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Obama says
Namaste
India
President Obama 2nd visit to India, becoming the first POTUS to grace Republic
Day as Chief Guest, was also historic in terms of him and Prime Minister Modi
achieving a breakthrough in nuclear deal impasse and steering worlds two
largest democracies towards an elevated level of friendship and cooperation.
This 60-page Special Issue celebrates Indias Republic Day and President Obamas visit to India.
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Community throngs NY
Consulate for R-Day
By Ashok Ojha/SATimes
New York: A few hundred community leaders, public officials and professionals from the tristate area and
New Hampshire gathered at the Indian Consulate here to celebrate Indias
66th Republic Day on Jan 30.
Welcoming the guests, Consul
General Dnyaneshwar Mulay said
the Indo-US ties reached a new level
after President Obamas visit. He
presented his vision to engage people
of different walks of life in the great
Indian journey towards economic
prosperity and intellectual growth
through events aimed at promoting
Indian art, culture and science before
the world. Some prominent citizens
were honored for their accomplish-
Editors Picks
Associate Editors
Jinal Shah, Hiral Dholakia-Dave,
Meenakshi Iyer
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Of umbrellas, caps
and patriotic songs
New Delhi: With the rain playing spoilsport,
the dignitaries gathered at Rajpath to witness
India's 66th Republic Day parade were
forced to wear caps and take cover under
umbrellas and raincoats.
US President Barack Obama, the chief
guest at the parade, and wife Michelle were
seated in a roofless bullet-proof glass enclosure along with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and his
wife Salma and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
As it started to drizzle, officials with huge,
black umbrellas and members of the support
staff standing next to them sprang into action.
While the Obamas held their own umbrellas, the Indian dignitaries and leaders attending the ceremony had their better halves
or their official staff holding the cover for
them.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also held
her own umbrella. Two seats away,
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit
Shah was seen taking shelter under an umbrella held by his wife.
Kiran Bedi, the BJP's chief ministerial
candidate for next month's Delhi assembly
polls, wore a raincoat.
Many dignitaries also donned caps to protect themselves from the cold and drizzle.
Mukherjee and Ansari sported fur caps, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior BJP
leader L.K. Advani wore golf caps while
Modi wore a traditional and colorful Rajasthani headgear.
Had Modi peeked into the enclosures
erected in front of him at Rajpath when the
66th Republic Day parade concluded, he
might have been forced to rethink the
prospects of his pet Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,
or Clean India campaign.
Soiled sheets of newspapers, pamphlets
(carrying details of the parade details) and
People chanted We Love Obama during the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi as rain played spoilsport.
love. In fact, the highly publicised ModiObama 'chair pe charcha' on the verdant
lawns of the Hyderabad House Sunday was
a hot topic of discussion among the audience
as they waited for the parade to begin. Most
of them had gathered since early morning,
braving the rain and the January chill.
The friendly warmth and camaraderie between the two leaders again evident during
the two-hour parade.
It was a wet, gloomy start to the 66th Republic Day celebrations here as sporadic
overnight rain that continued in the morning
threatened the festivities as well as dampened the spirits of the people.
The crowds gathered for the function were
a worried lot as the security personnel did
not allow umbrellas inside the venue due to
safety concerns and the light drizzle could
very well have turned into a heavy shower.
But much to their relief, half an hour into
the parade, the rain stopped and the dark
clouds that had been hovering overhead dis-
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Air Force women officers marching contingents passes through the Raj Path
during the 66th Republic Day Parade.
President Obama and Prime Minister Modi watch the flypast which climaxed the R Day parade.
Raj Path came alive with the daredevil stunts of motorbike riders of the Border
Security Force (BSF).
The BSF camel contingent passes through the Raj Path during
the 66th Republic Day Parade.
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10
against militants.
In Jaipur, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh
said everyone should work for the state's development, and that the state was working on a
strategy to provide employment to 15 lakh
youth.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the
Left Front government will not allow any attempt to divide the northeastern state.
"A section of people are trying to split the
state and disturb peace. The government will
resist the move," he said after unfurling the tricolour in Agartala. He said that despite the best
efforts of security forces, terrorism was yet to
be curbed, as militants still have camps in
neighbouring Bangladesh.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Governor P.
Sathasivam asked people to improve the quality of education and be concerned about the environment. Kerala has made big strides in education but it still remains a case of "a little
done and vast undone", he added.
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi unfurled the tricolour in Kolkata. Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee watched the proceedings, and later posted on Twitter: "On this
Republic Day let us again rededicate ourselves
to being a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic." Republic Day was also celebrated across Bihar with joy and enthusiasm,
while Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi appealed to people to maintain communal harmony and peace. Maoists had put up black
flags in Gaya, Aurangabad, Jamui and Banka
districts to protest against Republic Day.
In Andhra Pradesh, Governor E.S.L.
Narasimhan exuded confidence that the state
would recover the lost ground and move on a
trajectory of growth and development. He also
paid tributes to Pingali Venkaiah, who designed the national flag and hailed from this region. Republic Day was celebrated across
Odisha with gaiety and enthusiasm despite intelligence inputs about a possible terror strike
and amidst a Maoist boycott call. Hoisting the
tricolour in Cuttack, Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik reaffirmed his commitment to building
a prosperous state.
Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah unfurled
the national flag in Chennai. Chief Minister O.
Panneerselvam, his ministers and a large number of people enjoyed the various floats and
dances by colorfully-attired school students.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inspects guard of honor in Mohali.
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Mathematician Manjul
Bhargava
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14
Pacific and Indian Ocean "gives a better understanding of the political contours of the
relationship".
Obama and Modi had "turned a corner for
the United States and India" by resolving
"issues in a long-stalled nuclear deal that for
years kept US nuclear power companies
from doing business in India", noted Alyssa
Ayres, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and
South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.
The two sides renewed the 10-year Defence Framework Agreement for enhanced
defence engagement, and also inked the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative
(DTTI), under which the two sides have
agreed on co-production on four projects.
Modi and Obama hug each other during the Joint Press
Interaction held at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
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16
important aspect that will bring more investments in the country. These things will address many problems," he said.
He assures US business that they "will find
environment that is not only open, but also
welcoming".
"We will guide you and walk with you in
your projects. You will find a climate that
encourages investment and rewards enterprise; it will nurture innovation and protect
your intellectual property," Modi said.
"It will make it easy to do business; our
immediate target is to bring us from the rear
ranks of the world into the top 50. You will
find a tax regime that is predictable and
competitive. We have removed some of the
excesses of the past. We will now soon address the remaining uncertainties.
Our goal is an economy where skills, infrastructure and resources will not be constraints to growth," he said, adding heavy investments in infrastructure and agriculture
will improve the economy.
Noting that "in the world of economics,
numbers are often an unforgiving mirror to
performance," Modi said: "They are telling
us that we are on the right path. Our economic growth has increased by a percentage
point. Today, business sentiments in India
are the strongest among major Asian markets. Consumer confidence in India has
turned positive after three years.
"Growth in the eight core sectors of the
economy has increased sharply. Inflation is
at a five-year low. And, 110 million new
bank accounts have opened in the last four
months. Investments from the United States
have jumped by 50 percent in the first six
months of my government. And, I know that
some of the pledges made in September in
Washington have begun to flow in."
Stressing the India-US partnership "will be
vital for prosperity at home and our economic leadership abroad", he held it will
also help address "global challenges of our
times".
Turning to President Obama, Modi said
that with his support, "quite simply, the
joined hands of India and the United States
will make this world a better place for all.
With your leadership, Mr. President, and
with the support of our gifted people, we
India high on
US investors'
agenda: Jaitley
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley said President Barack Obamas
visit to India has helped forge a new
commercial relationship between India
and the US.
President Barack Obamas visit to
India has helped forge a new commercial relationship with India. The conclave of Indian and American CEOs
(chief executive officer) exhibited a
strong confidence about India. The
desire of American businesses to invest
in India was great, he said in his
Facebook post.
Their queries related essentially to
the ease of doing business in India.
With the American economy growing
stronger, US corporates are flush with
funds looking to invest elsewhere. India
appears high on their agenda, he added
India, US to identify
sectors for investments:
Sitharaman
New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
said that the US and India will identify priority sectors for attracting
investment after the upcoming
budget session.
The minister, who met US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzke
here, revealed that senior officials
from both sides will meet to discuss
and identify the sectors that can attract investment and technology.
They (officials) will sit and
identify sectors where priority investments can come in, the minister told reporters after the meeting
here.
man called for enhanced technology sharing and investments in India's small and medium enterprises.
"We have asked for possibilities
where technology could be shared
and to bring in investments to help
small and medium enterprises," she
said.
The minister pointed at the need
for creation of a task force to usher
in investments and identify sectors
that have the possibility to attract
influx of funds from the US.
"We need to have a task force
working on getting investments,
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Modi's name
suit creates
waves
Barack Obama praised Narendra Modi for his style and sartorial elegance.
saffron rice, papad, soup and a variety of Indian bread. The desserts included malpua
S I D E L I G H T S
Who's who queue up to meet Obama
n one long shot, the camera captured a queue with a net worth upwards of $70 billion. There they waited patiently, the who's who of
India Inc to meet President Obama, described as the most powerful
man in the world. The 15-odd businessmen, and women, in that frame
run companies that together have a market capitalization of over $300
billion, which is roughly one-sixth of the Indian economy. Impressive
from an India point of view, but some numbers put in perspective why
India's rich and powerful stood so patiently to meet the US President.
America's economy is nearly 10 times that of India's, with a GDP of
$17 trillion. And America's richest man - Microsoft founder Bill Gates has a net worth of $81 billion - more than all of the 15 Indian business
leaders in the photograph.
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women in society and said a "nation is successful when its women are successful", a
remark which again drew strong applause.
