India’s foreign policy was till recently like a family heirloom, known more for its sentimental value than intrinsic worth or craftsmanship, passed on by successive generations to the next in line. Consequently, rigidity was its underpinning. Perhaps, the fact that India got freedom through a largely bloodless struggle deluded our leaders into believing that war was passé in the post-World War II era and that our neighbouring countries would understand India’s language of love and peace, being in awe of the moral stature of the country that had produced the Mahatma, Apostle of Peace. As a result, there was hardly any scope for maneuvering in our foreign policy in the face of realpolitiking in a world of shifting tectonic plates of geopolitics.

Product of Nehru’s Romantic Global Vision

A product of Western education of his times, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was reconciled to taking over the governance of India rather as a Mughal-British legacy than as an inheritance of thousands of years of unbroken history of Bharat.Eventually, every tenet of his foreign policy such as non-alignment, Panchsheel treaty, nuclear non-proliferation, peaceful and fraternal relations with belligerent neighbouring countries miserably failed. Consequently, both our northern neighbours – Pakistan and China – backstabbed India and have continually dared to make intrusions into our territory posing existential threats to the country, apart from one of them brazenly exporting cross-border terrorism.

Border disputes with China and Pakistan have remained festering wounds since Nehru’s time. None of the Indian prime ministers who succeeded Nehru were strong enough to address this problem. Eventually, India’s foreign policy exercise centered on vacuous proposals of talks, negotiations, dialogues, and soforth. Despite endless rounds of Biryani diplomacy and Cricket diplomacy, and exchanging of gifts of Alfonso mangoes, and cultural troupes, there was no headway in our border disputes either with Pakistan or with China. Matters became more complicated for India with the disintegration of the USSR, a tried and tested ally that had stood by us through difficult times. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) became passé. Our foreign policy had the fundamental flaw of being too rigid to address emerging new threat factors like global terrorism, religious fundamentalism and regional hegemony.

Enter Narendra Modi

With the arrival of Narendra Modi on the scene, there was a paradigm shift in international perception about India’s position at the diplomatic high table. Across the world, he was considered a hardliner, representing India’s Hindu nationalistparty, the BJP. The world had expected, not without much trepidation that Modi will strike uncompromising postures and assume precipitous positions in heady shows of diplomacy, which were already in full flow in the region. In short, they had expected the new prime minister to be a rabid politician and a poor diplomat.

Diplomatic Coup

However, Modi surprised the prophets of doom and naysayers both within and outside the country by scoring a diplomatic coup at the very outset of his assumption of office by inviting the Heads of Government/Heads of State of all SAARC countries to his swearing-in ceremony. The event was a grand and solemn occasion, the biggest of its kind our country had ever witnessed. It was also indicative of the new government’s resolve to renew and further strengthen India’s bilateral and multinational relations with the regional players as also its readiness to operationalize new ideas within the parameters of the institutional mechanisms already in place, without trenching into major policy benchmarks. The event was rightly acclaimed as a mini-SAARC Summit. It clearly highlighted the Foreign Policy priority, which the new Indian government accorded to the neighbouring countries.

Pakistan

The toast of the occasion was Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. His willingness to do business with India, despite opposition from the hawkish elements in his country, augured well for peace in the region. This was a positive trend and it was welcomed by all right-thinking people and major political parties in both the countries. In his meeting with the Pakistani leader, Modi categorically told Sharif that export of terror by Pakistan was not acceptable and must end and that the perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, who were hiding in Pakistan, must be brought to book without any further delay; and India was unhappy at the slow pace of trials against the perpetrators of violence.

Sharif was also told that Hafiz Sayeed, the master mind of the terror attack, should not be allowed to go around Pakistan at will and say whatever he wanted, about India. He was further informed of India’s concern about the militant attack on India’s Consulate at Herat, Afghanistan, by Lashkar-e-Taiba, and its expectation that such attacks would not recur. The rules of the game under the new Indian Prime Minister were clearly spelt out.

Extension of a hand of friendship at Modi’s inauguration was followed by India’s invitation to Pakistan to participate in the Foreign Secretary level talks in August 2014. However, the talks were later called off by India following a breach of diplomatic protocol and a political red line by the Pakistan High Commissioner in Delhi who invited separatist Kashmiri leaders for consultation on the eve of the proposed Foreign Secretary level talks. India told Pakistan in unambiguous terms that aslong as the latter continued to indulge in wanton undiplomatic acts of meeting and talking to separatist elements despite the disapproval of the India government, they could forget talks with India.

These developments on the Pakistan front clearly demonstrated India’s willingness to find a comprehensive solution to its problems with that country through peaceful means, but not at the cost of Pakistan’s pusillanimous stand of reneging on the inviolability of the diplomatic and political red lines. Being subsumed in its numerous internal problems and with its inability to hold meaningful talks with India and being unable to bleed India without getting grievously hurt itself, now Pakistan finds itself in a bind. That is India’s biggest advantage today and that is because of Modi.

China

With no sign of an end to the logjam in sight over the festering and contentious border issue between the two major South Asian powers, the China conundrum had defied an easy solution, and had been conveniently but unwisely kept by the previous Indian governments on the backburner. Modi, however, took it on headlong immediately after taking over office. Conceding that this is a complicated and old problem, he is all for addressing it with care and deliberation. He is highly critical of the way Indiahad been allowing China in the past to dominate our countryacross international policies and has been unequivocal in his assertion that there would be no compromise on India’s interest.

His recent visit to China and the Chinese President’s visit to India last year were indicative of Modi’s commitment and willingness to do business with China. He is all for the deepening of our bilateral relations with China and believes that a tactical approach should make this possible. Far from being overawed by the edge that China has over India in its economic development, he advocates showcasing of its strengths by India, as China has been showing off Shanghai to the world.

Wary of its ambition of regional hegemony, he took a broadside against China while on a visit to Japan last year and stated that currently one gets to see everywhere an 18th-century expansionist mindset: encroaching on another country, intruding into others’ waters, invading other countries and capturing their territory.

In an oblique reference to China, he said this mindset should be left behind. He touched on the South China Sea in both the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit organized last year, reiterating the importance for all actors in “following international law and norms on maritime issues”. Furthermore, poaching in waters of the Indian Ocean by the Chinese Navy was not allowed to go unnoticed. Close and timely interaction with the new regime in Sri Lanka by the Modi government was a well-orchestrated exercise in damage control, which was quite unlikely under the previous Indian governments, especially the one which had preceded the present one.

The key components of Modi’s China policy include keeping China at bay in its gameplan of gaining supremacy in regional leadership by strengthening India’s military might while simultaneously increasing political equation with other regional players including Sri Lanka; keeping the option of meaningful dialogues at political and operational level to resolve the border disputes; and engaging China in matters of economic and cultural cooperation. All these are aimed at deftly turning the tables on Beijing.

Neighbourhood Policy

Modi’s foreign policy is focused on improving relations with neighbouring countries in South Asia. One of the major policy initiatives taken by the Modi government is to shift the focusback on its immediate neighbours in South Asia. Even before becoming prime minister, Modi had hinted that his foreign policy would actively focus on improving ties with India’s immediate neighbours. Apart from inviting the Heads of Government/Heads of State of all SAARC countries to his inauguration, he asked Indian scientists, during a launch event at ISRO, to endeavor and develop a dedicated SAARC satellite to share the fruits of technology like telemedicine, e-learning, etc with the people across South Asia in a bid to complement the currently operating Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program in the region.

Make in India

One of the main items on Modi’s agenda during his visits abroadhas been his ‘Make in India’ program, an aggressive economic push aimed at reviving the ailing manufacturing sector by encouraging global companies to set up their manufacturing facilities in India. The program is aimed at job creation and skill enhancement, while maintaining high quality standards and minimizing the adverse impact on the environment. The initiative hopes to attract capital and technological investment in India, and also increase GDP growth and tax revenue.

Act East Policy

Relations with its East Asian neighbours have always had a special resonance for India. It is a foreign policy priority for the Modi government. The government’s ‘Look East Policy’ dating back to 1992, was tweaked by Modi to give it an aggressive thrust in the form of ‘Act East Policy’. Unveiling the new policy at the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar last year, Modi highlighted specific recommendations to advance ASEAN-India economic relations over the next few years, including establishing a special purpose vehicle for project financing, building information highways and inviting ASEAN countries to participate in India’s ongoing economic transformation. Modi’s recent visits to Mongolia and South Korea were an exercise in stepping up the actualization of the Act East Policy.

United States of America

In the meantime, Modi also scored another diplomatic coup –this time by inviting US President Barack Obama to be the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day anniversary functions on January 26, 2015. During Obama’s visit, India and the US broke the seven year old logjam and operationalized their landmark civilian nuclear deal, besides deciding to jointly produce military hardware including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. In what the US President termed as a “breakthrough”, the two sides cleared hurdles pertaining to the liability of suppliers of nuclear reactors in the event of an accident and the tracking of fuel supplied by the US.

The two countries have also decided to hold regular summits atincreased periodicity as well as to elevate the Strategic Dialogue to a Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. The two sides stated that India and the US agreed to elevate their long-standing strategic partnership and each step being taken to strengthen the ties was a move towards shaping international security as well asregional and global peace. The US President extended his country’s support to India’s inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group as well as induction in the UN Security Council as a Permanent Member.

Bangladesh

Meanwhile, Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh on June 6 and 7,and signed as many as 22 agreements, thereby opening up a new chapter in the relations of the two countries. For the first time since independence in 1947, India has agreed upon a clear demarcation of its porous borders with a neighbouring nation by signing the prickly Land Boundary Agreement (LBA). To give one illustration of its historic significance and how it dramatically alters the destines of the two South Asian nations, LBA has brought cheer to over 50,000 virtually stateless people living in the enclaves of the 4,096-km long India-Bangladesh border by giving them a national identity.

Furthermore, Modi announced a US$2 billion Line of Credit (LOC), for use in infrastructure, power, health and education projects. The LOC is expected to create 50,000 jobs in India and provide a big boost to project exports from India and help Indian companies. This will, in turn, give the ‘Make in India’ scheme a shot in the arm. Bangladesh, on its part, stands to benefit with big ticket investment projects expected to follow suit. Two Indian companies have reportedly committed a combined investment of US$4.5 billion for setting up power generating projects in Bangladesh. Another agreement provides for creation of two Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Bangladesh exclusively for Indian companies. This would encourage Indian companies and give both countries a way to address the yawning trade deficit.

There was also a clear breakthrough in the maritime trade sector with the signing of an agreement that allows Indian cargo vessels to use the Chittagong and Mongla ports. The Chittagong port was developed by the Chinese and forms part of their “String of Pearls” ports in the Indian Ocean Region. There is a belief among political analysts that although it is ostensibly a commercial port as of now for all practical purposes, it could any day be used by China for strategic purposes. For India to gain access to the Chittagong port is a big achievement both in economic and strategic terms. Moreover, it is perceived as an expression of building up of greater trust between Bangladesh and India, more than ever in the past.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guards of the two countries have signed aMoU that envisages combating human trafficking, smuggling and circulation of fake currency notes – a sore point in the bilateral relations of the two countries. Another outcome of the visit is increased cooperation between the two countries in terms of rendering better and faster consular services to their citizens. India will open two new Consulates in Sylhet and Khulna while Bangladesh will open one in Guwahati. In another exercise that directly benefits and thus has a special resonance to the people of the two countries, Modi and Sheikh Hasina flagged off two buses.

These bus services – Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati – will link West Bengal to three North Eastern states of India via Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. This has been hailed as a historic moment in the bilateral relations between the two countries and a milestone in the people-to-people diplomacy. The bus service will bring India’s northeast closer to the rest India and provide the people of Bangladesh access through India to markets in Bhutan and Nepal.

Thus, this visit of Modi to Bangladesh has accomplished a good deal of tangible results across a wide range of developmental sectors such as connectivity, power, ports, education, health and investments in an act of political sagacity to the mutual benefit and satisfaction of the peoples of the two countries in an atmosphere of bonhomie and cordiality, not to be seen since 1971 when they had jointly fought a common enemy.

In a nutshell, the visit has given a new orientation to the India-Bangladesh bilateral relations in the form of “Nouton Projonmo – Nayi Disha” (New Generation, New Direction), as the joint declaration issued at the end of the visit was called. PM Modi likened the Land Boundary Agreement to the coming down of the Berlin Wall. He availed of the opportunity to affirm India’s support to Bangladesh in their joint fight against terrorism with the securing of the border. The successful visit portends the coming down of more regional Berlin Walls. That is the “nayi disha” in which India proposes to traverse under Modi’s foreign policy with new orientation.

Summing It Up

Well, these are some of the more pronounced Foreign Policy Initiatives of Modi, which promise to stand India in good stead in our country’s aggressive bid to assume a more assertive role in the world of international politics and diplomacy. The highpoint of Modi diplomacy is his out-of-the-box thinking and fresh orientation to aspects of special interest to India. Needless to say, much more could be said, with the entire world panning out for a mention. But due to space constraints we shall leave it for another day.

(The article was published in weekly magazine Uday India in September 27- October 3, 2015 edition)

http://udayindia.in/2015/09/25/namos-foreign-affairs/

Delhi and Puducherry have been accorded partial statehood, an attribute that makes these two UTs different than the remaining five. And no measure like this comes from vague or unscrupulous diligence. The seventh schedule of the Indian constitution helps these two UTs to have an elected legislature that can oversee limited but vital matters. Now that a new political party with colossal backing from the people of Delhi is liable for state’s administration, the focus has moved from legitimate powers to securing unlawful authority, a claim that has overshadowed all those critical matters, for say, Jan Lokpal and transparent governance, for which AAP was voted to power. You would agree that once you are assigned a job, you cannot correct all flaws in a day or two, nor can you ask for superficial commands just to reflect that you care for others. This simple notion is what that the Delhi government is unable to construe, leading to a state of anarchy in the capital city of India.

It is as simple as this- While on a job, you need to act in synergy with others, besides being an active orator, you need to possess apt listening skills. For those in politics, this becomes even more fundamental, you deal with people with unlike ideologies, temper and intellect. Asking for full statehood for Delhi on the day of assuming power by the Delhi’s new CM was nothing more than politicizing, grabbing media attention, projecting himself as sole savior of Delhi and in this run, crushing the dreams of voters who are in no way concerned about the governance structure of Delhi, but are worried about their well-being and development. Wouldn’t you agree that Delhi has more or less become a battleground of dishonest and fruitless politics in this post-AAP period? The state known for highest per capita income, fastest growing retail industries and as a hub of foreign investment, and also for some evils like commonwealth games corruption scandal and a city declared as the most polluted by the WHO, has been turned into a combat zone by unproved political men.

Having created multiple instances of awkwardness and illogical stands, just like defying prohibitory orders and staging a protest outside Parliament house while being the chief minister of Delhi, the convener of AAP has lost the very substance of his claim over the Delhi police and administration. I fear that the city that houses the Rashtrapati Bhawan, honorable Supreme Court, Cabinet Secretariat, Indian Parliament and other prominent structures and offices, if left to the sole and ultimate discretion of such inexperienced men, would mark a decisive end to Delhi’s legacy. Imagine a foreign delegate on state visit to India clogged or even detained by the Delhi police at the will of Mr. Kejriwal. Or think of a combat between police and central minsters’ security staff owing to ministers banned from entering the Parliament at the orders of Delhi government. And with the kind of milieu prevailing in Delhi today, these imaginations do not appear improbable.

It is now an established fact that favors asked by the AAP rest on no rigid structure. In a sensible analysis of their demand for full statehood, assess whether the entire state in its present form can ever be shifted to inclusive administration of a local government. A union government that represents the country at large and its headquarters can never be brought under any state government; hence bifurcation of Delhi is what will be the ultimate outcome of the demand. For Delhi CM, lessons of history are crucial which tell how the adamant Jinnah claimed nothing less than a separate nation for Muslims, and how the lives of hundreds of millions of Pakistanis today is stuck amid radicalism and politics. After full statehood, the Delhi Development Authority would be chaired by the Delhi CM and the liability of acquiring and developing land would come under the ambit of the government of Delhi, is the present bunch of newly sworn legislators ready for this? Development of Delhi requires sheer technical advice, stable thought process and of course, apt macro planning, which indeed they lack.

Embassies, the Red Fort, residences of veteran political leaders and DDA are secured in the current state; they cannot be made vulnerable if moved under the pleasure of the CM of a fully sovereign state. Had the political setup in Indian states been cooperative and free from the glitches of caste-based politics, the most sensitive place, Delhi, could have been thought of being brought under the control of elected legislature for quick decision making and subsequent development. However, indulging in turf wars with the LG and alleging support for the same from CMs of non-BJP governed states proves that federal structure of India has come under blunt susceptibility by the cluster of over-enthusiastic and untested MLAs of Delhi’s legislative assembly.

Mr. Kejriwal is to realize, at the earliest, that it was not his arrogance and lack of accord with other political parties, but his pledge of corruption-free and effective governance of Delhi which secured him the office of the CM. Lessening of electricity bills and providing free water aren’t examples of astute administration, the exchequer is put at loss that eventually will be filled by taxpayers’ money. Being rigid for commands not guaranteed under the law of the land is serving no purpose for the voters who foresaw a changed and reformed administration by the candidates contesting in the name of uprightness. For next five years, Delhi’s hopes rest on your shoulders; let not injudicious demands be an obstruction in accomplishing the expectations of the common men of Delhi.

Had this been an occurrence in a monarch-led state, or in territories of present time that regard treachery as a heinous misconduct, the holders of Pakistani and Lashkar-e-Taiba flags during protests led by separatist leaders of J&K would have learned what sedition can cost you. It is only and only the tolerance of Indian egalitarian and secular setup that bears such immense dishonor of the country, also when the same hails from a state which bags extensive perks and subsidies than the rest. This debate now seems interminable; hence our stress on correcting social flaws may not lead us to the desired path. Then where should the focus lie? In all views, and also after noting the delivery of the union government in past one year, amicable resolution of long-lasting casteism/ extremism is development. For sure, radicalism pouring in from outside the borders of India is to be fought using strategic and tactical plans, but what about the disliking in the hearts of many Indians for their own nation? Some have placed growth on stake to gain illicit pity incentives for their caste and some have fallen prey to minds and culprits who divide Indians on religious lines.

Had there been no significant and visible change in prevailing conditions after the BJP assuming power at the center, this debate could have been groundless. However, the growth in industrial output and decline in inflation in the past one year are substantial grounds to back the government, rising above the likes of caste/ religion. Many more in this respect are positive revisions; the way world is betting on India’s planned growth and benefits reaching the last man in the queue, the BJP’s core ideology, more than 15 crore bank accounts in 9 months and social security schemes at such economic rates has been a decisive feat, and we all indeed are clear winners. On the contrary, imagine an official of a bank, asking for your caste/ religion and then rejecting your application because you hail from a minority community; this is an infringement of our fundamental rights, and so is the case when we pick candidates on religious lines and discard others as they decline to grant special status to our community.

Isn’t it is a sheer failure that post six decades of independence, our political parties are bound to devise strategies for polls in view of caste/ religion statistics of state, and not as per their own capability to take further the development model of previously ruling party? Did you ever think why contestants are picked not in light of their competence and past delivery, but on the basis of their caste and standing in public, which in many cases comes from force and coercion? Why paperwork during meetings of committees of political groups just talks about the percentage of Muslims, Christians and Hindus in different constituencies, and not about the factors holding the pace of growth and likely modus operandi in case the group is voted to power?

The census of 2001 says that Bihar has a sizeable percentage of Muslims, 16.5 per cent and the same would have surged until now. This percentage, we all would agree, forms a part of election planning and campaigning, right from drafting of manifesto to picking up ministers after the win. Why Nitish Kumar parted ways with Modi, why Manjhi could attain the office of the CM, why Lalu, even with enormous allegations of jungle-raj, was able to rule the state from 1990 till 2005, why gunda-raj and corruption in functioning of the government became the trademark of Bihar politics, are all backed by dominance of casteism and rigidity in the outlook of Muslims. Pure downfall in Indian politics could not be other than the incident when RJD appointed an Osama Bin Laden look-alike for campaigning in 2005 polls and wooing Muslim voters. Is this what Indian Muslims crave for? Then why acres of land to build world’s largest Hindu temple in the state of Bihar came as donation from Muslims? This instance of communal harmony has come up in May, and is bound to script a changed story in the upcoming legislative elections.

In West Bengal, where Muslims constitute more than quarter of the population, milieu is no different. Illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the tag of ‘safe haven’ for militant organizations has deterred this further. Gap between Mamta and Modi, and setback of cooperative federalism are the resultants. While Modi endorsed federalism in WB and in Bihar he urged people to shed casteism and pursue the path of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Didi in Bengal and the Janata Parivar of Bihar are contesting on the same old lines of caste and religion, a propaganda that has left these two states in severe despair, bound to ask for compensations and grants from center. Is this the achievement of intellect Eastern Indian states? No one other than politicians luring voters on communal grounds ate the resources of these states, acknowledging this obvious fact is imperative.

When we supposed that a wave of change has struck the Indian political system after a group of protestors decided to jump into politics to clean it, dreams crudely shattered when this new party, contesting Delhi elections on moral grounds, approached Muslim religious leaders and picked candidates not on merits but on caste terms. You pick up a state/ UT and in no way can politics there be free from the clutches of sectarianism. In my view, the state of Kerala, with 20% Christians, 25% Muslims and 55% Hindus, puts forward a distinct status. Kerala has highest human development index rating among all Indian states, highest literacy rate and sex ratio, enlightening the strength of unity and unbiasedness. On the flip side, UP with 79% Hindus and 20% Muslims, is battleground for politics of appeasement and casteism. This prestigious region that has given 8 Prime Ministers to India is categorized as a poor state, isn’t it a shame? Both states will go for polls in a year or two, but in a dissimilar way. In Kerala, the BJP is eyeing its entry basis the acceptability of party’s ideology among the educated; this can become an example of winning a mandate on development agenda and not hatred. In UP, polarization will be at peak; hence voters are to have the will to save the state.

Remember, till the time our political masters think of policies aimed at castes/ religions, anticipated development of Indian states remains unattainable. It is high time that we allow these men to focus on bettering the economic status of ours and not govern us basis our social diversity. Flags of Lashkar in Kashmir were a slap on our face; schemes for just a few are a loss of all; aid to terrorists/ perpetrators is a risk to our security; in all aspects it is the general public that bears the burden of politics of appeasement. To reap the real benefits of living in a country, which accords supremacy to its people and not to the rulers, rising above caste and religion is must and sought for.

Rs. 12 p.a. as premium for Rs. 2 Lakh accidental death and disability cover under the PMSBY, Rs. 330 p.a. as premium for life insurance cover for death due to any reason under the PMJJBY, Atal Pension Yojana for the 88 per cent of total workforce engaged in unorganized sector qualifying them for a pension after 60 years of age, and financial inclusion of millions of unbanked households under the PMJDY. I will call these the most prominent achievements of the Modi Sarkar, since we have been a spectator to policies in the past that just endorsed opulentand middle-class families to relish our national resources. Times when monarchs overlooked the impoverished class, when only smooth roads, buildings and highways were the King’s aim, when correction in fiscal deficit and stock markets was any government’s only line of action, we are seeing a paradigm shift with the arriving of a newfangled government. Most fruitfulBudget session in a decade with record number of legislations passed is an anonymous feat.

Other notable big bang reforms embrace infusing a sense of buoyancy in the defence domain by clearing around 40 defence acquisition proposals, apart from revitalizing the ones that couldn’t see implementation during UPA’s rule; beating the government’s own target of containing fiscal and revenuedeficit; transparent auction of coal mines; ease in doing business (one form replacing the bulky set to commence a new business);self-certification of documents and its endorsement in all states;and above all, the fact that these are all sustainable, not like those so-called appeasing actions that end up in ruins, eating up the economy and boiling down to devastating the pace of growth.

Why I call it PM Modi’s first year, and not BJP’s year, is for the reason that the landslide victory in 2014 general polls rode on the back of Narendra Modi, the individual who was not only projected as the forthcoming administrator but was also conceived by voters in exactly the same way. And this person has toured as many as 17 foreign nations since being voted to power, has headed almost all the meetings and deliberations, be it with the RBI, Niti Ayog or the Cabinet Committee on Security, Economic and Political Affairs. Though running a democracy, as large and vivid as India, is no one-man show/ onus, it, more or less, has become one due to universalacceptance of our PM as symbolic of our society, economy and corporate circle. Now that the PM not just relishes a commanding office in New Delhi, but also faces the heat, criticism, applaud and also pats on the back from people he is liable to, it becomes indispensable to assess his deliveries in the past one year, and know whether or not he could validate the faith of his voters.

At time when forecast by commanding market observers are indicating splendid days in the near future for the economy, accusations of being biased towards one community and rarely paying heed to attacks on minorities and their places of worship have made the aura somewhat faded. Land Acquisition Bill that is said to boost infrastructure and industry is acclaimed by businesses; however farmers’ resentment and opposition’s fury remain a setback. On one hand, crores of poor households managed a bank account in their kitty; on the other, lakhs of aspiring job-seekers are still staring for ‘good days’. In the past, not many cared about the functioning of the central government, this time the settings are different and the internet-savvy and politically-literal public is reading and evaluating every work of the government against their self-set parameters, which are exorbitant, but this is what that placed Modi at the topmost echelon of Indian politics. Now call it burden or driving force, you ought to deliver.

