KOTHARI INSTITUTEAcross Dindori, vineyards are now dominated by rich farmers, who have more than 10...

KOTHARI INSTITUTE

NEWS FROM “THE HINDU” AND “TIMES OF INDIA”[Type text]

DATE- 24April 2014

Ø NATIONAL NEWS

· Justin Bieber apologises after Japan war shrine visit

· Humble jackfruit offers hope amid climate worries

· Onion farmers for change, grape growers whining for status quo

· FIR against Sena leader Kadam for hate speech

Ø BUSINESS

· Deepak Fert makes open offer to hike stake in Mangalore Chem

· Indices hit all-time high

· CR Mill of JSW Steels to go on stream on Friday

Ø SPORTS · Sunrisers cut down by Maxwell show · KKR faces tough challenge from RCB · Let down by batting and fielding:

Ø INTERNATIONAL NEWS

· Taliban shura to be contacted for talks · Ferry victims mourned · S. Africa: ANC under the scanner

Ø OPINION

· BJP’s politics is one of hubris and anger

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NATIONAL NEWS

Justin Bieber apologises after Japan war shrine visit

Singer Justin Bieber apologised for posting a picture of himself at controversial war shrine in Tokyo, after the singer’s move caused a major stir on social media. The Canadian pop singer posted a picture of himself at Yasakuni shrine on his Instagram account, tweeting the link to his 51 million Twitter followers, with the message “Thank you for your blessings”.

The shrine is seen across Asia as a symbol of Japan’s perceived lack of penitence for its imperialist past.

An attached museum peddles a view of World War II deemed unpalatable by most mainstream historians, casting Japan as a victim and a frustrated liberator of Asia.

A storm erupted across social media after the posting, with fans lambasting the 20-year-old star for ignorance of history, and even China’s foreign ministry suggested he should educate himself on the issue.

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Around 13 hours after the original tweet, Bieber said, on his Instagram feed, “While in Japan I asked my driver to pull over when I saw a beautiful shrine. I was mislead to think the shrines were only a place of prayer. To anyone I have offended I am extremely sorry. I love you China and I love you Japan”. The picture was removed — AFP

Humble jackfruit offers hope amid climate worries Researchers say the fruit grown could be a replacement for staple crops under threat from climate change

A vendor selling jackfruit at a roadside shop at Mylapore market in Chennai —Photo: M. Srinath

It’s big and bumpy with a gooey interior and a powerful smell of decay — but it could help keep millions of people from hunger.

Researchers say jackfruit — a large ungainly fruit grown across south and south-east Asia — could be a replacement for wheat, corn and other staple crops under threat from climate change.

The World Bank and United Nations warned recently that rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall had already reduced yields of wheat and corn, and could lead to food wars within the decade.

Now researchers say jackfruit could help provide the solution.

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Jackfruit is the largest known treeborne fruit. Even a small jackfruit weighs in at 5-7 kg, and farmers have recorded specimens of more than 45kg.

“It’s a miracle. It can provide so many nutrients and calories – everything,” said Shyamala Reddy, a biotechnology researcher at the University of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore. “If you just eat 10 or 12 bulbs of this fruit, you don’t need food for another half a day.”

Efforts in India to exploit the fruit’s potential coincides with a global push to expand food production, especially in developing countries which are expected to face growing challenges to feed their people in the coming decades.

Jackfruit can fill the gap on a number of counts, said Danielle Nierenberg, president of Food Tank, which works on sustainable agriculture.

“It is easy to grow. It survives pests and diseases and high temperatures. It is drought-resistant,” she said. “It achieves what farmers need in food production when facing a lot of challenges under climate change.”

The fruit is rich in potassium, calcium, and iron, said Ms. Reddy, making it more nutritious than current starchy staples.

Sri Lanka and Vietnam have established jackfruit industries but the fruit remains a hard sell in much of India. Although the fruit was seen as an important staple 40 or 50 years ago, it is now derided as a poor man’s fruit, said Shree Padre, a jackfruit farmer from Karnataka.

Only one or two commercial-scale jackfruit plantations are in current operation.

The down-market reputation is unwarranted, said Nyree Zyrega, a researcher on plant biology at the Chicago Botanic Garden, who has studied jackfruit in Bangladesh.