He talked about how impressed he was
with the "incredible women in (India's)
armed forces" that he witnessed at the Republic Day parade and also mentioned
about the women officer - Wing Com-
inside.
Referring to his visit to the White
House in September last year, Modi
said Obama gave him a book of
speeches delivered at the World Religions Conference in Chicago in the
last part of nineteenth century. Swami Vivekananda, who delivered a famous speech at the conference, was
the inspiration of his life, he said.
Asked about the American leader
who inspired him the most, Modi
named Benjamin Franklin, one of
the country's founding fathers.
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Enthusiastic crowd near the R Day parade VIP viewing gallery waving to President Obama.
President Pranab Mukherjee hosts a banquet in the honor of the Obamas at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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India-US agreements
beyond expectations
The Great Game in the India-Pacific has
begun. Having said that, all of this is
dependent on Narendra Modi not just
reviving economic growth in India but
taking it to hitherto unknown heights.
By Ashok Malik
n inviting Barack Obama to become the
first American president to be the chief
guest on Indias Republic Day, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi was sending a clear
signal. What was not so clear was whether
the visit would yield anything substantive.
In the end, agreements reached by the two
governments have gone well beyond expectations.
The joint statement, running into eight
pages and 59 paragraphs, is among the
lengthiest in recent memory. It takes forward
several initiatives mentioned in the September 2014 joint statement in Washington, DC.
Not surprisingly, it devotes its opening pages
simply to going over what has been done
since September, in areas as far apart as
higher education and IT, smart cities and
counter-terrorism.
In New Delhi itself, the joint statement announced the successful conclusion of the negotiations of the contact group on outstanding issues related to the India-US nuclear deal. Some have wondered whether the
creation of an insurance pool will remove all
misgivings about Section 17(b) of the Indian nuclear liability law. Actually a lot of
homework was done on this. A multi-ministry team ministries of external affairs,
The walk together of the two leaders in the Hyderabad House garden
cleared the logjam.
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'Russia, India
India, China
remain strategic must not fall
partners'
into rivalry
trap:
Chinese daily
matters of international peace and security, such as the Jammu and Kashmir
dispute, by no means qualifies for a special status in the Security Council," he
said.
Pakistan also contested suggestion to
grant membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to India.
"Pakistan is opposed to yet another
country-specific exemption from NSG
rules to grant membership to India, as
this would further compound the already fragile strategic stability environment in South Asia, would further undermine the credibility of NSG and
weaken the non proliferation regime,"
Aziz said.
Islamabad also opposed permanent
seat to India in the UN Security Council.
Obama visit
reflection of
renewed energy:
Tibetan PM
Dharamsala: Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay described the visit of US President
Barack Obama to India as a reflection of renewed energy in bilateral engagement.
"I am very happy to see that the
president of the US is here in India to take part and be the chief
guest at the Republic Day celebrations," he told reporters here.
"Since America and India are
the two largest democracies of the
world, it's a celebration of democ-
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24
By Parveen Chopra
The South Asian Times: How significant
do you think is President Obamas Chhabbis
Janavari visit to India? Is the freeze of the
Devyani affair a year ago finally over with
the Obama-Modi hugs?
Ravi Batra: President Barack Obamas
agreeing to be Chief Guest on Republic Day
was very significant and a gift to the people
of India and a belief that the Indo-US relationship is critical for global peace in the
21st century. Then, all that changed! - PM
Narendra Modi abandoned protocol, with its
embedded wisdom, and went to the airport
to personally receive him, and while engaged
in a typical handshake suddenly upgraded
the greeting into a hug. Its the hugs
that define this visit and caused the success
achieved during this trip: President Obamas
trust in Indias durable commitment to the
rule of law, honest desire to honor the spirit
of the agreements and national aspirations
that embrace peace and abhor war.
Indeed, after the hand-poured Chai Summit
in the Hyderabad House gardens, you saw two
nations born to be natural friends, walking as
natural buddies, achieve Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehrus August 14, 1947s Tryst with Destiny
on January 25, 2015 - when the N-Deal was
achieved without perpetual additional inspections (beyond those by IAEA) and Indias sovereignty honored in full measure.
The Second Hug at the end of the joint
press conference was deeper, longer and
warmer than the Tarmac Hug. PM Modi,
building on the work of prior administrations, from Pandit Nehrus to PM Atal Bihari
Vajpayee to PM Manmohan Singh & Congress president Sonia Gandhi (the duo who
secured the birth of the N-Deal), achieved
the breakthrough that negotiators after three
rounds could not. Barack Obamas faith in
Indian-ness, defined by Buddha, Ashoka
the Great and inter alia, Mahatma Gandhi,
and inter alia, mutual concern of China enhanced statecraft by Modi-driven Tarmac
Hug. Of course, Indias old friend Russias
misadventure in Crimea also factored in.
When a year ago, the Devyani affair was
poisoning the growing bonds between US
and India, I suggested a Chai Summit - at
the White House - even as then FM Salman
Khurshid secured her return. I never then
imagined that it would be in India and help
these United States of America withdraw
a reasonable, but extremely sovereigntyintrusive additional inspection requirement.
Now, America has thanked India, in more
than full measure, for supplying Indian Tea
at the birth of the American Revolution in
1773 when it was spilled in Bostons Harbor to tell King George where to go. This
speaks to American optimism and generosity of spirit, flying on eagles wings. India
has now emerged as Americas Global Partner. Thank you PM Modi for your protocolbreaches - 1.5 billion Americans and Indians together will now experience a growth
heretofore unimagined. Thank you President Obama for taking the Tarmac Hug and
engaging in a mutual Bear Hug after the
joint press conference. We The People have be judged against Americas special relabeen uplifted as a result thereof.
tionship with India. This coming together
of Obama and Modi is a friendly merger of
SA Times: Prime Minister Modi came - af- economic and military might, economic proter a big mandate - from a position of strength duction and consumption, and finally, the
to the White House last year. But do you think enhanced income and equity of Americans
his world vision and diplomatic skills are re- and Indians. Nixons opening of China and
sponsible for mending the bilateral ties?
the American investment that followed made
Ravi Batra: PM Modi is mandate-rich. China the powerhouse that it is today. AmerBut that is only a root cause. He must be icas warm hug of India, a nation under law,
given credit for taking exceptional risks - will cause an even bigger development of
running an American style campaign, with India. Since Indians already dream and live
Arab Spring-loaded social media, and then the American Dream in India, realize now
governing as a corporate CEO.
that Obama made the American Dream come
The Second Hug at the end of the joint press conference by President Obama
and PM Modi was deeper, longer and warmer than the Tarmac Hug.
SA Times: In some vox populi kind interviews at the Republic Day parade on Sunday in Delhi, people said they look to USA to
help beef up defense and as a shield against
terrorism. You think US under Obama will
grant that, considering it continues to give
massive financial aid to Pakistan and pays
only lip-service to shutting down anti-India
Pak terror groups and havens?
Ravi Batra: India and Indian-Americans
must divorce their Partition-based Pakistanpsyche and instead appreciate that but for US
support of Pakistan for five decades, a US
ally, born during the Cold War, has helped to
reduce tension in the Subcontinent. American support of Pakistans military helps it
remain a nation, with its citizens willing to
have their share of the American Dream:
merit-based society with children having a
better life than their parents.
It is now a fact that America and India are
Global Partners, global peace enhanced as
the cost of war has plummeted with American and Indian troops able to fight side by
side. Peace just got more possible for more
humanity, and economic growth and personal
incomes just got on a higher trajectory.
SA Times: What else India can look forward to from warmer relations with US?
And what is in it for America?
Ravi Batra: India is now what I have been
arguing for and wanted: Americas special
relationship with Great Britain will in time
SA Times: Not only President Obama, even GOP (under President George Bush,
for instance) had moved to
improve ties with India. But
do you feat that Republicans
- for whom all things Obama
are an anathema - may try
to undo what he (now Lame
Duck President) has wrought
in India-US relations.
Ravi Batra: Not at all. Republicans, like PM Manmohan
Singh and Congress President
Sonia Gandhi, worked hard
and took political risks to get
where we were before Devyani. All Indians and all Americans have a legitimate right
to claim ownership of this
Obama-Modi Hugs-success.
back to robust life anew. India will be the seSA Times: Traditionally Indian Americret ingredient to a strong and durable Amer- cans have supported and voted Democrat,
ican Dream for all. As an Indian-American, but it is said it is Republicans who have
it doesnt get any better: pride, and pride.
been more supportive of India in recent
years. Your take on that?
SA Times: Some think tanks say US is
Ravi Batra: Well, conventional wisdom,
wooing India as a counterweight to China. while true, has been amended: now, all
Your take?
Americans, like all Indians, want this close,
Ravi Batra: Of course. But, that was a intimate and trusting geopolitical marriage
cautionary and necessary aspect of state- so as to enhance peace, lessen war, and give
craft. The Hugs changed that.
every citizen on earth a better shot at the
American Dream.
SA Times: India even after the Cold War
One curious aspect of this Hugging Trip
remained closer to Russia. Now you think is that Indian-Americans have become Tier I
it would be prudent for India to remain Americans: American through and through,
equidistant from both Russia and US or tilt with or without the hyphen (notwithstandtowards US as seems to be happening?
ing Governor Bobby Jindal seemingly
Ravi Batra: No, this isnt a tilt. Its a ashamed of his Indian DNA). Additionally,
marriage in broad daylight, with protocol all Indians in India can openly be Ameriabandonment. Now, its Honeymoon Time can in all things; after all Indias Republic
for this massive marriage of 1.5 billion Day celebration was of Indias Constitution
dreams of free citizens living under rule of - largely modeled on Americas!
