: Awaiting Prime Minister Modi’s Signature on First Day Envelope, A Guinness Book of World Records
A single man’s army, Sante Santhanam Chary, campaigned and achieved with the United States Postal Service, the creation of the First Day Envelope, commemorating 50 years of Indian Independence in 1997, celebration of the two largest Democracies in the World.
A signature effort on his part, Sante later on obtained key endorsements from 70 US and Indian officials on the same Envelope in a unique show of solidarity and partnership. The envelope has been signed by 6 US Presidents, 8 Indian PMs, Presidents and Governors, Senators and Congressmen, in solidarity, which is a Guinness Book of World Records Effort.
Considered the Only Living Document of this type, now, Sante is on his way to have Prime Minister Narendra Modi sign in on the envelope during his upcoming visit to the United States in September this year.
A Healthcare entrepreneur, CE0 of US Physician Resources International, and Founder past Owner of US Rehab Resources Intl, currently he is a Managing Director of a Nationwide EB 5 investor Green card program (3 months green card for any investor in India or USA.)
His Early Dream and Reality as a kid growing up In Chennai, India, he dreamt of going to the United States in hopes of meeting an American President and attending an IVY league School. “Dreams ultimately exceeded reality after meeting 7 US Presidents and 8 Indian PMs as well as becoming an Alumni of Harvard Business School,” Sante says with a sense of pride. For more than two decades, Sante has focused and gained expertise in promoting US-India partnership programs.
Indian American entrepreneur and lobbyist Sante Santhanam Chary, who attended the 1989 Inaugural Ball for the late President George Herbert Walker Bush, has had the honor of meeting and interacting with seven U.S. presidents, including Jimmy Carter, Gerard Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
As a registered Lobbyist in the US Congress, Washington DC, sante has successfully lobbied and helped pass several legislations on Capitol Hill. He was a member of the U.S.A – CEO Delegation during President Obama’s visit to India. Sante attended Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh’s Welcome Reception in the White House and attended several Indian PM receptions in NYC including PM Modi, Nuclear Bill Signing ceremony by President Bush at the White House.
He wrote a US India partnership Day Modi Bill, got it introduced in the Senate and lobbied to get it passed unanimously, welcoming Modi to the White House 2014 his first Visit as PM to USA since his denial of US Visa.
Sante, an alumni of Harvard Business School and Thomas Jefferson School of Law, is the founder of the Dallas-Texas-based physician staffing firm, US Physician Resources. He is also the managing director of EB5 Coast to Coast, which has regional centers in 34 U.S. states.
He is a Charter Member of US India Chamber of Commerce in Dallas. Currently he serves as an Honorary Advisor to the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). He represented Plano as an Ambassador of the American Cancer Society, is an Officer of the Harvard Business School Alum Association and is involved in various local community activities. To fulfil the advice of his Alma Mater by giving back to the Community, Sante has focused on staffing Rehab and Physicians in rural areas where the biggest shortage exists, enabling to save millions of American lives.
Sante has hired hundreds of therapists to work in the rural areas across the US and currently recruits and Staffs-Locum Physicians to the rural hospitals/Clinics Nationwide. He is building a Hospital in South Dallas. Staffed hundreds of J1/H1 Physicians across the country for 25 years.
Longest surviving Non Physician supporter of AAPI for 25 plus years, he has worked with many AAPI Presidents, sponsored programs, AAPI Directories, Exhibited, Attended Global Health summits.
He was instrumental in starting Life After Residency Programs for AAPI. He had started TIPS Free Clinic in Dallas, attended and arranged Congressmen and Senator for AAPI legislative Days, organized AAPI Presidents to visit Rastrapathi Bhawan New Delhi several times and the White House.
Sante was one of the 11 exceptional immigrants from across the nation who were recognized and honored by Badmus Law Firm with the Immigrant Journey Awards for demonstrating leadership in business, a chosen profession, or in the civic arena.
Sante has received the ‘One Person Can Make a Difference Award’ from the 100,000-member American Occupational Therapy Association in Washington, D.C., for successfully initiating and lobbying Congress to declare Occupational Therapy Day, a bill which President George H.W. Bush signed into law.
Sante has been Recruiting Physicians for 25 years for the EB5 Green Card in 3 months. Sante is an Alumni of Thomas Jefferson School of Law and Harvard Business School. He can be reached Schary@usdrjobs.com– www.usdrjobs.com; www.ivyceo.com –Schary@Ivyceo.com Phone# 214 597 1571.
Boris Johnson’s ‘desi’ cabinet shows Indian diaspora impact
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘desi’ cabinet, with three Indian-origin leaders in his top ministerial team, is a profound testament of the impact of the Indian diaspora in the UK, British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith said.
Johnson has appointed Priti Patel as Home Secretary, Alok Sharma as International Development Secretary and Rishi Sunak as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The Cabinet also includes Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid in the top job of Chancellor.
“The ‘desi’ cabinet is a testament to just how diverse the UK is, and also what an impact the Indian diaspora makes in the UK. It is fantastic profile of the current state of UK,” Asquith said at a media briefing.
To a question on Britain’s new immigration policy under the new government, which is to leave the European Union by October 31, he said that Johnson has made it clear that the UK should “attract the best of brains”.
Asquith said that Johnson “has made clear that he is a profound supporter of making sure Britain attracts the best of brains”, and his government will “overlook the whole immigration process”.
He added that Priti Patel “has made clear that once we leave the EU, we will not favour geographical barriers and it will be open to all, on the basis of merit”.
Johnson has announced to explore an “Australian style points-based system” as part of “a radical rewriting” of the immigration system.
Both Johnson and Patel support “economic” migration and don’t support giving priority to EU migrants – which could be beneficial for skilled Indians, including students who go to the UK to study.
The Prime Minister has instructed the Migration Advisory Committee, a panel of academics and economists who advise the government on migration policy, to re-design the UK’s post-Brexit immigration system.
Patel has also announced that priority would be given to “those with the highest skills and the greatest talents – to attract those who add the most to our economy”. (IANS)
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India’s Minister for Health, Offers Overwhelming Support to NRI Physicians to Return to Motherland India, Providing Healthcare to Needy Patients
“Let us develop a structural relationship between AAPI and the government of India,” Honorable Shri Harsh Vardhan, India’s Minister for Health, told the hundreds of international delegates, at the 13thannual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) 2019 on July 21st. Organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) that serves as an umbrella organization for more than 160 member associations nationwide, GHS 2019 offers a platform to nearly 100,000 physicians of Indian origin it represents, to explore ways to giving back to their motherland.
“It is your love for your motherland that has brought you here today,” Dr. Vardhan said as the audience cheered him loudly. While describing them as leading luminaries, excelling in the medical field, contributing to make a positive impact in the healthcare sector through their dedication, commitment, knowledge and skills, who treat every 7th patient in the US, Dr. Vardhan, who is a physician himself, said, “We are optimistic about making a positive change in the health scenario of India, where we are seeking to have a high quality, affordable healthcare to all of our citizens.”
He proposed that each AAPI member return to one’s place of birth and identify the local needs of the place and invest one’s time and resources and talents and skills there in order to make a positive impact on the health of your native place. “If AAPI has a project in its efforts to enhance the healthcare system in India, the Ministry of Health will collaborate and provide all possible support to it,” the Minister promised the AAPI delegates who had come from around the United States to participate in the 13th edition of the Global Healthcare Summit in Hyderabad.Dr. Suresh Reddy, President of AAPI, said, “Many of the physicians who will attend this convention have excelled in different specialties and subspecialties and occupy high positions as faculty members of medical schools, heads of departments, and executives of hospital staff. The GHS offers an opportunity to meet directly with these physicians who are leaders in their fields and play an integral part in the decision-making process regarding new products and services,” he said.
Dr. Seema Arrora, Chair of AAPI’s BOT, said, “This international healthcare summit is a progressive transformation from the first Indo-US Healthcare Summit launched by AAPI USA in 2007. Providing a forum for innovative opportunities for learning, networking and giving back to our motherland that have now enabled us to plan ahead and prepare for an outstanding event with 200 very prominent and talented physicians and surgeons from abroad, in addition to the hundreds of physicians from India, who are very passionate about serving their homeland, mother India,” she added.
In his introductory welcome address, Dr. Ajay Lodha, Past President of AAPI, reminded the Minister that the Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) has come to be recognized as been a very unique and a truly pioneering effort to address areas of concern which are of significant consequences on health care scenario in India. Past summits have identified areas of mutual interest and also integrated advancements of healthcare facilities in India besides ways and means of tackling long term concerns leading to long-term collaborations. He reminded the audience of many outcomes of the Summit, which have resulted in establishing free medical care clinics across India, medical camps, and establishing of India-centric guidelines for management of Hepatitis C, Brain Injury and Trauma. He urged the Government of India to “support our initiatives and thus help us help the healthcare needs of our motherland, India.”
The nation’s growing wealth has yet to find a panacea for India’s overburdened public health care system.
Acknowledging that there is a dichotomy in India, which is a huge challenge for the government and its more than a billion people, Dr. Vardhan said that “even as we grow economically to be a powerful nation, healthcare is a huge challenge. There is an urgent need to enhance the healthcare delivery in India.”Seeking collaboration and participation from AAPI in every possible area in the large healthcare sector in India, Dr. Vardhan referred to how Indian pharma companies have made a name for themselves for making drugs affordable around the world and saving Billions of Dollars for the people and the many governments around the world. “You know the needs of the nation. Now, it’s your responsibility to see where your expertise and services will fit in and how you can make a positive impact in the healthcare system in India,” the Minister told the AAPI delegates.
During his address, Dr. Harsh Vardhan presented an overview of the healthcare needs of the country and suggested several areas where AAPI could collaborate with the government of India, including establishing Memorandum of Understanding with international organizations, which will support healthcare in India; Transferring advanced research and experiences in the medical field and enhance the quality of medical education in India; Organizing healthcare/medical camps in rural and economically backward regions of the nation; and, addressing hygienic and preventive measures and enhancing the healthcare delivery in India.
Speaking on Ayushman Bharat, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that “we will consider expanding eligibility criteria to include those poor and vulnerable people who have been left out from the current list of PMJAY”. He stated that concerted efforts will be made for empanelling more private hospitals. Also, that the Government will resolve the bottlenecks in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat and make it more handy and easily accessible for the common man. “We will make Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) into a people’s movement. The focus will be on consolidating both the streams of Ayushman Bharat, he added.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan emphasised to make health a ‘Jan Andolan’ through people’s involvement. He said that we can provide maximum possible help through this Ministry as there is instant benefit to the people. He further added that India has the potential and capacity for fulfilling the goal of ‘Health for All’.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan also laid emphasis on elimination of TB from India by 2025 and said that the government will also take concerted and time-bound actions to eliminate Leprosy and Kala Azar. He added that the government will create a roadmap for essential devices list and a separate policy for medical devices focusing on their accessibility and affordability to masses. “We are committed to leveraging all resources efficiently to ensure that the out-of-pocket expenditure on health is reduced and all citizens can avail of necessary medical services,” Dr. Harsh Vardhan elaborated.
GHS 2019, a three-day event began with the inaugural address by Honorable Shri Venkiah Naidu, India’s Vice President, and had as many as 300 participants from India and abroad, attending the annual Summit, and identifying ways to give back to their motherland, India.
The GHS 2019 displays how well the Indian doctors have shown themselves as an effective force in the medical world in USA. With the objective of enabling people in India to access high quality, affordable, and cost-effective world class health services, the Summit is being organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs & Ministry of Health, and has participation from some of the world’s most well-known physicians and industry leaders.
Many of the physicians who are attending this convention have excelled in different specialties and subspecialties and occupy high positions as faculty members of medical schools, heads of departments, and executives of hospital staff. The GHS offers an opportunity to meet directly with these physicians who are leaders in their fields and play an integral part in the decision-making process regarding new products and services. For more details on AAPI and its numerous initiatives, please visit: www.appiusa.org
PM Modi invites G20 countries to join global coalition on disaster resilience
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invited the G20 countries to join a global coalition on disaster resilience, saying disasters require quick and effective remedial measures as they invariably affect the poor the most.
Modi, who is in Osaka, Japan for the two-day G20 Summit, laid special emphasis on building a disaster resilient future.
“Disaster resilient infrastructure is required not only for development, but it is also necessary to combat natural calamities. In this regard I stressed upon the need of an international coalition in the G-20 conference of Buenos Aires,” he said at the G20 session on Quality Infrastructure Investment and Development Cooperation.
He invited the G20 countries to join the International Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
“I invite the G-20 countries to join this coalition and share their experience and expertise,” the Prime Minister said.
“Disasters, natural or manmade, require quick and effective remedial measures. They invariably affect the poor the most. At the #G20 Summit, invited other nations to join the International Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Let us close ranks for a safer planet,” Modi said on Twitter.
“PM @narendramodi laying special emphasis on building a disaster resilient future, invites G20 countries to join the International Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.
On Friday, Modi held bilateral and plurilateral meetings with many leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Russian president Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.
Group of 20 leaders have joined their host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in showcasing support for helping women close the gap with men in finance and other forms of economic empowerment.
Ivanka Trump, adviser to President Donald Trump, said Saturday that the world economy would get a boost of up to USD 28 trillion by 2025 if women were on an equal economic footing. She was speaking at a special session on the issue at the G-20 summit in Osaka that included her father. She described improving the status of women as “smart economic and defense policy.” Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the UN secretary-general’s special advocate for inclusive finance for development, says “it is really necessary to close this gap for women to be economically empowered.”
Donald Trump hits out at ‘unacceptable’ India tariffs
US President Donald Trump has called new Indian tariffs on US products “unacceptable” and demanded that they be withdrawn. India imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 US products earlier in June, after the US announced it was withdrawing India’s preferential trade treatment.
Mr Trump’s criticism came a day after the two sides had downplayed tensions.
He is due to meet Mr Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which begins on 28 June in Osaka, Japan.
Shortly before leaving for Japan, the US president told reporters on the White House lawn that he would be meeting leaders from different countries, “many of whom have been taking advantage of the United States – but not anymore”.
Trump’s tweet appeared to contradict a joint statement made by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday.
It said that “even great friends had differences,” in what was seen as an attempt to downplay tensions.
US-India bilateral trade was worth $142bn (£111bn) in 2018, a sevenfold increase since 2001, according to US figures
But $5.6bn worth of Indian exports – previously duty-free in the US – will be hit since the country lost preferential treatment under America’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) – a scheme that allows some goods to enter the US duty-free.
Trade tensions have been simmering between the two countries. Last year, India retaliated against US tariff hikes on aluminium and steel by raising its own import duties on a range of goods.
Mr Trump has also threatened to impose sanctions if India purchases oil from Iran and goes ahead with plans to buy Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles.
Indian Overseas Congress, USA Opens New Chapter representing Michigan State
In its continuing efforts to expand IOC, USA offices throughout USA, IOC, USA opened a New Chapter in Michigan on Sat. June 22, 2019 and installed Mr. Rajwinder Singh Grewal as the Chapter President. The installation ceremony took place in the Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, where over two hundred member participants gathered to witness the installation ceremony of the President. Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of IOC, USA in New York came down to Michigan to install the Chapter president.
Mr. George Abraham, Vice Chairman and Mr. Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General of IOC, USA , who were unable to attend, welcomed Mr. Gerewal ji and sent their congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Raj winder Singh Grewal and his team and looked forward for an active participation and interaction with the newly created Michigan Chapter going forward.
Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian also conveyed the greetings and blessings of Mr. Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress Department of All India Congress Committee in New Delhi to Mr. Rajwinder Singh Grewal and stated that although Mr. Pitroda had earlier indicated his intention to attend the function but was, however, now precluded from doing so due to a last minute schedule change.
Many of the Congress party officials, distinguished leaders, members, families and friends who not only came from the neighboring cities and states to grace the occasion, but also spoke at the function and praised the newly constituted team. There was considerable enthusiasm noted from the new team and it was inevitable that the Chapter will be up to an active start.
In expressing great satisfaction and confidence in these appointments, Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian emphasized the need to work diligently, the NRIs to work on the phones with their families and friends to explain why it was necessary at this time to re strategize wisely and work even harder. The failings, especially the lynchings now prevailing in India was a cause of great concern to everyone and shortcomings of the Modi government were well known.
Over a dozen prominent speakers took turn to pay tribute and compliment Mr. Grewal ji and all the new appointees. Mr. Grewal, thanked Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian and everyone who had attended the ceremony and made a firm commitment to work hard and support the Party with all his might and capabilities. Mr. Gerewal said that even though the Congress Party had not succeeded this time, he was highly optimistic that things will be totally different the next time around.
India to hit back US with retaliatory tariffs
In what could potentially aggravate trade tensions between India and the US, New Delhi has decided to impose long-pending retaliatory tariffs on 29 US products. Washington had withdrawn duty-free benefits for Indian exports under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) effective June 5.
“The duty hikes will come into effect in normal course as the notification to postpone the hikes will expire on Saturday night. We don’t see any reason for escalation as the duty hikes are against the tariff hikes by the US on steel and aluminum products, and not because the US withdrew duty-free benefits to Indian exporters,” said a government official with direct knowledge of the matter, requesting anonymity.
According to the current notification, the retaliatory tariffs will come into effect beginning June 16. India had repeatedly postponed the imposition of retaliatory tariffs of $235 million on import of US goods worth $1.4 billion since they were first announced on June 20, 2018. Key items imported by India from the US include almond and fresh apples worth $645 million and $165 million, respectively.
Biswajit Dhar, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the escalation in trade tensions between the two countries would have happened in any case. “Trump wants market access in India and he will not stop at the withdrawal of GSP benefits. But I am happy that India has responded, since it was giving a wrong signal about India’s decision-making process. Now, both sides can sit down and talk like equal partners,” he added.
India’s move comes ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a G20 summit on June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan. Trump has often termed India a “tariff king” and repeatedly pointed to the 50% duty that India imposes on imports of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit New Delhi on June 25-26, on his way to the G20 Summit, to hold bilateral discussions with his Indian counterpart, external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
Speaking at the 44th annual meeting of the US-India Business Council in Washington DC on Wednesday, Pompeo said they may discuss “tough topics”, including the recent GSP programme decision. “We remain open to dialogue, and hope that our friends in India will drop their trade barriers and trust in the competitiveness of their own companies, their own businesses, their own people, and private sector companies,” Pompeo said.
The trade ministry’s move, which was cleared by the external affairs ministry, comes a day after a senior Trump administration official raised “serious concerns” about India’s planned acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defence systems.
Last week, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said India accepts the decision of the US to withdraw GSP benefits to its exporters “gracefully”, and will work towards making the exports competitive.
Briefing reporters after a meeting with exporters and state government representatives, Goyal said the withdrawal of GSP is not a matter of life and death for all exporters. “India is now evolving and moving out of the crutches that we thought we needed to export. India is no more an underdeveloped or least developed country that we will look at that kind of support. We believe we can be export-competitive at our own strength or at the strength of our own comparative advantage.”
In March, the US had announced its decision to withdraw the preferential duty benefits to India after talks between the two sides broke down on “disproportionate” demands by Washington.
However, the US had deferred the withdrawal of the GSP because the Indian general elections were underway. This had raised hopes that the two sides may re-engage to try and resolve their differences after the Modi government took charge. On June 1, though, the US president surprised everybody by issuing the presidential proclamation and withdrawing GSP benefits given to India, effective June 5.
China promises to simplify regulations after Modi address India-China trade imbalance with Xi Jinping
China has simplified some regulations related to import of certain goods from India to address the trade imbalance as President Xi Jinping last week told Prime Minister Narendra Modi here that he will be taking further such steps.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told at a media briefing after Modi and Xi held talks, laying the ground for the Chinese President’s substantive visit to India later this year. Modi invited Xi for an “informal Summit” in India this year. Xi accepted the invitation and said he looks forward to the visit to strengthen the relationship.
Modi and Xi agreed that the two countries have a historic opportunity to look forward to a number of issues, address a number of problems and to take India-China relations to a new level, the Foreign Secretary said.
Describing the meeting as “relatively brief” but “substantive in content”, he said there was “some discussion on trade” in the context of trade imbalance, which is in favor of China.
The Foreign Secretary said China has simplified some regulations on goods like non-basmati rice and sugar, as a result of which there will be a “significant uptake” in Indian exports to China.
