The passing of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee leaves the country bereft of yet another statesman-politician. One of the foremost figures of the BJP, Vajpayee ji’s term as Prime Minister accelerated the economic reforms initiated by the former Prime Minister Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao. This, however, is not an analysis of Shri Vajpayee’s political career, but an account of his friendship with my father, Shri P. V. N. The two stalwarts from opposing parties shared a warm camaraderie based on a mutual respect for each other’s knowledge: as evinced by their names for each other – Shri P.V.N. referred to Vajpayee ji as ‘Guruji’ (Master) and Vajpayee ji called P.V.N ‘Gurughantal’ (Master of Masters)!
This unlikely friendship began when P.V.N became MP for first time in 1977 (from Hanamkonda) and lasted almost two and a half decades. The base for the friendship was laid when P.V.N succeeded Vajpayee as Foreign Minister. In a departure from the norm, P.V.N retained the entire staff of Vajpayee, who was the outgoing Foreign Minister, without inhibition, so strong was his faith in the man.
While interaction between them was initially related to matters concerning the Foreign Ministry, it was transformed into an enduring friendship when both men realised their common interests, especially in Hindi literature. As a mark of their strong friendship, P.V.N released Vajpayee ji’s collection of poems ‘Meri Ekyavan Kavitayein’ in 1995 and Shri Vajpayee released P.V.N’s book ‘Insider’ in 1998.
Although both politicians belonged to different schools of thought, the ideological difference never came in way of their relationship, especially as both men were unequivocal in their love for India. They spent hours discussing issues of national interest putting aside party affiliations.
Their trust on each other was so immense that Shri P.V.N, as the Prime Minister of India, sent Vajpayee ji as the Leader of the Indian delegation to the 1994 session of the Human Rights Commission at Geneva. Shri Vajpayee was entrusted with defending India’s views on Kashmir, and countering Pakistan’s claims of human rights violations by India in Kashmir. This decision was widely criticised by both parties – by the Congress for mooting such a proposal, and by the BJP for accepting it – but the outcome was a resounding success, vindicating the stand taken by both men. After P.V.N’s demise in 2004, an emotional Vajpayee ji recollected that P.V.N, as the outgoing PM, had entrusted him with a chit bearing the inscription ‘saamagri tayyar hai, tum aage badh sakte ho’ (The material is ready. You can go ahead.), crediting him as the true father of India’s nuclear programme.
Both men were scholars and statesmen, and shared a liberal outlook. For both of them, India was paramount. Their relationship was remarkable. The relationship that began when Shri P.V.N inherited Shri Vajpayee’s post as Foreign Minister, continued long after Vajpayee ji inherited Shri P.V.N’s post as Prime Minister of the country. These leaders demonstrated the true meaning of opposition in a democracy – always alert, constructive criticism delivered with wit, but never crass or detrimental to the nation.
After my father’s demise, I visited Shri Vajpayee a couple of times. A perfect gentleman, he spoke with great fondness of my father, recollecting their friendship and reminiscing their experiences. Shri Vajpayee was a fatherly-figure – gentle, affable, knowledgeable and, above all, affectionate. An excellent host, he remembered all my father’s favourite foods, instructing his staff to serve them to me as well. It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to the gentleman who was a great statesman, a true patriot and my father’s friend.
About the author: P. V. Prabhakar Rao is the President of the Swami Ramananda Tirtha Institute of Socio-Economic Research and National Integration. He is the third son of statesman politician Sri P.V. Narasimha Rao. Mr. Prabhakar Rao is conversant with post 1980s politics in India. In addition to his four-decade long career as an industrialist and entrepreneur, Mr Rao assisted his father by coordinating his activities with other senior political dignitaries and bureaucrats, handling his media interactions, and collating data from the grassroots.
The style icon of the South is a prolific dancer and rated among the best in the Indian film industry
Allu Arjun is one actor who shot right up the ladder since his debut in Tollywood. Allu Arjun soon began riding the wave of success and landed blockbuster films such as ‘Arya’, ‘Bunny’, ‘Happy’, ‘Arya 2’, ‘Race Gurram’, ‘S/O Satyamurthy’, ‘Sarrainodu’, ‘DJ’ and many others. On the surface, his road to superstardom has been enviably easy marking to be the next superstar in the industry.
He burns up the screen with his energy that spikes out in all direction, sweeping you up with its force even in casual encounter. He is the only South Indian actor whose movies have reached the 100 crore club thrice. His Hindi dubbed movies have collectively surpassed 530 million views on YouTube and has a huge crossover appeal across India especially in Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and among other states.
Today, his fan following is increasing by every minute and so is the number of filmmakers wanting to sign him. What’s more he has hit a beautiful equation in his personal life as well. Riding the crest of his huge fans followers of 12.7 million in Facebook alone making him the highest among any South Indian actor and many Bollywood stars too. Apart from these Allu Arjun’s interest in the beverage as investor/partner for B-dubs and Hylife Brewery(India) has taken a turn that is both altruistic and entrepreneurial.
To watch video : Allu Arjun Features On The Cover Of Opinion Express
As an actor what keeps you motivated and so grounded?
Motivation and being grounded are two different aspects. I always aspire to give and be the best in whatever I do which in itself is what keeps me motivated. To do better than before each time, I do and undo myself and improve on my skills is what motivates me.
Being grounded is to never lose sight of ourselves as a normal human being however successful one is in life. On a very fundamental level my family, close circle friends, my staff and the people I work and interact with are the ones to help and keep me grounded as much as possible.
As an established actor how are you able to measure success and build on this?
The world generally rates your success by quantifying the amount of business you make and currently our business is in the order of three digit crore. This is an objective approach of measuring success. Seeing through the lens of subjectivity which is a harder way of measuring success, success is living a happy and satisfied life. I am happy with what I am doing. I am in a profession that I enjoy and feel the best when I am at work and I get highly involved with it.
Simply put, rather than basking in the numbers as measured by the market, success should be more about how satisfied you are with your achievements and your work. To build on this, I would strive for more and get a lot more name, fame and recognition to the South Indian film industry.
Filmmakers have imagined you in different ways over the years. What excites you any more in a script?
There are lot of genres that haven’t been touched in Indian films and a quite a lot of new genre which we haven’t explored should be created in the future. Unlike before, people nowadays are opening up and embracing creativity and originality. A lot of novelty is seen in almost every genre because people are appreciating originality more than anything else and especially here in this industry. Audiences expect that you give the best to your role. I am looking forward to original ideas and scripts that would be coming up in the future with lesser western and eastern touch to the films.
Another interesting thing is that a lot of these scripts have a very realistic approach in the commercial cinema which makes it even more appealing. And this is what is exciting to me in the current script as well - a mix of originality and realism.
If you could be one person from history, who it would be?
(Laughs) I am not much into history but I would be Narendra Modi. It is quite an achievement from where he had started and till becoming the Prime Minister of our nation.
You have achieved many milestones in your career as an actor and entrepreneur. Is there anything that you still want to achieve?
There are lot of things I still have to achieve as an actor and I would say that entrepreneurship is just a by-product of being an actor. Innately, I have an interest in entrepreneurship but what’s fundamental is that at the end of the day I am an actor. Being in the field of acting and as an actor there is so much more to explore and achieve. I feel that this is a new epoch and a golden era in cinema worldwide and especially in India because cinema is opening up to many a new horizon.
Audience are nowadays more open to accepting different genres and different kinds of films. I would like to make the best out of this golden era and try to make a unique mark for myself.