Ravi Batra
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26
Bansi Shah
President, K G Industries Inc
resident Obama's visit to me is a history
in making. The grassroot and simple approach and self-confidence of PM Modi
is received with enthusiasm by people
of India as well as
business community.
Out of box thinking,
firm assurance with
commitment of PM
is putting India on
world map and making Indian and international community at ease and confidence in
new era. I think Modi will definite deliver his
promise of ACCHE DIN AANE WALE HAI.
Very soon. I happen to be in India currently to
witness the upswing in the mood and faith in
the government. Obama's visit has taken the
India-US relations to new heights with signing
of MOU's worth billions of dollars. There is a
bright future for infrastructure, and Make in
India campaign in many industries, especially
DEFENSE."
Ankur Vaidya
President, Federation of Indian
Associations (FIA NY-NJ-CT)
s the stark contrast friendship between
a Harvard educated US President and
humbly brought up, modestly educated Prime Minister of
India has increasingly blossomed after
the USA visit by the
Indian PM, so have
the bilateral relationship between the two
natural allies.
India, which is set
to outpace the giant
economy growth of
China in the near future, now has an opportunity to bring one of the world's top democracy
strategically closer on fronts like nuclear, defense, counter-terrorism, renewable energy,
pharmaceuticals in a two way interaction that
can be mutually benefitting to both the
economies. Hopefully, with President Obama
greeting Namaste and Prime Minister Modi
wearing a suit, the good changes and exchanges are evident and will continue to reflect
in our economies and the two countries.
Dilip Chauhan
President, NRI Overseas Affairs Inc.
his visit of President Obama was definitely a transformative moment in
the ties between India and US. White
House has been
waiting a long time
to conduct business
with India with
confidence.
In Modi, I believe
they have found
that strong leadership. Both India
and the United
States
want
a
strong economy and
a strong defense.
I believe that due to this historic visit,
there will be enhanced cooperation in areas
such as defense, infrastructure, high technology, education, and energy (nuclear and
alternative both). It will forge a new commercial relation with India benefiting US
and Indian companies alike.
Flora Parekh
Community activist
ndia seems to be positioning itself for a
more global role, playing a part in issues
that go beyond its borders.
This visit of President Obama is history making, thereby presenting the
symbolism of the
leaders
of
the
world's two biggest
democracies cozying up.
This visit has already brought the
announcement of
the 10-year defense cooperation agreement
between the two countries, that might help
broaden India's historically insular foreign
policy thinking.
Maybe it will make India a more prominent player in global issues over time. I
hope the ongoing discussions around immigration reform in the United States will see
some positive outcome for both nations
with this enhanced partnership.
Gobind Munjal
IALI Past President & India Center Chair
resident Obamas visit to India and the
newly developed friendship between
the two countries will take India and
the US - which today share an extensive cultural, strategic, military, and
economic relationship - to a new level
of cooperation. This
and the full implementation of the
signed
Nuclear
treaty will fulfill Indias ambitious goal of
producing Solar/clean energy, providing 24
hours electricity to people of India, act on climate change, improve air quality, provide
clean water, cleaning of Ganga, building infrastructure including High Speed Bullet
Trains, etc.
Further this friendship assures India becoming a permanent member of the UNSC,
cooperation in combating global terrorism,
use of technology, more high-tech collaborations, bilateral investments and economic
trade partnership between the two countries.
India has a great future with its predominantly youth population, along with women
force now getting education and joining the
work force, it will soon become one of the
largest economies of the world.The new level of friendship between the two nations
sends a message to the world - that India is
going to be a force to reckon and both USA
and India will shape the world in future.
Indrajit Majumdar
VP- Head of Sales - North America,
Zee Entertainment and india.com
uch is being said and written about
President Obamas visit to be the
chief guest at Indias 66th Republic
Day and Indo-US
friendship. All the
developments are
fairly positive for
both the countries
and both are poised
to leverage each others strength and capabilities to the
fullest in the long
run, starting from the
nuclear weapons front and the China issue.
However, the most encouraging and exciting
development according to me that would
eventually benefit the common man in my
homeland is the value of trade with the US
which is poised to touch $500 billion within
the next decade, which would result in exponential job creation and economic growth in
India. In light of the same, I also wish better
immigration reforms from the US government and less stringent tax laws for the visa
holders with respect to Social Security &
Medicare. The two other valuable points
touched upon by President Obama are greater
Jagdish Sewhani
President, American India
Public Affairs Committee
he Republic Day chief guest honor is
reserved for special friends and now
US is in that category. President Obamas visit will take
India-US ties to the
next level as there
will be a new defence cooperation
between two countries. Cooperation
will also grow in
counter-terrorism
and intelligence sharing, geopolitical relationship and clean energy. US has abundant supplies of clean gas
and India almost imports all of its requirement.
Trade will increase fivefold to $500 billion
in the next 10 years. India will fulfill its true
potential. The two countries joining hands
will make world a better place, will bring
global stability.
James Reed
Former Deputy Commissioner at
Nassau County Consumer Affairs
resident Obama's visit during India's
Republic Day's festivities allows him
to witness India's finest on Parade and
to discuss closer ties
with the explosive
financial growth India is experiencing
under Prime Minister Modi's able leadership. A perfect
melding of the
World's Oldest and
Greatest Democratic
Countries!
Neeta Bhasin
President & CEO, ASB Communications
aving been in India at the same time
as President Obamas visit, I got to
experience firsthand how much this
visit meant to the
citizens of India.
Everywhere
you
went all people
spoke about was this
visit and what it
means for Indo-US
Relations and the
two countries economic future. I believe this visit serves
Continued on page 28
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Quddus Mohammed
Assistant Governor, Rotary #7255
resident Obama's visit to India offers
an opportunity to attract much needed
foreign investments as well as elevate
Indias role on the
world stage. This
moment also offers
an absolute opportunity for the two
countries to move
ahead on trade and
other economic issues.
However,
Prime
Minister
Modi and his administration should be
extremely cautious of American courtship, as
China and Japan are carefully watching this
development.
The fundamental foreign policy goal of the
Modi administration is to see that the three
regional powersJapan, China and India
play a dominant role in shaping the Asia-Pacific region, while keeping the US minimally, but effectively involved. But the policy
goal of the US is to deepen its influence in the
region. China and Japan have emerged as the
prevailing/prominent partners of India and,
for that matter, with most other Asia-Pacific
countries. The US is deeply concerned by the
shifting regional balance of power.
Obama perhaps cannot compete with the
personal relationship that Mr. Modi has established with the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe over the last several years including the
time when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
During his recent visit, Xi and Modi agreed
to mutually resolve the decades old Indo-China border dispute, while China also pledged
over $20 billion in infrastructure investments
in India. These developments are politically
unwise and economically dangerous for the
Rahul Walia
Founder, South Asian Spelling Bee;
CEO, Touchdown Media Inc.
robably for the first time in its history
is the US breaking the mold and taking
a keen positive interest in a country
other than those in
NATO. While its an
overused adage synergies between
the oldest and largest
democracy--it
is
only now that real
meaningful activity
is actually taking
place as the US begins to recognize India, its billion people
and its leader as an
ally worthy of equal stature.
President Obamas visit in 2013, then PM
Modis visit to the US to a Rockstar welcome
at MSG and now Obama in India are all indicative of a growing bond between these
two behemoths which will only spell good
fortune to the world.
The progress achieved in the past 3 years to
strengthen economic, cultural, defense and
nuclear ties should hopefully continue well
into the future. Citizens of both countries
stand to gain from strong bilateral relations
and the fact that its happening in our lifetime
is cause for great celebration. Heres to
history!
Rashmin Master
CPA, Marathon Man
rime Minister Modis invitation to
President Obama as a chief guest on
Republic Day was a great move to
open up relation between India and the
US. The two leaders
met and business
leaders from both
countries and the
PM emphasized that
the Indian government will make it
easier and faster to
conduct
business
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
28
without going through red tape. Many businesses are concerned about rampant corruption and bureaucracy. India has great talent
which can be utilized in various fields by
multinational corporations. The two leaders
discussed defense partnership and a rising
threat from China. Terrorism is a threat to
both India and US. Pakistan has to be contained.
Sudhir Vaishnav
Vibhuti Jha
Sunil Modi
President, Association of
Indians in America (NY)
t was an eventful and great meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President
Obama. The two leaders followed up on
themes addressed
during Modis September 2014 trip to
the US, and addressed some issues
that had been on the
US India bilateral
backburner for many
years now. One of
the first announcements to come from
New Delhi during
Obamas visit was that the two countries had
reached an agreement on climate change.
Modi seems to have partly revised Indias position. Under a new agreement, US will provide funding for renewable energy. The joint
statement of the two leaders highlights the
diversified US-India partnership with
strategic consultations, and stronger defense
cooperation. Increased trade and investment
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
32
chieving
self-reliance and
reducing dependence on foreign
countries in defense is a necessity today rather
than a choice, both
for strategic and
economic reasons.
The Government in the past has created
production capabilities in defense in form
of Ordnance Factories and Public Sector
Undertakings to cater to the requirements of
our Armed Forces. However, there is a need
to enlarge the role of Indian private sector
as well to develop capabilities and capacities for production of various defense
equipments.
Our Prime Minister has taken a very important initiative in form of Make in India
to promote and encourage domestic manufacturing of various items. The requirement
for domestic production of defence equipment is more than for any other sector because it will not only save precious foreign
exchange but will also address the national
security concerns.
Government being the only consumer,
Make in India in defense sector will be
driven by our procurement policy. The
Government policy of promoting domestic
defense industry is adequately reflected in
the Defense Procurement Policy, wherein
preferential treatment is given to Buy (Indian) and Buy and Make (Indian) categories of acquisition over Buy (Global).