The Chinese President told the Prime Minister that these are “initial steps” and that he would be taking further steps to address the trade imbalance, Gokhale said. “Both sides agreed that, in some manner we have to, in the next few months, see how we can achieve a significant breakthrough in the discussions between the two sides,” he added.
Modi and Xi also had a brief discussion on the boundary question and they asked the Special Representatives of the two countries, who were present in the meeting, to expedite the process of finding a “fair, reasonable and mutually-acceptable” solution to the issue.
It was also noted at the meeting that 2020 will mark the 70th year of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China. In this context, the Prime Minister said it should be marked in a befitting manner.
It was decided that the two countries will organize 70 important events jointly — 35 in each country – and Foreign Ministers were tasked to discuss mechanism for the same.
“This is the beginning of a series of interactions the two leaders (Modi and Xi) will have,” Gokhale said, adding that they will “meet and greet” at the G-20 Summit, then at the BRICS Summit before the “informal summit” in India. (IANS)
India successfully test fires hypersonic cruise missile
India on Wednesday conducted a successful first test flight of the indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from a base off the Odisha coast. The only other countries that possess this technology are the US, Russia and China.
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet (allowing supersonic combustion) demonstration vehicle that can cruise up to a speed of mach 6 (or six times the speed of sound) and rise up to an altitude of 32. km in 20 seconds.
It has a range of uses, including missiles of the future, and energy-efficient, low cost and reusable satellite-launch vehicle.
What gives a hypersonic missile its potency is the speed at which it travels, said Rajeshwari Rajagopalan, an expert on space and nuclear technology at the New Delhi- based Observer Research Foundation think tank. Countries like Russia and China have perfected this technology which makes it key for India to acquire it, she said. “This test today puts India in an elite club of nations definitely, but India will have to perfect the technology with many more tests,” said Rajagopalan.
India’s HSTDV was test-fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at 11.27 am, a statement from the defence ministry said. The aim of the mission was to “prove a number of critical technologies for futuristic missions”.
A hypersonic missile is a “quick reaction missile” which makes it invaluable in offensive as well as defensive uses, said W. Selvamurthy, a former DRDO scientist. In case of defence, it can be used to intercept incoming missiles in the outer atmosphere or in the inner atmosphere. It will help add to India’s ballistic missile defence capabilities, he said.
“I congratulate team @DRDO_India for positioning India amongst a select few countries with the successful test fire of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) off Odisha’s coast. It can be used to launch satellites at low cost & will strengthen our defence capabilities,” petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted.
India has been developing a range of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to meet its security challenges under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. These include the Prithvi and Agni missiles as well as the anti-tank Nag and surface to air Akash. India in collaboration with Russia has developed the Brahmos cruise missile. In March, New Delhi, India successfully carried out an anti-satellite missile test that aims to protect its space assets.
The HSTDV cruise vehicle is mounted on a solid rocket motor, which will take it to a required altitude, and once it attains certain mach numbers for speed, the cruise vehicle will be ejected out of the launch vehicle, a PTI report said. The scramjet engine gets ignited automatically later. Besides its utility for long-range cruise missiles of the future, the dual-use technology will have multiple civilian applications too. For instance, it can be used for launching satellites, PTI quoting unnamed officials said.
Narendra Modi sworn in for second term as India’s Prime Minister
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was formally sworn in Thursday, May 29th for a second straight term in office, following a landslide victory in national elections that cemented his grip on power in the world’s largest democracy.
He took his oath of office for the second time at New Delhi’s imposing Presidential Palace, known here as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, along with several members of his new council of ministers.
Modi, his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and their allies won a total of 349 seats out of 545 in the Parliament’s lower house earlier this month. The resounding win followed a seven-week long election that saw the Prime Minister adopt an increasingly nationalist posture — a marked departure from the focus on economic reform during his first campaign back in 2014.
The result defied even the most optimistic predictions by BJP supporters. Modi is the first Indian leader since the 1970s to secure a second straight term with a clear parliamentary majority.
Modi’s new team includes Amit Shah, his closest political ally and the BJP party president credited with engineering the party’s electoral wins, who makes a formal entry into government with his appointment as a minister. Another new entrant, S Jaishankar, a former top civil servant in India’s foreign ministry, was also sworn in as a minister.
Security remained tight around the massive presidential mansion in New Delhi, as national leaders and other dignitaries arrived. In a clear sign of the magnitude of Mr. Modi’s victory — his Bharatiya Janata Party was the first in more than three decades to win a clear majority in consecutive elections — officials said that his swearing-in was the largest event ever held on the mansion’s 300-acre grounds.
The guest list at the two-hour ceremony struck a balance between the ascent of Mr. Modi’s party as the country’s dominant political force, and Mr. Modi’s ambitions of projecting India as a global power, particularly in a region where China has made deep inroads. The list of foreign leaders indicated that Modi would continue to focus on “neighbors first”: It included leaders from Bhutan, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Modi’s latest election campaign was dogged with questions on his government’s poor economic performance and the agrarian crisis that has been unfolding across the country.
Analysts say economic policy will be an important area to watch as Modi begins his new term, after a campaign dominated by talk of Hindu nationalism that made many minorities and secular liberals nervous.
“On one hand, I do believe they are likely committed to turning around the macroeconomic indicators in this country, but on the other hand can they resist the populist tendencies that naturally comes with this kind of mandate and the electoral pressures that exist?” said Neelanjan Sircar, senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research.
“It is very hard for a government to do something that is not electorally popular and paradoxically when you have a mandate like this it is even harder,” he added.
The BJP picked up 303 seats in the elections, a jump from 282 five years ago. The principal opposition Congress Party led by Rahul Gandhi, which suffered its worst-ever defeat in 2014, only marginally improved its strength in parliament, raising questions about the leadership of what was once seen as the natural party of government.
Modi picks Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, a China expert and former envoy to U.S. to steer India’s foreign policy
Former foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was the surprise addition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet on Thursday, taking oath ahead of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who held key posts in the previous government.
Jaishankar, the son of one of India’s foremost strategic thinkers, K Subrahmanyam, had joined the Tata Group as president of global corporate affairs after his stint as the foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018.
He is considered to be very close to the prime minister and was part of a troika with Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that played a major role in shaping foreign policy in the early years of the last NDA government.
The government announced S. Jaishankar, a former foreign secretary, would take over the portfolio from Sushma Swaraj, the ruling party’s veteran leader, who has had health issues.
The handing of the ministry to the veteran diplomat, who has been ambassador to both the United States and China, could be Modi’s most astute move as he seeks to pursue a stronger U.S. relationship and to intensify efforts to strengthen Chinese ties.
Jaishankar was a key negotiator during a tense border dispute with China in 2017, the most serious and prolonged standoff in decades along the disputed Himalayan frontier.
“He is a trusted aide to the prime minister,” said a source with close knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
He could also prove to be a calming influence in efforts to repair India’s problematic relationship with Pakistan that almost spiralled out of control this year, a second source with close knowledge of the situation said.
“He has a good feel for the relationship. He visited Pakistan in the Modi regime, and will be a positive force in managing this equation,” the second source said.
Jaishankar worked on a landmark 2008 deal with the United States that ended a three-decade ban on U.S. nuclear trade with India. He later took up the post of ambassador in Washington.
“It’s a perfect choice for the job, and somebody with hands-on experience who can assist the prime minister in pursuing his initiatives,” said Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary.
Amit Shah, India’s invisible prime minister, gets more powerful — and dangerous
(By Rana Ayyub: Courtesy — The Washington Post)
On May 17, just before the end of the election season, Indian journalists were abuzz with news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give his first-ever press conference. Modi has been the only prime minister in the history of independent India not to take questions from the press. But instead of a news conference, Modi delivered a monologue. When asked to take questions, he looked to his left, to Amit Shah, then president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Shah would answer all questions, Modi said.
Shah stepped up, as he has done for Modi for years now. He is the second-most-powerful man in India. Many in the party call him the invisible prime minister. Shah is Modi’s shadow, loyal attack dog, spokesman and campaign strategist. He has now been named home minister, one of the most influential cabinet positions.
Shah, 54, has been a Modi loyalist since the ′90s. They go back to Modi’s early days in Gujarat, when Modi was not content with being general secretary of his party — he wanted power. In 2001, a few years after his arrival, Modi became chief minister of Gujarat with the help of Shah. Shah served as a young minister in Modi’s state cabinet, holding a wide portfolio. Shah’s mission was to thwart all trouble that came Modi’s way, with his office getting the infamous tag of the “dirty tricks department” of the chief minister.
Since that time, Shah has only grown more powerful. He is one of the most divisive and hateful politicians in India. He has told audiences that a vote against the BJP will be celebrated in Pakistan. He has referred to Muslim immigrants as “termites” who need to be thrown in the Bay of Bengal. It was his idea to introduce a bill to grant citizenship to minorities from neighboring countries, except Muslims.
More troubling, he has a checkered past on human rights. He has been accused of extrajudicial killings against Muslims labeled as being terrorists.
In 2010, I reported on the killings. I produced Shah’s call records and an internal note by the Gujarat state intelligence agency that noted he was in conversation with officials as they took victims to be killed. Two weeks after my investigation was published, Shah was arrested (he denied the accusations and called the charges “fabricated and politically motivated”).
The Central Bureau of Investigation had been investigating Shah for his role in the killing of a Muslim man, Sohrabuddin Sheikh, and his wife, Kauser Bi. The CBI, under the watchful eye of the Supreme Court of India, named Shah a key suspect and conspirator in the crime, but also accused him of being the head of an extortion racket that involved underworld thugs and politicians. The charges were so serious that the Supreme Court banned Shah from entering his home state so he could not influence or intimidate witnesses. Shah was also investigated for his role in the kidnapping and murder of a 19-year-old woman, Ishrat Jahan, who had been illegally detained.
Shah didn’t spend long behind bars — he was soon out on bail. It was speculated that Shah’s downfall would also bring down Modi. But in 2013, Modi was named the BJP’s candidate for prime minister. Shah was made the president of the BJP, the first party leader to hold the position despite the criminal charges against him. As the Modi government came to power, witnesses in Shah’s case turned hostile, judges recused themselves, and within months Shah was acquitted of all criminal charges.
In 2013 Shah was also accused of illegally spying on a young woman. Two journalism organizations produced taped conversations with senior police officials, where he was heard directing them to keep surveillance. The BJP’s explanation was that her father had requested security, but the police couldn’t produce any official requests or authorizations.
Despite his controversial past, Shah has now cemented his role as Modi’s confidant and enforcer. He can take policy decisions without the prime minister’s approval. In 2014, when the opposition Congress Party gave up on its electoral prospects, Shah began preparing for 2019. He relaunched a massive membership drive of BJP workers. In a span of two years, the number of verified BJP members rose from 35 million to 110 million. Shah has also built political alliances across the country, which helped the BJP obtain its recent massive electoral mandate.
Some speculate that Shah has set his eyes on the prime minister’s chair for 2024. For now, as head of the home ministry, the most significant department in the Indian parliamentary system, he will oversee the disposal of justice and be responsible for maintaining peace and harmony in the country.
But he’s clearly all too willing to abuse power. India is living in one of its most polarized political and social moments. The country needs a healing touch. But Modi and Shah only care about amassing power, even if it means weakening institutions, undermining human rights and eroding trust in the rule of law. India could not be in more dangerous hands.
US ends special trade treatment for India amid tariff dispute
President Trump seems to be standing firm on his decision to impose tariffs on goods imported into America despite an increasing number of threats and retaliatory taxes on US products.
“We’re the bank that everyone wants to steal from and plunder,” he told reporters at the White House.
India and the United States have had a historic strategic partnership, but on the economic front, President Trump seems to have adopted a different attitude. On Monday, he justified hiking tariffs on imports into the US by pointing out that India had up to a 100% tariffs on American products.
India had been the largest beneficiary of a scheme that allows some goods to enter the US duty-free. However that status will end on Wednesday, Mr Trump said.
In March he announced that it would be revoked because India had failed to provide adequate access to its markets, but Mr Trump gave no date. On Friday he said: “It is appropriate to terminate India’s designation as a beneficiary developing country.”
India had said the move would have a “minimal economic impact”, but it comes at a time lower growth and record unemployment in the country.
Until now, preferential trade treatment for India under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme allowed $5.6bn (£4.3bn) worth of exports to enter the US duty free.
The move is the latest push by the Trump administration to redress what it considers to be unfair trading relationships with other countries.
Last month the US ended Turkey’s preferential status under the scheme.
Trump has also imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from countries around the world. Last year, India retaliated against those tariff hikesby raising import duties on a range of goods.
Separately, the US is involved in an escalating trade war with China, and recently threatened tariffs on Mexican goods over illegal migration.
Modi Leads BJP To A Landslide Win In Indian Election
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide victory in the world’s largest election as voters endorsed his vision of a muscular, assertive and stridently Hindu India. The election results represent a stunning mandate for Modi and his new Team of Ministers, who are entrusted with the task of leading the nation in the next five years.
Modi, a charismatic and polarizing politician who towers over his rivals, led the BJP to a stunning and historic victory in the Lok Sabha battle, with the ruling party itself winning 303 seats in a marked improvement over its 2014 showing that left the Opposition dazed and demoralized.
For the second successive Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has managed to cross the halfway mark of 272 seats — where it had won 282 seats in 2014, this time, it won 21 more seats to finish with 303 seats. The BJP-led NDA won 348 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats where polling took place in a seven-phase election. The development sent the Sensex breaching the 40,000-mark as India Inc celebrated.
No Indian prime minister has returned to power with a similarly large mandate in nearly five decades. Modi’s win is a victory for a form of religious nationalism that views India as a fundamentally Hindu nation and seeks to jettison the secularism promoted by the country’s founders. While India is roughly 80 percent Hindu, it is also home to Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and other religious communities.
Modi first swept to power five years ago on a desire for change and the belief that he would transform this country of more than 1.3 billion people, unshackling the economy and creating millions of jobs. Unemployment has risen to a 45-year high and there are worrisome signals that Indian consumers are buying less, slowing the broader economy.
Such expectations remain unfulfilled, but in this election, Modi pushed a message of nationalist pride and told voters he was the only candidate who would safeguard the country’s security and combat terrorism.
Nearly 900 million people were eligible to vote in the six-week long election. The election results represent a tectonic shift that cements the BJP’s dominance of Indian politics under Modi’s leadership. “Something fundamentally has shifted” with this vote, said Milan Vaishnav, who heads the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The BJP “has emerged as the hegemonic force in Indian politics.”
The Indian National Congress, the country’s main opposition party, had a disastrous showing for a once-mighty political force that governed India for most of its post-independence history. Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi clan, failed to find a strategy to counter Modi’s appeal. Gandhi was unable to retain his own seat in the Congress stronghold of Amethi.
Gandhi, the Congress party leader, tried to dent Modi’s dominance. He attacked Modi for threatening the secularism promoted by the country’s founders and for failing to create jobs for millions of young people or to help struggling farmers.
Modi struck back, calling Gandhi the scion of a corrupt dynasty. Gandhi’s father, grandmother and great-grandfather all served as prime ministers of India (the family is not related to independence leader Mohandas Gandhi).
The opposition had “neither a program, nor a leader, nor a narrative,” Pavan Varma, a spokesman for a regional party aligned with the BJP, told the Indian television channel NDTV. The BJP, meanwhile, had Modi as a candidate and a potent election machine, he said. It also had more money than any other party in the race by several orders of magnitude.
Modi’s supporters exulted at the outcome. “It’s nothing short of a landslide,” wrote Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu on Twitter, calling the result a political tsunami that had swept the country. Indians have “voted for a clear, unambiguous choice,” he wrote. Several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping, congratulated Modi on his victory as votes were still being counted.
While Modi focused the election debate on national security – particularly after a terrorist attack in February in Kashmir – the next government’s major challenges promise to be economic. Bread-and-butter issues “got very little time and space” in this election, said Puja Mehra, the author of a new book on the Indian economy. Modi was “able to sway voter attention [away] from the economic hardships they faced” and toward issues central to his campaign, such as national security, religion and the importance of strong leadership.
Modi also benefited from considerable popularity among voters, many of whom view him as a corruption-free politician. The son of a tea seller, Modi comes from humble roots and rose through the ranks of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a group that seeks to make India a “Hindu nation.”
As chief minister of the state of Gujarat, Modi modernized infrastructure and successfully courted investment by domestic and foreign businesses. In 2002, he presided over the country’s worst communal violence in decades, when more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed by Hindu mobs. Members of his own party wanted him to resign.
Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, reports of violence by Hindu extremists have increased, including lynchings in the name of protecting cows, which some Hindus consider sacred. Some Muslims say they are increasingly fearful about the country’s direction. In the election campaign, senior BJP leaders engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Modi’s decisive mandate means that India will move further toward becoming a majoritarian democracy, said Suhas Palshikar, a political scientist and columnist. “It is not so much that the formal institutional structure will change,” he said. “What will change are the social and cultural values in the society.” Religious minorities will be “reduced to secondary citizens” while Hindu nationalists “have free play.”
Two months before voting began, a suicide bomber killed 40 security Indian security forces in the disputed region of Kashmir. Modi launched a retaliatory airstrike on an alleged terrorist training camp within Pakistan, an unprecedented step for India.
There is no proof the strikes killed any militants. In the confrontation that followed, an Indian pilot was captured by Pakistan and six Indian soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash now believed to be a case of friendly fire. But on the campaign trail, Modi repeatedly cited the strikes as proof of his government’s unique ability to combat terrorism and his toughness in matters of national security.
After the official campaigning period ended, Modi went to a Hindu pilgrimage site high in Himalayan mountains where he prayed and mediated overnight in a cave, an exercise in piety broadcast across the nation.
India general election 2019: What happened?
After a long and arduous election, with months of campaigning and voting spread over seven phases, India’s 879 million voters have spoken. And, if not with one voice, then close to it. The Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been handed another historic mandate.
Modi’s 2014 victory was already record-setting — the first time a single party had attained a parliamentary majority in three decades. To win once at that scale was astounding, a black swan event. To win twice means that Indian politics, and India itself, has changed beyond recognition.
For the first decades after independence, India was a democracy but nevertheless a one-‘party state. The Indian National Congress, the party that spearheaded the independence movement, dominated most states and had a stranglehold on power in New Delhi. It was voted out once in 1977, after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi turned towards authoritarianism and was punished by a united opposition. Still, not until the 1990s did the party enter a permanent decline.
At that point, India ushered in an era of coalitions. A patchwork of regional, caste-based and ideologically distinct parties held the balance of power. It’s no surprise that this period also coincided with the growth of the private sector following the liberalization of the economy in 1991. Parties with no monopoly on the state are less likely to seek purely statist solutions.
Modi’s successive victories mark another era of Indian politics. No other political chieftains are holding the balance of power; only Modi matters. Back in the days of one-party rule, a sycophantic Congress politician said of his leader: Indira is India. That was hyperbole. But no politician since Indira Gandhi has had as powerful a claim to be identified with India’s conception of itself as Modi now does.
How has he earned that claim? Multiple explanations for the BJP’s victory have already been trotted out: the organizational strength of the party, its vast advantages in money and resources, the covert and overt backing of supposedly independent institutions — all hallmarks of democratic strongmen globally. Others will point to the weakness of the opposition and its crisis of leadership, or to Modi’s reputation for incorruptibility, his muscular foreign policy and the popularity of some of his welfare schemes.
All these, of course, are factors. But they didn’t determine this election. Neither did the economy. Regardless of the official figures for gross domestic product growth, the economy is under-performing. It’s rare anywhere in the world for incumbents to increase their political strength under such circumstances.
No, India has proved Bill Clinton wrong: It’s identity, stupid. This election was fought and won over identity — the identity of India and the identity of Indians.
Modi is the perfect representative for the young, aspirational, majoritarian, impatient Indians who have put him into office twice now. An overwhelming number of these 400 million voters see in him a self-made man, one who has every intention of asserting India’s centrality to world affairs. More, he appears strong and decisive, and wishes to impose a unity and uniformity on Indian politics. This clarity is comforting for most of his core voters.
The India of the past saw itself as a patchwork of competing identities, represented by the multiple powerful satraps of the coalition era and by the many factions within the umbrella tradition of the Congress prior to that. The BJP, under Modi, permits no such balancing. India is strong if it is united, Modi’s voters feel, and unity requires the welding of these multiple identities into a single one.