It is not whether you like the phenomenon, ‘Modi’, or dislike it, it is either he is striving towards a progressive and sustainable tomorrow or he is not. Then counting measures that are to make long-term corrections in our lives is not only adjudging if we chose the most apt ruler but is also informing ourselves about existing facilities that we can make use of to augment our way of living. For say, the Union Budget 2015 gave us few social security schemes, which if enrolled would pave the way for hassle-free living. The Soil Health Card Scheme for enhancedproductivity of farms, the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme, the Clean India initiative, the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, the PM Jan Dhan Yojana and similar other measures of the central government have assuredly hit the bull’s eye, and have assimilated social furtherance with economic dexterity. On upsurge is denunciation of the PM for his being more receptivetowards corporates; however the mentioned arrangements verify his concern for the poor.

Coming to his vision for developed India, which isn’t conceivable without placing at par our urban infrastructure with that of other advanced economies like Japan and US, was it not insightful to think of smart cities and bullet trains, and launching the Digital India and Integrated Power Development Scheme? In this context, transparency in working of every government department and a corruption-free state are also to be considered as pre-requisite to match global standards set by these developed states, and post one year of ruling, which is rigorously backed by people’s frustration from scams during the UPA rule, these still remain a painful area. The biometric attendance system has though improved working hours of officials of the central government and CPSEs, actual work is done by will and not just by being present in the office. The State Bank of India lately was included in the list of most outstanding establishments world-over and was ranked second to India’s RIL; if you ask a savings account holder about his experience with the bank, grievances are, even today, way higher than the interest paid on deposit.

One area, where the incoming of Modi-led government marked notable adjustments, is the Indian economy. The GDP growth rate that was plunging steadily roughly during consecutive 12 quarters prior to the BJP assuming office observed a reversing trend and institutions like IMF and World Bank have placed India at the uppermost position, and it is expected to the core that we would surpass China in 2015 to become fastest growing major economy and this gap will soar further in 2016. This projection may not become headline in our agriculture-dominated society but the corporate circle, employer of most of urban population and rural migrants knows the underlying pluses. FDI inflows, which were excessively wary of Indian taxation regime’s retrospective nature, are considering India as the most viable investment destination and poured in over USD 42 billion in the calendar year 2014. The flip side, however, is heavy selling by overseas investors in the past few days owing to uncertainty over minimum alternate tax; the same has resulted in freefall of the Sensex to over 6-month low and also in declineof the Indian currency.

No country can survive in vacuum; self-sufficiency is easy said than attained equation. In his one year of ruling, PM Modi, who realizes that integration of Indian economy with other economies of the world is more than necessary to attain inclusive growth, started the execution of this from Bhutan where he discussed insurgency in northeast India and the hydro-electric deal. New Development Bank to compete with west-dominated IMF and World Bank was an outcome of the Brazil visit; US-2 aircrafts for Indian Navy came from the Japan visit; in the US, PM asked for permanent membership for India in the UN Security Council and endorsed India as one of the flag-bearers of peace on earth; defense and civil nuclear power was on the top of the agenda in France; in Germany, businesses were wooed to Make in India; and stalled deal for procurement of Uranium kicked off from his Canada visit. Much more was fetched from Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Fiji and Australia.

In our country, the irony is that short-term perks supersede improvements intended for the long-run. And for the present government, our anticipations were sky-high; hence some discontent and condemnation is obvious. Voters assume instant overhauls in flaws and when this remains undelivered, anger mounts. We tend to forget that employment is dependent on employability of people and for the same skills are obligatory. We also overlook a fact that employment generation is not a one-day game; it takes ample time to boost investment, amplify industrial efficiency and ease process of starting business, areas that are being perused by the ministers; hence waiting rather than moaning is a better notion. Single-window clearance for businesses, skill development initiatives by over 20 ministries of GOI, probable enactment of GST, long-awaited reforms in labor laws, groundbreaking initiatives in the field of education by MHRD and promising Make in India drive are to add to our competence and produce plentiful job prospects for the youth workforce.

Along with, the government must also think of integrating skill development, education system and Indian industry, three dissimilar-appearing domains, which more or less are aimed at competent workforce for Indian corporates and MSMEs. One of the most vital areas of alarm for the PM is his projection as pro-rich and pro-Hindu by the opposition, and subsequent shift of BJP supporters to rival parties. Delhi debacle revealed much but disorders are yet to be remedied. Ravaging of churches may not be openly attributable to BJP and Hindu groups; the heat, however, is scorching Modi’s magic. Also is farmers’ bitternessover the land acquisition bill at a time when this vulnerable cluster is gravely affected by rain and bad produce. You may seek support claiming that opposition is just playing politics over the issue, but seeking favor from already-depressed man is like losing his trust forever. When BJP or RSS are referred to as pro-Hindu, yes, you are not to suppress Muslims or Christians; however standing unshaken for Hindus’ well-being is expected, so is your authentic assurance to minorities.

That recent selfie of PM Modi with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven has been termed as the ‘mightiest selfie ever’ by the international media. When you criticize aPM’s overseas tours saying that domestic obligations are snubbed in view of macro-economic reforms, remember that we cannot stay off the global radar, which was a case during 10 years of UPA ruling and a feeble PMO. And there exists a micro as well as macro aspect in all the endeavors, for say, the Make in India cannot generate employment for youth unless businesses across the globe view India as manufacturing hub. In the same context, challenges for PM Modi are wide as with shaky infrastructure, unskilled labor force with wide gap between school education and actual work and lack of bipartisan consensus even much-promising Make in India drive is vulnerable to die a mourning death like some of the robust initiatives of the previous NDA government.

For the people of India, it is a phase of change, something that we have always known, is fended off by stakeholders. Remember, change is the originator of furtherance and it may look deterrent, but is not always so. For PM Modi, use of apt change management techniques will help a lot to let people identify with government’s endeavors, and this is what that will make him an acceptable leader, like India’s former PM, Sh. Atal Vajpayee, applauded by all, even by sheer opponents. For better connect, monthly report of tasks done, along with evaluation bya group of judicious and unbiased appraisers, is desired. All in all, yes, there exists no mutually acceptable and foolproof methodology to judge whether the government of world’s largest democracy delivered as per expectations or not, for expectations themselves are vague. Sure, however, is that India’s standing in this one year has unquestionably upgraded, so have pluses flown to the common man. But, interminable expectations still await you, dear PM, and these can be a driving force during the remaining four years.

Yes, we Indians owe a lot to British Raj, our democratic setup, judiciary, parliamentary form, postal service, railways, but there is no denying that UK acquired much lucrative perks while reigning India, the British Indian Army aided in many wars, much of Indian produce and resources, and also taxes were channeled to Britain, leaving the Indian economy grow merely at 1 per cent during the period, 1880 to 1920. Let us not discuss why at the end of the British rule India was in a wretched state, why our share in global GDP fell from 20 per cent to below 5 per cent during the colonial era. Past is past, and as our present PM puts it, it is time to unite globally to better the lives of all humans. Today, the UK has a high commission in New Delhi, along with 5 deputy commissions in other cities, and India is represented by high commission in London and two deputies in Edinburgh and Birmingham. India is a sizable investor in the UK, and over 1.5 million Indians in Britain and with the statue of our ‘Father of the nation’, Mahatma Gandhi, at the Parliament Square, the bonding has taken new curves.

It is appreciable that PM Cameron was one of the foremost world leaders who grasped the rise of Narendra Modi much prior to his occupying the office of Indian PM; in 2012, Modi’s boycott by the UK came to an end, a measure that validates Cameron’s prophecy and his quest to fortify ties with one of the UK’s most prominent trade partner. PM Modi has tweeted ‘Phir Ek Baar, Cameron Sarkar’ (Cameron Government is back), and you cannot deny that voters of Asian origin, specifically Indians, supported David Cameron with full valor in 2015 polls; indeed, Cameron’s campaigning in Hindi fetched much for him. Also, a decisive win for conservatives corroborates that the people of UK are much assured of PM’s actions in past five years; few notable ones include the much-needed austerity in view of mounting deficit, and apt alterations in education and healthcare domains, something that is also a part of PM Modi’s vision for India.

Though the synergy of Modi and Cameron is apparent, and the UK’s PM’s calling of the affiliation with India as ‘New Special Relationship’ commemorates this prolonged bond, the new 5-year term of PM Cameron with at least 4 more years of a stable government in India can be a platform for two countries to inscribe a new chapter of mutual growth and commitment. Expectations and potentials from both sides are immense, and if the PMs are wise enough to tap viable avenues, paybacks are sure to flow. Trade, climate change and energy are presently a part of India-UK bilateral relations; the overlooked area is UK’s efficiency in agriculture, which is highly mechanized, facilitating production of 60 per cent of food requirements with the help of half a million labor force. For India, agriculture is an area of concern with more than half the workforce dependent; hence Indian agricultural universities are to seek support from agricultural colleges in the UK so as to embrace Europe’s astuteness in research, biofuels and pastoral farming.

Another key area of collaboration, close to the heart of Indian PM, is education and skill expansion. Tens of thousands of Indian students move to the UK for higher education and this number is to see an increase as the Theresa May’s stringent rules for overseas students have been relaxed, but the area of pain for India is severe brain drain and the gap in expertise and standing between Indian and foreign universities. The UKIERI (UK-India Education and Research Initiative) promotes student mobility, innovation and skill development, but basic and urgently-needed deviations in India’s education structure remain unattained. Along with research and leadership, curriculum development for the primary and elementary wings with infusion of skill development can be borrowed from Britain. Pearson, an education and publishing firm, places UK at second place as far as education system of all European countries is concerned. If PM Cameron is to actually back PM Modi’s dream for skilled India, it has to come through the education route.

Extremism and religious intolerance are at the top of the agendas of world leaders and unless the west joins hands with Asian giant India, as most of the terrorism flows from Asia to these European countries, a decline in fanatic activities is unmanageable. This is a zone where the two PMs hold similar views, Cameron in 2010 identified Pakistan as promoter of terrorism and present relations between Pak and UK aren’t warm, which is an avenue for India and UK to exploit so as prevent US and China from unduly cheering Pakistan. Counter-terrorism, a wing presently dominated by the US, will see novel turns if India and UK, along with other European countries, devise such strategy and military tactics that can effectively combat radicalism. PM Cameron’s concern over safety of UK’s Jewish communities and PM Modi’s worry over violence targeted at Hinduism by Islamic extremists in the name of Jihad are no different.

When the POTUS visited India in January this year, many political analysts held a view that PM Modi replaced UK’s PM to be US’ top partner. President Obama stressed that a non-violent tomorrow can be foreseen if US-India stay united, defence and intelligence pacts have also come through. This doesn’t mean that  the historic bonding of India and UK can anyway be underrated, but UK’s obsession of China, backed by strategic alliance between both nations, is what that places India and US on side and the UK-China duo on the other. In politics, words of leaders count much. When PM Modi promoted ‘Make in India’ globally, the world sat and paid heed. Why can’t PM Cameron, in writing, back India’s seat on United Nations Security Council? Having inherited a paralyzed economy, both India’s and UK’s PM have, more or less, same set of worries and similar goals of cutting deficit, generating employment and easing trade. Visas for Indians can be made more accessible and job procedures for Indian students and professionals be relaxed as a gesture of goodwill by the Cameron government.

Competence and will of PM Cameron can never be challenged, and how he survived the economic ups and downs of Europe and also steered clear of appeasement politics are the specimen. PM Modi faces same contests in India and countering an opposition that is adamant to woo voters with economy-shattering schemes isn’t that uncomplicated. It is a lesson for the BJP as to how David Cameron, who couldn’t have made it this large had he just endorsed his economic astuteness, used election campaigning to the best of his party. India and UK await a prolific partnership between the two heads, and with so much in analogous, this consensus seems realistic.

India and China are no different, be it the liability to serve massive population, or the legacy of being world’s leading economies prior to American or Russian advent, or the inherent conservative approach of the society, or even the non-authoritative structure of polity where China’s communism and India’s democracy are examples for the world to follow. Also is the similarity that lies with respect to relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan), and India’s relations with impish Pakistan. As per a recent survey, 80 per cent of the China’s population was contented with the working of the communist government and the unprecedented win of the BJP in 2014 validates Indians’ support to the present Modi-led government. The fresh era of politics and economy in both the countries commenced in the 1940s, in China after the admission of defeat by the Empire of Japan in the Second World War, and in India post the outgoing of the British Raj. Even the economic downtrends in both these emerging economies were managed by welcoming market-oriented and liberalized economy.

When the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, would meet his counterpart, Xi Jinping, on his first visit to China, on the top of his agenda, likely subjects would be the trade deficit, the ever-prevailing boundary dispute, India’s stand on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank promoted by China and indeed a dialogue with Chinese entrepreneurs to convince them to Make in India. Now all these may be very much significant in their respective backgrounds, the trade deficit that soared to USD 36 billion in the FY 2013-14 and is likely to cross USD 60 billion in the coming two years if the imbalance in trade remains unaddressed is to be accorded the uppermost priority. It is expected that the Indian PM would ask for corrections in the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement so as to lower the trade barriers for Indian exports, but along with, novel avenues of bilateral ties with tough-to-deal-with neighbor are to be found. Remember, it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s distinguished approach that led to appointment of Special Representatives for clearing up of LAC dispute; on similar grounds, it will be Modi’s acumen that can address trade deficit in a never-thought of manner.

A basic that explains this wide gap between India’s trade with China is that the Chinese exporters have tapped the segment of Indian market where our indigenous producers have been unable to focus. PM must stress the need of a balanced bilateral trade and in the current scenario, which indeed is unsustainable for India, China must extend respite by way of raising investment and pooling resources on technical terms. While we export a few primary commodities to China, we are in receipt of technology-intensive products. I feel that unless China realizes the fact that the two Asian giants are to grow in chorus, it will rarely serve any need even if we secure easy entry of Indian pharmaceuticals, IT, tobacco, rice or any other commodity. Import of mobile phones from China accounts for more than USD 5 billion every year and the same is likely to swell if Chinese giants like Xiaomi and Huawei aren’t enthused to participate in the Make in India drive.

PM Modi must emphasize on the historic ties between both countries that range back to more than 2000 years, and also how India extended cordiality by accepting PRC as the lawful government and putting an end to our affiliation with Republic of China. It was a shared effort by India and China in the Second World War that ceased the evolution of Imperial Japan; however China’s growing strategic relations with India’s topmost rival, Pakistan and also the incessant incursions of Chinese military into our soil have been an unpleasant position so far. A vivid orator, Narendra Modi, will not escape mentioning a noteworthy bond, the Silk Road that aided the spread of Buddhism from India to parts of East Asia. Though it seems hard at this point in time to bid peaceful farewell to the boundary dispute, for which both nations have a dissimilar interpretation, by persuading China to fortify economic ties, the controversial dispute and tensions at the LAC can be lessened.

China and India are the most sought for investment locations for foreign investors, and there is no wrong in saying that India has taken a lead in the past few months. China’s economy and GDP growth rate are not to see smooth road in the upcoming days, but in India, investors’ outlook is firmly bullish. Modi’s country is to outpace that of Jinping’s in 2015 and the gap would amplify in 2016; hence China is to see India with a reformed perspective now, by allowing our exports to flow freely in their market, and also refrain from dumping cheaply priced goods in the Indian market. When it is estimated that the bilateral trade would touch USD 1 trillion by the year 2050, no single country can expect undue favor in this agreement. The world economy, as per the forecasts of IMF, is not to show any sizable advancement and will grow just 3.5 per cent in 2015. Taking note of all the said forecasts, it is constructive that the world’s manufacturing hub, China and the IT hub, India take a mutual step towards development.

By all odds, the foremost call of integration may come from India-China consensus on ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative of Xi Jinping that will lift multinational economic progress with land based Silk Road and water based Maritime Silk Road. Asia and Europe are to be integrated via infrastructure development and cultural connections, and the parts of planned route will pass through south India that calls for Indian backing to the project, but not without studying strategic impact of India’s encirclement. The Trans-Himalayan Economic Zone of co-operation with Nepal and Bhutan seeks New Delhi’s involvement; a suspicion is cast over China’s intents; however Indian cannot abstain from partnering with China so as to unfold economic windfalls in Asia and Indo-Pacific. In all views, this is a fascinating topic at time when PM Modi too knows bonuses of integration, reflected from his ‘Bharat Mala’ blueprint, a road network of about 5,000 km.

Diplomacy and keeping the enemy or even the ally guessing are tactical approaches in running a government. Though the border dispute did not result in any bullet been fired for over a quarter of a century, as said by the Indian PM to the TIME magazine, China has cautiously played mind games with India over the years, USD 50 billion pouring for China-Pakistan economic corridor that would also pass through the PoK and steady military aides to Pakistan reveal this. India has an edge as well; Japan and Vietnam are eyeing India as a responsive partner, these nations being wary of China’s attitude in the South China Sea region. Plus, Tibet is an aching concern for China and India’s strength lies in countering China-Pak affection by varying its tactic, which has so far remained in favor of China to appease the dragon by former Indian leaders. Along with, second and third leg of PM’s tour will be South Korea and Mongolia, nations with cold relations with China. Using diplomacy, perhaps, can keep Modi at the same level as Xi.

Let’s be assured that PM Modi will revive the historic Sino-Indian bonding with his Midas touch and President Jinping will be equally friendly. China’s pro-Pakistan era and India’s era of troublesome trade deficit are to see a long-term break to allow the two Asiatic giants exploit available prospects in the global market, effectively and unitedly.

(The article was published on page no. 20 & 21 in ‘Organiser’ dated 17 May 2015)

The long-standing and tested saying goes as ‘A bend in the storm can help, standing rigid can make the tree collapse’. Devising policies is not an easy task, many a time, in the wake of unforeseen changes in prevailing circumstances, managements do re-think their policies; also make amendments so as not to fall prey to unfavorable conditions. It becomes far more crucial to bend than to fail when your policy is to have a bearing on a vast section of the community, socially as well as economically. The BJP, ruling party in the Lok Sabha, may be heading in the most productive direction that is sure to fetch viable outcomes in terms of foreign investment, employment prospects for Indians and the restoration of Indian manufacturing sector, but if it is clearly visible that one of your endeavors is not able to gather the requisite backing of Indian peasants, shouldn’t the scheme be re-considered; a judicious option is to either get the sanctioning of hostile cluster by infusing confidence in them or to drop the policy for the time-being.

Indian farmers have always remained dejected, overlooked, vulnerable and untouchable for most of the past governments. Private moneylenders, banks, government strategies and the discourteous weather conditions collectively have hit the peasants from every possible corner, and the group, which plays the most key role in our social and financial growth, is left with just diverse options to end life voluntarily. More than 16,000 farmers opt for suicide every year; the figure was 18,241 in 2004 and between 1995 and 2013, almost 3 lakh farmer suicides have been reported. These figures are mentioned in many reports and writings, mutilation of crops due to recent unseasonal rain and hailstorms is also a known fact and the forecast of a bad monsoon in the upcoming days isn’t hidden. The bottom line is that our peasants are in the grip of unendurable conditions, and this may not be the most appropriate time for the BJP to come up with variations that could deprive farmers of their exclusive right to approve/ reject any proposed acquisition bids.

Dear PM, the suggested amendments to the UPA’s The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which say that the consent of 70 per cent farmers in case of five categories shall be taken off, are in true terms a well-planned measure to kick-start essential reforms in the country and may be termed a long-term win-win situation for the Indian society as whole, but what happened to the CPM led government in the West Bengal post the offense of farmers in Singur and Nandigram are the incidents that cannot be under-valued. While traditional vote-bank of the BJP embraces the middle class and industrialists, in the 2014 polls, the wave of Narendra Modi was equally buoyed by small and marginal peasants, along with the sharecroppers. The lower class, especially from the rural parts, is yet to overcome the episodes of cheap acquisition of farmland backed by political corruption and selling of the same to industries at sky-high rates; they are also yet to overcome the fear of development-induced dislodgment of the impoverished and subsequent injuries.

Politics in India is not the numbers that you present, i.e. the GDP growth rate, interest rates or the fiscal deficit; it is how you are interpreted by the stakeholders, and this is where Indira Gandhi failed owing to the forced mass-sterilization led by her son, Sanjay Gandhi during the emergency, and also the Rajiv Gandhi-led government collapsed on the allegations of Bofors scandal. And the same sentimental up and downs of the voters pave the way for smaller political groups that comprehend the pulse of the public, and the same in turn disturbs the efficiency and effectiveness of the political party ruling at the center. BJP may send party-workers and even its legislators to exchange thoughts directly with the likely-to-be-affected farmers; however, damage to the image of the PM as well the party is underway. The most apt code of conduct for the BJP is to diagnose and have compassion with the pain of farmers, and the same asks for identifying with basic concerns like lack of irrigation facilities and sheer dependence on borrowing from private lenders. Acquisition of land and resulting evolution of rural India can, indeed, follow the corrections to fundamental flaws, but cannot supersede them.

Pro-rich, Pro-industries, Pro-urban and such other tags, accorded to the Modi-led union government by the opposition and even many of the farmers’ associations, are though not be eliminated, but are to be complemented with labels, Pro-poor, Pro-rural and Pro-agriculture. If the administrators are looking for a country with smart cities, digitalized services, smart phone-equipped citizens and a flourishing industrial sector, alike perusal of the concerns of the rural India, home to farmers and employer to more than half of our workforce, is also obligatory. Acquiring land of peasants is more than a transaction and underlying is the uprooting of dwellers from their social tie-ups, controversies in the title of the land, discretion of government officials in determining market rates and most rough, the loss of livelihood. On the contrary are the projects that are awaiting land for their commencement and PM’s dreams for a developed nation, just for all; however the opposition would never consider these while defaming your authentic endeavors.

Elections in key states of Bihar, WB and Tamil Nadu are anytime to ring the bells, which mean that the BJP cannot afford anything like its present portrayal as anti-farmer and anti-poor. Modinomics, the buzz created by economic gurus and even by foreign media, calls for systematic and in-depth analysis of the issues related to Indian agriculture and acquisition of land. It is quite very obvious that lakhs of crores of subsidy flowing to the rural India in the name of fertilizers, food security, and also as compensation for loss of produce and the minimum support price haven’t resulted in any betterment of farmers. The past governments were severely weak in terms of analyzing the rural economy and improving the share of agriculture in GDP. While average holding of farmers has dipped consistently and plentiful land has been acquired in the past at exorbitant rates, neither rural nor the industrial sector has delivered optimistic outcomes.

And for the corporates and governments, the alarm wasn’t felt the way it actually upset the lives of rural inhabitants. The present government is expected to pay heed to the problems of farmers; the way things are turning out with respect to the land acquisition law, I fear that the prediction of above-7 per cent GDP growth or the positive revision in India’s outlook by Moody’s may not be able to add to the number of BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha, a requisite for the Modi-government to revive Indian economy by way of passing key legislations well within time. UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, states that backed the NDA colossally in the 2014 general elections, are the ones with substantial farmer population; any mutilation to the coalition’s image in this regard would let opposition parties revive themselves. PM Modi and his astute ministers are to re-assess their stand in light of latest advancements, and if this asks for holding the planned changes to the land bill for the time-being, the party must bend itself, rather than be uprooted.

I cannot conclude without analyzing the impact, actual and not alleged impact, of the land bill proposed by the government on the lives of rural inhabitants. Believe me, the entire opposition is adamant not to let the bill get the nod of the RS only and only for a simple reason that this is their golden moment to provide some oxygen to their fading parties. Buzz is being created that land owners would lose the opportunity to move the court and no complaint could be registered against the official, which are a fabrication of real intentions of the bill. Also, rural inhabitants are to realize that with more than 65 per cent Indians dependent on farming, agriculture is still a liability on Indian economy and it’s high time that alternative livelihood for rural residents is brought to reality, and this isn’t conceivable without electrification, industrial corridors and affordable housing. For the same, the government needs land, and justifiable compensation in return is a win-win condition for land owners. Making farming sustainable and providing alternative occupation to farmers will go hand in hand; hence farmers are to re-think their stand.

The government seeks farmers’ share in upright and effective governance and in revival of the Indian economy that is to benefit all Indians, farmers and opposition are to know their sense of duty, sooner than later.

Isn’t it a shame that a very basic issue that repeatedly was a part of Hindi literature and films has always remained an incomprehensible subject for our elected rulers? I can reminisce the work of Munshi Premchand, Godaan, a Hindi novel, which revolves around a poor peasant, Hori and rural society, and depicts clearly the pain of borrowing from private moneylenders who never allow a farmer to prosper. Alike was the case with the family portrayed in Hindi film, Mother India, that though gained worldwide recognition but could not invoke a sense of duty in our lawmakers. Having lived a major part of my life in rural India and as a son of a farmer, I know the day-to-day hurdles and stigma, how a poor farmer borrows a mere 10 thousand rupees from Sahukaar to purchase a cow or to dig a water bore and the monthly interest rate of 10 per cent never lets this 10 thousand to be really paid off. We talk about APMC and government meddling with respect to selling off produce at least at minimum guarantee price, but do we know that a farmer cannot afford to wait for those cheques to be released, and the only way to get instant money to finance basic needs of daughter’s marriage and children’s fee is to part with the produce at rates much lower than the market price offered by local baniyas.

The national capital, many a time, becomes the initiator of prime time news, protests, and this paves way for discussions, remorse and blame games. Won’t you agree, if the Nirbhaya case had not happened in Delhi, the after effects wouldn’t be same? Now the capital is again in the news, a mix of social disgrace, economic inequalities and political drama, for a happening that reproduced the tragedy of Indian farmers, who account for more than half of our working populace, yet are deprived of basic needs. Farmers’ pain, their suicides has for the very first time now become news headlines; the dialogues and interpretations, however, by so-called intellects and our chosen representatives revolve just around accusing other political parties for what happened during AAP’s protest, the cheques too have been handed over to the deceased farmer’s family, few aspirants of the parliament/ state legislatures have even shed tears, some have apologized for not behaving appropriately while being present at the cursed place. Now shall I not ask my politicians, who are so very moved, shaken and grief-struck after this suicide, to assure that no farmer of India would choose suicide as the most easily available escape route from bad weather and debt?