In the days to come, import is going to be
the rarest of the rare option and first opportunity would be given to the Indian Industry to develop and manufacture the required
systems. As Indian companies presently
may not have adequate capabilities in terms
of technology, they are encouraged to partner with foreign companies for joint ventures, technology transfer arrangements and
tie-ups.
If we look at the profile of Acceptance of
Necessity (AONs) granted by Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) in the last couple
of months after the new Government has
come to power, proposals worth more than
Rs. 65,000 crore have been categorized under Buy (Indian) and Buy and Make (Indian). The process of further orienting the
Achieving
self-reliance and
reducing dependence
on foreign countries
in defense is a
necessity today rather
than a choice, both
for strategic and
economic reasons.
been put in place. There is a big opportunity in the defense sector for both domestic
and foreign investors. We have the third
largest armed force in the world with an annual budget of about $ 38 billion and 40%
of this is used for capital acquisition. In the
next 7-8 years, we would be investing more
than $ 130 billion in modernization of our
armed forces and with the present policy of
MAKE IN INDIA, the onus is now on the
industry to make best use of this opportunity for the benefit of both the business as
well as the nation. Besides, under offset
more than Rs. 25,000 crore obligations are
to be discharged in next 7-8 years.
While on the one hand, Government is
making necessary policy changes with regard to procurement, investment including
FDI, licensing, export etc., the industry also
needs to come up and accept the challenge
of up-gradation in terms of technology and
required investments.
Defense is the sector which requires huge
investments and technology and is driven
by innovation. The industry, therefore, has
also to change its mindset and think for
long term rather than temporary gains. We
need to focus more on Research and Development and state of the art manufacturing
capabilities. The Government is fully committed to create an eco-system for the domestic industry to rise and to provide a level-playing field to all sectors of industry,
both public and private.
PIB Feature
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
34
O P - E D
Obamas visit:
India is the big loser
By Dave Makkar
ight from day one America was in the
lead. John Kerry, the US Secretary of
State, set the US corporate lobby dictated agenda with five broader issues with
liability issue in civil nuclear deal to limit US
corporate liability to a certain cap on the top
followed by defense, trade, renewable energy
and climate change.
The US is the clear winner when Modi-led
BJP government signed the nuclear deal by removing the unlimited liability clause. It was
the BJP that brought/joined the No Confidence
Motion against Dr. Manmohan Singh's Government on the issue of liability clause and
then the infamous cash-for-vote scam happened in Parliament. However, as usual BJP
under Modi took a U-turn on that and decided
to create a pool of insurance to be used to pay
the compensation. The 50% of insurance
amount will be borne by the Government of
India and the remaining 50% by the four public sector units, which in other words will also
be borne by the Government of India, that is to
say by Citizens of India.
Yes, the Modi government has got a breakthrough in avoiding US inspection in the Indian reactors, but that was the issue of second
stage and the liability clause couldn't allow
UPA Government to reach there. I leave it to
the people of India to decide on who should be
given credit for selling India. Because in the
first place, when Germany and Japan have
promised their citizens to phase out all nuclear
power plants; why does India want to install
new nuclear power plants, that too with the
help of USA that has not set up a new nuclear
power plant since 1950?
As for defense technology transfer and coproduction in India, that is a matter for discussion for future historians. It is an open secret
that the US on this count is very protective.
Above all, when Americans do not share technology with their close NATO allies, why will
they share it with India? The only country that
has unlimited access to US defense technology and hardware is Israel, that too because it
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
35
Indian Mission
to UN
celebrates
Indias 66th
Republic Day
Mukherjee trains her disciples on various aspects of voice culture, stage presence and body
language in addition to guiding their musical
compositions. Through her own example,
Mukherjee has instilled a spirit of unfailing
dedication for the Guru and the art in her disciples.
Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori is a noted Radiation
Oncologist. He has been awarded Padma Shri,
for his contributions in the field of medicine.
He was once named one of the top doctors in
America for the treatment of cancers in women
by the women's magazine The Ladies' Home
Journal.
Dr. Nori is a Professor and Executive Vice
Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department at The New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College in New
York City. In addition, Dr. Nori is the Chairman of Radiation Oncology Unit at the New
York Hospital Medical Center of Queens.
Dr. Nori has an international reputation as a
pioneer and authority in the cancer field and he
has been referred to as a recognized leader in
his specialty by the prestigious New England
Journal of Medicine. He has been selected as
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Procession and
firework to celebrate
Indias Republic Day
in Edison, NJ
By Ashok Ojha/ The SATimes
New York: Dressed in colorful attires and
holding American star-spangled and Indian
Tricolor flags hundreds of men, women and
children took part in a parade to commemorate Indias 66th Republic Day at Royal Alberts Palace in Edison, NJ on January 25.
The parade ended with fireworks in the parking lot facing the huge statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, who is credited for unifying
India after the British left the country in
1947.
The celebration was presided over by the
Edison Mayor Thomas Lanky, who joined
the procession and praised participants for
displaying much love and affection for their
native country. Juned Qazi, president of Indian Nation Overseas Congress, USA, a voluntary organization of supporters of Indias
A procession to celebrate Indias 66th Republic Day
in Edison, NJ. (Photo by Ashok Ojha)
Congress Party, who played a vital role in
mobilizing the community beyond the barriers of political and religious affiliations, apideals of the Congress leaders who led the nation for
pealed to folks to proudly display their love for India. many decades.
We are proud to be of Indian descent and have a duty to
Representatives from a wide crosssection of the Indicontribute towards improving the lives of people in In- an-American community expressed their support for unidia, which emerged as one of the fastest growing nation ty in the community and pledged to celebrate all Indian
in the world due to the strong values ingrained in our national events with great pride.
constitution, he said.
Those who spoke at the function included Anil Patel,
Qazi emphasized the importance of a strong opposition Viru Patel, Col. Virendera Tavathia, Harkesh Thakur,
for the health of Indian democracy pointing out to the Ram Gadula, and Mahesh Patel.
36
Amb. Mulays
Republic Day Message
I am delighted that 'The South Asian Times' newspaper is
bringing out a special issue on the auspicious occasion of
India's 66th Republic Day. It is a moment to cherish and celebrate India's accomplishments as the world's largest democracy
and its growing presence in international affairs.
In this six and a half decade's history, India has been steadfast
on the path of democracy. Last year's General Elections which
was the world's largest elections ever with 814.5 million votes
bears witness to India's commitment to democracy. Today,
India stands tall among the comity of nations and is performing
it's just role in promoting peace, prosperity and development in
the world. India has consistently worked with people and
organisations to bring peaceful solutions to global problems .
Our role in the UN, whether it is in peace keeping or in providing humanitarian aid, has been lauded by one and all. Recently,
India' proposal to declare June 21 as the International Yoga
Day made during the Hon'ble Prime Minister's visit last year
was adopted by the UNGA. We have also just had a very successful and productive visit of President Obama for the
Republic Day celebrations in India. This is the first time the US
President was the honoured guest at the Republic Day Parade.
The Indian Government has made novel changes in its policies to make India more accessible to the Diaspora as well as
other visitors to India. I hope that the Indian American community as well as others take advantage of these changes and
increasingly participate in this nation building movement and
thereby enhance India's strength in the world to promote peace,
harmony and growth. My greetings to my fellow Indian citizens as well as the Indian Americans on this auspicious occasion. I wish you all the very best.
Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay
Consul General of India, New York
2 letters officially sent to President Obama requesting USPS issue a Diwali Stamp
Prominent Indian Americans Ranju Batra (pictured) and Ravi Batra have
relentlessly pursued the cause of getting Diwali stamp issued.
Ranju Batras Letter
January 28, 2015
President Barack Hussain Obama
White House
Washington, D.C.
Re: Please have US Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe issue the Diwali
Stamp now.
Respected President Obama,
What a thrill to see Indias PM Modi hugging America and you on the Tarmac in
Delhi upon your arrival, to be Indias Chief
Guest on her 2015 Republic Day celebration. Thank you for enhancing the relations
between our two great nations.
I write to seek your assistance in a matter
of great importance to the Diwali-celebrating world - light over darkness, good
over evil. I have served as the Cultural
Chair of the Association of Indians in
America-NY (AIA) for 10 years, 2001 2011, and then was elected as president of
AIA-NY. During my two year tenure, I organized the largest Diwali celebration in
North America - such that NYTimes wrote
that 200,000 attended the day long Diwali
2011 event. During 2012, the Silver Anniversary of the Diwali celebrations, I
added a gala dinner at The Pierre Hotel the
night before and awarded Silver Diwali
Awards to our dear friends: Rep. Eliot L.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
38
Ravi Batra
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal in
Prominent Attorney
Upendra Chivukula
Deputy Speaker,
New Jersey Assembly
obby Jindal thinks we live in a
monolithic society which is not the
case. His views are scary especially for a man
who is ambitious for
national office. Everyone comes
from some
or the other
heritage.
Under the
First
Amendment
everyone
has his or
her right to
practice his religion.
I am proud of my identity as IndianAmerican. I am grateful to India for my upbringing, my education. I spent 24 years of
my life in India. But that does not mean I
do not uphold the American Constitution or
my being Indian affects in any way carrying out my duties as an appointed official
in America. Being from Indian does not really interfere with my daily life here.
Louisiana his
pronouncements could
be ignored
as the silly
musings of
a
middle
aged man
going
through a
midlife
crises. But the fact that he would announce
this despite being a governor of a state suggests that his desire to assimilate has exceeded all boundaries to a point where
there is nothing of cultural pride. So, if you
are Italian, you cant be proud of Italian
heritage and if you are French you cant be
proud of your French heritage. In fact, you
cant be proud of any heritage if you are
Bobby Jindal.
