COVER STORY THE INHERITOR VS THE CHALLENGER...Vol 21 I No 2February 2013 l Rs 20 A MONTHLY NEWS...

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COVER STORY

THE INHERITORVS THE CHALLENGER

Modi’s victory and Rahul’s anointment has set the stage for a titanic clash

The 2014 faceoff

O P I N I O N E X P R E S S 03February 2013

Rampant corruption, inflation, saggingeconomy, rape, loot & murders!! Indiacomprise of 2.5% land mass of the total

land available to humans and 18% of theentire world’s population is living here. Thenative are completely stressed out by thesheer lack of natural resource availability.The corruption, internal security crisis, rape,

inflation are offshoot of the massive populationexplosion that India has witnessed in the last few years. PostIndependence, the planners have failed to visualize this enormouscrisis that is potentially more dangerous that a ticking nuclear bomb.

The governance in India is failing rapidly irrespective of party andleadership, people are on roads every time there is slight instigationon anti corruption rallies, rape protest, religious unrest. Now we needa visionary leadership that thinks for the nation rather than immedi-ate seat of power, else we are doomed. The population time bomb islikely to demolish us in a very near future. The crisis is unprecedent-ed and we have limited solutions, China model of one child is partlysuccessful but it will lead to the ageing problem in next three decadethat country like Japan is facing today.

Surely with the limited options, we are riding a tiger. Yes, the gov-ernance is lacking teeth because we have no established pan Indialeadership. Congress party now under Rahul Gandhi or BJP underNarender Modi have limited influence in certain pockets of the coun-try. The regional parties have no accountability; all of them are large-ly driven by caste and religious lines wherein the chief of the partyacts like landlord with no development agenda in hand. Today wehave almost 50% of the state governments that are in clutches ofregional strongman hence the universal macro development of thecountry is a distant dream. To lay uniform laws for entire country isimpossible now with conflict of interest amongst regional political par-ties.

How we can bring national pride to entire India? How we canimpart universal governance to all? How to impart instant JusticeSystem? India must adopt uniform civil code with strict implementa-tion to safeguard our macro national interest. We need to solve thispuzzle soon or just accept the fact that we may have to live in a sys-tem that has failed us and people will be seen more on roads agitat-ing for every small issue that circumstances will throw to them.

PPrraasshhaanntt TTeewwaarrii

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India is a landof contradictory

opportunities

04 O P I N I O N E X P R E S SFebruary 2013

We are no longer prepared to put upwith ineffective leaders

FEBRUARY 2013

COVER STORY

RAHUL GANDHI VSNARENDRA MODI BATTLEGROUND

P 25A new global role awaits India P 27Challenges of policing in IndiaP 30Pantel Technologies: Journey to a glorious successP 37

Why Parsis are India’s finest citizensP 50

Gopio launches GADAR centennialcommemoration in the USAP 48

Bridging gap betweenIndia & Indians -Kapil Dudakia P 35

RESURGENT RAJNATHSINGH NO PUSHOVERFOR MODI

P 22

P 45

WOMAN OFSUBSTANCE IN NEWEMERGINGINDIA

P 43

Rahul Gandhi’s politicaljourney so Far

Modi the challenger

Narendra Modi is the PrimeMinisterial material

BRILLIANCE PERSONIFIEDCARLYTA IS A GIFT OFBRAZIL TO INDIA

P 6-21


The Kumbh, the biggest congre-gation of mankind in the world,started at the Sangam inAllahabad on Makar Sankranti.Over 10 crore devotees are

expcted to take part in the religiousconfluence that will continue till March10. The Maha Kumbh happens every12 years when the planets are in maxi-mum alignment. Based on an ancientHindu myth, and has been going onsince at least the 5th century. Morethan 80 lakh people took a holy dip inthe Sangam on the first day itself.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is an age oldhindu festival where saints, monks,babas, sadhus and gurus gather togeth-er, on the banks of the Ganges, Yamunaand Saraswati rivers, near Allahabad,India. It is a religious bathing festival ofenormous size where pilgrims, and reli-gious devotees will come from theirremote dwellings and hiding places togather for a historical moment. Theycome to experience the essence of theirculture and to participate in the largestspiritual gathering of humanity, theMaha Kumba Mela.

The Kumbh Mela area is spreadover as area of around 1,936.56hectare. Of the total, 172.11 hectarebelongs to mela administration, while217.03 hectare is defence land. Themela kshetra has been divided into 14sectors to smoothen the stay of people

More than Rs 1,035 crore havebeen sanctioned for the Kumbh Mela bythe Centre while 990 officials from dif-ferent departments have been deputedto supervise the proceedings of themela besides 28,000 temporary andpermanent employees which includespolice, health, PWD, Jal Nigam, tourism,transport etc have been performingtheir duties round the clock

Over 25,000 police personnelincluding 125 companies of centralpolice forces have been deployed inand around Kumbh to ensure the safe-ty and safety of pilgrims Para-comman-dos, binoculars, Sniper apparatus forSTF/ATS personnel, vehicle navigationsystem with GPS and control room 89CCTV cameras have been installed onthe Kumbh campus and 28 other atstrategic locations in the city 56 watchtowers have been set up in Jhunsi andArail areas to keep an eye on the melakshetra

The cops on duty have been provid-

ed with bullet-proof jacket, body protec-tors, poly carbonate shield, poly carbon-ate sticks, dragon lights, 7.62 mm boltaction rifle, AK-47 rifle, 0.9 mm carbine,0.9mm pistol, teargas gun and protec-tor mini-flame

The UP Tourism department claimsto have trained over 4,000 personsincluding 180 porters, 1328 taxi-autodrivers, 650 home guards, 288 GRPpersonnel and 90 railway staff includ-ing catering and commercial staff whoare all set to welcome pilgrims withtheir polite gestures and acting asguides for mela visitors.

For any emergency, a 100-beddedgeneral hospital having facilities ofultrasound and an ICU has been raisedon the mela ground.

The sectors have a smaller healthfacility that works like a communityhealth centre. Additionally, 10 zonalhospitals, two infectious disease hospi-tals and one police hospital with 20bedded facilities each have also beenset up Uttar Pradesh State RoadTransportation corporation (UPSRTC)would be plying 6,000 buses for ferry-ing passengers from Allahabad to othercities. Officials claim that 262 buseswill make 604 trips to other nearby reli-gious towns like Chitrakoot, Varanasi,Ayodhya etc while on royal bathing days,as many as 660 buses will make 1,655trips. Temporary bus stations havebeen set up at Phaphamau, Naini, andArail to check overcrowding.

(By OECEL News Services)

CONFLUENCE OF FAITH


COVER STORY

It is official now,2014 GeneralElections in Indiawould be Rahul VsModi clash. Rahul

Gandhi's elevation asthe Congress' number2 has heightened antic-ipation that theGeneral Elections 2014will be a personalityclash between him andthe BJP’s NarendraModi. The Congress,always refuse to makecomparisons betweenthe two, dismisses it asa “media joke.”

Even as the clam-our in the Congress todeclare Rahul Gandhithe candidate for PrimeMinister for next year'selections reached afevered pitch at theparty's poll strategymeet in Jaipur over theweekend, senior Congress leadersquickly pointed out that the party tradi-tionally does not name a leader. Thoughunoffically everybody in Congressbelieve that Rahul will lead party in thecoming general elections.

Party general secretary DigvijayaSingh told , "The Congress party doesnot declare the PM candidate becausewe don't want to take away the right ofnewly-elected legislators to choose theirleader. This is basic in parliamentarydemocracy. Therefore, we don't declare

"That (Rahul Gandhi vs NarendraModi in the 2014 elections) is a big jokemade by the media," Mr Singh added.

In Jaipur, senior Congress leader andminister Jairam Ramesh said in Indiaelections were not a contest between

people, but between parties. "2014 willnot be a contest between Modi andRahul. It's always party versus party," hesaid.

The BJP is reportedly set to appointMr Modi - who just registered a huge win

in the Gujarat Assembly elections to geta fourth term as the state's chief minis-ter - as the head of its election cam-paign committee. In that role he will bethe face of the opposition party for nextyear's elections. Mr Gandhi has already

“The Congress party does not declare the PM candidatebecause we don't want to take away the right of newly-elected legislators to choose their leader. This is basic

in parliamentary democracy. Therefore, we don’t declareThat (Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi in the 2014 elections)is a big joke made by the media

Party general secretary Digvijaya Singh

MODI CLOSER TOCENTRESTAGE TO TAKEON THE GANDHI SCION


been given similar charge of theCongress' committee for election strate-gy, making comparisons inevitable.

But Congress leaders cast Mr Modias a regional satrap; Mr Gandhi, theysay, is a leader with a pan-India appeal.

What Rahul Gandhi did admit in hismainden speech at Jaipur was that theCongress had failed to mentor leaders,which had cost the party dear in stateswhich had strong individual leaders orregional parties. "The Congress partyhas not been able to build up reason-able leadership'...whether you see Biharor UP or West Bengal or even TamilNadu we have this problem.'

Digvijay Singh added that "In Gujaratalso Narendra Modi has created a cultfor himself. Of course, the first casualtyafter Narendra Modi goes is the BJPitself, because there is no BJP there,only Narendra Modi."

Mr Singh was analysing RahulGandhi's much-watched first speechafter he was appointed Vice-President ofthe Congress. Mr Gandhi asked his par-tymen to help reverse a system in Indiawhere power was "grossly centralised"and said 40 to 50 leaders, all capable ofrunning the country must be identifiedand mentored.

And an unimpressed Arun Jaitley,one of the BJP's seniormost leaders,said of Mr Gandhi, "The world's largest

democracy cannot be put to risk by risk-ing ourselves in the hands of thosewhose actual potential we don't know,whose opinions on various subjects wedo not know, whose policy regarding var-ious issues we do not know."

For the BJP, said Mr Jaitley, "It will betried, tested and proven ability. The bestwill become our leader." Mr Modi's sup-porters in the party say he is that manand that he should be named the BJP'scandidate for PM. But the party has mul-tiple claimants to top posts. It also has

to contend with the fact that Mr Modidoes not enjoy universal acceptabilityamong partners like the Janata DalUnited in the National DemocraticAlliance it leads.

The Indian media is confused onRahul Gandhi's core leadership traits. NRam former Editor-In-Chief, The Hindu,said, "Rahul Gandhi's programme lacksessential details. We don't know whathe stands for. Of course, he wantschange, but change for what end? Rahulhas supported welfare measures but onand off sporadically, looks instrumental.He's an obsessive organisational man,believes in grassroots organisation.That's good."

"Here is a person whose positioncannot be challenged, above the fray,who'll allow the rest of the minions tocreate systems. The question of hisposition of how he got there is not goingto be asked," said senior journalist andcolumnist Swapan Dasgupta.

During the debate, IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai also added thatRahul faced a tough task of rehabilitat-ing the Congress. "The problem is thatRahul Gandhi faces a tough task ofrehabilitating the Congress which is fac-ing a crisis of organisation, of electabili-ty. So he gave a good critique and pulledthem out of denial, but it is to be seenwhether he can walk the talk."

Mr Singh was analysingRahul Gandhi's much-watched first speech afterhe was appointed Vice-President of the Congress.Mr Gandhi asked hispartymen to help reverse asystem in India where powerwas "grossly centralised"and said 40 to 50 leaders,all capable of running thecountry must be identifiedand mentored.


Bumpy road aheadfor Rahul Gandhi10 things the Gandhi scion must

focus on, to assert his role as a leaderof his party... and of the masses

Has he given any fresh food forthought to the party leadership atChintan Shivir in Jaipur? Or was it justold wine in a new (read emotive) bottle?Has Rahul Gandhi done anything tangi-ble to alter the grand old party's style offunctioning? Stupid, it was a speech!

The newly-elected vice president ofthe Congress delivered his speechagainst a backdrop of persistent com-plaints that few knew what he stood for.For years, he displayed an aloofnessand disinterest that droveCongressmen to the edge of despair.Rahul concluded his speech by saying,"For me, the Congress party is now mylife." It obliquely admits the worriesexpressed earlier about Rahul havingmade up his mind to be in public life.

The biggest problem of theCongress is: it is once reformist, buttwice shy. A handful of senior leaders inthe Congress is convinced that reformscan bring forth electoral gains. There isno effort made to persuade the peopleof India, especially those in rural areas,

that economic reforms will also bring tothem welfare, that wealth-making canbe every Indian's dream. The coldrationality of economic reforms can beconnected to the emotions of the peo-ple .This requires a change of mindset,not the system.

At present, India's oldest politicalparty has nothing credible and convinc-ing to offer the people of the country. Ithas no message to take to the people.The Congress is still directionless in pol-icy matters. Here is a classic example:Congress boss Sonia Gandhi's call toend nepotism from the same stage onwhich her son was crowned a day earli-er. With general elections about oneyear - or maybe a little more - away, willIndia take mother-son duo rhetoric seri-ously? His powerful surname and rela-tive youth make him the Congress' mainhope for elections in 2014.

Shantanu Bhattacharji takes off theblinkers and shows Rahul Gandhi thebumpy road ahead ...

1) The 42-year-old leader has toestablish a disconnect between theparty's old-school outlook and the larg-er aspirations of today's assertive youthforce. Congress workers want politicalheavyweights to lead the party inMadhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,Andhra Pradesh and many more other

states.2) The corruption that has reached

the highest levels in the Congress sure-ly belongs to a bigger league.

The refusal of party and governmentto acknowledge this fact has beenmade worse by their arrogance towardsthe common citizenry.

Rahul must showcase some big-

AND THE CHALLENGES


bang punitive actions against the cor-rupt.