In addition to its high nutritional value, the fruit is very versatile, she said. The seeds, young fruit, and mature varieties are all edible. The timber from jackfruit trees is also valuable. “It is just not being utilised,” she said.

“I think it could play a much more important role in diets than it currently does and be a staple,” she continued. “Processing the fruit can be offputting, she conceded. The larger fruit give off a strong odour, and ooze a thick white sap. “It is not the easiest fruit,” Zyrega said.

But jackfruit, breadfruit, and other non-traditional crops are being re-examined because of fears about future food supply.

A report from the International Panel on Climate Change last month warned that heatwaves, drought, and unpredictable rainfall patterns were already cutting into yields of wheat and maize.

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The World Bank earlier this month predicted food shortages could lead to wars within the next five to 10 years.

Onion farmers for change, grape growers whining for status quo AMRUTA BYATNAL

· Onion farmers at the Lasalgaon APMC in Nashik and (right) one of the vineyards at Dindori. —Photos: Special arrangement

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· This constituency in Nashik district does not occupy a particularly significant spot on the election map, but it presents a neat battle of “status quo vs. change” between its elite wine-grape farmers and onion growers.

While onion farmers are rooting for change, grape growers are largely status-quoist, favouring the Congress for fear that a Bharatiya Janata Party–led government will not encourage the nascent wine industry in the country.

Dindori, which lends its name to Sula’s red wine, the Dindori Shiraz, has more than 30 of the 75 wineries in the State and over 1,000 acres of vineyard.

While the industry was given a boost in 2004, post-recession, only the big wineries have survived. Small farmers stripped their vineyards of grapes after the downturn. The wine industry in the country is valued at Rs. 2,000 crore and Maharashtra dominates with 80 per cent of the share, according to All India Wine Producers’ Association member Rajeev Jadhav.

Across Dindori, vineyards are now dominated by rich farmers, who have more than 10 acres of land and the capacity to bear huge risks. “If the weather is right, the grapes will be perfect and you can get almost a Rs.1-lakh profit per acre,” Manik Patil, director of ND Wines and grape grower himself, told this reporter.

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Talking of Thursday’s polls, Mr Patil says he is aware of the anti-incumbency feeling among people, but for his industry, a BJP- led government will offer little respite.

“Mr. Sharad Pawar [Agriculture Minister in the UPA government] understands farming and the requirements of the industry. We have worked together with him for over a decade,” he said.

“There is very little political support for the industry. A change in government will halt whatever was being done till now,” said Raju Sonawane, who owns 20 acres of vineyard.

In stark contrast, onion farmers in the district seek change, maintaining that the incumbent regime has been unable to control prices. In the middle of auctions on Monday at the Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee, the largest onion market in the country, farmers complained about the unpredictability of prices.

“Journalists report on the issue only when prices are as high as Rs.5,000 a quintal, once a year. But nobody comes to our help when we have to sell onions for Rs.500,” said Waman Wadje.

Asked about their richer, wine grape growing counterparts, the onion farmers’ anger is palpable. “Wine and wine grapes are for rich people. We find it difficult to break even most of the time,” another farmer Anil Mate told The Hindu .

As the conversation turned, inevitably, to the elections, Sandeep Aire, a young farmer, says: “I feel a change is necessary. When there was a drought, nobody came to our help. It’s time to give somebody else a chance.”

However, onion and grape farmers alike maintain that the sitting MP and BJP candidate Harishchandra Chavan’s contribution to their livelihood has been nil.

“We have not seen the MP in the constituency at all. How can he help us when he doesn’t know what our problems are? But we are putting our trust in a Narendra Modi government. Will fuel prices, at least, come down?” asked onion farmer Dilip Shirsath.

The contest in Dindori is among Mr. Chavan, Bharti Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party, Dinkar Patil of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Dnyaneshwar Mali of the Aam Aadmi Party.

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FIR against Sena leader Kadam for hate speech Mumbai Suburban Collector Shekhar Channe on Tuesday lodged an FIR against Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam for his speech targeting the Muslim community during the Sena-BJP rally in Mumbai on Monday

The FIR was filed at the Bandra Kurla Complex police station on charges of promoting enmity between groups on the basis of caste and religion and registered under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 123 and 125 of the Representation of the People Act. Mr. Channe has also sent his report on the speech to the Election Commission.