Hyper-nationalists on Twitter, as well as cabinet ministers, attack Modi’s opponents as the “tukde-tukde” gang — literally, those who want to break India into pieces. The BJP’s electoral logic has long been incredibly simple: Over four-fifths of India is Hindu and the BJP is the party that best represents Hindu interests. If most Hindus vote for them out of religious solidarity rather than on economic, class or caste interests, then the BJP will win.
The truth is that this is increasingly what Modi and the party have achieved. Their triumph isn’t merely a product of political management. It is a rhetorical and ideological battle, a culture war, which they have won.
All bets are off about India’s future. The West has long seen this country as a natural ally: one that has similar liberal institutions, is outward-looking and acts modestly on the global stage. But that is not the India wanted by the voters who have twice now demonstrated their loyalty to Modi so dramatically. Just as Indians are looking at themselves and their country anew, so the world will have to recalibrate its assumptions about India.
- From just two seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to winning two back-to-back majority in general elections, the BJP now firmly occupies the position of dominance that the Congress once held. The 300+ seats BJP has won in 2019 is the saffron party’s highest ever Lok Sabha tally. It had won 282 seats in 2014.
- Narendra Modi is the first non-Congress (and third ever) prime minister in India to return to power after a full five-year term.
- In at least 21 states and Union Territories, the BJP has the highest vote share making it a truly pan-India party. BJP’s vote share in rural areas was higher (39.5%) than in urban constituencies (33.9%), which means BJP isn’t just a city-based party either.
- The BJP won more than 50% votes in 224 of the 446 seats it contested compared to 136 in 2014. Together with its allies, the party won more than 50% of the votes in 15 states and UTs. In 10 states and UTs, the NDA won all the seats.
- In the Hindi heartland, the BJP got over half the votes in 141 of the 198 seats it contested. At least 15 of its candidates won with a margin of over 5 lakh votes. BJP’s victories in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh come within six months of it losing assembly polls in these states. That’s unprecedented.
- The party not only kept its core states – the Hindi heartland, Gujarat and Maharashtra – but also posted its biggest victories in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and the northeast. Only Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh appeared untouched. Even in Telangana, the BJP won four seats.
- In 2014, the BJP had won 171 of 185 seats in UP, MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Gujarat. In 2019, though it won a fewer number of 158 seats in these states, its tally outside these states (which account for 358 seats) went up from 111 in 2014 to 142 this year. The BJP also retained over 80% of the seats it won in 2014.
- In 2014, BJP’s vote share had gone up by more than 20% in 104 seats making them ‘Modi wave seats’. In 2019, the party has retained 96 of these, making them ‘double wave‘ seats.
BJP Overseas Supporters Celebrate Party’s Win
After a four-month campaign from 12,000 kilometres away for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA, known as OFBJP, celebrated BJP win in Indian elections in 20 cities across the United States—from Boston to San Francisco.
BJP supporters from Massachusetts gathered at Brookside Club House in Andover, MA, to celebrate the victory. Overseas Friends of BJP-USA President Krishna Reddy Anugula said celebrations were planned in 20 cities across the United States, including New York, Washington, Chicago and San Francisco.
Anugula told the media that over 1,000 volunteers from his organization participated in phone bank call-a-thons that made more than 1 million calls to people in India asking them to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
During the four months before the elections, the OFBJP also held yagnas, “Chowkidar Marches” and other programs to encourage Indian citizens here to support Modi and to boost the party’s image in India, he said.
As the election trends started trickling in starting at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday night (local time), the OFBJP and the US-based station TV Asia began an overnight election watch in Edison, New Jersey, he said. About 400 Indians and Americans kept vigil overnight watching the results at a community center.
The group in a statement said: “Overseas Friends of BJP-USA congratulates Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party President Amit Shah, BJP leaders, millions of volunteers and volunteers of OFBJP and NRIs4Modi across the globe who toiled hard for this stupendous victory.”
“Millions of voters, including first time voters have participated enthusiastically in this world’s largest democratic elections to elect an able and proven leader, Narendra Modi,” it said.
Reddy asserted that although the BJP did not make a sweep of his home state of Telangana, his party was emerging as the main challenger to the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) improving its position both in the number of votes and seats.
In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the defeat of the Telugu Desam Party showed that the people of the state were ready for change and a corruption-free administration. It presented the BJP future opportunities there, he said.
TV Asia, the largest India-oriented TV operation in the US, held a marathon overnight coverage of the Indian elections for its viewers across the US, News Director Rohit Vyas told IANS.
The news operations, which are separate from the company’s community outreach and is politically independent, had representatives of both the OFBJP and the Overseas Indian Congress, as well as Indian community leaders on its programme analysing the elections, he added.
New India votes for good governance Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas
The re-election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a strong mandate is a reflection of emergence of New India. By re-electing BJP and NDA, people of India have endorsed the good governance of Prime Minister Modi, his developmental policy based on Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas and his strong national security policy which has zero tolerance to terrorism.
People of India has shown the door to the opposition party’s negative politics and vetted the positive energy and politics of Prime Minister Modi. It shows that they have no faith in a politics that is based on lie and deception, which was the key aspect of electoral campaign of the Congress-led opposition parties.
In five years 2014-2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a high bar of leadership and governance. In just five years, India has become a bright spot of global economy and a world power that can no longer be ignored. In the next five years Prime Minister Narendra Modi would put fast track India’s development. Under Narendra Modi, I am sure, world’s largest democracy would soon become among world most powerful country and top three global economies.
We non-resident Indians (NRIs) are proud of India’s achievements. It’s a no mean achievement that 1.3 billion people have peacefully elected their leader for the next five years. Now that the elections are over, I hope, the opposition parties would respect the mandate of the people of India. And instead of making baseless allegations against EVMs, opposition parties would join Prime Minister Modi in achieving the aspiration and ambitions of New India.
Business Sector Congratulates Modi, Warns of Economic Challenges
As the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) looks set for a second term with leads in 340 seats so far, India Inc rushed in with congratulatory messages for the Prime Minister and also listed the challenges the new government will face along with necessary steps to be taken.
Sandip Somany, President of FICCI said continuity and stability at the Centre would enhance chances of more economic reforms along with an increasingly stabilising Goods and Services Tax (GST), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act.
“There is an urgent need to bring investments on track and boost consumption to better GDP growth from the current around 7 per cent level, which will help in generating more jobs and take care of the rural distress,” Somany said.
The next government will have to quickly plan for a robust reform agenda that would not only enhance consumer spending, but will also create conditions for higher private sector investments and exports, he added.
ASSOCHAM President B.K. Goenka said, “A strong and stable government would bring in more foreign investment even as the domestic firms are witnessing renewed confidence. We are in for a virtuous cycle where consumption and investment drive each other. With inflation expected to stay benign, and growth set to move higher with the help of lower interest rates, we would soon be in a sweet spot.”
Mining and metals major Vedanta Resources’ Chairman Anil Agarwal exuded confidence over the Prime Minister’s leadership and said that the new government will continue with the reforms agenda.
“A strong and stable government with a fresh mandate will be well placed to give the reforms agenda an urgent push to provide the much-needed impetus to investor confidence especially given the current state of the world economy,” said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.
Ajay Singh, the Chairman of budget airline SpiceJet, also the person who coined the phrase “Abki Baar Modi Sarkaar” said: “I extend my heartiest congratulations to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his stupendous victory.”
Noting that the country’s aviation sector has witnessed “remarkable growth” in the last five years, he said: “We hope that our government will address the structural challenges facing the sector urgently.”
There were also words of caution for the upcoming government considering the global and domestic economic situation.
Deepthi Mathew, economist at Geojit Financial Services said that the economy currently is “much weaker” than what it was in 2014.
“Rural distress and slowing investment in the country are two major issues that need to be addressed in an urgent manner. The developments in the global economy are also not favourable, especially with regard to the rising crude oil prices. The low crude oil prices benefited NDA-I in a bigger way,” Mathew said.
Sanjay Chamria, Vice Chairman and MD, Magma Fincorp said that the government’s primary move in the financial sector should be to address the lack of money movement at banks and accelerate the flow of money in the system. (IANS)
What foreign media said about Modi’s victory
As India gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a historic mandate with the ruling BJP returning to power in the Lok Sabha, here’s how the foreign media covered Modi’s victory.
The UK’s Guardian in an editorial said that the landslide win for Modi will see “India’s soul lost to a dark politics – one that views almost all 195 million Indian Muslims as second-class citizens”.
“The biggest election in history has just been won by one man: Narendra Modi. In 2014 the Bharatiya Janata party won an absolute majority for the first time in its history… Despite a spluttering economy five years later, Modi seems certain to have expanded his parliamentary majority. This is bad news for India and the world,” the editorial stated.
Though the daily called Modi a “undoubtedly a charismatic campaigner”, it said that “rather than transcend the faultlines of Indian society – religion, caste, region and language – Modi’s style is to throw them into sharp relief”.
“He is a populist who speaks in the name of the people against the elite despite being a seasoned public figure. Modi deployed with terrible effect false claims and partisan facts,” the article said.
Pakistani daily Dawn in an editorial said that “communal politics in India has triumphed in an age that will define the future of the republic”.
“The results are astounding, and depressingly show that religious hatred and sectarian politics can be exploited to lure voters.” The daily said that the “focus must now turn to a practical way forward for sustainable peace in the subcontinent”.
The News International said that Modi won because the Congress allowed him to.
“If Modi has won despite the long history of failures on the economic front, bad governance and the open war on religious minorities, it is because the opposition, especially the Congress, allowed him to.
“If the BJP and Modi have won this election, they perhaps deserved to win. They put in a great deal of hard work and have had the hunger to win.
“While we cannot ignore the epic lies, obfuscation, jingoism and hate that the BJP used against Indian Muslims and Pakistan to win this election, you have to acknowledge that the opposition failed to call Modi’s bluff and expose his failures on every front,” it stated.
Author Pankaj Mishra in a piece for the New York Times said: “Over five years of Modi’s rule, India has suffered variously from his raw wisdom, most gratuitously in November 2016, when his government abruptly withdrew nearly 90 per cent of currency notes from circulation.
“From devastating the Indian economy to risking nuclear Armageddon in South Asia, Modi has confirmed that the leader of the world’s largest democracy is dangerously incompetent.”
“India under Modi’s rule has been marked by continuous explosions of violence in both virtual and real worlds,” the opinion piece said.
“Modi’s appointed task in India is the same as that of many far-right demagogues: To titillate a fearful and angry population with the scapegoating of minorities, refugees, leftists, liberals and others while accelerating predatory forms of capitalism.”
Author Vivan Marwaha, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post said: “Despite a record-high unemployment rate, a slowing economy and widespread agrarian distress, Indians overwhelmingly decided to give Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party a second chance to put the country back on track.”
“The slowdown in economic growth could still have emerged as a possible flashpoint during the elections. But the February suicide attack on Indian paramilitary forces in Pulwama and the government’s subsequent response – which included ordering air strikes on a terrorist camp in Pakistan – helped marshal vast amounts of support for Modi,” he said.
The BJP targeted the Indian millennials, who have largely grown up with social media, as carefully designed memes praising Modi went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp praising him for the terror strikes.
He said Modi was voted back to power as the “young Indians believed they had no credible alternative”. (IANS)
Indian elections ‘an inspiration to democracies’: US
The Indian parliamentary election is “an inspiration to democracies and individuals around the world”, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Friday.
“We applaud the Indian people for turning out to vote in historic numbers and the government of India for their exceptional execution of this massive undertaking,” she said in a statement. “India’s elections are the largest exercise in democracy in human history.”
According to the Election Commission, 67.1 percent of India’s 900 million voters voted. In contrast, only 55.5 percent of Americans turned up at the polling stations in 2016.
Looking ahead to Modi’s second term, Ortagus said that Washington was confident that the relations between the two countries centered around the US Indo-Pacific strategy will continue on an “upward trajectory”.
“We look forward to working with the newly elected government on a range of important issues, including expanding economic and energy ties, enhancing defence and security cooperation, countering the threat of terrorism, and enhanced collaboration in space,” she said.
“We are confident that the strong and upward trajectory of our partnership will continue.
“The United States and India enjoy a strong strategic partnership that stands on a foundation of shared values, extensive people-to-people ties and a commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” she added.
Ortagus told reporters: “We’re confident in the fairness and the integrity of the Indian elections.” (IANS)
How Narendra Modi Seduced India With Envy and Hate The prime minister has won re-election on a tide of violence, fake news and resentment.
Before dawn on Feb. 26, Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist prime minister of India, ordered an aerial attack on the country’s nuclear-armed neighbor, Pakistan. There were thick clouds that morning over the border. But Mr. Modi claimed earlier this month, during his successful campaign for re-election, that he had overruled advisers who worried about them. He is ignorant of science, he admitted, but nevertheless trusted his “raw wisdom,” which told him that the cloud cover would prevent Pakistani radar from detecting Indian fighter jets.
Over five years of Mr. Modi’s rule, India has suffered variously from his raw wisdom, most gratuitously in November 2016, when his government abruptly withdrew nearly 90 percent of currency notes from circulation. From devastating the Indian economy to risking nuclear Armageddon in South Asia, Mr. Modi has confirmed that the leader of the world’s largest democracy is dangerously incompetent. During this spring’s campaign, he also clarified that he is an unreconstructed ethnic-religious supremacist, with fear and loathing as his main political means.
Indian girls, wearing masks depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in support of the ban on old high denomination currency in 2016.CreditJaipal Singh/European Pressphoto Agency
India under Mr. Modi’s rule has been marked by continuous explosions of violence in both virtual and real worlds. As pro-Modi television anchors hunted for “anti-nationals” and troll armies rampaged through social media, threatening women with rape, lynch mobs slaughtered Muslims and low-caste Hindus. Hindu supremacists have captured or infiltrated institutions from the military and the judiciary to the news media and universities, while dissenting scholars and journalists have found themselves exposed to the risk of assassination and arbitrary detention. Stridently advancing bogus claims that ancient Hindus invented genetic engineering and airplanes, Mr. Modi and his Hindu nationalist supporters seemed to plunge an entire country into a moronic inferno. Last month the Indian army’s official twitter account excitedly broadcast its discovery of the Yeti’s footprints.
Yet in the election that began last month, voters chose overwhelmingly to prolong this nightmare. The sources of Mr. Modi’s impregnable charisma seem more mysterious when you consider that he failed completely to realize his central promises of the 2014 election: jobs and national security. He presided over an enormous rise in unemployment and a spike in militancy in India-ruled Kashmir. His much-sensationalized punitive assault on Pakistan in February damaged nothing more than a few trees across the border, while killing seven Indian civilians in an instance of friendly fire.
Modi has infused India’s public sphere with a riotously popular loathing of the country’s old urban elites.
Mr. Modi did indeed benefit electorally this time from his garishly advertised schemes to provide toilets, bank accounts, cheap loans, housing, electricity and cooking-gas cylinders to some of the poorest Indians. Lavish donations from India’s biggest companies allowed his party to outspend all others on its re-election campaign. A corporate-owned media fervently built up Mr. Modi as India’s savior, and opposition parties are right to suggest that the Election Commission, once one of India’s few unimpeachable bodies, was also shamelessly partisan.
None of these factors, however, can explain the spell Modi has cast on an overwhelmingly young Indian population. “Now and then,” Lionel Trilling once wrote, “it is possible to observe the moral life in process of revising itself.” Mr. Modi has created that process in India by drastically refashioning, with the help of technology, how many Indians see themselves and their world, and by infusing India’s public sphere with a riotously popular loathing of the country’s old urban elites.
Rived by caste as well as class divisions, and dominated in Bollywood as well as politics by dynasties, India is a grotesquely unequal society. Its constitution, and much political rhetoric, upholds the notion that all individuals are equal and possess the same right to education and job opportunities; but the everyday experience of most Indians testify to appalling violations of this principle. A great majority of Indians, forced to inhabit the vast gap between a glossy democratic ideal and a squalid undemocratic reality, have long stored up deep feelings of injury, weakness, inferiority, degradation, inadequacy and envy; these stem from defeats or humiliation suffered at the hands of those of higher status than themselves in a rigid hierarchy.
I both witnessed and experienced these explosive tensions in the late 1980s, when I was a student at a dead-end provincial university, one of many there confronting a near-impossible task: not only sustained academic excellence, but also a wrenching cultural and psychological makeover in the image of the self-assured, English-speaking metropolitan. One common object of our ressentiment — an impotent mix of envy and hatred — was Rajiv Gandhi, the deceased father of main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, whom Mr. Modi indecorously but cunningly chose to denounce in his election campaign. An airline pilot who became prime minister largely because his mother and grandfather had held the same post, and who allegedly received kickbacks from a Swedish arms manufacturer into Swiss bank accounts, Mr. Gandhi appeared to perfectly embody a pseudo-socialist elite that claimed to supervise post-colonial India’s attempt to catch up with the modern West but that in reality single-mindedly pursued its own interests.
There seemed no possibility of dialogue with a metropolitan ruling class of such Godlike aloofness, which had cruelly stranded us in history while itself moving serenely toward convergence with the prosperous West. This sense of abandonment became more wounding as India began in the 1990s to embrace global capitalism together with a quasi-American ethic of individualism amid a colossal population shift from rural to urban areas. Satellite television and the internet spawned previously inconceivable fantasies of private wealth and consumption, even as inequality, corruption and nepotism grew and India’s social hierarchies appeared as entrenched as ever.
No politician, however, sought to exploit the long dormant rage against India’s self-perpetuating post-colonial rulers, or to channel the boiling frustration over blocked social mobility, until Mr. Modi emerged from political disgrace in the early 2010s with his rhetoric of meritocracy and lusty assaults on hereditary privilege.
India’s former Anglophone establishment and Western governments had stigmatized Mr. Modi for his suspected role — ranging from malign indifference to complicity and direct supervision — in the murder of hundreds of Muslims in his home state of Gujarat in 2002. But Mr. Modi, backed by some of India’s richest people, managed to return to the political mainstream, and, ahead of the 2014 election, he mesmerized aspiring Indians with a flamboyant narrative about his hardscrabble past, and their glorious future. From the beginning, he was careful to present himself to his primary audience of stragglers as one of them: a self-made individual who had to overcome hurdles thrown in his way by an arrogant and venal elite that indulged treasonous Muslims while pouring contempt on salt-of-the-earth Hindus like himself. Boasting of his 56-inch chest, he promised to transform India into an international superpower and to reinsert Hindus into the grand march of history.
Since 2014, Mr. Modi’s near-novelistic ability to create irresistible fictions has been steadily enhanced by India’s troll-dominated social media as well as cravenly sycophantic newspapers and television channels. India’s online population doubled in the five years of Mr. Modi’s rule. With cheap smartphones in the hands of the poorest of Indians, a large part of the world’s population was exposed to fake news on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp. Indeed, Mr. Modi received one of his biggest electoral boosts from false accounts claiming that his airstrikes exterminated hundreds of Pakistanis, and that he frightened Pakistan into returning the Indian pilot it had captured.
Mr. Modi is preternaturally alert to the fact that the smartphone’s screen is pulling hundreds of millions of Indians, who have barely emerged from illiteracy, into a wonderland of fantasy and myth. An early adopter of Twitter, like Donald Trump, he performs unceasingly for the camera, often dressed in outlandish costumes. After decades of Western-educated and emotionally constricted Indian leaders, Mr. Modi uninhibitedly participates — whether speaking tearfully of his poverty-stricken past or boasting of his bromance with Barack Obama — in digital media’s quasi-egalitarian culture of exhibitionism.
Unease among minorities as Modi wins election
His pro-Hindu stance secured a landslide election win over the rival Indian National Congress Party. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power for a second five-year term on May 23 in an election fought largely on the plank of Hindu nationalism.
The BJP and its allies won 351 seats, reducing Congress and the parties that support it to just 92 seats in the 545-seat national parliament.
Independent parties won 99 seats. The remaining two seats are reserved for Anglo-Indian representatives who are nominated by the government.
The BJP alliance improved on its 2014 election total of 336 seats.
“India wins again,” Modi declared during a victory speech at the party’s headquarters in the capital, New Delhi, in which he pledged to build “a new India” featuring growth and prosperity for all.
Despite the landslide, the BJP failed to make any significant political gains in the nation’s southern states.
It was unable to win any of the 45 seats in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh states and could win only one seat in Tamil Nadu.
