President Donald Trump has ruled out talks with the Taliban and vowed to “finish what we have to finish” in Afghanistan, following the wave of deadly terrorist attacks in recent days, killing over 130 people and wounding hundreds more.

“They’re killing people left and right,” Trump said at a meeting with UN Security Council members at the White House on Monday. “Innocent people are being killed left and right …. bombing, killing all over Afghanistan:’ So we don’t to talk with the Taliban.”

“So we don’t want to talk with the Taliban. There may be a time, but it’s going to be a long time,” Trump commented, declaring: “We’re going to finish what we have to finish. What nobody else has been able to finish, we’re going to be able to do if’

The total number of American troops in Afghanistan is expected to grow to about 15,000 in coming months, with some 4,000 of them sent to the war-torn country under President Trumps watch.

Prior to the recent wave of attacks, Washington had entertained hopes of a negotiated political settlement to the persisting Afghan crisis.

Several attempts in the past to hold peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have failed. The most prominent effort was in 2013, when the Taliban opened an office in Qatar for the talks, but the Taliban’s move to hoist its flag derailed the negotiations.

At his luncheon meeting with representatives from the 15-member Security Council, including ambassadors to the US from China, France, Russia and Britain, Trump also discussed other security challenges, including the North Korean nuclear challenge.

“We will discuss our cooperation on a range of security challenges, including the denuking of North Korea, very importantly; countering [ran’s destabilization activities in the Middle East; ending the Syrian conflict; and confronting terrorism,”Trump said in remarks ahead of the meeting.

RJD chief could not wish away the ghost of fodder scam

A special CBI court has sentenced RJD chief Lalu Prasad to three- and-a-half years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on him in a fodder scam case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury 21 years ago.

The punishment was handed down to 69-year-old Prasad by CBI court judge Shiv Pal Singh. This is the second time that he has been jailed in the fodder scam. The judge also imposed a fine totalling Rs 10 lakhs on him.

He was sentenced to three-and-a- half years in jail in a fodder scam case for offences of cheating, along with criminal conspiracy, and other sections under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Prasad was also given a jail term of three years and six months in the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA). He was fined Rs 5 lakh each under the IPC and the PCA, CBI counsel Rakesh Prasad said, adding that failure to pay the fine would entail another six months in jail.

The sentences will run concurrently, he said. Prasad, who was convicted in the second case on December 23, is at present lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail. The judge conveyed the punishment to Prasad through video- conferencing. The court had yesterday concluded arguments on the quantum of sentence against Prasad in connection with the withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1990 and 1994 when he was the chief minister of Bihar. It had also heard arguments on the issue of punishment for 10 others convicted in the case.

Prasad was given a prison term of five years on September 30, 2013, in another fodder scam case. He was re- leased on bail by the Supreme Court after having remained in jail for over two-and-a-half months.

The CBI special judge had on December 23 acquitted former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and five others in the case. In 1996, the Patna High Court had ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh Treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers, while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

In 1996, the Patna High Court had ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deog- arh Treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers, while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI offi- cial said.

On September 30, 2013, Yadav, Jagannath Mishra and several others were convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the C .. On September 30, 2013, Yadav, Jagannath Mishra and several others were convicted in another case pertain- ing to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s.

Prasad faces another three fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda Treasury.

Meanwhile, Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav said in Patna that they will move high court against his father’s conviction. “We will move high court against Lalu Prasad’s conviction and appeal for bail after studying the court verdict,” he said.

Dhinakaran’s RK Nagar win has plunged Tamil Nadu into another round of political churning

If there were any questions about AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa’s hegemonic hold over her party — given that pictures of her conscious self in her last days did the rounds before polling began in the RK Nagar seat she had held for years — the verdict settled that in one blow. Whatever be the shadow play among factions claiming legitimacy to her legacy, and their questionable methods of sealing continuity in power, it seems Amma’s close aide, Sasikala, though now Chinamma or surrogate mother, has held her own in Tamil Nadu. Her nephew TTV Dhinakaran won convincingly as an independent in the by polls, despite losing the party symbol and being cast aside by the new ruling dispensation led by Chief Minister E Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. That too on MGR’s death anniversary, and from Amma’s citadel. In a political scenario dominated by personality cult, the result came not just as a shot in the arm for Dhinakaran’s survival. It catapulted him into the top league, with his supporters claiming “sleeper cells” in the ruling party who are ready to jump ship.

Political circles are abuzz with horse- trading and Dhinakaran himself has vowed to win back the AIADMK symbol from the Election Commission. While the rebel MLA has sought legal recourse for getting his 18 MLAs reinstated in the House, his camp has begun talk of a floor test where ruling MLAs and ministers would cross over and sound the death knell for the Palaniswami Government. It is too early to judge if the bluster has any weight but be that as it may, the victory proves that Sasikala has not lost her grip over the organisational cadre of the AIADMK, as she had in Jayalalithaa’s time. And though Jayalalithaa had expelled Dhinakaran and disowned Sasikala many times, fact is she always ended up re accommodating her recalcitrant confidante. Only because Sasikala had nurtured the cadre and had a hand in even the lowest rank appointments. Yes, there was confusion in the post-Jayalalithaa days, a fact that was feasted upon by national parties and vested interests to engender breakaways and stitch new alliances in their favour. But in one swoop, Dhinakaran has changed the dynamics and plunged Tamil Nadu into another round of political churning.