During his speech in Marathi, Mr. Kadam referred to the clash between the police and Muslim groups in Azad Maidan in 2012 and said, “Five lakh Muslims had gathered at Azad Maidan. They attacked the police, burnt police vans, damaged the martyrs’ memorial and molested policewomen. When Narendra Modi comes to power he will teach such people a lesson.” The Shiv Sena has distanced itself from the speech. “These statements do not echo the sentiments of Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena,” the party said in a statement.

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BUSINESS

Deepak Fert makes open offer to hike stake in Mangalore Chem To spend Rs.190 cr to acquire 26 % stake at Rs.61.75 a share

Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilsers plant at Mangalore.— FILE PHOTO

Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corporation (DFPC) with SCM Soilfert Ltd. has made an open offer to acquire a further 26 per cent stake in Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers (MCF).

DFPC and its wholly-owned subsidiary SCM Soilfert have made the offer to acquire up to 3,08,13,939 equity shares, constituting 26 per cent of the voting share capital of MCF.

The offer price is Rs.61.75 per share. On Wednesday, on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the MCF stock touched an intra-day high of Rs.72.35 before closing at Rs.66.05, up 6.62 per cent.

In its filing to the BSE, DFPC said it would spend up to Rs.190.27 crore to acquire the 26 per cent stake. It also said that it planned to place a purchase order with JM Financial Services to acquire up to 20 lakh shares of MCF at a price not exceeding Rs.63.

As of December 2013, SCM Soilfert was the largest shareholder with 24.46 per cent stake in MCF followed by Zuari Fertilizers with 16.43 per cent. The promoter group, including United

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Breweries Holdings, United Spirits, McDowell Holdings and Kingfisher Finvest India, held 21.98 per cent stake in MCF.

Analysts tracking the sector feel it is a good move for Deepak Fertilisers.

Ravi Shenoy Assistant Vice-President-Midcaps Research, Motilal Oswal Securities, said that if successful, the open offer would give DFPC a controlling stake over Rs.3,400 crore of fertiliser sales.

“This will almost triple fertilizer segment sales for Deepak Fertiliser. Synergy benefits on the distribution front and contiguous markets make this bid for control more lucrative.

“The financial incentive of being able to consolidate MCF’s financials is a small benefit for the Rs.190 crore it proposes to spend which is less than 50 per cent of its annual cash flows of Rs.400 crore,” he said.

Indices hit all-time high

Continuing its record-breaking performance, the S&P BSE Sensex, on Wednesday, spurted by 118.17 points to end the day at an all-time closing high of 22876.54 on select buying in blue chip stocks such as L&T, HDFC Bank and BHEL amid persistent capital inflows.

The 30-share index recorded its highest ever figure of 22912.52 intra-day, but lost the momentum on emergence of profit-booking. The 50-share Nifty of the NSE rose by 25.45 points to finish at an all-time record of 6840.80 after hitting historic level of 6861.60 intra-day.

Stock brokers said buying activity gathered momentum as investors covered their pending short positions on April settlement in the derivatives segment.

Buying by FIIs and retail investors on the back of encouraging earnings by corporates also helped key indices to continue their record-breaking performance, they added.

The market breadth remained positive as 1,468 stocks ended in the green, 1,359 stocks finished in the red and 144 ruled steady.Asian stocks

Asian stocks ended lower after Chinese manufacturing data signalled persisting weakness in the world’s second-largest economy. Key benchmark indices in Taiwan, China, South Korea,

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Singapore and Hong Kong dropped by 0.19-0.97 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei ended higher by 1.09 per cent.

European markets were also trading lower as indices in France, Germany and the U.K. declined by 0.03-0.31 per cent.

The BSE and the NSE will remain closed on April 24 on account of Parliamentary elections. — PTI

Rupee falls

The rupee weakened for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, falling below the 61 to the dollar mark for the first time in more than a month, hurt by good demand for the greenback from importers and by continued weakness in Asian currencies.

Most emerging Asian currencies fell as the Chinese yuan extended its recent decline to a 16-month low, while the Indonesian rupiah touched its weakest level in more than seven weeks due to increasing month-end dollar demand.

