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Arun Jaitley: a tribute to the greatest Parliamentarian who nurtured relationships

Gaurav Sansanwal
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Arun Jaitley: a tribute to the greatest Parliamentarian who nurtured relationships

Arun Jaitley was the greatest Parliamentarian of the twenty-first century. Unlike his contemporaries who dabbled between the world of law and politics depending on the political fortunes of their political parties, here was a person who gave up a highly successful Counsel practice to take up the role of the Leader of Opposition, and worked for the party he believed in, by preparing the nation for its ideas and beliefs.

Much like the world of law, where he was one of the first in Delhi to establish a modern ‘Counsel’ practice; he was also one of the few in the political arena, who mastered the art of communication at the turn of the century. Live transmission of Parliamentary proceedings and the emergence of private news channels transformed the political debate, and he embraced the opportunity by using his ability to break down complex issues into arguable points, to convince the average Indian mind that an alternative to the ideas of India championed by the Congress party, was viable.

One does not need to look too far to hear of the lives which were touched by Jaitley. We have all heard of that one lawyer, judge, cricketer, journalist, politician or government servant- to whom he was a father figure. The fact that he was there for his people when it mattered, tells you that he built, and nurtured relationships. After all, why else would he have found time to visit the house of a grieving Virat Kohli who had just lost his father, when he was still a struggling State- level Cricketer?

Having spent 19 months in jail as an ABVP leader during Emergency, he was one of the finest products of the BJP and the Sangh parivar. He could not, however, contest the post- Emergency election because he was a few months away from turning 25, at the time of nomination. This meant that he had more time for his law practice, and somewhere along the way, he let go of his interest in participating in mass-based electoral politics. He instead identified Narendra Modi as the political future of the country early on and played a huge role in projecting him as the alternative in 2014. His association of four decades with Prime Minister Modi was based on mutual trust, and respect. They complimented each other well, and it is tragic that he reached the pinnacle of the governance pyramid, only at a time when his abilities were greatly hindered by health issues.

In the winter of 2013, months before the General Election, I had the good fortune to meet him briefly, to invite him for the Parliamentary simulation of my alma mater, Hindu College. He asked me where the Parliament would be simulated, and I promptly replied that while the Auditorium would function as the Lower House; our Seminar Hall would serve as the Upper House. He then wondered why we were not simulating the Delhi Legislative Assembly too; for our, College had a playground! With one statement, he stumped the Aam Aadmi Party’s idea of using government resources to conduct Assembly session at the Ramlila Grounds and also brought a chuckle on my face. I never met him since, but will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me.

Om Shanti.

Ego…problem?

afoolsguru
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Ego…problem?

‘The part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.’ This is the definition of ego that our buddy Google throws up. It’s an interesting definition, as it gives me insight into why ‘Ego’ is so often suffixed with the word problem.

There are two words that leap out from that definition. The first being ‘reality’ and the second being ‘identity’. The way I see it, the primary job of the ego is deficit financing between desired reality and actual reality. The ego alters facts and builds, constructs, to create a zero to the negligible difference between the perceived and actual reality of a person.

Ego for me is a second rate solution to a very genuine problem. The world we live in is not a very helpful place for developing skills of introspection, self-acceptance and self-improvement. From close family, friends to strangers, there is constant judgement, the pressure to change, conform to societal stereotypes, hide vulnerabilities and project strength and control.

In an ideal world, an individual would fight against all odds and reach a state of enlightenment, where self-knowledge and acceptance illuminate his path to self-improvement and actualisation of his fullest potential. In the real world, a person becomes insecure, full of self-doubt, distrustful and guarded. He never gets far on his journey towards self-realisation, so he lives in this constructed reality that might have little to do with his true self. In this reality he paints a picture, tell a story, acts and reacts based on his weaknesses, all the while being largely unaware of them. The fight is to project success and control. All his energies are wasted without when they should have been directed within. All these battles, these illusions are fought with one primary weapon, the Ego.

The problem here lies in our hypocrisy. We are both able and willing to point out the delusions that others suffer from; we are more than happy to cast pitiful or scornful glances at the lives of others, as we lament their disconnect from reality and their over-inflated egos. But all this while we consciously or unconsciously stay well clear of addressing these very same problems in our own lives.

Don’t blame the ego. It’s been given a dirty job and it does the best it can. You want to discuss ego problems, that fine as well. Just make sure it’s your own ‘Ego Problem’ that you’re focussing on because you have one and as do I!

Technical tensions : Huawei and 5G

anushka7
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Technical tensions : Huawei and 5G

Amidst geopolitical conflicts and trade wars around the globe, the ‘x’ generation of the 21st century is faced with a seemingly unresolvable issue, a middle ground situation for nations around the world – whether or not to install high-speed, reliable network connections provided by the world’s 5G patent leader, Huawei.

A Chinese telecom hardware and software giant, Huawei Technologies has been doing rounds in controversial news around the globe recently, after being banned by the United States on grounds that Huawei’s 5G will be used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for spying and collecting data through network provision and core traffic services. The fact that Huawei CEO and co-founder Ren Zhengfei has been an active part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the CCP, fuelled by the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, steered the US Security policy on Huawei ban on account of National cybersecurity concerns. Passed with bipartisan consensus between the Democrats and the Republicans, the “Defending America’s 5G Future Act” would prohibit even the US President from lifting the ban in the future, without explicit approval from Congress.

5G is a revolutionary technology that drastically enhances data analytics, automation, machine-to-machine connectivity and network speed. While an average 4G Network can cater to a population of 2000 per square kilometre, a 5G Network provides the benefits mentioned above to a population of about 2.6 million people per square kilometre. For wide-area networks, a 5G Network can capacitate a traditional base station’s network service by 20 times, while keeping it 3 times smaller than 4G.