The BJP, which polled less than the total number of NOTA votes in Tamil Nadu, has to tread cautiously in a state where power play is often interpreted in terms of optics and the battle of perception is often won on symbolism. Besides, Tamil Nadu likes its own leaders to call the shots, not genuflect to Delhi. A strong Sasikala will be BJP’s worst nightmare, trying hard as it is to make inroads into the state by 2019. If serious number-crunching has to happen, it needs a far more deep-rooted strategy. There’s also a caste tussle involved. E Palaniswami’s elevation as the Chief Minister was seen as an increasing consolidation of the Gounder community in a party dominated for years by the Thevars. TTV, in that sense, embodies the Thevar hit back. Striking a bargain with DMK, too, is a far-fetched dream as the party ended a poor third. Although there is speculation that DMK chief MK Stalin laid low, hoping the deep factionalism would sink the AIADMK in deeper political ferment, the decisive verdict has raised another leadership contender for Tamil Nadu. But the verdict proves that Sasikala political inning is far from over and the state of Tamil Nadu will witness major political drama in near future.

Courtesy – The Pioneer

A political thriller played out in Saudi’s royal family

The recent turn of events in Saudi Arabia have been nothing short of a Hollywood thriller with Family, King, Princes, neighbouring countries and missile attacks all thrown into the mix for good measure. Eighty-year-old King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, in a political liquidation, rounded up 11 princes of the royal House of Saud, along with various Ministers and officials in what was marketed as an “anti-corruption” initiative in which prominent royal members were arrested and “jailed” in Riyadh’s notoriously luxurious Ritz Carlton hotel. This included globally influential names such as billionaire investor Alwaleed Bin Talaal, who has close ties with various American industrialists and owns five per cent of social media site Twitter. Over the span of 72 hrs starting November 3, a purge was underway, ballistic missiles were fired towards the Saudi capital Riyadh from Yemen, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned (on television) from his post from Saudi Arabia, accusing Iran of medaling in internal Arab affairs before disappearing from public eye, Yemen’s incumbent President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who also took up refuge there months ago, was reported to be under ‘house arrest’ (Saudis released pictures of a meeting with Hadi in attempts to refute such rumors). Two other princes were reportedly killed, one in a curiously timed helicopter crash near Yemen and another, rumored to have been shot while resisting an ‘attempted arrest’. This tragedy-ridden Shakespearean theatre makes King Salman the conductor of a never seen before ‘tripurge’, orchestrating political changes in his own country, Lebanon and Yemen simultaneously.

Understanding the politics of the Saudi monarchy is no easy task, with over 9,000 members in the royal family, Saudi politics is a never ending series of internal turmoil and power struggles.

However, most analysts agree that the recent events are King Salman’s strategy to clear way for the 32-years old heir apparent, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. It is believed King Salman has already started the process of aiding Prince Salman to the throne, his son from his third spouse, transferring power by the end of 2018. The start of the said process was highlighted by social reforms with Saudi Arabia agreeing to allow women to drive, a long standing issue of contention. It has also allowed women to attend sports events at stadium. These changes come on the back of waiting for the accession of a young King, who will preside over a very-young and globally well-connected Saudi population on the cusp of a post oil economic and social order, and a corrupt royal system against which sentiments had been latently bubbling for a long time.

The challenges for the Saudi monarchy in the decades to come are plenty. Currently, the Saudi youth have it relatively easy, with various social schemes keeping them occupied, thanks to the petro-dollars, however, Riyadh has (finally) decided to move beyond its dependence on a singular mode of finance and approach models, such as those embraced by its neighbours, specifically Dubai.

This would require relaxed norms and a better global positioning to attract foreign investments, foregoing its rigid and suffocating rules that curtail freedom and basic human rights for its citizens, specifically women. The announcement of Saudi Aramco, the country’s national oil company, which at a point few years ago was worth more than India’s GDP, going partially public to raise money came as a surprise to many. However, it implanted the narrative of slow but drastic changes taking place in the kingdom, both politically and socially. This is highlighted by examples such as the steadily increasing domestic oil consumption in the country, thanks to domestic population growth. A robust and rich domestic economy is critical for Riyadh, both to keep a check on its young population and till a certain degree secure the House of Saud’s own future.

Geo-politically, the Saudis are continuing to make attempts to rein in the growing Iranian influence in the region, something that Prince Salman, the world’s youngest Defense Minister, has reiterated during the purge in an effort to stamp his own authority. Saudi concerns in regional West Asian dynamics have heightened over the past few months with Iranian influence growing at a rapid pace. The question around Syria and future of the said conflict has now been pretty much decided, with President Bashar al-Assad expected to stay, with the help of the Russians and Iranians. Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah-backed militias are today already prevailing interest groups in large parts of Syria, with Tehran also wielding significant power in Iraqi and Lebanese politics along with running a indirect war in Yemen. The recent failed Kurdish referendum also saw Iran’s influence shine through over contentions between Baghdad and Erbil regarding the control of Kirkuk after its liberation from ISIS, while the Saudi Qatar diplomatic standoff pushed Doha to increase its engagements with Iran as well.