3) Rahul Gandhi also faces a poten-tial adversary in Narendra Modi, shouldthe saffron party project him as itsprime ministerial candidate. He stillseems somehow stuck in the image ofa youth leader discovering India ratherthan one ready to lead it.

Modi has proved to be an ableadministrator. Rahul has a number offailures in his political career and hasbeen at the receiving end not only fromthe opposition but even UPA allies.

He has failed as a strategist, whichwas visible during 2012 Uttar Pradeshassembly polls where he campaignedaggressively. In Bihar too Rahul provedto be a dampener. However, theHindutva poster boy has superbly pro-jected himself as the 'messiah' of'development'.

4) The party cannot regain its lostglory without winning back the back-

ward classes, Dalits and tribals, espe-cially in Hindi heartland. Any drasticpolicy change will further antagonisethe party's traditional vote bank.

5) Rahul needs an immediate imagemakeover. He must be seen as a no-nonsense politician. The days of identi-ty politics were not over and he caneven learn the art of social engineeringfrom US President Barack Obama.Opportunities have presented them-selves to Rahul in the past couple ofyears but he failed to grab them. WhenSonia Gandhi went overseas for treat-ment of a serious ailment, he mighthave taken charge and confronted theanti-graft campaigners such as AnnaHazare and Arvind Kejriwal. It is hightime to take the bull by the horns.

6) The leader of the young brigadein the Congress needs a scalpel and nota cleaver, to cut the credibility crisis fac-ing the party thanks to corruption scan-dals and perceptions of inefficient gov-

ernance. A central theme as well as aslogan needed before the 2014 generalelection that would encapsulate theparty's emphasis on welfare andemployment generation, on the lines ofIndira Gandhi's famed Garibi hatao. Hehas to explain to the aam aadmi thereasons for the ceaseless rise in theprices of essentials, unpopular deci-sions such as the LPG subsidy cap, andthe eruption of so many corruptionscandals.

7) To galvanise the rank and file,the party must stop giving prominenceto turncoats. Loyalists feel that leadersdefecting from other parties are tooreadily given official posts or electiontickets. Those who came from outsideand occupied key positions in theCongress include P Chidambaram,Jaipal Reddy, Sanjay Nirupam, MohanPrakash and Raj Babbar.

8) Rahul reminded the party - andthe country - of the personal losses suf-fered by the Nehru-Gandhi family. Itmay prove counterproductive as focus-ing too much on tragedies can invitecharges of exploiting such issues. "…power is poison… " it will keep the urbanvoters wondering as at what length hewill go to personally lead a governmentif and when the opportunity presentsitself before the party again.

9) Experts say he has an urge toimprove the lives of poor Indians, but noreal idea of how to do so. He must showsome hardcore skills as a leader beforecampaigning starts in 2014. He mustset short and long-terms goals for theparty and for himself, as well. It shouldselect 250-300 winnable constituen-cies and devote disproportionateresources for them.

10) Rahul has many challenges andthe clock is ticking fast towards theMay, 2014 general polls. He has to actas an interface between party workersacross the country, strike up a bondwith present and future UPA allies andjustify every action the ManmohanSingh government takes under a grimeconomic situation and coalition com-pulsions.

It's a cliché: nothing succeeds likesuccess and Rahul's future depends onthe party's success in winning the com-ing assembly polls in nine states, keep-ing workers' motivation high and bring-ing an element of moral value in everyUPA-Congress action. To just think inJaipur is not enough.

By Prakhar Mishra Political Editor /Inputs from Business standard &

International press.


Rahul Gandhi is nowthe official numbertwo of the Congressparty, designatedvice-president and

with only his mother, SoniaGandhi, as his boss remainsthe party President. The ele-vation came after months ofanticipation and years ofclamour from an adoringCongress, a party hard-wiredto expect generations ofNehru-Gandhis to lead it.

So ever since he made hispolitical debut about adecade back, there has beena growing chorus in the rankand file of India's oldest partydemanding that Mr Gandhi,who represents the fourthgeneration of the Nehru-Gandhi family in politics inIndependent India, to take ona greater role in the party andgovernment. In Jaipur, as theparty met to devise its strate-gy for the 2014 general elec-tions, it reached a feveredpitch.

Mr Gandhi's elevation wasinevitable; Congress leadersadmitted it was just a matterof when he was ready toaccept the "bigger role." He isthe great grandson of India'sfirst Prime Minister, thegrandson of its first womanPrime Minister, the son of itsyoungest Prime Minister andalso of the party's longest-serving chief, Sonia Gandhi.Congressmen expect him tohead the party and be India'sPrime Minister one day.Among the loudest demandsin Jaipur this weekend, wasthat he be declared theparty's candidate for PrimeMinister in 2014.

Rahul Gandhi was born inDelhi on June 19, 1970 to Rajiv andSonia Gandhi, their first child. He grewup in the non-political part of the family.Rajiv, his father, a commercial pilot,was not Indira Gandhi's intended politi-

cal heir; his uncle, Sanjay Gandhi was.But Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crashin 1980, forcing a reluctant RajivGandhi to enter politics. Just four yearslater, in 1984, Indira Gandhi's assassi-

nation would propel him to theforefront of the Congress andsee him become India'syoungest Prime Minister at age40.

Twenty years later, RahulGandhi, then 34, was anotherreluctant entrant into the politi-cal fray. Mr Gandhi first foughtthe Lok Sabha elections in2004, contesting from the tradi-tional family constituency ofAmethi, which his father hadonce held. As he campaigned,Amethi embraced him warmly,fondly making comparisonsbetween father and son. Thepeople of Amethi had no doubtthen that they were sendingIndia’s future Prime Minister toParliament.

In an electoral upset, theCongress wrested power thatyear from the BJP-led NDA andhas not let go since. In the nineyears of UPA rule, there wasmuch speculation every fewmonths that Rahul Gandhiwould join government oraccept a fancy designation with-in the party. But he only becameone of the party's general secre-taries in September 2007 andaccepted charge of the IndianYouth Congress and NationalStudents Union of India (NSUI).

His supporters insist that hemust be credited with initiatingreforms in the party -- such aselections to the youth Congress,corporate-style interviews forselection to the party, and push-ing for democratisation of theCongress party.

KJ Rao, a former ElectionCommission observer, says, "Hestood by his words, when hesaid that no person with a crim-inal background would beallowed to contest elections inthe Youth Congress and NSUI."

But there have been persistentquestion marks over Mr Gandhi's abilityto translate his personal charisma andideas for the party into votes when itmatters. He chose winning back Uttar

Rahul Gandhi’s politicaljourney so Far

Twenty years later, Rahul Gandhi, then 34,was another reluctant entrant into thepolitical fray. Mr Gandhi first fought theLok Sabha elections in 2004, contestingfrom the traditional family constituency ofAmethi, which his father had once held. Ashe campaigned, Amethi embraced himwarmly, fondly making comparisonsbetween father and son. The people ofAmethi had no doubt then that they weresending India’s future Prime Minister toParliament.

O P I N I O N E X P R E S S February 2013 11

Pradesh (UP) - once a Congress strong-hold and where it has been out ofpower for a long while - as the centre-piece of his electoral agenda. He madeseveral high-profile visits to the homesof Dalits in the state to win their sup-port. He even took then British foreignsecretary David Miliband on one of hisrural night-stays in UP. But, in both2007 and 2012, he was unable to helpthe Congress post significant gains.

In 2012, in fact, the Congress gotfour seats less than it did in 2007, win-ning just 28 out of the 404, despite themuch-touted 'Rahul factor'. Anotheryoung leader, Akhilesh Yadav, rode atidal wave of support for his SamajwadiParty to become Chief Minister.

Rahul Gandhi took the blamesquarely on the chin. He made a rareappearance before television camerasand said, "I led the campaign from thefront, and the responsibility for the losslies with me." He then turned andwalked away, his arm around hisyounger sister and staunchest support-er, Priyanka Gandhi.

UP was not Mr Gandhi's first elec-toral misadventure. In the 2010 BiharAssembly elections, Mr Gandhi famous-ly urged the Congress to fight alone,without alliances. The Congress wonjust four seats in a 243-seat Assembly.His political rivals smirked, questioninghis political acumen and ability to deliv-er electoral success for the party.

Nitish Kumar, the Bihar chief minis-ter, ridiculed Mr Gandhi: "He wants tobecome the prime minister of India.First let him at least become the chiefminister of a state. Let him learn gover-nance." Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitleysaid, "Our opponents think that elec-tions can be fought and won only on thebasis of the charisma of families."

The Congress defended him stoutly.Minister of External Affairs SalmanKhurshid had then said, "Mr RahulGandhi came into the campaign with anattitude of courage. He said, 'I am goingthere to build the Congress,' and notnecessarily to fight and win an election.It was too early to fight and win an elec-tion."

He has faced much criticism also onbeing reticent about sharing is views oncrucial issues. Most recently, he waspanned for his belated and bland state-ment following the brutal gang-rape of amedical student in Delhi in December2012. The man whom the Congresscalls its young face could not connectwith the youth who took to the streets ofDelhi by the thousands to protest theincident and the government's incom-


petent handling of its aftermath. His66-year-old mother's simple but power-ful appeal on the same day made manycompare the response of the two lead-ers.

But Congress veterans and youngguns alike say they are sure Mr Gandhiis the man to galvanise the party andlead it to a third straight victory in theLok Sabha elections slated for nextyear. They credit him with promotingyoung faces in the Congress and hisclose aides say he has detailed politicalknowledge and is a practised backroomoperator. Upon his elevation, CorporateAffairs Minister Sachin Pilot said, "It hasenergised the party workers throughoutthe nation. We will go to the next LokSabha election with a renewed vigournow. Rahul will be a unifying force forCongress."

Political observers say that there willbe no overnight transformation in theCongress thanks to Mr Gandhi's ascentto the no. 2 position. "Mrs Sonia Gandhiis, by temperament, cautious and wantsto accommodate senior, establishedleaders. Rahul, of course, wants to pro-mote more of his contemporaries... fora few years we will see a Congress thathas both the old and the new," politicalscientist Zoya Hasan.

Mr Gandhi, a bachelor, was educat-ed in India and in the US and hasworked in London. In his politicalavatar, he favours a white kurta pyjamawith sports shoes and often sports astubble or sometimes even a full beard.Till some years ago, he was spottedsometimes racing a motorcycle in Delhiwith his brother- in-law Robert Vadra,much to the chagrin of those chargedwith his security.

They have often also been stretchedas Mr Gandhi, who has the highest-levelsecurity, has slipped into crowds of peo-ple and mingled with them. He rode pil-lion on a motorcycle one early morningto reach the site of farmers' protests inBhatta-Parsaul village in Uttar Pradesh.Or another time, got into a local train inMumbai to reach the venue of a politi-cal meet.

Yet Rahul Gandhi has a task inhand. Nobody knows about his priorityon liberalisation that contrdicts thesocialist approach of Nehru. The liberal-isation ushered in India by lateNarsimha Rao from 1991 is largelycredited to Dr Manmohan Singh byRahul Gandhi but he remains associat-ed with left wing idea of Aam Aadmi.Secondly, his foreign policy inclinationis never discussed on public domaindepite he is in charge of the party since

last decade or so. Rahul failed to con-nect with Hindi heartland during thelast few years of active politics whereinUP & Bihar largely driven by caste poli-tics has shown no interest in his brandof politics. Though to be honest, Rahul

Gandhi has tried to connect with thepeople, toured India and understoodlargely how complex governance ofIndia is before accepting the crown.

Prashant Tewari Editor-IIn-CChief


NARENDRA MODI THE CHALLENGERT

he recentGujrat assem-bly electionsvictory hasp o s t e dNarender Modi

to the centre stage ofnational politics. He hasshown always shownkeen interest in nationalpolitics even while stayingin Gujrat in the last fewyears. For many Indians,Narendra Modi is theman of the moment, apossible prime minister.Others see the chief min-ister of Gujarat as aHindu zealot who did notstop the massacre ofMuslims in religious riotsa decade ago.

As the 62-year-oldmoved from village to vil-lage on the campaigntrail this month, he wasgreeted by ecstaticcrowds, surging forwardto catch a glimpse or totouch him as though hewere a living god.

As the 62-year-oldmoved from villageto village on thecampaign trail thismonth, he wasgreeted byecstatic crowds,surging forward tocatch a glimpse orto touch him asthough he were aliving god.


Modi has not only won a fourth con-secutive term as chief minister in theGujarat Assembly elections, he is alsoseen as a serious contender to take onPrime Minister Manmohan Singh andnow Rahul Gandhi newly elected VicePresident of Congress party in nationalelections due in 2014, especially with aconvincing win in Gujarat.

"Look at how many people are here,"Modi said in an interview in his cam-paign bus, pointing and waving at acrowd of thousands assembled in Alinavillage. "They're even standing on therooftops in this heat," he said, tapping aReuters photographer's shoulder, indi-cating to him to take more snaps.

In many parts of India and overseas,however, Modi is remembered for beingin office during the Gujarat riots in2002 that killed more than 1,000 peo-

ple by official count, mainly Muslims.NGOs and other groups put the deathtoll around 2,000. His administrationwas seen as culpable, and for yearsModi was a political pariah, vilified athome and shunned by the West.

His slow rehabilitation has beenthanks in large part to projecting theadministrative efficiency that the rest ofIndia seems to lack. Gujarat is an

investor favourite, attracting globalfirms such as Ford Motor Co, MarutiSuzuki, GM etc while Modi has benefit-ed from a concerted image makeover.

In a sign of his growing clout, the Britishambassador to India went to Gujarat to visitModi recently. It was a policy turnaround onLondon's part, and a major boost in Modi'squest to be accepted as a mainstream politi-cal leader.