Some are saying that AAP volunteers and leaders incited the deceased, others say that it was a gimmick that went wrong, some are saying that the suicide note wasn’t his, and most of us are indifferent, why because a farmer committing suicide is nothing new in our country, rainfall playing the villainous character. A place, where the producer of grains is such grimly depressed, can never become world’s superpower, even if we predict that the endeavors of the current PM would boost the economy markedly. While the Delhi suicide took away a son, a father and a husband, and almost every one of us has a feeling of sorrow running inside, let me remind you all that the National Crime Records Bureau of India reveals that 46 farmers intentionally end their lives every day in India. Records also tell that since 1995 more than 3 lakh farmers have opted for this unsolicited path; hence just noticing the incident of Delhi or the Parliament’s debate on the land acquisition bill would serve no purpose, of course until we find a constructive and non-politically driven solution, something that isn’t possible unless we diagnose the entire situation prudently.

It isn’t only the weather that adds to the sorrow of agriculturists, in realism, it is the debt, more specifically, the money borrowed from private and unauthorized lenders that threatens the borrowers of social and financial humiliation. Then are the factors ranging from low produce value and pitiable irrigation facilities to high cost of inputs and indeed the deficiency of social infrastructure like toilets and schools. Studies have added to this endless list of causes reasons like no opportunities to earn alternative income, troubles in farming semi-arid sections, lenders’ priority to businesses over agrarians and also the curse of alcohol and other addictions. It is common that the interest on money extended by private lenders to already-bleeding farmers is exorbitant and collection of dues at the time of harvest leads to selling off the produce hastily at throwaway prices.

The till-date measures by the central and state governments have proven ineffective in managing this issue and in infusing prosperity in the lives of farmers. Having focused only on credit and debt, political men have overlooked fundamentals like generation of income and productivity. What about the insult and even physical abuse of vulnerable farmers at the hands of Sahukaars, what about middlemen who take away all the profit, what about dropping water level, lack of private investment and India’s backwardness in terms of agricultural research? Now that a stressed farmer has brought the matter into high-level discussions having displayed the melancholy of grain producers in Delhi, it is expected that the law makers probe not only the death of one from lakhs, but also lay foundation for better lives of Indian farmers. Also at this point in time, mention of the land acquisition bill placed in the ongoing session of parliament is evident, and the need is to assess the proposed changes diligently, not politically. This suicide also tells how our political leaders use a subject, which is so critical that a human doesn’t think twice prior to taking away self’s life, just to gain political mileage.

Suicide by farmers is worldwide occurrence, but we cannot use this equation to cover up the flaws of our social, economic, environmental and political domains. The caretakers of GDP and inflation have to realize that agriculture’s share in GDP has constantly declined since 1951, and more than half of our workforce that is directly or indirectly dependent on this sector is scuffling to live a judicious life. Films in the past covered the despair of farmers, but this too has now become an outdated subject. The bottom line is that none of us relishing our lives at the stake of poor and vulnerable sections wants to feel the pain. The Delhi incident could have gathered attention, but it is yet to see whether it could invoke our sense of duty. Role of media, volunteers and political party/ leaders during the Delhi suicide incident can be deliberated by investigating agencies, but for law makers, it is time to assess ground concerns of our food providers in the parliament and boil down to concrete measures.

No one who blames the Congress reign during past many decades for the misery of peasants is entirely off beam. Why isn’t a farmer able to borrow from legitimate sources at the time of harvest, their daughter’s marriage or when a cow is to be purchased? The actual picture of loans from government institutions is wicked where a farmer has to part with least 20 per cent of the sanctioned amount as illicit commission to broker and the bank official. Do not forget that the global warming and massive urbanization we worry about is an outcome of the members of farmers’ families shifting to cities for livelihood. To feel the pain, plant a tree outside your homes, give it water and care for it until it grows high, and one day when it would dry up, you would know why a farmer ends his life so easily when the crop is damaged and the borrowed money still runs high on interest and principal. Remember, sympathies find no answer when the issue is such grave and lives of the pillars of humanity, our farmers, are at risk.

Just at a time when I was struggling hard to comprehend my son’s friend’s idea of linking the ambulance service in the capital city with various hospitals via GPS tracking technology and an easy-to-use mobile application, this talk of the town, ‘net neutrality’, erupted, and all my plans to back his project with some initial funds came to hold. After learning that if service providers are given unasked jurisdiction over determining what services (websites and web applications) can be made freely/ cheaply accessible to the users, it is self-understood that innovators and thinkers would indeed breathe the last of their skills. For say, had my service provider given me an option 10 years back to use Orkut, a Google-backed social networking application free-of-cost, which means all my surfing would have cost me nothing except minimal fixed charges, I would have never explored Facebook, and you would agree that Mark Zuckerberg would not have become one of the world’s richest and most influential entrepreneurs. So now my due diligence exercise for the ambulance project remains suspended until TRAI decides on this crucial matter.

Net Neutrality- This may look complex since it takes account of technical equations like protocol, bandwidth, ISP, bundling and deep packet inspection; however, as a layman and a regular user today of internet services like YouTube, Google, Gmail and Flipkart, this can be construed as against discriminating between services available over the net by internet service providers, by way of reaching a deal with specific web applications, of course in exchange of money, to allow users surf these applications at comparatively higher speed and cheap data charges. This boils down to the state that when we would have an option to just pay throw-away prices to access particular prominent websites, we would refrain from trying anything that exists outside this sphere, thus putting the groundbreaking works of new aspirants at menace. The most recent of such endeavors was the Airtel Zero, that aimed at partnering with few players and tempting consumers to go for attractive packs and restrict their net usage to just these notable services. The outcome is ‘Preference over Others’, this time not on caste, color or power, but on how willing are they ready to compensate the service provider/s on behalf of the consumer.

And if at all this comes true, I am sorry for my young friend who dreamed of lessening the pain of panic-struck individuals for whom calling an ambulance at odd hours is like a miracle come true. Had you been able to come up with this a few years back, this may have helped Nirbhaya, and you could have been quite established now to pay service providers for adding your application to ‘premium’ list. Clear winners, if net neutrality is not attained in India, will be the telecoms and handful of application makers, and losers would include all the remaining ones. While for new entrepreneurs, roads to success will be blocked, for the users, competition would be slayed; hence ultimately, we would end up paying more for time-worn facilities having relished the initial discounts, mouth-watering offers. Do not also forget the ‘pro-rural and pro-poor’ service, internet.org, as announced by Mark Zuckerberg, which will do nothing except promoting just Facebook and few others, real accessibility to knowledge will remain unattained.

I was imagining, had this concept of ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ lanes and severely cheap internet surfing have evolved 10 or 15 years back, Wikipedia, our trusted source for all-around information, which runs as a not-for-profit service, would never have managed to reach the existing stage. And until this ease of access is equitable, how can the government of India even envisage success of the much-promising Digital India drive? For inclusive growth, open internet is much-desirable, is indeed a pre-requisite. Identify this- now when the ones batting for non-neutral internet say that despite being world’s no. 3 with respect to number of internet users, our penetration (users from within the country’s overall population) is merely 20 per cent (that of the United States is 85 per cent), they wickedly overshadow the very basic verity that access to limited platforms like Facebook and Gmail will be of no use to farmers who need reliable information and forecasts on weather and agriculture, and their children who need lessons on Chemistry and Math, not just social networking.

Net neutrality, in true sense, not just favors indiscrimination towards web applications, but it also is the guiding principle for free speech, right to communicate and of course, social justice. Today, when the political party leading the nation used social networking as a way to reach the otherwise unreachable, when you and I are very much enabled to interact with our friends/ relatives outside the border of India via Skype and WhatsApp, when a click gets us a taxi and when hidden talent in far-flung areas becomes ‘viral’, concepts like paid prioritization and discrimination against the content flowing in the network find no legal place. Don’t forget, nothing in this world comes for free or cheap, applications that will run on our mobile phones without consuming much data will bear the cost of this data and ultimately the same will be borne by us.

For real and sustainable development and power in the hands of people, internet is to remain open and indiscriminative. I stand for ‘Net Neutrality’, so do I except from you.

The mention of the fact that New Delhi has been declared as world’s most polluted capital by the WHO may not be necessary here as we have been reading in newspapers and hearing in TV debates about this since the PM of India launched the color-coded Air Quality Index to track contamination on the scale of severe to good. The recent heed by the government on this subject has brought this critical affair into the public domain and not just thinkers and officials, but the common man even is feeling the heat. The Center for Science and Environment (CSE) reports that more than 6 lakh Indians die an untimely death owing to pollution. Around 8-9 lakh people in India suffer death due to consumption of tobacco products, and fatalities in road accidents are around 3-3.5 lakh every year. Now figures in themselves are a signal how grave is the concern of pollution and why the stakeholders, government, industries, bureaucrats and general public are to be alarmed.

The bottom line is that climate change is abruptly remodeling human civilization and the way we react is to decide the future of us all. Now, when the Indian government has taken the matter into cognizance, not in the way how we retaliated to the WHO survey, (which said that our capital city has the world’s highest annual average consumption of PM2.5) by saying that our air pollution may be comparable with that of Beijing but can’t be the most severe, rather by linking development with environment, there exists a great hope for a healthier breathing atmosphere for the Indians. Prior to finding hasty solutions, however, we need to find out the causes, some of which are hefty burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and change in land use, degrading and rescinding of coastal forests, and deficient funding, awareness, willingness and preparedness. Did we know that tropical forests store carbon and unapprised deforestation releases gigantic amount of carbon into air, or that if emission of greenhouse gases remains in the same manner as today, we would be watching shocking rises in temperature very soon?

Of course, most of the causes are known to authorities and the prevention of many is in the books of law, but hardly implemented. While in the capital city of China, Beijing, the authorities take stricter actions like closing down industries and reducing traffic in areas where the air quality is reported as critical, owners of such establishments in India get the support of the officials by way of bribing. While answers to this fast climate change can be as easy as asking the people of India to trim their energy consumption, they can be harder even like changes in worn-out laws, for say, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Indian Forest Act, 1927, and their true execution that will call for dedication of government and its implementing agencies. It needs little elucidation that dreadful events like landslides, floods and other ecological disorders are to become common happenings in case the endeavors to preserve nature fall short of what are required.

Countries, for say, Bangladesh, which could not cope up well are the early sufferers of the degradation which marked unforeseen surge in the sea level, temperature and level of evaporation; for India, the country that can aptly deploy resources towards reversing the trend of climate change, future can be less detrimental. Else, forget unemployment, inflation or rise in interest rates, the bewildering climate change in India will eat up the natural resources, and the most vulnerable will be poor, agriculturists and those living in the coastal parts. Millions of people, including a large proportion from metro cities, will be displaced due to upswing in temperature, lack of clean drinking water, rise in sea level (coastal areas of Gujarat, Maharashtra and South India) and drainage congestion. Impact of climate change on the most relied upon guide of development, the Gross Domestic Product, is estimated as a fall in GDP by up to 9-10 per cent, expenditure towards basics like public healthcare and agro chemicals and towards privileges like air conditioners and beverages which have seen a very steep hike.

Blaming the government of rushed environmental and forest clearances for speeding up halted projects is as pointless as saying development cannot go hand in hand with the idea of environment protection. Of course, climate change and pollution is a tantalizing subject and works in this respect are to be initiated without delay. Some very easy and cheap of these include procuring of a device, Happy Seeder, that can help in retaining the loose stalks of harvested crop, which are otherwise burnt, so as to be used as soil nutrient, reducing the sulphur content in petrol/ diesel by making economical additions in oil refineries, invoking standards for upcoming vehicles to Euro VI/ VII, and paving way for use of electric induction stoves by a relatively larger number of rural families, thus reducing contamination from cooking fires. Although all these measures call for apt shift from current practices to newer ones hence authorities are to play a vital part; in many other ways, however, we all can be a partaker by reducing energy consumption, by using only pollution-check certified vehicles and by cutting on our waste-generating habits.

100 gigawatt solar energy, 60 GW wind energy, 10 GW biomass energy and 5 GW from hydro projects goal by 2022 are appreciable labors of the government. Not just for the country’s sake, this is a global mission to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and to limit the rapid increase in temperature. India is in the phase of speedy development for betterment of vulnerable cluster; however the significance of environment cannot be overlooked; LED bulbs, smart cities, clean India, cess on petrol/ diesel, proper collection and storage of rainfall by rainwater harvesting, plantation in urban areas are some of the actions that can represent us as the principal contributor in the global pledge on sustainable growth. Losses, owing their occurrence from change in standard climatic conditions, are to be deliberated by the Indian government, states be involved in the appraisal process and preparedness be sought.

The latest rollback by the National Green Tribunal, for two weeks, on ban on diesel vehicles older than ten years may be acceptable if backed by high urgency; however we are to be stringent enough when it comes to protecting the environment as changes are likely to cause public inconvenience. To safeguard future generations and to gift them a sustainable growth model, firmness of implementing bodies is much-needed. All in all, the concerns of destabilization of climate due to higher than tolerable release of greenhouse gases, probable decline of up to 50 percent in the availability of fresh water in many areas while flood situations in others, and disruption in growing seasons of agriculturists need quick perusal by all stakeholders, flow of adequate resources and apt technological advancement.

Westernization is nothing but embracing the culture, ideas, lifestyle, values and guiding principles of the west by communities from other geographical locations.

But, isn’t it all within? Moody’s has lately upgraded India’s sovereign rating outlook to ‘Positive’, which previously stood at ‘Stable’. The reason cited by the rating agency was perceptive and constructive measures taken by the Narendra Modi-led government in past months, and same factors are to attract more and more foreign fund inflows to India. Let’s now dig some soil and pull out facts about economic richness of the country as embraced in the history of this world. Indus Valley Civilization is said to have initiated the economic history of our country, then by the Maurya Empire, followed by classical civilizations of Rashtrakutas and Western Gangas, and it was during this phase that we had the largest economy in the world up until the 17th century and the rise of the Maratha Empire. The accounts of historical facts approve that India was the richest economy in the world and our dominance was led by the personal shrewdness of rulers and traders, political unity and unbroken security.

Why I have cited these details and will quote a few more is for the reason that we are, more or less, scrutinized basis the global parameters, ranging from contribution towards world’s GDP growth rate to sentiments of investors towards us, and a minute elevation of us in these ratings makes us feel assured, relaxed. Have we turned so global that in case we are termed as one of the most promising emerging countries of the world, we tend to forget our opulent past, the caliber of our forefathers and the way they made not only India develop, but the global trade until the 1700 AD depended substantially on South Asia’s master, India? In no way can this discussion lead to or justify complete self-dependence for the purpose of attainment of goals ranging from wider employment prospects for the youth and prosperity of agriculturists to empowerment of women and education for all. But ‘dependence’ cannot be a thorough and unanalyzed adaptation of western socio-economic and political concepts and philosophies; rather it is just getting what we are deficient in, for say nuclear arsenal from France and Canada, and evolving ways for making India a flag-bearer in the contest of universal development.

Now when the current PM has linked development with environment, it is crucial to see when we would unlink development and westernization. Sensible appraisal of the past will be the key to initiate the revolution for India’s true social and economic growth. The decline in Indian industry was much palpable during the colonial period, the time, when in the 19th century much of the world was undergoing industrialization, but India lagged behind. Technological innovation was the basis of the lead that European nations were able to take; India being an agriculture-dependent and a low wage country trailed. The turning points, however, came when entrepreneurs like Jamsetji Tata, a visionary who setup TISCO with tactical arrangement with the British that any surplus production will be procured by Britain, paved way for technical skill enhancement and adequate pays to industrial laborers. Today, if we stay restricted to just the western paradigm or the feat of Bill Gates or theories of communism by Karl Marx, we might not prudently judge the needs of the Indian socio-economic and political spheres, also, we may invite long-term damages in desire of short-term advancement on the global parameters of growth.

Call it ‘Bhartiyata’, ‘Hinduism’ or anything else; the bottom line is that the brains, arms and hearts of India are capable enough to take the country to new echelons of success without relying on the notion of blind westernization, rather by inventing novel concepts and making resourceful use of our assets, tangible as well as intangible. So if today, we assess the development of our women as per the benchmarks set by EU countries or the U.S., or we measure the level of climate change in accordance with the limits set by the WHO, and find ourselves as progressive, the tasks remain half-done. Where are the national parameters that in my view can even be harsher than the global ones, but they would carry and remind us of the rich past that was able to cater to the demands of the Indians; we have, however, failed to deliver these since decades owing to our political and communal weaknesses? Shouldn’t we crave for deep analysis of the commerce and technology world-over, absorb the pros, yet for the real betterment of our craftsmen and small-scale businessmen, discover and revive our old but tested methodologies so that wage earners do not lose jobs, available entrepreneurship is fully utilized, and the center of production be cottages, farmlands and homes, not mere factories.

On one hand is the model of the west, where consumption and value of commodities determine progress of economy, while on the other was Indian theory of contentment. There is no harm in studying the pluses of the west and procuring resources that aren’t easily available within the borders. New alliances, pacts and consensus must be a part of the foreign policy of the government; along with, however, the hidden Indian pluses and apparent minuses are to be worked out. In the wake of human rights, activists of the west placed humans above all, above the remaining living beings, but the principles of ancient as well as modern India differ, on basis that cows here are considered divine and though humans are to be cared about the most, this cannot be on the cost of other creatures, an example set by the Maharashtra government which recently banned beef consumption. What good are human rights if they supersede core human ‘values’ like love, help and sympathy? What good could be throat-cut competition, self-concentrated pricing policies, sub-standard production, and use of muscle-power and caste-equations in winning over an election?

Believe it, by the grace of the Almighty, we have all the resources that add to build a developed nation. Manpower, capital and acumen, we aren’t lacking in any of these. In fact, lacking is the national pledge, pledge to use unity and uprightness as the drivers of our growth and supremacy. Today, the socialism and communism as advocated by minds like Karl Marx and Joseph Stalin, and adopted as a philosophy by many countries, has lost its essence in the dust-storm of corruption and self-centeredness. To regain the title of being the richest country, we are to exploit core Indian values and philosophies. A philosopher, teacher and strategist, Chanakya authored Arthasastra and is credited as the mind who played the most pivotal role in the establishing of the Maurya empire; a lawyer, freedom fighter, and social and political activist, Mahatma Gandhi who stands tall in London’s Parliament Square; Mother Teresa; Dr. Abdul Kalam; Vinoba Bhave; J R D Tata, and a few of those names that are evidences of our aptitude; I hope that the government would turn today’s youth in the similar direction, and the blind motive of westernization will be superseded by intellect endeavors and exploitation of indigenous resources.

India’s intellects’ obsession of the west finds its evidence in why the man who laid the foundation of political integration of India, Sardar Patel, is compared to Otto Bismarck, the man who united Germany in 1860s; the irony is that Shakespeare was and is never termed as Kalidasa of the Great Britain, or Napoleon as Samudragupta, the military genius, of Europe. Let me very clearly and fearlessly advocate adopting of Indian values and richness as guiding principles for our future actions, in contrary to blind following of the west. ‘Development, Modernization and Westernization can never be synonymous.’

Countries like Greece, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Denmark have adopted the unicameralism setup in their legislative domains, a practice where only one house/ chamber takes decisions pertaining to lawmaking. In India, the concept of bicameralism subsists, as enshrined in the constitution. At first instance, this appears essential so as not to let the lower house of the parliament take hasty and unapprised decisions, and also the vast and heterogeneous demography calls for wide representation of people in the process of lawmaking. But does this allow the upper house to undertake cunning and imprudent political advantage over the ruling party in the lower house? Makers of Indian constitution considered the British political and legislative setup at the back of their minds while framing this supreme piece of law. But even in the British setup now, the legislations promulgated by the lower house twice in one year are binding on the upper house. Rajya Sabha was always to be a house of shrewd and veteran politicians who can serve the role of a guide; however in the present state of affairs they are not only subsiding their basic duties, but are also suppressing public’s mandate to the party chosen in the Lok Sabha. BJP won 282 seats in the 2014 general elections with 31 per cent vote share, and it is their obligation as well as right to take shrewd decisions and implement them without hassles.

The functioning of both the houses of parliament in the Budget session so far has come with some pluses and many minuses. While the lower house delivered productivity of about 123 per cent owing to extra sitting by our legislators, the upper house could not match this optimum pace and restored to sheer politics, aggression and intrusions. On one hand, PM Narendra Modi cautioned absent MPs, on the other, Rajya Sabha’s mighty parties exhibited lack of professional maturity and infringed the mandate of public that backs their strength in the house. It is promising to note that TMC, SP, BJD and others extended much-needed support to the central government with respect to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill; passing of the Bills by both houses will open new venues of commerce and employment. In the wake of such competence from the upper house, dominated by Congress and regional political parties, row over the Land Acquisition Bill was uncalled for and completely in contrast with the awaited industrial evolution of the country.

Let us see if at all the revisions proposed by the BJP to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act are anti-farmers and pro-industrialists. The amendments favor ‘no consent’ from stakeholders, but do not overlook the underlying benefits in these special cases which range from defense and national security to affordable housing for underprivileged and village electrification. There exists a fundamental dream of housing for all by 2022, and if you believe that the same will be possible without land acquisition, you need extensive lessons on fiscal administration and policy implementation. The UPA’s concerned land legislation of 2013 identified tenant farmers and landless workers as stakeholders under the Social Impact Assessment, and made it rather impossible for sincere development projects to obtain necessary sanctions. Shall I not remind you that the bulldozers and cranes Congress is talking about as the killers of farmers will only result in infrastructure growth, employment for world’s largest inhabited youth population and extension of basis amenities like roads, power and sanitation to the rural parts of India?

Madhya Pradesh has seen a number of natural calamities in past years, at times when the UPA was in-charge of nation’s furtherance, as being the party with majority in the parliament. Flood and droughts have hit almost the entire of North India as well as other parts, but this is one of those rare occasions that Congress is anxious, moved and highly restless for the loss of Indian farmers. The president of the party is to visit the state of MP where unseasonal rain has hit the produce of farmers; however they had no such compassion for agriculturists while in power at the center. Congress, communist parties, TMC and others have found a trump card in their hands in the form of proposed Land Acquisition Bill of the BJP-led government; they feel that the lost ground could be gained back by sympathizing and crying over farmers’ alleged loss, causing severe blow to the economic lead India is on the verge to take. A march from Sansad Bhawan to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, where the largest opposition party collaborated with other groups was nothing more than a way to advertise false commitment towards Indian farmers who gained nothing apart from debts and suicides in decades of Congress reign.

The Ordinance of the BJP government that furthers the real interest of the farmers’ community will lapse on the 4th of April and a candid leader, Narendra Modi, was left with no other choice than to re-promulgate the ordinance with the nine amendments passed by the Lok Sabha. And then, even if after efforts to form consensus over new ordinance with opposition parties, the conclusion is detrimental, a joint session of both the houses would do the needful, a notion which is in the constitution as I believe that the makers of this binding supreme law knew about the communal divide of India which would give birth to unworthy political leaders, and hence dimness of ruling party in the upper house wouldn’t let growth agendas prosper. A Bill that aims at consolidating separate labors of the government, Indian industry and general public by exempting five categories from requiring consent of land owners has to be accorded the right to become a binding legislation, in the interest of farmers, job-seekers, commerce and the nation at large. The Bill also carries upright provisions for guarantee of employment to one member of the affected family due to acquisition of land and power to the judiciary to take cognizance of officials committing mistakes.

To the sadness of Indian legislature, since more than two decades, the political party with majority in the Lok Sabha has always struggled for backing in the Rajya Sabha, a weird and unfavorable situation that has only accorded power to illicit politicians, and has made it practically unmanageable for governments to bring pro-growth legislations. In the past, we have seen ruling parties showering opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha with perks like immunity from CBI probe, bungalows in Delhi’s elite localities and their inclusion in the cabinet. For PM Modi, it is time to rise above these tactics and pave way for prolific legislations by employing astute and honest deeds. For the members of the Rajya Sabha, it is a pure misconduct and misuse of their offices if works of government chosen by the public at large are hampered just for pity political paybacks.

Writers, and independent analysts and advisors do warn of imprudent decisions taken by governments, which ought to be paid heed to. I, in my article, ‘New Land Acquisition Law- Merits and Concerns’ dated 15th April 2014, pointed out flaws in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Hereunder is a brief transcript.

“The new government that will be looked upon as the driving force for infrastructural development will have to face the challenges brought in by this new piece of legislation. The real intention of urbanization and industrialization can thus remain unachieved.

The upcoming union government would be clueless to manage something that has promised too much for land owners who would now resist to any modifications, with hindrance to the much-needed infrastructural and economic growth.”

In the very beginning, let me define the word ‘feminism’-
‘The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes’

Sorry Deepika Padukone and Vogue, I am not with you on this, nor can any judicious person be. It is quite clear, in vague search of women empowerment we are promoting senseless notions, views that are far from enablement, are close to devastation. The abrupt ‘My Choice’ video of yours is an evident deviation from sincere endeavors that the society is doing to bring in actual empowerment of women. A fashion magazine could have tried something genuine in this respect, rather than sending across a stylish statement by mixing it with sentiments of women’s right to freedom and choice. Opposing norms of the society have become more of a trend today; has the power and age of social media accessibility made us so frank that we are ready to embrace westernization in our lives without even evaluating its impact on the Indian social sphere? Ok now do not call me a hypocrite or an antiquated person carrying a motive of fuelling Hindutva.

