tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69663457385921899182024-03-17T00:23:06.252+05:30The Writings of M D NalapatUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1994125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-79381279462894570092023-09-03T17:05:00.001+05:302023-10-13T17:08:15.603+05:30PM Modi speeds up Blockchain in digital drive (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The RBI needs to remember that unless global crypto norms get established as suggested by the PM, several of its measures may have a negative impact on domestic jobs, revenue and economic growth.</strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In times of crises, people in India turn to gold, and this is what they did soon after the 1962 aggression by the PLA took place. The austere Finance Minister of India, Morarji Desai, came up in 1963 with what he thought would be a solution to the swelling imports of gold. Ban import of gold completely. For millennia, the people of the subcontinent had been purchasers and holders of gold, often for use as a last resort in case times turned sour. To expect them to stop buying gold was a leap too far of faith in the potency of government edicts in a sprawling country. Till Morarji’s ban, India had not just been an importer but an exporter of gold, often in the form of jewellery. More than two million citizens were directly or indirectly involved in the gold business. Overnight, they lost their occupations, and less scrupulous individuals took their place in the now illicit gold trade. It was from India’s 1963 Gold Ban that Dubai began its ascent as a major trading hub. Sending gold to India through a medley of ways became a lucrative business in the sheikhdom. Among the undesirable side effects of the banning of gold was the appearance of the mafia, in the shape of illegal importers of gold from Dubai to India. Smuggling of gold remained a profitable business in India until 1992, when Prime Minister Narasimha Rao once again legalised the trade by scrapping the ban. During the UPA period, Finance Minister Chidambaram imposed a 10% duty on imports of gold. After that, smuggling once again became viable, and illegal operators entered a boom period. Not surprisingly, recorded gold imports fell drastically and collections from the new tax were small. Business in gold flourished, but illegally and in cash, with the government getting no revenue out of such business. An import duty on gold in excess of 5% promotes not revenue but smuggling of the precious metal. Dubai’s rise as a trading power dates back to the banning of gold imports in 1963. Had Narasimha Rao’s policy of permitting the gold trade not been reversed by the UPA, by now India would have been the global hub of the gold trade, and would through its exchanges exert a powerful effect on not just supply but price of the precious metal. Unsustainable taxes and overzealous regulation only succeed in driving away legal activity to other shores and inflating the illegal economy.</span></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">More than a third of the GDP of the Irish Republic has its origin in a few high-rise buildings in Dublin that serve as corporate headquarters for companies selling their goods across the world. Rather than having headquarters in their home countries, they operate from Dublin because of the lower tax that needs to be paid. 10% of a million is 100,000, while 40% of 100,000 is just 40,000. A low tax and easy compliance system that promotes growth would generate far more revenue than a high tax regime and regulatory mechanisms that soak up much of the time of top and middle management in matters of compliance (rather than in market development and product upgradation). CCP General Secretary Xi has converted the business environment in China into a morass, thereby giving a chance for India to acquire a faster and faster growth rate. This has begun to happen during Modi 2.0, and needs to be in full bloom during the next five years.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CN_DzLz38oEDFYlYDwIdMjwKZQ" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.5~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697196988&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fpm-modi-speeds-up-blockchain-in-digital-drive&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196940843&bpp=1&bdt=1045&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=2340455729093&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196940&ga_hid=1045694411&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4138&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1759&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44795921%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805533%2C44805680%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsmh9q3gPIwj5rwJ_I3Jcij8nOUJrfgojTJgFJQl3q0gcwz007imeMazJ-v2jBLHjD7ol4LQdfZb_xLQcOHGuuSC08wk&pvsid=492367823401273&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=k6KO6nGeUI&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=47858" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">There is need to be watchful that those with control freak mindsets, such as those behind such self-goals as those made by Morarji and Chidambaram on gold policy, are kept out of economic policymaking. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has subtly reminded the Reserve Bank of India that the central bank should not kill jobs in the belief that higher interest rates (rather than lowering supply constraints) would curb inflation. All that higher rates would do would be to reward those (mostly external players) who depend on arbitrage for their millions. Instead of cosying up to arbitrage vultures, central bankers need to give them a wide berth. In the US, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are slowly choking the status of the US dollar as the reserve currency of the world by the Fed’s high interest rates and Treasury’s Russia sanctions. However, in other fields the Biden administration is doing well, among which is the rapidly emerging market in crypto assets. Binance (a PRC-controlled crypto platform) exulted at the fall of FTX, but before long, it too was substantially taken down, together with Coinbase. The hand of US authorities was scarcely concealed in such takedowns. As a consequence, the US-based NYSE and CMX are emerging as the biggest crypto exchanges in the world. That honour could easily go to India. There was a time not long ago when India had over a hundred million crypto wallet traders. Since then, a crackdown supervised by the central bank has seen almost all such traders migrate to other platforms, none of which are based in India. Worryingly, several migrated to PRC-controlled platforms, and as a consequence, while authorities in India became unaware of crypto trades by Indian nationals, the CCP was in the know. When an asset is not tax deductible when it loses value, but pays a hefty tax when it gains value, few will hold that asset and make legal trades in the taxing country. Those behind the “crypto crackdown” in India had the effect of stifling a domestic industry that continues to grow worldwide. Central bankers need to pay attention to the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ignited the massive digital revolution that has been taking place in India over the past six years. The RBI needs to remember that unless global crypto norms get established as suggested by the PM, several of its measures may have a negative impact on domestic jobs, revenue and economic growth.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_3_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!4" data-google-query-id="COG8t8b38oEDFT5gDwIdtgsNig" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_3" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3938863807&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697197009&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fpm-modi-speeds-up-blockchain-in-digital-drive&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196940846&bpp=1&bdt=1049&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=4&correlator=2340455729093&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196940&ga_hid=1045694411&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=5898&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3527&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44795921%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805533%2C44805680%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsmh9q3gPIwj5rwJ_I3Jcij8nOUJrfgojTJgFJQl3q0gcwz007imeMazJ-v2jBLHjD7ol4LQdfZb_xLQcOHGuuSC08wk&pvsid=492367823401273&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=ITeiYX6TJ1&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=68507" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi has looked towards mainstreaming Blockchain technology and ensuring the creation of platforms based on that technology. Once this happens, exchanges and the transactions taking place in them will be transparent, and therefore tamper <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">proof</span> where operators skilled in rigging and manipulation of stocks and commodities are concerned. PM Modi is right, for Blockchain is the future. Crypto assets are inevitably going to be a part of that future. India could have been the global hub of the gold trade, but Morarji and Chidambaram made that possibility stillborn. Another example is Prohibition, which was once imposed in Haryana. All that Chief Minister Bansi Lal succeeded in doing was to ensure the proliferation of mafias in his state, not stop the consumption of alcohol. <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">Bihar</span> Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, by adopting Bansi Lal’s ways, has cost the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">Bihar</span> exchequer as well as public health countless sums of money by imposing Prohibition. Unless political leaders understand the realities of the 21st century and adapt policies to them, they will harm the people who trusted them with power. The sooner policymakers in India accept the realities of the present, the faster will India be what it once was, the global hub of commerce. Policies are needed that benefit India, rather than have the effect of driving business away to other shores.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Whether it be e-commerce, gold or crypto, India can be the global leader in legal and well managed transactions. The foundations of policy need to reflect in full measure the 21st century mindset that Prime Minister Modi’s enthusiasm for digital solutions and support for the adoption of Blockchain reveals.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/pm-modi-speeds-up-blockchain-in-digital-drive">PM Modi speeds up Blockchain in digital drive</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-1211317690804933592023-09-03T17:03:00.001+05:302023-10-13T17:05:19.186+05:30India stands up to Xi’s bluster (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The year 2023 will be a special period in the roster of G20 annual meetings. It is the year after the members of NATO became engaged in a proxy battle with the Russian Federation, so far in Ukrainian territory. It is the year that followed the “informal” distribution of a set of maps in the Samarkand summit of the SCO</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">during</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">15-17 September 2022 by the Chinese delegation. The maps were inaccurate, to say the least, as it showed vast tracts of sea and land territory as belonging to other countries but which the cartographers labelled as Chinese. The international institution that was given the task after World War II to keep the peace globally was fractured, as its permanent members were divided into Russia and China on one side and the US, Britain and France on the other. It was only at the last moment that a sufficiently anodyne agreed statement was presented to the world by all the members of the G20. If 2022 was difficult, it was clear that 2023 would be even more challenging. Rather than walk away from the challenge by consigning the rotating chairmanship of the G20 to an insignificant space, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided on the opposite course. The group would get a makeover and be placed in a much higher orbit in the world of international diplomacy than it ever had been before. There would be explosions all around, and</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">many</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">minefields to traverse, but India would wade through them and brave the fire. The country would showcase the concerns of the Global South in a manner not witnessed before within the G20. What this writer christened the G200 (standing for the group of 200 members of the Global South) would be given a seat at the table each time there was a meeting</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">during</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">the Indian presidency, and there were an unprecedented number of meetings. In each, task forces set to work in order to come up with diagnoses and solutions to the problems facing the world, and by the time the 2023 Summit takes place in Delhi, each of them would have cogitated and come up with reports that would be of immense value to those policymakers seriously rather than superficially concerned about the state of the world.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">More than 95% of the work of the task forces set up under the Indian presidency is complete, which means that the leaders gathering in Delhi will have a full menu of options to consider in their deliberations. For too long, the G20 was a talking shop, a sideshow that featured indifferent international theatre. All that changed in 2023. Next year, it is certain that Brazil will enthusiastically take up the baton given to South America’s largest country by <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">India</span>, the world’s most populous country, and thereby ensure that the G20 remain on the elevated trajectory that it has been placed in durinG2023. Of course, there are those who seek to ensure that any peer country is seen to be less than successful, and that appears to be China’s dynamic with <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">India</span> where the 2023 G20 is concerned. This would surely have been anticipated by Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and shock absorbers created to offset the effect of any of the “shocks” to the 2023 G20 Summit that CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping was likely to attempt. In case <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">reports</span> that Xi is skipping the 9-10 September Summit are accurate, it would be out of frustration that thus far, the proceedings of the G20 have gone well. Xi’s absence would indicate in a way few other actions can that he is not sincere in his protestations <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">about</span> boosting the prospects of the Global South. After all, the concerns of the Global South are at the centre of the deliberations thus far of the different mechanisms of the G20. Vladimir Putin showed grace and regard for <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">India</span> by not attending. Were he not to attend the Summit, Xi would demonstrate a lack of grace as well as make public his dislike of the world’s most populous democracy, indeed the most populous country in the world. Prime Minister Modi will continue on the path he has mapped out, flagging the concerns of the Global South in particular and the need for the G20 to work harder at making the world a better place. Not every leader of a big country sees life in Zero Sum terms in the manner that Xi Jinping quite clearly seems to. Given the strong foundation that has been built over the past nine months, what is certain is that the 2023 G20 Summit will be a success. That would be a victory for the entire Global South, in the way that the Chandrayaan-3 landing has been</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/india-stands-up-to-xis-bluster">India stands up to Xi’s bluster</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-29797888454128178762023-08-27T16:59:00.001+05:302023-10-13T17:02:55.919+05:30Ahead of G20 Summit, Modi steers BRICS towards neutrality (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Despite efforts by some of its members to convert the group into an instrument of bloc politics, BRICS has remained neutral. Despite similar efforts directed at causing disharmony within the 2023 G20, the proceedings have gone on smoothly.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Delhi</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The XV meeting of the BRICS Big Five (one of them attending virtually) that took place during the week in Johannesburg drew international attention on a scale not seen before. The reason was the perception in international media that the association would change from its present neutrality to a stance that opposes the Atlanticist powers, specifically the United States. This did not happen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thereby ensured that the autonomy of India where foreign (and domestic) policy is concerned remains intact.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Despite the fault line created within the UNSC and the G20 (to name just two international bodies) by the intensification since February 2022 of the conflict in Ukraine, India has remained on the best of terms with both the Russian Federation as well as the United States. Within BRICS, India was clear that the bloc politics of Cold War 2.0 needed to be avoided, and that the platform should continue to remain neutral. As a corollary, it was made clear that any new member should be carefully and unanimously chosen, so that bloc politics did not creep into the selections. All six of the new members are on good terms with India, and among them only Iran, partly as a consequence of the scrapping of the nuclear deal under President Trump and partly because of its clerical regime, can be considered hostile to the Atlanticist powers . Efforts made by some in the group aimed at bringing in additional members, at least two of which were closely aligned to Cold War 2.0 bloc politics, was put aside in deference to the view of the Indian side that BRICS needed to remain a neutral platform even after it was expanded by six new members to BRICS Plus. Both Brazil and South Africa, the other two members of the Global South within the current BRICS framework, were on board with the Indian stand that the platform ought not to become an instrument of bloc politics and recrimination.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CLe19oT28oEDFcbHTAIdRzMP6A" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697196603&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fahead-of-g20-summit-modi-steers-brics-towards-neutrality&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196601600&bpp=2&bdt=896&idt=2&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196365%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196365%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=4901714841335&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196601&ga_hid=1668210959&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3972&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1600&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078600%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805112%2C44805336%2C31078297%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=946102709048974&tmod=1432540157&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=jezP40QvRJ&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=1934" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">PUTIN ACTS AS A FRIEND<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />India’s success at maintaining a balance within BRICS between the two competing blocs in the new Cold War has been unwelcome news to the PRC, which under its present leadership seeks to dilute the friendly relationships that India has with the powers (the US and Russia) that are the principal protagonists in a conflict in which Ukraine has become a proxy for NATO. It had been informally sought by an important country in Asia that President V.V. Putin come in person to the G20 Summit that is to take place in less than two weeks at Delhi. His physical presence at the conference venue would have resulted in the 2023 Delhi Summit being at risk of setting at naught the immense work done by several delegations in the preparation of policy briefs intended to better promote growth across the board, and across the globe, and not just in the nineteen countries that are part of the G20 together with the European Union. Brazil and South Africa joined hands with India to champion the cause of several other countries as well, most of them being in the Global South. Instead, the 2023 Summit would have witnessed a cacophony of accusations and counter accusations by the two sides at each other, given the passions that the Ukraine war has ignited within both the G7 as well as the Russian Federation.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">A malicious trope had been assiduously spread that President Putin had avoided going to the BRICS Summit in South Africa “in order to prevent his arrest under the international warrant issued in his name” thanks to the efforts of the G7 countries.The fact is that there is no way that the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, would have detained the President of Russia, a country that together with India had always stood by the African National Congress during the dismal years when South Africa was in the grip of apartheid. However, the very presence of Putin in Johannesburg would have shifted international media focus away from the work being done by BRICS to the visit of the President of the Russian Federation. In order to avoid such a diversion, he disappointed troublemakers, and made sure that his presence would only be virtual. Interestingly, the very country that had informally lobbied to ensure that President Putin avoided going to the BRICS Summit in South Africa had been hyperactive in seeking to ensure his physical presence at the New Delhi G20 Summit in September. Once again, immediately after Moscow’s clarification regarding the physical absence of President Putin from the Delhi Summit, the same malicious trope has been spread that this decision was because of the possibility of arrest once President Putin arrived in New Delhi. In actuality, there was no way that the Russian President would be at risk of arrest in a country that is not even a signatory to the international convention that calls on international arrest warrants of the kind issued against the Russian President, unlike South Africa, which has.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CM-j4bf28oEDFUIZKgodMX0Cwg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.13~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697196710&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fahead-of-g20-summit-modi-steers-brics-towards-neutrality&ea=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196709624&bpp=1&bdt=1795&idt=-M&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=7554940089072&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196709&ga_hid=424373921&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=7&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6226&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=5111&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31077328%2C31078019%2C31078657%2C42532335%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=3355759543321868&tmod=1432540157&uas=0&nvt=3&topics=1&tps=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&dtd=520" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">As a consequence of his longstanding friendship with Prime Minister Modi, the Russian President resisted powerful voices, especially from an influential nearby country that sought to ensure that he go to Delhi for the G20 Summit. Instead of obliging such voices, the Kremlin publicly communicated to the Indian side that Putin would, instead, of coming to the Summit, remain in Russia. Being a man whose words need to be taken seriously, it is likely that there will be a spurt of activity on the Ukrainian front during the period when the 2023 G20 Summit is taking place. The ostensible <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">reason</span> given by Moscow for Putin’s absence is after all his “preoccupation with the Special Military Operation” in Ukraine. By his statesmanlike decision to skip the meeting, perhaps <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">even</span> virtually, President Putin has shown that despite efforts by the G7 to terminally weaken him and in the process his country, he maintains to the extent present circumstances permit Russia’s independence in foreign policy, especially where friends such as India are concerned. It needs to be said to the credit of another friend of Prime Minister Modi, US President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr, that he had confirmed his physical participation at the G20 Summit much before it was officially stated by the Kremlin that President Putin would not be making the visit to India, at least not at this time.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CPDq6Lf28oEDFbYUewcdHFYD0Q" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.15~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697196710&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fahead-of-g20-summit-modi-steers-brics-towards-neutrality&ea=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196709624&bpp=1&bdt=1794&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196693%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=7554940089072&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196709&ga_hid=424373921&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=7&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=7518&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=5111&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31077328%2C31078019%2C31078657%2C42532335%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=3355759543321868&tmod=1432540157&uas=0&nvt=3&topics=1&tps=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&cms=2&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&dtd=672" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">OUTCOME DOCUMENT NOT CRITICAL<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />There has been speculation about whether there will be an outcome document signed by all the members at the Summit. The fact is that the 2023 G20 mechanism created by India has ensured the completion of several policy papers that would serve as guideposts for the future. An outcome document would be icing on the cake, but would not be critical in judging the success of the 2023 Indian Presidency of the G20. At the New Delhi Summit, India is likely to present the case made by Prime Minister Modi earlier, that the African Union (AU) be included as the 21st member of the group, following the precedent created by the admission of the European Union to the G20, which in reality comprises only nineteen countries, the EU <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">being</span> the twentieth member. There has been intense diplomatic activity by the Indian side led by the Prime Minister and assisted by the External Affairs Minister to try for the admission of the AU into the G20, perhaps in the 2023 Summit itself. The expectation is that the Modi Initiative will be supported by President Biden. The G20 would thereafter become the G21. Africa is a continent with enormous future potential, and the admission of the AU at the request of India would strengthen the G20, just as the admission of South Africa strengthened what till that time was simply BRIC but then became BRICS and will be BRICS Plus by January 2024.