Now if that is his litmus test of enlightenment that may even violate John
Lennons Imagine song. I think Bobby
Jindal needs to
sit in either a confessional box or look in
a mirror but he has to come to terms with
who he is because what he is becoming is
less than what he ought to be Bobby Jindal is a person who actually hates his own
ancestry, despite his lip service, and a person who hates himself is a dangerous man
for higher office. So, I would never vote
for him on a ballot. In a local office you
can get away with it, but for national politics which is his ambition - its not good. It
is short-sighted and feeds into the KKK
(Ku Klux Klan) and their lovers - and he
has the KKK identity-hood on.
As for me, I am an American of Indian
ancestry. I am not confused about my sovereignty, citizenship or cultural identity. India has given us "zero," yoga and a lot of
other things to the world, and one thing that
India hasnt given is offensive war. So,
Actor
do not want to comment on what Gov.
Jindal said as I am not aware of the full
context. However, I would like to say
that everyone has their own identity, who
they
are,
where they
are
from,
their
heritage. And if
thats what
he sees himself
(as
American)
thats great
but he does
not have to
force
that
down
on
other people.
I see myself as an Indian-American. I am of
Indian descent and I grew up in America
and so both are very important to me. Some
people might favor one over the other,
thats entirely their decision as only they
can define their identity. As for me, I
wouldnt single out any one identity. I am a
very proud Indian and I am a very proud
American.
Kabir Chopra
Gerrard Lobo
Theater Actor
hose are his people telling him what
needs to be told in his constituency
to be a next prominent candidate. I
dont think
Bobby Jindal thinks
that in his
heart.
I dont see
how I can
differentiate, I am
American
but I am Indian-American. No one
from America can really say they are Americans except Native Americans. Here everyones
something - Irish American, Indian American, Italian American.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
39
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make In India' campaign gathers steam our travel writer
ANIL MULCHANDANI trains spotlight on the place where it all began.
works commissioned successfully. After independence, the land was leased by the Government of Bihar, and then the Government
of Jharkhand, to Tata Steel, with an obligation on the latter to continue to provide services to the city of Jamshedpur.
Till 2003, the Town Division of Tata Steel
was providing civic amenities and allied
services to the city of Jamshedpur. Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company Ltd (JUSCO), a subsidiary of Tata Steel, was formed
to expand their work beyond the city. It efficiently distributes power, maintains roads,
sewer lines and water mains, runs a college,
nine schools, recreational areas, manages facilities, much of it more efficiently than
many municipal corporations. This makes
Jamshedpur unique not only in being one of
the few Indian cities that were built from
scratch in the 20th century but one where the
facilities required by lakhs of people is managed by a corporation without municipal
support.
While Jamshedpur is largely an industrial
city with companies like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Tinplate, Indian Steel and Wire
products, cement works, etc, and the neighboring industrial zone of Adityapur which
was considered the largest manufacturing estate before the development of the National
Capital Region with Noida and Gurgaon, its
planning, abundance of parks and gardens,
and surrounding forested Dalma hills makes
it a city worth a visit.
On arriving in Jamshedpur, we met some
locals who told us proudly that this is one of
the greenest cities of India with active tree
planting programs to offset its industrialization. Lakhs of trees were planted during what
was called the Green Millennium Countdown at Jamshedpur.
The main highlight is the Jubilee Park, inaugurated by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in
1956 to mark Jamshedpurs golden jubilee.
The taxi driver took us around to see the roses, the lake, the fountains and water cascades
across the park which spans about 225 acres.
This park, we are told, is a favorite hangout
of the citizens whether it is for walking,
jogging, cycling and workouts in the morning or for an evening of enjoying seeing the
musical fountains, laser shows and illuminated water bodies, for a daily stroll or to
amuse children with the rides on offer. The
history of Indias steel industry is also narrated during the shows. The garden is lit up
during holidays and festivals and often during the week as well. Stalls around the park
make the most of the huge number of daily
visitors offering a variety of street food.
In a corner of the park, the Tata Steel Zoological Park beside Jayanti Sarovar or Jubilee lake is a nicely kept zoo. A vehicle took
us around to see the mammals kept in naturalistic looking enclosures and the bird
aviaries. The zoo also has a `safari park
where people can view a cross-section of an-
Jamshedpur, the first planned industry city of India (Photos: Dinesh Shukla)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
40
Dr. Rajendra Prasad took oath as the first President of India at Durbar Hall in the
Government House and this was followed by the Presidential drive along a five-mile
route to the Irwin Stadium, where he unfurled the National Flag.
Indias first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad (in the horse-drawn carriage)
readies to take part in the first Republic Day parade on Rajpath,
New Delhi, on Jan 26, 1950.
The first
Republic
Day Parade
with the
Old Fort in
the background.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
42
Swami Vivekananda
on Nation building
By Swami Shantatmananda
Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi
wami Vivekananda was a dreamer.
He dreamt big day and night. But,
the only theme of his dream was India. This one word stirred extraordinary
feelings in the deepest regions of his heart.
Perhaps, he was the greatest patriot to have
ever been born in this country. The testimony of Mahatma Gandhi vouches for this
assertion. Gandhi visited Belur Math in
1921 and said that after reading Swami
Vivekanandas works his patriotism for the
country had increased thousand fold.
One of the Western disciples of Swami
Vivekananda, Sister Christine, reminisced,
Our love for India came to birth, I think,
when we first heard him (Swami
Vivekananda) say the word, India, in that
marvelous voice of his. It seems incredible
that so much could have been put into one
small word of five letters. There was love,
passion, pride, longing, adoration, tragedy,
chivalry, himweh, and again love. Whole
volumes could not have produced such a
feeling in others. It had the magic power of
creating love in those who heard it.
In fact, his love for our motherland was
perhaps the singular factor which held him
tied to this earth. He was a born Yogi. He
was a great contemplative and diving deep
into meditation was the natural drift of his
mind. However, he sacrificed all these to
serve our motherland.
Swami Vivekananda knew everything
about India like the palm of his hand. What
was the source and basis of his knowledge?
He was a keen student of history and had a
thorough knowledge of Indias glorious
past. He was immensely practical in his
outlook and that helped him understand the
then condition of our country. After the
passing away of his Guru and mentor, Sri
Ramakrishna, he had gone on a pilgrimage
of the entire country on foot. He met people from every segment of the society, from
the richest to the poorest, from the most
learned to the most ignorant, from high
caste priests to those condemned as the low
caste, from Maharajas to penniless beggars. The first-hand knowledge which he
gained through his explorations gave him a
complete understanding of our country including the causes for its downfall. Being
a visionary and endowed with an extraordinary intellect and even a more feeling
heart, he could find out the cure for Indias
maladies and for restoring her to her former
glory. He predicted that Indias future glory would far surpass her past glory. He felt
deeply concerned and pained by the degradation of our country.
After a stay of four years in the West,
during which he achieved extraordinary
fame and recognition and was virtually lionized by the society, when he was about
to depart for India, a Westerner asked him
how he was feeling. In reply he said, India
I loved before I came away. Now the very
dust of India has become holy to me, the
very air is now to me holy; it is now the
One of Prime Minister Narendra Modis heroes, Swami Vivekananda the great yogi was also a great
patriot who analyzed what had gone wrong with India and recommended remedies thereof: uplift
of the poor and women, education for all, and sharing our gyan with the world.
holy land, the place of pilgrimage, the Tirtha."
Swami
Vivekananda
clearly identified the causes for our downfall, one of
which was the neglect of
the masses which he labeled as the great national
sin. He said, The poor,
the low, the sinner in India
have no friends, no help
they cannot rise, try however they may. They sink
lower and lower every
day, they feel the blows
showered upon them by a
cruel society, and they do
not know whence the
blow comes. He said
that millions were oppressed in the name of religion and one of the chief
causes of Indias ruin was
the monopoly of education by a few belonging to
the privileged classes.
Swami Vivekananda said that the difference between West and East is that they are
nations i.e. civilizations, whereas we are
not. While the higher classes in India and
the West are the same, there is infinite distance between the lower classes of these
countries. He lamented that for centuries
people had been taught theories of degradation and have been told that they were
nothing. The masses have been repeatedly
told that they are not human beings and
frightened for centuries till that they have
become animals. Laziness, lack of energy,
want of sympathy and appreciation for others were at the root of all miseries and that
they should be given up.
Another cause according to him was our
exclusiveness. India went into her shell as
the oyster does, and refused to give the lifegiving truths to thirsting nations outside
the Aryan fold. He said that we shut ourselves from the outside world, did not go
out and did not compare notes with other
nations. We also lacked in the faculty of
organization and that we are altogether
averse to making a common cause for anything. He said that the first requisite for organization was obedience which we lacked
as a race. He said, In spite of the greatness
of the Upanishads, in spite of our boasted
ancestry of sages, compared to many other
races, I must tell you that we are weak,
very weak.
We are lazy, we cannot work; we cannot
combine, we do not love each other; we are
intensely selfish, not three of us can come
together without hating each other, without
being jealous of each other.
According to him another major reason
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
44
INDIA
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Jaishankar is new foreign secretary, BJP might get majority in Delhi: Opinion poll
Sujatha Singh's tenure curtailed
New Delhi: The Narendra
Modi government Wednesday
appointed India's envoy in the
US, S. Jaishankar, as the new
foreign secretary, replacing
incumbent Sujatha Singh six
months before her term was to
end. The appointments committee of the Cabinet, in a
decision taken Wednesday,
decided to "curtail the tenure"
of Sujatha Singh, "with immediate effect".
The committee also said that
Jaishankar, an Indian Foreign
Service officer of 1977 batch,
has been appointed the new
foreign secretary for a period
Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj
of two years.
welcoming Dr S. Jaishankar as he took charge as the
Sujatha Singh had assumed new foreign secretary on Jan. 29. He earlier served
office in August 2013 and
as Indias envoy to US.
was due to retire in August
He was previously the envoy to China
this year. The surprise announcement comes
a day after President Obama left the country before moving as envoy to the US.