Apart from acting or being an entrepreneur, I am very actively involved in social service activities and charity.
I like to do my part to make our society a better place to live and also do my part in bringing happiness to others lives. It gives me immense happiness if I can bring smile to others.
Are you overwhelmed with the kind of support you get from your fans globally?
Oh yes! It’s very nice because now that the cinema has opened up and especially South Indian films are being bought over or being dubbed by Bollywood and other languages in India.
The viewership of Telugu cinema is no longer just the Telugu audience as the dubbing of Telugu cinemas to other languages is increasing at an unprecedented pace. The Telugu films are highly watched in Kerala, Karnataka and are also going places to Tamil Nadu and in belts of Maharashtra.
The online reach of Telugu films is really huge. There are lot of people from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries who watch and appreciate this kind of cinema. So it’s very overwhelming that our original films are being appreciated by people across different cultures. What entices them about our films is the uniqueness and they feel this uniqueness more than we feel about it in our films. That is quite a commendable achievement for all of us.
How did ‘Naa Peru Surya’ happen? What attracted you to the script?
I as a person have the highest respect for soldiers, farmers and teachers. When I heard the script that had a story about a soldier, I immediately got connected to the film with no second thought. ‘Naa Peru Surya’ is a great story of a young soldier who has a dream of being posted at the border and how he achieves that dream come true. It is as simple as that. It’s very contemporary film and at the same time very real.
How tough was it playing the role in ‘Naa Peru Surya’ considering you’re always stocked with energy?
(Smiles) Playing this role was very different as it was not like my any other previous roles and it required different skills from what I usually play. I had to go through a basic physical fitness regime to get that look and I had to go through a lot of look tests to transform myself to get it right. The toughest part was the shoot schedule of the film because we had to shooting multiple geographical regions with varying landscapes and a lot of change over in the film entailing a lot of tough travel. That was one of the most challenging part to play the role in ‘Naa Peru Surya’.
You have got to work with the finest directors since the beginning of your career. One director in mind that you always wanted to work with?
(Smiles) Yes, it is very true and I have been lucky enough that from the beginning of my career I got to work with the best directors. My debut film ‘Gangotri’ was directed by K. Raghavendra Rao which also happened to be his 100th film and I started with an excellent guidance. Honestly, there are many good directors and one of my favourite directors with whom I always wanted to work with is K. Balachander. But this is no longer a possibility as he is no more. I really wish I were acting in the era in which he was directing films and we did a film together.
You are a man of many roles. You are an actor, an entrepreneur, a husband and a father. How do you balance both a professional and personal lifestyle equally?
I am trying to balance it well. Everybody has to go through this little struggle of striking a balance. The trick is that when I am professionally working I don’t think about my personal life and when I am in my personal space I don’t think about my professional life. Be in that moment. That’s how one can achieve and balance being a man of many roles. It’s a very simple thing to follow but it will bring a huge change and that’s my mantra.
Can you talk about your upcoming projects?
Honestly, I haven’t zeroed down on any films for now though I have heard a couple of scripts. My upcoming film ‘Naa Peru Surya’ will be widely released in May in seven languages. Till date I have been working only in Telugu film industry. I have been getting offers from Tamil film industry, and also from Bollywood. Now the options are plenty in Bollywood than what it used to be.
Apart from Telugu films, my next plan is to venture out to either Tamil or Hindi films and give it a shot.
Do you have any final words for the readers of OPINION EXPRESS magazine and your fans across the globe?
I love the word “Opinion” in itself because having an opinion is a very strong trait in a personality and being able to express that will define your character. It’s a very strong word for something that I fundamentally connect with and something that I believe in.
To the readers of OPINION EXPRESS and fans across the globe, thank you very much for watching South Indian cinema. I thank you all for continued support and love. We hope to do better work and to impress you more and more. I hope the reach of South Indian cinema grows worldwide.
QUICK BYTES
Describe your best quality as an actor?
I always thrive to do better and I try to unlearn as much as I can.
What’s your favourite car?
I like most of the Porsche cars.
What’s your favourite colour?
Black and white which are not colours (giggles).
What’s your signature style?
My signature style is my AA icon as I’m the only actor in South who has one.
What’s your best day in life?
Today(laughs). That’s the only day you live. Past is a memory, future is imaginary and only today is real.
What’s your favourite cuisine?
I like Mexican and Japanese food.
Where is your all-time favourite holiday destination?
Maldives and New York are my all-time favourite holiday destination.
Which is your favourite genre?
Love!
Which co-star was most easy to dance with?
Shruti Hassan and Tamannaah.
Craziest fan story?
A guy called Allu Sujith, he has thirteen tattoos of me and I think that’s a crazy fan I got.
Favourite dance form?
Street dance.
What is your favourite daily wear attire?
Track pants and sweat t-shirts.
You are super interested in photography. What kind of pictures do you like clicking?
I love clicking portraits.
Dr Roxna Swamy has done a great job of writing a biography on someone as varied, yet, single-minded in his approach as Dr Swamy
If you think being Subramanian Swamy is difficult, think again. Read this book. It is being Roxna Subramanian Swamy that is more difficult. While the reader is faith- fully taken on a roller coaster ride of Swamy’s major highs and lows in life, it is Roxna Swamy who shared in his joy and remained the shock-absorber.
It is difficult to write a biography. Especially, of someone as varied, yet, single-minded in his approach as Dr Swamy. Dr Roxna Swamy has done a great job. She has captured him from his early days in life to his days in Harvard, to his preparation in taking up an assignment by mastering Mandarin in a year, to his return to India and to a life that simply played out a myriad of challenges.
Through all this, what strikes the reader is the amount of hardship, tension and uncertainty Roxna and her little children went through those days. Vengefully sacked from the IIT, the eviction from IIT quarters, hostile IIT officials all set to pack her and her two toddlers off, to a variety of defamation cases by Jayalalithaa, her plans to arrest Swamy by recalling a domestic flight, in which he was travelling mid- air to Bangalore, she also brings out his ability to fight opponents, yet maintain a friendship across party lines.
The reader will clearly understand how Swamy remembers a help in time and returns favors to the benefactor (Dr Manmohan Singh for example). And his Twitter Philosophy- “I give as good as I get” can be seen in many events in his life as captured in the book.
ROXNA’S FATHER STOOD UP TO THE MIGHT OF NEHRU, WHO CALLED HIM A ” HINDEBOUND BUREAUCRAT”
What strikes most is her narration of how Vajpayee or yashwant Sinha played foul with him. Be it in the narration of the rousing reception the Chinese gave to Swamy or taking glee in the damp squib of Vajpayee’s Chinese visit thereafter, she minces no words in telling the reader what she feels about ABV. Her narration of Sinha mortgaging gold to a British Bank, without keeping the then Commerce Minister, Dr Swamy in the loop is a clean shot, straight from the hip. Swamy’s famous fights with the then darling of the liberals, the late Ramakrishna Hegde, the various cases and Hegde’s reproach to Swamy on his deathbed have all been truthfully recorded. The emergency days, The family’s hardships, the hounding by the police. Swamy’s dramatic appearance in RS and his Houdini act, belong to the genre of Ian Fleming. How much Roxna had to go through because she continues to love this man from Harvard days! That’s the testimony of the strength of their marriage. The journey of togetherness continues through five decades.