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />In a year when high explosives are literally going off with abandon in significant parts of the globe, the fact that India was able to navigate its way through such a minefield in both the BRICS as well as in the G20 without an implosion is a feat that may not be welcome to hostile powers, but is evidence of the success of the Modi government in weaving through the obstacle race that international relations has become since the onset of Covid-19 and the Ukraine war. Despite efforts by some of its members to convert the group into an instrument of bloc politics, BRICS has remained neutral. Despite similar efforts directed at causing disharmony within the 2023 G20, the proceedings have gone on smoothly. India has in 2023 shown that it is the UNSC that is the loser when the country with the largest population on the globe continues to be kept outside the list of Permanent Members of that now fractured body.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/top-five/ahead-of-g20-summit-modi-steers-brics-towards-neutrality">Ahead of G20 Summit, Modi steers BRICS towards neutrality</a><br /></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"></div></ins></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-8904437977943596132023-08-27T16:55:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:59:23.788+05:30A neutral BRICS Plus is a win for India (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The presence of PM Modi at the 2023 BRICS Summit proved to be an effective counter to what was expected to be the overwhelming influence of Xi Jinping.</strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is a relief that there has not been a demand from the G-7 that President Zelenskyy be invited to the BRICS Summit that has just concluded in Johannesburg. It would be a measure of diplomatic finesse on the part of the G7 were such a demand to also remain unsaid where the forthcoming G-20 Summit is concerned. Given the South Africa precedent, President Vladimir Putin will join the forthcoming summit only virtually if at all, given that his physical presence would convert the conference into a cacophony of recriminations. The British delegation, in particular, has from the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in February 2022 been particularly anxious to demonstrate a complete absence of the calm and understatement that so many in the UK claim as their special trait. In the UNSC, the British delegation has been even more “frank” (to use diplomatese) than the US side, although neither can compare with the histrionics of that perpetual Special Invitee, the Ukrainian delegation. If there was ever a time when the UNSC was taken to be a serious and significant forum, ever since the repeated meetings on Ukraine, its proceedings have taken on the characteristics of a circus. Along the way, the G-7 has lost much of the goodwill that countries within the group had accumulated in the populations of those countries that are not situated on both sides of the North Atlantic. There is a perception that all that the Europeans and the Europhiles on the other side of the North Atlantic care about is themselves. Or in other words, about those who are either European or of European ethnicity, specifically Ukraine. After a hiatus, the perception that the world is divided into the West and the Rest has returned, with practically the entire “Rest” unable to understand the fixation of the West on a country in Europe that is of strategic value only in the advent of a kinetic war with the Russian Federation. Small wonder that the Kremlin has become obsessed about the worry that NATO was going to do what it had avoided doing throughout the period when the USSR was around, which was to launch a war with Russia. The more the western resources and manpower that gets thrown into the quagmire that the Ukraine conflict had from the start been for the West, the greater the sense of a double standard in the rest of the world. In the US, a new crop of Republican leaders has been making their presence felt, of which Vivek Ramaswamy has been the most forthright. If elected President of the US, he says his first mission would be to go to Moscow and try and wean the Russian Federation away from the primary danger to the democracies, which is the People’s Republic of China. As the 2024 Presidential election comes closer, the rising popularity of such a stand within US voters may perhaps even seep through the doors of the White House, which is presently throwing in a substantial amount of taxpayer dollars into the all-consuming fire that the conflict on Russia’s borders has become for NATO, an organisation that in its present form at least, has outlived its utility. The memo that the PRC is, in a much more potent form, the challenge to the US that the USSR was until the 1980s seems to have been misplaced on its way to the Oval Office. Included in the collateral damage that this has caused is a sharp diminution in the trust and therefore loyalty of several countries that the US had previously firmly had in its corner.</span></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several of converts to mild or serious strains of Westphobia have indicated their desire to join BRICS, a group in which neither side of the North Atlantic plays any role. Indeed, the effort by Putin and Xi is to refashion BRICS as a counter to the numerous post-1945 structures that continue to be dominated by the West. Had the two been successful in bringing Brasilia, Pretoria and New Delhi to their point of view, BRICS would have expanded not by just six additional members but by more than a dozen. Smuggling in bloc politics in the name of moving away from such games has been the PRC effort, but given the convention of unanimity, Xi joined by Putin was not able to get their way except on members that were approved for inclusion in January 2024 by the other three members of BRICS. The three, India, South Africa and Brazil ( unlike Russia and </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">China</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">) are part of the Global South, as are four of the six new BRICS members, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE by virtue of their wealth being part of the Global North, in contrast to Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and Iran. Of the six, only Iran is Westphobic, partly out of its clerical rulers and partly out of the reaction caused by the tearing up of the Obama-era pact between Iran and the US that set guardrails on that country’s nuclear program. It was an agreement that was more generous to the other side than to Iran, but for the “All or Nothing” President Trump, it was not good enough to retain. Instead of his subsequent “Maximum Pressure” policy cutting back Iran’s nuclear program, it has expanded to a level that the Obama-era agreement was designed to delay, if not avoid. Given that none of the new members of BRICS are within the PRC sphere of influence (except Iran by default), it is unlikely that Beijing would be able to exercise the degree of control over an expanded BRICS that Washington has long had over the World Bank and the IMF. Even as debts to </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">China</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> accumulate to unrepayable levels, the nightmare facing Beijing is that several countries may simply repudiate that debt, especially if they were able to garner support from countries opposed to PRC expansionism in such a move. In the past, the PRC poured money into the pockets of influential US citizens through various channels in order to ensure policies suitable to itself, only to watch that investment go up in smoke once President Trump calculated in 2017 that taking measures against </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">China</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was not a vote loser but a vote enhancer.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 400;" /><span style="font-weight: 400;">The presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg proved to be an effective counter to what was expected to be the overwhelming influence of Xi Jinping. With the possible exception of Iran, which is still smarting over the cutting off by India of oil purchases as a response to the Trump sanctions, the other five countries that will in four months become members of BRICS (or BRICS Plus, as the group has been renamed) are friends of India, especially the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia expected to follow soon. Despite the presence in the group of Russia, </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">China</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and Iran, BRICS Plus cannot be termed anti-West or Sino-centric. Often in diplomacy, something that does not happen is equally if not more significant than something that has happened. BRICS in its new form will not change, it will remain a bloc-neutral platform. At the same time, inspired untruths (such as that India was opposed to BRICS expansion) were promptly shot down by the MEA. All in all, the 2023 BRICS Summit has been a win for India and the rest of the Global South.</span></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/a-neutral-brics-plus-is-a-win-for-india">A neutral BRICS Plus is a win for India</a></span></strong></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-18841649783910387122023-08-27T16:54:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:55:51.319+05:30Chandrayaan shows Global South’s mettle (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">When Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his joy and gratitude to the scientists, technicians and others responsible for the soft landing of the Vikram on the south surface of the moon, he was joined by the entire country in such an emotion. Under PM Modi, the full weight of the Indian private sector has been harnessed in the development of the space program, and multiple private entities played a role in the success of the Chandrayaan mission. For too long, the private sector was considered a much lower priority than its public counterparts, several of whom were converted into monopolies by a stroke of the pen. Not surprisingly, many did badly. It was only in the 1990s that this double standard was, if not abolished altogether, at least diluted. The consequence has been much faster</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">economic</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">growth. It needs to be remembered that a double digit growth is not just desirable but necessary for India, given its expanding young population. Unless the ten million and more young Indians coming into the job market are given the opportunity to work, unless they are educated in a manner that fits 21st century needs, the Demographic Dividend so often talked about would go to waste. The importance of the success of Chandrayaan is also in the demonstration effect that the feat has on investors looking at India, now that geopolitical tensions and domestic policies have made China far less attractive as a production base than before. Whether it be gadgets or semiconductors, India has shown that these can be made in India not only in a cost-effective way but in a manner that improves quality.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Chandrayaan has shown that when the Prime Minister says that India is an ideal destination for investment, no matter how advanced the product, he is being completely accurate. Across the world, while in a few countries such as China that are competing with India in attracting investment and have caused tensions in bilateral relations, in other parts of the world, the feat was welcomed, particularly in the Global South. Although China under Xi Jinping claims to be a part of the Global South, both in terms of geography as well as in terms of GDP, the country is no longer part of the group, unlike India, which has become a champion of the interests of countries hitherto ignored. The success of Chandrayaan is the success of the Global South, which is why it must have been warmly welcomed by the leaders of South Africa and Brazil at the BRICS Summit. Given that a similar mission by Moscow failed a short while ago, the President of Russia may be excused for being as unenthusiastic as his PRC counterpart at the soft landing of the India-developed space vehicle on the south side of the moon, a first in the history of space travel dating back to the 1950s.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CKzew_P08oEDFSRTDwIdHM0G_Q" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697196298&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorial%2Fchandrayaan-shows-global-souths-mettle&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196268771&bpp=4&bdt=803&idt=4&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196017%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196017%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=5141192581532&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196268&ga_hid=1127225489&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3322&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1000&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C42532334%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805534%2C31078773%2C21065724%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=1888101719553137&tmod=1432540157&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=tOTAqq46Ek&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=29720" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Some years ago, when ISRO in India conducted a successful space mission, there was a disparaging cartoon on the front page of a prominent US newspaper. The cartoon showed a skinny, evidently starving, man in rags carrying a rocket under his arm and knocking at the door of a large house, inside which a few wealthy people were having a laugh at the apparition at their doorstep. The message in the cartoon was unmistakable. It was that a country with a per capita income as low as India’s ought not to try and break into the world of activities that were the prerogative of the wealthy, such as space exploration. If that cartoonist, and the editor who placed such a cartoon on the front page, are still around, they would have learnt of the success of the soft landing of the Chandrayaan mission to the moon and remembered their earlier work and its meaning. Certainly India has a per capita income that is far below what it ought to be (and will be within a decade). However, although not in per capita income but in brainpower, India is easily among the top countries in the world. Financial stringency had the benefit of making ISRO scientists work hard at rockets that were much lower in cost than those launched by other countries. India has the least cost per unit of output of any space program in the world, which is why countries across the world have started to rely on Indian launch vehicles to get the satellites made by them into orbit. Unlike other space programs that concentrate on military needs, with the civilian component piggybacking on the military, in India the nuclear and space programs have as their foundational mission civilian needs, with military applications only a by-product. At the BRICS Summit that took place in South Africa, India, Brazil and South Africa worked together to ensure that the Global South in the form of IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) was given its <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">due</span>, and would together become a symbol not of backwardness but of progress. The Chandrayaan mission is a major milestone in such a necessary road.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/chandrayaan-shows-global-souths-mettle">Chandrayaan shows Global South’s mettle</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-25335540112232612612023-08-20T16:51:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:54:14.952+05:30Accessible and speedy justice possible by 2029 (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">PM Modi would surely welcome CJI Chandrachud’s emphasis on inclusive justice, given that inclusion has been a watchword of his.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Mahatma Gandhi gave a talisman to the policymakers of an India that would soon be freed of the colonial yoke. This was to sift through the records kept by memory and settle upon the most wretched, the most deprived individual who has been encountered. It may be a beggar getting drenched in the rain but still importuning those ensconced in passing limousines to hand over a few coins of the wealth they possessed to him or her, but getting only indifference in return, even as the desperation on the face of the beggar visibly grows. It may be some other person, wracked by fever and shivering in the winter cold with only a tattered sheet to keep him warm, with passersby scarcely bothering to glance in the direction of the man huddled in a corner in a fetal position. It may be some others whose luck, if ever it existed, had long since run dry. The Mahatma asked if the measure being contemplated by the policymaker would have a beneficial effect on that most wretched individual, or whether it would not in any way alleviate his or her misery. If the latter, it would not be a policy that was worthy of being carried out. When Covid-19 surged across the border from China to India, often not directly but from visitors from faraway lands that the virus had travelled to during the course of its spread as a pandemic that during 2020 and 2021 caused tens of millions of lives, as much as some of the wars of the previous century. As a response, Prime Minister Modi ordered that a sustainable level of foodgrain be provided to every family that was in need, a figure that at its peak reached hundreds of millions. Leafing through glossy magazines or watching programs on television screens, it would be a rarity to find an image or a mention of the poor of the land. The higher the position of an individual in the social ladder, the greater the chance of figuring in the news. The rest remain invisible.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CJSfuav08oEDFQJOwgUd3NMPuw" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697196147&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Faccessible-and-speedy-justice-possible-by-2029&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697196125414&bpp=1&bdt=1316&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196017%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697196017%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=4498104917867&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697196125&ga_hid=1729702194&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=2778&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1100&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31077328%2C31078594%2C42532334%2C44804782%2C44805099%2C44805534%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=4272855497214818&tmod=1432540157&uas=1&nvt=1&topics=1&tps=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=Kv9c8HxkoN&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=22044" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is right on target when he says that the greatest challenge facing the judicial system in India (or in practically all countries, with few or no obvious exceptions) is to ensure that the justice system ensures access to all citizens, especially the least privileged. The Chief Justice correctly saw technology as a means towards the fulfillment of such an objective. In the democratic system of governance, checks and balances are what keep the in flywheel of society stable rather than veering off in an unstable direction. A modern executive in a country as complex and populous as India comprises millions of individuals. Despite the best leadership and a preponderance of the honest and the able within the bureaucracy, there will still be elements who seek to profit <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">personally</span>, often by harming the interests and welfare especially of those who may lack the resources and the ability to react to such breaches of the governmental code of conduct. In such a situation, should the victim knock at the doors of the nearest court, he or she may be faced with counters from a phalanx of individuals who have a vested interest in misgovernance, and who may come up with superficially credible reasons why allegations against wrongdoers are not true even when they are. Ensuring that every court proceeding gets live streamed is a way in which technology could operate as a deterrent against false statements. Perjury in the sense of knowing something to be false and yet repeating that as truth in a court, needs to be punished severely.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Once there is complete transparency in court proceedings through the internet, the odds would be high and rising that untrue averments will get noticed and protested against. Apart from <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">access</span>, what is needed is speed in the delivery of justice, and here also technology could help. Virtual hearings could take place, and courts may need to regard it as normal practice to have a hybrid system that is both physical as well as virtual, including not just advocates and clients but judges as well. Much of the cost of getting justice involves travel expenses, and a virtual mode could not just ensure that powerful judicial minds listen to and decide on cases even in remote locations, but that others involved in the case too avoid travel where possible. Prime Minister Modi has mentioned in his Independence Day address some of the priorities that will be followed <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">during</span> a third term. He would surely welcome CJI Chandrachud’s emphasis on inclusive justice, given that inclusion has been a watchword of his. The Prime Minister and the sitting Chief Justice of India need to work together to ensure that transparency, <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">access</span> and faster delivery of <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">final</span> verdicts become the hallmarks of the justice system in India by 2029.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/accessible-and-speedy-justice-possible-by-2029">Accessible and speedy justice possible by 2029</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-52962616079615119472023-08-20T16:49:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:51:11.700+05:30Zelenskyy would be a distraction at G-20 (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Before becoming the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a showman, entertaining audiences with his comic routines. A showman and his stage are seldom parted, so it comes as little surprise that Zelenskyy is constantly on the hunt for stage after stage in order to once again present the same pyrotechnics that has won his country what appears to the world outside the NATO alliance to be a self-destructive level of support for a lost cause. For Vladimir Putin, retaining Crimea and other parts of Ukraine that he helped break away from the control of Kiev in 2014 is existential, and explains occasional menacing references to the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia, should there be an “existential” threat to any territory defined by the Kremlin as belonging to the Russian Federation. Given that much of his working life was spent as a comic on stage, President Zelenskyy may be excused for not comprehending the mounting risks to NATO and to the rest of the world by his brinkmanship. What is incomprehensible is how politicians such as Chancellor Scholz of Germany, who was earlier believed to have a firm grasp of global realities, has morphed into almost as much of a cheerleader for Zelenskyy as his Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock. The nominally Green leader appears to be rivalling Victoria Nuland in her obsession with humbling the Kremlin, no matter what the risk or the cost. When Putin ordered his troops to march into Ukrainian territory (albeit controlled by surrogates of the Russian Federation) in February 2022, some geniuses close to the White House must have seen such a move as another Afghan misadventure by the Kremlin, and thereafter pushed for a series of measures that (in the view of these geniuses) would push Russian forces into as deep a quagmire as the pit they got into in Afghanistan in the 1980s.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">President Biden, smarting from the obloquy earned by him as a consequence of his lighting fast total withdrawal from Afghanistan the previous year, would have seen in a strategy of bogging Russia down in Ukraine a way of showing that he was at heart also a warrior, despite what happened in Afghanistan. Boris Johnson, then Prime Minister of the UK, saw in a full-blown European conflict a means of keeping him in <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">office</span> despite Partygate and Cakegate, and the other members of NATO fell in line with the duo. Judging by western media, their perception about Russia was the same as what Adolf Hitler had about the USSR when he invaded that country in 1941. This was that the entire state was rotting from the inside, so much so that “a single hard kick would cause it to come crashing down”. That did not happen, and the odious Fuehrer of the Third Reich almost destroyed Germany because of the error he made in invading that vast country. Given Russia’s size and armoury, there is no way Zelenskyy can get what he seeks, which is the return to the pre-2014 position where control over territory by Kiev is concerned. Those outside the charmed circle of NATO, in Asia, Africa and South America, have begun to believe the old trope that Washington cares only about Europe. This is because of the way in which Ukraine has been showered with weapons by the US that are effectively given free of cost, in contrast to Taiwan, which has been given much less hardware, and that too on fiscally extortionate terms. The sooner a cease-fire in Ukraine is declared, the better. If the next G-20 meeting is to make progress towards that, the presence of Zelenskyy at the deliberations would only be a distraction. Far better that there be a few major international conferences, including the G-20 summit to be hosted by India next month, where the showman is a No Show.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/zelenskyy-would-be-a-distraction-at-g-20">Zelenskyy would be a distraction at G-20</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-19298858348370670932023-08-13T16:47:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:49:31.461+05:30Manipal, where a single acorn became a tall oak (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">T</span><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">he example set by Dr T.M.A. Pai illustrates the truth that we Indians have what it takes to be world-beaters, even in locations where such advancement is not expected by others.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">On 9 August, the Indigo flight from Delhi to Mangalore from Terminal 1 lifted off a bit before its scheduled departure time of 2.15 pm. Milling around the departure gate were <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">passengers</span> clustering around in small knots. Judging by the conversations taking place in English, Hindi, Kannada and a few other languages, most of the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">passengers</span> were Manipal-bound. They were either going because they were students, or the parents of students, or teachers and other specialists coming to the campus to listen to (or to give) a talk. Nestled next door to Udupi, the university town of Manipal conveys a portrait of 21st century <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">development</span>. It would be hard to believe that in the initial years after India became free, Manipal was just a small village, where even the sight of a pair of bullock carts was rare. It was here that Dr T.M.A. Pai was born, and even after completing his medical education elsewhere, returned so as to be together with his family rather than settle in a big city elsewhere. Dr Pai believed in a bright future for India, and saw the route to that objective through the achievement of excellence through education by citizens across the country.