Observers noted that in the seven-phase election process during April and May much of the electioneering focused on Hindu nationalist sentiments rather than issues such as unemployment, inflation and a worsening agrarian crisis.
The campaigns, particularly of Modi and other BJP leaders, were filled with notions of Hindu supremacy and “Pakistan bashing,” said Sourabh Sharma, a political columnist based in New Delhi.
A terrorist attack on India and the manner in which the government tackled it early in the election year helped BJP project Modi’s leadership as the best to counter arch-rival Pakistan and Islamic extremism, Sharma said.
In early February, a suicide bomb attack killed 40 army men at Pulwama, in the southern part of Kashmir. The attack was carried out by Pakistan based militant outfit Jaesh-e-Mohammad. The Modi government responded with air strikes on Pakistan in which reportedly 300 Islamist militants were killed. Pakistan responded by bombing Indian territory.
Sharma said Modi politically milked India’s air strikes to incite Hindu passions. “This is the clarion call,” Sharma told ucanews.com.
Bad for India’s soul
Many fear that the big majority for the Hindu stalwart party poses a threat to India’s secularism and multi-culturalism. An editorial in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper described it as “bad for India’s soul”.
“The world does not need another national populist leader who pursues a pro-business agenda while trading in fake news and treating minorities as second class citizens,” the newspaper stated.
In 2014, BJP came to power promising to create 20 million jobs annually and to make Indian cities “smart” with electric buses and green environs.
It also promised subsidies to farmers and to revitalize the sagging economy. But five years later the promises remain largely unfulfilled.
Religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims accused the first-term BJP government of tacitly promoting bigoted attacks on non-Hindus as part of a bid to make India a “Hindus-only” nation.
A.C Michael, Development Director at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), said a second term for Modi would not deter Christians from practicing their faith as guaranteed by the Constitution.
However, Christians would continue to be falsely viewed as being pre-occupied with trying to secure mass conversions to their faith, despite census figure showing that the Christian proportion of the population had remained stagnant since independence in 1947.
“We may also face attacks,” he said. “But that does not mean we will stop practicing our faith.”
The Christian leader said India’s democratic system constituted “a silver lining in a dark cloud.”
Allen Brooks, a spokesman for the Assam Christian Forum in the north-eastern state, told ucanews.com that the BJP’s victory should not be perceived as a threat to minority communities.
Rather, he argued, minorities should “stand united” to protect their interests as constitutionally equal citizens.
Hindus comprise 966 million, or some 80 percent, of India’s 1.2 billion people and 172 million Muslims make up 14 percent. There are 28 million Christians. Other religions include Baha’i, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and the Parsee faith.
Exit polls predict second term for India’s PM Narendra Modi
If the results of exit polls are to be believed, the BJP led National Democratic Alliance is all set to make a clean sweep at the recently held India’s elections to the Parliament. Private polling commissioned by Indian media outlets points to a second term for the incumbent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although, given the patchy record of these polls, which have been wrong in past elections, we won’t know for sure until later this week.
It is, however, interesting to note that the most enthusiastic results have been thrown up by exit polls conducted in association with media houses who are perceived widely as cheerleaders of the Modi regime.
But if Modi does return to power, what might Modi 2.0 mean for India? One way of trying to answer that question is to compare campaign 2019 to the one that unfolded five years ago.
In 2014, when Modi first ran for national office — he was already a major regional figure by then, running western Gujarat state for over a decade — his campaign was dominated by his promises to usher in a sort of economic renaissance: Modi spoke of reforms to, among other things, make India an easier place to do business, make it better at generating jobs for the millions of young Indians who enter the workforce each year and to clean house to stamp out corruption.
All exit polls released at the conclusion of the seven-phase 17th general election predicted a second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. Most polls indicated minor to considerable setback for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh where it won 71 of 80 seats in 2014, but they were in agreement that the party would firmly hold on to its strongholds in the north and west and make considerable gains in West Bengal.
In southern States barring Karnataka, the BJP is projected to trail far behind opponents. The Congress and its allies are projected to make significant gains compared to the historic low they hit in 2014, but will end up some distance away from the halfway mark of 272 seats in the 543-strong Lok Sabha, according to these polls.
The polls predicted between 242 to 365 for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and between 77 and 164 for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Parties that are unattached to either side, which include the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) whose coalition in Uttar Pradesh is resisting the BJP, could get between 69 and 125 seats, according to various polls.
Exit polls have a long history of going wrong in India. According to Praveen Chakravarty, chairperson of the Congress Data Analytics Department, who compared exit polls with actual outcomes posted on Twitter: “~80% of exit poll seat predictions for all parties in large state elections since 2014 are wrong.” Exit polls are generally considered more accurate than opinion polls conducted before actual voting.
Around the world also, the credibility of opinion polls and exit polls has taken a beating in recent years. Almost all polls in the Australian election last week got the outcome wrong, and similar was the fate of polls during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Brexit. But what is common between these polls that went wrong was that all of them under-reported the support for conservative and ultra-nationalist positions. Indian exit polls on Sunday uniformly predicted a massive surge in favour of the Hindu nationalist BJP.
The exit poll projections indicate that Mr. Modi’s campaign to turn the election into a referendum on his persona rather than the performance of his five-year term has been successful.
First up is the News 18-IPSOS poll, the results of which say that the NDA is all set for a landslide victory bagging as many as 336 seats with BJP contributing a lion’s share of 276! This poll has restricted the UPA’s tally to a meager 82. The anchor of the show was seen merrily flying over a CGI globe in a VFX helicopter while the results popped up on screen!
Next up is the Republic-CVoter poll that says that the NDA will get 287 seats while the UPA will be reduced to 128. It gives the Mahagathbandhan 40 seats and others 87. But, interestingly, Republic has another poll with Jan Ki Baat, according to which the NDA will bag between 295-315 seats, while the UPA will win between 122 and 12 seats. The BJP alone is set to score between 254 and 274 seats according to this poll. It is still not clear why they needed to conduct two polls. Not to be outdone by News 18’s helicopter, panelists on Republic’s show drove into the studio in swanky cars!
Another poll that enthusiastically predicts the return of the Modi regime is the Times Now VMR poll that gives the NDA 306 seats, while says that the UPA could win as many as 132 seats. Cocking a snook at News 18’s helicopter and Republic’s cars, Times Now roped in a blue CGI Iron Man to do somersaults as results popped up!
The India Today-Axis poll gave BJP and allies a whopping 339-365 seats, while giving the Congress and allies 77-108 seats. The News 24-Chanakya poll is meanwhile predicting a clean sweep for the Modi regime, especially in the heartland with wins in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi. Meanwhile, the News X Neta poll gives the NDA 242 seats while it gives the UPA 162 seats. It gives the SP-BSP-RLD 43 seats while giving others 88 seats.
While almost all polls have written off the Mahagathbandhan, the ABP-Nielen poll is sticking its neck out and predicting a huge victory for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, predicting they will win 56 seats! Over all this poll says NDA could win as many as 267 seats, while the UPA will cobble up 127 seats, leaving others with 148 seats.
TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee has rubbished the exit poll results as gossip, tweeting, “I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together.”
Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha also echoed similar sentiments in his tweet saying,T”he silent voter will be king on May 23 rd 2019. The ‘fear factor’ playing havoc with respondents to pollsters in an ugly polarized election. Ridiculous #ExitPolls , almost laughable. UPA > NDA when the ‘real counting’ happens.”
But given how miserably exit polls have missed the mark in the past, it is best to exercise caution while accepting these results. Also, few journalists today have the grace to apologise like NDTV chief Pronnoy Roy did in November 2015 for getting the Bihar results wrong.
In his brilliant analysis of how and why exit polls get it wrong in The New Indian Express, Shankkar Aiyar writes, “… exit polls can overstate the case of vocal voters and miss the silent vote—and in India, there is an another factor, false responses driven by fear of retribution. Also, a higher turnout can skew assumed weightages, leading to erroneous calls on trajectory and/or tally. In fact, the impact is aggravated when the data is drilled to deliver outcomes at a granular level.” He cites examples on 2004 and 2009, when pollsters got the trajectory and tally wrong. Aiyar further explains, “Exit polls also tend to get it right when there is a clear edge for one side at the outset of the election. On the flip side, exit polls can go haywire in close contests and when a thin sample is extrapolated to generate conclusions.”
In an age where many a newsroom has dedicated itself to being a mouthpiece of the ruling dispensation, equating in the process all voices and acts of dissent as anti-national, it may be surmised that the declaration of positive results is perhaps their way of keeping their political masters happy and curry whatever last few favours they can till the actual results are declared.
Vision-Aid’s Revathy Ramakrishna is Woman of the Year 2019
Revathy Ramakrishna, who was bestowed Woman of the Year Award 2019 by an independent panel of nine judges, said that this award is less about her and more about the cause she is so passionate about: Vision-Aid. The 17th Annual Woman of the Year Awards Gala, which was organized by INDIA New England News on Friday at Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA, was attended about 500 people. World-class Carnatic Music Teacher Tara Anand received the Lifetime Achievement Award 2019.
“On behalf of all the volunteers and visually impaired beneficiaries of Vision-Aid, I gratefully accept the award,” said Ms. Ramakrishna. “I feel so very grateful and honored to be selected from such a talented pool of nominees. When I read the profiles of, and met the other 19 nominees, I honestly thought each of them was so much more accomplished than I was. This decision to confer this award on me was less about me and more about the cause I am so passionate about – Vision-Aid.”
“It was inspiring to learn about the many amazing things our nominees have accomplished. It was a privilege to celebrate them all. As an Indian American, it makes you proud to know that their contributions are making a difference not only in our community but also far beyond,” said Ms. Chandra. “Their work spans the preservation of our cultural roots, working with non-profits in several realms, excellence in the fields of law, business and medicine, to much needed work in refugee resettlement, domestic violence and gender issues.”
She said the committee was thrilled to honor Vision-Aid’s Ms. Ramakrishna. “We are thrilled to honor Revathy Ramakrishna as the India New England Woman of the Year, 2019. She demonstrates focus and passion for an idea she has nurtured for over 15 years along with her professional accomplishments and service work in the local community. The impact of her work at Vision Aid to empower and rehabilitate thousands of visually impaired individuals speaks for itself. It can easily be said that in her case the whole is so much greater the sum of the individual parts,” said Ms. Chandra. “While we could only select one winner in a field with a lot of depth, we wanted to recognize two other individuals – Meena Ramamurti and Meena Subramanyam – who received an honorable mention for their terrific professional achievements and their ability to stitch our community together in magical ways.”
Ramakrishna serves as the volunteer Vice-President for Vision-Aid, a non-profit organization that serves the visually impaired by enabling, educating and empowering them to live their lives with independence and dignity. Vision-Aid has blossomed into an organization which has offered enablement, rehabilitation and skills training programs for thousands of blind and visually impaired across 10 locations in India, besides also running several programs online through the Vision-Aid Online Academy. Ramakrishna dedicated the Woman of the Year Award to visually impaired and volunteers of Vision-Ad.
Judges also selected two out of 20 Outstanding Women for Honorable Mentions: Meena Subramanyam, a scientist and an accomplished Bharatanatyam artist and teacher and Vice President and Global Program Leader in the gastroenterology therapeutic area unit at Cambridge, MA-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals; and Meena Ramamurti, Vice President at the Shishu Bharati School of Indian Languages and Culture.
Ramakrishna, the 2019 Woman of the Year, is an electronics engineer and health informatics professional by training. She works as a Program Manager at Fresenius Medical Care North America, a premier health care company focused on delivering the highest quality care to people with chronic renal conditions. She has been with the company for over 10 years and oversees the Government Reporting and Clinical Informatics program related to specific CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control) government mandated quality and reimbursement initiatives that are aimed at improving the quality of health care and patient outcomes.
Her analytical and technical background, subject matter expertise and communication and collaboration skills help her liaise as effectively with the Medical Office, Clinicians and business team as with the IT and technical teams to build consensus among diverse viewpoints and build high quality systems.
Ms. Ramakrishna says that she feels privileged to serve Vision-Aid alongside so many other community leaders and volunteers and be in the front-row seat of this amazing cause which aims to bring independence and dignity to the visually impaired while also creating a more inclusive world for them through our advocacy efforts.
“I am very passionate about this cause because I have personally experienced the immense challenges posed by visual disability faced by members of my family and have also seen first-hand how these can be mitigated and overcome, when a supportive environment is provided,” says Ms. Ramakrishna. “Unfortunately, even today, in developing countries like India, too many people still lack this kind of support and are turned away when their impairment cannot be cured by modern medicine and surgery.
“When my husband and I first started Vision-Aid it was a small organization running out of my husband’s home town in Vizag, India, benefiting people in that region. At the present time, it is gratifying to see its more expansive scope,” says Ms. Ramakrishna. “In 2019, Vision-Aid is bringing light into the lives of over 1000 visually impaired in 10 different locations across India each year. Our partners include the Aravind Eye Care system, the largest eye care system in the world, Sankara Netralaya of Chennai, Nethra Blind Schools in Hyderabad and Vizag and other leaders in the field.”
India’s child mortality rate was world’s highest in 2015
At 47.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, India in 2015 had more deaths among children under five than any other country, new research has found.
This is despite the great progress the country has made in reducing child mortality. During 2000-2015, the annual mortality among children under five came down from 2.5 million in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2015, said the study published in the journal Lancet Global Health.
The country had, however, large disparities in the under five mortality rate between richer and poorer states.
The highest mortality rate, in Assam, a state in northeastern India, was more than seven times that in the western state of Goa.
Although most under five deaths were due to preterm complications, preventable infectious diseases featured prominently as causes of death in higher-mortality states.
“India can accelerate its reduction of under five mortality rates by scaling up vaccine coverage and improving childbirth and neonatal care, especially in states where mortality rates remain high,” said study co-lead author Li Liu, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US.
For the study, the researchers analysed state-level Indian data on the causes of death among children under five for the years 2000-2015.
In 2017, India’s under-five mortality rate matched the global average (39 deaths per 1,000 live births), according to a report released on September 18, 2018, by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. (IANS)
‘Will seriously consider any partnership proposal from Indian carriers’: Qatar Airways
The blockade on Qatar and withdrawal of 28 weekly between Doha and cities of New Delhi and Mumbai has increased the pressure on available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes, the airline said Thursday.
Qatar Airways, which has sought additional seat capacity on temporary basis for its flights from Indian cities to Doha, has said it will “seriously” consider any proposal for partnership from Indian carriers.
The blockade on Qatar and withdrawal of 28 weekly between Doha and cities of New Delhi and Mumbai has increased the pressure on available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes, the airline said Thursday.
Jet Airways shut down operations temporarily on April 17 after it ran out of cash.
“Qatar Airways is always open for partnership with other airlines, including Indian carriers. We will seriously consider any proposal for partnership from Indian carriers,” the airline said in a statement to PTI.
The Gulf carrier has submitted a formal request to the Indian authorities for an additional capacity on a temporary operating permit basis to meet the air traffic demand in Qatar-India routes.
The airline asked the civil aviation ministry to favourably consider its request for additional seat capacity “to help evacuate the stranded Indian passengers in Doha”.
Airfares have already significantly increased due to the unexpected unavailability of restricted capacity during this summer peak season, it added.
The allocated seat capacity in the Qatar-India aviation market has not been increased since 2009. Bilateral air traffic rights are negotiated between the two countries.
According to the airline, the “illegal blockade” imposed on Qatar in June 2017 by the UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, and Egypt has restricted the movement of not only Qataris but also Indian expats living in Qatar.
People do not have the flexibility of travelling to nearby airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Manama, for their travel to India. This has reduced their options for air connectivity and further increased the pressure on the available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes, the statement said.
“Salt in the wound – Jet Airways’ sudden, unexpected, unplanned, and immediate withdrawal of 28 weekly passenger flights during summer peak season between Doha and two Indian cities: New Delhi and Mumbai.
“All these have resulted not only in lesser available seat capacity but also significantly higher air ticket fares, which is set to continue for at least another three months,” the airline said. Qatar Airways flies to 13 Indian cities. It has 14 weekly flights to the national capital and 11 weekly flights to Kochi, among other cities.
India’s growing religious divide: BJP’s anti-religious minorities agenda
As the election season is winding down and the nation is anxiously looking forward to the results, one cannot escape but witnessing India’s slide towards complete polarization based on the politics of religion. Prime Minister Modi’s ascension to power has resulted in growing Hindu intolerance of Christianity and Islam. Radical elements within his party are pushing an agenda to marginalize these two groups whom they consider ‘foreign’ and would like to see them disappear!
Although Indian constitution guarantees the freedom of religion to all its citizens, the political dogma of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the parent organization of BJP, enunciated by its erstwhile leader and theoretician M S Golwalker is still mostly the guideline for many of its loyal adherents. In fact, he argued in the book ‘our nationhood defined’ that as long as the Muslims and the Christians failed to abandon their own religion and culture they cannot but be only foreigners in this country and if they stayed here without losing their “separate existence” they might be treated as “enemies”, at best as “idiots”. His arguments tilt more favorably towards treating all Christians as “hostiles” who are agents of International movement for the spread of Christianity.
It is important to note that RSS gurus have been inculcating the idea of bigotry and hate to the mindset of many generations for the last 95 years. It is no surprise then that Modi’s rise to power has now led to an explosion of anti-Christian attitudes and fiery speeches creating an environment conducive to even physical attacks on Christian Institutions and its leaders. Prejudice against the minorities, especially Christians and Muslims, are a growing trend in the Indian society and for the BJP, it means electoral gains and seats of power! They couldn’t care less about the political instability, whether it wreaks havoc across the country or the negative impact it may have on the economic health of the nation.
According to news reports in the National Review magazine, during the 2017 Christmas season alone, there were 23 incidents. Most dramatic was the arrest of 30 priests and seminarians singing Christmas carols in Madhya Pradesh state. They were accused of violating the State’s anti-conversion law, which has been on the books since 2013. Similar legislation is in force in seven other states. Eight priests who came to the carolers’ aid were physically assaulted, and their vehicles were set on fire. Police officers reportedly stood by without intervening. That scenario is all too common. By some accounts, hundreds of anti-Christian incidents have occurred in the past year.
“We are losing confidence in our government,” said Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of Thiruvananthapuram, former President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI). He added that “the country is being divided on the basis of religious belief” which he labeled a threat to the “democratic credentials of our country.” The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released an annual report and its key findings include the observation by the Supreme Court of “deteriorating conditions for religious freedom in some states in 2018, stating that “certain state governments were not only not doing anything to stop violence against religious minorities, and in extreme cases, impunity was being granted to criminals engaging in violence.
The report also highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on these issues, saying he “seldom made statements decrying mob violence,” and noting that “certain members of his political party have affiliations with Hind extremist groups and used inflammatory language about religious minorities publicly.” The report notes that in 2018, Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir told Parliament that 111 people were killed and 2,384 people were wounded in 822 communal clashes in 2017. By contrast, in 2016, 86 people were killed, and 2,321 were injured in 703 clashes, the report offers, later adding that independent organizations that monitor hate crimes found that 2018 saw more than 90 religion-based hate crimes that resulted in 30 deaths and many more injuries.
There is also a secret war being waged against Christian NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization) that are engaged in welfare work for the very poor in rural India. By throwing out the ‘Compassion International USA’ that housed and educated 145,000 destitute children and shutting down of the work of the ‘Caritas International’ that works with 360 NGOs across India that boasted about a force of 25,000 volunteers are good examples of Government’s authoritarian agenda that works in concert with whims of the Hindutva militants to marginalize the Christian Community and remove them from being a visible and positive force from the public’s eye.
In Modi’s India, Christian Institutions are being strangled by denial of FCRAs, freezing of the bank accounts, unending investigations, frequent auditing and harassment of principals who are in charge. These moves appear to be consistent with the Hindutva philosophy that the Modi government has embraced to advance the saffron agenda that challenges the very idea of India as a multi-cultural and pluralistic society. Modi appears to pay lip service to Gandhiji’s concept of India upon his visits abroad but remains silent when Institutions that are supposed to promote those principles come under attack back home. It should also be noted that Christianity came to India in A.D. 52, long before Ireland or England have embraced that religion. To judge the Indianness of its nationals only through the prism of one’s faith is not only just unfair but preposterous!