Traders said the direction of foreign fund flows in the near-term will remain crucial to determine the rupee’s fortunes, as India continues with its five-week-long elections for which the outcome will not be unveiled until mid-May.

The rupee closed at 61.07/08 a dollar compared with its close of 60.76/77 on Tuesday. — Reuters

CR Mill of JSW Steels to go on stream on Friday JSW Steels will commission its cold-rolling mill (CRM) at its integrated steel plant at Torangal, set up at a cost of Rs.4,500 crore, on Friday. The state-of-the-art facility will produce auto grade steel. This facility has an installed capacity to produce 2.3 million tonnes per annum. “With India on road to becoming a global hub for automobiles, the demand for high-end steel by the auto sector is likely to see an exceptional growth. The CRM is the most sophisticated plant by configuration with capability to produce high strength and advanced high strength steel, both in uncoated and coated galvanized categories and wider width up to 1,870 mm,” Vinod Nowal, Deputy Managing Director, JSW Steel, told presspersons at the plant site on Wednesday.

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The sophisticated auto grade steel produced here with technical assistance from JFE company of Japan will be an import substitute. The CRM complex will also have pickling line of 2.3 million tonnes per annuam (mtpa), annealing facility of 1.9 mtpa and galvanising facility of 0.4 mtpa. Phase-II of the plant is targeted to be on stream in the first half of 2016.

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SPORTS

Sunrisers cut down by Maxwell show

· CLEANED UP:Aaron Finch fell to a delivery that cut in viciously from L. Balaji, who returned figures of four for 13 on a pitch on which his side’s batsmen had plundered runs.— Photo: SPORTZPICS/BCCI

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· The Melbournian falls short of a century yet again, but his marauding 95 sets up KXIP win

Glenn Maxwell’s mayhem continued as Kings XI Punjab steamrollered Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sharjah cricket stadium on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Melbournian fell short of a century but made merry nonetheless with a marauding 95 for the second time this IPL season.

Bejewelled with nine boundary-clearing blows and five hits to the ropes, his knock helped the side register 193 for six.

Ripping through Sunrisers’ chase was L. Balaji’s splendid four for 13, largely responsible in bringing it to a close at 121.

If the Sunrisers’ bowlers had become cannon fodder earlier, so did its brittle batting later, and rather readily.

The side’s prowess with the willow again proved to be only on paper, the procession to the dugout a seemingly unending stream.

Skipper Shikar Dhawan set the trend, snicking to stumper Wriddhiman Saha off Mitchell Johnson.

Not much later, Aaron Finch heard the deathly rattle of timber behind him off a Balaji delivery that cut in viciously. Balaji then startled David Warner who parried the ball into the waiting hands of Maxwell at point.

Dream spell

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On a strip on which his side’s batsmen plundered Balaji boasted dream figures of two for two after that over.

If the bowlers wielded the whip hand until then, the torment inflicted by them became as life-draining as the flagella, with fresh blood infused into the Punjab attack.

Sandeep Sharma had Venugopala Rao’s off stump pegged back, while Irfan Pathan’s splayed stumps only highlighted the craven submission of the batsmen.

Darren Sammy, coming in a shade too late, showed resolve but was low on luck, Akshar Patel clasping an overhead chance at mid-off. Thereon the tail could only delay the inevitable.

The lone change to the Sunrisers squad was Pathan, who came in for Ishant Sharma.

For Punjab, Sandeep got the season’s first game and all-rounder Rishi Dhawan returned. Making way for these two were Parvinder Awana and Murali Karthik.

Maxwell maintained his murderous form caning the bowling like a tyrannical schoolmaster.

The lone lapse to the fine touch he showed was a loft towards the sight screen, which Warner, running in from long off, found popping out of his hand.

Rubbing it in

As if to rub it in, the prolific run-getter smashed his sixth six over his compatriot, to bring up his half-century.

To add insult to injury, his dismissal at the hands of mid-wicket Bhuvaneshwar Kumar off Sammy was overturned as the latter was found to have over-stepped, revealing, perhaps for the first time, pain on the face of the ever-smiling St. Lucian. Warner would have drawn consolation from being instrumental in David Miller’s exit, making no mistake with the South African’s heave towards long-off.