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CISR-qDz8oEDFRmR6QUdiVkF7Q" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697195857&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fmanipal-where-a-single-acorn-became-a-tall-oak&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697195857016&bpp=1&bdt=747&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195690%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195690%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=1257907206771&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697195857&ga_hid=491497694&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=2302&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078362%2C31078657%2C44795921%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=2516684906277174&tmod=1432540157&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=gpe2PVlEOI&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=11" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">He thereupon drew up plans to set up a medical college in the small village of Manipal itself. Those who were close to Dr T.M.A. Pai knew that such a feat was not beyond his reach, given his tenacity of purpose, but others scoffed. A private medical college, indeed an educational complex, in the back of the back of beyond? Impossible! The 1950s were not a good period for private initiative, and neither were the 1960s or the 1970s. It was considered optimal by those in power to give the state sector control of the “commanding heights” of the economy, and private institutions were being taken over by the government on almost a daily basis. Whenever the efforts of the state to hobble his educational institutions proved to be too much to shrug off, Dr Pai would turn to the courts, and they would more often than not ensure that he was given enough leeway to implement his plans. By the time he ended his time on earth in 1979, Manipal had become a known hub of quality education that drew in students from all parts of India and even from outside. He refused to call himself the founder of the education hub that became the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, saying that many were responsible and not just him. Many did assist him, because each of them had been inspired by his vision and confidence that anything was possible in India, and that too in the tiny village of his birth.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />By the 1990s, the private sector ceased to become a term of abuse in the abodes of power, and the decks were cleared for his son Dr Ramdas M. Pai to take over the now substantial chain of institutions built by his father. Steering away from politics and from most of its practitioners, Ramdas Pai expanded the university to the far corners of the globe, ranging from the Americas to West Asia to Malaysia, and Nepal. Today, on the mother campus in Manipal (or in other campuses within India such as in Jaipur, Bangalore and Sikkim), there are students from a multiplicity of countries. Dr Ramdas Pai persuaded a doctor-researcher of renown, Dr M.S. Valiathan (the founder of the Sri Chitra Institute in Trivandrum) to join as the first Vice-Chancellor of the university, now with its newly-conferred status of being a “deemed” university. Why private universities in India are unable to call themselves what they are, full universities, rather than go by other titles remains yet another totem of Official India’s wariness about the private sector, although such handicapping may not last much longer, given that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has from the start of his term in 2014 given the private sector the same respect being bestowed towards the public sector. It was Manipal, under the inspiration of Dr Ramdas Pai and Dr Valiathan, who set up in 1999 what was probably Asia’s first Chair in Geopolitics. Since then, the Department of Geopolitics & International Relations has become a teaching department that each year trains experts in geopolitics who get snapped up in institutions across the world. International relations is taught in Manipal with a focus on India and its needs, rather than following the commoner track of recycling International Relations theory from a US or Russian or Chinese or other perspective. As has been often said about a large public university in the national capital, “it has taught International Relations from every country’s point of view except that of the Indian”. Manipal is very much a product of India, and is proud of that fact. Even during the 1990s, India was not considered even a major power, much less a great power, but times have changed, especially during the past decade. From the start of their odyssey in the 1950s, the architects of Manipal always considered India to be a potential Great Power, and now most of the rest of the world has seen that this dream has come true, and this is what has been happening during the past few years.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CKngobvz8oEDFRL-vQodGOkKKw" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.5~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697195912&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fmanipal-where-a-single-acorn-became-a-tall-oak&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697195857021&bpp=1&bdt=752&idt=0&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195690%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195690%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=1257907206771&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697195857&ga_hid=491497694&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=5082&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=2702&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078362%2C31078657%2C44795921%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=2516684906277174&tmod=1432540157&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=bRhvLMaNXm&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=55129" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The example set by Dr T.M.A. Pai illustrates the truth, which is that we Indians have what it takes to be world-beaters, even in locations where such advancement is not expected by others. The truth that the people of India have the inner spark that generates excellence, that this is there in hundreds of millions of people in our country. If a small village barely noticed by any other person than its inhabitants could in a generation grow into an educational colossus as a consequence of the belief in its possibility by a single individual, it is clear that such potential exists across the country, awaiting its release through inner confidence, through the inner empowerment that creates the foundation for a strong country. Whether it be the Amul <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">story</span> scripted by Tribhuvandas Patel and Dr Verghese Kurien, or the belief of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata back in 1868 that India could be the natural home of a global conglomerate, individuals have made a difference to the country and the world that can endure through the centuries. In today’s young citizens, there are many such individuals. They are acorns that will create oaks, as the years ahead will show in the shape of many, many stately “oak trees” of achievement.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/manipal-where-a-single-acorn-became-a-tall-oak">Manipal, where a single acorn became a tall oak</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-23614991724452039052023-08-13T16:45:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:47:23.071+05:30Delhi, the national capital, is special (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">If Arvind Kejriwal has his way, the primary challenge for the BJP would come in 2029 not from the Congress but from the AamAadmi Party. In a ruthlessly consistent and effective manner, Kejriwal has ensured the marginalisation of any individual who regarded himself or herself as his superior or mentor. Whether it be activists such as Anna Hazare or Aruna Roy, individuals who have worked for decades in their attempt to bring into fruition more of their ideas for the direction India needs to take, both at one time overshadowed Arvind Kejriwal. Today they have been eclipsed by him and almost never heard of. In contrast, Kejriwal’s party was very much in the news when he opposed Central say in the Delhi administration officialdom. A wide spectrum of opposition parties joined hands with the AAP to</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">oppose</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">the bill moved by Home Minister Amit Shah to change the laws so that control of important officials within the Delhi government will vest with Central and not the state authorities. Political parties such as the Congress, that have been at the receiving end on several occasions of the drive by the AAP for expansion of its voter base, have been vociferously defending the stand of the Delhi government. This is that it is Delhi CM Kejriwal who has the right to control and direct the officials working under him. Were the Congress Party (or even the AAP for that matter) in control of the Central government in the way that the BJP now is, neither would have supported the stand of the AAP joined with several opposition parties that the state government in the Union Territory that is the national capital of the country has the right to control even the senior officials working for it, and not the Central government. Anytime the two were on a collision course, as has been the situation for more than six years now, the Central government would find it difficult if not impossible to function from the national capital. It would find itself severely circumscribed by the Delhi government to take advantage of the broad powers that it has assumed for itself to work on ways of inconveniencing and impacting the functioning of the Union Government. Given the undoubted political talents of not just Chief Minister Kejriwal but some of his closest lieutenants, such an outcome would have been very likely, had the changes to the law effectuated by the Union Home Minister not been passed in Parliament. A city that is paying a high price for reducing the national government almost to an administrative nullity in several crucial fields (including the city police) is London, where MayorSadiq Khan is following his own course where the metropolis is concerned. This has had an effect on the city that is visible, and which is different from what the capital of the UK was before his term as Lord Mayor of London began. Because of the vast powers of the Mayor of London, it is a political prize. Should Boris Johnson once again become Mayor, and Rishi Sunak and his party lose the next general elections to the Labour Party, he would automatically be the most senior office-holder in the Conservative Party, thereby giving him tailwind such as to once again be the standard bearer of his party. Had the Mayor of Washington DC been given the powers that the AAP believes it has a right to exercise over the national capital, the repercussionswould be substantial for whichever administration has been elected in a Presidential contest.Under the circumstances, granting even UT status to Delhi, with an elected government superseding the Municipal Corporation, was going to be a risky proposition had the Delhi government been on a collision course with the Central authorities, as has been the situation between the AAP and the BJP. Delhi is not just another city, not even just another metropolis such as Mumbai or Bengaluru, but is the capital of India. The Central government needs to have the principal voice where the national capital is concerned. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Punjab has shown the potential pulling power of the AAP over the voter, just as Delhi earlier had. Although relatively small in size compared to the Congress Party, the AAP leadership knows that it must win over the existing Congress voter base to jump-start its position within the political spectrum. In fact, not just the AAP but several regional parties are in effect competing with the Congress Party to secure power, which is the reason why the Congress is weak where regional parties are strong, and vice versa. The only way out for the party is to try and ensure that it is seen as the most potent challenger to the BJP. Should such a perception take root, those who are hostile to the BJP would gravitate towards the Congress. The problem for the party is that in Bengal for instance, it is the BJP that is regarded as the strongest challenger to Mamata Banerjee, a regional party-BJP contest that is replicated in many other states as well, leaving the Congress as a peripheral force, including in seat-rich states such as Bihar. The South was a Congress bastion that saved the party from ignominy in 1977, but even there, except in Karnataka, it is not dominant anywhere. The hope of the Congress leadership is that an anti-BJP wave can get created in states where in 2019, the BJP swept the board and that the party would be the beneficiary. Such is the calculation behind the unrelenting effort by the leadership of the Congress Party, especially Rahul Gandhi, to damage the image of the BJP and its leadership, a compliment in reverse that is being returned by the BJP with interest. The Congress seat tally in 2024 needs to cross 75 for the party to have a reasonable chance of heading UPA-style the coalition it is a member of. Which is probably why the major regional players in the I.N.D.I.A alliance try to part with as few LS seats as possible to the Congress Party in the states where they are strong. As an example, AAP even being ready to part with a single LS seat in Delhi to the Congress Party seems doubtful. Given the poor performance of the party in Tamil Nadu, the DMK too is likely to be similarly parsimonious where seats are concerned. Of course, should the Congress Party replicate its Karnataka performance in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, that could change. It was not an accident that the JD(S) did poorly in the assembly polls, given the strong showing of the Congress under KPCC President DK Shivakumar, who is also a Vokkaliga, as is HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S). Of course, an assembly victory sometimes turns out to be a mixed blessing, in that an anti-incumbency vote may rise as a consequence of the state government being from a party different from the BJP.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CPrqufjy8oEDFdAHewcdQu0Hcg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697195772&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorial%2Fdelhi-the-national-capital-is-special&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697195727953&bpp=5&bdt=773&idt=5&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195690%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195690%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=3105523153900&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697195728&ga_hid=1299450644&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6008&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3642&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078363%2C31078600%2C31078657%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C44805112%2C44805334%2C44805533%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=2418268421082851&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=7xJTUAEVk6&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=44097" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Given the overpowering presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the organisational depth of the BJP, 2024 remains very much in that party’s favour. An opposition composed of mutually feuding parties and a history of indifferent governance in the states seems less than poised to prevent a Modi hat trick in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/delhi-the-national-capital-is-special">Delhi, the national capital, is special</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-25316147588650074122023-08-13T16:39:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:42:10.197+05:30PM Modi to detractors: Do you really have a plan for India? (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Have Mamata, Sitaram Yechury, Rahul and others become genuine allies? Or will the coalition fall apart at the first touch of hard reality bumping into flowery language? India cannot afford such a disaster.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Delhi</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">What is their plan for the morning after, in the event that a miracle occurs and what as the core group may be termed RUSTAMS (the combination of Rahul, Uddhav, Stalin, Tejashwi, Akhilesh, Mamata and Sitaram) repeat 2004 and displace the BJP to form a government at the Centre? Given the presence of the CPM as one of the key players in the anti-Modi alliance, would those looking to India as an alternative location to China change their minds and decide to stay or go elsewhere? Not that many others in the group have distinguished themselves for their <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">support</span> to private investment in general, whether domestic or external. Rahul Gandhi shares his great-grandfather’s tendency to indulge in cosmic conversation, wanting love and peace for all without telling us how either objective can be achieved. The obvious candidate of AICC de facto President Sonia Gandhi for the leadership of the party (and the country), Rahul has defied predictions of irrelevance and has as a consequence emerged as the primary target of the BJP, displacing Arvind Kejriwal. His mention of the power of love is frequent. But is it as dissociated from reality as was Jawaharlal Nehru’s unwavering belief until the 1962 war that the PRC and Mao Zedong could become brothers to India and its leadership? Yet in practice there seemed very little evidence of love in the manner in which Rahul talked of his cousin Varun as an individual who would always be unwelcome in the Congress Party. Love seemed a bit distant in the use of such sharp language against a close family member, albeit from the Sanjay Gandhi side of the Nehru family.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Turning to the CPM, the Bengal unit of the party broke with orthodoxy in 2008 when Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee invited Ratan Tata to set up the new Nano factory at Singur. Immediately, the Trinamool Congress, founded and since led by Mamata Banerjee, launched a muscular movement against a project that would have created not just hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state directly and indirectly including by acting as a catalyst to restore Bengal to the status it once had as the most advanced part of India. The quintessential politician that she is, Mamata knew that Singur’s success would affect her chances at toppling the CPM, and ensured the project was shifted from the state through her agitation against it. As Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee has shown the same mastery over politics as Jyoti Basu did in the same job, and the same lack of success in economic matters as Jyoti-babu, the long-serving CPM CM of Bengal. While there is considerable interest in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the South where external investors are concerned, thus far few have been making a beeline to TMC-ruled Bengal despite the hold that the hard-working, feisty Chief Minister has over the state.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Defying political logic, the present Numero Uno in the CPM, Sitaram Yechury, has become a formal ally of Mamata Banerjee. It is unlikely that Sitaram would have sided with Bhattacharjee in trying to get the Tatas to invest massively in Singur. Although the CPM broke with the CPI as a consequence of the former siding with China against the Soviet Union when the two communist giants parted ways, it is clear that in matters of economic policy, it is the Stalin rather than the Deng model of economic development that is favoured by the party elite, with the possible exception of the pragmatic CPM Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan. Of course, the CPM government in Kerala too is not <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">hesitant</span> to go the Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi way on occasion, in seizing private property, naturally in the name of public good. Given the immensity of expropriation of private property that has taken place in India even after 1947, and the continuing poverty in India for decades, it does not appear that there has been much public benefit through taking away private property at negligible or zero prices. As for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, he has in practical terms given responsibility to his son and his son-in-law to bring more investment into the state, but this has so far remained a work in progress. None of them seem to have mentioned the fact that several actions by private players that were banned earlier have recently been decriminalised by Prime Minister Modi, and more such moves are on the way. Surely such measures would encourage investors to put more of their capital into India.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CNnDwMzx8oEDFXjITAIdwOgL2Q" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697195411&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fpm-modi-to-detractors-do-you-really-have-a-plan-for-india&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697195354827&bpp=1&bdt=1128&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195353%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195353%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=1393101797939&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697195354&ga_hid=543438420&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4950&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=2569&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805680%2C31078297%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=735013054017882&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=ZI1ydXpbYb&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=56587" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">RUSTAMS’ POLICY AMBIGUITY</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />No one outside India would have believed that the IPC and the CrPC have remained the bedrock of the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">police</span> system in India, despite their origin going back to the 1860s. All that is now <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">being</span> changed, although in time what needs to happen is the abolition of the death penalty in the same way as colonial-era laws relating to same-sex relationships were repealed. In view of the fact that the only crime meriting the death penalty (until its complete ban) ought to be terrorism, and that lynching of an individual by another or others for whatever reason is a terrorist act, prescribing such a sentence for cases of lynching has been welcomed by many, as also the specific mention of harsher punishments for crimes against women and minors. Not that any of these changes has attracted any attention by the RUSTAMS. This is despite the fact that the reality is that for too long, enmeshing an individual in a criminal case has been far easier for the authorities to do in India than in the other democracies that are part of the top five economies of the world. Reducing this vulnerability of the citizen to arbitrary arrest is a welcome move in the context of attracting investment away from China or from countries whose populations are ageing and therefore need to locate manufacturing and services not just within their boundaries but in friendly countries that have youthful populations, predominant among which is India. The next five years will provide a window of opportunity for India to attract hundreds of billions of US dollars of outside investment, a fact understood by the Modi government. Should the RUSTAMS have their way, it is very likely that policies towards investment both external and domestic may change in a manner that operates to the advantage not only of Vietnam and Indonesia, but principally China as well. Of course, several in the I.N.D.I.A. coalition may change sides and join hands with the NDA later. Indeed, several of its member <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">parties</span> had once been allies of the BJP, with even the CPM joining hands with the ruling party during some periods in the 75 years of the political history of free India. Given the cloud of doubt about the propriety of expropriating the name of the country for a political formation, it is likely that some citizen or the other may file suit demanding that each letter in the I.N.D.I.A. coalition be pronounced together with the full stop after it, to avoid a political formation getting identified with the country itself.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CM39ts3x8oEDFXriTAIdfNMHiw" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.9~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697195413&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fpm-modi-to-detractors-do-you-really-have-a-plan-for-india&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697195354831&bpp=1&bdt=1132&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195353%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697195353%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=1393101797939&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697195354&ga_hid=543438420&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6744&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=4378&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805680%2C31078297%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=735013054017882&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=TsdyCUhpjK&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=58555" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The world is presently in a state of transition, as its equilibrium is under challenge by China under the CCP led by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The new Cold War has become a reality that must not be ignored in the manner that the Government of India ignored the China threat throughout the 1950s. Even by 1959, when the hostility of Beijing towards Delhi was palpable, no efforts were made to prepare for a contingency such as war. If Rahul Gandhi rather than Indira Gandhi were the Prime Minister in 1966, would he have taken the painful but necessary step of bombing areas in Mizoram that had been overrun by armed groups backed by China? If it were Lal Bahadur Shastri, he would certainly have followed the same path as his successor, but would Nehru have, given his belief that all problems could be resolved through a show of love and dialogue? Love is a wonderful emotion, but even the genuine and not the feigned kind is often of limited value in times of potential crisis. This is what India has been facing on its border with China since Tibet was occupied by the PRC in the 1950s to an attitude of welcome from India. Whether it be Cold War 2.0 pitting the major democracies against an authoritarian superpower, or the opportunity of India becoming a production hub for relocating industries and <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">services</span> from China in particular during the next five years, the Central government over the next five years needs to acknowledge such realities and take measures to ensure that threats are dealt with while opportunities are grasped.