Despite collusion of regional interests, the exact reasons and future outcomes of this purge remain unclear. The narrative of an anti-corruption drive remains strong, but also begs the question whether this is the start of greater transparency in Saudi Arabian affairs or greater turmoil. Riyadh is banking on US President Donald Trump to back it to the hilt, specifically against Iran, on the pretext of which its regional overtures could be marketed as legitimate political tinkering to an often- naive new White House. How this purge plays out in reality, is anyone’s guess at the moment.

Courtesy The Pioneer ( The writer is an Associate Fellow with the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi)

An upgrade in India’s rating by Moody’s is an open endorsement to Modi’s reforms and proves India’s global mettle

The Moody’s upgrade of India has, quite predictably, drawn sharply partisan responses. This is not surprising in view of the mini-election season. The results, when they are finally announced on December 18, may not suggest a close fight. However, in the midst of an election campaign all elections appear to be very bitterly contested, as they undoubtedly are, despite what the final outcome reveals.

The Congress, now experiencing a social media resurgence of sorts, has, for example, seen the modifications of GST as the Narendra Modi’s panicky response to its aggressive onslaught. Congress supporters genuinely believe that the cumulative effect of demonetisation and GST has alienated vast sections of the population who were earlier committed BJP voters. There is a belief that the modifications in the GST regime have come too late and this alienation, coupled with caste discontent in Gujarat could result in a spectacular electoral upset in the home State of the Prime Minister and the BJP president.

On its part, the BJP has not been sitting idle. The first anniversary of demonetisation was used by the party to mount an aggressive campaign that tried to paint the opponents of the November 8, 2016 announcement as pa- trons of corruption. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley circulated an article that richly documented the colossal financial gains from demonetisation.

It is important to note that the BJP commemorated the first anniversary of demonetisation as “Anti-Black Money Day” an indication of the extent to which the Modi Government has put the ethical transformation of India at the centre of its political strategy. As the architect of this creative disruption, Modi appears to have calculated that the wider regeneration of India has to be both economic and moral.

At one level, the GST, which had been on the drawing board of different Governments, was focused on the need to create a seamless, pan-Indian market. That is what excited the imagination of the global community and Indian corporates looking for improvements in the ease of doing business. However, there was an important ethical dimension that was in-built into the new scheme whose significance was not initially realised. In simple terms, the system of interlocking payments and credit made it difficult, if not impossible, for businesses to create a zero tax zone for themselves.

The implication of this interlinked GST was quite awesome. For long, a section of India’s trading community had created an innovative business model whereby the competitive edge of their enterprise was provided by zero tax. With GST, these units found it impossible to do business without either paying the new tax or attracting the attention of the tax authorities.

It is entirely possible that Surat, an important centre of the textiles and diamond trade, had a tradition of sharp business practices that was kept well be- low the radar and which needed the GST to bring to the surface.

Whatever the reality, GST witnessed a grand alliance of zero tax businesses of all sizes. Rather than openly advocate tax avoidance, the anti-GST agitators picked on two issues that warranted attention.

First, they complained, quite legitimately in my view, at the heavy burden of compliance norms that would divert attention from running a business to filling endless forms. This a problem the designers of the GST should have anticipated.

Secondly, GST was a grand experiment in pooled sovereignty involving the Centre and the States. For the States in particular the new tax was a leap into the unknown and was preceded by concerns over shrinking revenues — one reason why they were loath to give up their claims on the taxes on petroleum and alcohol. A consequence of this wariness was the inclination to create multiple tax slabs and put too many items into a higher bracket.

India has some important election or another each year. It was perhaps fortuitous for those hard hit by GST that their mounting anger coincided with the Gujarat Assembly election, a time always conducive to responsive governance. By honing in on the grievances of the proverbial small guy burdened by an uncaring State, the real instigators of the anti-GST stir in Gujarat kept the gaze away from the real issue: The sustained non-compliance with tax regimes, both past and present.

However, what is important to note is that the Government was responsive. Actually, the ability to modify and tweak programmes mid-stream when necessary has been a feature of this Government, as noticed by the frequent alteration of rules to respond to unique situations during the demonetisation exercise.

GST being a joint Centre State tax, it is impossible for the Modi Government to make changes unilaterally. However, the pressure from below was sufficiently strong to compel the Centre to use all its political clout to persuade the GST Council into making a series of important modifications. Where the Centre has so far been unbudging is on the larger issue of compliance, the ba- sic minimum requirement of an ethical economic system.

In the course of the past year or so, the Modi Government has forced through a series of radical reforms that other Governments lacked the will to push through. First there was the Aadhaar legislation that is a plug against welfare leakages and a potential anti- tax evasion instrument. Then there was demonetisation that helped provide an address for unaccounted wealth and swelled Government revenues. And finally there is the GST that, perhaps unwittingly, has helped establish the principle of lower tax rates and higher compliance.

Few Governments can boast such a record in so short a time. This explains why the global community feels India is worth looking at afresh.

Courtesy – The Pioneer (The writer is a renowned journalist)

Gujrat Assembly Elections 2017 has once again pitted PM Modi against a combined team of all political rivals

Vote for him in the December’s Gujarat Assembly elections and ensure way for him to be the Prime Minister of India in 2019. That will save the Hindus and the India, appeals the Indian American Intellectuals Forum. December is a very crucial month for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the State of Gujarat, for the Hindus in India, and for India as the country. The State Assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled for December 9 and 14 and the results will be announced on December 18.