Maxwell’s belligerence burgeoned as he reverse swept the spinners, smacking the attack more over the fence than to it.

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KKR faces tough challenge from RCB

· RARING TO GO:Chris Gayle, who has been nursing a sore back, is expected to be fit for Thursday’s match.— FILE PHOTO

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Kohli’s men eyeing a hat-trick of wins to go to the top of the points table

Unbeaten so far, Royal Challengers Bangalore would be eyeing a hat-trick of wins to go to the top of points table even as Kolkata Knight Riders look to shake off its last match’s disappointment when the two sides clash against each other in an IPL match here on Thursday.

The star-studded Bangalore, which boasts of some of the most feared Twenty20 batsmen in its line-up, has won both its games so far.

The results have come despite the absence of the destructive Chris Gayle, who has been nursing a sore back. He, however, is expected to be fit for Thursday’s match.

In his absence, the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel and South African import AB de Villiers have made quite a statement with their efforts to show that the days of RCB being called a one-man show are over.

A slight concern has been skipper Virat Kohli, who is yet to hit the groove, but given his reputation, the lean patch is not expected to last too long.

Kolkata too has a good line-up at its disposal and it too has faired well. Even though there aren’t any big stars, the likes of Manis Pandey and Robin Uthappa have made their presence felt.

However, more would be expected of established players such as skipper Gautam Gambhir and South African legend Jacques Kallis. The form of both these players would be crucial in deciding how far the team manages to progress.

Besides, all-rounder Yusuf Pathan will also have to repay the faith that the team has shown in him despite a prolonged struggle for form.

RCB has slight edge in the bowling department. Mitchell Starc, Albie Morkel and Varun Aaron quite literally stifled star-studded defending champion Mumbai Indians in the previous match. And the trio would be quite a challenge for KKR to deal with.

The KKR bowling, on the other hand, was taken to the cleaners by Delhi Daredevils in the previous game. The likes of Morne Morkel and R. Vinay Kumar seemed helpless as Delhi’s batsmen hit them all over the park.

KKR’s bowlers will find it hard to contain and dismiss RCB’s destructive looking line-up and it would take a special effort for them to escape an onslaught.

Given the make-up of the two teams RCB will start as favourites but KKR would look to spring a surprise. — PTI

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Let down by batting and fielding: Dhawan Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Shikhar Dhawan put the blame for the crushing 72-run defeat against Kings XI Punjab on fielding lapses and batting failure.

“We dropped lots of catches, especially the Maxwell catch and after that he went on to score big. Target went very high and then we lost wickets while chasing, it was a big batting failure,” said a dejected Dhawan after his team was dismissed for 121.

“When you drop catches and all this stuff... of course, batsmen have bit of pressure. We need to work on our batting group and score more runs.”

Man-of-the-Match, Maxwell, who scored 95, 89, 95 in his last three innings, said his game plan has always been a simple one.

“Wicket was a little different. I was a bit lucky. Just try and flow, just try and keep certain areas to hit, have got a simple game plan, am trying to target certain bowlers,” he said.

“It will be nice to get there [to a hundred]. At least this time I did not get out when we were chasing. Want to score for the team.”

Ecstatic with the win, Punjab skipper George Bailey said: “Nice to see us put a good total on the board and to have a good start from Viru and Pujara.

“The pitch was a little hard to score on, but you would not know that from the way Maxwell was batting.”

“We know it is not going to happen every time. There will be times when the other guys will have to step up.

“Bala’s comeback tonight was outstanding. Worked hard at training. Really pleased with our bowling, not so with our fielding, but it is okay.”

Lakshmipathy Balaji, who returned with a four-wicket haul, said he had worked on his variations for this match.

“It was little slow, try to work on little bit variations. I tried to keep it simple. In this game you have to adapt quickly, understand the wicket and change plans according to situation,” he said. — PTI

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INTERNATIONAL

Taliban shura to be contacted for talks The committee nominated by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan will contact the shura once again in a bid to take the peace talks forward.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan presided over a meeting of the government-appointed committee and the TTP nominees tasked with the dialogue with the Taliban, to review progress.