How can adultery be your choice, or the choice of any person on earth? Let me tell you that Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code renders adultery as an offence punishable with imprisonment of up to five years. ‘To have sex outside marriage, My Choice’, did you even realize that such statements are far far away from the empowerment you talk about, these are relatively according approval to anti-social thoughts that you have been trying hard to plagiarize from the west. India ranks high in terms of domestic violence, rapes, eve-teasing, sexual discrimination at workplaces, absence of lavatories for females and other such flaws, which are to be addressed way prior to asking consent for homosexuality or bi-sexuality. The Vogue video starts with a quote ‘My body, my mind, my choice’, but these impressive-looking lines disregard a fundamental datum that no participant in a society can live or be allowed to live in isolation and/ or to carry ideologies that do not form a consensus with broadly accepted norms, standards that you term ‘worn-out’, ‘untrendy’, ‘backward’ and ‘unprogressive’.

Let me remind you, the same Hon’ble Supreme Court of India that declared the Section 66A of Information Technology Act as unconstitutional also upheld that homosexuality is to remain a punishable offense in India; I am totally lost as to how any citizen/ group in the country be permitted to publicly defy rulings of the judiciary? I am with you when you talk of your choice to marry or not to marry, to not have sex, to love temporarily, and that you are not a privilege, but if your songs are a noise, because they compete with human values, if your ‘choice’ is a declared ‘sin’, I am sorry that it is your ‘personal’ belief, not of millions of Indian women who dream of a good monsoon for their farms, who feel all the heavenly pleasures in living life as a ‘faithful’ wife/ mother, who do not dream of the infinite universe or snowfall, but of toilets and schools for daughters.

This has rather come as a disappointment than a pleasure to see a role model for the youth, Deepika, pretending to be a savior of women empowerment but landing up as a promoter of social disorder. ‘Sex before marriage’ and ‘lust forever’? Will you then not ask for a lawful sanction for Gigolos (male prostitutes) and themes like group sex/ BDSM? I mean, are we not visibly heading towards sheer wreckage and an incurable environment? ‘Come home at 4 am’, welcomed if the purpose and intent to stay out are as per the acceptable rules of society, but surely unwelcomed if this stay relates to social anarchy. You are undeniably mistaken when you urge ‘My pleasure can be your pain’. What if a male member of the society, depressed with false cases of dowry, rape and harassment, also rises one day in search of special perks and places his pleasure above the pain of a woman? Would it not result in irrepressible exploitation of women? Then, how can be a woman’s/ men’s pleasure above the pain of other human?

In hasty, vague and injudicious attempt to empower our women, we have allowed a section of the society to earn illicit profits and publicity. If an elderly person objects to a girl wearing the transparent cotton/ silk you try to refer to in your video, or raises his/ her eyebrow on a couple making love in the public, the same can never be construed as suppression of freedom and choice. Do not forget, above you, above me and above any and every human is the ‘society’ of which we all are a part, and a person who differs in opinion is termed as ‘anti-social’ and not a reformer. To be a reformer, an activist for women empowerment, you do not need impressive lyrics, sound, models or graphics, you need a judicious mind that can analyze ‘real’, not superficial, issues of women and a will to come up with solutions that may not appear beautiful/ engaging but has the caliber to alter present settings, here the example of Kailash Satyarthi, a silent crusader of children’s rights and a noble laureate, is as flawless as imperfect are our politicians claiming to be real seculars.

Dear producers and parts of the Vogue film, feminism is not asking for special privileges or supremacy of women, it is asking for equality and fighting the discrimination. We will respect your ideas of not to capture sunlight in palms, not to cage thoughts of women, and to allow them to be different and independent, but we are extremely sorry that your so-called empowerment notions of sex before marriage, sex outside marriage, lust and homo/ bi sexuality are absolutely condemned and deserve to be quashed. These extravagant drives are just driving us away from the real cause, serving no purpose, to write it straight, making feminism nothing but a ‘gag’.

The bottom line is that you assured people of utmost democracy, power in the hands of people and uncompromised transparency, venality to find no place. And the condition today is that those who backed the AAP ideology are feeling robbed. The protest that was against dynasty rule, corruption, lack of transparency, misuse of public wealth got a new shape when the faces of Anna’s demonstration founded a political party, saying that there cannot be any other way than to be a part of this dirty cluster so as to clean Indian politics. In case names would have fulfilled the aspirations of voters, I am sure that Bahujan Samaj Party would have bettered the lives of Dalit and backward castes, may be reservation would no longer be desirable, and Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal United, Nationalist Congress Party and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha would have delivered a state of social democracy, public ownership, progression and of course, true secularism. The irony, however, is that names are just an indicative of your ideology, just as the ‘Aam Aadmi Party’ seeking authorities from the common man of India, and the battle between names and delivery is far than achieved in Indian politics.

Stings, counter-stings, allegations, counter-allegations are all now a part of the party that phenomenally won voters’ mandate in the Delhi legislative polls of 2015. Power has become the only objective of members, the self-proclaimed volunteers, and the divide has come into the public domain, something that is taking away the fundamentals for which people voted in favor of the AAP. While in the last ruling, AAP leaders alleged that Congress and BJP aren’t enabling them to bring the Jan Lokpal Bill, in the present run, Delhi CM sworn-in on the 14th of January 2015, and after two and a half months of ruling, we have seen no deliberations on this Bill, or any practical alterations to the long standing issues of the state. Now the situation has become worst, a group that claimed that all its members, be it Arvind Kejriwal, Kumar Vishwas, Yogendra Yadav or Prashant Bhushan are the pillars rendering forte to the sole aim of achieving people’s rule in the country, has turned severely hostile, self-destructive and alienated. The ouster of two of the senior most members and drivers of AAP may appear as win to Kejriwal’s camp, but let me remind you that your feat was allied with people’s betterment, something that has been left utterly unheeded since you assumed rule in the state.

Mayawati, Nehru-Gandhi Parivar, Jayalalithaa and Lalu Prasad Yadav may differ in the Parliament over proposals for new Acts and amendments, but they all share something in common- minimum democracy in their respective political parties and concentration of authority in one person/ family. I can remember two events in the Indian political setup that turned the normal trend and substantiated that autocracy and perpetuation cannot survive for long in a democracy- one was the rise of the Janata Dal and defeat of Indira Gandhi-led Congress, and the other was a clear mandate to Modi-led BJP in last Lok Sabha polls. While the latter is proving productive in all respects, the former saw abrupt rise of regional and vote-bank politics, split of power in hands of avaricious leaders and ensuing decline in development. The crucial question now is ‘Will AAP land up as another BSP of Mayawati or will it reprise the crumbling of Janata Dal?’ And if the answer is a ‘Yes’ to any of these two parts, I am afraid that the change anticipated by Delhi voters will end up in yet another five years of loot and devastation.

It is clear that the fraction which is losing in this AAP’s internal rift is Delhi’s public and the fraction winning is unproductive MLAs who are free from questions on development, and the corruption beneath. Along with on stake are the funds of people who donate to AAP thinking that money will be utilized in promoting good politics and governance. And finally is the hope of poor and backward castes that extended inclusive support to AAP but any of their sorrows doesn’t seem to end, at least in the near future. Protesting the measures of the ruling government and running a government are two entirely different aspects, you were good when you protested, but the rush of winning over the political battleground has landed you in a deep crisis, and to the sadness, this has come when you are supposed to spend every single minute in re-framing the social, economic and administrative domain of Delhi. I can remember days when at the inception of the AAP, volunteers and supporters of Anna’s movement against corruption were filled with high positivity, and to the contrary today, AAP has become a new entry in the long list of political parties of India that have so much to assure in their manifestos but in actuality they are the primary killers of growth, equality and secularism.

Dear CM of Delhi, be the change that you wanted to bring, be the flag-bearer in the race for all-inclusive prosperity and nation’s much-needed supremacy. BSP, Congress and others may have learnt the lesson late; you cannot expect such favors, since the expectations and level of shrewdness of voters have changed drastically in past couple of years. It is high time that you focus more on the tasks associated with the office of the CM of Delhi, not with the office of AAP’s convener.

As of November 2014, Apple, Microsoft and Google remain ‘world’s most valuable brands’ with Apple leading the chart;there is no rocket science in comprehending how well you candrive your economy if you have the will and intellect to back technology, innovations and models that enhance customers’ way of living, promote commerce and augment not just marketing but also buyers’ enthusiasm to respond, buy and try new venues of retail purchasing. Nearly half of these most valuable brands globally, from the top 20, carry the tag ‘technology’. It is evident that companies like Google, Microsoft, IBM and others have not just revolutionized business models; they have also fuelled economies around the world and have been consistently originating newer concepts. Another fact is that most of these multi-billion dollar firms have their headquarters in the U.S., the world’s largest economy, with a currency that is used in almost every other cross-border transaction and is also world’s principal reserved legal tender.

Taxation, debt management, fiscal deficits and CADs all come post commerce comes into being, a requisite that drives any nation on its shoulders and is the source of fund flow to the exchequer, generation of employment prospects, bridging the gap between rich and poor, and of course development of national infrastructure. Steel, oil, coal and power were always the areas that made businesses rich, countries prosper and people find jobs. In India, companies like ONGC, Coal India, NTPC, Tata Steel and SAIL play the most decisive role in shaping GDP growth rate, but of late, corporations like Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL have taken a dominant share by delivering noteworthy net profit in their financial statements. Then there is a newly evolved concept, the e-commerce and other internet-based start-ups in India, owing to our hefty internet user base, which is the third largest in the world. Snapdeal, Flipkart, Olacabs and Quikr are a few names in this cluster and to the surprise of us all; these have entered the billion-dollar club in just a few years of their founding. Estimates say that the e-commerce market of India will reach USD 24 billion by this year.

Foreign-based VCs, Angel Investors and Private Equity (PEs)have backed the potential of technologically-accelerating India; investors ranging from Tiger Global and SoftBank to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and Vulcan Inc. have funded Indian firms that are using technology as the key to revenue-generation. Among appreciators of IT- startups are Indian entrepreneurs, Azim Premji (Premji Invest) and Ratan Tata to name a few. It isn’t hard to interpret why IIT and IIM pass-outs these days are either getting absorbed in IT companies/ start-ups or are trying to reverse of trend of job-seeking after degree and are rather innovating novel concepts. Today, when every metro city commuter just needs a tap on the cellphone to call a taxi, to locate a nearby hotel/ ATM, to navigate through puzzling streets, and when online shopping platforms like Snapdeal are planning to set up kiosks in rural parts to help residents order products online, a shift in the sentiments of investors and consultants is the need of the hour.

Forbes has lately released a list of best venture capitalists. These are people/ firms who bet on creative minds and manage to secure outsized returns from their investments. In the list are 11 PIOs (Person of Indian Origin), and on the topmost position in the list is Jim Goetz of Sequoia Capital, the person who placed the golden bet on WhatsApp, the global messaging service. Indian investors, though haven’t made it that large that they would find place in the Forbes list, however names like Anupam Mittal (a co-investor in Olacabs and beneficiary of 25x returns in a span of just three years), Meena Ganesh (stakeholder in a Bangalore-based start-up and beneficiary of 7x returns in a span of 18 months) and Saurabh Srivastava (investor in Sapience and Stayzilla) have substantiated their aptitude. Let me also mention one of the most notable VCs with the Midas touch, Peter Thiel, the man who made a USD 500,000 angel investment in Facebook in 2004 and is today one of the richest VCs in the world.

The motive of this writing is to let Indian biggies know the real potential of the service industry, specially the one backed by technology. Banking, communication have seen a wide participation from Indian capitalists and risk-takers, but IT start-ups still remain an untapped area though one with promising returns on investment. Shares, debentures, mutual funds, property and gold have remained a passion for investors, why not go for a shift of sentiments towards what that has the caliber to not just fill your pockets, but also take country to newechelons of success. Why not an Apple, Facebook, Microsoft or WhatsApp from India? In the emotional call to back the manufacturing domain, let us not overlook the positive prospects of technology; with brains as established engineers, doctors, managers, VCs and angel investors around the world, this motive is not that tricky to attain. Government and capital market regulator, SEBI are to find ways that can boost startups to list on Indian stock exchanges with lenient listing regulations, amendments in norms like lock-in for a period of three years, requirement of identified promoter and use of issue proceeds.All in all, there exists an untapped opportunity for us all, let us make it big and money-spinning.

#DUTY

A task or action that a person is bound to perform for moral or legal reasons.

The force that binds one morally or legally to one’s obligations

A job or service allocated

#DISGUST

To sicken or fill with loathing

To offend the moral sense, principles, or taste of

Though I realize that the above tweets of MoS, External Affairs and former army chief, also known for his fearless attitude towards the then-ruling government, V K Singh, can never be reasonably interpreted by me, you or the section of media/ opposition parties coming up with all new theories of his disrespect towards his obligations and towards India-Pak so-called warm relations, but let us view his Twitter feeds, ‘Duty’ and ‘Disgust’ with the eye of patriotic Indian. In the very beginning, I will make it clear that Pakistan envoy’s dinner invitation to separatist Kashmiri leaders, in my view, is a plain misuse of authorities, and he must be rather thankful to the Indian government and their security measures that despite of acting in a somewhat anti-India manner, he steered clear of any objections from the people of India, noticing the recurring terror attacks in Pakistan where even trivial events call severe injuries. And then you even had the support of the ruling government which had a representative at your dinner, a man of grace, General V K Singh.

Dear Mr. Abdul Basit, you represent your country, Pakistan, in India and representatives of countries in other nations are deployed to ensure that ties between two nations are strengthened, any hostility be minimized; hence envoys have an indispensable duty also towards the country where they are deployed at, a duty to safeguard interests of that nation, at any cost. India would have felt much assuring if you had criticized the release of separatist leader Masarat Alam, but you opted for sending him an invite for the dinner you had hosted to cheer your country’s Republic Day. ‘Republic’ means ‘a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch’. I hope that words I have laid stress upon justify the presence of elected government in J&K, which is an integral part of India. Then the methodology of separation, boycott of laid down procedures and demands of monarchy, which is the ideology of Hurriyat leaders, is of course anti-India and should not have been endorsed by an astute High Commissioner.

When in army and as a commander of the nation’s armed force, one is infused with intact and supreme patriotism, attacks by any other country are not just retaliated by way of bullets and bombs but also by an emotional spirit. Then, sitting next to people, who plan split-up of a territory from your country’s land, is like killing your loyalty and rendering you deserted. I cannot judge the exact sentiments of former army chief when he cherished one of the India’s topmost rebels’ Republic Day with hardline leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a person infamous for his prayer meetings for Laden, support to Hafiz Saeed and Afzal Guru and appeals for boycott of 2014 J&K elections, and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, but indeed, if I was in his place, that moment had been sore and slaying. Even when V K Singh’s further tweet indicated that his ‘disgust’ was towards media’s way of interpreting events, I believe these are political weaknesses and are resorted to by even true seculars because ‘fake secularism’ has gripped our country to the core, media, voters and politicians equally responsible. Indeed, it would have been best if the ‘Disgust’ tweet would never have come up from a minister of external affairs, after he pointed out his ‘Duty’, the force that bound him towards legal obligation, the obligation to represent India’s warmth towards a neighbor nation.

23^rd March was also the day when Indians recalled the martyr of brave Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, I am sure that the former army chief would have felt the passion much more than us or any other political personality; hence his same day’s visit to the place that marked presence of anti-national leaders was nothing more than a disgrace. But, for the same, the central government or its decision to direct a former army chief to the dinner by Pak High Commissioner cannot be blamed; today, we are a part of a civilized society and international diplomatic relations and obligations, also Pakistan shares a special bond with India. It is now on the sensibility of the media to interpret circumstances in the light of Indian social and political setup, and deriving yet another controversy from the tweets of V K Singh is not called for. The stride of development demands a judicious Indian media, which shall keep in mind and respect international relations of the country and also any honest remarks of a people’s representative.

Lastly, it is contenting to hear the words of the Ministry of External Affairs that has very clearly sent across a message that solution for India-Pak issues over Kashmir can never involve third parties. PM Modi has multiple liabilities to serve; bringing economic growth and wiping out the curses of poverty, unemployment and inequality; but along with, the Kashmir and other national integrity subjects too seek his astute vision and governing capabilities. And the former army chief who performed his duty competently deserves applaud and salute.

Democracy brings with it many pluses, some minuses, and these few minuses hold the pace of growth, betterment of lives of citizens. Delivery is easy said than done; and if it was that easy, then all political parties would have turned the pages of their election manifestos after coming to power, would have ticked the agendas accomplished and moved forward to the next promise. Will you not agree that had our political men have the clean will to change the lives of Indians, the roads we move on would not be filled with cracks, deficient/ ill-timed rainfall would not have resulted into farmers’ suicides, healthcare would have been affordable and every household would have had at least a steady shelter? And who ‘elects’ them? They aren’t rulers; they are elected to serve the community, to bridge the gap between underdevelopment and prosperity, to better the living conditions of poor, and most importantly to bring ‘sustainable’ changes. By this, I mean steps that are capable to fetch returns in the future, not like handing out laptops to all students, without checking the feasibility of the measure, and with just a motive to lure voters. You know all the answers- Is a city with water pipelines covering all households better or a city with few thousand liters of free water for houses connected to the pipeline? I just want to highlight the only weakness of ours- ‘hasty perks’, no matter how much detrimental they are for any other cluster, the society, environment or the Indian economy.

AAP’s near-clean sweep in Delhi left us with a positive message. It substantiated that no one in a democracy can have perpetual succession, change is assured, sooner or later. The same even happened in West Bengal when the CPM alliance suffered worst setback having lost to TMC after more than 30 years of continuous ruling. The BJP also scripted the same story when it won a clear mandate in Lok Sabha elections in 2014. In history, there are instances like the rise of Janata Dal and the defeat of Congress, rise of political parties like SP, BSP, AIADMK and others. But did all these deviations from continuous dominance in the hands of one group bring real betterment in our lives? We have been reading news of farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha, continuous movement of the people of Bihar and U.P. to metro cities in search of employment, gang rapes, lack of clean drinking water, sanitation and such basic necessities in almost every part of India. And this is a case when our constitution says that the actual power rests in the hands of ‘people of India’ who elect their representatives. But the irony is that we do not follow a compulsory requisite prior to electing our rulers, ‘Due Diligence’. I have borrowed this phrase from business literature, which means analyzing a venture in view of future gains or losses prior to investing. Ok tell me, will you invest in a scheme that promises ten-fold returns in a year, but says ‘severe terms and conditions apply’?

Let me now refer to some recent episodes worth noticing since we are also the ones responsible for such happenings. The Congress, accompanied with other opposition political parties in the Lok Sabha, is playing the role of an obstructer rather than an enabler. Parliamentarians do not formally meet on all days of a year; they have limited time to frame policies. A better place for them, hence, is their respective seats in the Lok Sabha during sessions and not the corridors. While even nursery students realize the vitality of discipline, legislators quite often forget their duties. Where are dialogues, meetings and other constructive measures that are capable of resolving issues which the opposition parties have with the bills proposed by the central government? Marches and protests will just kill the time you have to take forward the nation, and even though the voters rejected your way of governance, you aren’t ready to learn lessons. The AAP in Delhi promised heavenly perks to voters, but the CM, when the party was in a deep crisis of internal conflict, was taking medication for cough in Bengaluru. Within just a couple of months and after a landslide victory, Delhi rulers shifted focus to ‘AAP’ rather than the people of Delhi. When you had no viable plans in place to make Delhi a free Wi-Fi zone, why did you at all emphasized on this promise; and now you have invited suggestions on how to implement this agenda of yours from the public.

West Bengal is in the crunch of under-development, crimes and the state CM has all the blames for one person, the PM of India. Same is the case with Bihar, a place where if photographs of relatives illicitly extending help to class X board students would not have become viral on the web, this tradition would have remained unnoticed, as usual. Now, even Mr. Kejriwal is thinking of going national, just some weeks ago he promised to concentrate on Delhi rather than creating a mess again. This beautiful democracy is a witness to all these happenings, and I am sure that the makers of Indian constitution would have never imagined such a shameless state where votes are won in the name of pity bonuses to selected clusters, specially minority, where banning cow slaughter, a directive principle in the constitution, invites disapproval, where manifestos are like a dream-come-true, but subsequent five years of ruling is like a hell for same voters, and where parliamentarians just know how to oppose sincere endeavors of the ruling party. Let me now return to my question in the very first paragraph- Who ‘elects’ them? When we know the answer to this, shall we not consider ourselves liable for the suicides of Indian farmers, for gang rapes across the country, for lack of employment and drinking water and for acute corruption in all government departments?

It is time to follow that same exercise, ‘Due Diligence’, while electing our rulers. The present central government appears sincere in delivering on promises, to pave way; however, we ought to be vigilant, committed and unbiased when we cast our vote.

Chaitra, Baisakh, Jyeshtha, Ashadh, Shravan, Bhadra, Ashwin, Kartik, Mangsir, Poush, Magh, and Falgun,  these are the twelve Hindu months and today, on the 21^st of March 2015 of the Gregorian calendar, is the Hindu Nav Varsh 2072, commonly referred as the Vikram NavVarsh Samvat as per the lunar Hindu calendars followed across the North India. Gujarat, to be noted, follows Vikram Samvat calendar(associated with Emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain and this calendar follows his victory over the Sakas in 56 B.C.);hence the New Year there will start on the 12^th of November 2015 (the day after Diwali in the month of Kartik)of the Gregorian calendar. I know that in the want and grip of hasty and severe westernization, many of us do not even know the 12 months of Hindu calendar as mentioned in the beginning. While January, February and other months of Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory XIII) are at the tips of people from urban or even rural parts of India, the Hindu calendar is now limited to just literature. Anyways, this doesn’t mean that the eminence of Hindu days and months has reduced; hence celebrations are to see no compromises, Diyas be lit by every Indian household, sweets be distributed, elders of the familybe cherished and the saffron flag be hoisted in all homes. A chandantilak on the forehead of every Indian is desired.

This is no competing or establishing our superiority over the other; but something that was developed within the borders of our homeland by the Indian intellects, ought to be given a prominent place in our present lives. It is true that unless you know and respect your history, your roots, development cannot be called. I still remember the childhood days when wisdom and valor of Emperors Vikramaditya, Asoka, Chandragupta Maurya were part of stories in every Indian family; the same have now been replaced by Harry Porter and Cinderella, which are mere fictions, far from reality. Let us, however, do not fall in the debate of richness of Indian culture and history as compared to the rest of the world; let’s rather discuss how we can turn this day into a productive asset for our society, a change that can better the lives of all Indians, poor or rich, and can make our social, economic, environmental and political spheres enriched and fruitful.

And when this New Year emerges from the Hindu calendar, why not talk about refining our social domain in view of thelushness that we have inherited from the past. Rivers were always considered as Goddesses, the condition today, however, of Indian rivers is pitiful, owing to our ignorance and participation in the acts of polluting them. You can target industries for heavy flow of waste into rivers, but where from do those plastic bags, water/ alcohol bottles and bidi/ tobacco wrappers come from in the rivers? Clean Ganga is not merely the liability of any government, it is the accountability of us all, let us pledge not to contaminate our Goddesses with household waste and also educate others about the same. Women in ancient India weren’t suppressed, then, what made us so brutal and inhuman that reports say that every other woman in India is a victim of domestic violence/ sexual harassment/ verbal abuse? Teaching our sons the need of respecting women is what is needed.

They are dividing and ruling us on caste/ religious differences, and we are now used to becoming silent sufferers. Why do we forget that we ‘elect’ them, and then why not elect the ones who are above this fake secularism and are crusaders of development, all-inclusive development? Paying taxes timely is our indispensable duty, reporting any and every injustice in the society is our obligation and letting the benefits of economic growth flow to every Indian is our compulsion. Teachers are to know the duties of being a ‘Guru’, government officials are to know how to serve the responsibility of being a public ‘Sewak’, and a common man has to be a ‘Bhartiya’ first, then a Jaat, Pandit, Shia or a Sunni.The Hindu NavVarsh2072 has to mark the beginning of a new era, and with so many social endeavors endorsed by the PM himself, I believe participants will be all the Indians.

Lastly, westernization and implementing any of the social norms of European nations needs brains to analyze their suitability to Indian traditions and their long-term effect. Prior to asking for legalization of homosexuality, we have to work for building toilets for every Indian household, prior to hoping for a government that is corruption-free, we will have to part with our greed of quick and illicit perks that motivate us to vote even for criminals/ corrupts, and prior to expecting a cleaner surrounding, we are to assure that none of us dumps waste on roads, public places or in rivers. All in all, tasks are many, and why I say to give a kick-start to all these on this Hindu New Year is because I believe that the rich Hindu history is our core fundamental and hence there can be no other day better than today.

On this auspicious day, when Lord Brahma started the creation of this world, referred to as Yagaadi (beginning of the Yug), when the Arya Samaj was founded, when the spring season along with Vasant Navratri commences and when occasions like Gudi Padawa and Ugadi are celebrated in parts of India, an appeal goes to Indian rulers to spread awareness, by way of promotion, addition to school curriculum and media broadcasts, about Indian and Hindu roots, prominent days and months of Hindu calendar. To all- Dedicated focus on 1st January of the Gregorian calendar and celebrations on that day can never be at the stake of Hindu and Indian culture, let your children not be a stranger to Hindu rituals, tell them the glorious past of ours, and assure that Hindu Nav Varsh is celebrated with distinction and high spirits.

You will agree to this- We are in the grip of ages-old evils, have been unable to deliver a state with zero-tolerance towards violence and one that is just for all communities not because we lack the intent and will, but for a simple reason that we never diagnose the issues faced by our society in an unbiased way that could pave way to improvement. We try to suppress, exaggerate and also set aside concerns depending on how much profit can we extract from a happening, a happening that sees vandalizing of religious buildings or brutality against people of one caste/ community or furtherance of one community at the stake of another. And by ‘we’, I am not just referring to politicians and spiritual leaders, this word grips us all, we are sometime a news channel which for want of sensation portrays an incident in a completely deceptive manner, at the other time we are a source of rumors, and sometime we are part of the crowd that follows these political and religious ‘contractors’ for want of special privileges. The attack on a church under construction in Haryana and the vicious crime involving rape of a 72-year old nun in West Bengal deserve punishing of the convicts, guarantee of future safety, framing of tougher laws, but no blame games and diverging from the actual topic.