While the BJP Government is hard at work restricting Christian NGOs from receiving funds from abroad, no such limitations are placed on the Sangh Parivar organizations that collect millions of dollars from western democracies. Another report from USCIRF states that “while the Indian Government continues to use the FCRA to limit foreign funding for some NGOs, Hindutva supported organizations have never come under the scrutiny of FCRA. With the amendment championed by the Modi government, the foreign-based radical Hindu organizations will be able to send funds to India, without restriction, to support hate campaigns. Under the revised definition of FCRA, so long as the foreign company’s ownership of an Indian entity is within the foreign investment limits prescribed by the Government for that sector, the company will be treated as “Indian” for the purpose of FCRA.”
It is also common knowledge that Christian church leaders from the United States have a harder time obtaining visas to visit their fellow faithful in India or attend a conference while no such restrictions are placed on Indians based on religious affiliations. It is hypocritical for India to deny a religious conference visa to an American citizen while shedding crocodile tears for a reduction in the number of available H1B visas that could take jobs away from American citizens. The recent cancellation and court-ordered restoration of OCI card of an Indian American Christian who was accused of proselytizing while working as a physician volunteer in India during summer months have sent shock waves to the community. It once again shows the wanton disregard for fairness and due process by the bureaucrats who are so eager to please the current policy makers!
Meanwhile, India’s 180 million Muslims are affected as well by mob violence on suspicion of having eaten beef or slaughtered a cow, animals sacred to Hinduism nationwide. The recent election campaign by all parties show the reluctance of the leadership across the board to overtly court Muslims or seek their votes in public forums. Modi’s rule also emboldened Hindu extremist elements to translate their religiously ordained contempt and hatred for Dalits into systematic violence against that community as well often lynching them on suspicions of transporting cows for slaughter. According to a report in the New York Times, Indian courts have consistently acquitted most perpetrators of massacres of Dalits. Conviction rates in violent crimes against Dalits and indigenous tribes are a mere 28.3 percent and 16.4 % compared with 40.2 percent in general criminal cases.
India has a religion problem, and it should be given careful attention by policymakers in Washington as it can have long term repercussions towards the future. It appears that the sectarian line-up of political conflict is going to dominate the political landscape of India as long as BJP retains power. History has taught us that if the salience of the State is undefendable, regionalism or tribalism may become rampant and weaken a nation-state. Religious oppression is a clear sign of instability for any nation, and as the US is eyeing India as a strategic partner against the rising threat of China, an increasing level of communal tensions or sectarian conflicts in the sub-continent may not bode well for that relationship.
(Writer is a former Chief Technology Officer of the United Nations)
Non Violence on Lord Mahavir and Gandhi birth anniversaries
International Ahimsa Foundation USA celebrated Non Violence “A Message of Lord Mahavir” on his 2618th birth anniversary and also commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The event was held at the Consulate General of India in New York, The Master of Ceremonies were Shanie Persaud, Adeen and Shelly Jain. The event began with the American National Anthem sung by Shruti Goyal and followed by the Indian National Anthem by melodious Dr. Smita Guha.
Over 200 guests attended the event from the Indian American community, foreign press, and diplomatic missions and consulates from Italy, Bangladesh, Japan, Georgia and Indonesia.
The evening was graced by distinguished special guests. Among them were the Hon. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Guest Speaker Professor Lawrence A. Babb of Amherst College, Jessica Schaowski, Mayor’s office representative, Hon. Assemblyman David Weprin, and Hon. NYS Senator John Liu, Hon. NYS Senator Kevin Thomas and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney who introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to posthumously present the Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi in recognition of his promotion of nonviolence, said Gandhi has been a “truly inspirational leader, historic figure”.
Mahatma Gandhi was “transformational in so many ways” and an inspiration to all Americans and people across the world, Maloney said. She said Mandela and King both attributed their philosophy of non-violence and their leadership to Mahatma Gandhi and both are recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal.
“Already Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King have received the Medal. It’s only right that the inspirational leader for both of them was Mahatma Gandhi and so he should receive this award,” Congresswoman added.
Ms. Maloney, who spearheaded efforts to have the US Postal Service issue the first Diwali Stamp, urged members of the Indian-American community to reach out to the Congress members and friends across the nation to co-sponsor the legislation to honor Gandhi with the Congressional medal.
“We are working to get the Senate sponsor. We must pass it this year and honour his leadership and his gift to the world,” she said, adding that “we should all work together and have a day of National Service in this special year for Gandhi and to remember him, she said.
“There is not enough that we can do to remember and say thank you to Gandhi for his life’s work, for his gift of non-violent ways of handling problems.” Gandhi brought independence to India with non-violence and recognizing his contributions to values in America, Ms. Maloney said she introduced the bill last year to give him the greatest honour that can be bestowed by the US Congress on an individual.
The medal will “honour his leadership” and his gift to the world of inspiring with his principles of non-violence, Maloney echoed. Other keynote speakers were the Hon, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty and Samani Malay Pragyaji and Samani Neeti Pragyaji of Jain Vishwa Bharati of North America.
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty said Gandhi himself was deeply influenced by the work and principle of civil disobedience of American poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, emulating it in his life. “Gandhi was deeply influenced by Thoreau and it shows in his life and work. Our freedom fighters were also deeply influenced by the American independence movement and the Constitution,” he said.
Maloney added that India and the US, the world’s largest democracy and the oldest democracies, have several commonalities, share the same values and have been allies across the spectrum. She said that paying homage to the memory and teachings of Lord Mahavir, she said she was not aware that one of Mahavir’s most important message is ‘Live and let live.’ “This slogan is one of the most famous quotes in America.”
The celebration of Non Violence ‘A message of Lord Mahavir and Mahatma Gandhi began with a lamp lighting ceremony with Navkar Mantra by Samani Malay Pragyaji and Samani Neeti Pragyaji joined by the distinguished guest and Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Mrs Taruna Chakravorty and Dr. Neeta Jain, President and Founder of International Ahimsa Foundation.
Dr. Neeta Jain gave welcome remarks and reiterated the importance of Non Violence and teachings of Lord Mahavir and Mahatma Gandhi, now more than ever before, and emphasized why and what motivated her to start the IAF organization.
Dr. Jain, the only female Indian-American elected official in New York City, was recently nominated by the Consul General of India in NY, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, and was honored by the Society of Foreign Consuls in New York, Inc. on International Women’s Day for her tireless work in the South Asian Community. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was the special guest of the evening, joined Consul General Chakravorty and Dr. Neeta Jain, and other distinguished guests in the lamp lighting ceremony.
Consul General Chakravorty was the keynote speaker and Professor Lawrence A. Babb the guest speaker who delivered special remarks and was honored by IAF and CG of India for his scholarship and research work on India. Special remarks also delivered by Jessica Schaowski, the Mayor’s office representative, Hon Assemblyman David Weprin, Senator John C Liu, Kevin Thomas and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Samani Malay Pragyaji and Samani Niti Pragyaji of Jain Vishwa Bharati of North America also delivered special remarks and graced the evening with Shanti Ki Preksha (Peace Meditation) chants along with the guests.
The guests were entertained by colorful cultural performances throughout the evening by artists and performers from Manglastak Rhythm Dance Academy by Angel Shah, Saurya Doshi, Siddharth Doshi and Shiv Ajmeri and Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram Mahatma Gandhi’s prayer song by United Nations International School, directed by Ms. Ellen Cava.
Hon. Judge Deborah Taylor of The Honorable Society of the Inner Temple presented a video telecast commentary on Mahatma Gandhi.
Consul General Chakravorty, along with Dr. Jain and Vice President of IAF Dr. Raj Bhayani honored the dignitaries –NYS elected officials and the distinguished guests from the diplomatic community CG of Bangladesh Sadia Faizunnesa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN Toshiya Hoshino and Mrs. Hoshino, Ms. Annavaleria Guazzieri, Head of Education Section, Consulate General of Italy to NY, Mr. Giampiero Biagioli, Prof of Linguistics at Rutgers University Italian Studies, Civil Servant at Italian Foreign Ministry, Ms. Emanuela Costa, Italian Language teacher, and Selene Candido, Italian language teacher at Scuola d’ Italia with a shawl and IAF Prayer book.
The finale performance Ghoomar was presented by Rhythm Dance Academy. Artists Khushi Ojha, Jigna Ojha, Nidhi Parikh, Aditi Parikh, Krishna Patel, Jedlina Sarita, Ashmita Saha and Krisha Patel captivated the audience. Vice President of IAF Dr. Raj Bhayani delivered acknowledged the presence of Foreign media from Italy, US, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, China, South Africa, Poland and India.
Dr. Jain gave special thanks to the Consul General and his staff who worked tirelessly and gave unprecedented full support to organize and hosted the IAF Non Violence event and the presence of all elected officials and all guests who were present. The event was generously supported by the media sponsors JITO, JAINA, South Asian Times, TV Asia, PTC, ITV Gold and Parikh Media. The evening began with special Jain vegetarian reception and concluded with Jain vegetarian dinner and desserts
International Ahimsa Foundation Inc. was formed in 2012 to spread the message of non-violence and peace from Jain principles to the community. The goal of the foundation has been to promote the teachings of non-violence and peace in thought and action by providing dialogue, peace-building activities, and civic engagement across cultures. The Foundation hopes to encourage students and the community at large to get involved in creating a better world
Religious freedom conditions in India on a downward trend in 2018: US Commission Report
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released an annual report that examines the state of religious freedom in several countries around the world, including India. The countries are categorised into two tiers, with India once again being placed in Tier 2, “for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the “systematic, ongoing, egregious” standard for designation as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA),” the report states. In its key findings, it notes that India saw religious freedom conditions continued on a downward trend in 2018, noting that last year, “approximately one-third of state governments increasingly enforced anti-con- version and/or anti-cow slaughter laws discriminatorily against non-Hindus and Dalits alike.”
The report adds that, in 2018, “approximately one-third of state governments increasingly enforced anti-con- version and/or anti-cow slaughter laws discriminatorily against non-Hindus and Dalits alike,” and notes that Christians were also the targets were mob violence “under accusations of forced or induced religious conversion.” Moreover, the report notes that in cases involving mob violence against a person over false accusations of forced conversion of cow slaughter, “police investigations and prosecutions often were not adequately pursued.”
In its key findings for India, the report takes note of the Supreme Court of India’s highlighting of “deteriorating conditions for religious freedom in some states” in 2018, stating that the court concluded that “certain state governments were not doing enough to stop violence against religious minorities, and in some extreme cases, impunity was being granted to criminals engaging in violence.” The report also highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on these issues, saying he “seldom made statements decrying mob violence,” and noting that “certain members of his political party have affiliations with Hindu extremist groups and used inflammatory language about religious minorities publicly.” These were some of the points the report notes to explain why India was once again termed a Tier 2 country.
The report outlines recommendations to the United States’ government, saying that it should “press the Indian government to allow a USCIRF delegation to visit the country and meet with stakeholders to evaluate conditions for freedom of religion or belief in India”. It calls for working with the Indian government to formulate a years-long strategy to curb religion-driven hate crimes by “pressing state governments” to prosecute public figures, including government officials, “who incite violence against religious minority groups through public speeches or articles.” The recommendations for this strategy also include bolstering the training and capacity of state and central police forces to prevent and punish instances of religious violence, encouraging the passage of the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2018, and assisting the law ministry to work with states to increase prosecution of hate crimes and hate speech targeting religious minorities, among others.
The report says that the conditions for religious freedom have declined in the last decade, stating, “A multifaceted campaign by Hindu nationalist groups like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to alienate non-Hindus or lower-caste Hindus is a significant contributor to the rise of religious violence and persecution.” It notes that in 2017, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) “reported that communal violence increased significantly during 2016,” highlighting that human rights organisations criticised the NCRB last year not adequately including data on mob violence or lynching. Given this, “the NCRB delayed its 2018 report to collect data on nearly 30 new crime categories, which will include hate crimes, lynching, and crimes based on fake news,” the report states.
The report notes that in 2018, Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir told Parliament that 111 people were killed and 2,384 people were wounded in 822 communal clashes in 2017. By contrast, in 2016, 86 people were killed and 2,321 were injured in 703 clashes, the report offers, later adding that independent organisations that monitor hate crimes found that 2018 saw more than 90 religion-based hate crimes that resulted in 30 deaths and many more injuries. However, the report also notes that in December 2018, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that communal attacks had declined 12%, compared to the peak in 2017.
The report also notes how “institutional challenges” have contributed to religious freedom concerns, with “the police and courts overwhelmed,” and highlighting how “worsening income inequality has left more Indians suffering from poverty and has exacerbated his- torical conditions of inequality for certain religious and social minorities.”
The report takes note of anti-conversion laws that are in force in seven states in India, noting that the fundamental right to freedom of religion “includes the ability to manifest one’s beliefs through expression intended to persuade another individual to change his or her religious beliefs or affiliation voluntarily.” The report outlines that in 2018, anti-conversion laws were primarily enforced against Christians and Muslims who were proselytising, and says that religious minority leaders and others were also arrested under these laws. It highlights the case of Hadiya, whose marriage had been embroiled in accusations of ‘love jihad’. The report does not mention this phrase, but takes note of “inflammatory allegations of an organized campaign to coerce Hindu women to marry Muslim men and convert to Islam,” stating that the National Investigation Agency investigated this alleged campaign and eventually concluded that there was no evidence for it. Meanwhile, the report mentions ‘ghar wapsi’ ceremonies, in which those born as Hindus who converted to another religion are converted back, stating that “In some cases, these conversion ceremonies reportedly involve force or coercion,” but noting that it is difficult to determine if such conversions are voluntary or not.
Notably, the report, while discussing the role of Hindutva/Hindu extremist groups, highlights that “moderate and extreme forces within the Hindutva movement point to the rise in the Muslim population from constituting 10 percent of the national population in 1951 to 14 percent in 2011, which in their view necessitates “mitigation” against the growing Muslim community.” It later takes note of the fact that numerous cities have been renamed, such as Allahabad and Faizabad, abandoning the names that had been given during the Mughal period, stating that this “has been perceived as an effort to erase or downplay the influence of non-Hindus in Indian his- tory and as an attack on Muslims within India today.”
The report also discusses cow vigilantism, noting that “cow protection” mobs, “a new phenomenon,” have engaged in more than 100 attacks since May 2015 that have led to 44 deaths and around 300 people being injured. “In 2018 alone, cow protection lynch mobs killed at least 13 people and injured 57 in 31 incidents.” It also takes note of hate crimes against religious minorities, including anti-Muslim rhetoric in West Bengal in April 2018, threats against Christians in Tamil Nadu in October 2018.
Per the report, impunity for large-scale incidents of communal violence persists in India, “without proper accountability or recompense.” Probes and prosecution of those allegedly responsible have been “ineffective” or “absent,” and victims have said that the government has not adequately helped in rebuilding “destroyed neighborhoods, homes, and places of worship.” The report emphasises that while the Supreme Court and fact-finding commissions “have noted common characteristics and causes of such violence, including incitement to violence against religious minorities by politicians or religious leaders,” the failure “to address those common characteristics and causes or to hold perpetrators accountable have contributed to a culture of impunity for such violence.”
Other than incidents and threats that are communal, the report also discusses the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 1976, and details how it has been used to target non-governmental organisations “with missionary and human rights portfolios,” who have been banned from operating in India. It notes that in November 2018, the government “demanded that 1,775 organizations provide further explanation for their failure to submit use of foreign funds over the last six years; these organizations included many non-Hindu religious groups, some Hindu trusts managing major temples, and secular human rights groups.” The report explains that some Hindus, including some “Hindutva extremists,” “perceive Christian missionaries converting Dalits to be particularly threatening, as there are nearly 200 million Dalits in India,” adding, “Many observers assert that it was this fear of mass conversion that led to the 2017 shutdown of Com- passion International, a U.S.-based Christian charity, which provided services to nearly 150,000 Indian children.”
The report also has a section on Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC), which has jeopardized the Indian citizenship of more than four million people. “Widespread concerns have been raised that the NRC update is an intentional effort to discriminate and/ or has the effect of discriminating against Muslims, and that the discretion given to local authorities in the verification process and in identifying perceived foreigners to be excluded from the draft list will be abused,” it notes. It also highlights the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, saying that “concerns about the targeting of Muslims through the citizenship process were separately exacerbated” by its introduction and passage in the Lok Sabha; the bill, which would have provided citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan “as long as they were not Muslim,” was dropped in the Rajya Sabha in February 2019, after the reporting period.
The report also discusses religious freedom for women, highlighting the Kathua case, in which an eight-year-old child was “abducted, gang-raped, and murdered as a message and threat to her Muslim nomadic community in Kashmir.” It notes that a priest, his son and a special police officer were charged in the case, and other police officials were charged with covering up the crimes. The report notes that while many protested the incident, “several others organized in support of the men charged, including members of the BJP.” It also highlights the Sabarimala Temple case, saying that following the Supreme Court’s ruling that adult women be permitted to enter the temple, “women attempting to enter the temple were physically attacked and others who publicly stated that they would try to enter the temple received hate mes- sages including death threats both online and in-person.”
The report also mentions a handful of positive developments with regards to religious freedom in India, such as the decline in communal violence in 2018, and the Supreme Court’s directive to the state and central governments to tackle mob violence, asking them to “pursue an 11-point plan, including compensation to hate crime victims, fast-tracking prosecutions, assigning senior police officers to deal with communal issues, and other provisions.” The report also mentions some progress in mob violence cases, citing June 2017’s Alimuddin Ansari lynching case, in which 11 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2018. Per the report, the Ministry of Minority Affairs was also granted a 12% increase in its budget.
Separately, Tenzin Dorjee, chair of the USCIRF, wrote a note in which he disagreed that religious freedom in India was deteriorating, stating, “While India must address issues related to religious freedom, I respectfully dissent on the views that India’s religious freedom conditions continued on a downward trend, the government allowed and encouraged mob violence against religious minorities, and some states are involved in ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.’” He notes that in the 30+ years he spent living in India as Tibetan refugee, he “mostly witnessed the best of India and sometimes worst due to intractable interreligious conflicts.” He acknowledges that “religious divides and power struggles” resulted in the Partition of India and Pakistan, and also “contribute to egregious violations of religious freedom and tragedies,” but says that in spite of these concerns, “India exists as a multifaith and secular country.” Dorjee says that as a Tibetan refugee, “the most vulnerable minority among all minorities” in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, where he lived, he “experienced full religious freedom,” citing China’s systematic attacks on the Tibetan community in comparison. Dorjee also highlighted isolated incidents of religious harmony, such as a Muslim village donating land and money to build a Hindu temple, and a Hindu head priest carrying a Dalit youth on his shoulders into the Chilkur Balaji Temple’s inner sanctum amid cheers from a huge crowd. He takes note of Nathowal village in Punjab, where Hindu and Sikh communities helped rebuild an old mosque, and Muslims and Hindus helped work at a Sikh gurudwara. “People in this village reported to the Times of India that they celebrated together annual multifaith festivals such as Diwali, Dusshera, Rakhi, Eid, and Gurupurab,” Dorjee writes, opining that such “stories speak for India’s multi- faith civilization, religious freedom, and interreligious harmony.” He ends with an appeal to the Indian government “to continuously respect religious freedom and strive to promote India as a vibrant country of and for the multifaith people.”
The complete report may be read here. The section on India is on pages 174-181.
https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/
International Media Critical of Modi as Elections in India Nearly Concludes
With the election in the largest democracy in the world, coming to a close and the world is awaiting for the crucial results to the Indian Parliament, the media, across the world, is filled with avidity, giving all sorts of analysis and predicting the outcomes. This election is witnessing a headstrong fight between the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the other opposition parties. While the Congress is trying hard to regain its lost ground, the ‘mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance), dominated by Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has been formed, leaving behind their old rivalry, sheerly to ouster Modi.
Media is playing a very significant role in this election along with allegations of being biased and spreading fake news. Even the global media is intently watching the turnarounds in this election. While Modi is being applauded for improving India’s global status and developing bonhomie with the superpowers, the international media is not all praise for the PM.
Some portions of the media are calling Modi an autocratic leader with his only objective being that of imposing his party’s Hindutva ideology on our secular nation while some are portraying him as the only beacon of home.
American news magazine Time has featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the cover page of its May 20 issue with a headline that may create controversy across India amid the election season. The headline reads “India’s Divider in Chief” that is and carries a caricature of the Prime Minister criticizing Modi.