Roxna Swamy gives us more than a glimpse into the source of inheritance of the couple’s righteous stubbornness. Their parents and curiously Roxna’s father stood up to the might of Nehru, who called him a “hidebound bureaucrat” for disallowing Government Helicopter to a lady American Journalist who sought it from Nehru to view Bihar floods from the sky. Her father looked into Nehru’s eyes and said- “Give it to me in writing”. Thus, came the law on “cooling off period” in Civil Servant’s terms of service in taking up jobs post- retirement.
SWAMI IS THE NEO-AB-HIMANYU WITH A MAJOR DIFFRENCE.
There is a historical genetic trait that Swamy has inherited, the source of which I never knew before. His ancestor Sri Ramappaiya Iyer the Dalavay or the Kattappa of the Madurai Monarch Tirumala Nayakar, who feigned deaf to the Monarch’s order to retreat in a battle against a formidable force, Iyer returned victorious for the King to change his views that were tutored by biased courtiers and welcomed him with honours and rewards. His grandfather Sitarama Iyer was a perpetual litigant. Perhaps, those genes underwent some morphing as Swamy takes up only the right issues to fight in court.
Swamy is the Neo-Abhimanyu with a major difference. He knows how to pierce into the Chakravyuh and most importantly, knows how to come out of it successfully, leaving his opponents licking their wounds. But this Neo-Ab- himanyu had to contend not just with his Political opponents. He had to con- tend with his own people in the party and the RSS. And his fight will go on. He has been denied what should rightfully belong to him. Till then, he will stick to one of his rarely known success formulae. Hold out one’s hand and let the Heavens drop in the required article.
Finally, a trait that is little known about Swamy is that he is a committed friend. If he commits, he will stick to the end. Sadly, his bravery and flights are highlighted to the common man but the other side of Swamy is extremely conservatively written by the press in the national media. His contribution in fighting systematic corruption and valuable economic inputs to late Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao has reshaped the destiny of the country.
Book review was done by Ms Lakshmi Devi, Opinion Express bureau head & inputs from national press.
Ram Nath Kovind, Governor of Bihar, is the NDA government’s nominee in the Presidential election 2017 is likely to be India’s next President. The decision was taken after a BJP Parliamentary Board meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari in attendance. Ram Nath Kovind, 70, is a Dalit leader from Kanpur.
A two-time member of Rajya Sabha and former national spokes person for the party, Kovind headed the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha between 1999 and 2002. The voting for the presidential election is scheduled on July 17, while the counting will take place on July 20, four days before current President Pranab Mukherjee’s term ends. While BJP hopes for consensus on its Presidential candidate pick, here are 5 reasons why Ram Nath Kovind was selected :
Kovind has been a crusader for the rights and cause of weaker sections of the society, especially Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/ OBC/Minority/Land Women from his student days. In the year 1997, some Government Orders were issued by the Central Government which adversely affected the interests of employees of the Scheduled Castes/Tribes. Shri Ram Nath Kovind joined the movement of SC/ST employees against the Central Government and consequently succeeded in getting those Government Orders null and void by the passage of three Amendments in the Constitution of India during the first NDA regime. RSS is gradually building a platform to integrate entire hindu population by erasing caste divide.
a) Ram Nath Kovind, served as Member of Board of Management of Dr B.R Ambedkar University, Lucknow.
b) He also served as Member of Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.
c) He represented India in United Nations (New york) and addressed United Nations General Assembly in October 2002.
d) Visited Thailand. Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, France, United Kingdom and the USA on Study Tour as Member of Parliament.
Ram Nath Kovind was elected and became as Rajya Sabha MP in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh and served for two consecutive terms for 12 years until March 2006. Shri Kovind served as Member on important Parliamentary Committees including Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Home Affairs, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Social Justice and Empowerment, Law and Justice and Chairman of Rajya Sabha House Committee.
Ram Nath Kovind, was the Central Government Advocate in Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979 and Central Government Standing Counsel in Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. He became Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India in 1978. He had practiced in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for about 16 years till 1993.He was enrolled as an Advocate in 1971 with the Bar Council of Delhi.
Ram Nath Kovind, former President of the BJP Dalit Morcha has held a clean record and image and his work has spoken volumes. During his parliamentary tenure of 12 years, he emphasized on the development of basic infrastructure for education in rural areas, and during his Advocacy tenure, he took a leading role in providing free legal aid to the weaker sections of society, especially SC/ST women. These cases have earned him huge respect in the political circles in India.
– Prakhar P Mishra (The writer is our Political Editor)
Uttar Pradesh chief minister yogi Adityanath was sworn in as Uttar Pradesh chief minister at Smriti Upvan,in Lucknow, India, on March 19, 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and other top BJP leadership was present on the occasion. the massive strength presented by BJP was phenomenal and unprecedented to showcase upsurge of right wing party. there are three prominent reasons for putting yogi in command of UP namely keep polarizing Hindu votes, put strong administer and non-compromising leader and to put development agenda upfront. It was analysed that a strong character can address the depleting law and order situation.
From everything we have heard about Yogi Adityanath’s way with votes, it would seem the man has never felt a tinge of electoral insecurity in his 19 year old political career. But it turns out Uttar Pradesh’s new chief minister had to work his way to “electoral invincibility.” Senior journalist Dhirender K Jha’s 35-page book, which reads like a meticulous magazine profile, details the lowest point in the five-time MP’s electoral journey to show why he may never fear losing an election again.
It was between 1998 when 26 year old Adityanath, would be mahant at the Gorakhpur temple, first won the eastern UP Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 26,000 votes, and 1999, when he fought the election again and found his vote margin down to 7339. the plunge in winning margin was especially hurtful because shortly after winning the Gorakhpur seat the first time, Adityanath had launched his first “apolitical” organization, Gau Raksha Manch, to consolidate the Hindu vote. the cow card was apparently not enough to polarize the voters in Gorakhpur. The young MP realized he needed to “develop a wider base among Hindus” to play the power game in UP.
His moment came in 2002. Drawing on the nationwide split between Hindus and Muslims after the riots in Gujarat, Yogi Adityanath decided to hit the ground anew. He began by changing the name of Gau Raksha Manch to Hindu yuva vahini and expanded its jurisdiction beyond cows to anything and everything “that could project minorities as the enemies of Hindus”, from their meat eating habits to their appeal among Hindu women. to give this new outfit a structure and mission, its presence was divided into multi level committees state, district, block and panchayat and young and restless Hindu men in villages in and around Gorakhpur recruited in large numbers. right from the first day, writes Jha, HYV ran a toxic campaign of religious politics, turning the smallest of incidents to sectarian wars. “there were at least six major riots in the region within the first year of HYV’s formation” and “at least 22 major riots in Gorakhpur and the neighboring districts till 2007.”
The plan paid off pretty soon. In 2004, Adityanath won the Gorakhpur seat by a margin of 142,000 votes; five years later, he claimed victory by 300,000 votes. Gau Raksha Peethadhiswar Parampujya Yogi Adityanath Ji Maharaj, as his disciples call him, has been unstoppable since. As Jha painstakingly outlines the saint politician’s “political fortune doesn’t depend on the BJP or the RSS but is fueled by a communal polarization of an extreme kind.”
1. yogi Adityanath was elected as the Member of the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 from Gorakhpur constituency. He was the youngest legislator of the Lok Sabha. So far he has been MP from the same constituency five times. In 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Adityanath won the elections by a margin of 1,42,309 votes.
2. Adityanath’s predecessor Mahant Avaidyanath was the president of Hindu Maha Sabha. Both of them kept Hindutva agenda at the forefront of their election campaign. His mission in life is to convert other religious groups back to Hinduism. In 2005, more than 5,000 people were converted in the town of Etah in UP. He reportedly said: “I will not stop till I turn UP and India into a Hindu rashtra”.