Since time immemorial, Huawei has not only been a company with a futuristic vision towards telecom equipment building and network provision but has also been the provider of 3G and 4G networks around the world. Owning 20% of the world’s total 5G technology patents, Huawei runs 50% of the network and equipment provided in the domain. Moreover, Huawei’s market reach is unbeatable even for competitors like Samsung, ZTE and Ericsson, primarily due to Huawei’s low-cost offerings. It’s newest, groundbreaking mobile phone model, the Mate X, is on run to be the first ‘foldable’ mobile phone in the world, competing alongside Samsung’s ‘Galaxy Fold’. A 5G-compatible smartphone, Mate20 X has already flooded Chinese markets, making millions in Yuan on just preorders. Heavily funded by the CCP, Huawei makes extensive investments in Research, Development and Analytics, a lump-sum of $15.1 billion in 2018 alone. As of now, the company owns 40 base station commercial contracts worldwide, 6 of which are in India.

However, since the US sanctions on Huawei entered the global technology market, a conundrum struck at the ‘core’ of the United States’ Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While the US has been clear on its stance, the other four have expressed concerns to varying degrees. Not only did Huawei lose the smartphone market in the US, but also the deal to provide network services to Google, ARM and other States’ firms. As commented by The US President Donald Trump in the 2019 G20 Summit, the only undercut for its sanctions is that Huawei will be able to buy high-tech telecom gear with the United States, equipment which raises no national security concerns.

In light of the States’ tomb-stoning claims on Huawei’s unreliability, the tech company prepped to stick to the rules and stay ahead of any competition. Resultantly, on August 9, 2019, Huawei announced its own Operating System for Huawei devices, in case Google bailed Android support on Huawei devices too. Titled ‘HongMeng OS’, this proprietary Huawei OS is nothing like iOS or Android. Not only is it open-source for app developers, but also features an ecosystem familiar to Android, but smarter and faster. Of course, it will be some time before HongMeng OS becomes a common system developer for mid-range Huawei smartphones.

Being staunch allies of the US, the European Union, under the leadership of Boris Johnson, was quick to halt Huawei’s core service provision in the UK. However, Huawei’s cheap 5G roll-out rates and affordable 5G-enabled sets have doubled the dilemmas for the Brexit-stricken United kingdom. The Huawei CEO, Ren Zhengfei, told Sky News that Britain had a “very important” decision to make about the rollout. He added, “I think they won’t say no to us as long as they go through those rigorous tests and look at it in a serious manner. I think if they do say no, it won’t be to us.” Even though the EU’s skepticism towards China’s Huawei is heavily fuelled by the US statements, not all Huawei footprint was wiped off in the UK. Despite US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s warnings that if a country adopts Huawei technology, the US “won’t be able to share” information with them and will scale back operations of other American firms in the UK, not only are the 5G research and trials still underway in Britain, the British the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) mentioned that excluding Huawei network services would “lower security standards.”

The response to the US ban on Huawei was diverse. While the UK was still debating the issue, New Zealand and Australia decided to completely ban Huawei’s 5G, while Germany was considering it. However, in August 2019, German officials said that they would not exclude Huawei from 5G network development (reported by the German Business Newspaper, the ‘Handelsblatt’). Other reports suggested that Germany’s security authorities would still investigate whether Huawei posed a threat. On the other hand, the national security concerns of the West were paid no heed to in South-East Asia. Not only did Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia welcome Huawei’s 5G Network roll-outs, but have also been loyal telecom equipment consumers of Huawei for a long time. Even the ASEAN remained unaffected by US claims, ever since the increased dependence of the bloc on Chinese trade and technology. Moreover, Huawei has also invested approximately $800 million to build a factory for 5G roll-not. Not only has the Bolsonaro-led government welcomed Huawei with open arms but has also announced an auction for the 5G Spectrum in Brazil, which is expected to be one of the biggest auctions in the tech-field, worldwide.

India’s version of the Huawei problem is somewhat unique. The Indian Telecom sector is a complex market, dominated by direct-to-consumer services and private investments from wealthy stakeholders, unlike the Chinese telecom policy, which undercuts tech companies’ corporate interests to serve the greater interests of the government. India possesses the second-largest base of internet subscribers in the world (as of December 2018). The Indian telecom industry is an oligopoly market dominated by three players – Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio. While Bharti Airtel and Vodafone idea have been avid consumers of Huawei equipment for their 3G and 4G Network services, Reliance Jio works on a pan-India partnership with Samsung and aims to continue doing so, even for its 5G plans.

After Huawei appeared on the United States’ Ministry of Commerce blacklist, almost no nation in the world wanted to be caught in the vendetta, much like India. To avoid contention further beyond border disputes and US-China conflicts, the Indian Department of Telecom (DoT) announced that Huawei will not be allowed to indulge in collaboration with local Indian firms. Not only this, but there is also prevailing uncertainty on whether or not Huawei will be invited for India’s upcoming 5G network trials, said Indian telecom minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad. In response to this decision, Beijing threatened reverse sanctions on Indian Firms operating in China. Not only did China actively propagate Huawei’s assistance in uplifting India’s economic and telecommunications scenario, but also hoped that India would take an autonomous, evidence-based decision on its 5G Network model.

Core v/s edge

Source: The Economic Times

To purge the heat, India will finally take up a road trial-tested by the UK and one about to be adopted by many nations in years to come – keeping Huawei equipment strictly non-core, i.e letting network traffic pass through Indian base stations without letting Huawei’s 5G drive the ‘brain’ of the system. In my opinion, not only should this be a ‘universally-recognised’ middle ground, but also a means to prevent global geopolitics from what is being termed as a “Technological Cold War.” The Indian telecom is a market with low profitability, needy of technical partnership. In this light, securing Huawei’s ‘edge equipment’ to reduce deployment costs and establish a consumer base for speedy and reliable 5G network, while assessing Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia and Cisco for ‘core’ (5G Network) trials would be a near win-win situation. Avoiding a huge risk of sanctions from both China and the US is the need of the hour for India, and the country must be vigilant in risk-assessment and muted action.