In India, Narendra Modi is an embodiment of courage and valor. He is a powerful orator, a consummate communicator and a forthright thinker. He is a fearless fighter, a legend who understands how to capture the collective imagination of the people he wants to lead. In spite of the mean and mendacious media blitzkrieg launched against him by anti-Hindu Congress Party in collusion with the dangerous combination of antinational radical Islamists, Leftists and foreign-funded NGOs, Narendra Modi has not only stood strong, but has also made them eat the humble pie.

Gujarat under Narendra Modi, the “Lion of Gujarat” and now “Lion of India” has blossomed in the last two decades and has become the growth engine of India. Modi has completely transformed the state’s economic and political landscape. He is punctilious in his thoughts, deeds and actions and runs the state like an efficient CEO. Prime Minister Modi’s performance is similar to his past though the team Modi operating in Delhi lack national vision. The inputs of RSS are seen on foreign, economic and defense policy resulting in dilution of power of the ministers in the Modi’s cabinet. However the PM and PMO has grows in stature and the power is centralized to PMO. In a state, this can work but for a large country like India, decentralization is required to improve governance.

When he first took over as the Chief Minister, Gujarat had a power shortage of 2000 MW, but now it is a power surplus state. Gujarat actually contributes 16% to the country’s overall industrial production. Agricultural growth of Gujarat is at 11%; the rest of India it is barely 4%. In a quantum leap, in April 2012, Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation 600 MW of installed solar power projects, including the Asia’s largest solar park with 214 MW generation capacity. With achievements like these, Narendra Modi has established himself as the man with vision, mission and conviction.

Prime Minister Modi has systematically altered the economic, foreign and defence policy of India. The relentless fight against corruption is pushed to limits even at the expense of taking unpopular decisions namely demonetization and GST implementation, gold and property are targeted to absolve black money from the system. The foreign policy has taken a complete turn wherein India has forged practical alliance with USA, Israel, Japan and Australia to set up strategic partnership. The Indo pacific alliance is commercially and diplomatically viable option to challenge new emerging forces in the world. Modi government understands the concept of great democracy must have great military hence the defence forces are priority sector for the present government.

Recently, the prestigious “Time magazine” featured Modi on its cover page. Financial Times, another world- class publication, applauded Gujarat’s growth under Modi in glowing terms.

Polically speaking, over eighty three percent of India’s population or Nine Hundred Ninety million people in the country are Hindu. Yet, shamefully, the country was being ruled by the minorities till Congress UPA government was in power who is barely 18% of the population count. India is the only country in the world where its minorities namely the Muslims and the Christians have ganged up together to enact laws that decide how the Hindu majority should behave in their own country! It is truly a matter of great regret and shame that Hindus are taking this injustice and tyranny lying down!

For all practical purposes, the overall Hindu people and India as the country are presently under a state of siege. Unknown to the common public, that siege has been laid with the help of radical Islamists, jihadists, and Marxists. The chief aim of this insidious conspiracy is to demoralize and denigrate the Hindus and their organizations… and encourage the centrifugal forces to balkanize India into several mini pakistans. Almost all Hindus have already been driven out of Kashmir. Over 30 million Bangladeshi Muslims have infiltrated into Assam, West Bengal and other neighboring states. The states like Assam, Bengal, and Kerala are witnessing a big demographic change. No matter how strongly we deny it, the unfortunate fact still remains intact that the “demographic con quest of any land is the most permanent form of a con- quest.”

Discrimination against Hindus in India is rampant. Top Hindu temples like Tirupati and Sabrimala are taken away from Hindu hands through the legislation and given to ‘secular’ civil servants for managing them. From the religious offerings of Hindu devotees meant strictly for the Hindu issues, the bureaucrats unfairly dole away Rs. 690 crores a year as the Haj subsidy alone.

Amidst all this gigantic plunder and loot, there is a hope for our country. The only way out is if the honest and courageous leaders like Narendra Modi manage to remain into the driver’s seat… and, maneuver the country away from the sure doom and disaster waiting ahead. If you want to restore the dignity to India, if you wish to put Bharat Mata on the pedestal of glory, if you want the country to be a super power in real terms, then be with Narendra Bhai Modi …

(The writer is OE’s Political Editor )

A day after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, the White House has affirmed that India-US relations are set to get stronger under the stewardship of President Trump.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, speaking to a group of Indian reporters on Monday, alluded to Trump’s “liking” for Modi, remarking that the Indian Prime Minister was among a few world leaders that President Trump “just likes and gets along with”.

“The US and India are going to have a strong relationship and it’s going to get stronger under this President,” said Shah, who is the highest-ranking Indian-American official in the White House and the first-ever member of the community to be assigned a key public communication responsibility in the President’s team.

Pointing to the strong fundamentals driving the US-India relationship, Shah said, “India is a natural ally of the United States, because of the shared commitment to democracy and to counter terrorism, and because the region is so vital to the US security.”

As recent developments suggest, the Trump administration’s earnestness about having a robust relationship with India also stems from Washington’s increasing push for a “free and open Indo- Pacific”, much to the chagrin of Beijing, which sees the emerging US India Japan Australia as a challenge to its own assertive moves in the region.

The Indo Pacific dimension was also highlighted in a White House read- out on the Trump Modi meeting, saying “the two leaders discussed the comprehensive strategic partnership between the United States and India and their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region”.