Talks were floundering once again after the TTP did not extend its ceasefire after April 10. Maulana Samiul Haq, member of the TTP-nominated committee said after the meeting that the concerns of both sides would be addressed and a subcommittee would be formed to look into grievances.

Repeated denials

While there have been repeated denials about the talks not being deadlocked, the TTP preoccupied with its own infighting has not responded to the government’s goodwill gesture of releasing 19 non-combatants, with the promise of 12 more being let out. The issue of a peace zone for the militants, release of non-combatants held by the government, and the extension of ceasefire were to come up for review. Maulana Samiul Haq expressed optimism over the process so far.

The government had made it clear that it would expect some reciprocity from the TTP in terms of releasing high-profile captives but this has not happened so far.

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Ferry victims mourned Thousands of mourners paid tearful respects on Wednesday at a temporary memorial to the hundreds of student victims of South Korea’s ferry disaster, as the grim search for bodies entered a second week.

The confirmed death toll stood at 150, but 152 were still unaccounted for, their bodies believed trapped in the inverted, submerged ship that sank a week ago in circumstances that have yet to be fully explained.

As the relatives of the missing began their daily vigil at the harbour on Jindo island, where bodies recovered from the disaster site are brought, others converged on a temporary memorial to the victims in Ansan, 320 km to the north.

Ansan has become a focal point of national mourning. The city is home to the Danwon High School which had 352 students and a dozen teachers on the Sewol when it capsized. — AFP

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S. Africa: ANC under the scanner

South Africa’s government corruption watchdog is looking into an allegation that the ruling ANC party handed out state-paid mattresses in election campaigns ahead of general polls on May 7, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is planning a meeting with the country’s social security agency after a complaint from new opposition party AgangSA, after the ruling African National Congress’ deputy secretary general handed out 300 mattresses to shantytown residents. The watchdog was also to meet with the social development minister on Wednesday following a complaint from the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). Party bickering is on the increase ahead of South Africa’s fourth national polls since the first all-race elections in 1994. (In picture: A supporter of DA holding a placard)— AFP

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Opinion

BJP’s politics is one of hubris and anger

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· — Photos: V. Sudershan

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· Tolerance appears to have little place in the thought process of the BJP, says Rahul Gandhi

n Wednesday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had a day’s break from campaign rallies but that did not mean rest. Numerous issues and people had been waiting for his attention, but Mr. Gandhi, in a white kurta and black jeans, appeared relaxed as he sat smiling at his 12, Tughlak Lane residence in New Delhi. He answered a range of questions — on his personality, ideology, influences and the 2014 elections and of course, his principal rival, Narendra Modi. He had already dictated part of these answers to his aides a day earlier during his campaign tour, when he sat down with The Hindu. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with The Hindu ’s Political Editor, Varghese K. George:

When your political opponent, Narendra Modi, refers to you as ‘ shehzada ’ (prince) continuously, what emotion does it evoke in you? Are you angry?

I don’t have to listen to or react to another person’s anger. If another person is angry, he probably has reasons to be angry. He carries hatred around with him, and he probably has reasons to carry hatred around with him. That has nothing to do with me. That has only to do with him. What Modi ji wants to call me, the abuses that he wants to hurl at me, has nothing to do with me. That has to do with him.

Let me tell you a story. Buddha was sitting with his disciples when a person came and started abusing him. After a while, the disciples asked him, “He abused and humiliated you so much, but

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why didn’t you say or do something?” Buddha said: “He has come with his gift of anger to me. He stood there with his gift for a while and he tried to give it to me. I did not take it. After sometime, he got tired and he left with the gift.” I don’t see the need to accept any of these gifts that Modi ji is giving me. He can keep these gifts with himself.

The Congress has contested against the Bharatiya Janata Party earlier too. But do you think the contest is any different this time, compared to the times when Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani were at the helm of the BJP?

This election has lost a certain decorum that has existed historically among the national parties during elections.