3. Adityanath’s original name was Ajay Singh. He changed his name after becoming a ‘sanyasi’. He has got a B.Sc. degree from HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand. He is a very good orator and has the ability to attract eyeballs with his fiery speech. He has been quite vocal in the Parliament and has been raising issues with alacrity. It’s not that he raises issues related to Hindutva only. In fact, he has been equally concerned about issues that have the potential of impacting the lives of the poorer strata of the society.
4. In Gorakhpur riots of 2007, a Hindu boy was killed after some people opened fire on a Muslim procession that took place on the occasion of Moharam. When the youth succumbed to the injuries, Adityanath vowed to deliver justice to Hindus. He announced a torchlight procession and a “Shraddhanjali Sabha (pay homage)” on a busy road. The District Magistrate had forbidden him to do so, but regardless of his instructions he and his followers set off. For the first time in his life, Adityanath was jailed under Section 151A of the CRPC only to find later that he has also been booked under Sections 146, 147, 279, 506 of the Indian Penal Code.
5. yogi Adityanath of the BJP has several criminal cases pending against him. Some of the cases where cognizance has been taken are: 3 charges related to rioting (IPC Section-147); 1 charge related to Attempt to murder (IPC Section-307); 2 charges related to Rioting, armed with deadly weapon (IPC Section-148); 1 charges related to Act endangering life or personal safety of others (IPC Section-336); 1 charges related to every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object (IPC Section-149); 2 charges related to trespassing on burial places, etc. (IPC Section-297); 1 charges related to criminal intimidation (IPC Section-506).
6. yogi Adityanath is the founder of the Hindu yuva vahini. It is a social, cultural and nationalist group of young people. this group is very famous amongst Hindus of east Uttar Pradesh. Hindu yuva vahini has many dalit Hindus. After Adityanath’s arrest in 2007 for inciting Gorakhpur riots, his HYV launched retaliations. two coaches of the Mumbai bound Mumbai Gorakhpur Godan express was set ablaze on 30th January, 2007. Aggression is the hallmark of Adityanath. His opponents often charge Adityanath and his Hindu yuva Vahini of taking law into their hands. The Gorakhpur MP, however, gives diplomatic answer on this question. He says that if the law enforcement agencies fail to do justice to their roles then common man has to think of the alternative ways of getting justice.
7. In March 2010, Adityanath was one of several BJP MPs who did not adhere to the party whip on the Women’s Reservation Bill. Few years ago, a video surfaced in which Adityanath was seen as saying that if one Hindu girl is converted to Islam then they will convert 100 Muslim women to Hinduism. When Rajat Sharma asked this question to yogi Adityanath in his show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, an unapologetic Yogi Adityanath said that nobody has the right to practice forcible conversion. The Gorakhpur MP said that a person has to be answered in the same language that he understands.
8. Despite his prominence in the party, he has never been on good terms with the BJP. He has had a strained relation with the party for more than a decade. In 2007 UP Elections, BJP and Adityanath were at conflict. He wanted more than 10 seats in Gorakhpur region to go to candidates selected by him, but the party leadership would not agree. Subsequently a compromise agreement was reached by the RSS. He fielded 8 candidates of his choice. RSS’s intervention normalized yogi Adityanath’s relationship with BJP during the election season.
9. Adityanath, during India TV’s Chunav Manch conclave in February,said that he will make ‘love jihad’ an issue in the polls. Gorakhpur MP has been raising this issue for the past four to five years. He said, “”I have been raising this issue for the past four to five years. The menace first began in Kerala and has now spread to Western UP”. yogi Adityanath says he is not against Hindu-Muslim marriages provided it’s based on mutual trust and there is no element of deceit in that relationship.
10. the BJP had included him in the party’s list of star campaigners for polls. Adityanath raised the law and order situation extensively and made ‘love jihad’ a major poll issue. The BJP’s mega success in the polls has certainly cemented Adityanath’s hold in his party.
10 things UP CM yogi Adityanath did during his first week in office Just a week of Yogi Adityanath as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the 44- year old has hit the ground running, grabbing headlines with a series of decision ranging from banning pan and gutkha at workplaces to cracking down on illegal slaughterhouses.
1)MINISTERIAL INCOMES: An hour after he took oath on March 19, Adityanath ordered all ministers to declare their income, movable and immovable properties within 15 days. He asked them to submit declarations to the CM secretariat. He also made them take an oath of cleanliness and honesty. He conveyed that his government would have zero tolerance on corruption and law and order.
2) CLEANLINESS: yogi Adityanath administered his ministers an oath of cleanliness and honesty. Also he fixed every Friday as the day when the state staff must tidy up work- spaces. He asked them to devote two hours per week to cleanliness. He also asked them to read up BJP’s 2017 poll manifesto and begin mulling over how to implement it in their respective departments. Also asked them to make budgetary provisions for it and begin preparing for the first cabinet meet.
3) PAN BAN: The next day, he ordered a ban on ‘Paan masala, Gutkha’ consumption in government offices, hospitals, schools etc.
4) MEAT CRACKDOWN: He ordered a crackdown on illegal slaughter houses and meat shops, and check cow smuggling. Many meat shops were burnt and businesses on strike with supplies drying up. the government has clarified that only illegal abattoirs would be targeted.
5) ANTI-ROMEO SQUAD: the CM also called for an end to road side boozing and asked for the setting up of ‘anti romeo squads’ across the state. When the anti romeo action created an outrage with the way police responded, Adityanath on March 25 ordered making of guidelines and said police should not be inhuman while implementing it.
6) SETTING AGENDA WITH MODI: On March 21, he went to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss distribution of portfolios to his ministers. He also informed the PM Modi that MPs were lobbying for transfers, postings of officers. Modi, on March 23, ordered all MPs not to interfere in transfers, postings.
7) ACID ATTACK CRACKDOWN: On March 24, Adityanath visited an acid attack survivor. Gave her Rs one lakh aid and ordered the arrest of the culprits.
8) POT-HOLES: On March 25, Adityanth set a deadline of June 15 for making all UP roads pot-holes free.
9) METRO: the new CM has also announced Metro train projects for Gorakhpur (his Lok Sabha constituency) and Jhansi.
10) CRACKDOWN ON LAXITY: During a visit in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said those officers who cannot work 18-20 hours were free to leave. He also said that the state would promote regional dialects.
Inputs from Snigdha Poonam article published in HT & Dr Rahul Misra in Lucknow
It is with great pleasure that, at Opinion Express, we have learned that Mr. Rajkeswar Purring has been elected fifth president of the Republic of Mauritius. It is, we feel, the culmination of a rich political career after he has served as Speaker of the National Assembly. It is said of him that he exercised his duties as Speaker with objectivity and impartiality and this goes to his credit. From modest beginnings, Mr. Purryag has patiently worked his way up to reach where he now is. This is no mean achievement. Mr.Purryag can serve as an example for those who have a goal in life. He illustrates what can be achieved with dedication and a sense of purpose.
Mr.Purryag became an attorney in 1973 and joined the Labor Party. He stood as a candidate for the general elections in 1976. He occupied different ministerial posts in the course of his political career. We can recall that he was Minister of Social Security from 1980 to 1982, Minister of Health from 1984 to 1988, and Minister of Economic Development and Telecommunications from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 2000 he was Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Commerce. He became Speaker in 2005.