The bilateral defence dimension was highlighted by the statement, noting that the two leaders “pledged to enhance their cooperation as Major Defence Partners, resolving that two of the world’s great democracies should also have the world’s greatest militaries”.

vice-President Mike Pence, mean while, administered the oath of office to Kenneth Juster, the newly appointed US Ambassador to India whose nomination was recently confirmed by the US Senate. “Congrats, Ken Juster, the new US Ambassador to India!” Pence said in a Twitter post, adding, “The ties between the United States and India run deep, and @POTUS & I are confident that with his leadership, integrity & experience, Ken will build an even stronger partnership that will benefit our nation & our people.”

Juster, who will be succeeding Richard verma at the Roosevelt House in New Delhi after a gap of more than 10 months, is expected to head to India shortly in preparation for the visit of President’s daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump, who will be leading the US delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad this month end.

(Courtesy The Pioneer – With inputs from PTI).

OE Political Bureau & Agencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump’s daughter and presidential adviser, attended a gala dinner at the Falaknuma Palace last week. The dinner was hosted by the Union government as part of the ongo- ing Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017.

Famous for its huge Nizamera table which can seat 101 guests at a time, the palace-turned-plush hotel is one the key landmarks of the city.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was among those present for the dinner. A separate dinner was arranged for around 1,500 delegates of the GES on the lawns of the palace.

Modi, on his day-long visit to the city today, inaugurated the first phase of the Hyderabad Metro Rail at Miyapur station here, and the GES at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.

A senior police official said a five tier security has been provided to Ivanka.

Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy had said earlier that a total of 10,400 security personnel drawn from various wings have been deployed as part of security arrangements for the summit.

It includes personnel from Traffic Police, Central Armed Reserve, Telangana State Special Police, Intelligence Security Wing, commandos of Grey- hounds anti Naxal force and the elite OCTOPUS antiterror force.

More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed around the Falaknuma Palace, the official said, adding the police conducted a door-to-door search at 3,500 houses in surrounding areas and sanitised the areas in the run- up to the summit.

The general mood is still upbeat about Modi & his govt

It is fascinating to observe how effortlessly the seasons change in the world of the chattering classes. By seasons, I don’t mean the inevitable transition from the monsoons to the brief Indian autumn when it is a series of uninterrupted festivities culminating in Diwali. I am referring to the political mood.

The brief Indian Spring was the occasion when a section of the chattering classes — by which I mean the small, but disproportionately influential, Left-liberal elite — readied itself for a momentous change. They convinced themselves, egged on by the English language media, that Narendra Modi would get his comeuppance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. I recall the glee in secular circles after the first two phases of that election, when the bush telegraph proclaimed that the BJP had been well and truly trounced. When Modi went on an intensive campaign in the Varanasi region, it was suggested that this was a desperate, last minute bid to salvage the situation.

How the voters of UP actually voted came clear on counting day. I need not elaborate on the outcome, except to note that the BJP’s strike rate was the highest in the first two phases and in the last phase (when Varanasi voted) — a clear pointer that there is a wide gulf between reality and echo chamber chatter.

The summer and the monsoons were spent agonizing over the choice of Mahant Adityanath as the Chief Minister of UP and protesting against horrible lynchings and the inexplicable murder of an activist-journalist in Bengaluru. However, it was the evidence of an economic slowdown, occasioned by the enlargement of the tax net by the Goods and Services Tax, that has led to the secular dil mange more. It was concluded that evidence of colossal mismanagement of the economy was now before the people and it would be a matter of months before the countdown to Modi’s final departure from Race Course Road began.

It is being presumed, that this time the first blow will be struck by Gujarat, where there have been significant anti GST protests by traders who are among the BJP’s core support base. There is also the simultaneous belief that, having acquitted himself well before students in US Ivy League universities — not least by aggressively asserting that dynastic rule is an Indian characteristic — Rahul Gandhi is wonderfully placed to restore the ‘progressive’ agenda to Indian politics. In the past six weeks, the number of endorsements of Rahul from people who have used every occasion to pour aesthetic scorn on the Prime Minister have multiplied. The Left-liberal elite has buried earlier misgivings of the Congress’ heir-apparent and rallied around him as their only hope to rid the country of Modi.

The chatter that the tide has turned is now all-pervasive. It is being pointed out that the Delhi University students have hit the BJP where it hurts by rejecting some ABVP candidates; a small town BJP Councillor has been thrashed by angry Dalits protesting against demolitions; women students in Benares Hindu University have reclaimed their personal liberties by engineering the ouster of a ‘saffron’ Vice-Chancellor; the Congress has retained a municipal ward in a Jaipur by-election; the State president of BJP’s West Bengal unit was heckled by a section of Gorkha activists during a visit to Darjeeling; and the PM had to personally intervene, first by an aggressive speech and subsequently by convening a crisis management team, to attend to a looming economic ‘crisis’, with an eye on the Gujarat election.

Chatter, as we saw during the UP elections, can quite easily be manufactured. There is no doubt that the Congress has injected new life into its social media campaign. It is even out- performing the BJP, which hitherto had a complete monopoly over messaging. The party’s efforts have been complemented by a section of the ‘new’ media which has so far battled incessantly to create an anti-Modi mood.