Discovering self-identity through social purposes

jainetri
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Discovering self-identity through social purposes

Meet Vikram. As an aspiring doctor, Vikram’s life plan was sorted- attend medical college at a stellar institution, survive the internship, crack the post-graduate entrance exam, complete his MD and at last, the crowning moment of his career, specializing in cardiology.

Being a natural topper, Vikram got accepted into Maharashtra’s most prestigious engineering and medical schools and chose to follow his brother’s footsteps into medicine. He had come to terms with the reality that his social life would cease to exist during his rigorous journey, but the prospect of starting a sprawling private practice kept his dreams afire.

Well into his second year of medical college, Vikram was unsatisfied and found himself questioning his motivations to pursue medicine in the first place. He realized the absence of conscious reasoning and proactive choice in his decision to pursue medicine, as he did not consider any other career to be possible. Vikram felt disheartened by the notion that the rest of his professional career would be spent in an airconditioned cabin. He wanted more. He just didn’t know what, why or how.

Vikram, like millions of youth in India, was on the cusp of what recent psychological research terms emerging adulthood. In this transitory phase from adolescence to adulthood, emerging adults are on an intense search for personal authenticity, awareness, personal definition and exploration of worldviews, making it a crucial life stage for identity development. The struggle to seamlessly transition into adulthood is further hampered by the poor quality of education, lack of explorative opportunities, the pressure to make the right career choices and above all confusion among students.

Amrut Bang, the programme lead of NIRMAN– an educational programme to foster youth for social change- finds that students pursuing professional degrees often lack purpose beyond individual career ambitions. He finds that classrooms largely deliver information to students, occasionally impart skills, but rarely help students to discover their purpose. These individuals end up lacking conviction in their abilities to apply their skills in the real world, an aspect of learning overlooked by most colleges. Within these confines, students often replicate career trajectories and neglect to introspect on whom and more importantly why they should apply their skills.

The presence of purpose is a key component to positive functioning and youth development according to psychologist Dr Corey Keyes. His research finds that youth with a purposeful life is in a state of flourishing, an optimal state of well-being beyond material happiness. Rather than a cautionary approach to youth development- safe sex, road safety, abstinence from drugs and alcohol and securing employment- there is a need to steer the conversation of young people’s growth towards flourishing and finding purpose. Youth development should not simply involve imparting skills for employment, as this approach often leads people to adopt institutional goals as their own. Instead, it should empower individuals to flourish by helping them attain their purpose which ultimately fuels the desire to use their skills. The purpose is the psychological vaccine for those languishing in a state of meaninglessness to achieve fulfilment.

At its core, NIRMAN is an educational process which aims to bridge the chasm between society’s problems which are waiting to be solved and India’s youth who are in search for a purposeful and meaningful life. It enables emerging adults to recognize and channel their potential towards social development which needs young leaders. The idea of NIRMAN was conceived by Dr Rani and Dr Abhay Bang, founders of the Society of Education, Action, Research and Community Health (SEARCH) in Gadchiroli, to nurture and organize young changemakers to solve various societal challenges through a journey of self-discovery.

NIRMAN’s nurturing process consists of three 8-day residential workshops held once every 6 months, consisting of nearly 60 participants from varying academic and experiential backgrounds. The workshops are held at Shodhgram, Gadchiroli and are structured to foster personal exploration and growth for a higher goal, introduce pressing social challenges and lastly convey various possibilities for contributing to the social sector. Led by social changemakers, the workshops ultimately intend to cultivate one’s understanding of real-world problems, identify one’s life mission and groom young leaders committed to work for the betterment of society. A NIRMANEE’s journey extends well beyond the workshops with guidance from mentors, opportunities to practice in the social sector, connections to social organizations and incubation support in the form of financial help. This lifelong community of like-minded people hopes to create a youth culture in pursuit of purpose and impact in society.

Since its inception in 2006, more than 1230 participants have joined the NIRMAN community in 9 batches, with backgrounds ranging from medicine, engineering, theoretical physics, chartered accountancy, fine arts and agriculture. Approximately 110 national and international resource persons such as Dr K. Srinath Reddy (President of Public Health Foundation of India), Professor Hitesh Bhatt (Director of the Institute of Rural Management), Devaji Tofa (Tribal Activist) and Dr. Richard Cash (Professor of Global Health, Harvard University)  have been associated with NIRMAN, to further enrich student’s learning process. Nearly 350 NIRMAN alumni have targeted social challenges across India in association with 80 different social organizations.

Our friend Vikram (Dr Vikram Sahane), joined NIRMAN in 2011 and found his prosocial purpose by working in the field of public health at the grassroot level which led him to contribute to two important publications explaining the burden of a stroke at the community level.

Vikram along with two other doctors from NIRMAN was felicitated at the hands of then Health Minister of Maharashtra for their service in remote parts of the state. NIRMANee Pranjal Koranne, Masters in Linguistics, IIT Madras, pursued his prosocial purpose and explored his passion for education by working with 112 children in tribal ashram shala of Rangi to improve their reading literacy.  NIRMANee Dr Aarti Gorwadkar discovered her passion for mental health by providing clinical care and de-addiction facilities in the tribal district of Gadchiroli. As the only psychiatrist in the district, she recently conducted the first community-based survey of mental health disorders among tribal people in India. Through NIRMAN, these young changemakers of India have found a purpose to utilize their talents for the betterment of society.

Emerging adults are on a quest of self-discovery. They encompass the largest proportion of India’s population and possess the potential to transform our country’s future. Hence, youth development in India needs to encourage young people to lead a purposeful life. Organizations like NIRMAN offer youth the opportunity to realize their values, role models and a social mission beyond the narrow confines of a secure lifestyle. Finding a purpose beyond the self has been a common defining trait of India’s changemakers and the generation that gave us freedom. These flourishing individuals aimed for glorious pursuits rather than materialistic ambitions and found a higher meaning to their journey by leading a purposeful life. As issues of basic survival persist for a large portion of Indian society, India needs the momentum of fervent leaders and young minds to solve the toughest and most complex social challenges. For everything else, we will have machines.