Jaishakar hails from an illustrious family
after a three-day visit during which, India
and the US saw a breakthrough announce- of civil servants and is the son of Indian foreign policy doyen K. Subhramanyam.
ment on the stalled civil nuclear deal.
In 2013, his name was reportedly being
Jaishankar was one of the key officials
who negotiated the nuclear deal with the US considered for foreign secretary, but Singh
as joint secretary (Americas) from 2004 to was chosen instead by the then Congress-led
government.
2007 in the ministry of external affairs.
A member of the Board of Advisers of The South Asian Times, eminent jurist Lakhpat B.
Mehta was honored by International Council of Jurist on his successful completion of 50
years of glorious contributions.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TRIBUTE
45
R K Laxman
(1921-2015)
Cartoons
courtesy
The
Times
of India
46
COMMUNITY
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Charge D' Affaires Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu unfurling the National Flag
at the Indian embassy in Washington, DC. (above) Guests at the event.
strengthen it.
Indias ambassador to the US, who was in
India for President Obamas visit, has been
promoted as foreign secretary in
Government of India.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
48
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
By Jinal Shah
he classic Romeo and
Juliet has been performed
countless times in countless
ways over its 400 year history.
There are Romeo and Juliet
inspired musicals, ballets, TV
series, movies, operas and novels
as well as lesbian version, puppet
version, Yiddish, hipster, hip-hop,
Arab-Israeli, prep school, all
female version, silent version, 15minute versions and more.
Every generation comes up with
its own version of Shakespeares
star-crossed lovers and every generation intentionally or not puts its
mark on the story. Now there is a
Bollywood makeover replete with
song and dance.
This off-Broadway version produced by the newly formed
Hypokrit Theater Company
replaces the streets of 16th century
Verona with the hustle and bustle
of modern day New Delhi and period costumes gives way to designer
wear.
The Bollywood spin-off is the
brainchild of Arpita Mukherjee and
Shubhra Prakash, co-founders of
Hypokrit. Every time I read
Romeo and Juliet I just thought it
was just like a masala Bollywood
movie, said Mukherjee at
Hypokrits kick-off party last
Thursday. It has everything -romance, drama, action."
As the director Mukherjee helped
train actors in the rasa methodology, an India performance aesthetic
that is designed to elicit an emotional response from the audience.
Mukherjee explains, "The rasa theory allows an actor to free himself
or herself up while keeping the
actor's process intact. When people
see the play, they will clearly see
the relationships and all that comes
from the rasa workshops we did for
key scenes. Initially the actors were
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Hypocrit Executive Producer Roger Sen Gupta with the theatre companys co-founders Arpita
Mukherjee and Shubhra Prakash after presenting them a citation from Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney. (right) A poster of Romeo and Juliet.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
50
SUBCONTINENT
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
said. The spokesperson, however, said Pakistan supported reforms in the UN as "it is in the interest of
everyone to seek more democratic, effective and credible mechanism of the maintenance of international
peace and security through a comprehensive reform
of the Security Council".
To a question about the nuclear agreement between
the US and India, Aslam said Pakistan has shown
serious concerns over the deal as it would badly affect
the stability in the region.
"On the conventional side, India`s massive acquisition of weapons further complicates the regional
strategic stability," she said.
She said India`s defence spending has increased by
12 percent in 2014-15 and stands at $38.35 billion.
his cases.
The Interior Ministry has formally informed Musharraf and his
lawyers that his name could not
be removed from the Exit Control
List (ECL) as the country's apex
court had directed the government
to put him on the list. The ministry said his name could only be
cleared on the court's order.
A spokesman for Musharraf's
All Pakistan Muslim League party
confirmed Musharraf had
"appealed" to the federal govern-
SPORTS
Paes in Australian Open doubles final, Sania ousted Djokovic and Murray to clash in
Australian Open final
Leander Paes
The clash was Djokovic's toughest match of the tournament and his
serve was broken five times in a
another titanic duel with the Swiss
world number four.
It was their fourth straight Grand
Slam encounter to go to five sets
with Djokovic winning three of
them. He lost to Wawrinka in the
quarter-finals at last year's
Australian Open.
52
ASTROLOGY
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874; Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898,
2648 9899; psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
TAURUS:
You will need to cultivate the
right attitude towards work to
be successful. Be clear about
the routes before you undertake
to drive as chance of getting lost
looks real. You may find it difficult to see
eye-to-eye with a family member. Peer pressure can force some into a bad relationship.
Inadequate rest is likely to play on your
health. Submitting a project in time can make
you burn the midnight oil.
GEMINI:
There is an outside chance of
someone tattling on you at
work. You may have to cater
to the bad mood of a senior.
Some of you can regret your
impulsive behaviour. Those planning a
relaxing time at home can end up doing
household chores! Lovers attitude is likely
to brighten up the prospects of the wedding
bells. Someone can take advantage of your
good nature. Health remains good.
CANCER:
You are likely to make up all
your loses incurred in the
recent past. A strong romantic
yearning can make you give a
miss to work this week! Work may
pile up for those compromising on efficiency.
Domestic front brightens up with the arrival
of a relative from out of town or abroad.
Landlords will find a tenant for their house.
You will feel quite at home in a new environment.
LEO:
Those ailing are likely to be
nursed back to health by the
family. A child or sibling is likely to achieve distinction in the
academic field. Decide carefully
before taking on a responsibility at work.
Chances of falling in love look bright for
some. Avoid taking a shortcut while travelling,
as difficulties are foreseen. Those shopping
are likely to find good bargains. Your efforts
will lead you to total fitness.
VIRGO:
Romantic mood prevails this
week, so plan a romantic
evening out with lover. Driving
a new set of wheels is likely for
some. You are likely to get a positive feedback regarding your performance at
work. Promotional prospects brighten for
some. Your helping hand will be much appreciated by a friend or neighbour. You may
look for good investment options as money
comes to you. A challenging task is in store
for some.
LIBRA:
Some of you are likely to top an
exam or crack a competition.
Joining an elite organisation
cannot be ruled out for some.
Financing a family youngster may pose a problem, but will not be insurmountable. Love at
first sight can happen at a most unusual place.
Homemakers may be hard pressed for time to
organise a function at home. Some of you are
likely to get a good bargain on property.
SCORPIO:
This week, family comes first
for you. Spending time in shopping will be time well spent.
Lover s suggestions can
increase your anticipation of having a good time! You will manage to hold
your own in a workplace situation. Leave is
likely to be granted to those in uniform.
Saving for the rainy time will be easier said
than done. An excursion with school or college is foreseen for some.
SAGITTARIUS:
Negative feelings are likely to
disappear as you beat your
path towards positivity. A
change is expected on the professional front which will be in
your favour. Mixed luck is foreseen for those
playing the stocks. Your crude attempt at
wooing someone of the opposite gender may
face rejection. You will need to fine tune your
travelling time with others to reach a venue
together. Health remains satisfactory.
CAPRICORN:
Time to impress others has
arrived! You will go all out to
woo all and sundry. Good contacts will translate into new
opportunities on the professional
front. You may need to raise the spirits of a
family member feeling low. Budding
romance can find some sitting on Cloud
Nine! Spending a vacation with friends and
family will prove to be a lot of fun. Deal in
property only with well established dealers.
AQUARIUS:
A wasteful expenditure can
spoil your mood. Superiors will
look up to you in a professional
situation. You are likely to get an
opportunity to dictate terms at
work. Your domestic burden may be shared
by other family members. Heart-to-heart talk
will bring you closer to the one you love. You
will be able to deal with an old ailment that is
playing up. Thorough planning is required
for a business trip.
PISCES:
You will succeed in removing
an irritant at work. Your ideas on
the professional front are likely
to be accepted. Domestic burden
may fall on your shoulders in the
absence of a helping hand. An evening out
with lover is indicated for some. A journey
may prove more expensive than anticipated.
You will receive the papers pertaining to a
property or some other asset. Workouts will
keep you fit.
which can put you in trouble. You strongly believe in destiny and have strong concentration power. This year you
will feel more inclined towards religious activities.
Health this year: There is this phrase- 'Donate blood to
reap happiness'. Its true that when we donate our blood, it
brings unlimited happpiness to you. This year make this a
habit to donate blood every two-three months. Overall your
health will be fine.
Finance this year: Travel will bring you both prosperity
and pleasure. You will travel to distant lands in the coming
year. This will allow you to make the most of newer opportunities and will also be a source of good income, relaxation and enjoyment.
Career this year: Your planning and methodical approach
to work, will catch the attention of your seniors. You will
be handsomely rewarded for you efficient and honest approach to your professional career. The ability to judge the
weaknesses of your opponents, will be an asset to you, and
you will be able to use this to your advantage.
Romance this year: Though it will be short-lived but this
year you will have a happy romance. The relationship
would give you sweet memories, which you can cherish for
the whole of your life. Keep in mind that we should enjoy
the life as it comes to us.
Lucky month: April, August, November and February
6th Februry, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: Being number 6, you are lover of simplicity
and originality. You have the ability to inspire those around
your. Your mere presence, makes people happy and full of
enthusiasm. This year too your attractive personality and
helping nature will bring happiness in other's life.
Health this year: Health will generally remain normal. You
will enjoy a sound physical health on imbibing positive
thinking in your life. However, it will be in your interest to
continue physical exercises to keep diseases a bay.
Finance this year: You will earn a lot of money in the coming year, but on the other hand you will also spend it all on
buying expensive clothes, jewelry and luxuries of life. Remember that you should save some money for your future too.