There are a few conclusions to be drawn from the autumnal tremors. First, it is clear that the BJP machinery took its eye off the social media ball and fell back in the messaging game. It failed to anticipate the shift of gear from the ‘Not in my name’ phase to the economy-in-doldrums chatter. It reacted late. Second, there was a late reaction to inevitable problems created by the hiccups of balancing a long-term, transformation agenda with short-term dislocations. Finally, in the matter of organizing spirited fightback against a well entrenched elite, particularly during non-election seasons, the BJP is disproportionately reliant on the PM to rally its larger, non-party support base.

For the Government, however, there has been no real long-term damage. The fine-tuning of the GST was overdue and has at least lifted the spirits of the kary akartas. equally, Amit Shah’s participation in the protests against the Red terror in Kannur was important in galvanizing BJP cadres in places where the party still has a long way to go before it can make a mark. And the message that the PM is permanently responsive is a message that reinforces the sense of sincerity he exudes.

In the end the battle is, however, ethical. Modi has a two-fold agenda: To bring India into the 21st century as a major player and to remove the venal past. The first is a long-term project that will need tough decisions and relentless commitment. The second, however, warrants immediate attention. Those who chose Modi with such high expectations must be persuaded that the regime does really want to clear the cobwebs of past misdemeanors. The Government must take exemplary action to punish some of the key figures of India’s venal past. So far it has proceeded too slowly, providing the space for them to plan their comeback and revenge.

(Courtesy The Pioneer )

As Karnataka heads for elections, it would be a limus lest for Modi’s demonetization and GST moves

“Ache Din” is a slogan, now has begun to mean “Sub se bure din” for Modi Sarkar. For the people of India, 2014 was a turning point in Indian Politics that saw a Modi wave but with the economic slowdown brought on by demonetization and GST , is now seen as a self inflicting wound for the BJP. This phenomenon of “ Ache Din “ has begun to mean “Sub se Bure Din” in the political atmosphere of Karnataka. Karnataka is the only state where Congress is the ruling party in south India. This coming general election will decide the direction Indian politics will take if history is to go by. In 1969 the Congress split into CONGRESS – R and CONGRESS – O. CONGRESS – R emerged victorious with Mrs Indira Gandhi becoming the true Leader of the CONGRESS party. The next cross roads that the CONGRESS party faced were after emergency. The second resurrection of the CONGRESS party was decided by Chikmagalur by-election, when Mrs. Indira Gandhi emerged victorious against Janata party candidate Mr.Veerendra Patil. The people of Karnataka in the ensuing assembly elections returned the CONGRESS party with the majority, this resurrection in the state was led by Mr.Devarajan Urs . In Karnataka the trend for last few state general elections has seen the phenomenon, where the people of Karnataka have voted a Government which is opposite to the party in the center. This election is going to settle many political variables that have been debated and discussed in various forums.

Modi Sarkar can survive the “demonetization and GST “impact?

Surely the economic slowdown and the impact of taxes have started to hurt the middle class and poor in real terms. On the other hand Rahul Gandhi is all set to take over the mantle from Sonia Gandhi who led U.P.A successfully forming U.P.A 1&2. Karnataka is at the forefront of being the bastion to protect and re-elect the grand old party. The BJP on the other hand are going to be tested on the concept of “ Modi Sarkar “, BJP in the last general election never projected their party as a BJP Government but built their entire campaign around Mr. Narendra Modi. Since the BJP put all the eggs in one basket “ Modi Sarkar “ By default they as a party have indirectly admitted that Mr. Narendra Modi is bigger than the party, therefore its stands to the reason, that the coming referendum in Karnataka will be a test of Mr. Narendra Modi ‘s track record as a prime minister and as an administrator.

The congress party Mr. Siddaramaiah the Chief Minister of Karnataka has given a stable and corruption free Government. His programmes of social upliftment and providing subsidized food that includes “ Indira Canteen “ and “ 5kgs of Rice” under “ Anna Bhagya Scheme” has been an outstanding success both in the cities and rural areas . Barring a few political hiccups, no major scandals have rocked this Government; it is a testimonial of good governance. The congress party has fulfilled almost 90 percent of the promises it had made in its election manifesto of 2013. The Karnataka Government under the stewardship of Mr. Siddaramaiah unilaterally waived the loans to farmers. The Central Government has given no help in this regard but on the other hand

they have been supportive to the other states where their party in Power. The congress government has handled the Cauvery issue without any major confrontation with its neighboring states. They have also handled the drought situation and power situation with great efficiency. The farming sector has seen a supportive and helpful government with many programs that has allowed this sector to see real growth. In the BJP, the major players are yeddyurappa , Ananth Kumar, Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar are rivals, they carry the onerous task of trying to present clean slate to the voters of Karnataka, knowing that they had presided, over the most corrupt tenure in the history of Karnataka politics with many of leaders has having spent time in jail. During the last tenure of the BJP .The party had to change the Chief Minister on two occasions and had the dubious distinction of having three Chief Ministers in five years. Mr. yediyurappa had a dubious distinction of being the only Chief Minister in the history of Karnataka to be jailed on charges of Corruption.

With Mr. yediyurappa back at the helm of affairs, a running battle between him and Mr. eshwarappa has ensued. This standoff continues to this not with standing the high commands intervention. The present BJP unit in Karnataka has become totally reliant on the central leadership and hopes that the magic of Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah will bail them out of this quagmire.