Our best wishes are with Mr.Kailash Purring now that he is President of our Republic. We have no doubt that he will “uphold the standard of the Presidency with a decorum that his office demands” as the Jon. Prime Minister, Dr. Navinchandra Ramona said in the Assembly. Opinion Express congratulates Mr.Rajkeswar Purring wholeheartedly. His loyalty to the Labor Party has been rewarded. We have no doubt that he will exercise his new responsibilities with joy and the acumen that goes with them. He is well aware of the task that awaits him as he embarks on another stage of his already rich career. We are aware that he reads Opinion Express regularly. This, no doubt, adds to our pleasure that he is now at Le Redid.
KP. Yes, I think the relationship between India and Mauritius has been further consolidated by Dr. Navin Ramgoolam and we are working together to set the economic sector within the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation and we know this initiative was put forward by Mauritius, and that today Mauritius, India, Australia and other member states of the Indian Ocean Rim are playing a very important role to promote the economic interest of the member states. I think within that association, our relationship is further consolidated in the economic sector. As for our tourist sector, we have recently received many Indian businessmen who have come to Mauritius to invest in the tourist sector and I know one or two groups who are actually constructing hotels. Once this construction is over, it will enhance the relationship between our two countries.
KP. Yes, you see that Mauritius has done very well not for the last two or three years but in the last two decades.
Since our independence, we are striving very hard to put in place a strategy for the socioeconomic development of the country and after thirty years of independence, today we can say that we have achieved a certain level of economic development as you know and today Mauritius is considered as a success story of the African continent. Earlier Mauritius was known neither in the African continent nor in the international community. It is now that Mauritius is being cited in all forms despite being a small island, we have achieved tremendous growth on the economic front. Therefore, we are doing everything possible within our means today to position ourselves as a hub of economic activities and poised to become a gateway between Asia and Africa. In that context, we are creating a free port, as the Government of Mauritius has invested a lot of money in the port of Mauritius just to create support to attract business here and we are trying to develop a very strong service economy. So, we are trying to re-engineer our economy in such a way that we have skills in Mauritius to be able to become a service economy and to provide the necessary manpower. Again I must say that we have come out with a plan of action to review our educational system so as to adapt it to our concept of economic development and cater to our needs both in terms of infrastructure as well as human resource development. We are doing a lot of work to prepare ourselves in order to position Mauritius as a hub to provide a link as a gateway between Asia and Africa.
KP. You have rightly said Mauritius is an international tourist hub. Today we receive more than 500,00 tourists mainly from Europe. From India, we have very little tourist inflow. We are doing our best to get Indian tourists to come to Mauritius but it all depends on the tourists themselves.
Mauritius has established a reputation as a tourist destination which is known in India. I think that the Ministry of Tourism will perhaps hold certain manifestations in India to promote Mauritius as a tourist destination in the Indian community.
KP. There is a package of incentives that have been put in place to attract businessmen in Mauritius, especially in MOBAA. We have a bilateral agreement with India, which is one of the most favorable agreements. I think we have a very interesting package that has to be taken into account by future investors who want to invest in Mauritius.
KP. Well, we must say that India has made a lot of progress in the industrial field and the progress has been so much that India today has become an industrial power in the world. India is an economic power in waiting, what is important is unity, peace, and stability along with economic progress because unless you have peace, stability and unity, economic progress in a real sense can not be achieved. Similar conditions are existing in Mauritius, for example, in coordination with all the main communities here, we have been able to create political and social stability in order to make economic development. So I think that India since independence has made a lot of progress that needs to make more progress in order to cater to its population and for this you need to have peace, stability and unity.
-BY PRASHANTR TEWARI & RAJIV AGNIHOTRI FOR OE NEWS BUREAU AT MAURITIUS
I am not a soft engineer and so cannot speak with authority on the global significance of late Steve Jobs' contributions to information technology. But, I do use the computer for a lot of my research activities, as also for writing the first electronic book on agriculture in the world on important tree crops of the developing world, followed by another on the world's two most important spices - black pepper and cardamom - and the most recent planned one on medicinal spice plants.
And I am working with the most advanced Microsoft system, and I know how tiresome, mentally and physically, it can get at times, sitting in front of the monitor for something like 15-16 hours a day, with just half an hour break for lunch or dinner, compiling such a vast body of scientific information onto the electronic pages.
What I wish to write about in this article is the frenzy one sees in the world today about Steve Jobs, and his unfortunate, though anticipated by himself, death in October. Some of his global admirers almost want "sainthood" bestowed on him! As he said, he considered every day of his life, after he was diagnosed for a malignant and incurable tumour in his pancreas, as the last day of his life and so worked with devilish frenzy.
Take these examples. A young boy in China sold one of his kidneys in order to afford to buy an I-pod, one of Jobs' supposedly "miraculous" products. His biography by Walter Isaacson is selling like hot cakes in China. At close to Rs 800 a piece, here in India, almost every "IT techie" or " IT coolie" (as someone very respected and knowledgeable here in India referred to our IT engineers working in the US - please note, the term is not mine) would grab a copy of the book.
I have often reflected about life and what it does to people. Sometimes "greatness" gets thrust upon oneself, birth being the common route - "born with a silver or golden spoon", as the case may be. Sometimes "greatness" is achieved, and only those who achieve it know what it takes to "achieve". In a number of cases, however much one tries to achieve greatness, one is swept down by the winds of hostile history. A common factor in all these cases, more often than not, is that the public at large sees only what it is told to believe. Here in India today, the media plays a pivotal role in the "making" or "breaking" of someone, depending on whether it "likes" or "dislikes" the individual involved.
Only when the person is no more, real skeletons fall out of the cupboard! It might interest the reader here to note that, when Walter Isaacson set about writing the biography of Steve Jobs, the latter was quite indifferent at first. But a point came when Jobs insisted on knowing every bit of detail in the planned book, so posterity would know what Jobs had done. Six months before he passed away, Jobs said at one of his public meetings "Remember, there is only one Steve Jobs". What a gigantic ego! So, let us take a look at what Jobs had done. Here I go.
Jobs' most important contribution was to adapt technology to human needs, make it abundantly simple, rather than the normally path of technology companies trying to educate people to use their products via a two inch thick tome - the "user manual". Take the case of the desktop computer. Without spending so many hours to educate myself, I could not have started using the most advanced Microsoft system to enable me to write the electronic book I am now writing. If one critically examines all the desktop computers available in the market today, all are basically the same in technical construction, not adding any significant or unique pride in their ownership, because there is nothing new or very unique about the new model.
But in the field of IT technology, Jobs brought a unique "individual touch" to the product he designed. He did this through Jony Ive, head of the design section of Apple. Jony Ive was almost ready to quit Apple in the mid-1980s when Steve Jobs persuaded him not to quit. Jony Ive was inspired by a German designer who had worked for the famous German electronics company Braun, whose driving principle in design was "Less but Better". This is what Jony Ive and Steve Jobs tried to accomplish together. Would Jobs have been able to replicate the same individuality in, say, an industry like automobiles or fashion designing? No. He would have ended up being "one" among the very best, but, never the "only one".
To go further in critically looking at Jobs' contributions to IT, one has to understand what was happening in mid-1990s when internet simply did not exist. In 1993, John Sculley, a top employee of Apple (the company Steve Jobs and his high school friend Steve Wozniack founded in the 1970s in a car garage) brought out the "Newton", which formed the core idea for the development of the subsequent I-phone and I-pad, the I-series, which is now is the craze of the world.
Unfortunately, today no one remembers John Sculley, and all credit goes only to Steve Jobs. Talking about "Newton", John Sculley had said in the 1990s when it was just launched, that "people need to communicate quickly in highly informal network-based organizations". That Newton did not live to fulfill its promise was because there was no technology to support it - mainly because, internet was not invented at that time. Were it so, it would have been John Sculley who would have ruled the world of IT innovation, and not Steve Jobs.
It is a great pity that neither Steve Jobs nor anyone in Apple has acknowledged the revolutionary role Newton played in the production of I-pads and I-phones ("I" devices) that we have now come to accept as simply Steve Jobs creations! That is the irony of life, of great inventions and discoveries.
Today in the world of science, quite often the reward of a Nobel Prize may not reach the simple technician working in a team from whose brain the best idea might have originated. The prize always goes to the team "Leader". Steve Jobs was that kind of a "Leader", driven by a maniac desire to rule and win - no matter how much he trampled on the minds of people around him.
The clearest proof of this is seen in the outburst of John Sculley's wife, who said in 1993 when Steve Jobs was pushed out of Apple as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), "When I look into the eyes of most people, I see a soul. When I look into your eyes, I see a bottomless pit, an empty hole, a dead zone".
What insightful words coming from a lady whose husband created the unique Newton, but who failed to live up to the glory of inventing such a unique piece of technology!! That was Steve Jobs. Working in the 1980s as a Professor in the world-renowned Justus von Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, where the chemistry department had more than 25 Nobel Prize winners over the years, I used to be wonderstruck by the brilliance of some technicians. But, the "Leader" always usurped the idea of the lowly technician!
The material success of Steve Jobs was a ruthless combination of the "burning desire to be number one in the world". Many have wondered how, behind a company that makes products which mean so much to people around the world, there was someone as mean as Steve Jobs.
Even his family members wondered whether he simply lacked the filter that restrains people from venting their wounding thoughts on others, or will-fully bypassed them. I have often thought that sometimes you need to be brutally honest to get where you want to be. And Steve Jobs was honest to the core, in that sense. He wanted to make the best product in the world, wanted to be the number one in the world in his chosen field, and wanted the world to remember even after he left it.
And, of course, wanted all the money that poured out of it. If not, why would he take the production unit to the suburb of Shanghai in China, where dawn-to-dusk, lowly paid Chinese workers whose individual dignity was trampled down, sweated it out to make all the I-devices? He didn't want the production unit to be located in the USA.
Perhaps it is because of that burning passion for an "afterlife" (he was never sure whether God existed or not - it was always 50:50 for him!) that he never wanted an "On -Off" switch in his products. The urge to live on, at least in his consciousness, after the body is gone… Seems closest to what Krishna told Arjuna in the eighteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita!
The author is an international agricultural scientist.
Mixed-bag beginning for Mamta in Kolkata
The firebrand leader is now the people's chief minister. Since May 20, when she walked into Writers' Buildings to take over the reins of the state, Mamata Banerjee has played the role zealously, often throwing protocol and norms out of the window to take up issues close to her heart. She works late, calls frequent meetings, keeps top officials on their toes, makes surprise visits to hospitals and government offices and takes decisions with an urgency rarely seen in the government headquarters.
As CM, she is just as unpredictable and at times restless. She springs surprises like the Darjeeling treaty, takes key decisions in haste only to roll them back, such as Singur ordinance. She shocked doctors when she stormed into Bangur Institute of Neurosciences and suspended its director, SP Ghorai, without issuing him a show-suspended its director, SP Ghorai, without issuing him a show-cause notice, on grounds of "insubordination".
Mamata is yet to take firm steps on curbing political violence with the opposition Left Front knocking at the governor's door to stop atrocities against its cadres. She hurriedly introduced an ordinance for returning land to Singur farmers only to be called back due to procedural lapses. Later, the Singur Land Bill was passed by the Assembly to enable her return land to unwilling farmers in Singur.
The first month in office has been eventful, to say the least. She has managed to make ministers proactive, bureaucrats prompt with files and senior officials anxious about being ticked off for inaction. On her very first day in office, she worked well past midnight. She followed it up with a major announcement of an imminent merger of the Salt Lake municipality with Kolkata. The next day, she went on a sudden tour of the city.
She has also managed to throw up solutions. The separatist movement in Darjeeling, for instance, which has been festering for the last three years, was "solved". Gorkha Janmukti Morcha agreed to withdraw its demand for statehood for the time being. Critics may still question the pact, but the peace pact left the Hills euphoric. On the way to office from her residence, Mamata's convoy has been taking a different route every morning and halting at a new destination. Her security men have been kept guessing. She has paid a series of surprise trips to hospitals on the way to Writers'.
Apart from the return of Singur land - an issue that was key in catapulting her to power - she has invited Justice Sachar to the state for a fresh status report on the minority community, aimed at improving their condition and finding more jobs for them. She has announced setting up of a 25- member core group to sort out problems faced by the industry and work out plans for investment. The panel will have 17 members from various chambers - including three from CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM - apart from state finance minister Amit Mitra, industries minister Partha Chatterjee and six departmental secretaries.
DIDI'S MAJOR STEPS...
RETURN OF SINGUR LAND
It was Mamata's first decision after taking over as CM. The issue had propelled her to power and Singur Land Bill was passed in the Assembly
EDUCATION GETS PRIORITY
Amartya Sen and historian Sugata Bose chosen mentors of Presidency University. A panel set up to revamp higher education. Mamata announces recruitment of 46,000 primary teachers. All teachers to now get their salaries on the first day of the month.
HEALTH WATCH
West Bengal Health Service Recruitment Board set up to recruit staff and doctors. Mamata makes surprise visits to government hospitals. Announces plans to set up four super-specialty hospitals in Birbhum, West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura (the last three are Maoist hit ), plus a neuroscience hospital in Rajarhat township 4.
CITY UNIFICATION
Salt Lake's Sector V (tech hub) and Joka (where IIM Calcutta is located) on the outskirts of the capital brought under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Municipal Corporation
FINALLY, BEAUTIFICATION
A project to beautify the Hooghly riverfront. The stretch from Dalhousie to Esplanade will be redone in tune with the BBD Bag heritage zone. Laldighi, a 300- year-old lake in front of Writers' Buildings, will be illuminated.
DARJEELING ICE-BREAKER
Within three weeks of taking charge, Mamata persuades GJM to sign a treaty for a hill council with greater powers. The Left Front government had tried the same solution but could not get GJM to agree. Mamata succeeded. Her education minister Bratya Basu already met Union HRD minister for an IIT or IIM in Darjeeling.
TRANSPARENCY
Paid Rs 2 lakh from her own account on renovation of CM's chamber at Writers' Building.
NEUTRAL ADMINISTRATION
Senior bureaucrats asked to function in a neutral manner; police told to work impartially in the wake of political violence across the state.
AND THE MISSTEPS
Hurriedly pushing with an ordinance on return of Singur land to unwilling farmers. The ordinance fell through because of procedural lapses. Later, the Singur Land Bill was passed in the Assembly Says she will make public the Singur deal struck by the Left Front govt, when a case is pending in the Calcutta high court over the disclosure of the contents of the deal Suspends Bangur Institute of Neurology S P Ghorai without issuing a show-cause notice.
Comment
Mamata Banerjee popularly known as Mamata Didi has just started her political innings in West Bengal, ironically the state of WB is with left since last 34 years but a tremendous effort by Mamata Banerjee has forced a new regime there. The domestic and overseas observers are watching the initial progress and her style of governance closely largely from an investors prospective. WB in general and its capital Kolkata in specific were the center of business hub post-independence but the scenario forced industry to get shifted to other states due to labour unrest and lockouts instigated by left governments, now Mamata Didi with an economist as the finance minister is trying to turn the tables. Already, she has achieved a major breakthrough in settling the Gorkha-land issue via talks with good results. WB government has listed priorities in EDUCATION, INDUSTRY, HEALTH CARE hence Japan G 30 initiative, Japan Business Chamber of Commerce & Embassy must draw a strategy to coordinate with the state government..
(Bureau Chief - Kolkata)
The entire world is watching as Indians attempt to purge India of corruption using classically Indian means of protest. Hindutva and Sanatana Dharma represent the only viable cures to the cancer of corruption which is destroying the entrails of our civilisation. Corruption in India is now a major concern because of the gigantic and mind-boggling amounts illegally appropriated in the Satyam, IPL, CWG, and 2G Spectrum scams. By all objective criteria, India today has by far one of the most corrupt governance. The 2G Spectrum Scam, the title of my new book released on June 11, is the most shocking rip-off of all.
As I have pointed out in the book, my curiosity was first fired by the fraud and forgery that became apparent in the sudden divestment of equity stake in Swan Capital Company by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani, the owner of ADAG who strategically controlled Swan, in favour of the Shahid Balwas-run DB Realty Company, and reportedly on then Telecom Minister A Raja's behest. DB Realty then sold the controlling shares of Swan to Etisalat.This latter company was considered in a Home Ministry report to be a front for ISI and Dawood Ibrahim. Shahid Balwas was held by the Ministry to be an undesirable person. Yet, Etisalat was allowed by the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to buy out the Swan undesirable person. Yet, Etisalat was allowed by the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to buy out the Swan Telecom at eight times the price paid by Swan for the 2G spectrum license. National security was seriously compromised for greed of money. I had written to the Prime Minister a letter dated November 29, 2008, for sanction under Section19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988) to prosecute Telecom Minister A. Raja by filing a private complaint before the Designated Sessions Court. Thus began my venture into the 2G spectrum scam. The PM's procrastination led me to the Supreme Court.
Thereafter, a Bench of Justices Singhvi and Ganguli, by their meticulous reading of the briefs and documents filed and by their crisp orders and directions have changed the national public mood from despair and despondency to hope and expectation. This judicial intervention came none too soon. An international watchdog committee conducted a study on the illicit flight of money from India, perhaps the first-ever attempt at shedding light on a subject steeped in secrecy, and concluded that India has been drained of $462 billion (over Rs 20 lakh crore) between 1948 and 2008. The amount represents nearly 40 percent of India's gross domestic product.
The unanimous view throughout the world today is that corruption is no more the inevitable grease or speed money to be tolerated in any system, but a cancer that could cause the death of a society by continuous debilitation - unless it is cured at an early stage. The Indian financial system also suffers from a hangover of cronyism and corruption that have brought the government budgets on the verge of bankruptcy. This too needs fixing. India's infrastructure requires about $ 150 billion to make it world-class, and the education system needs 6 percent of GDP instead of 2.8 percent today. But an open competitive market system can find these resources provided the quality of governance and accountability is improved. Obviously a second generation of reforms is necessary for all this.
One of the worst problems with corruption in India is the creation of "black money"- money that is used in such transactions and is obviously unreported, hence is neither taxed nor is spent openly. It travels to secret bank accounts abroad, or, worse, is used by the corrupt to indulge in gross luxurious consumption and bribery. Such black money stock also creates inflation by enabling easy finance for hoarding of supplies even as the GDP growth rate accelerates.
Corruption, therefore, impacts on economic development of a nation in five dimensions:
The view of Integral Humanism as propounded by Deendayal Upadhaya or what we have for centuries have called as Sanatana Dharma is that a society is healthy only if there is a harmonisation of material pursuits and spiritual advancement in a human being. The social structure called Varna, till it degenerated into a birth-based social cartel, was designed to downgrade wealth as the indicator of status and elevate sacrifice and simplicity as a desirable value. But now greed is driving all of us as it has become in the globalisation process. Materialistic progress alone however does not guarantee national security of a nation. What is essential is the character and integrity of its citizens. Hence, besides the objective of acquiring knowledge and getting employment that require cognitive intelligence, the youth must be motivated in other dimensions of intelligence that of emotional, moral and social.
In the United States, as Business Week has recently reported, these concepts have become highly popular in the corporate world, and have been incorporated in the best-selling books written by Daniel Goleman, Deepak Chopra, Anthony Robbins, among others. In brief, our National Policy for integrating spiritual values and organisation leadership can be achieved by measures by which we can create a modern mindset in the youth of India, not only to motivate the youth to acquire technical competence, but to develop emotional, moral social and spiritual values that will make that person a self-reliant individual of high character, patriotic, and possessing a social conscience.
Our goal has to be thus the efficient use of resources, human and physical, hardware and software by an able and human spiritually guided and ethically organizational leadership in a framework of competitive market economies. Hence, concisely stated, for a corruption-free society to be achieved on a long term basis the Indian economy should be founded on a harmonisation of efficient organisational leadership and abiding spiritual values which we call as Sanatana Dharma. That can be nurtured only bottom-up i.e., educate our growth accordingly to synthesise material pursuits with spiritual values which lauds simplicity and eschews greed.
Ultimately it will also be decided by how we vote in elections. But we need a new ideology to combat the cancer of corruption in our system. For this, we need a new breed of Indian leaders- educated, courageous, and rational risk-takers. That we can get only if the ethos of our people changes from the purely individualist pursuit of material pleasures and goals, to an integral outlook. Corruption is the cancer today in our society but Hindutva (Hinduness) or Sanatana Dharma imbibed character is the cure.
The writer is President, Janata Party
Are current theme in the Indian newspapers, over the past two decades, and one that is getting increasingly pronounced with the passage of time, has been the lumpenisation of Indian politics. Given the misdeeds of A Rajas, Lalus, Chauthalas, Shakshi Maharajs and Kalmadis, the image that has formed in the minds of the Indian masses of the archetypical Indian politician is one of shameless corruption, venality, nepotism and parochial regionalism. Add to these the blatant use of muscle power by political mafia dons and there emerges the picture of an utterly sordid state of political affairs and political actors. In fact, this state is the culmination of a long process of lumpenisation of Indian polity that started in the 70s and became more and more pronounced in the succeeding decades. Gone are the days when Indian politics was peopled predominantly by legal luminaries, eminent educationists, social activists and visionary statesmen. The giants of yesterday have been replaced by the pygmies of today in all their short-statured grotesqueness. In this murky world, the pursuit of Mammon and power has uprooted the anchors of values, ideals and ethics.
It is thus refreshing to come across, even though sparingly, exceptions that stand out among contemporary Indian politicians. Kapil Sibal belongs to this rare, vanishing tribe of eminent individuals still left in Indian politics. His background, talents, accomplishments and above all values and ideals compare well with the best of India's glorious political past. Born to renowned advocate in what is now Pakistan, Sibal's family was uprooted in the wake of India's partition. Starting life afresh, the family settled in Delhi in the 1960s and young Kapil on the strength of his academic excellence found his way into the elite St. Stephens College from where he graduated. In spite of getting selected for the premier Indian Administrative Service in 1973 he chose to follow his heart and joined the legal profession after acquiring possibly the best credentials therefore - a stint at the Harvard Law School. Known for his almost encyclopaedic knowledge of law he made his mark in the Indian courts and was appointed the additional Solicitor General of India in 1989.
His personal qualities mark him out from the run-of-the-mill Indian politician. A facile command over the English language, razor-sharp wit, an astounding grasp of complex issues, quick of repartee and irresistible in debate, he has made his presence felt in Parliament as also as the Congress party's official spokesperson. Known for his deeply secular outlook, a modern belief in scientific and technological progress, honesty and integrity, an instinctive aversion to injustice and exploitation, he has never shied away from taking on orthodoxy and fascist forces. On the personal front his intellectual sophistication comes through in his penchant for writing poetry which he taps out, on his own admission, on his i phone in the few free moments of peace and solitude he gets during flights. Contrary to the public persona, he comes across as an unassuming person with an old-world grace and impeccable manners exuding a disarming charm.
There is however an irony in all this. These very qualities of his, exceptional as they are, sometimes make it a rather difficult for him to mix and match with the hoi polloi of Indian polity - an impediment, even shortcoming, for any gifted politician. People who do not interact with him closely, are thus likely to get the impression of an aloof, even arrogant person. At times, this limits his effectiveness in moulding public opinion, persuading political peers and attaching to the grass-roots of the electorate.
Nevertheless, we can take heart from the fact that while Indian polity, unfortunately, has its Rajas and Kalmadis, we also have in our midst the likes of a Kapil Sibal, a veritable oasis in a vast desert of mediocrity. May his tribe increase!
Sathya Sai Baba born as Sathyanarayana Raju (23 November 1926 - 24 April 2011 was a guru, spiritual figure and educator. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as one of the 100 most spiritually influential people in the world. Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be the reincarnation of the spiritual guru, Sai Baba of Shirdi, whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs.
Sathya Sai Baba established schools and colleges, hospitals, and other charitable institutions in India and abroad. The number of active Sathya Sai Baba followers was estimated in 1999 to be around 6 million, though adherents' estimates are far higher.] Since there are no formal ties of membership, the actual figure may never be known. The Sathya Sai Organisation reports that there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries worldwide. In 2002, he claimed to have followers in 178 countries.
Early life and proclamation
In 1940, Sathya Sai Baba declared that he had no worldly relationship with anyone and, around this time, devotees began to gather to him. In 1944, a mandir (temple) for Sathya Sai Baba's devotees was built near the village. It is now referred to as the old mandir. The construction of Prashanthi Nilayam, the current ashram, began in 1948 and was completed in 1950.In 1957 Sathya Sai Baba went on a North Indian temple tour. In 1954, Sathya Sai Baba established a small free General Hospital in the village of Puttaparthi. In 1963, Sathya Sai Baba suffered a stroke and four severe heart attacks. It is believed by some that he healed himself of these, and on recovering announced that he announced that he would be reborn as Prema Sai Baba in the state of Karnataka.
Illness and death
Sathya Sai Baba was admitted to a hospital at Prashantigram at Puttaparthi on 28 March 2011, following respiration-related problems. After nearly a month of hospitalisation, during which his condition progressively deteriorated, Sai Baba died on 24 April at 7:40 IST. Political reactions were swift with many offering their condolences, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Dalai Lama. Others who reacted to his death included cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who canceled his birthday celebrations. The Hindu newspaper reported that "Sri Sathya Sai Baba's propagation of spiritualism and preaching of Hindu philosophy never came in the way of his commitment to secular beliefs."
His body lay in state for two days, after which it was buried on April 27, 2011.The burial was accorded the status of a state funeral by the Andhra Pradesh government. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers S. M. Krishna and Ambika Soni apart from various other political leaders, celebrities and intellectuals were in attendance through the last rites. Around 500,000 people have attended the burial.
Institutions, organisations and projects
Sathya Sai Baba supported a variety of free educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable works in over 166 countries. The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (now changed to Sri Sathya Sai University) in Prashanthi Nilayam is the only college in India to have received an "A++" rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (an autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission). Sri Sathya Sai University of which Baba was the Chancellor, has three campuses, one at Puttaparthi for men one at Whitefield, Bangalore for men, and one at Anantapur for women. His charity supports an institute for Indian classical music called the Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music. Baba's educational institutions aim to impart character education along with excellence in academics with emphasis on human values and ethics.
Sathya Sai Baba chaired the Muddenahalli- Sathya Sai Loka Seva School and Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust Educational Institutions in Muddenahalli-Kanivenarayanapura regions. In addition a Sathya Sai Baba University and Medical School as well as a world-class hospital and research institute are being constructed on over 200 acres (0.81 km2) to serve the destitute population. Baba said that the campus will be modeled after Puttaparthi and will infuse spirituality with academics.
Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital, Whitefield (suburb of Bangalore), Karnataka, India.
The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi is a 220-bed facility that provides free surgical and medical care and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao on 22 November 1991. The Sri Sathya Sai bed facility that provides free surgical and medical care and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narasimha Rao on 22 November 1991. The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Bangalore is a 333-bed hospital meant to benefit the poor. The hospital was inaugurated on 19 January 2001 by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The hospital has provided free medical care to over 250,000 patients. The Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital was opened in Whitefield, Bangalore, in 1977 and provides complex surgeries, food and medicines free of cost. The hospital has treated over 2 million patients. The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust runs several general hospitals, two specialty hospitals, eye hospitals and mobile dispensaries and conducts medical camps in rural and slum areas in India.
The Trust has also funded several major drinking water projects. One project completed in 1996 supplies water to 1.2 million people in about 750 villages in the drought-prone Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. The second drinking water project, completed in 2004, supplies water to Chennai through a rebuilt waterway named "Sathya Sai Ganga Canal". Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi praised the Chennai water project and Sai Baba's involvement. Other completed water projects include the Medak District Project benefiting 450,000 people in 179 villages and the Mahbubnagar District Project benefitting 350,000 people in 141 villages. In January 2007, the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust said it would start a drinking water project in Latur, Maharashtra. In 2008, 2 million people in the state of Orissa were affected by floods. As a relief measure, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, has built 699 houses as a part of their first phase in 16 villages by March 2009.
Sathya Sai Baba's Educare program seeks to found schools throughout the world with the goal of educating children in the five human values. According to the Sai Educare site, schools have been founded in 33 countries, including Australia, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Peru. The Times of Zambia states, "The positive influence of Sathya Sai is unprecedented in the annals of education in Zambia. Sai Baba's education ideals as embodied in his human values-based approach in education are an eye opener to educationists in Zambia."
In Canada, the Fraser Institute, an independent Canadian research and educational organization, ranked the Sathya Sai School of Canada as one of the top 37 elementary schools in Ontario. On 23 November 1999, the Department of Posts, Government of India, released a postage stamp and a postal cover in recognition of the service rendered by Sathya Sai Baba in addressing the problem of providing safe drinking water to the rural masses.
On 23 November 2001, the digital radio network Radio Sai Global Harmony was launched through the World Space Organization, United States. Dr Michael Oleinikof Nobel (distant relative to Alfred Nobel and one of the patrons for the radio network) said that the radio network would spread Sathya Sai Baba's message of global harmony and peace.
In January 2007, an event was held in Chennai Nehru stadium organised by the Chennai Citizens Conclave to thank Sathya Sai Baba for the 200crore water project which brought water from the River Krishna in Andhra Pradesh to Chennai city.
Off course, his vast empire and personality had several controversies but surely the better work and social service of Sathya Sai Baba shall inspire the world for many years to come. He was a hope for millions of his devotees and inspiration for mankind all across the globe.
(Tribute paid by Prabhakar Rao son of late PV Narsimha Rao, former PM of India)
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