Career this year: You have an special attachment towards
art and music. Those of you who are in the profession of
dance and poetry, will do exceeding well in your professional career, in the year ahead of you. Others will be able
to impress their counterparts in the workplace.
Romance this year: Your warmth and attractive personality will draw many friends towards you. You will always be
a centre of attraction amongst friends and relatives, but this
year you will be bowled by someone special. You might fall
in love.
Lucky month: July, November and December
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
54
HUMOR
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for
the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
56
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Knowledge Vs Experience
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
hen we start out on a spiritual path,
there are two elements involved in
learning the spiritual teachings.
One is the theoretical side in which we satisfy
our minds questions, and the other is the
practical side in which we experience the spiritual truths for ourselves in the depths of our
soul. While it is important to be well versed in
both aspects, there comes a point in which we
must focus our attention on doing the actual
practice of meditation to gain true experience.
Overemphasis on the theoretical side can take
our attention too far away from the practices
we need to perform. While we must satisfy the
mind and have our questions answered, we do
not want to get trapped into mental wrangling,
for that is like a spider web in which we may
get stuck.
To illustrate this point, look at the wisdom
of the great Lord Buddha. Buddha spent fortyfive years selflessly teaching the spiritual
truths. He wanted to help suffering souls gain
enlightenment and escape the karmic wheel of
life that binds them to this world.
Buddha was full of compassion and served
humanity without any concern for his own
comfort. He sacrificed himself so that others
could find the road to Nirvana. It is said
Buddha toured for eight months out of each
year to teach people the way to salvation.
The only time he did not tour was during the
rainy season, in which he stayed in one place.
He gave out his teachings to everyone, irrespective of their caste, religion, color, or
social status. He gave all an equal chance to
find the way to enlightenment.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
i n
j o u r n a l i s m
www.thesouthasiantimes.info
for progress of
Madhya Pradesh
With the dynamic Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans initiative of
launching Friends of MP at a conclave in New York on February 1, 2015,
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in India to start creating
its own global talent pool in the US for progress and prosperity.
Special Supplement for the Friends of MP Conclave
Acchhe din aa
gaye hain, aur rahane
waale hai.
I am looking at these in the same globalization reference an export oriented system over and above the imperative of self
sufficiency, with universal access. Hence,
the third critical asset is MPs viable central location which has enabled it to
evolve into an inland multimodal logistics
hub well connected to all key markets
and ports of India.
The SA Times: How has the Make in
MP campaign benefited the state so far?
CM Chouhan: It is a work in progress,
albeit progressing steadily. I am
happy to tell you that the expression of interest worth
billions of dollars that
was promised during the recent
Global Investors Summit has been absorbed into the processing stage by our
agency MP TRIFAC (Trade and Investment
Facilitation Centre) in a disciplined manner.
I assure you that MP will take the lead in
indigenous defense production and R&D,
which would be powered by our dedicated
defense manufacturing policy.
It doesnt amount to protectionism, but
will in fact enhance international collaboration and cooperation. The auto sector in
India is at a critical juncture and needs a renewed push to keep up the scales to cope up
with the competition. MP has succeeded at
convincing investors about the advantages
of scale that the State provides. I must acknowledge that we have still a long way to
go in attracting global investors, since the
bulk of the investments have come from
within India. It is precisely this concern that
has prompted my Government to embark on
this campaign to synergize efforts with
the Friends of MP.
The SA Times: How well is the infrastructure of the state equipped to handle the
new industries/investments coming in?
CM Chouhan: We have successfully
provided the basic infrastructural necessities at least in terms of land, resource, raw
material and energy availability and access,
logistics infrastructure (especially roads).
We have more than 5 GW of surplus power,
and have already assured metered uninterrupted phased power supply to industry.
As 2015 was ushered in, availability of
power increased by 1590 MW. Madhya
Pradesh is the only state to have established
306 MW solar power capacity in one year.
For infrastructure development, 2800 km
long new roads were constructed to connect
cities and towns last year. In all, 4248 km
long roads and 44 major bridges and overbridges have been constructed.
Presently, projects worth Rs. 33 thousand crore are underway under PPP mode.
Our airport modernization and capacity
building efforts have come a long way,
and we wish to cooperate with the Union
Government and PPP partners in a much
deeper and sustained manner. Similarly,
our successful river interlinking program
has ensured water supply to some critical
industrial clusters.
Coming to the point of cluster development, we have systematically made land
banks in our industrial clusters, and have
expeditiously embarked on the urban development and smart cities projects to impart
holistic infrastructural facilitation. We have
a very vibrant micro and small enterprises
(MSE) sector which is geared up to propel
big industry through consistent and high
quality product and service delivery.
The SA Times: What steps have been taken to make it an investor-friendly state?
CM Chouhan: I was coming to that. The
developments in infrastructure have been
reinforced very well by our investment facilitation policies. This is what completes the
circle. I dont need to elaborate on our land
bank system which has prepared more than
25000 hectares for industry to be set up on.
We have dedicated sector policies for auto,
IT/ITeS, pharmaceuticals, defense production, food processing, etc. and early bird benefits for urban development and smart cities
development. Apart from these peripherals,
the central role of my Government is to balance facilitation with regulation. At our Single Window System of MPTRIFAC, all the
officials concerned are stationed in a single
office complex for clearance of project. And
as per suggestion of the PM, we have deputed
one officer for each project. That officer manages all official works related to that project.
We have assigned specific responsibilities
to every officer that a work has to be completed in a stipulated time period. We have
converted into law the Citizen Charters to
get work done in a fixed time. In terms of
labour regulation, all corporate houses will
have to submit only a self declaration and file
only one return. Licence-registration in labour laws will be issued automatically if the
government office does late in providing it.
There were 61 registers under 16-labour laws
but now there will be only one. In the place
of 13 returns, only 2 returns will be needed.
My Government has so far ensured seamless
coordination, without silos.
The SA Times: You have elevated the status of MP from being a BIMARU to an investment friendly state. Which are the areas
which still seek improvement?
CM Chouhan: We have successfully
brought my State, which was a part of the
backward, underdeveloped BIMARU States,
to this juncture of optimism and potential.
But this is an interim achievement, not the finality / destination. Yes, we have risen from
an annual per capita income of Rs 13,000 to
Rs 54,000. Yet, we have a long way to go,
lots to achieve in terms of improving human
development and health
indices like Infant
Mortality Rate (IMR)
and Maternal Mortality
Rate (MMR). We
wish to enhance
our collective
efforts in this
regard, both
quantitatively
and qualitatively,
to replicate the
degree of success
we achieved in
other fields, especially law and order. Community development and awareness building
has a big role to play in this, and proactive
contributions by the Friends of MP shall
prove invaluable. There is so much to be done
that I believe several years of my work life
will have to be dedicated to this cause here.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speaking at the Global Investors Summit in Indore last year.
Genesis of Friends of
Madhya Pradesh
MP is creating a Global Talent
Pool to harness the talent that is
currently living outside MP, either
abroad or in the rest of India.
This initiative is aligned to the vision of the Honble Prime Minister
of India: Each state setting up its
own global talent pool as a global
network of its talents wherever in
the world they may be, and utilize
their experience and talent for
The Friends of
Madhya Pradesh
Portal
As a first step in creating a global
talent pool, the Government of MP
is launching a portal (www.friendsofmp.com) that will enable the
well-wishers of MP to register and
Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay
Probably the largest covered area by forests (27% approx.) with wide range of
wood & forest produces like tendu leaf,
mahua, neem etc & large number of prominent herbs are also available in abundance.
MNCs like PRG, Cadbury, Bridgestone,
Hindustan Lever, Coca Cola, and renowned Indian companies like Ranbaxy,
Tata, Birla, JK, Eicher, Bharti Telecom,
Grasim, Hindustan Motors, TAFE, Kinetic, Hotline, Raymonds, Lupin, Crompton
Greaves, Surya Roshni, Nahar Spinning,
Anant Spinning, Godrej, HEG, ACC,
IPCA and lot more big groups have significant presence in Madhya Pradesh
Largest producers of gram and soyabean
State is known as large producer of cotton, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chilli, coriander, banana, guava, tomato etc. State
has vast scope to invest in this field
State has one lakh kms of roads, 6500
kms of rail network and has 18000 kms
of optical fiber cable network
Renowned CPSUs like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, Security Paper Mill, Bank Note
Press, Ordinance Factory, Defence Vehicle
Factory, National Fertilizer Limited, GAIL
India Ltd., Gun Carriage Factory, Telecom
Factory, Manganese Ore India Ltd(MOIL),
Hindustan Copper Ltd., NEPA Paper, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Coal
India ltd., Rail coach factory are already functional in Madhya Pradesh. Renowned Educational Institutes and other Apex Institutions like
Indian Institute of Management(IIM) Indore,
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology
(MANIT) Bhopal, ABV Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management Gwalior,
Indian Institute of Forest Management Bhopal,
Indian Institute of Hotel Management Bhopal
,National Judicial Academy Bhopal, National
Law Institute Bhopal, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering Bhopal, Indian Institute of
Soil Science Bhopal, National Technical Teachers Training Institute (NTTTI), Bhopal, Central
Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute
Budhni, Water & Land Management Institute
(WALMI) Bhopal, PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE) Bhopal, Disaster Management Institute Bhopal, Agriculture
University Jabalpur, Academy of Administration and Management Bhopal, Central Institute
of Plastic Engg. Tech. (CIPET), Centre for Advance Technology (CAT) Indore is already functional in various parts of Madhya Pradesh.
MAN ON A MISSION
Chouhan says that youths are being motivated to set up self-employment to rid Madhya Pradesh of darkness of unemployment.
Government is making arrangements for
technical knowledge, marketing and share
capital. He says that Madhya Pradesh has
established itself as Best Investment Destination at last Global Investors Summit
at Indore in October 2014. Major changes
have been effected in labor laws to make the
state better in Ease of Doing Business. The
state government has implemented defence
production investment promotion policy.