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Prime Minister Modi was criticised for spending time in the US and France rather than attending Parliament during those days. Should the portents of conflict and confrontation inherent in the situation on our sea and land borders multiply, the US and France would be key partners of India. It may be remembered that no country was substantively in 1962 when China attacked all across the Sino-Indian boundary in force. Repeat, no country was there by the side of India when the attack came. That is what comes of ignoring reality. Whatever may be said about Indira Gandhi, she did not ignore the reality of the genocide taking place in what became Bangladesh since 1969. By going abroad and shoring up relationships with major democracies for mutual benefit, and in doing away with colonial-era laws and regulations that have kept India chained for so long, Prime Minister Modi has demonstrated that he understands both the threats and the opportunities for 1.4 billion citizens that are extant in the present era. Do the RUSTAMS share that appreciation of the situation? India cannot afford geopolitical errors in the present era, especially on the scale witnessed in the past. The public need to be confident that there is the inner cohesion and a united will in the I.N.D.I.A. coalition to walk the talk before votes get cast. Have Mamata, Sitaram Yechury, Rahul and others become genuine allies, including in the states they run? Or will the coalition fall apart at the first touch of hard reality bumping into flowery language? India, especially the country’s youth, cannot afford such a disaster.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">TRACK RECORD MATTERS</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;" /><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The times require clear and purposive leadership or past errors will get repeated. Oh, that’s “whataboutery” is the reflexive response of those with a Lutyens mindset when asked a difficult question. The fact is that past experience, past events, count when judging those who seek to lead India in the crucial period from now until 2029. Analysis has to be based on the records and experience of the past, not on assumptions based on illusions or verbal sophistry. The coming five years is a once in a generation opportunity for India just as the 1980s were for China. Which is why the result of the 2024 general elections will impact generations to come. Which is why qualities such as a proven track record of competence and good judgement matter. The Constitution of India provides for a single Prime Minister. Who that person will be should RUSTAMS succeed needs to be known before votes get cast but this remains unclear. In contrast, Prime Minister Modi’s record in governance since 2014 is as clear as crystal.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/top-five/pm-modi-to-detractors-do-you-really-have-a-plan-for-india">PM Modi to detractors: Do you really have a plan for India?</a><br /></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-32977837507909582542023-08-06T16:33:00.002+05:302023-10-13T16:38:39.168+05:30Victory in 2024 central to PM Modi’s agenda (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Who emerges the winner in 2024 and who loses will determine the trajectory of India for generations more. Small wonder that the Opposition’s gloves are off.</em></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">It is no secret that the defeat of the 8-10 August No Confidence motion in the Lok Sabha is a foregone conclusion. Or that the primary intention behind the move by the 26 parties in the I.N.D.I.A alliance is to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to the House after volley after volley of thinly camouflaged </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-style: normal;">abuse</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"> has been sent in his direction during 8 and 9 August. During the period when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, India experienced what in effect was a presidential election. Both 1977 and 1980 were about whether voters wanted the only child of Kamala and Jawaharlal Nehru to continue as Prime Minister or not. After their electoral sweep of north and west in 1977, the Janata Party had clearly won the war, but then lost the peace. Although responsible for such policy blunders as the Gold Control Order while he had been Finance Minister, Morarji Desai was a capable Prime Minister. His problem was that there were too many colleagues in the ministry who wanted to either turf him out or to take his place in South Block. The group of young people around Sanjay Gandhi expertly fanned such ambitions, fantasies even, of several in the government. Among them was Sanjay’s wife Maneka, who used her writing skills to skewer prominent personalities in the Janata Party government. The President of India, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, by virtue of his seniority in protocol, regarded himself as entitled to have the decisive say in who would be the Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi was therefore correct in assuming that the effort by the Syndicate within the Congress Party in promoting Reddy was to get him elected as President, confident that he would find a way of replacing a Prime Minister who had gone her own way rather than abide by the views of the party elders who had placed her in power after the demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent.</span></em></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Reddy’s bid to occupy Rashtrapati Bhavan was scuttled through the shock victory of the personal candidate of the Prime Minister, V.V. Giri. Soon afterwards, voters turned out in large numbers to give Indira Gandhi a substantial majority in the fifth Lok Sabha </span></em></strong><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Had Sanjiva Reddy won the Presidential election and succeeded in changing the Prime Minister, the trajectory of India for the next generation would have been different. Foreign policy would have changed as much as economic and social policies would have. Indira Gandhi’s victory in the 1971 polls gave her the confidence to go ahead with policies very different from those that a Prime Minister from the Syndicate would have followed. Similarly, had the Mahatma chosen Sardar Patel to be the Prime Minister in 1947 and not Nehru, India would have been set on a different course. Lal Bahadur Shastri could have changed the trajectory of India but for his </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">death</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> in 1966, as could have P.V. Narasimha Rao had he won in 1996 rather than losing his majority to an opposition assisted by the split in the Congress Party caused by the antipathy of Mrs Sonia Gandhi towards Prime Minister Rao.</span></p><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">In the same way that Lok Sabha elections became a referendum on who should be the Prime Minister during the period when Indira Gandhi was in office, since 2014 national polls have become focused around a single leader, Narendra Damodardas Modi. In 2014, it was an acknowledged reality that Modi and not Advani would be the PM should the BJP win, a factor that ensured its majority. In 2019, the question before the electorate was whether Modi or Rahul Gandhi should be Prime Minister of India. The results showed which individual was preferred over the other. In the 2024 elections, it is not clear who the 26-party coalition that is working to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls will appoint as the Prime Minister, should they secure a majority. Should the Congress Party get 75 seats or more, it would have a good chance of having a party </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">veteran</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> as the coalition choice for the Prime Ministership if the alliance secures a majority. The Opposition alliance is proceeding on the assumption that the BJP’s 2019 seat tally in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP, </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">Rajasthan</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> and Madhya Pradesh will not get repeated in 2024, and that the BJP could therefore fall well short of a majority. The obstacle to such an outcome is the credibility and confidence that voters have in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Which is why the No Confidence motion that is to be debated during the next two days is going to be fought in an effort at chipping away at the image of the Prime Minister in the minds of voters.</span><div><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The 2024 elections will be the most consequential election in the history of India, superseding any previous poll. Who emerges the winner in 2024 and who loses will determine the trajectory of India for generations more. Small wonder that the Opposition’s gloves are off, and that the effort to reduce voter confidence in PM Modi is being fought freestyle. Whether it be in foreign, economic or social policy, there is a universe of difference between Prime Minister Modi and any of those in the Opposition who seek to replace him. The next five more years are essential for the Prime Minister to set in stone the change of course that he has engineered since 2014 in India. Those changes would then be placed on a trajectory that overall cannot be reversed. Those opposed to him are aware of that, which is why the contest ahead is likely to be the most contentious in a long time. As Chief Minister, Modi secured a hat-trick in Gujarat. Should he do likewise at the national level as Prime Minister, the Congress Party would be the most affected, in that its national leadership would be severely weakened and it would in its functioning simply be a collective of regional satraps. 2024 is not just another Lok Sabha poll.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">More than in any previous election, the outcome of the contest for the next Lok Sabha will permanently redraw the contours of India should PM Modi get a hat-trick. A win in 2024 would ensure that he places the country in an entirely different path from that followed by past regimes. Continuing in office for another term is central to fulfilling the transformational agenda that Modi set out to accomplish when he was sworn in as Prime Minister of India in 2014. Those opposing PM Modi understand this, hence their “no holds barred” approach to the looming poll battle.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/victory-in-2024-central-to-pm-modis-agenda">Victory in 2024 central to PM Modi’s agenda</a><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-85725994651237279972023-08-06T16:31:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:33:49.444+05:30Parliament readies for launch of 2024 Lok Sabha campaign (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The 2024 campaign is about two different paths for India during coming decades. Another term in office is essential for Prime Minister Modi to complete the work he began in 2014.</em></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Delhi</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Parliament will witness the start of the campaign by both the ruling as well as opposition parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections next week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a hat-trick by securing a BJP majority in the next Lok Sabha, on the lines of the previous two. As for his likely <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">opponent</span>, a lower court found the Congress Party’s de facto Prime Ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi guilty of criminal defamation and imposed the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence. As a consequence of the judgement, Rahul was disqualified from being an MP. The Gujarat High Court concurred with the lower court view, only to have the matter stayed by the Supreme Court, thereby ensuring his return to the Lok Sabha. Had Rahul Gandhi used his immense influence over the previous government to consign the colonial-era law relating to criminal defamation to the trashcan, he would not have had to go through the temporary inconvenience of being deprived of his Lok Sabha seat. A criminal defamation law belongs only to a colonised and not a free people. It is to be hoped that it will be removed from the statute books by the present government in the same way as so many other colonial-era laws and regulations have been since PM Modi took over in 2014.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Several of the laws passed in the present Monsoon Session of Parliament have a transformative nature, such as the legislation relating to ease of business. This de-criminalises several business practices that are legal elsewhere but were banned in India. In the US, the second largest democracy in the world, with rare exceptions, financial misdemeanours are punished with fines rather than with imprisonment. As a consequence, the exchequer gains revenue rather than incur the additional cost of yet another person joining the penal population of the country. In the US, where business is concerned, prison time is given in rare cases of deliberate and substantial fraud, and not otherwise. During his tenure, especially in the second 5-year term, considerable distance has been covered by PM Modi in making India a destination where an official or a business mistake made in good faith is not used as an excuse to prosecute and ruin a person. Should Prime Minister Modi return to his current office after the coming polls, a clearing away of the web of enterprise and initiative stifling (where businesspersons and officials are concerned) laws and regulations is likely to continue. If the BJP were to lose the polls, the policy path that will be taken by the opposition alliance in such a matter is unclear.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CLPgzfbv8oEDFa1KwgUdLxMCIQ" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697194962&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fparliament-readies-for-launch-of-2024-lok-sabha-campaign&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697194921130&bpp=1&bdt=930&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194726%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194726%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=5653105373822&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697194921&ga_hid=618448944&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3381&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1100&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C42531705%2C44795921%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078301%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=532147648975442&tmod=1432540157&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=DrwqMP8Nr1&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=41730" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The 2020s are an era of decoupling, and not merely from China. As a consequence of ageing populations, large numbers of Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese SMEs and MSMEs are relocating from their home countries to nearby destinations which are lower cost and have a relative abundance of young and skilled talent. Where India is concerned, it needs to be remembered that some of the ASEAN members are emerging as potent competitors, especially for relocating SMEs and MSMEs, both sectors which are significant job creators. Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia have improved the availability and standard of their educational institutions, thereby providing a sufficient pool of manpower for foreign companies seeking to relocate not just from China but from their own shores. Ensuring that India is able to out-compete such countries in attracting external investment will need several more reforms, which is why the nature, leadership and composition of the next Union Government will be of overwhelming importance to the fortunes of youth in particular. On the matter of key elements of economic policy, as yet the stand of the I.N.D.I.A coalition is not known, and neither is the likely composition and direction of its government, were the group to emerge the victors in 2024. During the 1950s until the mid-1980s, it was considered the divine right of government to expropriate private property, a tendency still present in the form of numerous efforts by various state governments to seize private properties “for the good of the people” when they lack title to them, nor has the transfer been agreed to by the owners. Fear of the courts is not a limiting factor in such property grabs, as the legal system is clogged with tens of millions of cases, and the laws so framed that substantial delay is commonplace, except in relatively rare cases of rapid intervention by a High Court or the Supreme Court. Redressal is often delayed for such a long period that often the owners pass away or lose interest in spending more and more time and money fighting cases that have lasted for decades. Justice sans delay is central to attracting investors, and the expectation is that the Supreme Court will put in place measures that have this effect.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">CONSEQUENTIAL ELECTION</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The attitude towards court judgements often has an impact on the popularity of a government. After the courageous Shah Bano got a verdict in her favour in 1985 through the Supreme Court, rather than stand by her, the government of the day passed legislation that nullified the verdict. From that time onwards, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s political fortunes began to slide downhill. The error of believing that a small group of religious exclusivists accurately represents a vibrant community that now numbers close to 200 million has been repeatedly made. In Rajiv Gandhi’s case, several so-called “modern” minds of different faiths convinced him to pass the legislation that he did, rather than side with his own minister, Arif Mohammad Khan, who supported the Shah Bano verdict and urged its implementation. As the welcoming reaction to recent measures such as the abolition of the practice of Triple Talaq has shown, those who look to the future rather than remain tethered to the past are overwhelmingly in the majority in our country. In the case of the abolition of Article 370, Kashmir has benefitted from a measure that nullified a provision that was implicitly based on the discredited Two Nation theory. Hindus and Muslims are a single nation, Indians together. Equally welcome would be the passage of a Uniform Civil Code that ensures privileges to women that some long-established modes lack would be welcomed by all communities. Mary Roy, the mother of activist Arundhati Roy, fought and won her case relating to inheritance rights for women in the Christian community. Rather than change the law as happened in the case of Shah Bano, the government accepted the verdict, as did the Christian community. Those who had warned of the verdict’s severe disruption and turmoil within a community that has inter alia set up a large number of educational institutions across India were proved wrong, as would those be who predict a doomsday scenario were a Uniform Civil Code to become the law of the land, just as it is in the US, Europe, and several Muslim-majority countries. The good news in India is that women in particular are making their presence and ability felt in several fields, as are young people. They deserve good governance, they deserve an enabling environment for their brighter futures. Where the reforms needed for that to happen are concerned, much will depend on which group of parties emerge victorious in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The difference between a continuation of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and an alternative government made up of the 26 coalition partners is likely going to be substantial. The differences between the two cut across the fields of foreign, economic and domestic policy. The 2024 campaign is about two different paths for India during coming decades. Another term in office is essential for Prime Minister Modi to complete the work he began in 2014, the fact that is what makes the coming Lok Sabha election so consequential.</p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Prime Minister Modi has made central to his campaign issues such as the anti-<span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">corruption</span> drive, the refusal (as witnessed at Galwan in 2020) to allow more land grab by the PLA, and showing that “PM Cares” is not just a slogan but a reality in terms of practical policy. Those who have brought forward the No Confidence motion will seek to disprove that such is actually the case. What the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">people</span> of India will expect to hear during the 8-9 August debate on the motion and the Prime Minister’s reply on 10 August as to what the future that either side is planning for India, and how that future is to be made a reality. The policies favoured by the two sides and the different futures they result in are what is of concern to the voter. It is important for both sides to show in detail what the difference is, so that an informed choice can be made while voting. What is expected are clarity and completeness in the alternative road maps presented by the two opposing sides for going on the path to the future of India. Such is what the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">people</span> expect from the leaders speaking on the motion on both sides. More and more voters are becoming aware that the 2024 polls are on track to being the most consequential where their lives are concerned, and that the debate that will take place in Parliament on the motion before it will give a pointer to what is in store if one side or the other wins the 2024 contest for the Lok Sabha. In the case of the government, the record of Prime Minister Modi is open and substantial. The parties seeking to overthrow the present government need to show what the alternative offered by them is, not in flowery poetic expressions but in real-life prose, and who the individuals are who will carry out the promises made. Thus far, neither has been revealed to the public.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/top-five/parliament-readies-for-launch-of-2024-lok-sabha-campaign">Parliament readies for launch of 2024 Lok Sabha campaign</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-19378829956049373582023-08-06T16:29:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:31:28.824+05:30WaPo must read India correctly (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The Washington Post established itself at the apex of the journalism pyramid as a consequence of four individuals. The first was Katherine Graham, the publisher, who withstood multiple efforts at persuading her to roll back the newspaper’s Watergate coverage. Without her support, Executive Editor Benjamin C. Bradlee would not have been able to unreel spool after spool of support to Woodward and Bernstein, the two journalists who to this day epitomise the Watergate saga, which caused the resignation of a gifted but conflicted US President, Richard Milhous Nixon. Fast forward to the present, when even those opposing him in the race to get the Republican presidential nomination for the 2024 polls are too skittish to make any except the most oblique references to Donald J. Trump. Given the quantum of reportage about the former President’s mishaps or misdemeanours, depending on your affiliation, a scandal such as Watergate could have been featured repeatedly by newspapers without adversely affecting Trump’s political fortunes in the slightest. Indeed, both the New York Times and the Washington Post have devoted considerable space to allegations made by the Justice Department against Trump, but to no avail. Given the obvious political interest that President Biden has in besmirching the image of his former rival for the Presidency, the perception that what is taking place is indeed a witch hunt is gaining ground. Other former Presidents have been revealed to have broken the rules regarding the keeping of documents relating to their term in the White House, but have gotten away lightly. Soon after he took over from the disgraced Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford pardoned his former boss, and lost in the polls to the Democratic candidate, despite his personal qualities. It is unlikely that the conventional verdict that Ford lost because of his pardoning off Nixon is right. More likely it was because he seemed to be unfitted to the job, which perhaps he was, being new to the Executive Branch, that too as its head. Had Biden in this respect at least followed the example of President Trump, who refrained from pursuing and prosecuting his former rival Hillary Clinton, he may have gained more popularity than he now has. As matters stand, should there be a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024, this time it could be the latter who succeeds, no matter the vitriol poured on him by the opinion columnists of the NYT and WaPo.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, bought the Washington Post for what to him was a measly $250 million, most likely on the request of a liberal friend, who was anxious that the newspaper be rescued from impending bankruptcy. It is unlikely that Bezos is behind the acid rain that the newspaper regularly sprays on India, picturing it in unflattering colours. Nothing is a simple mix of Black and White with Grey in between, and the situation in India is a festival of colours, some dark but <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">many</span> bright. Had President Biden followed the advice of the editorial writers of the Washington Post to blacklist India, he would have made the leaders of China, Pakistan and of course Russia very happy. All three are unhappy at the increasing warmth of India-US relationship, and seek to ensure its reversal back to the Old (USSR-US) Cold War days. In the New Cold War that most prominently features China and the US, what is a nightmare for Beijing (as well as Moscow and Rawalpindi) of closeness of relations between Washington and <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">Delhi</span> is an imperative if the democracies are to prevail over the autocracies in the New Cold War. Sometime in the future, perhaps an editorial writer will come to India for six weeks and travel around the country not just by air but by rail and road as well, and alone, not in the company of those who delight in seeking to consign their own country to the dustbin of international opinion. He or she will certainly come across scenes of despair, perhaps occasional spasms of violence, but neither would be unfamiliar to a resident of the US. Also would be seen the immense changes that have been brought about during the past decade in India. The vastly increased reach of digital systems and access, the improvement in living conditions of those previously marginalised communities, the surge in opportunities and expectations of the young. There would then be the first glimmers of comprehension why so much of the world is seeing India not in the way the Washington Post and its fellow travellers in the doomsday box see the country. They see India as a country on the cusp of <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">being</span> the third largest economy in the world, a level reached not through authoritarian fiat but through democratic persuasion. They would observe that the very media outlets that describe India as dictatorial and worse do so freely. That even the Sonia-led branch of the Congress Party, a group that never fails to scatter vitriol against the present dispensation, has been left unmolested. As for the court decision that deprived Rahul Gandhi of government accommodation, the matter was before the Supreme Court for a <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">final</span> decision, and not before the executive. Those who retain their regard for the Washington Post remain hopeful that someday, the newspaper will look at the entirety of the elephant that is India. That it will not obsessively focus on any single part real or imagined of the pachyderm to claim that this by itself it represents the whole. There is indeed authoritarianism threatening the world order, but it is centred elsewhere and not in the world’s most populous democracy. Please, editors at the Post, look around the world a bit more closely, look at India a bit more closely, and read the country correctly.