Something that hurt me the most after coming across the rape incident in a convent school is the politicization of these shameless and unforgivable cases. While addressing a crowd from the platform of her car, Mamta Banerjee, the CM of WB, did not hesitate a bit prior to naming her political rival BJP for what occurred. When I was expecting a sense of shrewdness, at least from some leaders of the AAP, their spokesperson and a former journalist (hence expert in playing with words) was quoted as saying that PM’s show of concern through words has become a routine after the members of Hinduism-fortification groups crush law and order promoting religious intolerance. The Congress, which in the name of ‘spying’ on Rahul Gandhi was obstructing the working of Indian Parliament now has a new card, and in this endeavor they have found supporters in the form of TMC, SP, JD(U) and other opposition parties. Isn’t it sad? The accused of the rape case are still not behind the bars, a liability which the state police of West Bengal should have served without delay and if not, the CM of the state must have summoned the police, rather than tackling with such a sensitive manner on lines of polls due in the state in 2016.

The irony is that we create an instant hype of any incident for a day or two and then discard it completely. May be because our political leaders extract all benefits from such anti-secular events in a day by hampering the working of Vidhan Sabha/ Lok Sabha, by holding marches and protests, and the public feels they are being heard, but the blame-game does not allow any improvements, on the contrary, time that was to be utilized for planning is killed, resources are wasted. At time when other parties are accusing the present central government of backing anti-minority deeds, what if the government indicts opposition parties of upsetting brotherhood by deliberate acts for political gains? It is true that in our country, any authority can claim any nonsense, accuse the other of harshest crimes, can announce any verdict publically and thus develop a detrimental state of affairs when sometime Hindus, sometime Muslims and at other times Jaats, Pandits, SCs, Sikhs are blamed for an attack by a group of three/ four men on another community. ‘Divide and Rule’ is as effective policy today as was decades ago, and until the general public changes the way it perceives happenings, this policy will remain a vibrant tool for ruling in the hands of our corrupt politicians, though not all, but many.

Another mockery of our democracy and secularism is that while allegations on Christian missionaries and Madrasas of inducing religious conversions are condemned by most of the political parties and social reformers, unconfirmed charges on Hindu groups give chance to these men to cry of foul conduct by the BJP government. Not at all will I try to shield any political party by my writing, but yes, the central government of this country, which has a clear mandate for next 5 years, a mandate to eradicate poverty, unemployment, under-development and communal hatred, if is stopped dishonestly, I will never remain silent. Criticizing policies of the government in no way means a ‘no-questions-asked liberty’ to obstruct working and growth; when we know that WB rape incident and the vandalizing of church in Haryana are crimes and criminals ought to be punished, we shall ask for arrest of the wrong-doers, not blame the union government of endorsing anti-secular activities. The police of the states are answerable, the letdown rests on the shoulders of the state rulers, not on the PM. Repeated failure of law and order is now a usual scenario in West Bengal, Didi, however, is busy diverting her MPs from normal conduct of Parliament to creating disorder and affecting an operative and productive Parliament session.

This is an appeal to all my countrymen- To pave way for development politics and to cut down communal politics, we are to prove that we are united despite of being from dissimilar castes and communities. Let us challenge real forces that promote communal violence and hatred, rather than blindly following the so-called self-acclaimed protectors of secularism.

Delhi’s catastrophe was just a lesson to be learnt, after all the battle either ends in a win or a loss, setbacks too teach you something. Still, the little lesson from Delhi has lot many learnings, discussed in the past, analyzed, criticized; hence in my view, the time is to move on. Upcoming contests are way far bigger and crucial than the Delhi one, and it seems that though the BJP has not been the first choice in Bihar, and merely a choice in Bengal, since the rise of Modi as a national hero for the BJP, milieu has much altered. The challenge, however, is to convert this wave into real and substantial number of votes, a requisite for the central government to bring key legislations by way of increase in numbers in the Rajya Sabha. Didi’s Bengal and an abruptly changed politically unstable state of Bihar pose both a threat as well as opportunity for the BJP; while in the former, though TMC’s hold has not much dipped, Left votes have shifted in the BJP’s kitty, and the ‘yes-no’ Janata Parivar in the latter seems to prove a self-destruction approach of BJP’s opponents. BJP can tap these occasions provided that Shah’s tactic in respective states and Modi’s delivery at the center until legislative elections are in sync with the prevailing demands of voters, more or less underprivileged and the lower middle class households. Not to forget, both states have significant strength of minority votes, votes from unemployed/ underemployed and deprived.

One of the crucial learnings from Delhi’s debacle is that the BJP will have to employ a two-pronged strategy, one that shall be aimed at displaying BJP as a more constructive and pro-development political party as compared to arch-rivals, and second to be aimed directly at voters, making each one of them feel that BJP, as alleged by opposition, is not just a party for corporates or the middle-class, rather it is equally focused on the notion of all-inclusive growth, where none of the clusters is left out, even the minority. Let us discuss the first where BJP’s delivery at the national level and also the approach adopted by the duo, Modi and Shah would decide the party’s fate. Though JD(U)’s rebel Jitan Ram Manjhi would now think of forming another party to lure his vote bank, the Mahadalits of Bihar that makes up 11 per cent of the entire population, it cannot be denied that this short-term CM of the state be welcomed in Bihar BJP, a move that will surely be a loss-loss condition; Manjhi did not prove his caliber to govern the state, except for some illogical statements he made; hence maintaining desirable distance, though treating him as friend is looked-for. Firming up party from within, an unheeded essential that marked a gap between voters and candidates in Delhi is to be thought over well in advance to provide ample time to leaders to connect with people from their constituencies.

Everything lies in numbers. BJP-JD(U) alliance could manage a little over 39 per cent vote share in the 2010 assembly elections, while in 2014 general polls BJP with new partners LJP and RLSP managed to secure 38.8 per cent. Now the point is that the BJP will not only have to retain the vote share of 38.8 per cent but will have to increase it by around 5 per cent to rule out the coming together of RJD and JD(U), along with a likely support from Congress. This time, elections will not be triangular. In Bengal, the BJP has improved in 2014 Lok Sabha polls by managing 17 per cent votes, but TMC’s figure of 39.8 per cent seems far than easily beatable. With the downfall of CPI(M), however, BJP’s position may further improve by some percentage. Then is the Saradha probe by CBI that is revealing TMC’s corruption in WB, freedom to illegal migrants from Bangladesh may also go for the collapse of Mamta’s party, though only when the BJP is able to tap that 40 percent of vote share that has been loyal to Didi for long. We can also see BJP tuning with Mukul Roy, but his inclusion in state BJP will again discourage long time loyalists. All in all, Shah will not only have to aggressively polarize the Hindu vote bank of both states, but will need to politely win the confidence of other castes, that are somewhat assured now post Modi’s words on religious tolerance.

Then are the efforts to be made from Delhi that would impact the thoughts of voters in both the states. Budget session is on and the PM is on the right and much desired track of forming consensus with opposition parties, both within the legal framework as well as through personal nods, Mulayam’s family kids with PM in Saifai and his attendance in Baramati, Pawar’s home of politics, were more than just celebrations, paving way for six ordinances in the ongoing session is the primary target; now we can see the Vajpayee’s magical touch in our dear PM Modi. Not just these legislations are crucial, also is each and every endeavor of the central government prior to elections in Bihar and Bengal. In fact, Modi will need to surpass his image of being a leader of economics and corporate houses and shall stablish himself as a social reformer and Messiah of the poor. Why not deploy two ground workers, one from BJP and the other from RSS to talk to people in both states, understand their concerns and bring them to the notice of the government, which can then frame policies accordingly? Connect with poor, unemployed, minority and lower middle class is the basis to win the heart as well as votes of people in India, and the same has to be BJP’s strategy in all upcoming legislative polls. JD(U), RJD, TMC and Congress will appease the minority to the core, and this time collectively; hence bringing all Hindus into BJP’s fold is the key; though when you rule a state, governance does not make a distinction between religions/ castes, every Indian and his/ her dignity is the responsibility of rulers.

In the queue are also the legislative polls in the state of U.P., where the strength of Mulayam and Mayawati cannot be underrated. BJP’s nationwide vote share in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections grew by over 12 per cent, still they are not to overlook that BSP, which could not win a single seat, was still at the third position with respect to nationwide vote share. To be specific, in U.P. the BJP fetched a vote share of 42.3 per cent in 2014, SP fetched 22.2 per cent and BSP 19.6 per cent. Looking at the condition in the J&K, PDP proving to be a headache for the BJP, and also the wide gap between the ideologies of BJP and SP or BSP, it is sure that BJP cannot afford a hung assembly. Clear mandate is very much necessary to run a BJP government that should not deviate from its basic principles and established practices. Polls in U.P. may not be that close, but voters’ mind is influenced every now and then with the decisions of the central and state governments. Best strategy is to strengthen state units of BJP and infuse a sense of authority and belonging in them, undertake tasks that can lead to direct and visible benefits to the poor and other vulnerable clusters, and minimum divergence from core BJP principles and ideology.

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is an active, veteran politician, one who has made many moves, until 1987 he was the member of Congress, then he moved to the Jan Morcha led by V P Singh and became India’s first Muslim Home Minister, reverted to Congress again and finally formed a new group, the J&K People’s Democratic Party in 1999 with an aim to convince the central government, by any possible manner, to initiate dialogue with Kashmiris for resolution of Kashmir’s issue. As far as politics is concerned, and that too when it comes to managing the sentiments in the valley, the present J&K Chief Minister carries more experience than Amit Shah who joined BJP in 1986 and even Narendra Modi who became a BJPian in 1987. I am referring to these years in history to make people realize that handling the PDP coalition in the state of J&K is not that easy task for the BJP, in a situation when PDP’s support comes from the valley and BJP’s comes from Jammu. And to justify the backing from Kashmir, Sayeed has so far done what he was expected to, praising Pakistan, separatists and even terrorist outfits in his swearing-in, release of separatist leader and the mastermind in the killings of hundreds of people, Masarat Alam, and a probable relief to Ashiq Hussain Faktoo, a former top-ranking commander of Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen.

Many would recall the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of Mufti Sayeed, which led to releasing of five comrades of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a militant outfit by the government. Experts then commented that the kidnapping and subsequent release of terrorists set the stage for heightened militancy in the state, terming the same as ‘blunder’. In a newspaper interview while being the CM of the state, Mufti Sayeed admitted to have reacted to the incident in the capacity of a father rather than the Home Minister of India. Admit it, a soft approach towards militants and separatists is the key to being a popular politician in the valley, something that the BJP, and at time when they are the in-charge of national security, cannot allow. The Intelligence Bureau has predicted hike in the number of violent incidents and insurgency post the release of Masarat Alam, an act that has only stimulated those who advocate Kashmir’s separation from India. Such small but vital mistakes by governments results in killings of innocents at the border, needless harm to armed forces and unrest in the entire country. While on one side the PM is planning to make Varanasi a handloom hub, the milieu in J&K is slowly but surely turning anti-national, making the valley again a hub of severe extremism and ferocity. Even if the BJP, the ally of PDP in the state government, disremembers the ideology it carries, they still cannot overlook the fact that it was Modi’s assurances in 2014 with respect to tough approach towards Pakistan and anti-national elements that led to their decisive victory; hence India’s security undeniably rests on their shoulders.

Believe it, it was not just the development agenda of the BJP and Congress’ failure at this front that helped BJP take 282 seats in its kitty in 2014, the approach of political parties like the Congress, SP, BSP towards vulnerable national security and position of Hindus was a prominent factor too. 73 seats to the BJP and its ally in UP was not just a result of voters’ shift to Modi and Amit Shah for want of development, the ideology of the party, which seeks justice for all castes and communities, be it the minority or the Hindus, was substantially the cause. I can still remember messages on social media depicting Modi as a savior of India’s dominance and dignity from the attacks of China and Pakistan. In case this image gets faded out, I am worried about BJP’s performance in the upcoming polls in Bihar, Bengal and more significantly UP. The RSS had an 8-hour meet with Amit Shah on Friday not just to discuss tensions in the BJP-PDP alliance in J&K, but probably to make the senior wing of BJP realize that they carry the liability of national security and also the assurance they gave against extremism, in the wake of which Sayeed’s controversial statements, PDP’s demand for Afzal Guru’s ashes and freeing of separatist leader are strictly an anti-BJP and anti-India stand.

The RSS has already penned its anxiety in the mouthpiece ‘Organizer’ by asking BJP to confirm whether Mufti Sayeed is truly an Indian by heart, since his endeavors post taking oath as CM are pro-extremism and pro-Pakistan. Shiv Sena and even the youth wing of the Indian National Congress have protested against the release of Alam, such happenings are deteriorating BJP’s stance as well as will. The Home Ministry may have asked for a justification now from the J&K CM, the report may be filed in a few days but let me warn you, the damage has already been done. How could a separatist held by the police, of whichever state, be released when he was accused of severe plotting of anti-national measures, the criminal incident that resulted in killings of above hundreds of people and the central government, the Home Ministry, other departments in-charge of nation’s safekeeping just seek a report of justification? The BJP-PDP coalition in the J&K may have some bindings on the conduct of BJP MLAs there, but the government at the center should never have such thresholds, it is responsible for national peace and none of the state governments can surpass this liability, and if done, such acts are to be revoked immediately.

Experts, opposition parties, voters and all other stakeholders do understand that politics is a tough affair and coalition governments suffer even more. The words of J&K CM may not be rescinded, but of course, his ill actions that are posing threat to national security and BJP’s core agenda of fighting extremism and extending equal privileges to Hindus as well as minority are to be curbed. Past voters of BJP and the probable ones who are looking forward to a BJP-led state government in Bihar, Bengal and UP expect this political party to be different than others who have relied on appeasement and even sanctioning of anti-India deeds to get hold of power. Lastly, the BJP is to recall that they promised ‘to initiate the process of “just and honorable” re-settlement of the displaced members of the Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir with security and dignity’, a deed that will not be possible unless the state is freed from separatists’ ideology and terror attacks on Hindus. Though politics is a tough task, Indians’ trust rests upon you; BJP therefore should not leave any stone unturned in this process.

Ending the coalition with the PDP may seem to be the sole corrective action in sight of such happenings in J&K. But what worries me and many of us is that the BJP recorded victory in the 2014 legislative polls only in constituencies of Jammu, Kashmir did not allow the party to celebrate even a bit. Going with such facts, the BJP is in a delicate position where end of alliance would mean end to BJP’s hope to run the state, though partially and implement the development agenda it promised. I agree that separation from PDP should be an option to consider, but after BJP’s national leaders having used all the powers bestowed upon the center to stop states from undertaking anti-national measures. This is quite possible since J&K is funded heavily by the center; the home ministry has an upper hand. All in all, BJP’s image of being pro-India and anti-terror is to be prevented from any detriments.

Why at all did the need to recognize one day in a year as ‘Women’s Day’ arise? If the society had been ‘equal’ enough, ‘just’ enough and ‘compassionate’ enough for our women, there wasn’t a reason to allocate a special day to celebrate the abilities of women, and to make the world remember that our rules are to be amended to realize their true potential and to make thissociety a better place for them. The BBC documentary on Nirbhaya has not been accepted readily, rather banned, the reason behind is not any flaw in the film, but a defect in the attitude of men, if not all, many of us, which takes women for granted and considers men superior to them. The convict in the Nirbhaya case openly mocked justice alleging that the victim was at fault for such disastrous and inhuman incident, and if today we would wish each other ‘Happy Women’s Day’ without seeking a remedy to such thoughts of men, the work will not be even half done. Accept it, be it the house of the poor or of the rich, in the rural part or in the urban, men and women are rarely considered equal, given similar opportunities.

When I analyze the Indian setup, I find we are, in many cases, living at either of the one side of two extremities. Sometimes we turn liberal enough and expect from the censor board of films to allow us relish movies which embrace bold and sensual scenes, while at other times, we don’t think twice prior to terming a woman ‘slut’ if she has a few male friends and she does not form consensus with our long-prevailing conservative thoughts. Men on the other hand have all the permits in this world to relish life the way they want, be it in a night club, or even with a paid sex worker. A man indulged in adultery is ‘cheering his life’, while a woman working as a bartender is ‘easy to get hold of’. These are harsh realities of our society, prevalent since ages now, talked about, discussed, condemned, but real betterment still far than achieved. I have a lot many things to refer to, there are numbers to reveal how every other woman in our society is a victim to violence, molestation, verbal abuse, and many other wicked happenings, a lot of which do not even come in open due to lack of public support and our mentality to blame a woman for the misconduct of men.

Isn’t it true that boy and girl child in Indian households are seldom treated alike? While for boys, who we think will be our future guardians, we look for quality education, for the girls, we are ready to compromise. Boys may stay out for long hours, but girls doing so break the so-called household ethical values. To some extent, I agree that women need a bit extra protection owing to the shaky law and order situation we have in India, but suppressing our girls and women in the name of preventing them from any mishaps is indeed a torture. To fight evils, one has to come out and face the risk, then why hold our females, who have all the acumen and daring to turn down ills, from expanding their wings and attaining goals that we men have been so far unable to. Mother Teresa, Sarojini Naidu, Margaret Thatcher are not just examples of great women, they tell us that women have an inherent capability to bring revolutions; we men, when we try to prove how much concerned we are for women by raising voices and asking for women empowerment, tend to forget that real betterment lies in making women capable to react to such ills themselves rather than making themdependent for their rights.

There is a bit for everyone to do, be it men, women, government, NGOs or others. Men have to pay heed to a fact that women are equipped with all the forte and will to make society a just place for them; hence what we men have to do is to just pave way for them rather than demonstrating ourselves as advocates of women empowerment. For women, I may have no suggestions, except that you must recognize your potential and shed the approach of being dependent, it is all within you, you can run companies, can innovate products, can lead governments, and be a social and economic transformer. NGOs and governments are to realize that they exist because the society needs them for few changes. Then to implement schemes and prevent any humiliation of women is their indispensable duty, they ought to perform, deliver results. In a world that should see no difference between men and women, there exists a wide divide, and this divide is the cause of destruction of some and superfluous powers to some. The aim is not to pave way for another Mother Teresa or Kalpana Chawla, but to develop a society that sees no shocks when a woman conquers the space, sets up a business venture, originates new rules of science or becomes the head of a government.

Today, the extremities we live in, where at one end even short skirts and Valentine’s Day are readily acceptable, while at the other we are still scuffling for toilets for women in rural parts of India, work to be done is immense, and all have to play a part. Accept it, India is still developing, unless we match our education, employment, social security and other standards with developed countries, we cannot fully endorse westernization of our thoughts. Hence, Indian women are to respect this and never forget that we carry moral values from our ancestors, which help us stand a step ahead than other parts of the world. Men are to realize that women in ancient India were far more respected and cheered as compared to present times; the fault of course is ours. In case my daughter isn’t getting the same privileges as my son, I am on the losing side. If my wife cannot do what I am permitted to, the failure is mine not hers. Let not differences become so wide that we would need other ‘days’ to realize our failures; for me such days are no more than a mirror which shows that we are shameful to not have been able to achievewhat was meant to be achieved.

I will not conclude without referring to the ongoing controversy over the broadcasting of BBC documentary on the Nirbhaya case, this matter being closely related to how we use our motto of women enablement towards obtaining publicity and pecuniary perks. Then are the complaints from ‘protectors’ of society saying that ban on such telecasts is an infringement of fundamental right under Article 19 of the constitution. Can anyone justify the instance of interviewing the rapist and allowing him to insult Indian women, and the words used by the defence lawyer of convicted that there is no reputable place for women in Indian culture? And the irony is that those justifying these say let the world know how women are slandered and suppressed in India, which would pave way for corrections. Corrections? Would the same not lead to defaming India and our culture that cannot be interpreted from the sentiments and words of rapists and their lawyers? The Hon’ble Court has even commented on the role of media in such cases and how they allow mala fide intentions to float in the society just for want of TRPs. Finally, the verdict of the Court will be the final call, but this is an appeal to all who crave for real betterment of women ‘Do not blindly follow others demanding freedom, empowerment of deprived; judge happenings as well as their ensuing impact on the society at large, then frame an opinion, an unbiased one and of course one that furthers justice.

No strategy can be the best; while for some high corporate taxation was a worry, for the others increase in tax slabs for individuals was a need. Not everyone can be made happy while planning, but plans that can promise profitability and inclusive growth, along with sustainability, must be cheered, which is why I will call the Modi-led government’s first full-fledged budget as a win for all the stakeholders, corporates or individuals, affluent or poor. I can’t wait to mention the social stress of the Finance Minister where he declared the launch of universal social security and pension schemes including the Pradhan MantriSuraksha Bima Yojana that would cover accidental death risk of INR 2 lakh at a premium of just INR 12 per year, something that underprivileged households can feel contended about. Then is the accidental and natural death cover of INR 2 lakh for a premium of INR 330 per year for the age group 18-50 under thePradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana. Unclaimed deposits of as high as INR 9,000 crore lying in PPF/ EPF schemes would be used to set up a senior citizen welfare fund, minority youth would benefit from the new education welfare scheme ‘NayiManzil’, and with priority for SC/ ST talent comes the Mudra Bank with a corpus of INR 20,000 crore, isn’t it time to make true the dreams, even when resources are lacking with this cluster? I have mentioned these highlights in the very beginning since these members of the society are the ones who look forward to budget every year with a hope to betterment of their lives; the Finance Minister has delivered much.

Though the past Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that the budget of Arun Jaitley lacks adequate roadmap, I am sure that the very first economic strategy of the Modi government, which inherited multiple setbacks from the UPA, is pro-development and looks at correcting the fundamentals, rather than unjustly satisfying tax-payers by revising income tax slabs, which is why I have called Jaitley’s budget as socialist and not populist. Rather, the present FM enhanced the deduction limit of health insurance premium from INR 15,000 to INR 25,000, while for senior citizens the same is now INR 30,000. This is in view of promoting health insurance among Indians and I am sure that preventive healthcare in individuals would see a boost after this. The budget also has something for people aged above 80 years who have been allowed a deduction of INR 30,000 incurred on medical treatment. Differently-abled persons too have a take away with an additional deduction of INR 25,000, thus the limit becomes INR 75,000 now. Adding to future earning security of Indians is the Atal Pension Yojana that would provide a defined pension to the contributor depending on contribution (here the government will contribute 50 per cent of the beneficiaries’ premium for initial five years) and its period. Though the tax slabs have remained unchanged, moves of the FM with regards to social security and definite lifelong earnings are appreciable.

I am very sure that the corporates have a lot to cheer about since corporation tax rate is to be reduced from massively high 30 per cent to 25 per cent in a phased manner, which will allow businesses to run sustainable operations, and will discourage tax evasions and avoidances. There may be some strings attached as the FM has talked about rationalization and withdrawal of some tax exemptions to businesses, the roll out of which is yet to be seen; the sector expects co-operative measures. Next was the target for the government to curb any future generation of black money, and multiple mention of the same in the budget speech of the FM, along with a stricter and comprehensive law on black money has assured that Modi’s stance on this issue remains focused. I was, however, hoping for voluntary disclosure scheme on this matter that could boost flow of taxes to the exchequer without litigations. Infrastructure was the most talked-about subject in the recent past and it has been addressed well by the proposal for tax-free infra bonds and increase in the budgetary allocation for roads and railways; as compared to previous FY, the increase is by INR 70,000 crore. PPP model in infrastructure development will be revisited, which was much-needed looking at the projects that failed to take-off. Augmenting the renewable energy sector is considered in this budget. New IITs, AIIMS and IIMs would for sure add to the process of skill development of the future line of doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs; though in the coming days I would hope that the government could also extend venues of skill development to those who lack school education. Atal Innovation Mission with a sum of INR 150 crore will be a platform for academics, entrepreneurs and researchers.

Avoiding resort to retrospective tax provisions, INR 25,000 crore to the corpus of RIDF set up in NABARD, fiscal consolidation over the next three years, JAM mechanism to cut any leakages and inefficiency in the subsidy flow to the poor, soil and water improvement for better agriculture and unified national agriculture market for farmers to sell their produce, new bankruptcy code (an answer to current disgusting procedures to get rid of an unprofitable business), seed capital for start-ups, appointment of an Expert Committee to replace the lengthy multiple permission and clearances regime, and Gold Monetization Scheme as a measure to provide benefits of earning interest by individuals on their metal accounts are other key highlights. My concern in the gold scheme, however, remains that most of the gold with Indians is undeclared; hence to bring this in public domain a gold voluntary disclosure scheme, with benefits like taxing declared gold at fixed rate would have solved multiple concerns simultaneously, for say CAD would reduce due to lesser imports, exchequer would profit from taxes and money to declarers would come in circulation benefitting the overall economy. I was also worried about the introduction of GST to replace the cumbersomeindirect taxation system, and it is assuring to hear that the samewould be brought in next financial year. Having said all this, it is also necessary to state that challenges are not met by introducing policies and making announcements, much is dependent on implementation and then analyzing any failures in the process of policy making.