Under Pradhanmantri Jan-Dhan Yojana
and other schemes, over one crore bank accounts have been opened, which are being
linked with Aadhar Number.
Taking a leaf out of Prime Minister Narendra
1978
1980
1980
1983
1984
1985
1985
1988
1988
1991
By Anil Mulchandani
Architectural marvels
of Bundelkhand region
Gwalior, Orchha, Khajuraho are must visit places
The
Bundela
The massive
Gwalior Fort
stretches atop a hill
three tons each gilded with 56kg gold, exuberant furniture and one of the largest handmade
carpets in India. The tombs of Mohammed
Ghaus and musician Tansen are also worth
seeing, and those with an interest in classical
music may like to visit the Sarod Ghar.
About 65 km after Gwalior, there is a turnoff for the Jain temple covered summit of
Sonagir, very important for Digambar Jains.
Shortly after this comes Datia, with the
Nrsing Dev Palace standing in the north of
town. It is an architectural marvel and offers
breathtaking views from the upper storeys.
Continue from Datia to Orchha, which has
many architectural gems. The Bundela dynasty built their fortified complex here with
palaces like Raj Mahal and Jahangari Mahal, lavishly decorated with inlaid tiles,
graceful domes, intricate screens and murals.
There are a number of interesting temples in
and around Orchha Chhatrabhuj and Raja
Ram Temple loom up on the town, while
on a hillock nearby is the Lakshminarayan
Mandir which has really good murals of the
Bundela school depicting religious scenes
like the Krishna-lila, a frieze depicting the
battle of Jhansi and the Bundelkhand Rajas. On the outskirts of town, a cluster of 14
cenotaphs or chattris erected as memorials to
Bundelkhands former rulers rise up beside
Betwa River with woodlands in the backdrop.
Travel east from Orchha to Khajuraho,
Gigantic chandeliers
illuminate the
Darbarhall
of
By Anil Mulchandani
Mandu
at sunset
Omkareshwar
site of one of the Jyotirlingams,
on the banks of river Narmada
T
You can visit the museum at Lalbaug,
which is an extravagant neoclassical palace
with opulent interiors full of chandeliers, gilt
stuccowork, European furniture, royal portraits (including a jewel encrusted one of Tukoji Rao), miniature paintings and princely
memorabilia. The faade of the Rajwada, the
old city palace, lies in the center of markets.
Other attractions of Indore are the Jain
temple called Kanch Mandir for its rich mirror inlay and glasswork, the Ganesh temple
and the Central Museum.
ravelling east from the Malwa Plateau, you come to Bhopal which
is the capital of Madhya Pradesh.
Founded in the 11th century, Bhopal was
modernized in the 18th century when it
was ruled by the progressive queen, Jehan
Begum in the 1870s. The female rulers
endowed Bhopal with grandiose mosques
like Taj-ul-Masjid, Jami Masjid and Moti
Mahal. These mosques can be visited
around the market square called Chowk,
together with palatial buildings like Shaukat Mahal. South of the old quarters,
Bhopal encircles two lakes and has many
cultural centers like Bharat Bhavan which
is the center for performances and exhibitions, the State Museum, the Birla Museum and the interesting Rashtriya Manav
Sangralaya, called Museum of Man, which
has replicas of tribal dwellings set in the
hills and exhibitions of tribal artifacts.
Sanchi, 46km north east of Bhopal, encompasses some of the most impressive
Buddhist monuments of India which has
deservedly been declared a World Heritage
Site. The Great Stupa is the highlight of
the extensive Buddhist site. Around Sanchi
are a number of other archaeological sites
like the rock-cut caves of Udayagiri and
the 11th century Udayapur temple.
The World Heritage Site
of Buddhist Stupa at
Sanchi
Maheshwar
by Narmada river
Photo credit:
Dinesh Shukla
ti.
Chandragupta Maurya united
northern India, establishing the
Maurya Empire (1500 to 185 BCE)
which included all of modern-day
Madhya Pradesh.
Malwa was ruled by the South Indian Rashtrakuta Dynasty from the
late 8th century to the 10th century.
The Medieval period saw the rise
of the Rajput clans, including the
Paramaras of Malwa and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand.
The Paramara king Bhoj (c.
10101060) was a brilliant polymath and prolific writer. The Chandelas created the temple city of
Khajuraho between c. 950 and c.
1050.
Gond kingdoms emerged in
Gondwana and Mahakoshal. Northern Madhya Pradesh was conquered
by the Turkic Delhi Sultanate in the
13th century.
After the collapse of the Delhi
Sultanate at the end of the 14th century, independent regional kingdoms reemerged, including the
Tomara Rajput kingdom of Gwalior
and the Muslim Sultanate of Malwa, with its capital at Mandu.
First painting ever made on Maharani Durgavati, shown gearing-up for battle of Narrai.
This fresco by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha is in Jabalpur's Shaheed-Smarak.
(From L to R ) Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former President Shankar Dayal Sharma and Dr B.R. Ambedkar,
who were born in Madhya Pradesh.
Famous politicians
1. Dr B.R. Ambedkar,
born in Mhow,
the Cantonment town in Indore district
2. Shankar Dayal Sharma,
former President of India,
politician
3. Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
former PM of India
4. Kailash Nath Katju
5. Vijaya Raje Scindia
6. Madhavrao Scindia,
of the Scindia family,
erstwhile rulers of Gwalior,
former Union Minister
7. Arjun Singh, politician
8. Vasundhara Raje
9. Sharad Yadav
10. Jaya Bachchan
11. Sumitra Mahajan
12. Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia
13. Prithviraj Chavan
14. Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
current chief minister
15. Uma Bharti
16. Digvijaya Singh
Thus, the Congress established its domination over Madhya Pradesh by aggregating vote
banks owned by former princes or jagirdars.
This feudal brand of clientelism partly explains the over-representation of the upper
castes among the Congress MLAs, Jaffrelot
continued.From 1957 to 1967, the proportion of
the Congress upper caste MLAs remained between 40-51 percent. However, the 1972 elections showed that the Congress did not break
from the age-old collaboration between an upper-caste educated intelligentsia and the notables from the merchant and agricultural classes.
The elitist bias of the Congress was gradually
put into question after the party returned to
power in 1980. The proponents of kisan politics
were also very weak, largely because of an absence of a strong middle caste milieu, like the
Jats in Uttar Pradesh.
Things really changed in the 1990s, with the
decreasing number of upper castes MLAs and
the rise of the OBCs, except during the 1990
election, the worse election year for the Congress since the 1977 post-emergency rout,
which suggests that its upper caste candidates
were better entrenched in their constituency.
While the upper caste members represented
45-57% of the governments in 1980-1990, in
1993 their percentage fell to about 33% and remained below 40% in the 1990s (except in
1998). In the state assembly election held in
2008, 69.28 percent of the people eligible voted, giving a majority to the Bharatiya Janata
Party, the incumbent, with 143 out of the 230
seats in the assembly. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
got his second term as chief minister of the state.
Riding high on pro-incumbency and a divided opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party led by
Chouhan returned to power with a massive
mandate for the third straight term in 2013.
BJP won 165 seats in the 230-members seat
Assembly, way ahead of the Congress which
was restricted to just 58 seats.
The tables have turned full circle in Madhya
Pradesh with the BJP coming into power. The
state is now on the path of overall development.
The new government has also done a commendable work by politically empowering the
women by providing 50 percent reservation to
women in local civic bodies.
PROFILE
ASHODHARA RAJE
SCINDIA is Minister
for Commerce, Industry and Employment for Madhya Pradesh along with other
important portfolios such as the
Public Sector Undertakings,
Sports &Youth Welfare and Religious Trusts & Endowments.
Ms Scindias first stint as an
MLA began in 1998 when she
campaigned against illegal
stone mining in Madhya
Pradesh, which led to the
Supreme Court of India hearing
a PIL on illegal mining in the
state, particularly Shivpuri district.
In her second term as MLA,
she was made Minister in the
Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet
(2005-7), in charge of critical
portfolios such as Tourism,
Sports and Youth Welfare.
As Tourism Minister, she pioneered and transformed the
sleepy tiger of Madhya Pradesh
tourism into a vibrant, roaring
Culture
No other state in India enmeshes
as many different cultures and traditions as Madhya Pradesh.
It is a cauldron that incessantly
connects the various aspects of its
multi-dimensional culture and still
upholds a beautifully amalgamated
heritage that retains its distinctive
zeal.
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists,
Jains, Christians and Sikhs along
with various tribal communities
comprising of Bhils, Gonds,
Oraons, Kols, Bhilalas, Murias and
Korkens contribute to the cultural
effervescence of the state. The trib-
Cultural
institutions
The state is home to many cultural and art institutes that develop
and preserve various art forms.
Some of the institutes include
Artist Combine (Gwalior), Bharat
Bhavan (the famed multi-art center
Bharat Bhavan is the famed multi-art center in Bhopal. (right) A Tribal art Tiger sculpture from Bastar in
Bharat Bhavan collection. (Photos courtesy Gauri Bharat and Bharat Bhavan)
The rural
charm
Madhya Pradesh form a big part
of tourism in the state. Some of
these places are naturally scenic
whereas some are worth your time
for the many extravagant palaces
and forts.
The vast lands, covered with unspoiled greenery are spilled every
where in these parts. Some of the
most popular rural destinations are
Orchha, Dhar and Mandu.
While Orcha, which means 'hidden place', is exclusively famous
for its monumental heritage like
forts, temples and chhatris, Mandhu, the town on stone, is known for
the Afghan architecture. Dhar on
the other hand is famous for both
heritage sites and scenic beauty.