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/wapo-must-read-india-correctly">WaPo must read India correctly</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-66914694624309316402023-07-30T16:26:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:29:41.794+05:30In G-20 and SCO, PM Modi navigates turbulence in 2023 (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">India has managed to steer the G-20 in a way that establishes New Delhi’s credentials as a platform where even bitter rivals can participate. Within the SCO, India is resisting efforts to get the organisation to take sides in the ongoing Cold War 2.0.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Delhi</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">When India took over the year-long rotating Presidency of the G-20 last November from Indonesia, the global faultlines typified in the Russia-Ukraine conflict since 24 February 2022 were visibly expanding. Given that the G-20 included both sides involved in the conflict, the Sino-Russian alliance as well as the G-7, it was apparent that tensions within the larger group would escalate as 2023 progressed. Rather than follow the conventional route and give the rotating presidency little domestic importance and despite the challenges that would come up during that period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to showcase India’s presidency to the people of India. In that way, two messages were conveyed, the first being that India was clearly at the Top Table so far as the international order was concerned. Till recently,it had been the UN Security Council that had been considered as the world order’s apex body, but the reluctance of the PRC to admit as a Permanent UNSC Member the world’s most populous country (and what will soon be its third largest economy) has ensured that the premium that the UNSC once enjoyed in the public mind had dimmed into insignificance. The permanent veto-wielding membership of just 5 countries in the UNSC now functions as a divided house. While there were illusions about getting China to join hands with the G-7 where pressure on Russia was concerned were high among its members throughout the past year, such optimism has been shown to be unrealistic.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping seeks to substantially expand the SCO and BRICS so as to include not just anti-western countries but countries that are veering away from support to the US and its allies, such as seems the situation with Saudi Arabia. The purpose is to create not just an alternative but an opposition to what the CCP considers a western-dominated global order. When Xi talks of multipolarity, what he means in practice is the replacement of the fading unipolarity of the US with that of China. Similarly, to Xi, a BRICS currency swap agreement means not the use of the South African rand, the Brazilian real and the Indian rupee, but the replacement of the US dollar with the RMB in intra-bloc trade.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Through the prominence given in 2023 to the G-20 within India,the other lesson that the Prime Minister intended to convey to the 1.4 billion people of the country was that international peace, stability and progress were not possible in the absence of coordinated efforts at protecting them. And that in the task of ensuring the three objectives of stability, peace and progress, India has a keystone role. AcrossIndia, the holding of G-20 events and the dissemination of information about the group has better opened the gaze of people in India to the world, and so far as the G-20 is concerned, opened multiple corners of India to what is arguably the most consequential multilateral organisation at present. Under the Modi Presidency, the orbit of the G-20 has been lifted to a much higher trajectory in terms of global significance than was the case earlier. When President Lulaof Brazil takes over the rotating presidency from Prime Minister Modi later this year, it will be a G-20 on a much higher trajectory than was the case just a year earlier.It is certain that Brazil will emerge as a worthy successor to India, so that the higher trajectory gets maintained during its presidencyand hopefully afterwards. Assisted by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Prime Minister Modi is successfully navigating through the rocky shoals and choppy waters of changing international relationships, including those that have been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war.While continuing to be a <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">customer</span> of Russian products such as oil, India has continued on the path of deepening security and defence cooperation with the US, Japan and other like-minded countries. Rather than get lost in a welter of conflicting objectives in the way that NATO has done since almost the start of the 21st century, India has remained focused on its key priorities, which include the Global South, food security and the defence of the Indo-Pacific against expansionist powers seeking to wrest land, air and sea space from other countries.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In the task of expansion of space at the expense of other countries, apart from the US itself, the biggest challenge CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping is facing is from India. In Galwan in early 2020, the Indian Army showed that man-to-man, its soldiers are more than a match for their PLA counterparts. India has an inexhaustible reservoir of young people, of whom potentially tens of millions can be trained to deploy as a deadly force in situations of kinetic combat. Prime Minister Modi through Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is ensuring just such an expansion of speedily deployable additional man (and woman) power in the uniformed services, including through the Agnipath program. This is in the process of being tweaked so as to make it better able to fulfill the objectives for which it was set up. As havethe newly created tri-service theatre commands, another long needed innovation. The Indian armed forces are well on the way to becoming the most capable in the world, including in the essential task of helping protect theIndo-Pacific against predatory powers.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In a way that countries across both sides of the Atlantic failed to do during the 1930s, making a kinetic global conflagration inevitable, the process of building up a coalition capable of deterring the country that is the world’s biggest security challenge in the 21st century needs to succeed. That progress is being made in such a task is clear from the reinvigoration of the Quad by Shinzo Abe and Narendra Modi in 2017, and in the deepening collaboration kinetic and otherwise between like-minded Indo-Pacific countries threatened by expansionist powers, such as India with Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_4_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!5" data-google-query-id="CPDfzOTu8oEDFcSO6QUdKgcJ_w" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_4" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_4" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=312613526&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.13~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697194656&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-g-20-and-sco-pm-modi-navigates-turbulence-in-2023&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697194589206&bpp=1&bdt=776&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194426%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194426%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=5&correlator=7175857604356&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697194589&ga_hid=113122952&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6909&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=4541&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078657%2C44795921%2C44804684%2C44804782%2C44805099%2C31078773%2C44803794%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsnoHeRAlWq_Yffl-oM6yl5ocRi3F-WeS1or0-fB7xgCK2e6ue0eRfZt7Hn3WB_Vy3nuDO168lHwh4BDi1yFFkqFIgre%2CAOrYGsmSsxaw_gIftpuCHRYZWFdEZoEiFZpYuvN5osHD0DrdWnv5YMs4mZ3TDSAbLszL4SBTHVxqyawxCcVzGDsPxUZwvyeK%2CAOrYGslZiIUWdUk-qKOTBRuHx5DQaupttRDQqzgmE1GgxUJrkoZvrhb3mW2rnrFz65_miUkLLjysBCDHPtk8aomqeKCj9mxR&pvsid=1794233447640018&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=wEM6soaPXs&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=67505" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">India took over the G-20 and SCO in a year that has beenunusually problematic in many ways, and yet has managed to steer the G-20 in a way that establishes New Delhi’s credentials as a platform where even bitter rivals can participate. Within the BRICS, India is resisting efforts to get the organisation to take sides in the ongoing Cold War 2.0 that is taking place, a task in which it is being joined by Brazil and South Africa, neither of which wants the BRICS to become an entity controlled by a bloc that is opposed to another bloc. As for SCO, mindless expansion would destroy its coherence, and needs to be avoided despite pressure from one of its members. Choppy waters, rough seas. Piloting safely in such geopolitical seas is being carried out with energy and efficiency during this particularly turbulent year by the current 2023 Chair of G-20 and SCO, India.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/top-five/in-g-20-and-sco-pm-modi-navigates-turbulence-in-2023">In G-20 and SCO, PM Modi navigates turbulence in 2023</a><br /></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"></div></ins></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-38065133314412065082023-07-30T16:22:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:26:13.969+05:30White House is Trump’s surest safety net (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Behind prison bars, Trump would almost certainly gain rather than lose votes.</strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">t was Vladimir Putin who spoke about an incident in his childhood when he was chasing a rat. Finally, he got it into a corner, and in desperation, the rat lunged at him and almost succeeded in doing the young boy serious bodily harm. Luckily, with the agility that Putin displayed later in life, he ducked and ran away from the frightened and hence dangerous creature. Vladimir Putin brings up that story to illustrate how it is always better to leave an exit route, unless it is a battle to the death. Attorney General Merrick Garland of the US has evidently not heard of Putin’s story, else he would not have allowed the filing of a large number of charges against the former President of the US, Donald J. Trump. It would be unfair to portray such an action as motivated by the fact that a Republican-controlled Senate broke all conventions and refused to schedule a vote on Judge Garland when he was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Obama. Garland was an exceptionally capable judge, with a reputation for objectivity and integrity. The Supreme Court would have greatly benefited from such qualities, but the Republican fringe, given free rein by Trump, refused to allow Obama to appoint him to the Court.</span></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Subsequently, when Trump moved into the White House, he nominated and got Senate approval for justices who were outspokenly of a bent of mind that is wholly congruent with current Republican orthodoxy. Even if he never again becomes Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell would have ensured his stamp on the future of the US through the judicial picks he chose and got approved enthusiastically by President Trump. Once Joe Biden shifted to the White House in 2021, he appointed Judge Garland as the Attorney General, a post he more than merited. If not himself, then key members of President Biden’s administration would like to see a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024. Several have pointed fingers at Biden, almost certainly unfairly, for the mounting legal travail that Trump is facing. Their explanation why Biden is behind such an unprecedented and ferocious attack on an ex-President as he wants a rematch of the 2020 polls. And if he was not aware a year ago, President Biden would know by now that the more the legal salvoes fired at Trump, the greater the chance that he would again be the Republican nominee for the coming Presidential election. Rather than “go gently into the night”, Trump is following the advice of Dylan Thomas, who said that instead, a man should “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”. In the case of Trump, the “light” would refer to his very freedom, for given the passionate way in which the Justice Department is prosecuting him, it is clear that prison is where its staff wants Trump to disappear into. A situation is being reached in which the only chance for Trump to stay out of jail would be to get elected President of the US in the 2024 polls. The former President is using every legal dart thrown at him as an additional proof of victimhood, thereby generating the emotion that drives upward more votes than any other sentiment.</span></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Everybody loves an underdog, and most feel a sense of empathy with a person whom they consider to be a victim of injustice. Sending Trump a formal notice that he is a target of the 6 January 2021 investigation into efforts at overturning the election result seems a case of overreach to many voters. Judging by his personality, it seems likely that Trump himself was convinced that he was being cheated out of a second term, and that he therefore needed to “fight like hell” in order to (in his mind) get justice. Mens Rea, a guilty mind, is central in criminal law, and if Trump believed he had won, several of the accusations now going in his direction may be based on a possibly false premise that Trump knew that he had lost but was nevertheless trying to overturn the result. Breaking convention, the defeated President did not concede to the President-elect, perhaps because he believed that he remained the President, and that votes had been stolen from him that needed to be somehow retrieved, most palpably in Georgia. From the standpoint of Mens Rea, several of those charged in the 6 January 2021 “insurrection” believed that they were only enforcing the law, </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">absurd</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> though such a belief was. Like Liz Cheney or Joe Biden, the Justice Department prosecutors are acting under the assumption that their own minds </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">during</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the period were an accurate reflection of the minds of the rioters and Trump himself. In fact, the latter held the opposite view, and overwhelmingly, in a sincere if wholly misguided way. As President of the US, Trump ensured the fading out of Hillary Clinton by simply ignoring her rather than “locking her up” as he had said he would while campaigning. Had Biden done the same with Trump, it would not have been the former President who has by far the best chance of winning the nomination. And, should Trump with his usual unconcern for the views of his party elders embrace Biden’s expansive social agenda in the way that his supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene has already publicly done, he could win in 2024 by saying that he would accomplish the social agenda that Biden wants to do, but is being blocked by the Republicans. Donald Trump knows that the Justice Department is determined to put him behind bars. Winning the Presidential election next year would be a foolproof way of avoiding that </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">fate</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or cutting it short should his prosecutors manage to “lock him up” before the polls. Behind prison bars, Trump would almost certainly gain rather than lose votes, and Trump fans would blame his rival Biden for their hero’s plight. Joe Biden may get his wish and again face off against Donald Trump. The problem for him is that his own Justice Department may be making it more difficult for Trump to lose this time around.</span></strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/white-house-is-trumps-surest-safety-net">White House is Trump’s surest safety net</a><br /></span></strong></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-84496451544100932992023-07-30T16:20:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:22:45.619+05:30Protecting the essence of Israel (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Israel was explicitly set up in 1948 as the homeland of the Jewish community, just three years after World War II, during the course of which Nazi Germany sought to eliminate the Jewish people from the planet. Given their history of persecution, the small slice of land marked out for the establishment of Israel was not in any way unreasonable. At the same time, a much larger area was marked out as the Palestinian state. However, the leadership of that community was opposed to any land being ceded to create a new Jewish state, and went to war with Israel, in which a large chunk of land was lost to the State of Israel. Doing away with what is still referred to in capitals such as Tehran as “the Jewish Entity” became a popular cause within much of the rest of the region, and in 1967, a coalition of countries led by Egypt went to war with Israel. In the process, each of the main military participants in the war against Israel lost even more territory.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Subsequently, the Sinai peninsula was handed back to the Egyptians in an agreement worked out <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">between</span> Begin and Sadat, and since then, Egypt has been at peace with Israel. In the 2011 “Arab Spring” and the consequent coming to power of a regime controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood (an ultra-conservative religious party), there again arose the dread that such a peace may once again be broken. As took place in Turkey since President Erdogan took over, ultra-conservatives in Egypt grew in strength and were beginning to change the post-Sadat contours of Cairo’s policy until the Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power by the Egyptian military. In Turkey, there was a failed attempt by elements of the Turkish military loyal to the legacy of Kemal Ataturk to overthrow Erdogan, but the attempt failed. The European Union backed Erdogan as he exacted revenge on the Kemalist elements, not just in the military but in the rest of the government as well as civil society. The narrow margin by which Erdogan retained power in the last poll shows that more and more of the Turkish people are opposing his plans to make Turkey a society more like Saudi Arabia in the pre-MBS <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">days</span> than what the country had been since the time of Ataturk. Had Turkey gone the Egypt way and the elected regime toppled, the country would have moved much closer to Europe than it is now. After his narrow escape from loss of power, Erdogan has sought to re-fashion his policies in a more Europe-friendly manner, but apart from a dash of outward symbolism, his project of making Turkey a bastion of religious conservatism endures.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CIvHnKjt8oEDFXnWFgUd5b4BhA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697194261&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorial%2Fprotecting-the-essence-of-israel&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697194229851&bpp=1&bdt=825&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194123%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194123%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=1452109911206&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697194229&ga_hid=1193730911&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3152&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=800&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078363%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805334%2C44805681%2C31078773%2C44804940%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=595992123488701&tmod=1432540157&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=EKnj1ZHtgA&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=31701" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">A country that is experiencing internal turmoil during the present times is Israel. That Israel is a Jewish state is a given. What is in dispute is what the essence of this Jewishness is. According to the ultra-conservative parties that have given Prime Minister Netanyahu his narrow majority in the Knesset, only the Orthodox deserve to call themselves truly Jewish. The previous government took the unprecedented step of including Israeli Arabs into the ministry. The ultra-conservatives would like to see the elimination of any involvement of Arabs in any part of the governance system in Israel. They would like to pass legislation that would ensure the primacy of the Orthodox and the ultra-conservatives over other segments of the Jewish population of Israel. In their view, only a return to Orthodoxy would ensure that Israel remains what it was intended to be, the Homeland of the Jewish people.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CNuJpKrt8oEDFQnOFgUdYNQL4A" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.5~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697194265&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorial%2Fprotecting-the-essence-of-israel&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697194229855&bpp=1&bdt=829&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194123%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194123%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=1452109911206&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697194229&ga_hid=1193730911&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4104&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1758&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078363%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805334%2C44805681%2C31078773%2C44804940%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=595992123488701&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=pMpnuN2X2K&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=36089" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The Jewish people, it cannot be forgotten, have gifted the world with much scientific discovery. While the overwhelming majority of such intellects are observant Jews and many are even conservative, very few indeed are from the Orthodox community. In that stratum, there is much ritual and routine that makes it somewhat more difficult to ensure the freedom of thought and broadness of vision that truly great minds demonstrate and indeed seem to need. Benjamin Netanyahu has made saving his government a priority, and it has not helped that his political opponents have been working hard to send him to jail should they return to power. The prospect of that has made Netanyahu make compromises that he may perhaps have avoided. On taking office, Trump gave Hillary and Bill a free pass, declining to seek their prosecution. A similar gesture has not been reciprocated by the Biden administration, and as a consequence, Trump is emerging as the most likely Republican nominee against President Biden. Those campaigning against the weakening of the Israeli Supreme Court on the streets of Tel Aviv believe that the essence of the Jewish state and faith is moderation and personal freedom. The Orthodox parties supporting the Netanyahu government do not agree. Israel seems headed for another election, and the result of this could decide which of the two sides win. As is the case in the US, especially in New York, the Orthodox Jewish community has to have the right to follow the practices and rituals that they believe define their age-old faith. What is at issue is whether they have the right to enforce their will through legislation on the rest of the Jewish population as well. Those who believe in greater individual freedoms and rights are willing to challenge the conservative government even if it be through the streets rather than the ballot box.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/protecting-the-essence-of-israel">Protecting the essence of Israel</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-1442152180261756992023-07-23T16:17:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:20:16.730+05:30Qin Gang’s absence may reflect Xi’s weakening grip on the CCP (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Has the disappearance of Qin taken place not because of Xi’s orders but in spite of them? Has Qin Gang become the ‘chicken’ that is being removed to scare the ‘farmer’, Xi himself?</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Delhi</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The absence from the public eye for almost a month of Foreign Minister Qin Gang of the People’s Republic of China has given rise to speculation that he has been cashiered for having an extra-marital relationship with a Chinese television anchor who often travelled abroad. Other theories mention the possibility of blackmail of the Foreign Minister by a “hostile power” i.e. the United States. A third claims that the fast-promoted Qin has fallen foul of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping. The degree of opacity in the higher circles of the CCP resembles a bottle of black ink, hence such theories remain just that, hypotheses as to why Qin has been missing for almost a month.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">That he has landed in disgrace because of a romantic liaison with an attractive television presenter is contrary to the fact that this relationship almost since it began must have been well known to not just the CCP General Secretary, but to lesser authorities as well. As envoy to the US, he would have been under 24/7 surveillance, and knowledge of any love affair, assuming that he had one, would have been known to CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping. The fact is that in less than 18 months, Qin was promoted from envoy to the US to being the Foreign Minister of China. The missing diplomat is part of the relatively younger group (most in their 40s or 50s) that has been collected around him by Xi Jinping. Each member of this inner circle of the CCP Supremo would be aware not just that his (there would probably not be a woman within the group) swift ascent was because of Xi’s patronage, but that were Xi Jinping to fall, not just the job but very likely the freedom and maybe in some <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">cases</span> the life of the Xi acolyte would immediately be severely impacted. That Qin Gang became a hidden dissident while he was within the trusted inner circle of assistants of Xi is implausible. Only a confirmed loyalist of Xi would have been sent to the most sensitive posting outside China for any PRC diplomat, the PRC embassy in Washington. As for the young lady, had she been regarded as even a bit unreliable from the regime’s point of view, she would not have been made an important news anchor by Phoenix television. Phoenix, although technically not state-controlled, is in effect very much a part of the Agitation & Propaganda wing of the CCP’s United Front. Just as in the case of Qin, the presumed lady friend’s loyalty to the regime would have been examined under a microscope and judged to be fool-proof.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; 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border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Were there any doubts about her reliability, Qin Gang’s rumoured affair with the anchor would have speedily ended with her being sent out in disgrace, and at the least an admonition to Qin to stay away from anyone less than fully reliable as a regime supporter.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; 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border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Did the Chinese FM reveal “secrets” to the anchor? Under Xi Jinping, the level of secrecy expected by those in the inner circle is even more than was ever the case earlier. Anything personal about Xi Jinping, for example, would be out of bounds to reveal to anyone, even what the General Secretary had for breakfast. Did Qin Gang break the 24/7 Code of Omerta (silence and secrecy) expected of him by just revealing not matters of state, but personal matters relating to the uppermost levels of the CCP? We do not know, and probably never will. As for falling prey to CIA lures, that again appears improbable, as only an individual of tested loyalty would have been sent to Washington and later given what may be the swiftest promotion in the Chinese diplomatic service, made Foreign Minister.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 0px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_3_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!4" data-google-query-id="CLO46-bs8oEDFcqTrAIdjxULVg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="0" hspace="0" id="aswift_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_3" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3938863807&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.11~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697194124&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fqin-gangs-absence-may-reflect-xis-weakening-grip-on-the-ccp&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697194073134&bpp=1&bdt=1055&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193818%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193818%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=4&correlator=7306803907383&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697194073&ga_hid=1467352465&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4715&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=2361&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44795922%2C44804684%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805335%2C44805534%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=4004545984015235&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=4crZEB0tU1&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=51414" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">What then? It may be remembered that from mid-2022 onwards, the present writer was mentioning reports reaching him from Moscow about a weakening of the hold of President Putin within the Kremlin as a consequence of the way the Ukraine war was developing. Recent events have shown that to be very likely a reality.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_4_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!5" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_4" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_4" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=312613526&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.13~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697194125&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fqin-gangs-absence-may-reflect-xis-weakening-grip-on-the-ccp&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697194073137&bpp=1&bdt=1058&idt=0&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194123%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697194123%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=5&correlator=7306803907383&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697194073&ga_hid=1467352465&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4979&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=2769&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44795922%2C44804684%2C44804783%2C44805099%2C44805335%2C44805534%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=4004545984015235&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=aoKdjsdoq6&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=51993" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Till now, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping has wielded power within the country and the party on the level of Stalin or Mao. As a result, there has been concealed discontent about his absolutist ways. Have the seniors within the CCP core who dislike such a return to absolutism become strong enough to “kill the chicken to scare the farmer”? Has the disappearance of Qin taken place not because of Xi’s orders but in spite of them? Has Qin Gang become the “chicken” that is being removed to scare the “farmer”, Xi himself? To show him that unless he returns from Mao’s ways to that of the Great Helmsman’s successors until Xi took over in 2012? If Qin Gang has truly been disgraced, that may be an indication that Xi’s absolute grip on the CCP is under challenge. That he can no longer ignore and humiliate seniors in the way he has been doing since taking charge. The days ahead will show whether the fortunes of Foreign Minister Qin have plummeted or not. If they have, then even if outward appearances are to the contrary, it may be the first visible evidence that the hold of Xi is weakening, else a tested Xi loyalist such as Qin would not have been dealt with in the way he appears to have been. Of course, China being Communist China, it may be that it was indeed a heart attack that has taken Qin away from his jobs and not the work of a cabal engaged in resistance to Xi’s Mao-style grip over the CCP. Given the unexpectedly robust coming together by countries such as those in the Quad as a reaction to Xi’s expansionist ways and the fall in PRC economic performance, given the possibility of supply sources and markets shrinking, not to mention the turmoil caused by Xi’s Zero Covid policy resistance to the top leader within the upper echelons of the CCP cannot any more be dismissed as impossible. If such be the case, Qin Gang may be the first high-level victim of a purge of Xi loyalists within the governance structure of the PRC.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/top-five/qin-gangs-absence-may-reflect-xis-weakening-grip-on-the-ccp">Qin Gang’s absence may reflect Xi’s weakening grip on the CCP</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-7201055897127229802023-07-23T16:15:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:17:42.456+05:30Mao’s Cultural Revolution altered culture of China (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The CCP has changed significant parts of the chemistry of Chinese culture, while India has an unbroken civilisational heritage of over 5,000 years that has several points of commonality with traditional Chinese culture.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, was consistent in his view that only the Communist Party or China (CPC), otherwise known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), could bring back the Chinese nation to its lost position as the world’s Middle Kingdom. Of course, his way of managing the party and through that the country was in many ways different from his successors. Rather than a pyramidal structure of authority, in which a smaller and smaller group of CCP leaders controlled the rest, Mao wanted a total concentration of power only in a single individual, himself. As a consequence, multiple pyramids of authority developed, many of them feuding with others, and reporting only to Mao and a group of confidants working with him. These were small in number and almost without exception temporary in the trust and authority that Mao allocated to them. Even the longest-lasting of such individuals, Premier Zhou Enlai, often went through spells of powerlessness and humiliation, although at no stage was this apparent to any except the small group of individuals who had been assembled around Mao at that point in time. Much the way Stalin’s longer-lasting aides such as Molotov or Khrushchev did, Zhou put up with each slight, each barb, until Mao moved on to another target and brought the Premier back from the cold. Molotov had to endure humiliations such as the arrest and transfer to a gulag of his wife Zhemchuzhina, but he remained a loyal servitor to Stalin, who was probably thereby testing his loyalty in his characteristic fashion. Had Molotov shown signs of alienation from the dictator who <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">ruled</span> the Soviet Union, both his wife and himself, not to mention their daughter, would have been executed after being tortured. Molotov knew his boss well, and kept silent and uncomplaining until all of a sudden Zhemchuzhina reappeared at Molotov’s apartment, and their life together resumed. The same cruel caprice that was so evident in Stalin was present in Mao, who believed that only he as leader of the CCP could ensure that the PRC was placed on the track towards being the centrepoint of the international order after enduring more than a century of humiliation at the hands of foreigners. Mao blamed traditional Chinese culture for this fall in power and status of the Chinese people, and was determined to uproot it and replace it with a new culture. What was termed the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (GPCR) was in essence a revolt against traditional Chinese culture, a revulsion that also took the form of the destruction of several antiquities and customs.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CJON45zs8oEDFT8eewcdHx4ACA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193969&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fmaos-cultural-revolution-altered-culture-of-china&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193944909&bpp=2&bdt=930&idt=2&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193818%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193818%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=7303503625075&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193945&ga_hid=634717256&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3356&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1000&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078600%2C42532334%2C44719338%2C44804782%2C44805099%2C44805334%2C44805534%2C31078301%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=1675927505507044&tmod=1432540157&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=vtsHn1OIxb&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=24309" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">During Mao’s rule and subsequently, the CCP altered traditional Chinese culture to a degree that is now impossible to reverse. It is therefore ironic that it is as the inheritors and indeed protectors of traditional Chinese culture that the CCP has sought to build fealty to itself inside the large and significantly prosperous ethnic Chinese community throughout the world, especially in Southeast Asia. Especially since the economy of the PRC took off in the 1990s, the United Front wings of the CCP have sought to generate a sense of pride within the ethnic Chinese community worldwide at such hard power. They sought to instil in them an identification of the success of the PRC under the CCP as the success of the ethnic Chinese community as a whole. In the past, when the relationship between the PRC and the Atlantic Alliance was close, and before large chunks of sea, air and land spaces belonging to neighbours was claimed by the PRC, loyalty both to the country of their citizenship as well as to the PRC created no problem. However, with the intensification of tensions between China and the US , not to mention tensions with other countries such as several members of ASEAN, such a duality of interests is becoming less and less tenable. Ethnic Chinese with passports other than what has been issued by the PRC, Hong Kong or Macau are discovering that their local laws are increasingly making it untenable for them to respond to United Front pressure to act in a manner that serves not the interests of the country of their domicile but those of the PRC, two streams that are no longer flowing in a convergent manner. At the same time, ever since the taking over as CCP General Secretary of Xi Jinping in 2012, the list of demands (on, in the view of the CCP, proofs of support to the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”) on ethnic Han Chinese with passports other than those issued by the PRC has only grown.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; 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border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Simultaneously, production of items in, or sourcing of items from, China is becoming more problematic as a consequence of what is termed “de-risking”, but which in effect are moves meant to ensure that reliance on the PRC in supply chains get steadily reduced by other countries.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="unfilled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_3_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!4" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_3" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3938863807&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193989&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fmaos-cultural-revolution-altered-culture-of-china&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193944918&bpp=1&bdt=939&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310110101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193818%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193818%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=4&correlator=7303503625075&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193945&ga_hid=634717256&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=5532&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3176&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C31078600%2C42532334%2C44719338%2C44804782%2C44805099%2C44805334%2C44805534%2C31078301%2C31078773%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=1675927505507044&tmod=1432540157&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=RxqLIykzWX&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=44823" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The CCP has changed significant parts of the chemistry of Chinese culture, while India has an unbroken civilisational heritage of over 5,000 years that has several points of commonality with traditional Chinese culture. Care needs to be taken to avoid a common error, which is to confuse Chinese culture with Chinese Communist Party culture, for the two differ in ways that make the CCP’s presumption of sameness between the two incorrect. Not only is Chinese Communist culture not the same as Chinese culture, a CCP cadre has a culture that differs from the rest of the population of the PRC, while the higher the level of an individual within the machinery of governance and control crafted by the CCP, the more is the difference between such “high flyers” and ordinary CCP members. Observing tourists from China in Southeast Asia in particular, the difference in behaviour patterns between high level and other cadres, and between communist cadres and non-cadres, becomes clear. Given such a growing disconnect, many in the Overseas Chinese community who are proud of their traditional culture are losing their earlier admiration and attraction for the PRC, and may as a consequence join those who are looking to decouple supply chains from the world’s authoritarian superpower, a trend that is already taking place with respect to Taiwan.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/maos-cultural-revolution-altered-culture-of-china">Mao’s Cultural Revolution altered culture of China</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-6687796329104662222023-07-23T16:13:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:15:27.140+05:30Terror must not find shelter (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">As the 2023 Chairman of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Prime Minister Narendra Modi was clear in his opening speech at the SCO Summit that terror has no excuse, and must be given no shelter anywhere. If several terror groups remain active despite the international effort to suppress them since the 9/11 attack in the United States in 2001, the reason is that several such groups find shelter in different countries. Just as the LTTE was in Sri Lanka during the two decades that it was active, it was because the organisation was adept at using various arguments to ensure some protector or the other at different points in time. Even the faith that Velupillai Prabhakaran and his assistant Anton Balasingham belonged to was used to persuade some groups to support them. There is no doubt that since the time of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in the 1950s, Tamil-speaking Sri Lankans found themselves getting reduced to second-class citizens, with even the Tamil language, among the most expressive and ancient in the world, coming under attack in the country. As a consequence, migration of the Tamil-speaking population of Sri Lanka took place on a rising scale. Most relocated to India, but many went to Canada and some European countries as well, where their skills and industry won them success. However, none of this justifies the campaign of terror, in which mostly innocent civilians perished, that was launched by the LTTE to wrest an independent Tamil Eelam which Prabhakaran would rule.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi is right. There can be no justification, no safe haven, given to the facilitators and practitioners of terror. Countries that shelter terror groups for reasons that usually have to do with causing harassment to another need to stop such a practice. Equally, those found guilty of assisting such groups need to be sanctioned. There are safe havens being provided to known terror groups by two countries whose leaders have tacitly approved such a deviation from internationally acceptable modes of conduct. Thus far, no sanctions have been imposed on any of the individuals involved in training, funding and equipping such groups, even by countries that have been swift to impose the most severe of sanctions on citizens belonging to a few countries. Such a Nelson’s Eye to terror groups that continue to kill innocents elsewhere needs to be avoided. If even a few of the individuals facilitating such groups in just Pakistan and China were to be sanctioned, such a move would have a dampening effect on such un-neighbourly behaviour. Quiet diplomacy needs to be carried out by India to ensure that such accountability takes place. As has so often been said, terror anywhere is a threat everywhere. The sooner Prime Minister Modi’s words to the SCO leaders get actioned on, including by countries not part of the group, the sooner will victory in the war on terror come<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As for the way in which the CCP has appropriated to itself the cloak of Chinese culture and tradition that goes back several millennia, the reality is that the culture favoured by the CCP cannot in any way be held as representative of traditional Chinese culture. In contrast, traditional culture remains vibrant in India, and as a consequence, there remain <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">many</span> points of contact between the two traditional cultures. This is especially the case with <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">many</span> Overseas Chinese, who have held on to their traditions in a way that those who have been under CCP rule since 1949 have proved unable to do. The obstacle standing in the way of a close people-to-people centred relationsahip between China and India is the expansionist urge of the CCP. Unfortunately for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, such a policy has been put on steroids by Xi Jinping, in contrast to India, which has remained steadfast in eschewing expansionism of its own while resisting efforts at expansionism from outside.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/terror-must-not-find-shelter">Terror must not find shelter</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-91771351587683100432023-07-16T16:09:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:13:27.503+05:30In Paris, Modi and Macron showcase the emerging world order (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">A New World requires New Thought. This is the implicit message behind the policy stance of the New India that is emerging within the ongoing transformation of the globe into a world where democracy and freedom prevail over tyranny and domination.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Delhi</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The world has changed since the close of the 1990s. It would be premature to call the present state of the ongoing transformation a “new world order”, as order can only be found after an equilibrium is reached, and that has yet to be established. Indeed, the nature of that equilibrium is precisely the contest between the two blocs involved. Within the world order that is emerging out of the present flux, India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is playing a keystone role. Which explains why in the space of a few weeks, the Prime Minister concluded a state visit to Washington and followed it up with a similar high-stakes visit to Paris. In both capitals, he was welcomed with warmth and fanfare by Presidents Biden and Macron, much to the grief of elements seeking to distance India and the Atlantic Alliance from each other. There is symbolic logic in PM Modi being the Guest of Honour on France’s most important date, Bastille Day. The storming of the Bastille was accompanied by calls for Liberty, Fraternity and Equality. In the 20th century, it was India that was the initiator of the chain reaction that finally brought a close to colonialism in Asia and Africa. For a 21st century mind, it is both just and logical that the freedoms for which the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille are or should be the patrimony not just of a few but of all the nations in the world.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">DE GAULLE OPPOSED OVERLORDSHIP</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />India has always opposed efforts at a unipolar world order. And in the 1960s, it was France under Charles de Gaulle who resisted efforts at domination from the outside, and who insisted on mutual respect between allies and partners. This is precisely the principle that is being sought by India as it seeks out partners to ensure that together the Indo-Pacific can be made free of domination and secure for all. The <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">goal</span> is to ensure that efforts at converting the South China Sea into a private lake controlled by a single country are prevented. France is as desirous as the US and India, not to mention ASEAN, that is issues of sovereignty and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea be maintained as per international rather than any domestic law.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CNne-vLq8oEDFQocewcdoUkEkA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193613&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587562&bpp=1&bdt=978&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3479&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1100&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=gzQ8RK1IbB&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=25514" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Within Europe, France has a particular resonance in India. For it was in 1998 under Jacques Chirac that it became the only western country not to condemn the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear explosions. In contrast, the US, the UK, Canada and Australia were obnoxiously scathing in their responses. The subtext of their protests was that a country with a per capita income as low as India ought not to be in the nuclear league at all. President Chirac looked beyond the present at the time into the future, and saw immediately that India was a country that the western world needed to befriend and not alienate. And that India merited a seat at the High Table of international diplomacy. French President Emmanuel Macron early into his tenure understood that a close relationship between India and the Atlantic Alliance was indispensable for global security, notably in the Indo-Pacific, where France has long been active. Just as was done by Biden in Washington, Modi was welcomed by Macron not just as the Head of Government of a country that is well on the way to emerging as the world’s third superpower, after the US and China, but as a close friend.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Soon after Narendra Modi was sworn in as PM, whether it be David Cameron or Boris Johnson in 10 Downing Street, or Donald J. Trump or Joseph R. Biden Jr in the White House, or Scott Morrison or Anthony Albanese at the Prime Minister’s office in Canberra, each quickly became a friend of the Prime Minister of India. It is said of the English that they have the utmost (if unexpressed) contempt for Indians who try to be more English than the English. In contrast, Narendra Modi is Indian and is proud of, and comfortable with, that fact. He is not among those who try to distance themselves through word and deed from their country and the totality of its history. Confidence in his country, and pride in being part of it is a factor that has drawn world leaders sharing the same strategic vision into forming a close friendship with Prime Minister Modi. This is evident not just within the western world, but in the Global South as well, whether it be the leaders of the Pacific Island Countries or the Gulf Cooperation Council. It was not accidental that on the way home from Paris, the Prime Minister stopped off at Abu Dhabi to meet his close friend, UAE President Zayed. The GCC and India join with ASEAN in being part of Southern Asia, the arc that is the hinterland of India, just as India is part of their hinterland.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CPbj3P7q8oEDFYYRewcdpkcIsg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.9~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193637&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587566&bpp=1&bdt=982&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=5553&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3176&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGskishSwMSc3fYSVsLTaugqpp1N8nJQfLv-19vXFDqYpY9LP7d4iH_BoaNuPJ37YPOtIVUAsHS88LJtmD7ZfYkPFTYOJ&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=GMGu8jHG4b&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=50187" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">ADJUSTING TO CHANGING GLOBAL REALITIES</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Both Modi and Macron, being Heads of Government, see with particular clarity that the world is changing, and that they need to ensure that their countries change with it. Just as the eruption in just the past three years of significant climatic shifts in multiple locations has left Climate Deniers in a state of confusion, societal dynamics within democratic societies east and west have become too obvious to ignore. In France, President Macron is at a stage in life when he can expect to live at least four decades more, and knows that the present structure of social welfare to the population by the state is already fiscally unsustainable, and will collapse if not remedied.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_3_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!4" data-google-query-id="CJbEw__q8oEDFcYRgwMd_ZUAxw" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_3" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3938863807&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.11~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193639&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587569&bpp=1&bdt=985&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=4&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6369&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3991&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGskishSwMSc3fYSVsLTaugqpp1N8nJQfLv-19vXFDqYpY9LP7d4iH_BoaNuPJ37YPOtIVUAsHS88LJtmD7ZfYkPFTYOJ%2CAOrYGsnRgzsXGPCpHZxXk0M3h3V-bmZJte2pGqpRfp4gescji5QHfTFHKzEskBoQxxI8w9h9U_CVqx7bc-DojrV-xQt5yeC4&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=zgumfNiSYk&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=51873" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Those who see a racial element in every human phenomenon claim that recent riots, arson and violence in Paris and Marseille was because of barriers to those not of European ethnicity reaching the same levels of empowerment and improvement in France as the others. The Indian diaspora in France, with whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent an hour during his just-concluded visit to France, proves them wrong. Overall, the diaspora has transformed within France into achievers and not misfits, and to a level where the per capita income of an Indian family settled in France exceeds the national average. Nor is this the consequence of leaving behind their cultural heritage and adopting that of the majority in the way that a Bobby Jindal has. Their traditions, including their ancestral faiths, have not been a barrier to self-advancement in France, a country that is majority Catholic and justifiably proud of that deeply traditional branch of the Christian faith.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />It has been pointed out that the road near Paris where the death at the hands of a trigger-happy policeman of a youth took place is split into two segments, with one section being visibly less appetising to live in than the other. The explanation offered for lack of advancement of those living in the less privileged length of the same road is that there are racial barriers, a view that ignores the fact that more than a million French citizens who are of native French ethnicity share the poverty of those immigrant families in the lower-income segment of the road where the youth lost his life. If a French citizen were to act in the belief that his or her ethnicity or background presented an insuperable obstacle to self-advancement, the effort and the hope that impels an individual to excel would be absent. Such a dystopian view of French society is not shared by the Indian diaspora. For those who have succumbed to the paralysing effect of belief in victimhood, hope and productive effort have been replaced by a hatred of the majority in France, and anger at the French government. Such unthinking rage leads to riots such as what was just witnessed in France, when what is needed by all citizens native born or immigrants is to take advantage of the opportunities available, especially in education, and climb up the ladder. President Macron’s detractors, who condemn French society as racist and skewed in favour of the majority, forget that their violent actions will lead not to an alternative leader who accepts their view that there is bias and inequality, but Marine Le Pen, who is far closer to what is often termed the radical nativist fringe in France than Macron will ever be. The more riots there are, and the greater the dysfunction amongst segments of the population that paralyse initiative while experiencing rising anger and hatred, the closer will Le Pen be to occupying the Elysee Palace.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_4_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!5" data-google-query-id="CMXzjYHr8oEDFQzjTAIdBHQPVA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_4" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_4" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=312613526&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.13~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193642&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587573&bpp=1&bdt=989&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=5&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=8749&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=6373&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGskishSwMSc3fYSVsLTaugqpp1N8nJQfLv-19vXFDqYpY9LP7d4iH_BoaNuPJ37YPOtIVUAsHS88LJtmD7ZfYkPFTYOJ%2CAOrYGsnRgzsXGPCpHZxXk0M3h3V-bmZJte2pGqpRfp4gescji5QHfTFHKzEskBoQxxI8w9h9U_CVqx7bc-DojrV-xQt5yeC4%2CAOrYGsnkwRODV1JPfLl9nXLpu80e3hf46zcIgL_5i-ow63l31ezy2gj7ZNQ2xl4ByHf18RYgaUsuBud5sc7qUTvg9sEe92Zj&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=cqER51kXmt&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=55181" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">France is a country where citizens are proud of their traditions, as is India. But as in France, in India as well there are citizens who are tutored to believe that they are irreversibly disadvantaged, and who therefore channel their energies into acts of hatred, including against the government.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_5_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!6" data-google-query-id="CM_Mt4Hr8oEDFQ0GKgodAa0Biw" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_5" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_5" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=476343356&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.15~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193643&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587576&bpp=1&bdt=992&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=6&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=9259&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=6887&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGskishSwMSc3fYSVsLTaugqpp1N8nJQfLv-19vXFDqYpY9LP7d4iH_BoaNuPJ37YPOtIVUAsHS88LJtmD7ZfYkPFTYOJ%2CAOrYGsnRgzsXGPCpHZxXk0M3h3V-bmZJte2pGqpRfp4gescji5QHfTFHKzEskBoQxxI8w9h9U_CVqx7bc-DojrV-xQt5yeC4%2CAOrYGsnkwRODV1JPfLl9nXLpu80e3hf46zcIgL_5i-ow63l31ezy2gj7ZNQ2xl4ByHf18RYgaUsuBud5sc7qUTvg9sEe92Zj%2CAOrYGsmAVVvAd8p8FEsWxpGV4G4PgVH2-d13ewO36n6rcuabuFxyAebnVeEHEHlmQw0GWmFTw7CLgd3QNfKZhZM0MAS9a0yh&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=5&fsb=1&xpc=OQV5LadOn0&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=55885" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">India is a country that was tragically partitioned on the sole ground of faith, and in an unexpected reaction, successive political leaders post-1947 sought to de-legitimize pride in ancient Indian traditions as being “reactionary”. India is a country where there continues to be the constant drumbeat of an imaginary duality between the “majority” and the “minority”, as though both were of different ethnicities. They are not, for they share the same DNA and the same civilisational strand that stretches back more than 5,000 years. The same individuals who see nothing wrong in a US President swearing his oath of office on the Holy Bible regard as retrogressive any similar move of swearing by a holy book on the part of an elected official in India. The Head of Government of the UK, an Anglican country, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita, without eyebrows being raised. Religion is a private matter, and needs to remain that way, especially in a democracy. Secularism does not mean the division of society into majority and minority, but equal treatment to all by the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">government</span>.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_6_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!7" data-google-query-id="CJfboILr8oEDFRgpKgodvLkHsA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_6" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_6" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3971935621&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.17~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193645&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587580&bpp=1&bdt=996&idt=2&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=7&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=10347&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=7967&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGskishSwMSc3fYSVsLTaugqpp1N8nJQfLv-19vXFDqYpY9LP7d4iH_BoaNuPJ37YPOtIVUAsHS88LJtmD7ZfYkPFTYOJ%2CAOrYGsnRgzsXGPCpHZxXk0M3h3V-bmZJte2pGqpRfp4gescji5QHfTFHKzEskBoQxxI8w9h9U_CVqx7bc-DojrV-xQt5yeC4%2CAOrYGsnkwRODV1JPfLl9nXLpu80e3hf46zcIgL_5i-ow63l31ezy2gj7ZNQ2xl4ByHf18RYgaUsuBud5sc7qUTvg9sEe92Zj%2CAOrYGsmAVVvAd8p8FEsWxpGV4G4PgVH2-d13ewO36n6rcuabuFxyAebnVeEHEHlmQw0GWmFTw7CLgd3QNfKZhZM0MAS9a0yh%2CAOrYGskqi8heuR4UXbd129FfnUTz4MKGQWF5C_yEBZmdSM1-vRjxHVLDvf2uxtnrPRwXL2MbORUOY_XQCwdukKG8E-t9qiSY&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=7&uci=a!7&btvi=6&fsb=1&xpc=E0DdYQnMBh&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=57571" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">RELEVANCE TO REALITY ESSENTIAL FOR POLICY</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Efforts by the lobbies hostile to democracy at creating and thereafter perpetuating fault lines within society in major democracies have been going on for at least the past decade. Each major democracy needs to deal with the threat to social stability represented by such moves, and in this, an exchange of information about the experience of each country is essential. There are leaders who remain tethered to views that have since lost relevance, and as a consequence, policy gets designed that fails to address problems and where they are occurring adequately. Amidst the diversion of attention within the western world caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, India under Prime Minister Modi has remained focused as to the present threat rather than allow itself to be obsessed with past challengers. India has not followed the example of those partners of it who have locked the doors to <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">access</span> of Russia’s resources, and who are increasing Moscow’s reliance on Beijing by an obsessive focus on what is now a lesser threat to the West as compared to what the democracies are facing in the form of an authoritarian superpower. India led by Modi has focused not on fuelling the war but in promoting an immediate onset of peace.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_7_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!8" data-google-query-id="CJDShYPr8oEDFb_XTAIdJUQFIg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_7" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_7" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3082974547&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.19~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193646&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Ftop-five%2Fin-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193587591&bpp=2&bdt=1007&idt=3&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=8&correlator=891388087497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193587&ga_hid=1719340936&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=11571&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=9209&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078701%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C31078297%2C44804939%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGskishSwMSc3fYSVsLTaugqpp1N8nJQfLv-19vXFDqYpY9LP7d4iH_BoaNuPJ37YPOtIVUAsHS88LJtmD7ZfYkPFTYOJ%2CAOrYGsnRgzsXGPCpHZxXk0M3h3V-bmZJte2pGqpRfp4gescji5QHfTFHKzEskBoQxxI8w9h9U_CVqx7bc-DojrV-xQt5yeC4%2CAOrYGsnkwRODV1JPfLl9nXLpu80e3hf46zcIgL_5i-ow63l31ezy2gj7ZNQ2xl4ByHf18RYgaUsuBud5sc7qUTvg9sEe92Zj%2CAOrYGsmAVVvAd8p8FEsWxpGV4G4PgVH2-d13ewO36n6rcuabuFxyAebnVeEHEHlmQw0GWmFTw7CLgd3QNfKZhZM0MAS9a0yh%2CAOrYGskqi8heuR4UXbd129FfnUTz4MKGQWF5C_yEBZmdSM1-vRjxHVLDvf2uxtnrPRwXL2MbORUOY_XQCwdukKG8E-t9qiSY%2CAOrYGskERZdgNBGN-fL0KeSoJRn9F6sW2ek19yXJwnLVKyaSWuSmI5cV2fhP4s98e3tYEI70kHKfB23JE4dI1qgAFH2CRzUG&pvsid=3145159313171758&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=8&uci=a!8&btvi=7&fsb=1&xpc=mblsFUYf0Y&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=59195" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The welcome received by the Prime Minister first in Washington and now in Paris indicates that the reality and the existential nature of Cold War 2.0 has finally entered the core strategic thought and policies of major democracies across both sides of the Atlantic. Naya Sansar, Naya Soch. A New World requires New Thought. This is the implicit message behind the policy stance of the New <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">India</span> that is emerging within the ongoing transformation of the globe into a new world order where democracy and freedom prevail over tyranny and domination. The two state visits of the Prime Minister to Washington and Paris form part of the building blocks that are being laid by great democracies working in concert towards a new world order that empowers all countries rather than a few at the expense of the many.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/top-five/in-paris-modi-and-macron-showcase-the-emerging-world-order">In Paris, Modi and Macron showcase the emerging world order</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-81324743213400275672023-07-16T16:07:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:09:31.151+05:30Needed at G-20 Summit in Delhi: A Ukraine ceasefire (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">The problem is that both the Cold War 1.0 zealots of NATO and Zelenskyy live in the shadowy world of zealotry.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">P.T. Barnum was finally displaced as the world’s greatest showman by a former comedian who is now presiding over a human tragedy that Europe has not witnessed since the war against Hitler ended in 1945. With his green fatigues and Just-off-the-Battlefield demeanour, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes into the shade NATO leaders as he strides into a meeting with them and demands all of everything as of yesterday. The clouds of war obscure mistakes and waste, hence it is unlikely that there will ever be an accurate accounting of the manner in which the daily tranches of weaponry handed over to the Ukrainian side have been used against the Russian military. What seems clear is that the Russian side has performed much the way the Soviet armies did in Finland just a year before German tanks rolled into Soviet territory in 1941. The shoddy performance of Stalin’s army against the much smaller Finnish foe commanded by Field Marshal Mannerheim helped convince Hitler that his plans for the invasion and occupation of the Soviet Union would be an easy task for a German force that had so rapidly defeated the French armed forces just a year ago. It is therefore unsurprising that the zealots within NATO who have long had visions of the disintegration of the Russian Federation are pushing to escalate military and other support to Kiev so as to further promote the planned collapse of what they term the Russian Empire. Meanwhile, active if not openly from the sidelines, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping will be anticipating the taking over of vast tracts of Russian territory in the east should Russia disintegrate the same way as the Soviet Union did in 1991. That would, in his reckoning, finally establish him as the equal of Mao Zedong in the history of the CCP where the taking over of additional territory by the PRC is concerned.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />For quite a while, the Cold War 1.0 zealots in the US in particular have regarded Belarus and Ukraine as the soft underbelly of the Russian Federation, in much the way that Chechnya, the Central Asian states and western provinces such as Georgia and Ukraine were to the USSR . While Belarus has at least for now remained within Moscow’s orbit, nearly more than 70% of Ukraine is now hostile territory where the Russian Federation is concerned. Were NATO to move towards accepting India’s proposal of an immediate cessation of military hostilities in Ukraine, that alliance would emerge as the effective victor in the proxy conflict that it has been waging against the Russian Federation since the 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CKLV96vq8oEDFY9DwgUdNtsFKg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193464&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fneeded-at-g-20-summit-in-delhi-a-ukraine-ceasefire&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193441376&bpp=1&bdt=806&idt=2&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=4744089121236&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193441&ga_hid=1971618735&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3322&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1000&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078702%2C44804683%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C44805113%2C44769662%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=137104288486180&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=NeQiGiS96i&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=22751" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The problem is that both the Cold War 1.0 zealots (a group that is amply represented within the Biden administration, as it is in most of the chancelleries of Europe) as well as President Zelenskyy live in the shadowy world of zealotry. This is a terrain filled with shades and illusions. Both the zealots as well as the Zelenskyy crew are adamant that the influence of Moscow on the southern and eastern territories of Ukraine should fall to zero. In other words, that Russian-speaking Ukrainians should migrate to Russia and remain there.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CKmJ5Lzq8oEDFXBFwgUdfY0KdA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.5~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193499&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fneeded-at-g-20-summit-in-delhi-a-ukraine-ceasefire&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193441380&bpp=1&bdt=810&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=4744089121236&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193441&ga_hid=1971618735&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4002&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1627&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078702%2C44804683%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C44805113%2C44769662%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGslBsZ7Jo7IE-li1mBPjgzOOpg51Qhmqs6XUg0B1g7v4B_1YCH9ESyLuBVAIH-oQfboXggjeserXOnJmCligWN7T-w&pvsid=137104288486180&tmod=474789333&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=oYi7Uz8GpD&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=58056" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Whatever be the defects of the Russian military, it would be an impossible task to evict them from land that they have been in effective control of since 2014, absent a Russian meltdown that seems a remote possibility to any individual other than zealots whose mission in life is the destruction of what her thinkmates regard as the Russian Empire.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; 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border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Those who are intent on driving out Vladimir Putin from the Kremlin forget that the challenge to him is coming not from the skimpy band of liberals in Moscow but from hardliners such as Yevgeny Prigozhin, who believe that the President of the Russian Federation has been too soft on not just Ukraine, but on adjoining NATO territories as well. The loss by Moscow of that part of Ukraine that has been in effective Russian control since 2014 would represent an existential threat to the stability of the Russian Federation, something that the hardliners believe should be halted through all available means. The refusal by Leonid Brezhnev and his successors as General Secretaries of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to militarily cripple Pakistan’s ability to supply the Mujahideen with weapons in the 1980s Soviet-Afghan conflict was the single biggest factor behind the humiliating withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1988. Hardliners in Moscow argue that Putin’s unwillingness to more aggressively attack and shut down supply depots and transportation links that ensure a steady supply of munitions to Ukraine from NATO member states is what has led to the present stalemate. Just as the odds that the US would wage war on the USSR should the Soviet navy and air force have blocked through force supplies into Afghanistan from Pakistan in the early 1980s, hardliners in Moscow argue that NATO would not have the will or the public support to escalate a determined destruction by Russia of supply routes into Ukraine from nearby NATO territory into a direct conflict with the Russian Federation itself. Judging by the way events are developing, it is the hardliners who seem to be gaining in influence <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">even</span> within the Russian military.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_4_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!5" data-google-query-id="CPCrhr_q8oEDFXJFwgUdoZgLxQ" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_4" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_4" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=312613526&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.9~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193504&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fneeded-at-g-20-summit-in-delhi-a-ukraine-ceasefire&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193441387&bpp=1&bdt=817&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193440%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=5&correlator=4744089121236&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193441&ga_hid=1971618735&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6110&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3731&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31078702%2C44804683%2C44804783%2C44805098%2C44805113%2C44769662%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGslBsZ7Jo7IE-li1mBPjgzOOpg51Qhmqs6XUg0B1g7v4B_1YCH9ESyLuBVAIH-oQfboXggjeserXOnJmCligWN7T-w%2CAOrYGslp8bHAhAa3uAzpM6dvdh6umHWsrOJKOhsohd44cx-R9fGkc2RC4258_3QP706BL9h-3kPRoAoakR5ASEVzQb978Q&pvsid=137104288486180&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=89888U3Jvj&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=62829" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">It is in such a context that for the past year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been calling for an end to the fighting in Ukraine, so that the possibility of such a disastrous escalation recedes. Standing against such a view are the Cold War 1.0 zealots in NATO, who together with the Zelenskyy regime, believe it to be feasible to cripple Russia without provoking a matching response from the Kremlin. The G-20 summit meeting in September in Delhi represents an opportunity for reason to override passion, and for measures to be initiated that in months if not weeks would result in an end to the fighting in Ukraine. When zealots shape policy, world wars are the result, and the time has long arrived for the actions and influence of such individuals to be replaced by those who substitute reason for passion, and who avoid the trap of a disastrous escalation of the Ukraine war.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/needed-at-g-20-summit-in-delhi-a-ukraine-ceasefire">Needed at G-20 Summit in Delhi: A Ukraine ceasefire</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-6721854754386669602023-07-16T16:03:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:07:07.748+05:30Respect for the citizen (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">A never before seen opportunity has presented itself to India in the form of countries seeking to reduce their dependence for supplies from the People’s Republic of China. Were such investors to be confident of a welcoming regulatory environment in the country, the quantum of such “decoupled” investment in India would in a few years dwarf the flow going into alternative locations nearby. Whether it be access to a large and fast-growing market, or the availability of skilled brainpower thanks to the abundance of technical and other educational centres that have come up in various parts of the country, or closeness to markets in Europe, West Asia and Southeast Asia, India offers a multitude of suitable locations. Companies would be able to determine which location</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">best</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">meets their needs, so that state governments would compete with each other to ensure ease of business in their state. If there were to be a rough rule of thumb about ease of compliance with regulatory requirements, which plays a significant role in ensuring overall ease of doing business, 60% of the task would be that of the Central government, 30% the state government and 10% local government. It was his performance as Chief Minister and not any patron within the BJP that catapulted Narendra Modi by early 2013 into being the voter’s most favoured politician to lead India. If there had been no Modi</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;">phenomenon</span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">in 2014, the BJP would have continued to fall significantly short of securing a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">During previous governments, even so basic a requirement as the location of a factory was in several instances dictated by those in power rather than decided by the company itself. The consequence was that <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">many</span> of the production sites suffered from shortages of items necessary for the running of the plant, and consequently, costs rose and international and domestic competitiveness fell. Worse, the regulatory rules were so strict and loosely worded that it became an easy task for a corrupt rival to cripple a company by harassing the entity through the misuse of the law and its enforcement. There have been numerous instances of promising startups with innovative and domestically formulated technologies being forced to shut down, and even in a few cases, have the innovators receive not a national award for excellence but a prison sentence. It is in such a context that Prime Minister Modi has created numerous pathways for those who have been victimised by corruptly administered regulations. They can send details of such misuse of authority, often through portals that are immediately visible to not just the public, but to the highest portals of government. Transparency and accountability are central to double digit economic growth, and both are on their way to becoming commonplace. The overwhelming majority of officials belonging to the Central services are persons of integrity, and those who do not follow proper codes of conduct need to be removed from positions of responsibility so that the overall ambience is conducive to investor confidence of a level playing field with neutral umpires. Under Prime Minister Modi, Digital India has expanded manifold, and as a consequence, wrongdoers find it difficult to prevent details of their wrongdoing from getting known to the public. Provided that exposes are based on fact and not malice, each such revelation about the diminishing number of officials who are yet to adhere to the high standards of objectivity and integrity expected of them by the Prime Minister brings closer the day when India will emerge as the world’s third superpower, after the US and China. During the colonial era, the purpose of law was not just to extract as much from the public as possible, but to give a superficial legal cover to any unjust act of the colonial rulers. The other purpose of laws that were so designed as to be easily misused was to instill a climate of fear that inhibited the people of India from developing and putting to use their talents. Since 2014, a citizen’s own signature has been attestation enough for a document, for a democratic government trusts the citizen and generates an ambience that promotes growth. During the next few years, what is needed is to ensure a framework of governance that gives the citizen the freedom to improve his own life and the lives of others.