This title pertains to the article in the magazine, written by Aatish Taseer with the headline “Can the World’s Largest Democracy Endure Another Five Years of a Modi Government?”
The write up compares former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s idea of secularism with the prevailing social “stress” under Modi,” the article read. Besides, the article has also recalled the Gujarat riots that allegedly claimed lives of scores of people.
It is not the first time when the magazine has come with critical commentary about Modi. In its published article in 2012, the magazine described him as a controversial, ambitious and a shrewd politician.
Referring to the 2014 victory, Taseer writes, “The nation’s most basic norms, such as the character of the Indian state, its founding fathers, the place of minorities and its institutions, from universities to corporate houses to the media, were shown to be severely distrusted. The cherished achievements of independent India–secularism, liberalism, a free press–came to be seen in the eyes of many as part of a grand conspiracy in which a deracinated Hindu elite, in cahoots with minorities from the monotheistic faiths, such as Christianity and Islam, maintained its dominion over India’s Hindu majority.
Modi’s victory was an expression of that distrust. He attacked once unassailable founding fathers, such as Nehru, then sacred state ideologies, such as Nehruvian secularism and socialism; he spoke of a “Congress-free” India; he demonstrated no desire to foster brotherly feeling between Hindus and Muslims. Most of all, his ascension showed that beneath the surface of what the elite had believed was a liberal syncretic culture, India was indeed a cauldron of religious nationalism, anti-Muslim sentiment and deep-seated caste bigotry.”
Paradoxically, in the same magazine, there was another article titled, ‘Modi Is India’s Best Hope for Economic Reform,’ wherein the writer, Ian Bremmer, praises Modi for his bold and much-needed reforms like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the biometric identification system- the Aadhar card, strengthening international ties, uplifting the poor through welfare schemes like Ujjwala Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, among others. “.. India still needs change, and Modi remains the person most likely to deliver. He has improved relations with China, the U.S. and Japan, but it’s his domestic development agenda that has done the most to improve the lives and prospects of hundreds of millions of people. Consider what he’s already accomplished during five years in charge,” the article read.
In an Opinion article, titled, ‘Modi Reminds India of Indira Gandhi. Will He Share Her Electoral Fate?’ published in The New York Times on May 8, the writer, Gyan Prakash, draws parallels between Modi and the former PM Indira Gandhi based on their autocratic form of ruling. The writer even goes on to say that the election results will show whether the public continues to accept an autocratic ruler or removes him like Indira Gandhi was defeated in the 1977 elections post-emergency. He further accuses Modi of destabilizing the democratic institutions.
Prakash writes, “Mr. Modi has ruled India with the iron will reminiscent of Mrs. Gandhi. He brooks no dissent and projects the personality cult of a strong Hindu nationalist warrior combating the nation’s internal and external enemies with “surgical strikes….While Mrs. Gandhi resorted to emergency rule to survive a political crisis, Mr. Modi’s regime thrives on Hindu majoritarian militancy. He stokes majoritarian resentments against the minorities to further his rule. Dissent is denounced as treason, and Hindu nationalists deride critics as elites guilty of “rootless cosmopolitanism.”
He further writes, “Riding to power in 2014 with an overwhelming majority for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Modi quickly moved to centralize power. His government bypassed the Parliament and issued ordinances to advance his policies. Civil society organizations have faced investigations. Unqualified Hindu nationalists were foisted on educational and cultural institutions. A law was instituted to exert greater control over the appointment of judges.”
In an interview, with the Financial Times’ South Asia Bureau Chief Amy Kazmin and South Asia Correspondent, Stephanie Findlay, discuss the 2019 elections. They start the interview by saying, “India’s election has turned into an ideological battle pitting an inclusive vision of a multi-faith nation against the view that Hindus should have sway.” They even talk about how the 2014 election was fought on the promise of economic development which clearly wasn’t fulfilled. Thus, Modi is fighting the 2019 elections on the basis of national security, by creating an atmosphere of threat and promising that the Modi-led government will protect India as it did through the Uri and Balakot strikes. They have further accused Modi of playing the Hindu nationalism card to seek re-election.
Though the global media is divided in its opinion about Modi and his re-election, one thing which is common across all the sections is the lack of alternate leader for the Indian voters which gives Modi an upper hand in this fierce battle. Taseer rightly says, “Modi is lucky to be blessed with so weak an opposition–a ragtag coalition of parties, led by the Congress, with no agenda other than to defeat him.”
This election has become a fight to uphold our Constitutional principles and our democratic institutions. It is a battle to ensure that religion doesn’t overtake the ideals of justice and equality for all. As rightly described by Prakash, “With an authoritarian, hyper nationalist warrior asking for their support, Indian voters are tasked with making a consequential choice for India’s future. As B.R. Ambedkar, the great Dalit leader and the architect of India’s Constitution, once remarked, Indians were particularly susceptible to “bhakti,” or devotion. This was fine in religion, but in politics, he warned, it is “a sure road to degradation and eventual dictatorship.”
Taseer argues that To understand the deeper promptings of this enormous expression of franchise – not just politics, but the underlying cultural fissures – one needs to go back to the first season of the Modi story because only then “one can see why the advent of Modi is “at once an inevitability and a calamity for India.”
He says the India offers a unique glimpse into “both the validity and the fantasy of populism” and “forces us to reckon with how in India, as well as in societies as far apart as Turkey and Brazil, Britain and the U.S., populism has given voice to a sense of grievance among majorities that is too widespread to be ignored, while at the same time bringing into being a world that is neither more just, nor more appealing.”
But Taseer notes that Modi is lucky to be blessed with so weak an opposition – a ragtag coalition of parties, led by the Congress, with no agenda other than to defeat him. Even so, doubts assail him, for he must know he has not delivered on the promise of 2014.
“It is why he has resorted to looking for enemies within. Like other populists, he sits in his white house tweeting out his resentment against the sultanate of “them. And, as India gets ready to give this willful provincial, so emblematic of her own limitations, a second term, one cannot help but tremble at what he might yet do to punish the world for his own failures,” he says.
The article also recalled the Gujarat riots of 2002. Taseer describes Modi’s record on women’s issues as “spotty” and calls Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath a “hate-mongering priest in robes of saffron”.
In the wake of the article, reactions on social media were galore with people commenting in favor or against Modi depending on their political persuasions with some calling it a biased article against Modi’s popular government while others welcoming it as an objective thoughtful essay on the divisive politics of the Modi era.
France strongly supports India for UN SC Permanent Member
India and nations like Germany, Brazil and Japan are “absolutely needed” as permanent members of a reformed and enlarged UN Security Council to better reflect contemporary realities and the addition of these key members to the UN high-table is among France’s “strategic” priorities, the French envoy to the UN has said.
India is at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for the long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasizing that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.
“In terms of policy, France and Germany have strong policy which is to work together to enlarge the Security Council and to succeed in terms of the negotiations that should lead to the enlargement of the Security Council that we consider absolutely needed to better reflect the world as it is. There is no question about it,” France’s Permanent Representative to the UN François Delattre told reporters here last week.
Speaking along side German envoy to the UN Christoph Heusgen at the end of Germany’s Presidency of the Council for April, Delattre emphasised that France considers that “Germany, Japan, India, Brazil and a fair representation of Africa in particular are absolutely needed at the table to get towards a fairer representation of the Security Council. This is for us a matter of priority.”
He underlined that Paris believes the enlargement of the Security Council with the addition of a few key members is “one of our strategic priorities.”
Noting that when France and Germany launched their alliance for multi-materialism, he said it signifies that the two nations strongly believe in the UN as the core of today’s global governance and that they strongly believe in “multi-lateralism and means that we are actively working to reform and in some respects to refound, reinvent multi-lateralism so that it is really efficient for the decades to come.”
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, speaking at the informal meeting of the Plenary on the Intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council earlier this year, had said that on the issue of ‘Categories of Membership’, a total of 113 Member States, out of 122 who submitted their positions in the Framework Document, support expansion in both of the existing categories specified in the Charter.
“In short, more than 90 per cent of the written submissions in the document are in favour of expansion in both categories of membership specified in the Charter,” he had said.
Akbaruddin had said that while reform at the UN is a process rather than an event, “there is no process known to us here that has traversed winding pathways in the manner as this process of the Reform of the Security Council.” “In terms of inertia too, it has no peer. While the world is not what it was when we began the process, the objections to moving forward remain the same. While the global challenges of the 21st century have multiplied, we remain divided even about the process to adopt in order to move forward,” he had said.
France has maintained that if the crises of recent times have confirmed the centrality of the UN, they have also reinforced the need to make the organisation more effective and more representative of the current balances in the world.
“That is why France pushes for the expansion of the Security Council by supporting the accession to a permanent seat of Germany, Brazil, India, Japan, as well as a greater presence of African countries,” according to the Permanent Mission of France.
India-US Trade War
Any retaliatory tariff by India in response to the United States’ planned withdrawal of some trade privileges will not be “appropriate” under WTO rules, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross warned on Tuesday.
The comments, made to broadcaster CNBC-TV18 during a trip to India’s capital, come as trade ties between the United States and China worsen. The United States is India’s second-biggest trade partner after China.
Indian officials have raised the prospect of higher import duties on more than 20 U.S. goods if President Donald Trump presses ahead with a plan announced in March to end the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for India.
India is the biggest beneficiary of the GSP, which allows preferential duty-free imports of up to $5.6 billion from the South Asian nation.
“Any time a government makes a decision adverse to another one, you will have to anticipate there could be consequences,” Ross said. “We don’t believe under the WTO rules that retaliation by India would be appropriate.”
He added that India’s new rules on e-commerce, which bar companies from selling products via firms in which they have an equity interest, and data localisation have been discriminatory for U.S. firms such as Walmart Inc and Mastercard Inc.
“So the American companies are showing very good will and a very cooperative attitude towards ‘Make in India’ and the other programmes,” he said, referring to a manufacturing push by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“But there’s a limit to how far the discriminatory behaviour can go. And our job is to try to get a level, more level playing field.”
Earlier, Ross told a business conference that localisation rules and price caps on medical devices imported from the United States were barriers to trade but that New Delhi was committed to tackling them after general elections.
“We applaud India’s commitment to addressing some of these barriers once the government is re-formed, probably starting in the month of June,” Ross said.
“Our role is to eliminate barriers to U.S. companies operating here, including data localisation restrictions that actually weaken data security and increase the cost of doing business.”
India’s 39-day general election ends on May 19, and votes will be counted four days later.
India’s 39-day general election ends on May 19, and votes will be counted four days later.
Ross met his Indian counterpart Suresh Prabhu on Monday, after which New Delhi said the two countries would engage regularly to resolve outstanding trade issues.
Last year, global payments companies such as Mastercard, Visa and American Express unsuccessfully lobbied India to relax central bank rules requiring all payment data on domestic transactions to be stored locally.
“As President Trump has said, trade relationships should be based, and must be based, on fairness and reciprocity,” Ross added. “But currently, U.S. businesses face significant market access barriers in India.”
Alcohol intake in India up 38% this decade
Alcohol consumption in India increased from 4.3 litres a year per adult to 5.9 litres in 2017, a growth of 38 per cent, says a study of 189 countries’ alcohol intake.
Driven by the rise in alcohol intake in India, China and Vietnam, global alcohol consumption increased from 5.9 litres a year per adult in 1990, to 6.5 litres in 2017, and is predicted to increase further to 7.6 litres by 2030, showed the results published in The Lancet.
As a result of increased alcohol consumption and population growth, the total volume of alcohol consumed globally per year has increased by 70 per cent — from 20,999 million litres in 1990 to 35,676 million litres in 2017.
While intake is growing in low and middle-income countries, the total volume of alcohol consumed in high-income countries has remained stable, the study said.
The estimates suggest that by 2030 half of all adults will drink alcohol, and almost a quarter (23 per cent) will binge drink at least once a month.
“Our study provides a comprehensive overview of the changing landscape in global alcohol exposure. Before 1990, most alcohol was consumed in high-income countries, with the highest use levels recorded in Europe,” said study author Jakob Manthey from Technische Universitat Dresden in Germany.
“However, this pattern has changed substantially, with large reductions across Eastern Europe and vast increases in several middle-income countries such as China, India and Vietnam,” Manthey added.
“This trend is forecast to continue up to 2030 when Europe is no longer predicted to have the highest level of alcohol use,” he added.
Increasing rates of alcohol use suggest that the world is not on track to achieve targets against harmful alcohol use.
“Based on our data, the WHO’s aim of reducing the harmful use of alcohol by 10 per cent by 2025 will not be reached globally,” Manthey said.
“Instead, alcohol use will remain one of the leading risk factors for the burden of disease for the foreseeable future, and its impact will probably increase relative to other risk factors,” he warned, adding that implementation of effective alcohol policies is warranted, especially in rapidly developing countries with growing rates of alcohol use.
The study measured per capita alcohol consumption using data for 189 countries between 1990-2017 from the WHO and the Global Burden of Disease study.(IANS)
Bharat Karnad on India’s ‘Inept’ Foreign Policy
With India in the throes of the world’s largest exercise in democracy, Indians and the international community are assessing the performance of its incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conventional wisdom about Modi’s first term in office has generally been: disappointing on the economic and social fronts; generally successful on foreign affairs. Some analysts have even credited Modi for ushering a bolder and more engaged foreign policy.
A recent book throws cold water on such assessments. In the opening pages of Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition, author and Indian national security expert Bharat Karnad describes Modi’s foreign policy as “inept” and “short-sighted.” The book makes the cases that Modi has been anything but bold on the international stage. While Modi’s efforts may have garnered small successes, Karnad believes he has failed in the grander ambition to propel India toward great power status. Instead, Karnad sees Modi’s India as “great power lite,” being stuck for the past five years in “neutral gear.”
The book’s critique of Modi comes from an unexpected angle. While Modi is maligned by the left (in India and abroad) for his Hindu nationalist, strong-man approach, Staggering Forward is a takedown from the other side of the political spectrum. Karnad, a research professor at the Center for Policy Research who describes himself as “India’s foremost conservative strategist,” faults Modi not for being hawkish but for being diffident.
I asked Karnad some questions about what disappointed him about Modi’s first term. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
The book is called Staggering Forward, which suggests progress, though of the uneven kind. How would you grade Modi’s foreign policy performance?
The “staggering” in the title is meant to denote a certain diffidence evidenced in Modi’s foreign policy, which boasts, in substance, of no unique feature nor approach, being a continuation of policies pursued by the previous governments in the new millennium.
You characterize Indian leaders as being too afraid to enact “proactive, offensive, pre-emptive policies” for fear of upsetting China. What policies would you want the next Indian government to adopt toward China?
Based on the long history of the factors that command the respect of China’s rulers, I have been advocating for some two decades now and also in this book that India adopt a tit-for-tat approach. For instance, the most obvious way to react to Beijing’s very successful initiative to arm Pakistan with nuclear missiles and use that country to contain India would have been for Delhi to transfer like armaments to many more small adversarial states on China’s borders to equalize the strategic context. It would have signaled India’s intent to respond in kind and equal measure and would have quickly sobered up Beijing and telegraphed to all Asian states India’s ability to take on an ambitious and oppressive China. It would have crystallized India as a competing power node to China in Asia. A similar attitude to inform India’s trade policy would have prevented the skewed trade and severe balance-of-payments problem India now faces.
The recent India-Pakistan crisis following the Pulwama terrorist attack became a major political battleground in India ahead of the election. Politically, Modi seemed to come out on top. How did India come out vis-à-vis Pakistan and its security going forward?
Pakistan, I believe, is Modi’s greatest failure. Rather than resorting to covert warfare methods to discreetly drive home the message to Islamabad that two can play at the terrorism game, Modi has sought to make political capital out of forcefully countering actions by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organizations, such as Jaish-e-Mohammad, that are active in Indian Kashmir. This has a dual purpose of also communally polarizing the Indian society, which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to benefit from. This is base tactical thinking.
The most obvious way to react to Beijing’s very successful initiative to arm Pakistan with nuclear missiles and use that country to contain India would have been for Delhi to transfer like armaments to many more small adversarial states on China’s borders to equalize the strategic context.
A more strategic-minded leader would have used covert means when and where necessary while also seeking to influence the Pakistan government with a spate of economic incentives, such as open access to the vast Indian market, and unilateral military measures, such as demobilizing and reconstituting the Indian Army’s three strike corps — which the Pakistan Army most fears — into a single composite corps sufficient for any Pakistan contingency, and withdrawing forwardly deployed nuclear missiles from the border with Pakistan. By such means, India could have and still can reassure Pakistan, preclude it from acting the Chinese cat’s paw in the region, and regain for South Asia the unitary strategic space lost in 1947 with the Partition of India.
At the start of the book, you declare that Modi’s extensive “personalized diplomacy” has “produced no signal departure from the policies of previous governments, nor any stellar results.” You do point to one exception: strengthened ties with the Gulf States. Why has this been a priority for Modi?
If all politics is local, then Modi has been sensitive about actions that fetch him domestic political dividends. A large section of Indian society gains from the remittances, estimated by the World Bank in 2018 as some $80 billion annually; sent home by skilled and unskilled Indian labor employed [primarily] in the Gulf countries. These remittances make for India’s healthy hard currency reserves and help sustain the economies of several Indian states, chief among them Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The remittance beneficiaries also constitute a large voter base, which Modi has kept pleased by cultivating, in the main, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Intimacy with these Sunni majority states also balances India’s ties with the Shia majority Iran, giving India a role in the ongoing Shia-Sunni tussle in West Asia. More generally, close ties with Islamic nations symbolizes the fact that India has the second largest Muslim population in the world (after Indonesia), and is a counterpoise to India’s deep relations with Israel, on the one hand, and on the other hand, limits Pakistan’s influence in the Islamic world.
The book is about India’s place in the world, but you also write about how Modi’s tenure has exacerbated “tensions in society along caste and religious lines.” Why are these domestic divisions a problem when it comes to India’s global ambitions?
India has long projected itself, successfully, as an inclusive democratic country suffused with liberal values and exemplifying secular ideals. This image cannot but be hurt when domestic politics are communalized. India’s recent downgrading by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, for instance, will have repercussions in that many countries may be influenced by its findings, and the Modi government’s desire for India to be seen as a bastion of liberal thought and democratic action will take a hit. Further, anti-Muslim rhetoric will begin to impact India’s interactions with the Islamic world, alienate Muslim states, and cumulatively affect India’s quest for great power.
Lastly, any bold predictions about the elections?
Modi’s use of technology for development and in social welfare schemes has buffed up his credentials as a modernizer and a leader who means well and does good by the people. Moreover, his record of personal rectitude in office has left an impression on the average voter, as has his government’s performance in government. These attributes position Modi in good stead in the general elections underway.
My assessment is that Modi will be re-elected, but that his government, the BJP-led NDA coalition, will be returned to power with a much-reduced majority. However, if the majority is quite thin, Modi could be replaced as PM by someone like the Transportation Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has distinguished himself as a conciliator. Gadkari has warm relations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — the social service organization associated with pushing the Hindu nationalist agenda that is the power behind the BJP — but also with many leaders in the opposition. The belief is that he will be better able than Modi to draw support from small parties in the opposition, and thus beef up the BJP coalition.
India wins global support in naming Masood Azhar’s terror tag
Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar was on Wednesday designated a global terrorist by the UN after China withdrew its long-standing block to the move, marking a major diplomatic and political victory in the Indian government’s efforts to counter cross-border terrorism.
Azhar was listed by the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee for his association with al-Qaeda and his role in financing, planning and facilitating terrorist acts by the JeM, shortly after officials announced in Islamabad that Pakistan would no longer object to his designation – a sign to iron brother China to lift the “technical hold” it had placed on four attempts to sanction Azhar.
Hindustan Times first reported on Tuesday that China was expected to lift its hold on listing Azhar at the UN on May 1.
Following the designation, Pakistan will be required to take three steps – freeze the funds and financial assets of Azhar, enforce a travel ban on him, and cut off his access to arms and related materials.
India’s permanent representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, informed Sanjeev Singla, private secretary to PM, about the listing and asked him to “brief the boss”. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been inquiring about the matter since morning, he could not be directly informed by Singla as the premier was in the midst of an election rally.
Singla is believed to have informed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who rushed to the PMO from Sardar Patel Bhawan and informed Modi of the development on a secure line.