His slow rehabilitation has been thanks in large part toprojecting the administrative efficiency that the rest ofIndia seems to lack. Gujarat is an investor favourite,attracting global firms such as Ford Motor Co, MarutiSuzuki, GM etc while Modi has benefited from a concertedimage makeover.


The question now is whether Modican build on this momentum and useGujarat's high growth to overcome thedeep distrust and fear of many Indians,especially Muslims.

"Narendra Modi may be the darlingof India's entrepreneurs and he's per-haps the only person who a wholebunch of well-heeled industrialists haveopenly said that they would like to seeas the prime minister of India," saidpolitical analyst Paranjoy GuhaThakurta.

"Despite his best attempts to refur-bish his image, I don't think he's evergoing to live down that particular phaseof his administration where Muslimswere systematically targeted and mas-sacred in Gujarat."

Critics accuse Modi of not doingenough to stem the violence in 2002, oreven quietly encouraging it - allegationshe has strenuously denied and havenever been proved in inquiries.

A former member of Modi's statecabinet, Maya Kodnani, was sentencedto 28 years in jail for the violence.Kodnani, a gynaecologist, handed outswords to Hindu rioters and exhortedthem to attack Muslims, according towitnesses.

VINDICTIVE STREAKInterviews with officials in Modi's

government and local business leaderspaint a picture of a man with a phe-nomenal memory, great attention todetail, unflagging energy and a flair forpublicity.

But they also show a man with a vin-dictive streak, capable of holding

Critics accuse Modi of notdoing enough to stem theviolence in 2002, or evenquietly encouraging it -allegations he hasstrenuously denied and havenever been proved ininquiries.A former memberof Modi's state cabinet,Maya Kodnani, wassentenced to 28 years in jailfor the violence. Kodnani, agynaecologist, handed outswords to Hindu rioters andexhorted them to attackMuslims, according towitnesses.


grudges for years and intolerant of dis-sent.

Critics see Modi as a divisive figurewho may struggle to win the backing ofhis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), thecountry's main opposition, in a generalelection.

"If you are on the dislike list, thenyou're finished," said one governmentsource, who spoke on condition ofanonymity.

A company executive, who has metthe chief minister several times, recallsleaving one of Modi's functions early -only to be reminded about this whenthey met again, months later.

"He remembers every little detail,"the executive said. "Nothing escapes

him."Narendra Modi was born to lower

middle class parents in northernGujarat. As a youth, he worked in hisfamily's tea stall, according to a sympa-thetic biography.

After some years wandering throughthe Himalayas on a journey of spiritual

discovery, Modi rose through the ranksof the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, aHindu nationalist organisation that isthe ideological parent of the BJP.

A stocky, bespectacled man with atrimmed white beard, Modi is known forhis ascetic lifestyle and enthusiasm foryoga. Local media say he married at ayoung age, but he has never publiclyacknowledged this. He has no children.

Modi first became chief minister inOctober, 2001, just months before thereligious riots. Washington denied hima US travel visa in 2005 for religiousintolerance, although this year the USconsul-general in Mumbai joined Modiat a public event, seen as a sign of apossible rapprochement.

Narendra Modi was born tolower middle class parentsin northern Gujarat. As ayouth, he worked in hisfamily's tea stall, accordingto a sympathetic biography.


DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH

Modi's star has steadily risen in thepast decade, and he could representthe BJP's best chance to defeat the rul-ing Congress party.

"Gujarat is in such a position whereI don't have to make any special effortto build investors' confidence," he toldReuters. "Gujarat has already won ahuge amount of confidence, not onlynationally, but globally too."

While national economic growth hasslowed sharply, Modi's Gujarat hasachieved the double-digit expansion towhich India aspires as a rising globalpower. In contrast to huge power short-ages that plague most of India, thestate boasts uninterrupted electricitysupply.

Companies have lauded Modi forthe ease of doing business in Gujarat,the speed with which land can beacquired for factories and a compara-tive absence of bureaucratic delaysthat can throttle projects elsewhere.

Rasesh Desai, managing director at

the $112 million-a-year tea group WaghBakri, praised Modi's energy and howquickly his government processedclearances for expanding an existingplant.

"If you meet him at six o'clock in themorning and again at eleven o'clock atnight: same Modi," Desai told Reuters."He'll not feel tired."

Sceptics have questioned how muchGujarat owes its prosperity to the cur-rent administration, arguing that thestate has long been known as one ofIndia's growth drivers.

He brought new businesses toGujrat by holding investor summitsevery two years that attract some of thecountry's biggest business tycoons.

Modi has also made concertedefforts to project himself as a moder-ate. He is trying to promote religiousharmony and has toned down hisspeeches, shifting their focus fromHindu revivalist rhetoric to trumpetinginvestment.

Modi's critics have dismissed his

efforts."If a man like him can even be chief

minister for this long, there's somethingseriously wrong with our society," saidM Hasan Jowher, head of a Gujarat-based NGO.

"Somebody who ought to have beenlanguishing in jail, behind bars, or triedfor culpable homicide if not genocide,he is presiding over a large state and isbeing viewed by a large mass of peopleas a messiah."

Finally Chief Minister Narendra Modiis likely to head the Bharatiya JanataParty's (BJP) campaign committee forthe 2014 Lok Sabha elections. NDTVhas learnt that Mr Modi has the backingof the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh orRSS for the crucial role in what isexpected to be a bitterly fought election.Modi has emerged a national face forBJP that probably party was lackingafter the exit of Atalji from the activepolitics, surely he is in a position towrite history in Indian politics.

By Diwakar Shetty, Gujrat Bureau


Vote for him in the December'sGujarat Assembly electionsand pave the way for him tobe the Prime Minister of India.That will save the Hindus and

the India, appeals the Indian AmericanIntellectuals Forum.

December is a very crucial monthfor the Chief Minister Narendra Modi,for the State of Gujarat, for the Hindusin India, and for India as the country.The State Assembly elections in Gujaratare scheduled for December 13 and 17- and the results will be announced onDecember 20.

In India, Shri Narendra Modi is anembodiment of courage and valor. He isa powerful orator, a consummate com-municator and a forthright thinker. He isa fearless fighter, a legend who under-stands how to capture the collectiveimagination of the people he wants tolead.

In spite of the mean and menda-cious media blitzkrieg launched againsthim by anti-Hindu Congress Party in col-lusion with the dangerous combinationof anti-national radical Islamists,Leftists and foreign-funded NGOs,Narendra Modi has not only stoodstrong, but has also made them eat thehumble pie.

Gujarat under Narendra Modi, the"Lion of Gujarat", has blossomed in the

Indian American Intellectuals Forum

NARENDRA MODI IS THEPRIME MINISTERIAL MATERIAL

Gujarat under NarendraModi, the "Lion of Gujarat",has blossomed in the lasteleven years and hasbecome the growth-engineof India. Modi hascompletely transformed thestate's economic andpolitical landscape. He ispunctilious in his thoughts,deeds and actions and runsthe state like an efficientCEO.


last eleven years and has become thegrowth-engine of India. Modi has com-pletely transformed the state's econom-ic and political landscape. He is punctil-ious in his thoughts, deeds and actionsand runs the state like an efficient CEO.

Narendra Modi is endowed with asyncretistic vision which enables him tolead Gujarat in a harmonious manner.Under his dynamic leadership, Gujaratis practically leading the country inevery segment of economy… the power,petroleum, petrochemicals, ports, steel,minerals, gems, jewelry and auto indus-try.

When he first took over as the ChiefMinister, Gujarat had a power shortageof 2000 MW, but now it is a power-sur-plus state. Gujarat actually contributes16% to the country's overall industrialproduction. Agricultural growth ofGujarat is at 11%; the rest of India it isbarely 4%.

In a quantum leap, in April 2012,Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation600 MW of installed solar power proj-ects, including the Asia's largest solarpark with 214 MW generation capacity.With achievements like these,Narendra Modi has established himselfas the man with vision, mission andconviction.

His zero tolerance policy towards the

terrorism has won him big laurels.Gujarat, which was the home of someof the worst communal riots in inde-

pendent India has seen no communaldisturbances in the last ten years.

Politically, Narendrabhai got a bigboost to his image and stature when inApril 2012 the Supreme Court-appoint-ed Special Investigation Team (SIT)cleared him of the charges related toGujarat riots of 2002. In its report SIThas exposed the nexus between the topState Congress officials, the so-called'secular' journalists, NGOs and thepolice. For such legendary courage andconviction, Narendra Modi actuallydeserves the nation's ovation and admi-ration, rather than the dishonor anddefamation.

Recently, the prestigious "Time mag-azine" featured Modi on its cover page.Financial Times, another world-classpublication, applauded Gujarat'sgrowth under Modi in glowing terms. ASeptember 2011 report drawn up bythe US Congressional Research Service(CRS) describes Modi as the "King ofGovernance." The world-renownedBrookings Institution's ManagingDirector writes about Modi in March2012 that India could elect him as itsPrime Minister.

Over eighty three percent of India'spopulation or Nine-Hundred-Ninety-mil-lion people in the country are Hindu.Yet, shamefully, the country is being

Politically, Narendrabhaigot a big boost to his imageand stature when in April2012 the Supreme Court-appointed SpecialInvestigation Team (SIT)cleared him of the chargesrelated to Gujarat riots of2002. In its report SIT hasexposed the nexus betweenthe top State Congressofficials, the so-called'secular' journalists, NGOsand the police. For suchlegendary courage andconviction, Narendra Modiactually deserves thenation's ovation andadmiration, rather than thedishonor and defamation.


ruled by the minorities, who are barely18% of the population count. India isthe only country in the world where itsminorities -- principally the Muslimsand the Christians -- have ganged uptogether to enact laws that decide howthe Hindu majority should behave intheir own country! It is truly a matter ofgreat regret and shame that Hindus aretaking this injustice and tyranny lyingdown!

Sinister efforts are underway toselectively appoint the Christians andMuslims in sensitive and powerful posi-tions within the administration. Hereare a few glaring examples of it:

Chairperson of the country's rulingpolitical alliance UPA is Sonia Gandhi, apracticing Catholic Christian. Her sonRahul Gandhi, another CatholicChristian, is being groomed to be thenext Prime Minister of India. Country'sDefense Minister A.K. Antony, theForeign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, andHead of the Air Wing of military AnilKumar Browne, P.J. Kurien - Dy.Chairman Rajya Sabha, P.C. Chacko,newly appointed CongressSpokesperson, P.J. Thomas, 14th ChiefVigilance Commissioner (appointmentsubsequently quashed) are allChristians.

The country's Foreign Minister

Salman Khurshid, Minister of State forExternal Affairs E. Ahamed, the ChiefJustice Altmas Kabir, the nation's VicePresident and Chairman of Rajya SabhaHamid Ansari, Chief ElectionCommissioner S.Y. Qureshi, Attorney

General of India, Goolam EssajiVahanvati, K. Rahman Khan, Ministerfor Minorities Affairs ad Rashid Alvi,Congress Spokesperson are allMuslims.

To add an insult to the injury SyedAsif Ibrahim, a Muslim IPS officer hasbeen appointed as Chief of IntelligenceBureau (IB). Many Hindu leadersbelieve that his appointment couldendanger India's internal security.

In this connection, readers shouldnote that in order to pave the way forAsif Ibrahim to be the Chief of IB, atleast four of his senior Hindu officers(R.N. Gupta, V. Rajagopal, S. Jayaramanand Yashovardhan Azad) were trans-ferred to insignificant posts.

Closest political advisors of SoniaGandhi are Margaret Alva, a Christian,Ahmad Patel, a Muslim and OsarFernandez, a senior Indian NationalCongress leader, a Christian. The coun-try's Minister of Health and FamilyWelfare Gulam Nabi Azad is a Muslim.

For all practical purposes, the over-all Hindu people and India as the coun-try are presently under a state of siege.Unknown to the common public, thatsiege has been laid with the help of rad-ical Islamists, jihadists, and Marxists.The chief aim of this insidious conspira-cy is to demoralize and denigrate the

The country's ForeignMinister Salman Khurshid,Minister of State forExternal Affairs E. Ahamed,the Chief Justice AltmasKabir, the nation's VicePresident and Chairman ofRajya Sabha Hamid Ansari,Chief ElectionCommissioner S.Y. Qureshi,Attorney General of India,Goolam Essaji Vahanvati, K.Rahman Khan, Minister forMinorities Affairs ad RashidAlvi, CongressSpokesperson are allMuslims.


Hindus and their organizations…and encourage the centrifugalforces to balkanize India into sev-eral mini-Pakistans.Almost allHindus have already been drivenout of Kashmir. Over 30 millionBangladeshi Muslims have infil-trated into Assam, West Bengaland other neighboring states. Thestates like Assam, Bengal, andKerala are witnessing a bigdemographic change. No matterhow strongly we deny it, theunfortunate fact still remainsintact that the "demographic con-quest of any land is the most per-manent form of a conquest."

Discrimination against Hindusin India is rampant. Top Hindutemples like Tirupati andSabrimala are taken away fromHindu hands - through the legis-lation - and given to 'secular' civilservants for managing them.From the religious offerings ofHindu devotees meant strictly forthe Hindu issues, the bureau-crats unfairly dole away Rs. 690crores a year as the Haj subsidyalone.

There is a complete economicmess and utter chaos in Indiacreated by various mega-scams:Coal-gate scam worth Rs.186,000 crores, 2G scam worthRs. 176,000 crores, andCommonwealth Games scamworth Rs. 70,000 crores.Massive payoffs from thesescams have made it possible fora half-literate Italian-Indianwoman like Sonia Gandhi tobecome the fourth richest politi-cian in the world.

Amidst all this gigantic plun-der and loot, there is little hopefor our country. The only way outis if the honest and courageousleaders like Narendra Modi man-age to get into the driver's seat…and, maneuver the country awayfrom the sure doom and disasterwaiting ahead.

If you want to restore the dig-nity to India, if you wish to putBharat Mata on the pedestal ofglory, if you want the country tobe a super-power in real terms…it is incumbent upon all such res-idents of Gujarat to come out inbig numbers on the polling dayand vote for Narendra Modi… theonly honest, hardworking andcharismatic leader of Gujarat.

(Sudhir Srinivasan)


Rajnath is a docile face for hos-tile Indian politics but makeno mistake that he isextremely sharp on macropolitics. In UP, Rajnath has

lived with stalwarts like Atalji, Dr Joshi,Kalyan Singh and surprisingly, he flour-ished with passage of time. When itseemed almost certain that the RSSwould have its way in installing NitinGadkari for a second term, it was alsoclear that Narendra Modi would bedirecting the 2014 electoral battle andthat he would have his own team at theparty central office as part of his cam-paign committee, Rajnath elevation asparty president has a different story tospeak.

It was a foregone conclusion thatModi would overshadow Gadkari

because the latter did not win glory forhimself in his first term and did nothave it in him to launch an aggressivecampaign. Gadkari would not be able tostand up to Modi. Therefore, Gadkariwould be the president and Modi wouldbe the helmsman.

Modi will hit the first road-block withRajnath Singh as the party president.He stands, of course, politically tallerthan Singh because he is a successfulCM. Singh was chief minister of UPwhen the BJP lost the assembly polls in2002, and he was party president whenit lost the Lok Sabha polls in 2009. Heis also not considered a political heavy-weight in UP.

The difference between an unsuc-cessful Gadkari and an unsuccessfulSingh is this: Singh is a seasoned

politician by virtue of the fact that hecomes from the Byzantine politicalsociety of UP where the uppercastes, the Dalits and the OBCs andthe Muslim minority, fight on anequal footing, and where he servedas CM for a short period. Gujarat isnot only a small state in comparisonwith UP, it is also less complex.

Singh will turn his insider knowledgeof UP into his political capital in dealingwith Modi. There is also theinescapable personality factor. Singh isa proud Thakur who will not like to bepushed around.

Despite these differences, it shouldbe possible for the two war-horses, withdifferent experiences, to work together.There is the common factor that the twohave close RSS links.

Resurgent Rajnath Singhno pushover for Modi


Rajnath takes helm 'at a difficult time'

At a hurriedly organised installationceremony at the party headquarters,Rajnath Singh who emerged overnightas the alternative to Nitin Gadkari, tookover as the new BJP president in thepresence of senior party leaders,including LK Advani, senior leadersSushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, VenkaiahNaidu and others at noon onWednesday. Advani, Singh and Gadkarispoke on the occasion.

Advani recalled the budding days ofthe BJP and how Atal Behari Vajpayeeinsisted on being a party with a differ-ence by keeping it an incorruptibleorganisation. Advani said that thereshould be zero-tolerance towards cor-ruption, which was ironical even asGadkari had to opt out because of cor-ruption charges. Gadkari sounded sourand defiant when he blamed the UPAgovernment of trying to tarnish hisimage by framing cases, and assertedthat he would clear his name.

Singh, in his acceptance speech,said that he was taking over at a diffi-cult time and in unhappy circum-stances. He was referring to the severalstate assembly elections that were duethis year and the Lok Sabha poll next

year on the one hand, and to his lastminute elevation because of differ-ences in the party over Gadkari's sec-ond term.

Earlier in the morning, the centralparliamentary board met and passed aresolution expressing its appreciationfor Gadkari during his term as presi-dent. The resolution said, "The parlia-mentary board places on record itssense of deep appreciation for the lead-ership provided by Shri Nitin Gadkari tothe party during his tenure as the pres-ident of the BJP.

Shri Gadkari's dynamism, good workand open mindedness helpedimmensely in expanding the supportbase of the party. Shri Gadkari dis-played qualities of an ideal karyakartaand was always available to party work-ers."Later, returning officer Thanwar

Chand Gehlot declared Rajnath Singhelected as president without contest.

Rajnath Singh elevation means thatRSS supreme authority is tested by oldcore party war horse led Shri Advaniand surely RSS being an ideologue forthe party will never accept decent.Secondly, the principle politicaladversery Congress is going through agenerational leadership shift hence itoffers a window of opportunity for theBJP to strike and win elections. The UPAgovernment is battling almost a decadeof anti incumbency that BJP was plan-ning to leverage an advantage but thecontradictions between RSS and BJPmainstream may damagae this oppor-tunity to rest power from Congress yetagain.

Prakhar Mishra reports from New Delhi

Earlier in the morning, the central parliamentary board metand passed a resolution expressing its appreciation forGadkari during his term as president. The resolution said,"The parliamentary board places on record its sense of deepappreciation for the leadership provided by Shri Nitin Gadkarito the party during his tenure as the president of the BJP.


(Prakhar Misra, Political Editor ofOpinion Express in conversation withnewly elected President of BJP in NewDelhi on the eve of republic day)

Q What is Rajnath Singh's biggest chal-lenge? Congress or inner fight??A To expose Congress mis rule that led tointernal security threat, corruption, infla-tion & destruction of agri economy of thecountry.

Q You are pitted against next generationleadership of Congress as Rahul Gandhihas just taken over the party command,how BJP will reach out to young voters ofIndia specially when we have 65 % popu-lation under 40 years ? A We have sufficient pool of young leaders,best trained and intellectual disposition.

Q What is BJP economic policy?? You area right wing party yet opposing marketreforms And FDI?? A BJP economic policy is neither right orleft wing rather it is focused on nationalinterest.

Q For Rajnath Singh surely UP is the sin-gle most challenge to stamp yourauthority over your organisation, govern-ment (if elected in2014 ), share yourplan and vision to win caste ridden UPstate from the clutches of OBC led SPand SC led BSP party machine?A Kalyan Singh entry in the party will bringtremendous change in the electoratemathematics of the UP political landscape. People are tired of Mayawati &Mulayam Singh brand of politics, all arelooking towards BJP to offer developmentoriented politics.

Q Your views on saffron terror asdescribed by Home Minister? A Congress is desperately looking topolarise minority votes hence HomeMinister has given this statement. BJP willstrongly oppose it in the Parliament &street to expose Congress and irresponsi-ble Home Minister. Saffron Terror is amyth, created by Congress for political sur-vival.

Q Personally, you would like to projectan individual as prime minister candi-date (early BJP projected Atalji to winelections )? If yes, Narender Modi can bethe dark horse? A At an appropriate time, we will surelypresent the most acceptable face.

‘We have sufficient pool of young leaders’


Tavleen Singh

The day after she died in thatSingapore hospital, Sonia Gandhi andthe Prime Minister went to receive herbody at the airport making sure that'the people' were kept away. They wentin the early hours of a cold, dark andfoggy Delhi morning and they madesure that the girl's body was crematedbefore the thousands who had gath-ered every day at India Gate for nearlytwo weeks to pray for her discoveredthat she had died. The secretive, sur-reptitious manner in which India's twomost important political leadersbehaved after an incident that causednational shame and horror showedtheir inability to understand the impor-tance of leadership. It needs to beadded here that the man who manybelieve will be India's prime minister in2014 did not show his face even onceafter the girl died.

So here are some questions. Whatkind of political leaders are afraid of thepeople? Why did the country's biggest

leaders not make any effort to talk tothe protesters who gathered in streetsthat are five minutes from their homes?Why did the Chief Minister of Delhi onlymake an effort to meet protesters afterthey had been attacked by her police-men with water cannons and tear gasshells? She was booed when she finallyshowed up but what more did sheexpect? The political failure to respondempathetically to public outrage over

the ghastly gang rape in a Delhi bus isnot something that can be pinned onthe Congress alone. It was a failure ofthe entire political class.

When the young medical studentwhose intestines were pulled out withan iron rod by her rapists was still strug-gling to live in Safdarjung Hospital, andthousands gathered at India Gate andVijay Chowk to pray for her I waitedevery day for young political leaders tojoin the protesters. The Lok Sabha isawash with the daughters, sisters andwives of powerful political leaders and Ithought at least one or two would showup to join the protests. The Leader ofthe Opposition in the Lok Sabha is awoman who has demanded the deathpenalty for rapists so I thought shewould come for political reasons if notout of real pain. There are influentialwomen Chief Ministers who have alsomade a huge noise about harsher sen-tences for rapists. They were in Delhi forthe National Development Councilmeeting while the protests were stillgoing on, and it would have helpedthem politically to make an appearancebut they did not come either. Why?

We are no longer prepared to putup with ineffective leaders

When the young medicalstudent whose intestineswere pulled out with an ironrod by her rapists was stillstruggling to live inSafdarjung Hospital, andthousands gathered at IndiaGate and Vijay Chowk to prayfor her I waited every day foryoung political leaders tojoin the protesters.


Ask yourself these questions andthe only answer that will come to you isthat our political leaders are soremoved from the people that they donot understand their own political inter-ests any more. As someone who hasspent more than three decades wan-dering about India covering electionsand other political events I have noticedthis disconnect grow and spread onlysince hereditary democracy becamethe norm for most political parties. Inthe old days when I covered electioncampaigns, it was normal to see impor-tant candidates travelling about on footor in humble transport. I have personal-ly seen two former Prime Ministers, VPSingh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, cam-paign door to door in the 1980s butever since political heirs began to popu-late the benches of the Lok Sabha thispractice has stopped.

Political princes and princesses area new breed of politician. They areunused to the dirt roads and grime ofrural India so they travel in expensiveair-conditioned SUVs wherever they goand this mode of transport is usuallyenough to distance them from the peo-ple. But, if they go on to becomeMinisters, Chief Ministers or importantleaders in their own right, then the dis-tance is compounded by 'security' con-cerns. Then they take to descendingupon villages in helicopters that land industy fields where cavalcades ofambassador cars filled with comman-dos await their arrival. It is in these cav-

alcades that they travel to electionmeetings or political events. Then assoon as the meeting ends they vanishinto the skies. Their contact with 'thepeople' is limited to meeting rural offi-cials. It is an unhealthy and ugly transi-tion that has occurred in Indian politicallife and it manifests itself more andmore these days because in the citiespeople are not ready to put up withabsent political leaders anymore.

In a crisis they want to see theirleaders do what they elected them todo - lead. Like the girl who was rapedand killed they are filled with modernideas. The girl thought, like modern citygirls do, that it was safe to go and see alate evening show in a cinema and thentake a bus home. And, those who cameto protest against her gang rape thinklike modern young Indians should that

they have a right to demand law andorder from their leaders and that theyhave a right to demand answers fromthem when they fail to provide it. Theprotesters who gathered in the streetsof our cities to mourn the girl talkedopenly to television reporters about theneed for the criminal justice system toimprove. They expressed resentmentagainst the huge deployment of police-men for VIP security when ordinary citi-zens could not be guaranteed safety.

These are modern ideas expressedby modern Indians who, unlike their ruralbrethren, are no longer prepared to putup with ineffective leaders or bad gover-nance. The problem is that our politicalleaders seem unable to understand this.So the majority of those who spoke upfor the girl did so from the safety of tele-vision studios. They talked in angry voic-es about the need for Special Sessionsof Parliament to discuss a new rape lawand for harsher punishments for rapists.In doing this they showed how veryremoved they are from reality. It is notnew laws that are needed or harsherpunishments. What we need is a SpecialSession of Parliament to discuss how acriminal justice system that is complete-ly broken can be fixed before the wholestructure comes crumbling down. Whatis the point of new laws when India hasless than half the number of policemenfor 100,000 people than the internation-al average of 250? What is the point ofnew laws when a rape case can takedecades to be decided in our courts?

Political princes andprincesses are a new breedof politician. They areunused to the dirt roads andgrime of rural India so theytravel in expensive air-conditioned SUVs whereverthey go and this mode oftransport is usually enoughto distance them from thepeople.


Ashley J. Tellis

A stable Indiashould seek to shapethe world, rather thanrespond to situations.

India has come ofage, and holds its ownin negotiations. —Shanker Chakravarty

On the eve of India’s founding, noone could have imagined how success-fully it would come to navigate the inter-national system. At that time, therewere legions of sceptics who believedthat the half-life of this new countrywould be measured in years, perhapsdecades at most.

The question of when India wouldsplit apart was one of the staples ofpublic discussion going back toChurchill’s celebrated remark, “India isa geographical term. It is no more aunited nation than the Equator.”

Today, however, India’s unity istaken for granted. In one of the greatestfeats of modern history, India has builta cohesive nation despite incrediblepoverty and diversity. India has donejust as well in regard to its territorialintegrity. India as a unified territorialentity has survived despite being locat-ed in an extremely contested andunsettled regional environment. And,India has managed, despite great mate-rial weakness, to protect its politicalautonomy.

INDIA HOLDS ITS OWNNo one who has had the pleasure of

negotiating with Indian colleagues onthe other side of the table will concludethat this is a country that is incapable ofprotecting its interests. When I wasworking on the civil nuclear negotia-

A new global role awaits India

Today, however, India’s unityis taken for granted. In oneof the greatest feats ofmodern history, India hasbuilt a cohesive nationdespite incredible povertyand diversity. India has donejust as well in regard to itsterritorial integrity.


tions, my team was often accused ofbeing unable to protect American inter-ests, and of course there were a fewIndians who made the same complaintsabout their team. But there were noAmericans who walked away from thatconversation believing that India isincapable of holding its own!

The reason why many outsidersinvariably end up complaining aboutIndia being reactive is preciselybecause Indians have held on to theview – with good reason – that successin navigating the world derives princi-pally from success in political, econom-ic, and social management at home.This has characterised the way NewDelhi has thought about its relationshipto the world.

The first constant is an abidingobsession with economic growth.Whereas India began managing eco-nomic growth primarily through autarkyand dirigisme, today it is shifting to avision that has greater room for globali-sation and a greater acceptance ofmarket forces.

It is still an incomplete transition,but the fact that it is underway offersthe greatest opportunities for develop-ing the US-India relationship, not simplyat the level of strategy or diplomacy, butwhere it matters most, in people’s

cheque books and their pockets.

CAPACITY-BUILDINGSecond, India has focused on build-

ing state capacity and empowering itscitizenry from the very beginning. It isfar from completing this task success-fully, and yet this is one area whereIndia’s success will be determinedentirely by its internal actions.Outsiders — including well-meaning out-siders like those in the US — can help,but only on the margins.

The choices that India makes with

respect to its own institutions and howit invests in its people will make the realdifference to India’s strategy. There arebig debates now, centred around thebalance between the state and the mar-ket in achieving India’s goals. The UScan provide ideas from the sidelines,but this is an argument that Indians willhave to work through themselves.

The third and last component ofIndia’s grand strategy has been adesire to enhance its national securitywhile minimising security competition.India settled for such a conservativestrategy because it has always beenaware of its own weakness.Weaknesses within and the unsettledenvironment without have pushedIndian policy makers to become defen-sive positionalists, focused not neces-sarily on improving India’s position inthe world, but rather on preventing itsposition from deteriorating further. Atits core, Indian policy therefore hasalways focused on avoiding the foreclo-sure of options.

This approach sometimes rattles ananxious US, which would like to see afar more energetic India that acts as ashaper of its environment rather thanas a country that simply protects itsequities. The US government mustremember, however, that India’s defen-

The first constant is anabiding obsession witheconomic growth. WhereasIndia began managingeconomic growth primarilythrough autarky anddirigisme, today it isshifting to a vision that hasgreater room forglobalisation and a greateracceptance of marketforces.


sive positionalism is intimately linked toits own stage of development.

The day that India overcomes theinternal challenges will be the day thatIndia gets into the shaping business asopposed to simply the adjustment busi-ness.

India today finds itself between thetimes. It has accomplished the coretask of what states are supposed to do:to protect political integrity in the broad-est sense. Such success came againstgreat odds, but India’s tasks are nowbecoming far more complicatedbecause popular expectations withinare rising just when new great powers –and new threats – are becoming mani-fest in its extended neighborhood.

As India succeeds, people — includ-ing many in the US — have great expec-tations of it. Therefore, how India under-stands itself, its role, and its contribu-tions will concern not only Indians, buteveryone involved in the US-India part-nership.

Americans need to appreciate thatno matter what labels India uses, itssize, its history, and its aspirations will

always ensure that New Delhi marchesto the beat of its own drum. No matterwhat its circumstances, India will notbecome the kind of treaty ally thatsome Americans would like to see.

The fact that India seeks to plot itsown course, however, is not necessarilya threat to American interests. In fact,Washington ought to ask itself not whatIndia can do for the United States, butwhat India will become: Will India bestrong, even if independent, or will it be

weak?An India that is strong is fundamen-

tally in American interests, a perspec-tive well-recognised when I served inthe George W. Bush administration. Wedid not engage in nuclear cooperationwith India on the expectation that therewould be a quid-pro-quo. We did notpush the transformation of US-Indianrelations merely out of expectationsthat India would help us to realise nar-row interests.

Rather, if India could find thesources of its own strength, its successboth as a democracy and as a risingpower would contribute towards creat-ing a balance of power in Asia that isultimately favourable both to US andIndian interests.

(The author is a Senior Associate atthe Carnegie Endowment for

International Peace. He is a memberof CASI’s International Advisory Board.)

This article is by special arrange-ment with the Center for the Advanced

Study of India, University ofPennsylvania

The fact that India seeks toplot its own course, however,is not necessarily a threat toAmerican interests. In fact,Washington ought to ask itselfnot what India can do for theUnited States, but what Indiawill become: Will India bestrong, even if independent,or will it be weak?


Prakash Singh

I had been watching the Newswhere you have made statements thatthe Policing has to be strong. This is thestandard statement being made by youall in Media as and when any incidentoccurs. I had been communicating withyou all about the sad state of affairswhile managing police. The ChiefMinister of Delhi claims that she hadbeen demanding for almost 10 yearsthat the Police should be under controlof Delhi Govt.

I fail to understand why the succes-sive Governments have failed toaddress the core issue that ails Policingin India. Despite after 65 years of inde-pendence, our Governments continueto be entertain British Mind Set thatPolicemen should be treated as dirt,low paid so that they would engage inCorrupt practices and then can be used

for managing Political rivals. I had conducted study on Police

working that was shared with you allalmost three years ago and also lastyear the trailing mail was sent by mebut none of you even bothered toacknowledge the receipt because youall are provided with Sarkari car andSarkari Security all around. You all areescorted by Cops in and around mar-

kets, railways stations, airports and lastbut not the least on the City Roads.Therefore, you all never thought torespond to the emails leave alone act-ing on the suggestions. You all areblaming Police and Public. For you allthe members of public are guinea pigswho assume importance only beforeElection.

The fact remains that the police is

The fact remains that the police is used, abused on 24 x 7basis, ill equipped, untrained and under paid leading tofrustration. This also fact, if a Cop leads honest life annuallyhe/she suffers a loss of Rs.5,500/-. The Tughlaki orderpassed by the present Commissioner Police that SHO shallbe present in Police Station round the clock is classicexample of British mindset.

Challenges of policing in India


used, abused on 24 x 7 basis, illequipped, untrained and under paidleading to frustration. This also fact, if aCop leads honest life annually he/shesuffers a loss of Rs.5,500/-. TheTughlaki order passed by the presentCommissioner Police that SHO shall bepresent in Police Station round theclock is classic example of British mind-set.

It is also matter of fact that largechunk of Police force is deployed onsafety of the Politicians who have crimi-nal track record. The Question ariseswhy Criminal Politician should get pro-tection at the cost of Common Citizensand Law & Order.

The statement of Delhi CM that sheis fighting for control over Delhi Police

for last 10 years is a cruel joke becauseboth in Delhi and at Central Govt., theCongress is in driving seat.

Therefore, the is an urgent need tolook into the matters that ail Policing inIndia as per attached Article. As evi-dence of my efforts to solicit your atten-tion I am also forwarding the trailingmail that was sent by me on Fri, Nov28, 2008 at 8:10 AM, that never sawthe light of the day.

It is the high time that you shouldstart taking the citizens seriously andstop using Police like Britishers.

Why Policing fails in India?Policing is a specialized job and

requires deep concentration, planningand strategy. Therefore, in order to haveeffective policing, it is utmost importantthat professionals be inducted in thePolice Force.

It is also matter of fact thatlarge chunk of Police forceis deployed on safety of thePoliticians who havecriminal track record. TheQuestion arises why CriminalPolitician should getprotection at the cost ofCommon Citizens and Law &Order.


All along we have seen that thePolice Officers are shifted from LocalPolicing to Traffic Police and from TrafficPolice to Crime Branch and from CrimeBranch and from Crime Branch toSpecial Cell.

Without meaning any disrespect tothe serving police officers from the rankof Sub Inspector onwards we hadsought for educational qualifications ofthe officers posted in the Traffic PoliceDelhi. Apart from seeking details of pro-fessional qualification we had alsosought for details of professionalQualification of the officers deployedwith Traffic Police Delhi under Right toInformation Act 2005. A scanned copyof the reply is attached with this mail.

On perusal of the details it wasobserved that the EducationalQualification ranges from Matriculationto normal Graduates. A few are found tobe holding degree in B.Sc or M.Sc. orPost Graduate. It is also observed that asimple Arts Graduate is handling legal

Cell of Traffic Police in Delhi. Now thequestion arises when an Arts Graduateis faced with the Planners who are

Engineers while planning the CityRoads or the Lawyers in the Courts whopractice law day in and day out, a sim-ple Graduate cannot compete with thecompetence levels of the thoseEngineers or Lawyers. Therefore, thePolice are bound to fail.

Now the question arises when thesame officer is transferred to otherbranches of Policing, again the situa-tion is the same. Once again by virtue oflack of professional qualification, hisperformance is retarded. Such Officercannot compete with his Counterpartsworking in other departments.

During British regime the Police waspaid low salaries with intent that theycan be used in any manner the way theywanted at that time. The ProfessionalQualification at that time was never thecriteria. Unfortunately post independ-ence once again we find that the PoliceConstabulary or junior officers continueto be low paid jobs with almost 24 x 7duty hours for days together without

Unless immediate steps aretaken in this regard both theCivilians and Police officerswould continue to be softtargets as the civilian doesnot have capacity to protecthimself and the PoliceOfficers cannot performafter wearing Bullet ProofJacket weighing 35 Kgs. thuswould continue to die likeInspector Sharma or HemantKarkare and his colleaguesin Mumbai


any leave. Once they do not have timeto relax where is the time to trainthem?. Whatever they learn is hit andtrial method even during so called train-ing programs. The constabulary beingthe first face of the police that facescommon citizens is suffering not onlyfrom stress and fatigue but is also suf-fering from the financial losses but alsois being ill-treated both by theLegislature as well as the Executive.

In case professionals are inductedin the Police Force in India as happensin other Countries, the cop would notcook food in the house of senior cops orwould not take the family of the SeniorOfficers for outing in Official cars.Similarly such cop would also not suc-cumb to the pressures exerted by the

Politicians.I had been watching on Electronic

Media very often after every incident,the way it has happened in Mumbaitoday that rocks the nation bothPoliticians and Bureaucrats allegeIntelligence failure or failure of Policingin India. But the moot question that whyno steps have been taken to profes-sionalize and modernize the policeforce in India.

Unless immediate steps are taken inthis regard both the Civilians and Policeofficers would continue to be soft tar-gets as the civilian does not havecapacity to protect himself and thePolice Officers cannot perform afterwearing Bullet Proof Jacket weighing 35Kgs. thus would continue to die like

Inspector Sharma or Hemant Karkareand his colleagues in Mumbai

By this mail, I seeking your immedi-ate attention and intervention in thematter because as a Nation we cannotafford to permit such glaring mistakes.

Compulsion to be Corrupt-Police

All of us had been hearing a lotabout corruption in Police and in fact itis a matter of fact. A lot has been saidabout Police Reforms but the shockingpart is that the Police Constabularybeing the first face of Police that facesthe general public and the key of cogwheel of investigation has been ignoredeven by fifth pay commission.

We have collected informationunder Right to Information Act, 2005from Delhi Police, Punjab Police,Haryana Police and Uttar PradeshPolice. Since I have more informationavailable with me about Delhi Police soI thought it fit to comment on DelhiPolice only. It has been observed thateach constable living in far flung area,with small family having two schoolgoing children, without any savings tohis account, shall have either to beg or

n case professionals are inducted in the Police Force inIndia as happens in other Countries, the cop would not cookfood in the house of senior cops or would not take the familyof the Senior Officers for outing in Official cars. Similarlysuch cop would also not succumb to the pressures exertedby the Politicians.


borrow an amount of Rs. 5,000-00 toRs. 6,000-00 each month for belowaverage standard of living.

During British regime the police wasalways under paid with a specific agen-da that once underpaid they wouldindulge in corruption and under thethreat of removal the Britishers wouldforce them to act as per their ownwhims and fancies against the Indianfreedom fighters and they succeeded.

In view of the information providedto us it is felt that even the mind set ofpresent rulers has not changed.

Deficit per month Rs.755.001. Excess of Expense on account ofwashing over allowance: Rs. -33.33 2. Excess of Conveyance: Rs. -1,900.00 3. Motorcycle Maintenance: Rs. -300.00 4. Mobile Phone Expenses: Rs. -500.00 5. Share of Expenses on account ofunclaimed Dead Body: Rs -2,000.00 6. Total Deficit per month: Rs. 5,488.33

In case the constable opts forinsurance policy or any other savingscheme and gives pocket money toschool going children or indulges in aluxury of giving any simple gift to hiswife once in a blue moon the deficitwould go up by another Rs. 2,500.00per month. This amount is exclusive ofthe money spent by the Cop on him-self during duty hours or commutingfrom Home to place of Duty & back.

Therefore the total deficit would goup to Rs. 7,988.33 per month. Now tomeet this need of bare minimumamount he is bound to indulge in bor-rowing as he cannot beg thus to repayindulge in corruption.

Thus indulging in corruption isbound to reflect on his working effi-ciency, law enforcement and investi-gations. The issues like Nithari or ProfSabharwal, Jessica Lal orPriyadarshini Mattoo shall continue tocrop up very often. The BMW's shallcontinue to mow down the innocentpeople and get converted into trucksover night.

The Blue Lines would continue torecklessly kill the road users. Theoverloaded trucks would continue todamage the roads, cause pollutionwhat ever we may say about globalwarming leading to accidents,unquantifiable amount of damage tolife and property and loss to the StateExchequer. Not only this they wouldalso continue to be arrogant defiant,

ruthless and reckless in their day todaylife. They would continue to disre-spect and even kill their colleaguesand seniors out of sheer frustration.

Therefore, unless we address thisroot cause of corruption and pay rea-sonable salaries no reforms are goingto work and improve the system. Lawenforcement and poor and shoddyinvestigations would continue to bethe first causality.