The core philosophy of the BJP has always had a strong communal and centralising tendency. It is an ideology that seeks to perpetuate status quo which makes it impossible for the poor and the disadvantaged to rise above their stations through hard work. Under the current BJP leadership, this ideology has acquired a particularly virulent character. It has shed any semblance of respect for the democratic, secular and inclusive fabric of our nation. It is a politics of hubris, anger, and divisiveness. The BJP manifesto and [the] recent statements of senior leaders of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar clearly suggest that this is the direction they are taking. Tolerance appears to have little place in their thought process. But my resolve is firm and my response to this brand of politics and those who practise it is to quote what someone once said famously: “You do your worst, we’ll do our best.”

What in your view is the significance of this election? Do you think this is the most crucial election in the history of India?

This election is significant because we are at an important juncture in the history of our nation. Ten years of sustained economic growth, coupled with the United Progressive Alliance’s pro-people policies has not only created wealth, it has also brought 15 crore people out of poverty — more than ever before. This is unprecedented.

We are now faced with a contest between two competing ideas of India. The Congress’ idea of India is about inclusion, decentralisation, empowering people and building partnerships for economic growth. The Opposition’s idea seeks to divide the country on communal lines, capture resources for a select few, and centralise decision-making by putting all power into the hands of one individual. Our opponents want an India in which there is no place for the poor, no place for those with a different religion or ideology. This is a dangerous idea. It has been the proud legacy of the Congress party to fight and defeat this idea since the birth of our nation. We are committed to continuing this fight.

Do you think you are leading the party in a difficult moment in history? You took over the leadership of the party at a time when the slide had begun. Do you think you are unlucky?

The Congress has been led very ably by the Congress president and the Prime Minister for the last 10 years. We are all proud of the achievements of the party and the government and the

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transformational politics it has ushered in, over the last 10 years. I am not unlucky; I am honoured to lead the Congress party’s 2014 campaign. You must remember the legacy of this party and what it has stood for from the time of independence. Anti-incumbency is always a factor for any government that has been in power for 10 years. But we are confident that the voters will reward us for the work we have done and for our clear resolve to take the nation forward — united, with fairness toward every citizen.

Do you think you are leading a demoralised cadre of Congress workers?

This is again part of the propaganda machinery of the Opposition. They had said the Congress worker was demoralised in 2004 and in 2009. The truth is entirely different. The Congress worker, unlike the BJP cadres, is seen not only waving the banner on television sets but he is fighting in every village, every town and every locality against the communal and divisive agenda of the Opposition. The Congress party has a proud legacy of fighting for its ideals and each and every Congress worker is committed to it.

Do you think big business is against the Congress in these elections?

The Congress party’s vision for India’s economic progress has always seen the business community and the poor as crucial partners in achieving that vision from the freedom struggle onwards. However, the Opposition leader’s predilection to favour one or two business houses is nothing but crony capitalism and must be challenged. Such practices not only result in crores being lost but also signal to the rest of the world that India is not a level playing field. This is detrimental to the interest of creating a sound business environment in our country. Forward thinking, progressive business interests are firmly behind us. In this election, you see an icon of corporate India, Nandan Nilekani, fighting for the Congress’ vision in Bangalore.

You have said becoming Prime Minister is no priority. What then is your political ambition?

My passion for politics frankly goes much deeper than an interest in holding a particular office. The main problem with our political system today is that it does not give voice to the ordinary citizen. The ordinary citizen feels that he has no say in the everyday experiences and decisions that can make or break his life. Some believe that the way to fix this problem is to centralise decision-making in a few “good” hands. Our view is that the only way to resolve this in the long run is to decentralise decision-making and devolve power and policymaking from the hands of a few to many. I see this as a turning point in our nation’s journey. Everything I’ve done in the Congress has been toward this end. Whether it is the democratisation of our front organisations, the National Students’ Union of India and the Indian Youth Congress, the primaries initiated in a few Lok Sabha seats, our open manifesto process, or the rights-based approach — these are all examples of our effort in this direction. If, in order to achieve this ambition, I am required to hold an office, as I have said before, I will not step back. But we need to understand that decentralisation is not a destination, it is a process. It is not one law, one act or one election.

But Mr. Modi is also saying similar things.

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If Mr. Modi believes these things he is saying now, then I must congratulate our own campaign. If we have succeeded in converting someone who is on the other extreme of the ideological spectrum, surely we’ve won the battle.

But not everyone believes in what they say. The BJP’s entire campaign is about one individual. In every statement he has ever made the one big plea has been to hand over the reins of government to him — to make him the c howkidar . Over the last eight months, he has systematically sidelined all the senior BJP leaders — from Advani ji , to Sushma Swaraj ji to Murli Manohar Joshi ji . Are these examples of working together with 125 crore people? In Mr. Modi’s Gujarat, all decision-making is centralised at the level of the Chief Minister. The entire economic policy has been to give away precious resources — land, forests, coastline — to select businesses at throwaway prices.

You have been talking about the 70 crore people who are above the poverty line but below middle class income levels — the Not Rich, Middle Class or BPL (NRMB).

We now have over 70 crore people who are above the poverty line but below middle class income levels. These are the lifeblood of our country, the farmers, carpenters, artisans, weavers and plumbers, who build our nation. A distinct and common political character is yet to emerge for them because they have not been identified as a single class until now. They are politically and socially fragmented into hundreds of castes and sub-castes, based on their distinct occupations.

Mr. Modi is not appealing to this class based on quick decision-making. Mr. Modi’s strategy is to communalise and divide it along religious lines. The BJP cannot mobilise this class effectively because the middlemen who mercilessly exploit this segment of workers are core supporters of the BJP and the RSS. They will not allow their condition to improve.

How is your economic agenda different from Mr. Modi’s? Are you focussed more on redistribution and less focussed on growth?

I firmly believe that economic prosperity must include everyone. The only way India is going to move forward is through a partnership that includes both the interests of business as well as the interests of the poor. If you try to construct a government that focusses only on business or only on the poor you will not take India forward and that is the lesson from ‘India Shining.’ The ideology best suited to build and sustain this partnership between business and people is the ideology of the Congress. This is the fundamental difference between the BJP and us. I believe poverty cannot be fought without growth. We are committed to development: over the last 10 years we have delivered the fastest economic growth, over 7.5 per cent, we have built three times more roads than the NDA did, and we have doubled the power generation capacity. But we have refused to compromise on the interests of the poor, the weak and the disadvantaged. Going forward, we are committed to ushering in a manufacturing revolution that will make India the number one manufacturing destination in the world. Our work on the industrial corridors is one step in that direction. This will create millions of new jobs for our youngsters.

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How did the idea of extending MGNREGA to all districts come about? Was it your initiative or the Prime Minister’s?

MGNREGA has been a revolutionary idea for the rural poor. As you may know, MGNREGA was an idea that had been implemented in Maharashtra earlier. The UPA’s innovation was making it a “right” at the national level in a country our size. For the first time in our nation’s history, MGNREGA created a safety net for our poorest people and enforced the minimum wage. It fundamentally shaped the rural economy and influenced migration patterns. So, extension of MGNREGA across the country was not a question of “if” but of “when.” It was an expression of Congress ideology and not a choice of a single individual.

So how would you describe the nature of the relationship between the Gandhi family and the Prime Minister? Have there been conflicts? How have they been resolved?

The relationship has been a harmonious one characterised by mutual respect. We have each shared our points of view honestly. There have been differences but little conflict. The Prime Minister and my mother are both my gurus and political mentors whom I love and admire greatly. I have learnt a lot from them and will continue to do so.

How do your relate to your sister and mother? Do you depend on them a lot?

My sister and my mother, like everybody’s, are a great source of support for me. I can discuss anything with my sister and my mother, and my sister and I in particular, have been through many things in life, together. So, we have a very deep understanding of each other, and how we react to situations. Sometimes when I say something, even before I say it, my sister understands what I am trying to say. And vice versa. My sister and I have a deep relationship. And our family — whether it has been my grandmother, my father, my mother — has always been very closely knit.

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Ten years of sustained economic growth, coupled with the United Progressive Alliance’s pro-people policies has not only created wealth, it has also brought 15 crore people out of poverty — more than ever before

I am not unlucky; I am honoured to lead the Congress party’s 2014 campaign

Forward thinking, progressive business interests are firmly behind us. In this election, you see an icon of corporate India, Nandan Nilekani, fighting for the Congress’ vision in Bangalore

KOTHARI INSTITUTEAcross Dindori, vineyards are now dominated by rich farmers, who have more than 10...

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