Shortly after the February 14 suicide attack in Pulwama that killed 40 Indian troopers and was claimed by JeM, France, with the backing of the US and the UK, moved a proposal at the 1267 Sanctions Committee to sanction 50-year-old Azhar. After a 10-day period to consider the matter, China blocked the proposal on March 13 by saying more time was needed to discuss the issue.
This angered the US, which threatened to take the matter to the UN Security Council, where discussions are held in public, unlike consultations held behind closed doors by the sanctions committee. The heavy lifting was done by the US as it wanted the terrorist tag for Azhar during consultations on April 23, but China and Pakistan wanted it to happen after the Indian elections as they didn’t want the listing to benefit Modi, people familiar with developments said.
The date was then moved by the US to April 30, though China was insisting on May 15. A compromise of May 1 was reached after the US hinted it would take the matter to the Security Council, the people said.
India and its Western allies also continued to work with China throughout this period. During a visit to Beijing last week, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale shared evidence on the role of Azhar and JeM in terrorist attacks with Chinese officials, including foreign minister Wang Yi.
A fifth proposal to sanction Azhar was moved by France, the US and UK last month. In an apparent face-saving measure for Pakistan at the behest of China, this proposal didn’t contain references to the Pulwama attack and terrorism in Kashmir, the people said.
The statement issued by the UN on Azhar’s listing referred extensively to his links with al-Qaeda, its slain chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban, and his role in supporting and facilitating these terrorist entities and providing them arms but made no mention of Kashmir, where JeM has carried out several devastating attacks, or Pakistan, where Azhar is based.
The statement referred to Azhar’s role as former leader of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen but made no mention of this group’s activities in Kashmir. The statement also referred to Azhar’s activities only till 2008, with no mention of attacks such as the 2016 assault on Pathankot airbase blamed on JeM.
Need to institutionalize U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Stresssed
Indian American Rep. Ami Bera (D.-Calif.) has called to institutionalize the U.S.-India strategic partnership across various sectors, vowing to bring in legislation to bring the tow nations closer than ever before. Bera, 53, predicted that this legislation, once enacted, would make India as much an ally of the U.S. as are its NATO partners and other close allies such as Japan and South Korea.
Speaking at the Capitol Hill 2019 Spring Conference of the U.S.-India Friendship Council last month, he said the legislation would “codify the importance of the U.S.-India partnership,” and while acknowledging that some of the aspects of the pending legislation “exists in other places, we’d like to incorporate language about the U.S.-India Enhanced Cooperation Act, which already exists, but put it into a comprehensive bill that will put India on a par with other major allies.”
Bera pointed out that necessarily anchoring this comprehensive legislation would be the growing U.S.-India defense and military partnership, which has grown to be the crown jewels of the strategic partnership between the two countries, which has led to “us increasingly recognizing India as a strategic partner.”
He said in the legislation, “We would look at how we can work with India to develop technologies like artificial intelligence, etc., so that you can get Indian companies and U.S. companies working together in a strategic fashion.
“We’d like to authorize the DOD (Department of Defense) to assist India reducing purchases from countries we may mutually view as adversaries and certainly those we view as adversaries,” Bera said, and added, “and we’d also like to assist India to increase its own capacity in self-defense.”
He also said that “we’d require the Department of Defense to conduct regular military engagements and dialogues with India, particularly in the western Indian Ocean region, where we already recognize India as having a vital role in protecting the Indian Ocean and keeping those lanes of commerce open.
“We see that partnership as critical and we already conduct major naval and defense exercises,” with India, he said.
Bera said that this comprehensive legislation would also push for the State Department to “advance India’s membership into APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum because we believe this is an important vehicle by which India can continue to seek its free and open trade across Asia.
“We also think it’s important to authorize and work with India in partnership to help advance and promote aid in third nations, and the countries in Africa is an example,” he said.
Bera pointed out that “India has much deeper and older relationships with Africa, and our understanding is that we can work together with USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) and other partners with India and go into those third developing countries — that could be a critical partnership for both countries.”
He also said another vital sector that he would like to see institutionalized would be in the education sector because already, each year, we know that hundreds of thousand of Indian students come to the U.S. to study.”
Bera said by the same token, “It will be in our interest to foster this partnership — where more American students go and study in India. “And, again, these planks would continue to move the U.S.-India partnership forward together,” and help institutionalize it, he added.
Bera said that “as we introduce this legislation, we would be looking to the U.S.-India Friendship Council and other organizations to help work with us as we move this legislation forward. “We still believe that the U.S.-India relationship can be that defining relationship in the 21st century and certainly a strategic relationship,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), in this remarks, lauded Swadesh Chatterjee, the founder and chair of the Friendship Council for “your incredible guidance and mentorship over the years.
“You have been a trail-blazer for the Indian-American community, when it was hard to get appointments with (Congressional) staff assistants, let alone getting members of Congress elected,” he said, turning to Chatterjee.
Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, continued that “that kind of dedication is something that I’ve never forgotten in terms of the commitment that people like Swadesh have shown and we’ve grown on the sacrifices that people like you’ve made.”
He recalled that it “took people like Swadesh and Ramesh Kapur, who were willing to speak out of turn, who were willing to chase down members of Congress down the hallways, just trying to get a word in. They refused to be passive observers of democracy, but were willing to get into people’s faces in Congress to move forward.”
Khanna continued, “I’ve always believed that their generation and the sacrifices that they’ve made for this country and the community, will always be far more than my generation.”
He said that thanks to this older generation, “Our generation was handed a lot of good opportunities in life — good families, good education, and it’s never lost on me how many people have paved the way for our being able to be in public service.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D.-Ill.), speaking at the evening reception, pointed out to the scores of political and community activists who were on hand spanning three generations, that it was the U.S.-India Friendship Council led by Chatterjee and a handful of other community leaders who were catalytic in lobbying the Congress to pass the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008, which was a transformational moment in the history of the relationship between Washington and New Delhi.
He said that “really showed the Indian-American community coming of age in terms of building those bridges between the U.S. and India that will last.”
Krishnamoorthi also made a strong pitch for more members of the Indian-American community to run for public office, including the U.S. Congress and help swell the ‘Samosa Caucus,’ of four Indian- American lawmakers in the House.
“If you dream it, you can do it,” he said, and added, “The fact that a guy like me with 31 letters in his name that 99 percent of my constituents cannot pronounce is testament to the greatness of this country and the fact that anyone can do anything they want to do in this country.”
Election news from the campaign Trail: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
There is no doubt that Rahul ji’s candidacy in Wayanad has reenergized the party cadre across Kerala, however, that enthusiasm hasn’t spilled over to Thiruvananthapuram where Shashi Tharoor is contesting the election for a third term. For reasons that cannot be explained well, the party workers at the ward and booth level have been lackadaisical in taking the party’s message to the voters at the ground level. If the party leadership doesn’t wake up and deal with the situation with a sense of urgency, we might lose the representation for Kerala by an internationally acclaimed personality whose victory not only may assure a cabinet-level appointment after the elections, but also provide a powerful voice in the Parliament and across the nation on behalf of pluralism and democracy.
The group rivalry that has been a fixture in the Congress politics in the State, may have a lot to do with the current situation. There are areas in the Constituency, where party workers are notably absent. It has been said that more volunteers are working in Wayanad where Rahul Gandhi is running from, although that is a very safe constituency for the party, than in Thiruvananthapuram. The UDF is slated to win a majority of the seats from Kerala, and yet some of the contests are just too close to call.
Thiruvananthapuram is one of those constituencies where BJP has poured in resources and fielded hundreds of RSS volunteers with a vow to defeat Mr. Tharoor. It appears that removing a great critic of the Modi regime has almost become an obsession in the higher ranks of BJP and they are willing to pay any price towards achieving that goal. That is quite understandable from a political standpoint; however, the question many folks are asking is why some in the Congress leadership in Kerala are acting as silent partners to the opposition agenda?
To begin with, some of them have consciously participated in this charade of spreading rumors that “Tharoor can’t win or he is behind” falsehood across the constituency almost making the opposition BJP candidate, Kummanam Rajasekharan, a divisive voice in the State, almost invincible. There is no doubt that this has been a disservice done to the voters by the vested interests and we will only know of the potential negative impact when the final tally will be in. Let us face one reality that as many who appear to drape themselves with tri-color during the day might also change to Saffron at night. It is almost frightening to observe that many in the party cadre and some in the leadership are becoming totally devoid of any values and principles of the Nehruvian vision and operating on their own to advance their self-development.
However, one thing is sure, the communalism has arrived with its full force and ugliness to this once peaceful state. BJP is fanning the flames of communalism and bigotry to gain political ground in Kerala that until now largely rejected BJP as an outlier. Although Communist party is running a distant third in the recent polls here, they too have determined to carry on with an active campaign to take away as much vote from the secular front to show their displeasure with the Congress decision on Wayanad. However, they fail to realize that a BJP victory from the Capital of Kerala, the seat of the LDF government, will prove to be more than a thorn in their backs and they may come to regret it.
The voters in Kerala are smart, thoughtful and deliberate. They also know very well how to distinguish a Vidhan Sabha election from a Parliamentary one. They have witnessed the neglect and disdain shown by the BJP government towards Kerala especially during the great flood. They also have learned about the alleged involvement of RSS proxies who appear to have filed a petition in Supreme Court asking for the entry of women of all ages to the Sabarimala Temple and BJP at the Center and at the State level initially welcomed such a decision.
It is Modi’s Home Ministry that refused to file any review petition on behalf of the faithful they purportedly defending right now. It is the same ministry that kept reminding the state government to implement the SC decision. It is also the Modi government that has done nothing at the Central level either through an ordinance or via legislation to remedy the issue. After having done nothing other than to fan the flames of division and exasperate the situation with their cadre protests to create havoc across the state similar to what has happened in Ayodhya, Gujarat, and Muzzafarnagar, they have now professed themselves to be the great guardians of the faithful! Keralites understand the devious game that is being played upon them, and they will give a fitting reply to BJP on April 23rd through the ballot box.
Indo-American Arts Council Presents “The Colors Of Her Heart”
Choreographed and directed by Mallika Sarabhai, The Colors of Her Heart is a spellbinding, dance-theatre-multimedia production, that uses the haunting lyrics of British musician Samia Malik with the creative visual imagery and story creating skills of Yadavan Chandran. On the stage, six women tell their poignant stories bringing awareness into the issue of gender inequality.
What do all women across the world share as experiences? Whatever the color of their skins, whatever their language and culture, the single identity that leads to their exploitation and violence against them is their gender. With songs in Urdu and English and stories that are both personal and universal, the heartful composition draws you into the world of women and their lives, dwelling on their experiences of vulnerability, love, pain, rejection, discrimination, and violation.
The ballet shifts between powerfully spoken monologues as accounts of the performers, group and solo dances, emotive pieces, even a ghazal that come together rhythmically with the bilingual live music by Samia Malik. The pieces reflect upon the common thread that binds all women, bringing together not just the stories of six women, but the pains, travails and victories of women of all nations.
The Colors of Her Heart plays at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre on 405 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019 on April 17. The show starts at 7PM and there will be a talkback with the Mallika Sarabhai, Yadavan Chandran and Samia Malik at the end of the show.
Mallika Sarabhai is one of India’s leading choreographers and an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer, who has specialized in using the arts for social change and transformation.She first came to international notice when she played she played the role of Draupadi in the Peter Brook’s play The Mahabharata for 5 years, first in French and then English, performing in France, North America, Australia, Japan and Scotland.
Mallika has won many accolades during her long career, the Golden Star Award is one of them, which she won for the Best Dance Soloist, Theatre De Champs Elysees, Paris 1977. As well as a dancer, Sarabhai is a social activist. She manages the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts located at Ahmedabad, a centre for the arts and for the use of arts as a language for behavior change.
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information please visit www.iaac.us.
5 Million people lost job opportunities after demonetization in India: Study says
India is in the midst of national elections on an almost incomprehensible scale: Over five weeks, more than 900 million people across 29 states and seven territories will cast their ballots at over a million polling stations. Voting, which began on April 11, is set to conclude on May 19 — although the ballot count will not begin until four days later.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a second term amid a tepid economy and increased tensions with Pakistan following a February 14 suicide attack in Kashmir linked to a Pakistan-based terrorist group. The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has joined forces with a number of smaller parties to stop BJP. One matter at stake is the future of India’s identity: Is the country a multi-ethnic, secular democracy? Or is it a state where Hindu values take precedence?
Since the November 8, 2016 demonetisation, at least five million people lost opportunities to work across the country, while the overall unemployment rate doubled between 2011 and 2018 to 6%, says a ‘State of Working India’ (SWI) report published by the Centre for Sustainable Employment (CSE) of the Azim Premji University (APU) that was released on Tuesday.
Researchers from the university used unit-level data from the Consumer Pyramids Survey of the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), which covers around 5.22 lakh individuals quarterly, to get an outline of unemployment and what could be done to address it.
The rural Workforce Participation Rate (that is, the percentage of people working against the population within the working age) among men dipped from close to 72% in January-April 2016 (a few months before demonetisation) to slightly above 68% by December 2018. The corresponding figure for urban men reduced from 68% to nearly 65% in this time.
“The numbers seem to suggest we are in a perfect storm-like situation. On the supply side, there is rising aspirations, youth bulge, higher levels of general educational degrees. On the demand side, there has been a collapse of public sector employment, weak link between growth in private industry and employment, and factors such as demonetisation and GST,” Amit Basole, lead author of the report, said at its release. “It seems like employment opportunities have been hit by demonetisation and has not recovered after that,” he observed.
The report shows that the worst-hit in terms of lost employment opportunities were those in rural areas with pre-university or graduate certification, and those between the ages of 20 and 24 years.
SWI relied primarily on date from CMIE rather than the Centre’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), whose last report was in 2011-12. While a report on 2017-18 had been prepared, it ran into controversy as the Centre refused to release it. Leaked versions of the report pointed to soaring unemployment rates — reportedly highest in 45 years.
P.C. Mohanan, who resigned from the National Statistical Commission in protest against the Centre’s decision not to release the report, said there was much insight in the 2017-18 report, which had been carefully drafted to tally with previous five-yearly PLFS reports.
“Unemployment has been concentrated in a small age group: 80% of rural unemployment is among those aged between 15 and 29 years, while the corresponding figure is 77% for urban areas. These are all fresh graduates and unemployment levels among them can have serious consequences on the economy and society,” he said.
The report suggests tackling unemployment through a national urban employment guarantee scheme, modelled on the existing Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. APU researchers propose a programme that provides 100 days of guaranteed work at ₹500 daily in the city — from maintenance of public buildings to greening and environment-related works.
“The country will see more than half of the population live in urban centres in a few decades. Hitherto, the thinking was to provide opportunity through private services. But this scheme will provide means to focus on public goods,” said Harini Nagendra, Professor, APU.
Indian-American PAC endorses Harris for president Tulsi Gabbard outraises Kamala Harris among Indian-American donors
An Indian-American political action committee (PAC) has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris of Indian and Jamaican descent for the 2020 presidential race.
“In such a critically important election, one that will shape policy and politics for generations to come, Indian Americans can’t afford to stay on the sidelines,” the Indian American Impact Fund’s co-founder Raj Goyle said in a statement last week. Goyle, also a former Kansas state lawmaker, said it was for that reason that the organization chose to be “the first Indian-American or Asian-American political organization to endorse” Harris, whose mother was from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, media reports say.
“In the coming months, we look forward to mobilizing our network of resources to ensure Senator Harris secures the Democratic nomination and is elected the next president of the U.S.,” Goyle said.
Harris thanked the Impact Fund for the endorsement. “This endorsement and the support of the Indian American Impact Fund and its members means so much to me,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will fight for an America that restores the values of truth and justice and works for working people, from raising incomes to expanding health care.”
The Impact Fund Executive Director and former Maryland state delegate Aruna Miller said her group was “proud to endorse” Harris. “She is a tested leader who has demonstrated, throughout her career, a strong commitment to our community’s progressive and pluralistic values,” Miller said.
Harris, one of the first Democrats to launch the presidential campaign in this election cycle, is also one of the front-runners at the moment. If elected, she will become the first woman, the first Indian-American, the first Asian American, and the first African American woman to serve as president.
Meanwhile, Sen. Kamala Harris released 15 years of her tax returns las week, showing that she and her husband earned almost $1.9 million in 2018. Most of the adjusted gross income of $1,884,319 in 2018 reported by Harris, D-Calif., came from her husband Doug Emhoff’s earnings as a lawyer. Harris reported $157,352 in Senate salary and $320,125 in net profit from the memoir she released before announcing her campaign.
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu US Congresswoman and Democratic 2020 presidential candidate, has vastly outraised Senator Kamala Harris of Indian and Jamaican descent among Indian-American donors in the 2020 presidential fundraising derby so far.
Gabbard, who is a Hindu American but not Indian-American, has raised more than $237,000, from the community. In comparison, Harris, daughter of an Indian American mother and Jamaican American father, has so far raised only $72,606 from the community, according to AAPI Data, which publishes data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
In a clear sign that Harris, one of the strongest contenders in the crowded 2020 Democratic field, has not been fully embraced by the community, the Senator even trails New Jersey’s Corey Booker among Indian-Americans, the American Bazaar reported on Saturday.
Booker has raised more than $131,000 from Indian Americans. A big reason for that is New Jersey is home to nearly 370,000 Indian Americans. But Harris’ home state of California has the largest Indian American population in the country – more than 712,000. Yet, her campaign hasn’t received traction among Indian American campaign donors, the AAPI Data research reveals.
Historically, Indian Americans have donated huge amounts to congressional and gubernatorial candidates from the community. However, their track record in bankrolling candidates from the community so far is spotty. In the last presidential election cycle, the campaign of former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal attracted only lukewarm support of the community.
US warns ‘India-based call center scam industry’
The US government has initiated action against the “India-based call center scam industry”, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski has warned while announcing the extradition of an Indian citizen from Singapore allegedly involved in a multi-million dollar racket.
Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 42, who operated the HGlobal call centre in Ahmedabad, was extradited to face trial on charges relating to the scam that allegedly ripped off thousands of Americans of millions of dollars using people in call centers impersonating US government officials, the Justice Department said last week.
Patel was arrested and produced on Friday in a federal court in Houston, Texas, where Magistrate Judge Peter Bray remanded him to custody, according to a court document obtained by IANS. He is to appear in court again on Wednesday.
“This extradition once again demonstrates the (Justice) Department’s unwavering commitment to disrupt and dismantle the India-based call centre scam industry and to work with our foreign partners to hold accountable those who perpetrate schemes that defraud our citizens,” Benczkowski said. “Patel operated a call centre that allegedly preyed upon vulnerable U.S. citizens as part of a massive fraud scheme”.
After Patel flew from India to Singapore, he was arrested there on September 21, 2018, at the request of the US, and Singapore Law Minister K. Shanmugam issued a warrant on March 25 to hand him over to America, the Justice Department said.
“This historic extradition should serve as notice to transnational criminal organisations of the lengths DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is willing to go to arrest those who would enrich themselves by extorting the most vulnerable in our society,” said David Green, the Special Agent in charge of the DHS Houston Field Office.
He warned of global action against the owners, managers and employees of overseas call centers, saying: “Our pursuit of justice for victims of their scams does not stop at the water’s edge.” Patel was charged in 2016 along with 55 people, most of them of Indian descent, and five companies in the alleged massive scam.
The India-based call centers allegedly impersonated tax or immigration officials and called people in the US and threatened them with arrest or deportation if they did not pay what they claimed were back taxes or fines, according to the charge sheet filed against them.
When their victims agreed to pay, the people at the call centre arranged for payments to be collected in the form of store cards or wire transfers by their co-conspirators in the US, who cashed them often using stolen identities and laundered the money, according to the charges. In other instances, they offered people fake loans and collected fees for the lending that never materialized.
Since 2013, the tax official impersonation scam “has been on a relentless path, claiming more than 15,000 victims who have collectively suffered over $75 million in losses”, said Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George. Federal agencies have identified 140 scammers, including Patel, “who have preyed upon taxpayers”, he added.
The fraud calls originating from India that are received by millions of Americans are hurting the country’s reputation as a hub for back office, tech support and call centre operations.
In recent weeks, at least three persons of Indian descent have been sentenced to prison terms in cases of tax official impersonation.
A federal court in Florida sentence an Indian on Thursday to eight and a half years in prison and last month another person of Indian origin to eight years and nine months.