‘Army of frogs’ on peace mission in J&K

S Ranganathan
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‘Army of frogs’ on peace mission in J&K

Several fragments and tiny pieces of political outfits in India under the great leadership of Rahul Gandhi who led the congress party to a historic defeat in 2019 election has undertaken a mission to J&K recently and such an attempt looks like the mission of an army of frogs to assess the flood situation. Fortunately, the army of frogs were sent back from the airport.

According to the tukde tukde gangs that rallied under Rahul Gandhi, democracy has been butchered, freedom of speech is denied etc., by the present dispensation in J&K after the abrogation of article 370 and 35A.

The dynast Rahul Gandhi is indeed a ‘baby’ in Indian politics, except his entitlement for PM’s post and abusing Narendra Modi, he knows nothing, therefore if he cry for milk, no one would find it strange or astonishing as what else a baby would ask for other than milk. Therefore Rahul Gandhi has the addiction and innate habit of trying to milk his political fortune from every occasion and opportunity without ascertaining the harmful side effects of his politics to our country.

The state of J&K is quite different from other states in India because Pakistan is continuously waging proxy war against India by targeting some parts of Kashmir valley. Therefore mere abrogation of article 370 alone may not bring peace and solve all problems in J&K but India has to shut all its doors for the Pakistan trained terrorists and infiltrators to enter into India.

People of Jammu, Ladhak and Kashmir are overwhelmingly happy with PM Modi for the bold decision but Pakistan is really rattled and jittery and therefore PM Modi has to ensure safety and peace of J&K. Unfortunately PM Modi also has to be scared more about some politicians within India and J&K than Pakistan trained separatist and infiltrators because the enemy within India is far more dangerous. These politicians are real foxes in goat’s skin and sadly many innocent people still believe these politicians to be true patriots and are true to India. But it seems they are in love more with Pakistan than with India.

It looks like, for the dynast Rahul Gandhi and other tukde tukde gangs or perfectly says so, army of frogs does not want the bold decision of PM Modi to scrap article 370 to be successful. For them defeat of PM Modi is more important and even if such defeat goes against the interest of India is fine for them. Therefore all those pieces that went on a peace mission to J&K a few days ago really wants see how to make some politics out of such a visit to J&K. But like how the Honourable Supreme Court of India said, Government needs reasonable time to bring J&K situation under control and therefore several restrictions needs to be imposed in the state. Relaxing all such restrictions can be done only progressively and until complete normalcy is returned, unwanted political interferences and spirited journalism in the name of free speech and democracy cannot be entertained in J&K until then.

Further, the abrogation of article 370 is not just a mere paper work but at ground zero, several actions and initiatives must be taken, several strategies must be implemented and the transformation on war footing must be achieved so that the people of J&K are made excited and feel happy and proud of the peaceful living atmosphere that they had not witnessed since 1947.

The army of frogs at best only can croak….croak and cannot galvanize the support of people of India. Further the dynast Rahul Gandhi and other tukde tukde gangs that rallied around him are well known to Indians so no one is going to see any truth or sincerity in any of the actions of the above army of frogs.

It looks like congress party of the dynast and other tukde tukde gangs wants to divide the issue relating to scrapping of article 370 as problem between Hindus and Muslims but it is not about Hindus and Muslims but about cross-border terrorism and two families enjoying all rights at the might of article 370 that they got such privilege from another family in India politics that ruled and ruined India since 1947.

The party that butchered freedom and democracy in India by promulgating emergency, curbing press, mutilating judiciary, jailing all voices of dissent is crying wolf today. Ironically all those victims of emergency are now rallied under the grandson of Indira Gandhi, who (Indira Gandhi) is referred as Hitler of India who imposed emergency when judiciary was about convict her on corruption charges.

India is firm, strong and decisive and stands with Modi to make India a great land where dynastic politics, nepotism, corruption and hatred have no space. Good governance need no opposition and therefore people of India must work hard to elect out all opposition parties and should support BJP to make India a great land.

CBI’s paradise lost and paradise re-gained moments

S Ranganathan
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CBI’s paradise lost and paradise re-gained moments

Finally, the CBI was granted 5-day custody of P Chidambaram, former home and finance minister of India by the court, till August 26, 2019.  The track record of CBI in proving the guilty and ensuring punishment and meting out justice is abysmally poor.  But the recent permission to have custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram, the CBI must use appropriately and must prove the guilt of P Chidambaram if he is really guilty.

CBI has been accused of a caged parrot and ineffective investigative agency and such impression have been on the surface of the earth for quite long.  Congress party has really got such reputation to CBI by interfering with the independence of CBI whenever the person under investigation is if belongs to the party.

From 2014 till date, India has been seeing and experiencing the transformation of new India under Modiji.  The fight of Modiji to annihilate corruption and nepotism at root is well known.  The record of Modiji as the most honest and incorruptible leader is also well known even to a growing foetus in the womb.  Therefore people see it is the duty of Modiji to ensure all those suspected of having committed various crimes against this country must be tried and punished if proven guilty.  CBI and ED were given complete freedom and independence and demanded commitment, responsibility and accountability by the Modi government.  Unlike congress party which was seen as using all the investigating agencies against its opponents to settle political vendetta but Modiji on the contrary, wants justice and law to prevail and not the politics of witch-hunt or a political vendetta.  That remarkable leadership quality and character only differentiate Modiji from the rest.  Modiji is a true patriot and avatar of dharma and honesty.