Government has reinforced its commitment for re-starting stalled infra projects and reducing stress on the banking sector by allocating Rs. 20,000 crore for creation of National Investment & Infrastructure Fund. This may be supplemented by Government companies and banks, which would attract a huge pool of both, equity and debt capital for Indian infra and manufacturing thereby creating jobs.Farmers will see a large increase in their incomes through increased agricultural productivity due to PM Sinchayee Yojana, higher agricultural credit and soil health cards. Rapid progress is expected towards achieving Government’s vision of 24X7 power with 5 UMPPs with a cumulative capacity of 20,000 MW under a plug and play model, with an investment of Rs. 1 lac Cr. In terms of fiscal consolidation, Jaitley has stuck to the medium-term goal of a fiscal deficit of three per cent of GDP – but in three years, rather than two. This will give him breathing space and allow him to spend that much more to boost public investment and domestic demand. Jaitley is a cautious, careful man, a person who often emphasises predictability and the absence of abrupt and unpleasant surprises in tax structures and fiscal policies. In this Budget, he has set benchmarks for the rest of his term. For housing, school and medical facilities, he has set targets right up to 2022, the 75th year of India’s independence. In that sense, the direction of his government is clear very early in the day. Narendra Modi takes election manifestoes seriously. This genuineness in intent and purpose has defined the 2015 Budget as well. With Jaitley, you don’t get impressive statements. He is not P Chidambaram or Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who spent 10 years promising the moon. In the economic regime of Jaitley and Modi what you see is what you get. India will be happy with this.

However, fund for start-ups was announced in the last year budget as well, and also were some schemes for the common man that still await execution and disbursement of funds to the intended beneficiaries. Let us hope that this year’s budget proposals are executed in a time-bound and well-organized manner, and India attains the echelons the present government wants it to. As a participant, we all need to pay heed to a basic fact that the revenues column of this revenue and expenditure statement of the government comes from our sincere and timely payment of taxes, be it by individuals or corporates; hence honest declaration of income in IT returns is expected to help our chosen rulers attain the target of inclusive growth. Needless to mention, this socialist budget with focus on growth is the beginning of a new era, an era where both expectations and delivery will be high.

They can never be an inspiration, but they challenge our will and acumen in dealing with skill development of the younger generation. I am talking about those operating centers where future extremists are brain-washed, trained and are made a full-fledged terror to humanity. Extremist groups do not have a sanction from any authority, they run operations in secret areas exploiting all unauthorized ways to procure trainers, trainees and machinery for teaching. Yet they have been able to produce millions who join the brigade and pose a serious threat to economies and societies around the world. On the contrary, I can see young blood in my country, dipped in depression, drugs, begging and such other forbidden tasks that never add a bit to the economy or social growth. For radicals, this cluster is their probable workforce, while for the government that we choose for betterment of our lives; they are either non-existent or a burden. How can the candidates during election campaigning even promise to eradicate poverty and unemployment when they do not have even a single fool-proof plan to deal with the issue of unskilled and prone-to-evils young generation?

The idea here is quite simple. The present government wants to improve infrastructure, the basic road to development; these are those capital assets that serve the function of conveying people, goods, energy and range from railways, roads and highways to water management and energy infrastructure. Also add solid waste management and present-day need, communications structure to this. Developing infrastructure is fundamental to inviting growth of society and economy, and all-inclusive betterment. But with limited workforce, though we have more youth than rest of the world (UN World Population Report), I say limited as Indian youth is one of the most unskilled, with only a trivial fraction having access to skill development centers, universities and vocation trainings. Of all the young ones, we see every day on roads, in trains and buses performing pity jobs, how many do even know that something like National Skill Development Agency or Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) exist in India? One of the key reasons being nil elementary education certificates due to which children aged above 14 years cannot access platforms (ITIs and vocational training institutes) where abilities compulsory for industrial employment are imparted. UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Osotimehim has said “Young people are innovators, creators, builders and leaders of the future. But they can transform the future only if they have skills, health, decision-making, and real choices in life.”

In real what venues are we providing to the most vibrant blood aged 14-20? Many from them are begging on streets, some are involved in pity and even harsh crimes, a lot are in the grip of cheap drugs, rest are lost with no proper guidance. A difference between extremist groups and our legally elected representatives is that while the former are committed towards imparting the knowledge of Jihad to any and every young blood they are able to tap, the latter are busy in promising well-being, but turn blind and deaf when a 12 year old girl with a begging bowl knocks the door of their bullet-proof cars. Why even a single child of India is allowed to wander on roads, is a question I am seeking an answer to. In case the issue is with high fertility, what is holding you from instigating population control drive? If the issue is lack of schools and skill development centers, what is not allowing you to open a basic vocational institute in every possible corner that can impart teachings on being a blue-collared worker at least? Mind you, though we need more IITs and IIMs to produce world-class engineers, managers, innovators and entrepreneurs, but prior to this, we need venues to train the untrained on how to perform basic labor jobs, after all, more people are required to build ports, railway lines, water/ sewage pipelines and other construction works that can foster progress of Indian industry and economy.

The irony is that nobody wants to talk and discuss work aspects for youth between 14 to 20 years and blue-collared factory and construction based work. Every one of us wants AIIMS, IIMs, medical institutes and if not these, we want diploma courses, short-term programs, on-the-job trainings, but all of these are accessible to those who have certificates from school, what about the ones who for any reason could not attend basic school sessions, will they be left to invitations from criminal gangs, extremist groups or beggars’ association? Employment creation for the youngsters who remained the target of bad destiny till the age of 14 or so years is also the responsibility of the government; and if you say that they themselves are liable for their condition, open a school in each and every corner to cater the need of rising population, force the ones not attending by any possible means and support families for whom they stay out of studies, unwillingly. We have been fighting against child labor practices since decades, but do we realize that UNICEF suggests that poverty is the underlying cause of child labor? Prior to gifting a book to every child, we will need to ensure grains in every household, the scarcity of which leads to their engaging in work. I hold consensus with banning child labor below 14 years of age in any and every industry, be it hazardous or non-hazardous, but I also expect my government to ensure that not even one child is left out from the Right to Education, forcible inclusion of children in schools and making parents/ guardians liable in case of non-adherence to be added in the RTE Act.

Only option that seems viable in the present scenario that cannot be changed overnight is creating employment and developing infrastructure simultaneously. Design programs and make arrangements to take every child above 14 years of age to basic skill learning centers where a 1-2 month course can make them a productive asset for infrastructure development companies. You would all agree that a hand carrying bricks from one point to the other is better than a hand with a begging bowl or a knife, or a hand that seeks pity benefits and subsidies from governments the entire life.

“You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln

Now that the Aam Aadmi Party has won a clear mandate in Delhi, we must realize that the political setup of India has changed radically in past couple of years. Who could have ever imagined that the Congress would go completely out of picture and the BJP, a party that stands high in the name of India’s present Prime Minister, would not make it to even two-digitfigure in the verdict. I have been following AAP’s groundwork since some time now and have realized that in a country like India promise-based politics and votes in the name of probable development of the poor and deprived can take you all the way to power. BJP, in the Delhi campaign, lacked promises and sheer groundwork, an area where the AAP scored full numbers. In a federal yet unitary polity system, now the AAP and BJP shouldcome together for the development of Delhi, else we know that though after considerable time, voters do analyze their past valuations, something that has been substantiated with the downfall of Congress. Dear CM-to-be of Delhi, we wish you all the very best for the innings 2.0, this time you would have nil pressure from ally or the opposition, an equation that feels satisfactory at the day of verdict, but turns out highly cumbersome and demanding from the day of swearing-in. Though opposition, in my belief, was the most apt place for AAP for the time-being, attention-grabbing will it be to witness how the elected CM takes the state to new heights of success, something that you have been declaring and assuring for long;the days of tests have now arrived.

Delivery-based politics and subsequent triumph was the notion in 2014 when a 3-time successful CM of Gujarat was chosen for the topmost position based on his past actions and reforms. This could not be a case in Delhi as Arvind Kejriwal could run the state for mere 49 days, but in all upcoming polls, be it for any state or the nation as a whole, he should be ready to be evaluated based on deliveries. And you have the capability, this is sure;else no other man could have won the heart of Delhi with such extraordinary win. You have connected with the general public of Delhi, have reassured them of reforms in every domain, be it basic necessities like water and power or added perks like a Wi-Fi-enabled city. People have relied on your assertions, or I must say have extremely put their faith in your candidature, which of course is an undeniable and massive liability. In the 49-days governance, you proved that your intent to uplift the poor, by way of free water and cheaper power supply, was indeed honest, but management also asks for planning-based policies and not unforeseen decisions that bounce back to you as a horrible event to deal with. Now it is time that your administrative qualities, team-work, and pro-development thoughts would be tested hard; hence it is phase for apt planning rather than cheering the Delhi verdict or preparing hastily for polls in some other state.

For the BJP, this cannot be regarded as absolute loss for the party or for any of their leaders, be it Narendra Modi, Amit Shah or Kiran Bedi. This, in fact, is a result of shift of sentiments from delivery-based politics to promises-based politics, evident from vote share of BJP which has fell by mere 1 percent ascompared to Delhi polls in 2013. This, however, is also the time when you would need to analyze some apparent mistakes like fielding candidates in the last-minute, bringing in outsiders and ignorance of dedicated BJP workers, arrogance, over-optimismand portrayal of leaders as rulers, not people’s representatives, person-based and negative campaigning, and incapacity to connect with poor, minority and lower middle-class households even after delivering some pluses in the past 9 months. To be a popular political party in India one cannot ignore underprivileged and their ground issues. Wouldn’t it be better if the BJP had appointed a couple of representatives who could connect with the public, raise their concerns and get them sorted? After all, you assured ‘all-inclusive development’, and mind you that a large chunk of voters aren’t aware of rise and fall in GDP growth rate or thick influx of funds from overseas. India has been and will be a home to politics based on betterment of poor until their homes are filled with basic necessities. A rise in the vote share of the AAP is a clear outcome of move of poor and minority from the Congress to Arvind Kejriwal’s guarantees; this is a mirror to what happened in general polls of 2014 when Hindus whole-heartedly backedBJP, especially in the north India. The irony is that there is no model code of conduct while appeasing minority, all rules apply when you talk for the Hindus.

Dear AAP chief, you have all those issues in your manifesto for the 2015 Delhi polls that are the nerves of the common man, and have been present for decades. Who doesn’t need clean drinking water, cheaper electricity, safety of women, strong legal framework and protection from rising prices? It is, however, easier said than done. Now that power companies have congratulated for your win and have given a green nod to audit, it will be observed by every person of Delhi as to how you deal with the issue of electricity prices. Another tailback is providing ample water to every household, when you know that water level in the Haiderpur pond has started falling and Haryana isn’t proving that co-operative, but these are realities, harsh realities that every government has to face, these cannot be termed as excuses for non-delivery; hence proper planning is the need of the hour. You will need to find answer to HOW, WHAT is already in your manifesto. It is no wrong if you take some amount of time to comprehend the basics, hurrying, as in the last session of your ruling, can be avoided. No one needs a free Wi-Fi or CCTVs all over Delhi on day of your swearing-in, step by step and a sustainable change is what that we are looking forward to. The foreign media has termed your victory as a ‘political earthquake’, this term is enough to understand how closely are you being observed and what is the impact of your coming in on even the stock and financial market, and these being the backbone of our economy, your carefulness and astute is much-needed.

Assigning different tasks to relevant departments and heads, inviting suggestions from the public and persons of acumen, informed decision-making, co-operation with other authorities viz. municipal council, other state governments and of course the central government, monitoring the works of departments, re-evaluating those candidates who might have won in the AAP wave but aren’t deserving and capable, being accountable and promoting transparency are only a few aspects that we expect from the CM-to-be of Delhi. Also, a Jan Lokpal Bill isn’t needed, by this I mean that an effective Jan Lokpal Bill is required, we have all witnessed the failures of women empowerment laws and anti-corruption act as well. ‘Cheaper’ doesn’t mean free, rather means economical, that in turn would mean making people financially capable so as to deal with rising prices and economic ups and downs, notions that even developed economies are unable to get rid of completely. You have the responsibility to build not just a ‘developed city’, but also a ‘sustainable city’ that can remember for ages a person who could win the minds and hearts of the people of Delhi in such a manner that even sincere past deliveries of the Congress were totally faded out. Having won this contest with promises, I believe that the party and its chief, Arvind Kejriwal, would from now ask votes in the name of their deliveries and not the failures of other political men. You have the hefty and natural duty to prove that promises-based politics can aptly be turned into delivery-based politics, something that we expect from you in Delhi and Mr. Modi in the center.

This last appeal goes to the Modi-led central government. Look how well the people of Delhi connected with your 2014 call ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’, but why you failed to connect them with the BJP this time is the question that seeks answer. Dear PM, your policies in Gujarat were primarily focused on agriculture, self-employment in villages, adequate electricity to farmers before 24×7 supply in the entire state, betterment of girl child, education, suppression of corruption and such other basics. It is high time that the goods of your policy-making acumen flow down to the poor and lower middle class households, surge in the stock market and hiked FDI in sectors are secondary, though crucial. The youth, who were all in your support in 2014 and helped you secure a vote share of 46 percent in Delhi have now relied on AAP’s promises, and why couldn’t the discontented vote bank of the Congress shift to BJP rather having moved to AAP is a vital issue seeking your perusal; aren’t delayed ‘ACHHE DIN’ and central government’s lukewarm approach towards extending major benefits to the real needy a factor? Somewhat responsible is also the extremist Hindutva feelings with which though core BJP supporters could connect but the youth, Muslims, Christians and poor couldn’t. Upcoming polls in Bihar and other states will yet again witness more or less same factors, identical voters, also competition from arch rivals as well as the newly loved-by-people AAP.

For the BJP there is no other option than to undertake measures that are honestly targeted at simplifying and enriching the lives of common man. You need to pay heed to the MSME sector that employs a large cluster of the total workforce of India yet is fighting everyday battles with government officials, policemen and IT inspectors. While framing the new Finance Bill direct taxation system needs to be made so friendly for businesses and individuals that tax rates of middle class households and businesses be lowered, though not affecting revenue, and harassment of businessmen curtailed. All in all, the democracy is witnessing a war between promises-based politics and delivery-based politics, and to fetch support on delivery lines in all the upcoming state elections, the BJP and its leaders need to focus high on ground-level concerns with a view to bettering living conditions for even the most underprivileged.

“You’re not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have.” – Oscar Pistorius

I will begin with a positive note. It is widely believed that most of the disabled persons have something extraordinary in them. Then why not make the best use of it in the overall interest of this cluster as well as the nation. Never forget, no human can match the speed of a cheetah, we can’t fly like birds, and none of us has the ability to see in the dark; comparisons with others’ ability is what that defines disability. Nothing in this world has the capability to stop us from achieving success, given that we exploit every of the available means and run for our goal until the end. I wish I could be in Alaska at the time of snowfall, I wish I was present on the day of our freedom from British rule and I wish I could stop all the wrongs, but limitations cannot be crossed; isn’t it true that we are all disabled to satisfy our wishes at times. Life is gorgeous the way it is, we ought to give the best, every time. Why I would use the term ‘differently abled’ many a time as a replacement to ‘disabled’ in this writing hails from the incident when I used to travel for work from my home in Ghaziabad to New Delhi in a local train, where I recurrently observed a visibly impaired man selling peanuts; process involved weighing, counting different currency notes and then returning the balance to buyers; something that always boosted my spirit and motivated me to deliver the best even in unfavorable and severely harsh conditions.

The hike in the country’s disabled population was 22.4 percent between 2001 and 2011, rendering their total count as 27 million as per the census of India, 2011; on the other hand, the growth rate was 17.6 percent in terms of entire population increase between the same period; hence the authorities shall sense the alarm. If we study the census deeply, we would see that although rural areas have more of disabled as compared to urban parts, the growth rate is more in urban areas. Most of the people in this cluster are the ones with movement disability, owing to upsurge in the number of road and industrial accidents in 2001-11. Isn’t the area of improvement we need to work upon clear then; wellbeing at roads and during industrial work is what is to be achieved by both technological advancement as well as much severe punitive actions in cases of mishaps. While more than 20 percent of disabled are exchanging blows with movement disability, hearing impaired and visually impaired account for 18.9 and 18.8 percent respectively, mainly due to growing lifestyle disorders; air, water and noise pollution being one of the most conspicuous factors. Prevention is better than cure and government schemes, isn’t it? Then why not work dedicatedly in the areas of pre-pregnancy planning, prenatal care, obstetrical care, and immunization? Read this- Visual impairment is prevented by the use of medication to protect the eyes of the neonate from infections which may be picked up on the way through the birth canal (World Health Organization, 1992), and careful monitoring of newborn babies and rapid treatment of anoxia can prevent mental disabilities.

What purpose would surging GDP growth rate or declining inflation serve for a person with few lacking abilities if he/ she isn’t able to find dignified work prospects, education opportunities and easy access to public places? United Nations’ report says that they are the world’s largest minority; now would the Indian politicians, at least some of them, be more focused? Burdened with poverty, many physically and mentally disabled get excluded from the mainstream, rarely benefiting from rehabilitation, counselling, education and such other measures undertaken by the government or non-government organizations. A simple fact that we need to pay heed to while addressing this concern is that disabled are not a homogenous group, different kind of issues crave for specific requirements; each problem being distinct from the other. For say, those with learning disabilities face the added disadvantage of even being identified; school and university curriculum rarely have any bit for education of students with exceptional needs. While studies reveals that women with disabilities are more vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse, women empowerment programmes do not include issues of the disabled ones. Let me also count here some of the schemes run by the government viz. the ‘Nirmaya’, a health insurance scheme, and the ‘Gharaunda’, a lifelong shelter and care scheme, but how many disabled are aware of these schemes and how much subsidy does in this real and wicked world flow to the real benefit-seekers, is a vital question.

Gwalior district in the state of Madhya Pradesh has been able to make more than 95 percent of public places accessible for differently abled residents. Government schools and public spaces like railway stations, bus stops and even ATMs are now within reach for people who otherwise had all those barriers in the road to success. That’s real achievement for any authority/ administrator. Social and economic development of this cluster, however, has remained far than achieved in India. Nobel Laureate, Sh. Amartya Sen, counts this sadness in his words ‘Disabled people are not only the most deprived human beings in the developing world, they are also the most neglected’. Of no good would be a developed India if the country isn’t capable to make the cluster live at par with other citizens and relish all the perks accessible to the general public. That isn’t possible, some would say. How would you make the deaf listen to music? There are limits, I agree, beyond which we all become helpless, that is why the social paybacks available in countries like U.S. and U.K. aren’t available to Indians, but at least these are prospective targets for the Indian government to achieve, and in the same context are the goals that lead us to a welfare state for differently abled. If not music, at least a career for the deaf, of course this isn’t that unmanageable to attain.

We all know that disabled people face a range of social and economic problems and any improvement in the present conditions is a harder than said task. But this is why we all elect our law and policy makers. Proper rehabilitation services, easy access to primary healthcare, and above all a supportive educational structure that should embrace newer techniques, restructured curriculum, methods of teaching and infrastructure to make accessibility for disabled stress-free are some pressing needs. Why not aptly team up with the corporate sector to ensure that adults, though disabled, are effectively placed at levels where the part of disability would not hinder performance and delivery? The ‘Make in India’ program isn’t all about inflow of funds, but is about its application and generation of employment prospects for the youth. Why not place movement disabled, however, persons of acumen at such positions that the Indian industry can tap the skills of this cluster? Another key goal is to increase public awareness and understanding the notion of disability. What about promoting CSR activities by businesses in this domain and also encouraging research on disability? Isn’t it true that accessibility is the very basic requisite for realizing and relishing of any right, the rights as enshrined in our constitution? Then shouldn’t the administrators look for ways to make all the perks that are being enjoyed by every common man within reach to the disabled?

‘Disability is preventable’ and this has to be considered sooner than later. Malnutrition, poverty, lack of safe drinking water and vitamins, road and industrial accidents, use of drugs are all to be minimized by concentrated labors. What about the goal of making the number of disabled lesser or at least curtailing any growth owing to preventable factors in the coming ten years and also making every possible public place of India accessible to people who are differently abled? I am sure that the present rulers would take due note of this issue, helping disabled discover their privileges.

“If you have a disability and behave ordinarily, people take you extraordinarily.” – Devender Pal Singh, ex-army man, and dubbed as India’s Blade Runner for overcoming the challenges of a lost limb and being a part of numerous half marathons since 2009.

‘Opposition’ is no less tough task, but then there is a thin line of demarcation between wise opposition and unfounded opposition, something that our opposition parties in the Lok Sabha haven’t yet known, or should I not say, don’t want to realize owing to politics based on appeasement. Delhi elections are the talk of the town these days, with almost everyone saying that two honest-appearing chief ministerial candidates are fighting a very close battle for majority in the Vidhan Sabha. Let us then not take this event as yet another poll in one of the states of India, for this time the public movement for Jan Lokpal Bill is very much behind the political waves flowing in the state of Delhi. India against Corruption wasn’t a protest by any political or social group; the demonstration saw common men of India leaving their houses and offices for the sake of making India a better place, corruption-free and answerable to general public. All of us supported the mentor and his aides to the core, and as being one from the general public, we all wanted our rulers to realize the basis of democracy, ‘Of the people, For the people, and By the people’. Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were the two notable figures of this campaign and were accepted as people’s leaders; one however hastily moved towards forming a party with political aims, the other waited for the suitable time to come.

Accept it; AAP has so far proven sheer lack of competence and dexterity in matters of governance, public accountability, decision-making, and standing firm at decisions once taken. Right from the beginning, with asking public whether or not to form a political party to asking again as to whether ally with the Congress to make government post last polls and then quitting from the job just on grounds that other political rivals aren’t letting them work effectively, AAP hasn’t ever displayed sense of apt administration. Dear Arvind, hindrances never leave your way, you need to be strong enough to tackle them, to demonstrate your guts. Indeed, you were slight better when you took over the responsibility of unearthing wrongs of the political leaders, though at that very time too, you severely lacked the aptitude to take forward this crusade and let the public realize that they elected inapt representatives in the past; proper channels for filing grievances were never followed, nor did you ever appeared focused on taking the battle till the end. In the initial days, most of us were enthusiastic to have a political party that carried the name of the ‘Aam Aadmi’, but you could not deliver in the manner that this passion could have last for long. What was the basis when referendum in Kashmir or appeasement of minority became AAP’s agenda? This remembered us how the coalition of various political groups in the 70s uprooted the Congress’ rule, but later took the nation into escalated levels of scarceness.

For the AAP, this is time not to aim for big and lavish, but to remain attached to the roots and learn that bit which they haven’t until now, ‘Governance’. The voters of India and their families want more than just allegations, defamations and protests; they want a society where every child enjoys equitable access to quality education, where a youth is able to find dignified work prospects, where a common household is not suppressed by goons, where development is continuous, and where living is a pleasure. Would you be able to cater to all these needs of the voters of Delhi if majority comes your way? Each and every voter realizes the fact; it is just that some of us are still in the grip of politics of vote-bank and obliteration. Still, the acclaimed integrity of Arvind Kejriwal cannot be completely denied and for sure we never want our rulers to think that they can relish perpetual ruling even if governance isn’t in favor of Indians. This calls for a strong and candid opposition party in the Delhi legislative assembly, and in the present scenario where Congress has proven inefficient in the Lok Sabha; AAP becomes an ideal choice. But here again, AAP would need to overcome the syndrome of interrupting the works of rulers even when they are in consensus with public needs. Best is to support pluses and retaliate any ineffective measures by substantial facts.

When AAP appears worthy in the opposition so that they can hit the books with respect to leadership, governance and decision-making, BJP seems to be the most deserving contender for ruling the Delhi for next five years. Labors of the present Prime Minister are in the very knowledge of the public and certainly deserve to be rewarded. And for those who say that Delhi is to be run by the CM of the state not the PM of India, Kiran Bedi’s bio-data is what they need to refer to. Moreover, India has a dual polity system, where states and center work in coalition with one another; no one can survive for long in isolation. This is why AAP doesn’t at all deserve Delhi’s governance, at least for the time being. Delhi is the epicenter of this country, a nation home to diverse cultures and castes, nation that has seen immense downfall in social, economic, environmental and political setup all during past many years. The country, hence, calls for brains, that can vigilantly handle the tough tasks of rationalizing subsidies, can make us technologically-rich, can provide apt skill development mechanism, and can improve our lives. We can expect that these changes would come sooner than later post many crucial changes, as mentioned hereunder, having already knocked the door.

Record drop in food inflation, diesel and petrol prices and acceptance of India as the most preferred investment location globally, all thanks to the ‘Make in India’ drive of the Prime Minister, are only a few widely acknowledged. The list is long and promising. Improvement in the attendance and working hours of government officials, schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana for the financial inclusion of the poor with RuPay debit card and accidental insurance, Swachh Bharat Kosh, Direct Benefit Transfer, Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana and Kisan Vikas Patra, productive amendments to the worn out legislations, initiation of railways and education restructuring, and digitization of many government departments resulting in curbing of red tape and corruption have all been delivered in the initial few months of BJP’s ruling. The recent dismissal of Home Secretary for interfering in CBI’s probe in the Saradha scandal case is evidence that BJP’s stand on unbiased working of the CBI is loyal. Plus, green nod to as many as 190 projects worth INR 6.31 lakh crore by the environment ministry during June-December 2014 in itself is a revolutionary measure that would boost the economy besides adding to employment prospects.

All in all, you would agree that governance is easier said than done, a difference which can be seen in the political and working philosophy of BJP and not-so-mature AAP. Delhi is to be handed over to safe and strong hands, which can aptly bear the heat and pressure of administration, never-ending political rivalries and at the same time can meet the judicious demands of general public. Am I so mistaken in saying that I can see an impeccable legislative assembly in the state of Delhi with BJP as the governing party and AAP as a wise opposition, though AAP will need effective revamping for the same? For the BJP as well and the nation too, it would be good if a political party can stand BJP’s competition, since being the only contender in the game assures the win.

“If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself. Do this well, and you’ll be ready to stop managing and start leading.”