Therefore, in fitness of things it isutmost important that the issue is atleast now dealt with properly and it isensured that the lower constabulary ispaid reasonable salary so that tomor-row if they do not perform they can bepunished.

In addition to the reasonable

Salary, there is a need to put in placea system to ensure that no Cop has tobear the expense of giving decent bur-ial or performing last rites ofunclaimed bodies.

I have not considered the expens-es the cops end up spending on pur-chase of stationary for the police sta-tion, other expenses while treating thevisiting officials. I have visited web siteof Delhi Police. Though under Right toInformation a full disclosure about theBudget under different heads is to bemade but it is not available. Who caresin Government and general Public lacksvoice. Babus please come out of yourdeep slumber and shed British mindsetbefore it is too late.

(The writer is retd IPS officer)

Thus indulging in corruption is bound to reflect on hisworking efficiency, law enforcement and investigations.The issues like Nithari or Prof Sabharwal, Jessica Lal orPriyadarshini Mattoo shall continue to crop up very often.The BMW's shall continue to mow down the innocentpeople and get converted into trucks over night.


(Twitter: @kdudakia)

Kapil Dudakia was born in afantastic part of the world -Mombasa, Kenya. During1968 difficulties arose inEast Africa that led to many

Asians having to flee the country. Hisparents being British Citizens came tothe UK in the exodus that followed andthe children (three brothers and onesister) came with them to face the chal-lenges of this new country. In fact as itturns out, on the front page of the'National Daily' a leading newspaper ofthe time in Kenya there was a photo-graph of a family with bewildered youngchildren with the story line - 'what willbe the future of these children?' Thephotograph was of none other thanKapil and his family and in this articleyou will see what happened to thisyoung man.

Kapil attended primary and second-ary education in Bolton, Lancashire andthereafter went to Cardiff University(part of the Russell Group of premieruniversities in the UK) to study BScHons in Electrical and ElectronicEngineering.

Having secured his first degree hewent on to complete a PGCE and laterbecame a school teacher. His teachingcareer was exceptionally successfuland at the young age of only 31 years,he was appointed as a schools inspec-tor. In 1993 he became an OFSTEDinspector (renowned elite group ofinspectors in the UK appointed by HMthe Queen) for both primary and sec-ondary education.

Kapil is a man who likes challengesand soon inspection and being aninspector had become monotonous. It

was at this time he made a remarkabledecision - to retire from that professionand embark on a new challenge. Heelected to become a consultant advis-ing businesses both in the UK as well asin India on JV's, market penetration,strategic development and so on.

In the UK Kapil is much better

known for his social service both withinthe Hindu (Indian) community as wellas within society generally. In the pasthis list of achievements include: VicePresident and Trustee of Milton KeynesHindu Association, IndependentMember on the Milton KeynesStandards Board, founding memberand Chair of the Milton Keynes Councilof Faiths, member of the Local StrategicPartnership, member of the ThamesValley Police Independent AdvisoryGroup and member of the EqualityCouncil. With such expertise his timewas in great demand by a host of gov-ernment and voluntary organisations.He became a trustee to the FremantleTrust (care provider with t/o of £35m).He was also one of the founding mem-bers (and their first Head of Public and

Photo with David Cameron Prime Mister of Britain, 'Kapil attending a specialDiwali function at 10 Downing Street by invitation of the Prime Minister'

Bridging gap between India &Indians - Kapil Dudakia

Kapil is a man who likes challenges and soon inspection andbeing an inspector had become monotonous. It was at thistime he made a remarkable decision - to retire from thatprofession and embark on a new challenge. He elected tobecome a consultant advising businesses both in the UK aswell as in India on JV's, market penetration, strategicdevelopment and so on.


Media Relations) of the Hindu Forum ofBritain (a national organisation repre-senting in excess of 400 Hindu organi-sations in the UK). Kapil has, by his veryexperience, become an advisor to manynational and regional organisations inthe UK. In fact recently when theRSPCA killed a cow on the grounds of aTemple (ISKCON Temple in Watford -Bhakti Vedanta Manor) he led a taskforce to get justice from both theRSPCA (who made a public apology)and also specific guidance from theBritish Government on Animal WelfareLaw.

As you can see, Kapil and his familymight have been outside of India forgenerations, yet it is clear that his heartis that of an Indian. They say you cantake a Gujarati out of Gujarat, but neverGujarat out of a Gujarati. People likeKapil lead the way on the internationalarena. Their work and dedication notonly promotes the country of their resi-dence, but it also gives great value tothe country of their origin, their faithand their cultural heritage.

Kapil likes to work in the back-ground, but obviously with such a highprofile that is not always possible. Hiswealth of experience of people, society,politics and governance meant that heis well placed to make comment andobservations on most things in life. Nodoubt it must have been this talent thatwas spotted by C B Patel (owner of theleading ethnic newspaper in the UK -Asian Voice) who gave him his own col-umn. Typical of a Gujarati his column is

I caught up with Kapil in hisrecent visit to India and askedhim a few questions:

OE: What brings you to Indiathis time Kapil?

KD: I am involved with a majorproject to launch and promote anIndian made 'Tablet' (from Pantelproducts) with partners such asBSNL, Orange Telecom, MauritiusTelecom, Kanha Tech andSaharaNext. The consortia plansto enter the African sub-continentutilising the 'Penta Tablet' as avehicle to promote value addedservices directly to the con-sumers.

OE: What type of serviceswill this platform be offering?

KD: We are concentrating oneHealth, eEducation andeGovernance. Already somemajor companies with leadingedge products are lining up tobecome partners in this massiveinitiative. We can work with pri-vate companies, with telecomoperators and of course withlocal and national Governments.On my initiative, world renownedOxford University has consentedin principle to disseminate skilldevelopment courses in Asia andAfrica riding on vast telecom net-works by leveraging cheap Pentatablets hence reaching out theentire population at large.

OE: They tell me that whencompanies come to you needingto secure orders or break intocertain markets - that you havethe ability to assist them withgreat success, can you tell me abit more about this side of yourwork?

KD: Confidentiality meansthat I cannot of course share anyspecifics. However when a clientapproaches me with a proposi-

tion I am able to ascertain if I(and our network of partnersaround the world) are able toassist or not. If the answer isaffirmative that means we wouldbe able to advise and structuretheir proposition such that whatmight have taken them years toachieve can be shortened tomonths.

OE: How do you see develop-ments in India?

KD: A rather tricky question.However, India with all its faultsand built in difficulties still hasthe capacity to rise to the chal-lenge of becoming one of the keyworld power houses in the com-ing decade. In my view statessuch as Gujarat have shown away forward and if this can bereplicated at the national level,can you imagine the difference itcould potentially make to thelives of millions of Indians? Thefate of India rests with good edu-cation, good governance, goodhealth care and excellent infra-structure - on all of these it stillhas much to do.

OE: What are your plans for2013?

KD: We have established vari-ous partnerships with leadingedge technology companies andwill shortly be launching anePlatform that will take VASoffers to the masses at an afford-able price. In 2013 we aim toattract high quality serviceproviders to come onto ourePlatform, take this not just toIndia, but via Mauritius to some21 countries in Africa and evenbeyond. It's going to be challeng-ing, interesting but with greatscope to work with so many won-derful people around the world.

By Prashant Tewari

Q&AAs you can see, Kapil and hisfamily might have beenoutside of India forgenerations, yet it is clearthat his heart is that of anIndian. They say you cantake a Gujarati out ofGujarat, but never Gujaratout of a Gujarati. Peoplelike Kapil lead the way onthe international arena.Their work and dedicationnot only promotes thecountry of their residence,but it also gives great valueto the country of their origin,their faith and their culturalheritage.

called, 'Kapil's Khichadi' and over thepast several years it has tackled, headon, some of the most controversialissues arising out of society and poli-

tics. He has a canny sixth sense and ifpoliticians had been wise to this, theywould have already adopted him astheir personal adviser.


Pantel Technologies, a youngInformation Communicationand Technology devices com-pany based out of Noida, hasmade a mark in Global Tablet

Industry. Within few months of itsinvestiture Pantel Technologies with itsrange of tablets, marketed under thename of Penta T-Pads had earned thecredibility and status of one of the mostaffordable tablet pc maker of the coun-try.

A sleek yet powerful internet tabletpc holds the ability to revolutionize theway things work. From education,healthcare, governance, social welfare,disaster management, etc, every sector

would eventually transform for its bet-ter, promised Pantel Technologies ayear ago, and the journey started.

According to Pantel Technologies,an internet tablet PC has the ability toaccelerate learning. Through digitizedcontent, learning can be made avail-able from anywhere, anytime and any-place. With the help of technology andreal-time learning collaborations, atablet pc can aid in custom-made edu-cation to masses. The only hindrancethat education sector is facing today iscost and connectivity. Cost to procure atablet pc and enormous task of gener-ating digital content, to switch thou-sands of courses and materials to digi-

tal content. And connectivity issues, tobe able to connect to masses.

Pantel Technologies is focused onthe education sector and firmly believesthat the new age Digital technologieswill go a long way in fulfilling theGovernment mission of 'QualityEducation for all'. Innovatively designedand uniquely priced Tablet PC(s) withbundled wireless connectivity solutionsand appropriate education content - willcontribute in bridging the 'digital divide'.

And hence, Pantel Technologiesoffers a unique feature of "digital con-tent" on its tablet PC range, Penta T-Pad. Pantel Technologies has tied upwith various known and well estab-

Pantel Technologies:Journey to a glorious success

According to PantelTechnologies, an internet tabletPC has the ability to acceleratelearning. Through digitizedcontent, learning can be madeavailable from anywhere,anytime and anyplace. With thehelp of technology and real-timelearning collaborations, a tabletpc can aid in custom-madeeducation to masses.


lished digital content vendors, such as,iProf, Elearner. iProf India andMyelearner are one of India's largestproviders for tablet-based digital learn-ing solutions. They impart comprehen-sive study solutions to students aspir-ing to excel in entrance exams like IIT-JEE, AIEEE, PMT, AIPMT Medical, et al ,besides providing rich digital content forclasses KG to XII. These are online plat-forms to facilitate a 24X7 student-teacher connect. This collaboration hashelped bring high quality digital contentwithin the reach of masses across thecountry using Tablet PC as the deliverymedium.

Students today are faced with thechallenge of lack of accessibility to edu-cational information and guidance dueto their weak financial background. Thiscollaboration has made learning com-prehensive, simpler and interactive;and will facilitate the student aspirantsto get the best of faculty at theirdoorstep. Digilibrary from iPROF pro-vides a platform of educational materi-als such as audio-video lectures, 3Danimations, evaluative practice ques-tions for competitive national examina-tions, 24X7 live teacher support to stu-dents using various connection modeslike phone call, chat, question dropbox,

et al. Complete e-test, chapter specifice-test, complete test series, e-lecturesalong with lucid and detailed solutionsare the tools through which an aspirantcan evaluate his/her own performanceand is extensively provided byMyelearner.com. The content is exclu-sively prepared by the best mentors inthe industry.

Further to link up and make it moreaffordable for the students in RuralIndia, where reaching school is a big

problem, for them an aid like virtualclassroom or digital classroom throughPenta T-Pad has been made possiblethrough Pantel Technologies alliancewith Indian Maharatna company BSNL.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited,BSNL is oldest and largest communica-tion service provider of India. ThisIndian state-owned telecommunicationcompany is the largest provider of fixedtelephony and fourth largest mobiletelephony provider in India. It also has astrong hold as a broadband servicesprovider. With an approx. a billion cus-tomer base throughout India, it hasbeen honored as a "maharatna" com-pany of India. And an alliance with abrand of such stature and magnanimityis all that is required to connect tomasses. But due to the same reasons,magnanimous structure, it has neverbeen easy for a private player to joinhands with BSNL, but PantelTechnologies did it, and was the firstone to have an reverse bundlingalliance with BSNL.

On the occasion of 'reading week'being celebrated inThiruvananthapuram, PantelTechnologies with an association withBSNL announced a special offer for stu-dents from rural areas. The tablet

Students today are facedwith the challenge of lack ofaccessibility to educationalinformation and guidancedue to their weak financialbackground. Thiscollaboration has madelearning comprehensive,simpler and interactive; andwill facilitate the studentaspirants to get the best offaculty at their doorstep.


priced at Rs 7500 for the normal cus-tomer in the market was distributed ata subsidized rate of mere Rs 3000, tooffer an equal opportunity to the ruralstudents. For a technically powerpacked and yet affordable tablet, offeralso included a broadband internet con-nection which was free for the firstmonth. The subsidy scheme will beopen for a year. Another very attractivescheme for students included, pre-loaded syllabus of higher and seniorsecondary classes in video and graphicformat, which would facilitate the stu-dents to study anytime anywhere.Thanks to the Penta T-Pads, it will nolonger be necessary to go to schools foreducation. Students can even take aseries of tests based on the syllabus forself evaluation. And in times to come,Pantel Technologies plans to come withthe ability which would let sharing andreview of handwritten notes possible;things like automatic grading, videotutorials would be available on thetablet pc. Pantel Technologies is alsokeen on network independent applica-tions, where users can downloadassignments for days, or weeks at atime and need not be online always.

Other generous initiatives of Pantel

Technologies include distribution of 2Gcalling device, WS703C to meritoriousstudents of the SSLC-2012 examina-tions in Thrissur, Kerala. Mr. Kapil Sibal,Hon'ble Min. of HRD, Telecom and IT,Govt. of India distributed the newlylaunched Penta T-Pad WS703C tabletPC in the parliamentary constituency ofHon'ble MP PC Chacko. The recipients

of the Penta T-Pad tablet PC were 674meritorius students of the SSLC-2012examinations in Thrissur, Kerala. Also,gracing the occasion were Mr. P. K.Abdu Rabb, Min. of Education, KeralaGovt., Mr. R K Upadhyay, CMD, BSNLand Mr Vijender Singh, MD, PantelTechnologies Pvt. Ltd. The Penta T-PadWS703C tablet PC is India's first Voicecalling tablet with 3D enabled capaci-tive multi-touch screen.