Like Milton’s paradise lost, the sheen and glister of CBI were lost when Congress was in power.  But the opportunity for the CBI to regain its lost glory and reputation has come.  CBI must investigate and must nail the culprit. The case against P Chidambaram should not be seen as another 2G.  In the court, CBI had indeed argued with a series of evidence and legal logics to get the custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram who was on anticipatory bail since time immemorial to avoid arrest by CBI and ED.

Since the CBI could convince the learned judge with sufficient evidence and materials to get the custodial interrogation of the high profiled politicians like P Chidambaram means the CBI can certainly bring out several hidden truths through further investigation.  Unless CBI is sufficiently convinced of a possible crime with the material evidence available with it, it would not have moved the court and convinced the judge to grant permission for custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram.  Therefore CBI must quickly close the investigation by establishing all links and evidence to bring the investigation to a logical end.  Otherwise, the entire exercise, efforts and hard-work of CBI would once again prove the CBI to be in-efficient and in-effective.  Further such situation also may defame the efforts of PM Modi against corruption and nepotism.

The responsibility of CBI is therefore quite high, it has to regain its lost paradise and must ensure the mission of Modiji to fight corruption and nepotism is true, sincere and honest.

If CBI could establish the financial crime being committed by P Chidambaram beyond any doubt and ensure punishment, such an act would not only improve the glory and reputation of CBI but also of the government.

Most of the opposition parties were keep asking what Modiji has done against corruption and how many corrupt netas have been punished so far.  When action is initiated and the investigating agencies are asked to speed up the investigation against all those alleged with prima facia evidence without looking into their social, financial or political status or antecedent, the same opposition parties now cry witch-hunt and political vendetta.

People of India have clearly understood how corrupt are most of the opposition parties and that is why people of India have given a massive mandate to Modiji both in 2014 and again in 2019, therefore Modiji must tirelessly work to nail all culprits and criminals in politics and public life.  Only then a bigger victory Modiji can achieve for India through BJP in 2024.

The permission for custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram, CBI must use it appropriately and must establish a crime.  If CBI could establish all allegations are founded on solid evidence and ensure punishment, certainly such an effort would benefit India in a triple way, one CBI could regain its lost paradise, will boost the image of the Government headed by Modiji and also would send a stern message to all those corrupts that they cannot enter politics hereafter to loot the nation.

An embarrassed mind

guptadharmesh36
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An embarrassed mind

We all have a fair share of instances when we got embarrassed publicly either by our own actions or any other way. What do we do? We either laugh it off or get it down to the spine. Latter is never a great option, specifically not when you are in your young age. We go to school, college, universities or workplaces. There are times when things don’t go your way, you can only regret that. These moments are never pleasurable and haunt for much longer, even lifetime in few cases.

In the kind of pseudo-cool world that we are living in everything is a meme material, even something which is serious can be joked off as a dank meme. What can one do? Report that, get expelled out of that community, and have few more people out of your life. It does not seem that great of an option. This way it won’t take long when you will be standing alone on a lane and no co-traveller to share the path with. So can we just ignore that and go ahead? Depends on the volume of the problem you have got with that. Fighting should be avoided but be ready if this is what they have bestowed on you.

This is all outer conflict. there is one more intense going on in one’s own mind right after the incident. Your Mind divides into two subsections or more maybe. One section thinks of the ways you can go about things and minimize the further trolling. This gives you choices- laugh it off along with them, try to explain them or fight with them.

Fight, they say, is a way of the coward. Well, it’s true to some extent except a few rare cases. Trying to explain them is worse, because the one who came with a unidirectional motive to troll, doesn’t care. So you either laugh it off or build a pile of stress by cutting yourself away from all social functions for a few days. It will only add to the work your second mind has been doing all this while.

The second section of mind is the biggest problem of all these. It doesn’t live in present and a solution to the future can’t be solved by living in past until or unless those fictional movies start becoming true. It traces back to the time before the incident and thinks of the ways how it could have been avoided from here on to the point it was all ruined. It solves all permutations and combinations to find those ways.

And Human mind, though is very different from computers, gets heated with all this processing, creating more and more stress and forces one to abstain from everything, only worsening the situation.

In a time, when we all are talking about mental health, prominent celebrities have opened up on this topic and campaigns are going on, it is important that we recognise that this kind of events should not be left out. Anxiety, depression and OCD are the bigger problems but temporary mental instability is what could have led there. College students and their problems should also be discussed because not far away from now these people will be in the industry and shaping the future of this nation.

World’s Eighth Wonder In Modi’s Darbar

Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
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World’s Eighth Wonder In Modi’s Darbar

On 8th Aug, Narendra Damordas Modi addressed the nation on the epochal occasion of abrogation of Art.370. He was born on 17th Sept, on 8th Nov- Demonetisation, on 26th Feb, Balakot surgical strike and on 06.08.2019- Art.370 became history and J&K Reorganisation Act was notified. What is it about ‘8’ that resonates with Modi? Is it a mere coincidence or he has planned it so. The more one thinks of it, the more one is bewildered at what the Modi/Shah combine has accomplished on the Art.370/35A front. What has stood on the statute book for nearly 70 years to the day, was peacefully obliterated in Parliamentary proceedings? Words fail to depict what the duo has achieved in terms of the historical context. It would be for history to judge the method had they had ingeniously devised and brilliantly executed. The fact that Narendra Damordas Modi had fixed Aug 7, 2019, for an address to the nation tells the diligence and meticulousness in timing it to perfection.

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Jan Sangh which morphed into BJP, strongly opposed Article 370 He raised his voice strongly against the provision in his Lok Sabha speech on 26 June (again 8) 1952. He termed the arrangements under the article as Balkanization of India and the three-nation theory of Sheikh Abdullah Mukherjee once said: “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur Do Nishan nahi challenge” (A single country can’t have two constitutions, two prime ministers, and two national emblems). This statement was made by him on Aug 7th. No wonder, Prime Minister picked that day for national address. Give it to Modi- his 56-inch chest is showing far bigger as the opposition stands decimated.