If blaming could serve all purposes, we would not need defence forces and borders. If complaints had the caliber to make good the evils, then with every one of us as a mere complainant, with no one to actually work and bring in the change, the world had been a better place. Delhi elections are the talk of the town, primetime news channel debates are all revolving around this much-hyped event that would reportedly lay a new stone in the history of Delhi on the 7th of this month. The movement, India Against Corruption, has immense contribution in the present political conditions in the state. Two of the most notable leaders, representing rival political groups, hail from IAC; have different ideologies and have presented separate agenda on how they would reform Delhi once they assume power as state’s Chief Minister. If only agendas and words had the knack to improve the living conditions of impoverished households and unemployed youth, I am sure that none of the candidates have ever lost in any elections. You would agree that in actuality we want and deserve rulers who can take wise decisions, can execute apt plans within time, and can bring positive changes in our lives; but overruled by our crave for pity perks and sometimes by false assurances of candidates, we end up voting for a person who we then think of replacing all during the next 5 years for being ruled.

Delhi voters, you have good number of choices, but every of that may not be good. You also have two chief ministerial contenders, one having served the revenues department and the other from the police administrative wing. Let us also not absolutely rule out Congress, which has been at the very bottom since past couple of years in the Indian political setup. But as far as the pulse of voters seems and opinion polls predict, two parties appear as fighting a neck to neck battle for majority in the legislative assembly. Sayings of the heads of both these parties have been more or less similar; however difference lies in past deliveries and the competence to stand tough during adverse circumstances. No, I would not ask you to vote foreither the BJP or the AAP, but yes I would measure them on few scales to boil down to a result as to which group should, in my opinion, be backed by the voters. The last CM of the state, who could bear the immense and undeniable pressure of administrating the state for just 49 days, is yet again seeking for votes sometimes on corruption grounds, sometimes on development, and many a time on emotional grounds. Dear AAP chief, no one will deny your urge of cleaning politics by ruling out corruption and crony capitalism; but is mere assurance ample? Yours spirits were high and words had all that weightwhen you asked for a Jan Lokpal Bill, even the general public stood by your side, but were you at all able to abide to all those ideals when given a revolutionary chance by Delhi voters in last elections?

For the Congress, this is time to assess your past deliveries and failures, not to retaliate the labors of the central government even when your inner conscience knows that they are in the favor of the nation. To be a responsible opposition in the Parliament, it takes courage to admit your failure, honesty to support goods of the ruling party and acumen to challenge the wrongs. Delhi polls are not yet another chance for you to grab votes of the pubic, and if at all it is, you will have to substantiate the support of voters by being unbiased and shrewd during ruling. The BJP though has proven a lot during these eight months of administration at the center, but the goal of sustainable and inclusive growth isn’t yet completely accomplished. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s art of winning the opposition and Mahatma Gandhi’s dedication to attain decisivesovereignty are what that time demands, although the public is assured of economic and social pluses; also are the voters of Delhi optimistic about the candidature of your projected CM, the lady holds all those skills of administration and delivery even when the waves aren’t supportive. On the other hand, AAP hasguaranteed every of the bit that has been a part of election manifestos since past seven decades; however the general public asks as to how with limited resources would you manage to make Delhi a free Wi-Fi zone, reduce power and water bills and provide loans at low interest rates. Hailing from the IAC movement, you seem to have disremembered that public backs truth and decency, not promises.

Delhi elections may be termed as the ‘Agni-Pariksha’ of Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, and even the country’s present Prime Minister; in actuality, they are the ray of optimism and change for the people of Delhi, who sometime feel backstabbed by the AAP in 2014 and sometime feel assured with the way India is currently being administered by the BJP at the center. Remember, it is all about how we prudently assess the past deliveries and future intents of our candidates. The IAC movement was not the same as the upcoming elections, and the people of Delhi will have to keep this in mind while pressing that button on the EVM. Along with electing a political party, distinct constituencies elect their representatives as MLAs;hence they are to be individually evaluated by the locals. Equally important is to give a clear verdict, majority being a pre-requisite to rule appositely, competently and unbiasedly. As a piece of advice to Delhi voters, this is the time that you vigilantly take informed decisions, interpreting the fact that a new political party, with loud and untested men, has an inherent nature to move in an altogether opposite direction. This is an easy way to lure the public by projecting that you are not like the current rulers, but is also the most suicidal way to fall into the grip of inflation, recession and debt. Shifting money from the pocket of one tax-payer to the other is nothing more than conning, hence would serve no purpose, the need is to apply brains while undertaking what we call ‘good governance’ and ‘all-inclusive development’.

The BJP has played better in all terms, be it the inclusion of Kiran Bedi, a former IPS with proven track record, the floating of a realistic vision document or respecting talent within the party. Regrettably, AAP has relied on that offensive and emotional support which they believe would come from the Auto drivers, Muslim community and the poor. No member, however, from any of these groups would back a party that defames other political and corporate men, and is unwilling to take apt actions when corruption and severe misuse of power and funds are sensed within their own party. I am sorry AAP members, your self-attained tag of honesty, even if we believe it to be true, does not make you eligible to administer a state, an act that demands sheer competence and vision. Limits have all been surpassed with you challenging the authenticity of EVMs, thus libeling the Election Commission, a statutory body that leaves no stone unturned in assuring spotless voting process. Such rumors only expose your anti-national plans and stands. My urge to the voters of Delhi is to evaluate deliveries of contending parties and not just words, come out in large numbers during the voting day and prove that Delhi, being the heart of India, will be administered by leaders of acumen for the next five years, working in sync with the central government to bring in actual development. Also, when we realize that BJP’s deliveries and hard work has to be promoted, not only by their dedicated workers but also by the common public, let us then unite in favor of this political party, a culture that finds place in many developed countries.

“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn

The call, as I believe, is very evident. The epicenter of India and also a target for many terrorist and even separatist organizations, Delhi, can never be made vulnerable to anti-India forces, possible only if the people are ready to back a stable, intelligent and active government. In this regard, the AAP loses its reliability due to scarcity of tested leaders (a basic necessity for governance), wide gap between their commitments and doings, and their intent to back communalism and separatist ideology just for the want of support. Moreover, national security and unity of the people of Delhi cannot be left to the rule of a group that has proven severely immature and unskilled. Rather, leaders of this group, if they have the real desire to serve the nation, must evaluate as to what is lacking in them, despite of asking for votes on baseless grounds, many a time anti-national and anti-growth. Dear Arvind, you may be an honest and nice person, but it is time that you also prepare leader/s of your party to be capable of serving in your absence; politics and governance are tough jobs, emotions have no place, you come to deliver, that’s why public backs you. BJP comes out to be a clear winner in this contest with years of know-how and with a proven Chief Ministerial candidate. They will sync well with the present central government and the current positives will flow high to the state of Delhi.

“Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is only day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

The Republic of India has a federal parliamentary setup and follows dual polity system of governance, with a supreme set of laws, the constitution, outlining the powers and limitations of both the union as well as state governments. The Upper House represents the states and the Lower House the people of India. Inclusive growth, improvement of social and physical infrastructure, and taking the pluses of success towards the most underprivileged households is the responsibility of both states and the Centre. Can any Indian state survive in isolation? Then why not participate in the best possible manner in the furtherance of the nation? Obsolete laws, uncooperative plans and unjustifiable contradiction with the measures of the central government on the part of states have held back real development. Subsidy, for instance, is a way of giving some added perks to the poor so as to augment their growth, but unless states provide unambiguous facts about the number of such families and unless they have procedures in place that can assure of authentic movement of funds to the poor, for which adequate supervision and apt monitoring and reporting mechanism is a must, circumstances will rarely recover. One of the most annoying points of contradiction is when any probable shift in present laws is proposed by the union government, which though has the caliber to add pluses, does not get the obligatory support in the houses of parliament.

Let me quote some examples that would reveal how redundant laws in some states are totally in contrast with development. In the state of Tamil Nadu, prosopis, which can be converted into high grade charcoal, isn’t allowed to be converted so. A marginal farmer cannot easily sell his/ her land in the state of Delhi, therefore needs to employ every of the illicit means to fetch some benefits from the rising price of land. In Maharashtra, one cannot purchase agricultural land except if is an agriculturist, which means that the industry is deprived of acquiring farmland. To move paddy from one zone to the other in the state of U.P. one needs a certificate, implying that to move grains from one point to the other, located only a few km away, however in separate zones, one has to abide to the law and get disgusting clearances from the officials. This list is lengthy and has many concerns that are detrimental to the pace of progression in the present economic scenario. Three lists, enumerating the items that fall under the purview of the Centre, the states and both (concurrent list), as are in the constitution carry the notion that few subjects have a local bearing and as such states should be well positioned to deal with them, but this cannot be at the stake of people’s development owing to conceptual and ideological clashes between the political parties ruling in the states and the one with majority at the Centre.

Another such issue can be seen with the land acquisition subject-matter that falls in the concurrent list. The Rajasthan State Highways Act isn’t in sync with the central law on land acquisition. The state’s Act avoids some crucial steps, such as the social impact analysis and need to obtain consent of land owners; the compensation to be paid also is less when compared to what is mandated under the central law. Misrepresenting and under-reporting of facts related to healthcare, malnutrition, unemployment, and such other social infrastructure minuses by states and regions has held the speed of all-inclusive development. On the issue of toilets, the U.P. government’s report suggested that more than 90 percent of households in the rural parts had toilets; however the Census data reported that the figure was mere 25 percent. How MGNREGA scheme is being handled at the ground level is known to all, dummy employees are paid the government’s money and those actually working at the sites are underpaid. States need to understand that Centre cannot have an eye at the last person for whom schemes are launched; this has to be the indisputable duty of the state governments and gram panchayats. It has been pointed out in a study that of all working under the gram panchayats in Jharkhand, only 18 percent get paid in time. Same is the case with mid-day meal programmes and other schemes taken care of at the state or district levels.

To bring in what we have termed as ‘Inclusive Growth’, India needs a robust monitoring and reporting system, and then it is to be assured that the benefits, without cuts, flow to the most disadvantaged ones, which asks for fair participation of states. Governance will be the key, but unless states rise above the notions of communal and caste-based politics, we can hardly dream of success. For instance, half of the collectors in the state of U.P. are transferred within a year of their posting. Policemen fear suspensions and transfers, which results in lesser attention towards public grievances and more towards the orders of the ruling men. Right from the way the Centre provides funds to states to placement of men in administrative jobs; India now needs a creative and out-of-the-box approach. The Rajya Sabha, representing the states of India, shall play its role in such a manner that central government’s measure of passing even one ordinance stands truly unjustifiable. The constitution has to be respected in every manner, and when the same outlines the ways how states and Centre shall work separately, yet in co-ordination and sync to take forward the nation and its residents, partaking of states in the growth of India becomes a must. Along with, implementing an effective monitoring and reporting system, obsolete and contradictory laws are to be amended/ repealed. Ease of doing business, improvement in social infrastructure (health, education, sanitation etc.) and in physical infrastructure (roads, power, water etc.), and reaching the poor is the aim.

Stability, security and economic development of the country rest on the shoulders of all representatives of public, be it in the Lok Sabha or state legislative assembly. Provisions according superiority to laws passed by the Parliament over state laws, keeping the residuary powers with the Centre and imposition of emergency rule by the Centre in extreme situations are in the constitution with a view to safeguarding India’s integrity and making the union of states stronger than individual states. The other side of the coin is harsh as well with respect to central governments misusing provisions of Article 356 of constitution to dismiss state governments, appointment and role of governors, and intrusion of the Centre into the state list. These, however, have been the instances in the past while the present leaders at the central level have talked much about co-ordination and consensus between states and the Centre. While on one hand, the functioning of the Inter-State Council has to be fortified so as to help the Centre understand the challenges faced by the states; members of the Rajya Sabha and state legislative assemblies will have to respect productive labors of the Centre, keeping aside the ill politics of vote-bank and appeasement of some sections. All in all, harmony between the states and the Centre, as has been reached for GST and newly-formed NITI Ayog, is to be achieved by talks, explanations, understanding, and above all, by way of substantial backing for all constructive endeavors.

It is quite apparent. Skill Development, Education System, and Industry can never stand separate, and in case they are made to, none of the domains would produce optimum, or even satisfactory outcomes. The country has separate ministries with capable heads for all the three areas, but unless one compliments the remaining two, success would remain far than accomplished. Economy and society both are a combination of diverse factors that move the wheels, and if any one of the wheel isn’t in sync, the movement stops. Let this be very basic- What good can we fetch by producing engineers for the electronics industry, if the need of this industry is handful when compared with the number of pass-outs? Wouldn’t then it be better to pave way for more IT engineers at a time when India is an IT hub for the entire world? Similarly, when studies and surveys have depicted that the Indian industry would need millions of skilled workers in the upcoming years, should the same old and worn-out system of imparting education be allowed to continue? To realize the promises made to the general public with respect to employment and economy, and to make true the dream, ‘Make in India’ of the PM, it is high time that we consider basics ranging from streamlined vocational educational training to involving business units in the process of skill development of labor force.

We shall assess this in a systematic manner, foremost being the need to recognize the flaws in the present setup. There can be thumbs up for the government’s initiatives in the recent past, the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), an autonomous body to coordinate and harmonize skill development efforts of the government and the private sector, been formed in 2013. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is an institutional structure to motivate the private sector for skill development and has so far set up more than 1700 centers. Polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) are in place, but their limitations with respect to providing diploma courses in conventional disciplines i.e. engineering, electronics and computers is a severe stumbling block when it comes to courses for the youth in new and emerging areas of work. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been promoting B.Voc. Programs, which shall run parallel to programs like B.A. and B.Com.; however degree colleges did not show interest due to absence of faculty, industry experts and infrastructure. A few efforts are being done by the National Institute of Open School (NIOS) that offers vocational education to general and prioritized groups through study-cum-training centers, and Janshikshan Sansthan (JSS) that aims at enhancing vocational skills and quality of life of wage workers and their families. Then we have many present and projected institutions that run/ will run under their respective ministries, but the issues of lack of awareness of the general public, coordination, and incapacity in capturing modern industry trends stand.

Streamlining of skill development programs and education wing of India has to be paid heed to in light of global best practices in education and vocational training. Countries around the world have recognized the very roots of education and skill development, which rest in changing the norms as per the industry’s demands and trend of economic development. For instance, imparting basic computer knowledge through polytechnics will serve no purpose for an overextended time since the phase of economic evolution has changed immensely in the past few years. Limited contribution of employers, be it in the organized sector or the unorganized one, is troublesome too. Korea interpreted the issue of lack of skill development arrangement in as early as 1970s and hence they imposed in-plant training obligations for large firms; under the Job Skill Development Program run in the country, employers provide training to insured employees assisted by funds from the government. Germany has in place an apt dual system of vocational education that integrates school-based and work-based learning; trainees spend a day or two in vocational school and three to four days at the employer’s place, progress of trainees evaluated by way of final analysis where they show theoretical as well practical knowledge gained, thus making Germany a place with employers and vocational schools having a joint educational and training responsibility.

Many a time, the school as well as the university learning structure in India, and the way we carry out skill expansion for such a large workforce and even large prospective labor force are criticized. Indeed, the government is answerable to both the concerns along with rewarding Indian business houses with skilled personnel through industry’s partaking in the process of skill development. 12 million people are expected to join the workforce every year and by all means such large talent pool has to be sheer capable. Then we know that agricultural growth rate would not cross 4-5 percent hence main part in the economic growth of the country would be played by secondary and tertiary sectors, which in turn need aptly qualified skilled labor. With the ‘Make in India’ dream and acceptance of skill development as a national priority for next one decade, reforms will come only when the government integrates skill development, education system and the Indian industry. Quality of training, trainers, standardization of training process and effective assessment should be paid attention to. Trainers for the skill development mission are to be wisely procured, based on laid down criterions, and the existing ones must be considered with respect to basic instructional skills and know-how of present trends. Along with, training content should pay heed to rapidly changing industrial needs and technology. Should we then not crave for an active partnership between schools, universities, business houses and the government? Indian universities will have to think of Work Integrated Training Programmes (WITP), hence providing learners the opportunity to engage in on-the-job training at the works area of business houses.

Theoretical knowledge alone will hardly serve any purpose. WIPT structure will ensure that students earn while they learn and are motivated towards adopting real challenges and expectations at workplaces. Universities should largely endorse B.Voc programmes and the students must get credits for theoretical classes as well as practical workshops at the industry level, thus fortifying the foundation from the very start. Enhancement of skills of already employed workforce demands such short term courses that cater to the need of specific skill sets required for specific industry. In this scenario, people with nil or partial academic qualification should be targeted by way of giving them credit for the duration of their past employment. Next, specific skill development should be promoted in contrast to general skill training, for say, not all learning basic computers at the polytechnic level can be absorbed; rather skills should be planned for every industry, even for the unorganized sector, for say, plumbing, construction and sewing jobs. Skill development must be disseminated with minimal education criterion for the training-seekers so that education reaches maximum. The partners in skill development should be business houses who should be eligible for CSR benefits for the money spent on training students in-house. It cannot be denied that on-the-job training system would add to the throughput of businesses as well.

All in all, the existing curriculum at the school and university level has to be aligned with existing and upcoming needs of the Indian industry. Certification should be sensible in a way that global universities and employers consider the same, thus opening extensive prospects for students around the world. ‘Make in India’ dream of the Prime Minister not just demands inflow of funds and outflow of products/ services, it asks for quality work delivered in an efficient manner, which is possible when right people owning right job skills are placed at the right places. Lessons alone can serve limited purpose; we all know that half of the degree holders in India remain unemployed. Skill development has to be made broader than the present system of basic accounting and computer lessons; every industry, be it from the manufacturing or services sector, can deliver optimum results when specifically skilled manpower for undertaking tasks is available without problems. Two pre-requisites when ability enhancement is talked about are ‘continuous skill development’ and ‘centralized certification’ of trainings. To summarize, three pillars to a better Indian economy are meaningful education system, robust skill development setup and active involvement of businesses in mentoring the workforce. Existing curses of unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, technical know-how disability and incompetence of our products/ services in global market will then find no place in India.

The present minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship can be seen urging corporate players to partake in the skilling initiatives of the ministry. A tripartite agreement between NSDF, NSDC and Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI) that will see PGCI contributing CSR funds to national skill qualification framework is the first and foremost of such partnership between government and corporate house. The ministry is also to take care of the implementation of national skill qualification framework in a way that states utilize the funds apportioned for this task resourcefully with nil leakages at even the most basic level. Distinct ministries would undertake skill development in their respective sectors; hereafter coordination and apt supervision would be the sole key to success. Skill development centers cannot be allowed to become a mode of corruptly procuring funds from the government, rather they are to be made the birthplace of able workforce in India. We have seen how data and reports on such activities are forged by supervisors; hence need is to build a transparent and competent reporting mechanism, where details of such centers, trainers, trainees, training modules and work assigned post the completion of training be accessible with ease. Perpetual work prospects i.e. employability of Indian labor force and constant supply of skilled personnel to the businesses is the paramount aim; hence ‘continuous skill development’ is the buzzword. Be it the school/ university education, NSDC, NSDA, NSDF, NSQF, ITIs, polytechnics or the multi-faceted industrial setup of India, all have to come at one place with a single goal of extending quality education and skill development to every Indian citizen and their deployment at suitable place of work.

What made the Union of India Republic of India? Which literature declares India to be a secular, socialist, sovereign and democratic republic? Which is the source that assures all Indian citizens equality, justice and liberty? And where are the structured principles, rights and duties of people and government laid? This cannot be just a piece of writing; this cannot be just another book in our libraries or just another subject in school syllabi. The Indian constitution is much more, at par with our religious books and the sayings of our religious leaders. It wasn’t on the 15th of August 1947 that Indians gained freedom; it was on the 26th of January 1950, the date when the constitution was adopted, that in true sense the people of this nation were assured of fair and dignified life, free from the clutches of interference, unjustified authority and disparity. Today, we are free to elect our representatives, are free to move and work in any of the states of India, are free to express, and are free from any perpetual supreme authority, all backed by a literature, which if studied and abided to diligently by all citizens and their representatives in the administrative setup, will better not only the Indian society, but also our economy, environment and political structure.

Freedom from foreign rule or autocracy is not absolute and reasonable unless explicit guiding principles promising right to honorable life are in place. This is why the rulers of free India felt the need of a supreme law that should set out the fundamental rights and duties of citizens and lay down the framework for separation of powers and directive principles for governments. Any law that contravenes with the prescribed norms of the constitution cannot stand, thus ensuring that the citizens of India would forever remain protected from the glitches of corrupt politics. Then will it be so wrong to say that our constitution holds no less prominence than our Gita, Quran or Bible, and that along with motivating the new generations to adopt the sayings of these religious literatures, they should also be awakened to imbibe the Indian constitution? This means that constitution cannot be just confined to a subject in the education module, it has to be accorded much more importance, such that the learnings from this never get faded in our memories and our day to day actions are in complete consensus with the utmost law of the land. Would you not agree with the truth that merely anyone of us recalls the lessons on constitution that we get in our school days and what about those who even lack elementary education? Are we then not unaware of our rights, our obligations and our liabilities towards the nation?

We celebrate the 26th day of every January, but for most of us it is just another holiday. We know that a constitution embracing our privileges exists, but what exact those rights are, we rarely know. We, from news sources, come to know that someone has challenged an unconstitutional act of the legislature/ parliamentin the court of law, but why the same is alleged to be void ab initio, we hardly detect. Constitution is the very basis of our lives and being acquainted with even the minute particulars as contained therein is all that necessary to realize our sense of duty. While we cast our votes and then expect from our representatives to make good the living conditions, should we not also be well familiar with the political setup of India, with the notions of separation of powers, directive principles of state policy, elections, emergency provisions, and trade and commerce? Remember, the functioning of the governments and the conduct of our representatives should be in line with the norms of the constitution; hence any misuse of power is ultra vires. When we expect them to be honest at work, should we also not play our part in the process of nation-building, and the same is attainable if we adhere to the fundamental duties of all citizens as enumerated in the constitution.

We are the world’s largest democracy and are ruled by the longest written constitution of any sovereign country around the globe, but lack of awareness and hunger of what we deserve has held us back. From politicians to bureaucrats and from religious leaders to general public, every person on the soil of India should be aware of what the Indian constitution expects from us all. Directive principles, though not enforceable by any court of law, should be the guiding codes for every government. A few overlooked aspects such as cow slaughter and uniform civil code are to be paid heed to sooner than later. Then are our fundamental duties that ask us to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, and to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement. Fundamental rights embrace right to equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation, right to freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights, right to property and right to constitutional remedies. The honorable Supreme Court has adopted the view of the fundamental rights and directive principles being harmonizing with each other, onesupplementing the other’s role in aiming at the sole goal of establishing a welfare state by means of social revolution. Isn’t it very clear then that all that we expect from the society, political leaders and economy are there in our constitution, which makes the same the most supreme piece of literature in India?

For those who haven’t read or have disremembered the lessons on this guiding principle, this 26th January go through at least the Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties as encompassed in the constitution. The dream of ‘Better India, Just for All’ can come true in case our works compliment the dictums of our constitution. To all- Try to place a copy of the Indian constitution at your homes and offices; better we are when aware of the supreme directive that establishes the rule of law and not the rule of man, provides against encroachment on the individual’s right and preserves the political institution against political whim or caprice. One thing is sure- 26th Jan, 15thAugust, and 2nd October cannot be just another holiday from work or study, these days are the genesis of free India, they remind us the command of honesty, truth, and of the common man, who has all the courage to change the circumstances, it is just the will and spirit that lack. If we promise to change any one wrong each year on these days, it would not take long for the Indian society and economy to prosper and be a world leader. The Parade of 26th Jan is a symbol of unity and synchronization; let us then be an Indian, not a Hindu, Muslim, Jaat, Pandit, Shia or a Sunni. From the core of my heart, Happy Republic Day!!!

19th January 1990, it has been 25 years now that thousands of them escaped what could have been their brutal assassination in the name of Jihad and supremacy. If you want to feel the endless pain of this cluster, allow someone to displace you from your house, take over your possessions that you collected with immense labor, and then make you struggle to get started from the scratch. Promises of the government and condolences of politicians and social activists are not even a trivial support for someone who faces the challenge of re-establishing the family from the very basics. We have been assuring the population of better education and health services, but what about the ones who are clearly the sufferers of displacement in the name of faith and terrorism? Right to property, right to dignified and safe life, all become baseless for people who become victims of forced migration and harassment. What on earth have our governments been doing when it is evident that Kashmiri Pandits, who constituted almost 15 percent of the valley population until 1947 and 5 percent until the year 1981, are now a mere part of the valley with some 800 families, which live in a physical, mental and social trauma, without even a moment of what we call ‘dignified life’. Live a day with that fear, that harassment and that denouncement, and then will we realize the agony of those who are being consoled since decades but real measures for their advancement remain far than achieved.

Kashmir valley has been a place of conflicts since long and past governments have cared about a community that form the majority, yet even their ruin is known to all. Subsidies and perks have moved to the valley from New Delhi, but have we been able to deliver peace and economic expansion so far? And greater is the distress of this small cluster which remains beside the point for both the state government of J&K and the central government. What we call as the ‘worst massacre in Kashmir history’, the 19th day of January 1990 saw thousands of Kashmiri Pandits flee from their homes to escape death. While the nation was preparing for an economic recovery in 1991, many of the families, displaced from the valley, were on roads with no hopes of recovery. The past governments could not realize that the state which has always been referred to as ‘Heaven on Earth’has turned into a graveyard of innocents and hell for the inhabitants. Though misfortune has seen no difference between a Hindu and a Muslim in the valley, the sorrow of Pandits has remained concealed and unheeded, owing to political and vote-bank equations. The faith that has been the occupant of the valley since ages and even prior to when the Muslim rulers motivated heavy influx of Muslims is today weak and vulnerable to severe troubles, even in the presence of heavymilitary shield.