Moving to Pantel TechnologiesInternational Endeavours, PantelTechnologies has its own design housein Honk Kong. Penta T?Pad range ofTablet PC(s), house a competitive"System?on?a-Chip" architecture, withoutstanding performance, reliabilityand sustainability. The architecturedesigned by in-house technicians inHonk Kong supports an "all--?port"design and has an in?built GraphicsGPU-the Mali 400-which deliversreal?life graphics on the device. Themultiple I/O interfaces -in the form ofaudio?out, microphone, host USB andmini-USB ports allows for multipledevice connectivity, contributing to theversatility of the device. In summary, arich user experience.

As Penta T-Pad(s) are selling widely

The subsidy scheme will beopen for a year. Another veryattractive scheme forstudents included, pre-loaded syllabus of higherand senior secondaryclasses in video and graphicformat, which wouldfacilitate the students tostudy anytime anywhere.Thanks to the Penta T-Pads,it will no longer be necessaryto go to schools foreducation.


across Indian, South-East Asian, GCCand African markets, the Honk Kongoffice also takes care of all theInternational trading.

Pantel Technologies in China has anenviable infrastructure equipped withstate of art machinery and tools to buildworld-class Tablet PC(s) at an afford-able price. The facility has a full factoryline process starting fromSMT to Burn Testing. Burn-in test is done by sampling,where 10 pieces per day ofeach model that is beingmanufactured are testedrunning several testing pro-grams on ambient temper-ature for 24 hours to checkif anything wrong happens.And only after all the abovemeticulous steps and test-ing, a world class Penta T-Pad is ready for a seamlessuser experience.

With PantelTechnologies' superiortechnology at affordableprices being celebratedaround the world, it hasgained an alliance withnone other but one of theworld's leading telecommu-

nications operators, Orange. Present in33 countries, the Group has a total cus-tomer base of 224 million customers,including 166 million mobile customersand 15 million broadband internet(ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide.Orange is one of the main Europeanoperators for mobile and broadbandinternet services.

Mauritius Telecom (MT) is yet anoth-er Allianz of Pantel Technologies, serv-ing Penta T-Pad customers in Mauritianmarket. MT is a group of companiescomprising Mauritius Telecom Ltd andits subsidiaries: Cellplus MobileCommunications Ltd, Telecom Plus Ltd,CSL and Teleservices Ltd, providing andintegrating a full spectrum of servicesand solutions in the fixed telephony,mobile, Internet and broadband sec-tors. Mauritius Telecom, the publictelecommunications operator ofMauritius is the primary provider ofvoice, mobile, Internet and data com-

Pantel Technologies in Chinahas an enviableinfrastructure equipped withstate of art machinery andtools to build world-classTablet PC(s) at an affordableprice. The facility has a fullfactory line process startingfrom SMT to Burn Testing.Burn-in test is done bysampling, where 10 piecesper day of each model that isbeing manufactured aretested running severaltesting programs on ambienttemperature for 24 hours tocheck if anything wronghappens.


munications services in Mauritius. Bythe very nature of its business activi-ties, MT has to keep abreast of the lat-est technology.

"In times to come a lot can be donein Healthcare arena through digitiza-tion", thinks Pantel Technologies. Rightfrom the upcoming remote patient mon-itoring, to Telemedicine 2.0, internettablets can help in better care of thepatients. This would facilitate bedsidepatient scans, leading to improvedaccuracy of data collected and anincrease in data efficiency. With tabletpc, doctors can also access data at thebedside, the nurses' station, or fromvarious other points of service withfewer disruptions in care. Thus, PantelTechnologies plan to increase thephysicians mobility and accessibilitythrough its range of Penta T-Pads. Withthe possibility of real-time communica-tions, automation of forms, processes,and workflows, it wishes to ease theprocess for hospitals as well as patient.

Pantel Technologies affordablerange of internet tablet pcs also opensavenues for government's e-governanceprojects. Pantel Technology believes a

lot of gaps can be plugged through theuse of technology in governance,including corruption. With apt applica-tions, software, and connectivity, themajor source for corruption, lag in gov-ernmental projects, Intermediaries canbe eliminated. With Internet tablet pcsfundamental functionality, informationon move; rather than physical file man-agement, through e-file managementon cloud services, the informationwould be available anywhere, anytimefor faster and better decisions for better

governance.Cloud Services and internet tablet

pc, are one of the best technologicalinventions till date. Together they notjust make data, content available, use-ful in various sectors but also secure.

India is a land of opportunity andpoverty at the same time. And PantelTechnologies wishes to explore theopportunity by removing poverty. PantelTechnologies believes in giving back tothe society. It believes through its tech-nology it has so much to give back, byeducating, by aiding them facilities, byconnecting them to the world. PantelTechnologies might not be able to pro-vide best of medical equipments, but itpromises to connect you through bestof doctors through internet, throughinternet tablet pc. The organization inthe same direction has subsidized itsrates for rural India.

Thus, with an aim to revolutionizethe way people access information onthe move, Pantel Technologies is hereto make a mark and not just stay!

By Mansi Madan, Head PTPLCorporate Communication.

Pantel Technologiesaffordable range of internettablet pcs also opens avenuesfor government's e-governance projects. PantelTechnology believes a lot ofgaps can be plugged throughthe use of technology ingovernance, includingcorruption.


Chinese Railway System - An Eye Opener( By Vijender Singh MD Pantel Tech from China )

Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail. Beijing departure station The crew to board the Beijing-Shanghaihigh-speed train

The trains have 1st class, business and VIPcars, as well as economy class of course.

There are also dedicated disabled areas, wheelchair accessible bath-rooms and corridors

The train speed is 350 km/hr


SALLOLI KUMAR

As a child my earliest memories were about sitting in an air-plane, and travelling to some far away land. In the early 80's trav-elling abroad was still an issue for most Indians. Owing to the factthat my father is from the shipping background, foreign travel andforeign goods was something that we took completely for granted.Back in the 80's, I can remember my school friends looking jeal-

WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE INNEW EMERGING INDIA

There is a huge uproar ofwomen right and safetyissues in India, OpinionExpress explores the storyof new confident Indianwoman, driving the nationto its new glory. India Inchave incorporated itsfemale population in themainstream of allsections of life, thoughthe nation must look inthe aspect of womenempowernment speciallyin rural areas bypromoting education,better health care, skilldevelopment programs,wider employmentopportunities. OpinionExpress is pleased topublish a story thathighlights woman ofsubstance to change thepopolar perception aboutlife of women in India


ously at my Japanese pencil box or myAmerican shoes or maybe my Germanpencil sharpener. My trip to Disneyworld in Orlando was a point ofextremely jealousy among my friends.

This I guess this is a direct indica-tion about how backward the Indianeconomy was compared to its westerncounterparts. India was then truly afourth world country then. Indian'shad little or no access to qualitygoods. Other than a few friends ofmine who were really rich, most of mycontemporaries could just not affordbranded goods. My early memoriesare about asking my elders about whythere were so few types of cars onDelhi roads compared to the U.S,where every car looked different eventhen.

So other than the times I wasabroad the time back home in Indiawas pretty much boring. A city likeNew Delhi would shut down by 8 pm.There were no Mcdonalds or KFC'swhere we could go as school kids.Being from South Delhi did not makemuch of a difference as real estatevalues were quite low compared to theother big cities around the world.

My collage days in comparisonwere a lot better. It was already thelate 90's. I went to the prestigiousLady Sheri Ram Collage in SouthDelhi, ranked among one of the finestinstitutions in India. Collage was a lotof fun as there were finally a couple ofplaces to hang out. The liberalizationprocess India began in 1991 hadbegun to bear results.

We as Indians finally had accessbasic international brands. Howeverunlike today, flaunting a middleclassEuropean, or Japanese car was con-sidered very tony in a cities likeMumbai or New Delhi.

Most of my friend's fathers were

now exporters. Exports were the mosthappening business in the late 90's.The Indian economy was now evolvingfast. The cellular phone or the "cell"had just stated is career in India.Finally everyone could connect easily.I remember an instant where I hap-pened to bring a latest Sony phonefrom Singapore with an in built anten-na. It created a flurry among myfriends.

During the turn of the millennium,while I was doing my M.A (masters)from Delhi university things hadchanged fast. Though I always had theprivilege of owning luxury cars fromthe time I can remember, the wellheeled in Indian urban centers nowhad excess to the Merc's andBeemer's.

In the last 10 years since thethings have drastically changed inIndia. The town house where I residein south Delhi, boasts of square footrates that can equal most parts ofNew York City or London. I have mallsnear my house that house most inter-national high street brands. The DLFEmporio in Vasant Kunj New Delhi hasmost of the international luxurybrands. My life style as a socialite inNew Delhi is now comparative with if I

was living in New York or London oreven Los Angeles. There are severalsocial events on my social calendar.

From my experience of partying inthe European billionaire hot spots likeMonte Carlo or St. Tropez, I can safelysay that the partying in New Delhi orMumbai is no longer a compromise.New Delhi being a regional power cen-tre however has a more serious sidewhen it comes to events. I attendevents that range from those in honorof incoming heads of state to numer-ous fashion shows at the India fashionweek.

I have also championed the causeof underprivileged children by walkingthe ramp for several charity shows.This has pushed me to start my own(NGO) Non Government organizationthat looks into the social cause ofhelping teenagers from disturbedunderprivileged homes to cope withthe stresses of being low down in thesocial and financial hierarchy.

To conclude the story of my life hasbeen pretty much interesting owing tomy wide network of friends and socialacquaintances and travels. I too havehad my share of problems like com-bating jealousy from peers and socialrivals, not being taken too seriouslybecause of my certain level of attrac-tiveness, or even being type cast asthose over privileged brats who mid-dle class people like sneer at. But thishas never bothered me or slowed medown.

So as a person I consider myself asreasonably successful owing to themulti faceted nature of my work.Being a published columnist, socialactivist, special educator, ex- modeland business women at the sametime, can surely be a handful.However I can surely say that I belongto the new genre of urban Indianwoman who are not afraid to expressthemselves and view the world as oneglobal village…..

My collage days in comparison were a lot better.It was already the late 90's. I went to the

prestigious Lady Sheri Ram Collage in South Delhi, ranked among one of the finest institutions in India. Collage was a lot of fun as there were finally a couple of places to hang out. The liberalization processIndia began in 1991 had begun to bear results. We asIndians finally had access basic international brands.However unlike today, flaunting a middleclass European, orJapanese car was considered very tony in a cities likeMumbai or New Delhi.

From my experience of partying in the European billionairehot spots like Monte Carlo or St. Tropez, I can safely say that the partying in New Delhi or Mumbai is no longer a compromise. New Delhi being a regional power centre however has a more serious side when it comes to events. I attend events that range from those in honor of incoming heads of state to numerous fashion shows at the India fashion week.


Carlyta is a Brazilian IndiSinger and InternationalFeature Columnist, Sheexcels in singing 'FusionSongs along with her

electrifying performance .Presently she is based in Bombay -India..

She is a trained Jazz and BluesSinger, tutored by main streamJazz guitarist n maestro Mr.CarltonKeito Fonseca of Sao Paulo MusicAcademy and By Pt. Chaturvedi inSemi Classical Indian Music .

She has a blessed ability tosing in various International lan-guages, including English,Spanish, Italian, Portuguese,French ,Hindi, and almost all lan-guages! A trained - Belly andFlamenco -Salsa dancer, she hascombined these aspects in hersong compositions and her electri-fying fusion performances.

BRILLIANCEPERSONIFIEDCARLYTAIS A GIFT OF

BRAZIL TO INDIA


International Performanceswith her Live Band 'Viva 2K'

Performed with Various InternationalJazz/Latin Rock /Blues Bands in HardRock Cafes, Music Festivals and Concertsin Spain, Paris, Amsterdam, Colombo,Brazil, Nairobi, Surinam, Seychelles,Columbia ,New Zea land Ghana,Indonesia, Frankfurt, Bahrain, Dubai, Fiji,Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and othercountries..............

AWARDS on her Hit Indian Film Fusionsongs :-

>NBC Achievers' Award winner n IIFAAward nomination 2011 - 'Best SingerInternational' for the Spanish-Indy Songand Lyrics '(Porque Dime) - 'Le Le Mazale'from the super hit Salman Khan film'Wanted'and 'Senorita ' ( Spanish rendi-tion and Lyrics )

'Young Communicator Award' - 2011


for Performing Arts-Musicn Journalism . WomenAchiever"s Award 2012 by Young Enviornmentalistin the field of Music ,Journalism, Social workand Art.

'Grassroots GrammyAwards'(USA ) -Her song"Baila con Baul " ( Dancewith the Minstrel ) isdeclared as nominationin the Best Fusion songcategory. Other Hit Songsfor Ind Film Industry :-)Excuse Me Kya Re, Dilli KiSaardi, Le Le Mazale(Porque No Say fromSalman Khan film'Wanted' -Spanish Lyr andRendition) and Senorita(Spanish Lyrics ) from theFilm ZNMB

ASSOCIATIONS Her major contribu-

tion from her concertsgoes to 'Hope Foundation'an USA based NGO inIndia .. She is the BrandAmbassador for India .