The Rajya Sabha set a “new normal” in its “highly productive” 249th session, with extended sittings and a record number of bills disposed of, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday. He was speaking before adjourning the House sine die. A total of 32 bills were passed in 35 sittings, Naidu said. “This session is the best session in the last 17 years accounting for 52 sessions,” he said. Naidu also lauded the “mutual understanding” between ruling and opposition members in running the House smoothly.

“The House had 39 debates on legislative proposals and issues of public importance,” he said, adding that most of the debates were of “good quality” with all side presenting their views. Complimenting members, Naidu said this session is the fifth-best in the last 41 years. “This session has recorded best of all performances,” said Naidu. During this session, a total time of 19 hours and 20 minutes were lost in disruptions by opposition parties on several issues. “However, the House sat beyond extended time on 19 days and gained around 28 hours,” Naidu. The total time availed for the transaction of business was 195 hours.

It was more than a legislative miracle. Yes, the 303 plus majority in Lok Sabha came in handy. But that came about upon strenuous and back bending effort. They broke new records and territories even as they made mincemeat of what little opposition could muster. The floor management organised by BJP is unparalleled. The networking they appear to have done to isolate parties like TDP, BJD, BSP and AAP have paid rich dividends.

Modi 1.0 faced huge roadblocks in the Rajya Sabha. Passage of Bills got stuck in the Upper House and got referred to Standing Committees. Modi 2.0 learnt its lessons. It does not appear to be a work in progress now. NDA has mastered the art of floor management so much so, that they attained 2/3rds majority in both House for passing the J&K Reorganisation Act, which has now become law of the land with Presidential assent coming within hours of Lok Sabha trumping any semblance of protest with a 370 to 70 vote difference. It was an innings defeat for those who questioned the dispensation over this move.

But, what was accomplished is not stunning. It is mind-numbing. And above all else, what takes the cake is the study and scrutiny of the route to nullify the impact of Art.370 is painstaking and laborious. hours and hours poured over plotting it, like a Balakot surgical strike. The opposition was literally silenced into mute submission. Even the Congress ranks got split and the voting was as if it was a conscience vote without a party whip.

We have heard for long that Art.35A was introduced as an appendix to the Constitution via the Presidential Notification route in 1954. And when it was challenged before the top court as lacking in constitutional sanction, it was widely believed that Modi administration may well nullify via a Notification, which was permissible. But Modi bided its time. They had conceived a different plan to go an alternate route. They had to go the legal route as it would surely be subjected to a court challenge.

Art.367 came to the rescue of Modi 2.0. It contemplates that be it the Parliament or the Legislative Assembly or the Governor or President who made the law, it would apply for the exercise of authority by the other too. The meaning being that there would be no difference in the authority and substance of the law, be it made by Parliament or President or Governor. Parliament stepped in as the Legislative Assembly was dissolved and State was under President’s rule. Step in Parliament to request the President to apply all provisions of the Constitution to J&K without any exception. In one fell swoop, the potency of Art.370 was negated. The same manner in which Art.35A was deviously interpolated into the Constitution by the Nehru led Congress, was exploited to negate Art.35A itself. Brilliant conception and dexterous execution.

As a corollary born out of this schematic design to go the Art.367 route via Art.370(1) itself, the expression “Constituent Assembly’ as contemplated in the Proviso to Art.370(3) was altered to become Legislative Assembly now. The requirement that President had to obtain the concurrence of the “Constituent Assembly’ became concurrence from “Legislative Assembly”. Legislative Assembly stood dissolved. Governor was recognised by President to exercise the power of the Legislative Assembly. Presidential Notification took the concurrence of Governor recognised as representing the Legislative Assembly. The deed was done and the circle was complete.

Even as moves were afoot on the legislative side, the Government worked overtime overseas. Modi himself apprised Donald J Trump at the G20 summit. The External Affairs Minister briefed National Security Adviser of the USA, who came visiting too. The Islamic nations barring Pakistan were taken into confidence. May be China was kept in the cold as Ladakh was involved. All this showed up once the Bill was passed and it became an Act and Kashmir was integrated and India became a truly One State with One Flag and One Prime Minister that Shyama Prasad Mukherjee poignantly dreamed of.

Amit Shah demolished the opposition arguments with a factual detour over 70 years and the informative first-hand account from the Ladakh MP Tsering Namgyal’s was a glorious interlude. And on 8th Aug, as destiny would have it, ( mind you, most consider 8 as inauspicious so much so that vehicle registration numbers totalling 8 are abhorred not embraced), Modi shared his dreams for J&K with We The People.

(Author is practising advocate in the Madras High Court)

An Open Letter to Mr Rajmohan Gandhi

OliveGreens09
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An Open Letter to Mr Rajmohan Gandhi

What makes Rajmohan Gandhi tick in a manner which defies all reason?

Is there a disconnect between the so-called Liberals and the Reality, or it is simply a case of permanent discontent with the present dispensation which in turn makes our Liberals, Malcontents!

It is not a critique of Liberals or Liberalism but very specifically looking at Rajmohan Gandhi and his criticism of abrogation of Article 370 by the Parliament. It is prudent to know that the aforementioned Article was removed by the Parliament and not the BJP, as the ruling party it definitely was the catalyst, at the forefront of the move to remove this Article and its implications on the Constitution, the Nation and the State Of J&K.
There is no denying the fact that the BJP ever since its birth as Bhartiya Jan Sangh under its founder president Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee has made the removal of Article 370 its primary aim and it has been reflected in its manifestos ever since.

The government not only outfoxed the Opposition in both the Rajya Sabha, where it is short of a majority, and Lok Sabha but also in the political and social debate that followed the momentous decision.

The overwhelming support for the abrogation of Article 370 is indicative of the Mood of the Nation, most of the Opposition went with the government realising that it is what the People want. Many a Congress leader supported the government. This has riled a class of people in this country who cannot accept the fact that the country has changed, according to this Class, it has changed for the Worse. That is their opinion and they are entitled to their opinion. But, does this change anything on the ground? Emphatically- No!

It is to this class that Rajmohan Gandhi belongs, the perennial disenchanted, finding faults in anything and everything which the present government does. And, on 19 August he comes up with an article in the Indian Express, “ Where there is no Free Will “ with regard to the abrogation of Article 370.

How is Free Will defined in a democracy?

Will of the People obtained without force, fear and allures are supposedly a Free Will. You can add many other attributes but this suffices as a basic definition. I am no eclectic thinker nor a political philosopher and this premise hold good for most, Rajmohan Gandhi not included. He quotes Abbe Dubois, a French Missionary, who says that the People Of Kannada, Tamil Nadu & Kerala ” ‘cherish and respect’ the new rule of the British who defeated Tipu Sultan but ‘hate and despise’ their new rulers from the bottom of their hearts “!

As a Frenchman Abbey Dubois must have found it hard to put words in English and maybe that is the reason we are confused and so is Rajmohan Gandhi. People cherished and respected the British but hated and despised them at the same moment is comical. The reason given is that the people are simultaneously in this state of emotions because they were not asked by the British if they really wanted this new administrative machinery which they cherished and respected…

If readers make any sense out of this please elucidate. This analogy is presented in the defence of his criticism of the abrogation of Article 370 in this article in the Indian Express. Rajmohan Gandhi even assumes that by 2024 J&K may become a much better State in all parameters but the fact that the People were not asked whether they wanted a complete integration with the rest of the country will always haunt the country. To turn this analogy on its head…

What has been the most Fundamental Question which rose at the time of Partition of India, especially in the aftermath of the violence which followed the declaration of Partition, since the division of India was itself based on Religion?

The character of the future State which will follow Independence bloodied by the horrendous bloodbaths on both sides of the Radcliffe Line. Precisely.

This perhaps was the most important issue to have arisen after India gained Freedom, it never Won Freedom. But, did our so-called Founding Fathers ever put this Question in the public domain? No.

This constitutes the illogicality of the argument of Rajmohan Gandhi when he talks of ‘Consent’ of the people. Mr Rajmohan Gandhi, when the destiny of the new Nation was being decided it was held to ransom by the delegates to the Constituent Assembly, where only one party, ie., Congress held sway and it sat upon every decision which would come back to haunt us for the next many years. If, Consent or the Free Will was such an important part of a decision making by the Nation, then what prevented the then government and the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru to hold a Referendum on the Question of Character of the State as to whether India would be a Theological Hindu Rashtra or the Secular Republic?

No consent or free will of people was ascertained by the power-hungry Congress or its Prime Minister. They substituted the Will of the People by forcing the Westminster model complete with the alien Western concept of Secularism. Has anyone ever heard or read Rajmohan Gandhi debating the manner in which Secularism was made a Fundamental part of our Constitution?

Mr Gandhi has problems with the manner in which Article 370 was abrogated, but it will be prudent to ask him, does Free Will or Consent specifically means the Consent of the People of Kashmir Valley or he means the Will of the People of the State Of Jammu and Kashmir?

Both these are as different as Chalk and Cheese, Kashmir Valley is a geographical area which harbours the grandiose illusion of being different, of establishing a Caliphate or a Nizam I Mustafa, while their counterparts in Jammu and Ladakh want a complete integration with mainland India. Not just Jammu and Ladakh, the non-Sunni Muslim population, the Gujjars, Shias of Kashmir Valley do not want to be part of the machinations of the Kashmiri Sunnis.

Accordingly, Mr Rajmohan Gandhi, the majority population of the State of J&K have consented to the move of the Government of India and Narendra Modi to remove the oldest festering wound of the Partition. Let me add with a caveat, the People of the Northern Areas or the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir aren’t really enamoured of Pakistan. If you add the population of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the overwhelming sentiment is in favour of abrogation of Article 370.

Your analogy about the people of Kannada, Kerala about Tipu and British is as absurd as it can get. Mr Gandhi, you must re-read your analogy without your inherent biases, it will look as incongruous to you as it seems to others.

The incongruity of your argument becomes all the more farcical when the Nation’s Will is reflected in the majority of elected representatives voting overwhelmingly in favour of Abrogation. The numbers are 370 in LokSabha and 125 in RajyaSabha. Interestingly, NDA doesn’t have a majority in RajyaSabha.

Sir, liberalism is not living in denial but acceptance of reality which manifests itself in the Will of the People.

Room in our hearts, for the river in our city

Ashutosh Pradhan
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Room in our hearts, for the river in our city

Humans may have evolved from fish in water, but evolution might not be a linear process after all. In a curiously long-term cyclicity of Nature, extreme weather events are perhaps reminding us that it may be time to go home, which is back in the waters again.

Centimetres of rainfall in a matter of hours are raising the flood-lines across the world by meters. North America, the Caribbean, Europe, India, Peru and even Australia, have all experienced unusual flooding in the recent past. At the time of writing this, large parts of riverine India are barely beginning to look up from the August floods and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is drowned in waist-deep water due to sudden strong cyclonic rain. Water has no form, colour or taste and also behaves against some of the common rules of physics. A short video on BBC Ideas graphically describes how each molecule of water has traversed an incredible voyage across time and space. While science cannot claim to not understand its behaviour, some of us have figured out better technologies of handling torrents of water than the rest.