However the Modi wave which has now become the talking point does it still means hope? Therefore, the electorate of Karnataka will answer this question in the coming elections. With the party high command being busy with the Gujarat elections in the home state of Mr. Narendra Modi, no concrete plans or programs have been announced by the local Karnataka BJP. It is rumored that the high command of BJP will resort to strong arm tactics like having Ministers raided through the Income Tax Department and other departments to create a scenario and paint the CONGRESS Party in Karnataka as corrupt. The old BJP tactic of creating communal tension may also come to the fore. It’s seems that other than the Mr. Modi narrative, there seems to be no issues that can capture the imagination of the people. It’s seems under the stewardship of yediyurappa, the cadre zeal is missing. yeddyurappa has been projected as the CM candidate; it’s rumored that he will not be made the CM due to his health. This has not gone down well with the Lingayat community. This community is the backbone of the BJP. Added to this the Lingayats are demanding that they be recognized as a separate religion, the demand is opposed by the BJP. These factors have contributed in emergence of many Chief Minister aspirants within the Party and hence riddled with dis- sent. Mr. Amit Shah during his last visit to Bangalore has not helped the cause by stating “that many of the sitting MLA’s may not be given another chance and that he will be the final say in ticket distribution”, this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty exists in BJP .

The Third Party JDS It is a father and son party led by Former Prime minister of India Mr. H.D Devegowda and in the supporting cast are his two Sons H.D Kumarswamy and H.D Revanna .

They hope to be the King makers if the conditions for a collation Government where to arise. Presently they are in the process of keeping their flock together. Recently seven MLA’s have decided to leave their party and there is a distinct possibility that more of them may fol- low suit. The CONGReSS so far as been the beneficiary of this migration. JDS is banking on the charisma of Mr. H.D. Devegowda to resurrect the fortunes of the party.

The JDS has presence in old Mysore regions and generally cut into congress vote bank in the cities. In Bangalore city the mayor and the deputy mayor posts are shared by the congress and JDS respectively. In the rural areas JDS projects itself as a champion of the farmers, H.D.Devegowda has built this party around the slogan “son of the soil”. It remains to be seen if this “son of the soil” political concept is going to be relevant among the farmers who have not had any major problems with onset of good monsoons this year.

The unfolding story In the coming months the results from Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will be announced. These results may not have any direct bearing on the outcome in Karnataka, certainly will carry a perception mes- sage. In Karnataka politics caste politics has played a major role in shaping elections, many a time this has taken a back seat especially when political waves have overshadowed local equations. Anti incumbency has also played a major part in the past. The major communities have played a decisive role when phenomenon such as a political wave or anti incumbency has been absent. Congress is a party that believes in social justice and will follow a system of balancing social classes and win ability as a criterion for seat selection. This formula is a delicate task, if the recipe is right, a formidable approach to winning an election BJP on the other hand has no such compulsions “horses for courses “is their strategy built around polarization of the Hindu vote. However there

is confusion among the Lingayat voters over their demand for a separate religion status which the BJP has opposed. This community has been the bedrock of the party. The congress party on the other hand has been sympathetic to their demands. JDS on the other hand will try to muster their base and hope to wean away as many “Vokkaligas” the other major community from the congress. “Vokkaligas” predominantly are from the south of Karnataka. They will also try to get the Muslim community to back them. They have in the past accommodated disgruntled candidates from the other parties. The elections of 2018 are going to be a game changer in south India and may also have a great impact on national politics. At stake is the prestige of Modi government, anti incumbency and realignment of local caste equation.

By Thimmaiah shreepada Renu

For an faster growth, India must become power-sufficent Perspective

Although the overall installed capacity and availability of power has increased in our country, yet the pain areas still remain unfixed. The financial conditions of the Distribution Companies are deteriorating, power supply in rural areas is still a big issue, electricity consumers still await for uninterrupted power supply and the Discoms are left with no other option than Tariff Hike. In this era, when India is looking for- ward at becoming a dominant economy in the world, the current Power Scenarios could only drag down its dream.

Power is the not only a critical component for the infrastructural growth, it’s also very crucial for economic development and welfare of the nation. India’s generation capacity will have to increase approximately by 7 times of the present figure to meet our growth needs. The major part of our energy mix depends on fossil fuels, which are finite and have environmental implications. Taking this into consideration, post the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21 summit) the Government has decided to go for a low-carbon transformation of the Power system. In this context, India has endorsed renewable as the future source to fuel the rapid growth engine. And so the Government has set an ambitious target of 175GW of renewable power installed capacity by the end of 2022, of which approx 58 GW has been installed so far. This opens ground for many players to participate and encourages entrepreneurship, whilst focusing on passing the benefit to end user of electricity. Having said that, the challenges still remain strong.

the renewable Sector:

Prices for renewable based electricity have been dropping globally and more so here in India. The effect of this trend of cost reduction in renewable is changing the dynamics in the sector and thus making investments in conventional power plants unfeasible. Electricity generation through the the renewable source of energy is increasing with every passing day. The initially impact ful Wind and large-scale solar power plant later faced various challenges in terms of technology and financials too.

Despite the impressive performance of the renewable industry, the Indian energy sector continues to be plagued with multifaceted challenges some of which can be summarized as below:

? Unawareness about the importance of accurate designing and reliable engineering to meet the required demand.

?Fulfilling the expectations of developers, manufacturers, and utilities in a timely and cost effective way

?The challenge of maintaining good quality with apt pricing/costing

The Wind system despite having a great potential faces several bar- riers in the field, some of which are:

?A geographically suitable and source capable site

?Capacity allocation at the location ?Land clearance

?Suitable policy framework

?Power evacuation up to the grid

?Cost parity with Solar energy Due to these a major lack of investment interest and belief in this renewable source is expected.

Challenges with large-scale solar power plant

Large scale solar projects too come with some challenges, majority of them being technological. Consider a big solar power plant over which a big cloud is passing by this will result in reduction of the units generated by the plant thus the total generation will differ from the scheduled generation. This in turn will cause penalties imposed by Load Dispatch centers on the generator, impact the tariff and financials.

Constraints of inter-state transmission lines which are used at full capacity most of times is another major challenge. This may result in wastage of this energy at the renewable surplus states, thus not reaching the electricity deficit states. The route of traffic revision that more and more states are taking for the renewable energy projects has caused a major stir in the sector and the bids have shown a downward chart.

The new dedicated Inter-State Green energy Corridor program in that the Government has initiated with Germany would allow interstate renewable energy transmission and reduce wastage. However, this will take time and requires investments.

Importance of Projection and Forecasting

Both solar and wind power are not as easy to control as fossil fuel plants, therefore power grids need to become capable enough to handle last-minute changes in power generation.

Any deviation from the scheduled generation results in a huge amount of penalty to the generator and to avoid this detailed forecasting and projections analytics is required at both the demand and the supply side. Forecasting the prices in case of purchase from exchange needs to be focused on as well.

Thus, at present solar rooftops has become the need of the hour. Doing so will not only address the current issue of energy shortage but also give the consumer an opportunity to become a producer, the more common word: “Prosumers”. The Major problem of voltage fluctuation and power loss will also go down with the use of rooftop solar.

It is commonly known that Rural areas in India are non-uniformly electrified. The energy requirements of these areas are only being met by the techno- logical and financial rich states whereas poorer states are still struggling to do so. Mini-grid and Off-grid solutions along with battery/energy storage are going to help a lot to mitigate such problems in these areas. No more lack of electricity will hinder the growth at these current energy deficit regions.

An important solution to sporadic renewable will be storage. There is a whole lot of scope in Advancement of energy storage technologies in the near future. Countries are developing number of 10MW, 20MW etc of energy storage plants which can help not only during situation of power shortage but also support the grid when needed. energy storage is becoming a major player in the global energy market and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. The development of battery technology has been spurred by increasing viability of electric vehicles. India expressed its desire to go-all electric this year and backed its intention with a policy push. The Government has stated that the companies that follow official policies aggressively and switch to non-polluting fuels, stand to benefits in the long term.

Furthermore, the prices of battery packs for typical electricity cars has gone down by 58% ($600 to $250) in last 5 years and by 2024 it is expected to come down to $100. The capital costs of electric vehicles are expected to be less than that of petrol vehicles in next 5 years, with acceptable range and operational costs at a fraction of that of petrol vehicles.

The benefits of energy storage will become both more attainable and attractive as the component prices decline. Integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) will create additional advantages through intelligent energy storage to facilitate the integration of energy storage and renewable as well. These technologies need to be developed further for a country like India. Not only this will help in achieving the goals of government policies, it will also bring a number of entrepreneurship opportunities.

Opportunities in Solar Industry

The Solar industry is expanding with an exponentially rising number of both solar system installers and manufacturers. The sector has also seen a rise in distributors/stockists/warehouses specifically of foreign brands of inverts,modules etc. Solar trading is becoming an important link in the value chain of the business. Primary traders are focusing on equipment’s (modules, batteries, inverts etc.) and accessories such as cables and switch gear. The other type of traders are those who prefer carrying out EPC orders and they may most often referred as business development associates, partners etc
Another category of traders in the sectors are the equipment traders, these traders also book sales order for EPC (engineering, Procurement, and construction) for either themselves or other companies.

Mini Grid and Off-Grid – Last mile connectivity for Rural With huge and diverse geographical and economical diversity rural electrification is one the important exercise for the current government. Last mile connectivity means small, off-grid project will become the most effective way to expand access to electricity and its reach to the rural areas. Micro grids provide an immediate solution for rural India to gain access to electricity. Since these off-grid projects incorporate renewable energy sources to generate electricity, these would provide more sustainable and more reliable solutions in these areas.

the Generation based incentives, the capital and interest subsidies, the concession finance and inter- est subsidies offered by the government are definitely promoting the adoption of renewable energy but a long-term integrated plan is much required. A plan that would:

? Make power grids more flexible.

?Develop an infrastructure for eV expansion.

?Be a primer for policy for storage technology development and brings investment.

Our Service Oriented team at Saker energies specializes in all kind of solar solutions one needs. We offer Pioneer Services of Renewable energy, System Designing and engineering catering to commercial, industrial, architectural and institutional applications in a cost effective. The interactions with utilities, designing of solutions or procurement of equipment will all be done with due deliberation by us.

Classified feature article by SAKER ENERGIES PVT LTD Website: www.sakerenergies.com