Patron Member of'Healing TouchFoundation' - Working forthe well being of HIV pos-itive Children

Patron Ambassador ofPAWS ( Plants and AnimalWelfare Society )-

Creative Core Head -Bombay Art Walk ( SoBo )

MEDIA COLUMNIST

International FeatureColumnist for Media MagInternational - GlobalMovie (GM ) and OpinionExpress, CNN NewsNetworks ( CNN Mag ) - asInternational FeatureColumnist - Mumbai

Anchor /Host andConcept Formats forNational GeographicChannel , TLC Channeland Discovery Channel onIndian Heritage n TourismCanvas in Spanish,Portuguese and Englishfor Brazilian and SpanishNat Geo Channels .

Sourced from MumbaiBureau..


The Global Organization of Peopleof Indian Origin (GOPIOInternational), in collaborationwith GOPIO Chapters of Metro

DC and Virginia, held a very successfullaunch of its GOPIO GADAR CentennialCommemoration in the USA onSaturday, November 3, 2012 starting at2:00pm at the Embassy of India inWashington, DC.

Hon. Nirupama Rao, India'sAmbassador to the USA, was the ChiefGuest. Three (3) other Indian Diasporaambassadors to the United States alsoparticipated in the launch program:Hon. Ambassador Bayney Karran ofGuyana; Hon. Ambassador Dr NeilParsan of Trinidad & Tobago; and Hon.Ambassador Subash Mungra ofSuriname.

The GOPIO GADAR CentennialCommemoration of the 100th anniver-sary of the Gadar Movement whichbegan in 1913, is planned as a seriesof commemoration events throughout2013 in collaboration with severalNRI/PIO organizations, government andinternational agencies, individuals andinstitutions. It is a fitting tribute to patri-ots and heroes of the Gadar Movementand deserving of their sacrifices to freeIndia.

The history of the Gadar movementis a testimony of the deep love that theIndian immigrants had for their mother-land, India. The Gadarites wanted Indiafreed from the British and did not hesi-tate to make any sacrifices for thecause of freedom, dignity and prosperi-ty of their motherland. Over 8,000 wentback to India to fight for their cause;several Gadarites were imprisoned,many for life, and some were hanged todeath. They are our heroes, deservinghighest of admiration and deepestrespect. The determination, courageand sacrifices of the Gadarites inspiredmany freedom fighters to continue theirmission for India's independence. TheGadar Movement is an integral part ofthe rich heritage in the United States forthe Indian Americans and of Indian his-tory. The Gadarites left an extra-ordi-nary legacy for the future generationsand a global centennial commemora-tion is a fitting and well deserved trib-ute.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian

Affairs (MOIA) on 15th October, 2012announced details of the annual con-vention for overseas Indians, PravasiBharatiya Divas (PBD 2013) programwhich includes GADAR Centennialevents at PBD2013 based on GOPIO'sinitiatives to the Prime Minister's Officeand MOIA. These events include: AnOration at the plenary session, a GadarExhibit and Hon. Prime Minister'sspeech on 8th January to make favor-able mention of Gadar.

MOIA Press Release on 15thOctober, 2012 stated that, "Since weare celebrating the centenary of theGadar Movement in 2013, the PBDOration this time will be on the GadarMovement. We will also have an exhibi-

tion on the Gadar Movement".As GOPIO has done for the Kolkata

Memorial unveiled on January 11,2011 in recognition and remembranceof Indian indentured laborers who leftIndia from 1834-1920, the CentennialCommemoration of Gadar Movement isanother GOPIO initiative in our continu-ing efforts to preserve and promoteIndian history, heritage and culture.

The launch event on November 3,2012 included a lecture/discussion on"The Role of Gadar Movement forIndia's Independence" by prominentGadar researchers and historians, arelease of the GOPIO publication on"Global Indian Diaspora", distribution ofa GOPIO Gadar Centennial

GOPIO LAUNCHES GADAR CENTENNIALCOMMEMORATION IN THE USA

(Top From l to r.) Dr Renuka Misra (GOPIO National Coordinator, USA); InderSingh (Chairman of GOPIO International); Hon Bayney Karran (Guyana'sAmbassador to USA); Hon Nirupama Rao (India's Ambassador to USA); HonNeil Parsan (Trinidad & Tobago's Ambassador to USA);Hon. Subash Mungra(Suriname's Ambassador to USA); Ashook Ramsaran (President of GOPIOInternational); Dr Piyush Agrawal (Senior Vice President of GOPIOInternational); Jay Bhandari (President of GOPIO chapter of Virginia) andAudience at the program.


Commemoration Press/VIP informationkit and GOPIO Gadar Centennial lapelpin as well as showing of the GOPIOGadar Centennial Commemoration doc-umentary.

The launch program included a wel-come by Dr Renuka Mishra (GOPIONational Coordinator USA) followed byremarks by Dr. Zafar Iqbal (President,GOPIO Metro DC) and Mr Jay Bhandari(President, GOPIO Virginia). GOPIOchairman Inder Singh delivered a com-pelling presentation on Role of GadarMovement for India's Independence;prominent Indian community advocateDr Rajen Anand spoke on TheImportance of the Gadar Movement;and Kewal Kanda of California dis-cussed The Gadar Memorial Hall.

Hon. Ambassador Nirupama Raospoke glowingly about the launch andpositively supportive of GOPIO's initia-tive and GOPIO Gadar CentennialCommemoration, highlighting GOPIO'sinitiatives on matters of interest andconcern in the Indian Diaspora. Shesaid that "it is a privilege to cooperatewith GOPIO in this auspicious venture."Ambassador Bayney Karran,Ambassador Dr Neil Parsan andAmbassador Subash Mungra reiteratedthe long and lasting bonds of heritageand history between their respectivecountries and India, with lots of inspira-tion and encouragement derived fromthe Gadar Movement for the strugglefor independence in their respectivecountries. Their attendance and partici-pation certainly enhanced the programand made it more global in outreachand appeal.

Remarked program coordinator Dr.Piyush Agrawal, "We are grateful for theoverwhelming support of Hon.Ambassador Nirupama Rao as well asthe close collaboration of Hon

Dr.Virender K Paul, Minister of Press,Information and Culture at the IndianEmbassy, to make this a highly suc-cessful program. In addition, I want tothank our organizing team for their indi-vidual and collective effort, commit-ment, enthusiasm and determination.We are also grateful for chapter mem-bers, friends, associates and communi-ty members who attended in large num-bers. We look forward to a very suc-cessful the GOPIO Gadar CentennialCommemoration in the USA andCanada, as well as worldwide".

GOPIO COFFEE TABLE BOOKON GLOBAL INDIAN DIASPO-RA RELEASED

A Coffee Table Book "Global IndianDiaspora" was released by Hon.Ambassador Nirupama Rao and alsopresented to Ambassadors Karran,Parsan and Mungra. That was followedby discussion of GOPIO GadarCentennial Commemoration worldwideand in particular the USA by respective-ly Mr. Ashook Ramsaran (President ofGOPIO International) and Dr PiyushAgrawal (Senior Vice President ofGOPIO International). Dr Renuka Mishraconcluded the program with thanks andappreciation to all who contributed toits huge success. Then followed theshowing of the GOPIO's GadarCentennial Commemoration documen-tary and refreshments catered byWoodlands.

MOIA AND KERALA GOVT.GETTING READY TO HOSTPRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS

The Ministry of Overseas IndianAffairs (MOIA) and the Kerala Govt. isgetting ready to host the 11th PravasiBharatiya Divas (PBD) from January 7-9, 2013 in Kochi, Kerala, India. It will be

inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh on January 8. ThePresident of India will deliver the vale-dictory address on January 9 and alsoconfer the Pravasi Bhartiya SammanAwards. The pre-conference seminarswill also be organized on January 7 fol-lowed by plenary and panels sessionsbeginning on January 8. MauritiusPresident Rajkeswur Purryag will be thechief guest.

PBD has become a significant forumto connect the overseas Indians fromall over the world and the PBD-2013 willbe focusing on more connectivity withoverseas Indians. Kerala will be thePartner State of the 11th PBD, whichwould provide the Diaspora an opportu-nity to understand the vibrant cultureand potential of the State. More than2000 delegates are expected to partici-pate in PBD-2013 from all over theworld

GOPIO PREPARES FORANNUAL CONVENTION 2013

GOPIO International plans to holdits annual executive and general coun-cil meetings, followed by its conferencestarting on January 5 afternoon andconcluding on January 6 immediatelypreceding, and in conjunction withPravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013 events ofJanuary 7-9, 2013 in Kochi, Kerala,India.

GOPIO-KOCHI GEARS UPFOR GOPIO CONVENTION

GOPIO-Kochi met on December 12at the Presidency Hotel on the GOPIO-2013 Convention coordination. Themeeting was chaired by Chapter Mr.P.C.Cyriac who was former Chief Secretaryof Tamil Nadu and was attended byGOPIO 2013 Convention Chairman andGOPIO Executive VP Sunny Kulathakal,GOPIO Convention 2013 Convener T.P.Ibrahim Khan and other officers includ-ing Secretary Jose Thomas and Vicepresident Kurian Abraham. A specialguest was former Tourism Minister andChief Secretary of Karnataka Mr.J.Alexander. Others present at the meet-ing were Advocate C.V. Prakash, JosePuthukadan ans other committee mem-bers.

The arrangements for GOPIO KochiConvention 2013 were discussed at themeeting. GOPIO Convention ChairmanSunny Kulathakal and ConventionConvener Ibrahim Khan briefed theprogress of the arrangements toreceive nearly 400 delegates from 60countries for the Kochi Convention2013.

GOPIO-Kochi officials at the convention planning meeting. Fifth from left is for-mer Tourism Minister and Chief Secretary of Karnataka Mr.J. Alexander andnext to him are GOPIO Exec. VP Sunny Kulathakal and GOPIO-Kochi PresidentP.C. Cyriac


Aakar Patel

I'm delighted a Parsi has taken overthis week from Ratan Tata as head ofAsia's greatest corporation. I havestrong feelings in this matter but I don'tthink they come from prejudice. Thatwould indicate judging without informa-tion if not experience and I have plentyof both here.

I went to a Parsi school, the Sir JJorphanage, in Surat. Thirty-two yearsago, there were only four Englishschools in Surat, then a city of 1.5 mil-lion people. Lourdes Convent run byCarmelites, St Xavier's run byFranciscans, Seventh Day Adventist runby Presbyterians and Sir JJ run byParsis.

Hindus, 90 per cent of the popula-tion and 90 per cent of the studentbody in all four schools built none,though we're quite good at buildingtemples. This aspect of Parsis takingthe lead and emulating Europeans toimprove the lives of others isn't unusu-al. If one is observant and looks around,the most civilised things around us areusually not our own contribution. InBangalore, the Indian Institute ofScience, in Mumbai the Tata MemorialHospital, the National Centre forPerforming Arts, the Tata Institute ofFundamental Research and so on.

The other thing is the single mostimportant and most overlooked factabout Tata Sons: it is owned by charita-ble trusts. Ratan Tata owns less thanone per cent of the firm, and CyrusMistry, who is now chairman, is also aminority shareholder. Two-thirds of itsstock is held by bodies such as the SirRatan Tata Trust and the Dorabji TataTrust, which send their profits, thou-sands of crores of rupees, to charity.

For a firm with sales of $100 billiona year, over half the GDP of Pakistan, tobe owned by charities is an astonishingfact unequalled anywhere in the world.Like Carnegie, like Rockefeller, likeGates, like Buffet, the Tatas knew towhat end they were creating wealth. Toimprove society.

This made them unusual in a nationwhere the culture is opportunistic. Our

wealthy credit god for their fortune, notsociety. The Birlas built India's biggesturban temples and the Ambanis builtfor themselves the greatest residencein human history. If the creation ofwealth has a purpose, as AndrewCarnegie explained it in his writing,Indians haven't learnt it yet.

It is the Parsi Tatas who showed usthat wealth was for the advance of soci-ety. That is why he builds institutions ofscience, medicine and culture.

What makes the Parsi special?He had early contact with the

British, as did all of Surat's merchantswhen they settled Bombay in the 17thcentury. But it was only the Parsi wholeft his caste ghetto and engaged withEuropean culture.

Parsis were among only two smallIndian communities to absorb Classicalmusic. At the Symphony Orchestra ofIndia today, the audience is 90 per centParsi, and of the 20 or so musicians ofIndian origin (most are Kazakh orEuropean) almost every single one isCatholic. It does not attract Hindus andMuslims.

This music was about harmony,which is a cultural product. This is notunimportant - Bernard Lewis cites theabsence of harmony in culture as the

reason most of the world has beentrounced by tiny Europe. It is no coinci-dence that the only two civilised partsof India are Parsi South Bombay andCatholic Bandra. Along with high cul-ture, Parsis also gave us much of ourpopular culture.

The Parsis set up modern theatre inBombay when Wajid Ali Shah was still inAwadh. Khaled Ahmed wrote about thisshocking juxtaposition, observed by ZiaMohyeddin.

Parsis made much money on opiumand some still hold that against them (Idon't). But when they came into wealth,they transformed the way they looked atthe world around them, unlike the restof us.

If we ranked Indians by community, Iwould place Parsis right on top as thefinest Indians. It is true that many out-standing Indian managers, Hindu andMuslim, are running Tata Steel, TataMotors, the Taj hotels, TCS and all thefine firms that make up the Tata group.

But there is a higher purpose toheading Tata Sons than ensuring thesmooth production of Land Rovers andJaguars, the sale of software and steeland bottled water.

This higher purpose is more securein the hands of a Parsi.

Why Parsis are India’sfinest citizens

COVER STORY THE INHERITOR VS THE CHALLENGER...Vol 21 I No 2February 2013 l Rs 20 A MONTHLY NEWS...

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