Image result for room for river images
Image: dutchwatersector.com

Ruimte Voor de Rivier, or simply, Room for the River

They say, if you live in water, make friends with… the Dutch! Over 27% of the Netherlands is below sea level. The country has battled through time for survival against the tide. Centuries ago, they built dykes and polders and groynes to fortify against ingress of water into inhabited delta land. Through a recently completed six-year integrated program called Room For Rivers, the Netherlands has built, or rebuilt, a new landscape in 30 locations across their small country. A country that earlier built dykes (walls built to prevent flooding) and polders (reclaimed land behind dykes), and groynes (a low sturdy wall or barrier built in the sea), has responded smartly to the warnings of climate change. This time, it is not by building walls, but by removing them. Hydrologists, geologists, ecologists, residents and the government converged and agreed to give the river more room, in order to be able to manage higher water levels. Their website, as well as countless others, including those promoting Holland tourism, describe a nine-technique approach. Room For Rivers is a delta water management solution and municipalities across the world, sitting on delta regions are particularly attracted to the concept. This approach applies equally well to other regions facing the challenge of managing to flood.

 

Image result for "nine" techniques of room for rivers

A thoughtful reworking of the river will mean letting the river be; the biggest challenge, then, is of human settlements along the river banks. Room For Rivers project is doubtlessly an engineering marvel, but its value lies in doing good to the river-ecology and the residents together. Holland may have a much smaller population but obviously enough, the density near the rivers is the key factor. The promoters of this project began with the people and ecology concerns before approaching the actual work on the ground. Prevention and integrated approach, have been their keywords. They have effectively achieved their goal and now, market their experience and expertise to those in need.

Does Room For Rivers Apply To India?

After the 2018 floods, the Kerala CM visited the Netherlands exploring how the model could be brought over to Kuttanad. This region covers the Alappuzha and Kottayam Districts and is sometimes referred to as Holland of the East, as it partly lies beneath the sea-level. Parineeta Dandekar, the noted river expert and activist recently wrote about her experience at Nijmegen in Holland thus: “little can be achieved by fighting against water, it is important to plan in sync with Nature, instead.” Evidently, there is room for replicating the project in numerous domestic geographies. When trying to implement a similar project in Maharashtra or Kerala, for example, local conditions will have to be factored in. The vision for a healthy and thriving city must primarily account for the retention of existing ecological features. Riparian zones are the natural transition zones, the must-have flanks of any healthy and living river. Natural flood plains and riparian marshes are integral to every river-system. Howsoever complex, the topography of the river basin needs to be restored to achieve any real positive outcome. Furthermore, the extrapolation of data derived from the current flooding is warranted. Frequent recurrence of sudden high-rainfall will have to be considered.

Climate change is proving to be the new determinant of spatial planning. Cities like Houston are using the flood-line data from the 2018 Harvey cyclonic floods in strategically planning for the once-in-500-year events. It is imperative that every city factors-in the likely effects of extreme weather.

Interestingly, there are varying numbers of persons living per square kilometre in cities situated on rivers. The number for Rotterdam is about 3000/sq km, while Kolhapur has 4400/sq km, Sangli has 5600/sq km and Pune has 9400/sq km population density. Exact data of the number of residents living on river banks needs to be figured in when considering actual relocation of residents and real estate. In their quest for urbanisation, many European and American cities have indulged in excessive pavements. Their problems and those on the urban Indian landscape are not much different, except that the regions still developing, have ready lessons in what must be avoided.

While floods in many cities are yet to recede fully, much is being heard about the red-line and the blue-line. These lines denote the flood-levels reached once in 25 years and 100 years respectively. The coloured lines on the map are meant to define the room that must be allowed for the river, or the hill, and its immediate ecology. In reality, however, the blue and red lines mark the conflict lines between Nature and humans, as well as across different sections of the same city. In Pune, the lines are allegedly tampered with during digitisation of maps in order to favour certain developers. Then there are instances of elected legislators arguing successfully (?) in the Assembly to allow construction in critical areas.

The populism of such kind comes from the pressure of growing population and is fuelled by the construction contractors that befriend the politicians. Invasion of river banks by construction projects, or their resulting debris, has destroyed riparian zones and flood-plains flanking urban river flows in recent years. While excessive rainfall is pouring unexpected amounts of water down, the pavements are causing increased run-offs. If sea-water entering inhabited land areas is a phenomenon of the delta regions, the inland cities like Pune, Sangli and Kolhapur, on the leeward slopes of Sahyadri, are exposed to the discharge from the many dams upstream. Poor dam-water release-protocols have meant forced the unplanned discharge of water at the times of extreme rainfall. Where dams were built for protection against excess water, they often serve as threats to the population downstream.

The broad scenario is one of chaos, and to make matters worse, the average urban citizen is more concerned about traffic problems, because it affects them twice every day. The floods can occur once in a few years, or at the worst, once every year. As such, the memory of a flood can decay quickly off the public mind. The Dutch did not commission their project through one single agency or authority. They had a host of town councils, universities and consulting agencies collaborate positively. The local people were consulted and counselled before all else. In places, there was a push-back of no less than 350 meters, but that was achieved through community dialogue. Tens of houses, dozens of businesses and scores of citizens had to be relocated; but that was materialised because everyone realised that it was the most future-proof choice.

Much of the dialogue in the denser Indian cities can happen at a time when the flood-lines are still wet. Just when the relief agencies are still serving the flood-hit towns and cities, the affected people are most likely to accede to proposals of mitigating future floods. Whether it is to adopt the Dutch model or the Sponge City concept or go for a locally evolved innovation, smart administration could rise above political divisions and use the time to swing into action. They could empanel potamologists, hydrologists, geologists and social scientists along with policy-makers to evolve strategies to outlive the horrors of future floods staring at us.

Schematic diagram of the Sponge city concept. Source: Shuyang Xu. 
The Sponge City Concept [Image: researchgate.net]
The political parties will have to think beyond the elections and their finite five-year terms. Genuine long-term projects will have to be sold to the voters, where much of the work on the minds will precede actual work on the ground. The people, on their part, will have to hold a room in their hearts, to come forward, and actually agree to go backwards, extending the room for their rivers. That will be the true reflection of the society that we are.

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