In a separate case, Indian was sentenced to 16 months in prison by a federal judge in Atlanta earlier this month.
Optimism persists, but concerns about terrorism and Pakistan loom large among Indian Voters
Polls in the largest democracy in the world opened earlier this month. As many as 900 million people, are expected to cast their ballots to elect a new government at the end of the weeks long electoral battles across the states of India. In April and May 2019, Indians will go to the polls to elect a new Lok Sabha, the 545-seat lower house of the Indian Parliament. When it comes to specific aspects of their democracy, Indians voice strong frustrations about elections and elected officials.
The elections to the Indian Parliament follow a year in which most Indian adults showed dissatisfaction with the nation’s progress on issues including unemployment, inflation and the efficacy of elections. Even prior to the Pulwama attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, majorities of Indians voiced concern about terrorism and the threat posed to their country by Pakistan. But despite these worries, most Indian adults are satisfied with the direction of their country and the economic prospects of the next generation, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 2,521 respondents in India from May 23 to July 23, 2018.
Here are 12 takeaways about public opinion in India that provide context about the public’s views leading up to the national elections.
1. Indian public opinion on national conditions
1Indian adults certainly recognize that their personal economic well-being has benefited greatly from strong national economic performance: Indian economic growth has averaged 7.3% per year since 2014. Roughly two-thirds (65%) say the financial situation of average people in India is better today than it was 20 years ago. Only 15% say things are worse.
But there are signs of public unease. About two-thirds of Indians (66%) believe that today’s children will be better off than their parents. But that optimism is down 10 percentage points since 2017.
Similarly, a majority of Indians (55%) are happy with the way things are going in their nation today. But that is down 15 points from 70% in 2017 and marks a return to the level of public satisfaction in 2015, the first full year of Narendra Modi’s government. Still, Indians’ mood remains much higher than in the last two years of the previous government of Manmohan Singh.
2. Lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India’s biggest challenge
Lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India’s biggest challenge, with 76% of adults saying it is a very big problem – little changed over the past year. In 2018, despite an estimated 3.5% formal unemployment rate, 18.6 million Indians were jobless and another 393.7 million work in poor-quality jobs vulnerable to displacement, according to estimates by the International Labor Office.
Other aspects of the economy are also at the top of the public’s concerns. More than seven-in-ten (73%) believe rising prices are a very big problem.
About two-thirds of the public says corrupt officials (66%), terrorism (65%) and crime (64%) are very big problems. In each case, such concern is down significantly from 2017 – by 20 percentage points in the case of crime, 11 points for terrorism and 8 points regarding officials’ corruption.
Indians with at least a secondary education are significantly more worried about corrupt officials than the less educated. Notably, there is little partisan difference in views of these problems.
On one very personal aspect of crime, more than half (54%) of Indians say the statement “most people live in areas where it is dangerous to walk around at night” describes India very or somewhat well.Roughly half of the public believes the gap between the rich and the poor is a very big problem (51%) and a similar share complains about poor-quality schools (50%). But while the latter sentiment has not changed since 2017, concern about inequality is down 10 points. More than four-in-ten are very concerned about air pollution and health care (both 44%), but these views are also down 10 points.
Notably, incidents of communal violence are higher than they were in 2014, according to Indian Ministry of Home Affairs data, but only about a third of Indians (34%) see this as a very big problem facing the country.
3. When asked whether various challenges facing India have gotten better or worse in the past five years, a time frame that largely encompasses the term of the current Modi government, few Indians voice a positive judgment. Just one-in-five (21%) say job opportunities have gotten better, while 67% think things have gotten worse (including 47% who say much worse). A similar share believes prices of goods and services (19%), corruption (21%) and terrorism (21%) have gotten better.
Meanwhile, 65% say prices have gotten worse, 65% are of the opinion that corruption has worsened (including again 47% who say it is much worse) and 59% think terrorism is worse. (This survey was conducted roughly nine months prior to the Pulwama attack, later claimed by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad.) Roughly one-in-four think the gap between the rich and the poor has narrowed (27%) and that air quality has gotten better (27%). In both cases, more than half the public thinks these things have gotten worse. And just 28% say communal relations have improved, while 45% say they have gotten worse.
As the Lok Sabha election nears, there is a decidedly partisan take on the direction of the country and the challenges facing India. Members of the opposition Indian National Congress party (Congress) are 21 percentage points more likely than backers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to say that job opportunities have worsened and 17 points more likely to say the same about air pollution. Congress adherents are more likely than BJP supporters to believe inequality has gotten worse (by 17 points), that corruption has worsened (12 points) and that terrorism and communal violence has become more of a problem.
4. As Indians head into election season, more than half (54%) are satisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. However, satisfaction has declined 25 percentage points from 2017, when 79% voiced approval. Men are more likely than women to give Indian democracy a thumbs-up, though one-in-five women decline to offer an opinion. Indians with a secondary education are more likely than those with less than a secondary education to be satisfied with their democracy, though one-in-six (17%) less-educated Indians offer no opinion. Such satisfaction is a partisan affair: 75% of BJP supporters, but only 42% of Congress adherents, are satisfied with how Indian democracy functions.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) say most politicians are corrupt (including 43% who very intensely hold this view). Notably, nearly seven-in ten (69%) of both BJP supporters and Congress backers share the view that elected leaders are corrupt.
Another 58% voice the opinion that no matter who wins an election, things do not change very much. This includes a majority of both BJP and Congress adherents.
And only 33% of Indian adults believe elected officials care what ordinary people think. Men are more likely than women to believe that officials don’t care, but almost a third of women (32%) decline to voice an opinion.
5. At the same time, the public thinks that the Indian state allows democratic values to flourish.
By more than two-to-one (58% to 26%), Indians say their rights to express their own views are protected very or somewhat well. Those with more education are more likely than those with less education to say freedom of speech is protected, although, again, a significant share of the less educated (22%) voice no opinion.
A similar proportion (56% to 27%) says most people have a good chance to improve their standard of living in India. People living in urban areas are more likely than those in rural parts of India to believe in such opportunities. BJP supporters (66%) are more likely than Congress adherents (53%) to say Indian democracy delivers economic opportunity.
A plurality (47%) believes the court system treats everyone fairly, a perception held especially among young people.
6. Globalization and India
Indians (71%) overwhelmingly believe trade is good for their nation.Support for trade, in principle, is roughly comparable to that in Japan (72%) and the United States (74%), but lower than that in the European Union (85%), according to a recent international survey by Pew Research Center. And the share of Indian adults who say growing trade and business ties between India and other countries is very good has nearly doubled, from 25% in 2014 to 49% in 2018.
The rise in intense Indian support for trade reflects a widely shared perception that international commerce benefits individuals. Contrary to public opinion in the U.S., Europe and Japan, a majority of Indians believe trade with other countries leads to an increase in wages (57%) and creates jobs (56%). And such sentiment is up slightly from 2014. Few Indian adults believe trade kills jobs (15%) or undermines wages (13%). At the same time, roughly half of Indians (52%) say trade increases prices, a sentiment that is widely shared in other emerging markets yet is contrary to economic theory that international commerce should lead to falling prices.
Educational attainment plays a role in Indian views of trade. Of those who offer an opinion, adults with at least a secondary education are far more likely than those with less education (86% vs. 63%) to say that trade is good for India. They are also more likely to believe that trade creates jobs (72% vs. 49%) and boosts wages (71% vs. 50%), but also to think that trade leads to higher prices (65% vs. 46%). Less-educated Indians are roughly three times as likely as more educated Indians to voice no opinion about the impact of trade, highlighting the significance of education in shaping public views of globalization.
For those who provided a response, there is also a generational difference in public opinion about the impact of globalization. Young Indians, those ages 18 to 29, are more likely (59%) than older Indians, those ages 50 and older (50%), to believe that trade generates new employment. And young Indians (55%) are more likely than their elders (45%) to say trade raises prices. Older Indians are, however, more likely than their younger compatriots to have no view, or less willing to share that view, on the personal impacts of trade.
BJP supporters are more likely than Congress backers to think trade creates jobs and raises wages, but they are also more likely to believe that trade raises prices.
7. With more than 1.35 billion people, India is home to the world’s second-largest population and nearly a fifth of the total world populace. India also happens to be the top source of international migrants – one-in-twenty migrants worldwide in 2015 were born in India. In 2017 more than 16 million Indians were living abroad, with high concentrations in the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Still, this constitutes only about 1% of India’s birth population, putting the nation well under the 3% average emigration rate for other countries around the world.
When asked if people leaving for jobs in other countries posed a problem for India, more than six-in-ten (64%) said this type of emigration was a problem, including nearly half (49%) saying it is a very big problem. Although outmigration itself may not be viewed favorably, in 2016 Indian migrants abroad collectively sent nearly $63 billion worth of remittances back to family and friends living in India, or roughly 3% of total gross domestic product.
At the same time, Indians show little enthusiasm for expanding immigration into their country. Roughly three-in-ten Indians (29%) say their government should allow fewer immigrants, with an additional 16% volunteering that there should be no immigration at all.
Just 13% think more immigration into India should be encouraged, and 11% think immigration levels should stay about the same as they are now. In 2017, just over 5 million people (or less than 1% of the population) living in India were born in other countries, with most of them coming from neighboring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.
8. When thinking about why people move abroad, Indians say it is to advance careers and pursue educational opportunities. Roughly three-quarters think finding better jobs and furthering education are important reasons why people in India move to other countries. Roughly half see uniting with family living in another country as an important reason why Indians relocate abroad, while only about a quarter think Indians move to escape violence.
More than eight-in-ten Indians with higher incomes and educational attainment cite the pursuit of better career and education opportunities as reasons people move to other countries, while fewer cite fleeing violence or joining family abroad. Indians in both urban and rural areas also see following better prospects for learning and working abroad as important reasons people in India emigrate.
Most Indians see Pakistan, their neighbor to the west, as a threat. When asked how serious of a danger Pakistan poses for India, about three-quarters in India (76%) say Pakistan is a threat, including 63% who say it is a very serious threat. Only 7% of Indians do not see Pakistan as a danger for their country. (This survey was conducted roughly nine months prior to the Pulwama attack, later claimed by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad, and retaliatory Indian air strikes in Pakistani territory.)
Indians from many walks of life share in this sentiment. Those in rural areas and urban centers, supporters of the prime minister’s BJP and supporters of the opposition Congress party, as well as Indians across age groups, all agree that Pakistan threatens their nation.
Indians who express confidence in Narendra Modi are more likely (70%) to see Pakistan as a threat than are those with less confidence in the prime minister, although even among this latter group about half view Pakistan as a danger (51%).
One source of historical tensions between these two nations lies in Kashmir, a region in the Indian subcontinent whose possession has been disputed since the Partition of India – the creation of the modern Indian and Pakistani states – in 1947.
A majority of Indians (55%) see the situation in Kashmir as a very big problem. When asked how this issue has changed over the past five years, more than half (53%) say circumstances in Kashmir have gotten worse. Only 18% think things have gotten better, and just 6% believe conditions are the same.
When asked about the government’s strategy in dealing with the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, a majority believes the Indian government should use more military force than they are currently using. Equal, though small, shares think the military should use either less or about the same amount of force (both 7%).
Throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s term in office, international perceptions of India have been mostly positive. Majorities in all five Asia-Pacific countries surveyed have a favorable view of India, with such positive judgement ranging from 64% in South Korea to 57% in Indonesia and Australia. Half the American public also shares this upbeat opinion of the world’s largest democracy.
Compared with 2014, the year Modi first came to office as prime minister, views of India abroad have largely remained stable. Favorable views have increased by a negligible 5 percentage points in South Korea, while they have decreased by the same amount in Japan, Indonesia and the U.S. The Philippines holds more positive views today than four years ago, with a 13-point increase in Indian favorability over that time.
11. There is a notable gap between how Indians see their country’s global stature and how others around the world see it. While 56% of Indians believe their country is playing a bigger role in world affairs than a decade ago, a median of just 28% across 26 nations polled agree. Pluralities in six countries believe India’s role has grown over the past 10 years, with notable shares saying India’s stature has increased in advanced economies, including France (49%), Japan (48%), South Korea (48%), Sweden (47%) and the UK (46%).
Fewer (a median of 22%) think India’s global role has diminished in the past decade. In particular, South Africans (37%) and Brazilians (32%) see India as a less important global power. The most common view across the nations surveyed (a median of 34%) is that India’s role is about the same as it was 10 years ago.
In many European countries, people with higher levels of education and income are more likely to think India plays a larger role today than it did 10 years ago. For example, roughly six-in-ten in France (59%) and the UK (58%) with a postsecondary degree or more say India’s power has grown, compared with about four-in-ten of those with less education.
Views of India’s relatively stagnant role on the world stage compared with 10 years ago diverge from international evaluations of China – a median of 70% in 25 countries say Beijing is playing a more important role in world affairs than 10 years prior. (For more comparisons between countries, see Chapter 3 of “Trump’s International Ratings Remain Low, Especially Among Key Allies.”)
12. Across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in the U.S., the share of the public who express confidence in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exceeds the share who lack confidence in him. A majority in the Philippines give the leader a vote of confidence for his handling of world affairs, as do more than four-in-ten in Japan, Australia and South Korea.
The U.S. shows some division in perceptions of the Indian prime minister, with slightly more of the public saying they have confidence in Modi than do not (39% vs. 32%, respectively).
More than a third of Indonesians (37%) express confidence in Modi, though an equal proportion offer no opinion. Roughly a quarter (26%) have no confidence
BJP government’s approval ratings sink as elections begin in India
The net approval rating of the Narendra Modi government has dropped 12 points between March 12 and April 12, according to the CVOTER-IANS tracker.
The performance rating of the Central government had peaked in the days after the Balakot air strike on February 26, touching the highest level of 62.06 on March 7.
After remaining in the 50s till March 22, the approval ratings have come down to 43.25 on April 12, a day after the first phase of polls held for 91 Lok Sabha seats.
Exactly a month ago on March 12, the approval rating of the government was 55.28.
The tracker findings are based on survey of people who were asked if they are “very satisfied”, “satisfied to some extent”, “not satisfied” and “Dont’ know/can’t say” about the performance of the Central government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On March 7, 51.32 per cent of the respondents had said they were very satisfied with the performance of the government. However, the net approval rating, taking into account all the responses, has been in constant decline and is settling into the pre-Pulwama levels.
The government’s net approval rating was 32.4 on January 1 and remained between 30 and 40 for the entire month before rising steadily after the mid-February when the Pulwama attack took place which was followed by air strike against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot resulting in sharp rise. Around half of the voters surveyed by CVOTER-IANS continue to be very satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The poll tracker interviewed 12,050 voters on April 4 and found that 50.95 per cent of them said they were very satisfied with the performance of the Prime Minister while another 22.49 per cent said they were satisfied to some extent. There were 25.29 per cent voters who said they were not happy with him at all.
The satisfaction level with the Prime Minister remained high mostly after the air strikes on the terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot whose momentum on the voters has sustained despite a slight dip. The latest findings of the tracker poll has come just three days ahead of the first phase of polling on April 11.
The Prime Minister had the best approval rating of over 55 per cent on March 6, 7 and 8. But the sample size on those days was half of what it was on April 4. There has also been a marginal rise in those who are not at all satisfied with the Prime Minister from around 20 per cent in the first week to March to around 25 per cent in the first week of April. (IANS)
Tamil Nadu Chapter of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA remains vigilant and diligent
Speaking at an event on April 13, 2019, in Hicksville, New York, the President of the Tamil Nadu Chapter Ms. Jaya Sundaram said that with the current Lok Sabha elections on the way, the Tamil Nadu Chapter remained vigilant and diligent as to the accomplishment of its set goals in trying to get out the votes of all its family members and friends back home. She warned that one should not be swayed by propaganda but must make their choice on facts and figures.
Mr. John Joseph, the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Chapter, who is also national Vice President of the Indian Overseas Congress USA, said that the Chapter had its review and strategy planning session where some 75 of its leaders gathered around to take stock of its overall work. Mr. Joseph traced back the criteria the Chapter had established earlier to register and measure its targeted goals of making phone calls and the use of other media means to coax their respective relatives, families and friends to make a critical analysis of the work of the Modi government to assist families make their choice of government. The horrific stories going around of money laundering at high levels was scary and worrisome, he added. He thanked the NRIs for their concerns.
Mr. Devendra Vora, President of the Maharashtra Chapter opined that the families have only to look around their own cases to see how badly the downturn in the economy had affected them during the last five years and how disappointing the performance of the Modi government had been.
Mr. Ravi Chopra, President of the Finance Committee, appealed everyone to support the efforts to change the government and bring Rahul Gandhi to head the next Government.
Ms. Shalu Chopra, Chair of the women’s Committee made a passionate speech on how women were increasingly playing an active role in politics and drew everyone’s attention to the recent increase in their numbers of participation.
Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of IOC, USA pointed out that the market conditions were deplorable, unemployment remained high, farmers complaints were very serious, the sick and the students in schools were beginning to take a heavy toll. Furthermore, many promises made by the Modi government during their election campaigns turned out to be bogus. Consequently, many voters were now seeking to replace the Modi government.
Speaker after speaker painted a gloomy picture of the Modi government’s performance and expressed despair and gruesome future that threatened India and its people. Amongst the leaders that also spoke include Pradeep Samana, Vice President of IOC USA, Oommen Koshy, George Chacko, Leela Merat Kerela Chapter President, Mathew kutty Easow, and Sophia Sharma
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard criticized for ties with Indian right-wing outfits
As Hawaii Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard addressed supporters at the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, March 30, several people gathered outside to protest her ties to nationalist groups in India. Waving signs reading “Tulsi, Prince$$ of the R$$” and “Stop Supporting Fascism in India,” the rally, organized by the Organization for Minorities of India, included Christians, Dalits, and Sikhs. “I came here because I want to preserve American values of freedom and justice,” said Los Angeles-based businessman Harjeet Singh.
Flyers alleging Gabbard’s close ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were distributed. It also posed a series of questions to Gabbard regarding her meeting with OFBJP members in the U.S., her acceptance and later refusal of the being the chairperson of the World Hindu Congress held in Chicago last year.
Inside the church, Gabbard shared her experiences serving as a soldier in the Army National Guard, being deployed twice to the Middle East, serving in Congress for more than six years, and on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, a press release from her campaign office said.
According to Organization for Minorities of India, Gabbard was questioned about her RSS ties and her collaboration with the group by Pieter Friedrich, an analyst of South Asian affairs. “Hawaii resident Michael Brannon Parker says he has known you since you were a child and he introduced you to the RSS,” said Friedrich. “Vijay Pallod of Texas is a leader in RSS-affiliated groups in the USA, and he confirms that he met you through Michael Brannon Parker. In your first two terms in office, you also met the RSS spokesperson at least three times. And you spoke at many RSS events, including two in India. When did your collaboration with the RSS begin and how much money have they given you?”
Protestors outside the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, Calif., March 30, organized by the Organization for Minorities in India, included Christians, Dalits and Sikhs, who decried Gabbard’s close ties to Hindu nationalist groups in India and the U.S.
“I’m a soldier, and I took an oath,” Gabbard said in response to the question. “One oath in my life.” She continued, “That was an oath to serve and protect this country, to put my life on the line for the people of this country.” She added, “We stand for aloha, we stand for diversity, we stand for peace.” While most of the audience remained seated, she stated, “Thank you everybody for standing with me.” Finally, she concluded, “It is this kind of attacks that are rooted in religious bigotry that we must stand together and condemn.”
“It’s sad to see Tulsi refusing to acknowledge the extreme violence of the RSS,” said Arvin Valmuci, a spokesperson for Organization for Minorities of India said.
“We remember the most recent pogrom against Christians, in 2008 in Odisha, where even the chief minister of the state said that the RSS was guilty,” he said. “It’s even more shameful that Tulsi, as participants in the protest told us, refused to answer any of the questions about her links to the RSS.”
Supporters cheer as Hawaii Congresswoman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard addresses the campaign rally.
As Gabbard’s event ended, dozens reportedly interacted with the demonstration outside. Some gathered to listen as several demonstrators spoke through a megaphone, the OMI press release said.
“I am a representative of the black community,” the OMI press release quoted demonstrator Jada Bernard as saying. “It is sad to say that, in 2019, white nationalism is an issue for the black community. The diversity of America must be protected,” he said.