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">MDN</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/respect-for-the-citizen">Respect for the citizen</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-85795176364324926272023-07-09T16:00:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:03:15.308+05:30Unity essential in holding together diversity (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">It is the responsibility of educators and historians to ensure that awareness of the common core of belief in the unity of the nation is within every citizen.</strong></p><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Were an extra-terrestrial to land on Earth, he or she may regard the planet as a quarrelling Babel. with little knitting together humankind except a common ancestry in the African continent. On the surface, this may be accurate, but just beneath that are stories of failure and success co-existing with each other. Examine what is happening to two countries that were formerly part of the USSR. What a difference there is between the present condition of Georgia and that of Ukraine.</span></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Both have endured slices of their territory effectively coming under the control of the Russian Federation. There are the Nuland school of policymakers in the US and the EU who must have urged the Georgians to launch a hybrid war against Russia in 2008, but luckily for the citizens of that picturesque republic, such calls went unheeded. The Georgians are aware that any future unity would not be the consequence of the kind of kinetic or hybrid warfare now being resorted to by the Ukrainians. It would come only through the carrying forward of a process of enhancing contact with the breakaway territories, rather than creating a mental Berlin Wall between the two sides. Unity could come through the steady accretion of confidence in a breakaway region that the rest of the country was prepared and indeed eager to respect their rights rather than seek to dominate them. In any country, were a section of the population to consider and to behave as though they were superior to the other sections, that would be a pathway towards instability. The reason why the majority of those living in Scotland chose to remain part of the United Kingdom was not coercion from London, but the fact that across Britain, the Scots are as much an equal part of the life of the entire country as the Welsh or the English are. Brexit has of course introduced a new complication in the situation, and this aggravation would substantially increase were the fire-eating Tories clustered around Boris Johnson to succeed in either deposing or emasculating the pragmatic Rishi Sunak. For Boris Johnson, politics is showtime, which is so much more enjoyable than the humdrum business of government, and in this the former UK PM is exactly like Donald Trump. The problem is that showmen have far more appeal in several sections of the electorate than plodding realists who understand that governance is not about pyrotechnics but performance. Fortunately for the Labour Party, the majority of its members seem content with the present leader, unspectacular but hard-working Keir Starmer, than his rival for the job, Jeremy Corbyn. Emotion is always a much more enchanting spectacle than reason, except that the hangover from the aftershocks of governance by such a personage is likely to be long and hard, something that most members of the Labour Party appear to understand, unlike those in the Conservative Party who yearn for the return of the excitement of the Boris period. Brexit would work best for the UK provided there were, in effect, open borders with the EU on both the Northern Irish and Scottish frontier, a fact that hard-core Brexiteers seem to be opposed to accepting, harmful though their stance is to the economic security of Britain.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="COaGyoPp8oEDFQVOvQod924JoA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.5~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193111&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Funity-essential-in-holding-together-diversity&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193027927&bpp=1&bdt=676&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697192763%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697192763%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=8452046596486&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193028&ga_hid=854509340&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=4070&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1700&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31077327%2C31078363%2C31078594%2C31078599%2C44798934%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078301%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGslgDuDCQ59YKCN-a7PomMQbFDf5-WjUuw0LmR0MPcHoctPAFpY5-nOAoaqaQG_mG0xGbdJR4a5CwfwRL3yae9JADdJx&pvsid=2317029934100556&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=xS40Ic1kIX&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=83158" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Of course, it must be admitted that the UK has handled the issue of restive parts of the country far better than Spain has. Madrid is adamant about not going forward with a Scottish-style independence referendum in Catalonia, and several Catalan nationalists have been imprisoned. Even those Spanish citizens seeking an independent Catalonia need to be treated with the respect shown to those of divergent views in a democracy, rather than be placed in prison. Whether it be in Spain, Germany, Italy or France, the absence of a migration policy within the EU that deals with its external borders has resulted in waves of migration illegally landing up on the shores of several European countries. As India has discovered in the case of the millions of illegal migrants it has long hosted from some neighbouring countries, sending back even a few thousand of the millions who have arrived is a monumental task. The UK is discovering that as well, now that the hastily-contrived Rwanda option has been deemed illegal by the courts.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_3_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!4" data-google-query-id="CMC0rIfp8oEDFcGF6QUdrJACLg" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_3" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=3938863807&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.7~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193118&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Funity-essential-in-holding-together-diversity&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193027931&bpp=1&bdt=680&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193110%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193110%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=4&correlator=8452046596486&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193028&ga_hid=854509340&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=5090&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=2715&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31077327%2C31078363%2C31078594%2C31078599%2C44798934%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078301%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGslgDuDCQ59YKCN-a7PomMQbFDf5-WjUuw0LmR0MPcHoctPAFpY5-nOAoaqaQG_mG0xGbdJR4a5CwfwRL3yae9JADdJx%2CAOrYGsncdOCRZf16h_4hQi2or-EGL0N4w4mSxisoeNW7JZ7gInH1tEmTe2dy3Us-6qxhwCJeE0_aUsIcDKN8atNvVD9zMStF&pvsid=2317029934100556&tmod=474789333&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=kq3PtbtOyr&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=91051" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Unfortunately, within the post-2011 migrant communities in Europe, those holding leadership positions are reluctant to facilitate the dissemination of modern education within the younger segments of the population, leading to a disconnect between what they actually study and what they need to study in order to do gainful work in the country they have moved into. Most of the leaders are themselves unconfident of being able to absorb modern learning, hence their resistance to such being made available to the rest. The consequence is the ghettoisation and the other-isation of migrants, repeatedly leading to conflagrations such as what Paris or Marseille have recently been witnessing. While diversity is a plus and should be celebrated, yet there ought simultaneously to be a common core of attitudes that unite the different strands of the population and prevent them from <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">flying</span> off in diverse directions. The common civilisational DNA in the Subcontinent was termed “Indutva” by this columnist in the 1990s. Denial of this fact was the prime mover behind the “Two Nation” theory that was used to justify the vivisection of India in 1947.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_4_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!5" data-google-query-id="CNeEmojp8oEDFbDVfAodzWIG8Q" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_4" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_4" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=312613526&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.9~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697193120&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Funity-essential-in-holding-together-diversity&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697193027934&bpp=1&bdt=683&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193110%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697193110%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280%2C505x280%2C505x280&nras=5&correlator=8452046596486&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697193028&ga_hid=854509340&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=6212&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3833&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C31077327%2C31078363%2C31078594%2C31078599%2C44798934%2C44804782%2C44805098%2C31078301%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&psts=AOrYGslgDuDCQ59YKCN-a7PomMQbFDf5-WjUuw0LmR0MPcHoctPAFpY5-nOAoaqaQG_mG0xGbdJR4a5CwfwRL3yae9JADdJx%2CAOrYGsncdOCRZf16h_4hQi2or-EGL0N4w4mSxisoeNW7JZ7gInH1tEmTe2dy3Us-6qxhwCJeE0_aUsIcDKN8atNvVD9zMStF%2CAOrYGsl2DHV-hOGEsJbeKikKGX3xDUeVm4lrloACTHP4xWNVF21FzmtC7Sb6wjcqU6XYZQf1pcag-7Oti-hfYE0yz93MDON3&pvsid=2317029934100556&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=TH9p11hu0W&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=92850" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">It is the responsibility of educators and historians to ensure that awareness of the common core of belief in the unity of the nation is within every citizen, so that those who act as though there are not just “two nations” but multiple nations within a country fail to shake the stability of the country. Which is why the entire and not just the relatively recent history of India needs to be learnt from school onwards, so that the full tapestry of the civilisation of the world’s most populous democracy is admired, understood and experienced. The present tensions and societal dynamics in the EU, an entity that refused to adopt a policy in the 1990s that prioritised talent wherever it came from and instead sought to erect geographic and ethnic barriers to entry irrespective of capability, is becoming a cautionary tale to the rest of the world.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/unity-essential-in-holding-together-diversity">Unity essential in holding together diversity</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-3490714436086278202023-07-09T15:57:00.001+05:302023-10-13T16:00:10.931+05:30No visas for terror sympathisers (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <span style="font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Names have always been used to camouflage the actual intentions and effect of an action. The Enabling Act that was passed by the German Reichstag in 1933, soon after Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg, was the legal cover used subsequently to place a veneer of legality on his dictatorship. Passing the Act was a simple process, as those opposing the measure were simply forced out of the chamber by Storm Troopers before voting commenced, many of whom subsequently were arrested and a few executed. The law was named “the rescue of the German people and state from misery”, surely a classic in the annals of misinformation. Within six years, a war that ought to have begun in 1936 at the latest but for the obsession of the elites of Britain in particular with finishing off not Nazi Germany but the Soviet Union. Indeed, up until the formal declaration in 1939 of a war that could no longer be ignored, much of the British establishment saw Hitler as a useful bulwark against what they regarded as the actual threat, the USSR. Up to the invasion of Poland by Hitler, emissaries were sent by Prime Minister Chamberlain to Berlin to try and convince Hitler to call a halt to further conquests. While the Soviet secret service had reliable information about the intention of Hitler to attack the Soviet Union once he subdued Poland, these were thrown aside by Stalin as “provocations by the British and the Americans that were intended to persuade the USSR to launch a pre-emptive strike on Germany’’. Several of the NKVD analysts in Moscow who warned of Hitler’s coming assault were executed as “agents of the British”, with the result that the flow of information to Stalin concerning German moves dried up. Stalin thought himself to be infallible, a propensity for self-delusion that cost his country over twenty million lives lost on the battlefields and through acts of Nazi bestiality.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In the roster of misleading names, a prizewinner is “Sikhs for Justice” (SfJ) run by individuals working closely with the diplomatic staff of two countries not friendly to India. What was done to a community that is among the most valorous in the world during 1946-48 in that part of Punjab that was handed over to Pakistan cries out for justice. In not the tens but in the hundreds of thousands, Sikh men, women and children were put to death, stripped of their assets, physically assaulted and made to flee. The loss was Pakistan’s, for the Sikhs are a community that enriches any part of the world they settle down in. SfJ is not just not interested in seeking justice for the victims of that period, the organisation has become the handmaidens of the grandchildren and children of some of the very individuals who were guilty of acts of horror against the Sikhs in what is now Pakistani Punjab during those years of travail. Instead of concentrating on the perpetrators of genocide, the organisation and others auxiliary to it are targeting the very country in which many in the Sikh community found refuge during 1946-48, the Republic of India. It is a fact that the events following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984 were inexcusable in any manner or form, and that much more needs to be done to ensure accountability on those guilty of acts of hatred and worse. But joining in the plan to divert attention <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">from</span> 1946-48 by focusing on 1984 is to become accomplices of those who seek to remove <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">from</span> the record the Sikh genocide of that period. Worse, to serve their interests by indulging in acts of violence against India and its people, including the Sikh community. Whether it be the <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">UK</span>, the US, Australia or Canada, the causal linkages between acts of violence planned or executed and the organisations and individuals responsible are available in the records. Yet there is a paralysis of the will in capitals that incessantly preach about “fighting terror and the enemies of democracy”. The people of India expect better <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">from</span> countries that are partners in the fight against extremism. On India’s part, the least that ought to be done is to take away any visa given to those individuals whose identities have become known as accomplices of the efforts of two hostile powers to needle the world’s most populous democracy. Neither they nor their facilitators and accomplices should be allowed to visit India, for the obvious reason that the purpose of such trips would be to cause violence within the country.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Prof Nalapat</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/editorial/india-shouldnt-give-china-a-free-pass-at-sco-or-brics">No visas for terror sympathisers</a><br /></strong></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966345738592189918.post-52631111722150099942023-07-02T15:54:00.001+05:302023-10-13T15:57:38.918+05:30In India, ‘secularism’ stands for the opposite of the concept (The Sunday Guardian)<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;">Just as in Turkey, Egypt, the US or the UK, there needs to be a Uniform Civil Code if secularism, equal treatment of those belonging to all faiths, is to be maintained.</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Post-Independence India is where those who believe not just in the Two-Nation but in a Multi-Nation Theory consider themselves secular. For such individuals, there is almost nothing in common between citizens belonging to different faiths than their Indian passports. In every other way, each is looked upon as different from those of other faiths, a premise that is most prevalent where Hindus and Muslims are concerned. Even Barack Obama, hardly an IQ lightweight, believes that Muslims and Hindus in India belong to different ethnicities. He has imbibed the trope that has been fed into the minds of Pakistan’s youth by textbooks that claim their ancestry to be not subcontinental but a mix of Arab and Turk. Reading the history textbooks chosen in India by post-Independence governments for study by the young, millions of Indians believe that there was no effort at conversion of Hindus by the Mughal emperors, not even by Aurangzeb, whose intolerance finally initiated the collapse of the Mughal Empire. They further believe that it is a crime against “secularism” for Hindus to want the return of the three sacred sites of their faith, Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya. Such “secularists” become apoplectic with anger at such a wish, forgetting that Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya are as sacred to Hindus as Mecca, Medina and Al Aqsa are to Muslims or as the Vatican is for Catholics. In a country partitioned on the grounds of faith, those who initially ruled India since August 15,1947 ignored such a historical injustice, leaving the three sacred sites the way they were during Aurangzeb’s rule.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Another red rag to “secularists” as the term gets defined in India, concerns a Uniform Civil Code. A UCC is needed so as to make equal the treatment meted out in civil matters to citizens across all faiths. In the past and to a much lesser extent in the present, there are still a few Hindus who have more than one wife. Just as in Turkey, Egypt, the US or the UK, there needs to be a UCC if secularism—equal treatment of those belonging to all faiths—is to be maintained. Yet even some citizens in these countries believe that there should not be UCC in India even while it is law in theirs. Fortunately, those in the US in particular who have such an anti-secular view of secularism are on the wane, as witness their failure to either prevent or dim the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just concluded state visit to the US. There are more than a few self-proclaimed Sanatanis who favour different regulations rather than a Uniform Civil Code. These pass off as champions of Hinduism, even while they are the polar opposite of what a believer in Sanatan Dharma favours, which is equal treatment to all faiths. It is those who believe that Hindus and Muslims have different DNA that anti-India, anti-Hindu groups across the world use to present a false case that India is a hotbed of Hindu fanaticism.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_1_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!2" data-google-query-id="CIrUuN7n8oEDFc1hYAod4z4HkA" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=1467325906&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.3~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697192764&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fin-india-secularism-stands-for-the-opposite-of-the-concept&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697192708439&bpp=1&bdt=711&idt=1&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697192411%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697192411%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=8262473420679&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697192708&ga_hid=1457372944&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=3575&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=1200&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C44795921%2C44804782%2C44805099%2C44805112%2C31078297%2C44804940%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=1835277322939894&tmod=474789333&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=9l77UECQ2c&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=56240" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Unfortunately, there are some self-proclaimed champions of Hinduism whose unwisdom gets showcased as the norm, when in fact it is the exception. Some weeks ago, those across the world who seek to portray India as a paradise for hatemongers were ecstatic. A former minister in Karnataka belonging to the BJP was quoted as threatening that “every mosque will become a temple”. Whether this was what he said, or his words were deliberately garbled and quoted out of context is not clear, as the former minister seems afterwards to have entered into a state of maun vrat and taken a vow of silence. Did the former minister mean that every mosque is a house of prayer, and hence should be regarded by Hindus and those of every other faith with the respect <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">befitting</span> a house of prayer ? If so, he ought to have made that clear. If he were serious about seeking what was reported, that every mosque would be made into a temple, the fact that such an individual had been a minister in the BJP government in Karnataka provides a clue as to why the party gave a walkover to the Congress Party in this year’s Assembly elections. The fact is that only three sacred locations matter to the Hindu community, Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura. Should the three be restored to the glory they had before being demolished by the destroyer of the Mughal Empire, Aurangzeb, the pain caused within the pysche of Hindu community at such a historical injustice would be healed. The birthplaces of Lord Ram, Sri Krishna cannot be altered, and the Kashi Vishwanath complex has a tradition that was mentioned even during Vedic times. Many Muslims who oppose such a reversion to tradition of the three sites do so because they worry that such a return of the three would be the start of a movement by Hindus involving many other mosques as well. The former Karnataka minister has added to the list of opponents of the return of the three sacred sites to the pre-destruction (by Aurangzeb) period. He has done this by irresponsible utterances that damage the course of action favoured by the Prime Minister, which is “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”. The former minister does not seem to have heard of Prime Minister Modi’s wise words, and has as a consequence been among those whose words and deeds have played into the hands of foes of a strong and united country. He joins such company as those who sully the name of India and the Hindu faith by killing people whom they (usually incorrectly) think of transporting beef.</p><div class="google-auto-placed ap_container" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 505.333px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7552149977928927" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-status="filled" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 280px; margin: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><div aria-label="Advertisement" id="aswift_2_host" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 280px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 505px;" tabindex="0" title="Advertisement"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" allowtransparency="true" browsingtopics="true" data-google-container-id="a!3" data-google-query-id="CJyI3eHn8oEDFVEAewcdtP8G8g" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="280" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7552149977928927&output=html&h=280&adk=3545570733&adf=2479591467&pi=t.aa~a.3813539917~i.5~rp.4&w=505&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1697192771&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=4112569715&ad_type=text_image&format=505x280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fopinion%2Fin-india-secularism-stands-for-the-opposite-of-the-concept&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=127&rw=505&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTE3LjAuNTkzOC4xNTAiLFtdLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMTcuMC41OTM4LjE1MCJdLFsiTm90O0E9QnJhbmQiLCI4LjAuMC4wIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjExNy4wLjU5MzguMTUwIl1dLDBd&dt=1697192708443&bpp=1&bdt=716&idt=0&shv=r20231011&mjsv=m202310040101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Df29d34d3ed367948-22dbc1fa3fe40043%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697192763%3AS%3DALNI_MYtFCLU0qIOD12EBDj890atFeUg_g&gpic=UID%3D00000c5625d70961%3AT%3D1696234235%3ART%3D1697192763%3AS%3DALNI_MZ21LXOcj98Qua53uu2lCqzmXEtVA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C505x280&nras=3&correlator=8262473420679&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1298767174.1696234239&ga_sid=1697192708&ga_hid=1457372944&ga_fc=1&u_tz=330&u_his=6&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=4&adx=379&ady=5683&biw=1263&bih=595&scr_x=0&scr_y=3314&eid=44759926%2C44759875%2C44795921%2C44804782%2C44805099%2C44805112%2C31078297%2C44804940%2C31078663%2C31078665%2C31078668%2C31078670&oid=2&pvsid=1835277322939894&tmod=474789333&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsundayguardianlive.com%2Fuser%2Fmd-nalapat&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1280%2C595&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&td=1&nt=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=qWZzi6X9aX&p=https%3A//sundayguardianlive.com&dtd=63214" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 280px; left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 505px;" vspace="0" width="505"></iframe></div></ins></div><p><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px;"></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In the 20th century, Hindus and Muslims were sought to be divided through the Two-Nation theory. What is taking place in Pakistan today ought to be a cautionary tale to those who believe that any country can be stable, <span style="background: rgb(1, 173, 210); box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600;">peaceful</span> and prosperous were there to be discrimination between those of different faiths. We are all Indians, and it is our common history and our common DNA that should unite all citizens so that our march towards the status of the world’s third superpower gets accelerated rather than delayed.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Noto Serif JP"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin: 0px auto 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/in-india-secularism-stands-for-the-opposite-of-the-concept">In India, ‘secularism’ stands for the opposite of the concept</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Follow Prof. Nalapat on Social media platforms @ http://social.mdnalapat.com</div>Manohar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093072231810128726noreply@blogger.com0