Time has seen coerced conversion of Kashmiri Hindus, and literature is flooded with all kinds of brutalities on this group only because the state has abundance of Muslims and also of people who in the name of Jihad want the valley free from Hindus and even from the dominance of the Indian government. The resolution passed by the United States Congress recognizes that since 1989 more than four lakh Kashmiri Pandits were either murdered or forced to move from their ancestral homes. Extremely worried over the cases of mishaps by the Indian army in Kashmir that sees Muslims being harmed for no valid reason, why aren’t the governments equally concerned about the rapes, murders, and other violent activities to which Hindu civilians are subject to in the name ethnic cleansing of the valley by terror outfits like JKLF, Hezb-ul-Mujahidin and others? And the irony is that even the Muslim populace, who are not in consensus with this so-called cleansing, face similar cruelty from terror groups. While talking of the notion of all-inclusive development and work prospects for all, the governments often overlook apparent victims; however they deserve the courtesy of rulers prior to all other benefit-seekers. When we talk of reformed way of living for Indians, add Kashmiri Pandits to the top of the list of wounded and deprived.

It is crystal clear. If you are honest rulers, have the guts of executing the promises you make to the general public, give them their homes back, return them peace and their very right to dignified and safe life. The position of the J& K government formation is unclear but the verdict of voters is not the same this time, and the center is being managed with a new energy and a much greater devotion. In this light, the Kashmiri Pandits are hoping a change of circumstances in the valley and the return of their right of living in their ancestral houses. In the past six decades, Kashmiris, Hindus as well as Muslims, have seen mass killings, with lakhs of them losing lives, becoming widowed and orphans, and thousands missing from homes and while in custody. Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of the most capable rulers India have seen, had promised peace and safe homes to Kashmiri Pandits in 2003, and also reassured them of a rehabilitation policy. The dream of this veteran leader remains unattained due to political troubles, and is a challenge for the new wing of the BJP. The manifesto of the BJP for 2014 general elections talked about ‘return of Kashmiri Pandits to the land of their ancestors with full dignity, security and assured livelihood’. It also promised good governance, infrastructure, education, healthcare, job opportunities and better quality of life to the people of the valley. It is time to deliver, fulfill the promises made.

To bring peace, giving away the right over Kashmir, which has been India’s jewel since centuries, is like paving way for invaders to ask for more provinces; Kashmir is the part and also a responsibility of India, making it a safe and developed place is an undeniable liability. Kashmiri Pandits have been overlooked for a long time now; their rehabilitation is much-urgent, anobligation to be pursued sooner than later.

Supreme Court, having overturned the judgment of the Delhi High Court and upholding the supremacy of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, has given a clear verdict that anything that was not acceptable and is not in sync with nature cannot be sanctioned in the Indian society. Believe me, the jurists have all the acumen in this world when they consider arguments and also are they reasonable and fair while making a decision. They do not just view any situation with the eyes of the defendant or the plaintiff; they assess the event in light of the society at large, past positions and future consequences. Then should we not evaluate the verdict of the Apex Court on homosexuality with much broader and prudent perspective? Isn’t it in the open? Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender are vulnerable tosuppression in the society, are disowned by parents and relatives, and are rarely considered acceptable for a job. Many would argue these harsh facts quoting few examples from the media, fashion and film industry; but once you approve this notion of unnatural sexual orientation, the number will see such a hike that depression for the homosexuals and augmentedsuppression will be the only outcomes.

Type ‘parents disowning homosexual child’ on the internet and you would come across an endless list for across the world with parents justifying their measure. I could also come across ‘Being Gay, A Life of Misery’ by a gay activist and could know the social unacceptance on the account of being a homosexual. Physical as well as mental health issues are also a significant part of concerns they face, leave aside the social ones. The Prince of one of the princely states of India accepted being a gay, was disinherited by the family, though was later recalled; heacknowledged that he tremendously regretted for ruining his ex-wife’s life and held himself guilty. How many people from among the activists, apart from LGBTs, asking for legality of this issue would readily accept a son or a daughter when he/ she admit of being a homosexual? Harsh and blunt this may sound, but accept the truth; when we ask for some rights, they shall be tolerable to the right-seekers themselves and to the society at large. This same equation was paid heed to by the Supreme Court that did not find unnatural sexual orientation in line with the national and social consensus; hence its criminality stands erect. If people, other than the LGBT activists themselves, can validate how Indian society, or for that matter any society or faith around the world, will be a better place with homosexuality as a legal notion, I don’t think that even the prudent judges of India will have any concerns.

Eyes open and with ears listening to the agony of homosexuals, it is not that tricky to note that though we crave for social equality and freedom of sex between consenting adults as is enshrined in our constitution, basic veracity is impossible to be changed. And this basic truth lies in the element that rarely anyIndian family would welcome a situation when their child would seek permission to marry someone from the same sex. Openly mocking at the sexual orientation and also at the public conductof homosexuals is a regular scenario, even in the films that represent them as something to make fun of. Many activists supporting this unnatural orientation claim that historical literary evidences do exist that are an indicative of the prevalence of homosexuality across the Indian subcontinent, also asserting that homosexuals were never considered low-grade in the past, something that is happening in the present world. But can I ask them as to whether the movement is against ill-treatment of LGBTs or for according the same as lawful, and if someone believes that according a legitimate status to an immoral and unnatural act would change the outlook of the society and resultant suppression, that person is heading towards a mistakenaim.

When the decision of the Delhi High Court, which rendered Section 377 of the IPC as unconstitutional, was challenged in the Supreme Court, the petitioners were from all the faiths, this substantiates that none of the religious leaders or associations would ever approve the concept of homosexuality. The protestors of the judgment of the Supreme Court were either the LGBTs, or a few activists and politicians. Isn’t it true that the general public would have never retaliated to the ruling of the prudent judges in case the LGBT activists had not projected the ruling as a violation of the fundamental rights of some citizens, which in true sense is not since freedom can never be unconditional, or with nil restrictions? Same applies to this issue, which surely demands fair treatment of those who develop feelings for the same sex; but legalization of the same is nothing less than promoting homosexuality, a situation that would only enhance the miseries of these people rather than providing them with a dignified life. What would have happened in case even the Apex Court had held the Section 377 as unconstitutional? Would we be then prepared to willingly accept the confessing of our son/ daughter of being homosexual? Are we then ready for such a situation where something that finds no place in nature, science and culture is openly endorsed?

Remember, the outlook of the society can never be changed by sanctioning any unacceptable act by means of a law; laws, however, are made in consensus with the acceptable norms of society. Hence, the need is not a homosexuality-favoring verdict or repealing of the section of IPC, rather it is time to prudently assess the ongoing events and come to a conclusion as to whether our society can ever accept homosexuality. Need is to analyze the problems, social, health, and all others, faced byhomosexuals and to make endeavors to lessen them. Plus, need is to stop the promotion/ sanctioning of homosexuality; I am sure that with the kind of harshness and unacceptance faced, social, not legal, not even any one of the lesbians/ gays would ever ask for furtherance of homosexuality from the very heart.

In the end, though controversial and politically handled, this recent row is worth paying heed to. When one of the state ministers of Goa advocated establishing centers for the LGBTs, protests raised from almost every corner, but did anyone truly and scrupulously consider the harsh reality of the society thatacceptance of homosexuals will always remain far than achieved? Will it be that wrong and unjust then to have counselling centers that can promote LGBTs towards standard social and health norms? Shall I not call the same as self-destruction on the part of those who just are looking at one side of the coin; the other, however, can help them lead an honorable and acceptable life. The issue surely demands astute assessment by honest people to ensure right to dignified life of all Indian citizens, including LGBTs.

Many view him as a scholar, many as a philosopher, many as a spiritual leader, for me, he was a guide, a guide who nobly exhibited the road to principled life, a life worthy enough for the society and the economy even. We cherish the lives of our sacred Gods and worship Him for the want of eternal fortune. Present, however, not just demands our remembrance of God, but also seeks our works devoted to the world we live in, for the progress of humans and humanity. Swami Vivekananda endorsed those elementary moralities, which if followed by every human on earth, would reverse all the evils. National Youth Day, as cherished on the 12^th of every January, the birth day of Swami Ji, was declared in 1984, with the Government quoting, ‘It was felt that the philosophy of Swami Ji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of motivation for the Indian Youth’. Three decades of this ‘Youth Day’ and abundance of literature with the ideals of Swami Ji, however, aren’t ample for the young blood of the country to live up to the path displayed by this esteemed soul; just because the passion of patriotism lacks. Not all of us are guilty; not everyone has disremembered the vitality of Karma, but in a country drowned in curses, fractional labors cannot be ample.

Motive is not to write the same words that are accessible to us all in the libraries and over the internet, the aim is to let people realize that past has done what it could have, now we have to live the present, shape a robust tomorrow. Whenever the legacy of Swami Ji is talked about, many of us affiliate him with furtherance of Hinduism, Gita, Vedanta, and Yoga. Do we remember that this person travelled thousands of kilometers and delivered hundreds of lectures emphasizing that service to God can be rendered by service to mankind? The person, who lived for just 39 years, the age when many of us are busy arranging for just our own families, was able to move the entire world with his awareness and approach towards life, towards religion and towards Karma. What if he had accepted the lucrative and honorable positions offered by the Harvard University and Columbia University? He turned down the proposals saying that his duties at the university would conflict with his obligations as a monk. His duties were to persuade the youth to work for the advancement of humankind, and the book ‘Karma Yoga’, which embraces his lectures on the significance of ‘work and duty’, tells us that this form of yoga is nothing other than dedicated mental discipline that allows us to carry out our services to the world, as a path to enlightenment.

I have much more to tell, his delivering of thoughts at the platform of the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893, his founding of the Vedanta Society of New York that promotes holiness and social service, his founding of the Ramakrishna Mission for communal welfare, and his advices to the followers to be holy, unselfish and to hold Shraddha, being some of them. On the occasion of Youth Day, however, I will confine my writing to his much-treasured work, the Karma Yoga. Youth of India has the highest sharing in the country’s population and hence bears the liability to take forward the pluses and overcome the minuses of the society. Yet again, I would synonymize country with economy; economic dexterity and equal income dispersion can turn any stressed country into a prosperous one. Shouldn’t I then also relate economy with the amount and eminence of labors done by the workforce; the same has a very deep linkage with the Karma Yoga as described by Swami Ji and holds that each one is great in his own workplace, showing us the path to attaining our goals through Karma, and advising us that non-attachment is complete self-abnegation. Swami Vivekananda’s life and works have plenteous for the youth to study and imbibe in their doings, but the real essence lies in execution, to put it right, in honest and generous execution.

There is so much to be done; so much for yourself, your family, your country, and for the entire world. For yourself, spare some time and think what are the aims that you have always dreamt of and why haven’t you attained them until now; nothing is above your approach and courage, defeat all the hindrances then. For your family, think for a while how your parents fulfilled their duties and what now their expectations from you are. For the country, think of what all are the bottlenecks, why your contribution is indispensable and how your partaking can bring a revolution. Swear not to be idle when time demands work, swear not be silent when situation demands retaliation, and swear not to be desirous when you know that resources are for all hence everyone has to be the recipient. It’s time to live up to the legacy of Swami Vivekananda, as for afterwards we would complain of old age factors affecting our throughput. Get a book of ‘Karma Yoga’ authored by Swami Ji and know the secret of work, know how we help ourselves, not the world and that the path to enlightenment is service towards the whole world. He was an influential orator, a renowned writer; his writing ‘Bartaman Bharat’, a Bengali language essay, was a simple message to all the readers to honour and treat every Indian as a brother irrespective of whether he was born poor or in lower caste.

To all my young friends and also to India’s future shoulders- The country seeks your active partaking in the path that can lead to sustainable evolution and dignified life for all. Unify all the scattered drops of energy lying within and aim for a better India, just to all and heaven on earth for all, indeed, achievable through devoted Karma.

“All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. You can do anything and everything, without even the guidance of any one. Stand up and express the divinity within you.”  – Swami Vivekananda

Directive Principles of state policy are not enforceable by any court; however the makers of the constitution laid these guidelines to assure that free India becomes a just place for even the weaker section as well as for agriculture and animal husbandry. While the past governments paid heed to some of these principles viz. free education to all children aged 6 to 14 years and advancement of minority and backward sections, the area that craves for government’s courtesy is the directive principle, ‘The State shall endeavor to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.’ Many of us do not even know that there is no law that explicitly forbids consumption of beef and legislations governing slaughter of cattle vary from state to state. The country, where Hindus form the majority and for whom cow is a symbol of strength, generous giving, abundance of earthly life, and sacredness, embraces states that do not at all restrict slaughtering of cattle; we rank 5^th in world in terms of beef creation and 1^st in terms of exporting; now that is a clear breach of trust with Hindus. The story isn’t old when a couple of senior IPS officers of the state of UP could trace a link between cow smuggling and funding of underworld and anti-national activities.

The concern which finds a due place in the constitution of India is not a matter of worry for the politicians, may be since they are more anxious about minority votes. It is in the open; many states ban shipping of animals across state borders, but cows are regularly shipped to states with lesser or nil restrictions on slaughtering; several thousands of cow slaughterhouses operate in India, unlawful ones are at least ten times in number as compared to the legal ones. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, the brutality can be noticed with the fact that the state has only 6 licensed slaughterhouses; however more than 3000 of such places run unlawfully and produce thousands of metric tons of beef. Then are the perks associated with the production and exporting of beef; in the year 2012-13 export earnings from processed meat were close to INR 18,000 crore. Isn’t it weird that in a Hindu-dominant country, the food processing ministry had announced subsidies of INR 15 crore to modernize abattoirs? Then, while in Europe and Australia, stunning animals prior to their being slaughtered for food is a compulsory norm, India has no such norm, and backed by the demand of Gulf countries that insist on Halal meat, most of our beef production is without stunning, thereby meaning killing of a conscious living being.

Protectors of law are very well aware of the rampant abuse of animals during transport and slaughter; they are overloaded in trucks and are transported abruptly without food and water. I was speechless to witness a video showing some young men pinching the tail of a cow in such a manner that it was forced to move into a small car, post which was taken for slaughter and feeding. FIAPO, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations, complains of letting off of vehicles carrying cattle by police officers thus cheering unlawful slaughter just for the sake of a few pennies. Aren’t we then letting a person kill the faith and morality we have been carrying since ages? Let me share a few more numbers. According to India’s livestock census, India consumes 300 million cattle, and 185 million sheep and goats every year. Despite of setting up various committees and expert groups to look into the critical question of banning cow slaughter in India, we have been promoting schemes like Pink Revolution that provides subsidies and tax breaks to owners of slaughterhouses and exporters. The advocates of this law say that officially only buffalo meat, with 11 lakh tons of shipments in 2012-13, went out of the borders of India; however it is broadly known that abattoirs consider no difference between buffalo and cow, the latter being exported illicitly.

I can reiterate the words of our present PM who wanted a Green and White Revolution in India. The condition is warranting also because our total cattle population fell from 204 million to 199 million between the 1992 and 2007 livestock census. Isn’t it shocking that in the state of UP where Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 bans slaughter of cows and considers the same as cognizable and non-bailable offence, more than 5,000 cows are taken to unlawful slaughterhouses every month to be butchered? Same is the case with other states. Findings reveal that root cause of slaughter of milch cattle is the unnatural conditions under which animals are kept for milk production in urban areas, while economic necessity is the reason behind slaughter of dry animals. Way out can be what many other countries have followed, which is removal of cattle from cities and arranging milk supplies from rural parts of India. The same would also boost the development of cattle and dairy industries. Let me also quote the words of the Cattle Preservation and Development Committee appointed in 1947, which read as, ‘This Committee is of the opinion that slaughter of cattle is not desirable in India under any circumstances whatsoever, and that its prohibition shall be enforced by law. The prosperity of India to a very large extent depends on her cattle and the soul of the country can feel satisfied only if cattle slaughter is banned completely and simultaneous steps are taken to improve the cattle, which are in a deplorable condition at present.’

Isn’t it undeniable then that there is a pressing need of a central law on the subject of slaughtering of cows, Goddess of Hindu groups, and superseding of all state laws with respect to slaughtering of cattle? A department/ ministry for cow protection, functioning under the union government, can also be thought over. Provisions for maintenance and care of serviceable and unproductive cattle and for development of feed and fodder are desired; Gaushalas and Cattle Protection Societies and Salvage Centers be encouraged.

Development and right to express are allied. Be it a common man, a politician, a film maker or a press reporter, every human has a fundamental right to express thoughts, and the same is appreciated by the Indian constitution. Unobstructed speech paves way for all-inclusive betterment and furtherance of unnoticed groups. Hasn’t press reports revealing corrupt behavior of politicians and bureaucrats, films like 3 Idiots and Mother India, and public protests such as the one in mid-1970s, the Sampoorna Kranti by Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan and the one by activist Anna Hazare, the movement for Jan Lokpal Bill aroused the conscience of millions of Indians? The flaws of any society and its political and economic structure cannot be remedied unless voices of people are allowed to flow freely. There, however, exists a distinct aspect as well. A press report that presents a suspect as guilty, a film that surpasses the limit of religious tolerance, and a movement that beats the intentions of law are as much detrimental as is the corruption of our governments and cases of women harassment. Truth, a basic requisite for the functioning of democracy, must prevail, but unethical and anti-social is what that should not be allowed to propagate in the name of freedom of speech.

I, in my former article, ‘Deemed-Guilty before Judicial Judgment’, have emphasized on how media houses relish their freedom of expression overlooking the fact that innocent men face the heat of society as a result of their misreporting and manipulating of details. A controversy has lately sparked in India over the release and broadcasting of a film, which, according to some religious groups, embraces disreputable facts regarding God and alleged God-men. This isn’t new and we have all seen suppression of freedom of speech in the past in the name of hurting of communal sentiments and accord. Accept it;India is a community-rich nation and such large number of religions and languages not just make us different from other nations with respect to secularism, but also in terms of social equilibrium and tolerances. Some of the religious clustersprotest even genuine movement of expressions, but the other side of the coin is that a few film makers too cross the limit of forbearance, outcomes being adverse to our shared consensus. Protests and right to free speech both have certain boundaries and these binding limitations make these two yield positive returns. Then the need is to diagnose few basic issues related to our freedom and to cure them.

This is a bit challenging; in case the government bans release of films and press reports that exceed the level of religious/ social tolerance, the news and film makers would cry unfairness and clampdown, on the other hand if such adverse expressions are allowed to flow freely, the secular and social balance of India comes under vulnerability. Then we also have some clusters which come into action promptly when a not-so-kind media is released. These groups leave no stone unturned in disturbing communal equilibrium, asking for ultra vires demands, and damaging the public property. There have been, in the past, instances when state governments have taken tough stance on the release of films that are not in accord with the so-called secular thoughts of religious leaders and some political ones too. Why can’t these political parties and religious leaders judge the purity of many television series that amenably promote vulgarity and nudity? Isn’t that obvious, to make big news, retaliate something big, no matter the trivial ones are more harmful. Most of the programs that are aired on Indian television are an adaptation of a popular overseas’ series, they run and control the minds of Indian viewers, but have we ever thought over the difference in culture and religious scope between India and U.S.?

Sony Pictures stalled the release of a film owing to warning by North Korea since the leader of the country was made a part of the film; the stepping in by the U.S. President, however, furthered the release and as a retaliatory measure the U.S. has imposed some economic sanctions against many North Korean government agencies. Similar approach with problems related to suppression of freedom of speech lacks in India and the same can be attached to vote-bank and caste-based politics. I would not approve or condemn the retaliation by Hindu groups of a recently screened film; however it has been seen that in cases of alleged hurting of minority sentiments, many political groupsrespond hurriedly. To put to rest any prejudiced verdicts, the key is to make the Censor Board so capable, responsive and commanding that any of their conclusions should become binding. Electronic media in India runs in a strange manner where some reports and films are objected just because they are not in consensus with a few groups, while those films, advertisements and TV programs which in every possible way play with the ethical and moral values of India are allowed to air freely. Now that everyone knows what those surrogate TV commercials of Music CDs of hard drink producers mean and aim at, the authorities are still silent. Tally the revenues of such companies from the music CD division and compare if that division is capable to handle such lavish commercials on TV. I am sorry, but even after searching for these music CDs in super stores, I wasn’t able to get one since they are never on sale. On similar lines are the commercials of elaichis by the manufacturers of tobacco.

Television, films, advertisements, and news reports are the most heeded substances. It is then very crucial to accord some sort of norms that shall be adhered to in the wake of religious richness and centuries-old culture and values of the Indian society. Need is to fortify the Censor Board of Film Certification by adding in it members holding acumen from distinct faiths. Post the Censor clearance, state governments cannot be allowed to stay the release of any film, save in conditions that are exceptionally nerve-racking, and which if held judicious should restrict the release round the nation, not in just a state or two. In the era where televisions have such high viewership, contrary-to-Indian values programs cannot be endorsed. A Censor Board for Television broadcast is much-needed in the light of wide access to satellite TV. Plus, TV commercials that are deceptive and promote forbidden goods are to be stopped with immediate effect. Press Reports that convict a suspect are the killers of right to dignity and thus should be regulated. It is imperative to realize that in the name of religious copiousness, honest endeavors and freedom of expression cannot be hindered, but the same also cannot be permitted to overdo the parameters of forbearance. The ultimate aim of all censorship boards should be to ban any forbidden endeavors that can disturb communal harmony and/ or Indian values and ethics, be it by way of films, TV programs or commercials.

The title may sound a little exaggerated now since the Indian PM has been continuously thriving to infuse the sentiment of nation building in all Indians. 2015 is on its way, we are ready to cheer the same, and many of us would have decided the resolution/s we would make for the coming year. What’s yours? -A savings plan or a promise to quit any bad habit. I would not ask anyone to substitute any of the personal advancement plans with a pledge for nation-building, but adding the latter to our list of resolutions is what I seek, India seek. Those 1.25 billion resolutions aimed at a better and prosperous India can change anything, can build a nation we would love to call ours, can deliver a sustainable tomorrow to upcoming generations. We have been complaining for clumsy working of our government departments, lack of education facilities, environmental ruin, but do we realize that we humans are the in-charge and every process involves our participation. Then, it is not the department that is corrupt or non-functional; it is the humans who are parting with their basic duties. There would not have been such a deficiency of education services and other basic amenities in case the rulers had the will to allocate funds to the right category, in case we had condensed our fertility a little.

We all know this; even our children know who study lessons on patriotism and social harmony in schools. With the passage of time, however, we become more of personal-centric and less nation-centric. We look for all available ways, lawful/ unlawful to evade tax liability, we pay bribes, we take it too, we contaminate our public places, we do any and everything that can make our homes a worthy place, but in this race we overlook the harms to the nation. Being happy, rich and self-centered isn’t forbidden under any law, but social and economic responsibility rests on the shoulders of us all, we have to bear it. While scuffling hard at the time of arranging for our daughters’ wedding, we wish that someone would have retaliated in the past the evil of dowry, while arranging for that money to be paid as bribe, we wish the officer was sincere; the problem is that we always realize the wrongs prevalent in our society when we come across difficulties, never when we create them. On the contrary, we applaud our wrongs, cheer when we throw those wrappers on road, make fun of those who obey transport laws, and deter people who tend to bring some positive change. Why then rejoice this New Year when we know that we are about to add some new evils to the society?

Duties of every citizen are enlisted in our constitution. The creators of this democracy expected us to rebuild what was lost during the English and Mughal rule. Yes, we have made some positive changes, we have raised our voices against wrongs, we have been a participant in economy’s growth, and we have enriched the infrastructure base. But in case our endeavors had been comprehensive and dedicated enough, the current India would not have been at the top in terms of female infanticide, corruption, inequality in income distribution, and number of underprivileged households. Stop cursing the rulers because we are the ones to elect them, stop cursing the judiciary because we generate such high number of litigations, and stop cursing others at least because we are ‘others’ to these others. What can a law do when relatives turn murderers and rapists? What is the expectation we hold from a legislator whom we elect on communal lines? Why do we expect a secure society for males and females when we restrict our girl child access to quality education? It is ‘we’ and only we who can recover the society, our economy, our environment; isn’t it simple to comprehend? ‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’ to us who will step into yet another time phase and will create or destroy what we possess today.

Then realization alone will not bring any change. If you promise to give life to all female fetus, if you promise not to throw any waste on roads, if you promise to choose lawful way to get things done, if you promise to elect our representatives based on their worth and not caste/ religion, if you promise to fairly part with a portion of your earnings in favor of government exchequer, in case you promise to permit a girl child equivalent perks as a boy, and if you can promise to retaliate evils with will and courage in the upcoming year, my words will not be the same on 31^st December 2015, nor will our concerns be the same on this date. A common man, a politician, a bureaucrat, an IT engineer, a sweeper, opposition party in the Parliament, a student, a teacher have all their crucial roles to play. Let us pledge to be honest towards our duties this coming year, deliver the best that we can in our respective tasks, and let every Indian relish the fruits of democracy, the pleasure of being free and the blessing of being a human. Of course, to change for good, dates are not essential, it is just the inner conscience to realize that we are a part of a society, our works impact the lives of all others, and any good for the society is a good to us. ‘I will CHANGE, will not EXPECT from others’, this has to be the pledge, and let the date, 1^st January be the one to inscribe this.

‘Karma’, as advocated by Swami Vivekananda and holy books of all faiths, is the genesis of every development we seek. ‘Faithful Karma’ be our rousing tagline for the year 2016 and let us then also promise to assess our works on the last day of that year. I wish I have nothing alike as is in this writing the next year and wish that the society considers harmony above hate and work above wants. Lastly, execution is the real key to change; let not the promises for 2015 be rolled over. Cheerful and Healthy New Year!!

 “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel