OPINION - THE CRISIS IN IRAQ AND INDIA - MR. MANI SHANKAR AIYAR

http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/the-crisis-in-iraq-and-india-544814

(Mani Shankar Aiyar is a Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha)

The only time I met Hillary Clinton - or am likely to meet her - was at a small luncheon hosted by Natwar Singh, then our External Affairs minister. I had been specially invited because Natwar knew I had spent two years in our Embassy in Baghdad (1976-78) and was currently Petroleum Minister, a portfolio with a crucial connect to West Asia and Iran who supplied (and continue to supply) the bulk of our massive crude oil imports. 

I was startled to find that Ms. Clinton did not seem to have heard of either the Battle of Qadisseyah, where in 637 AD the Arabs drove the Persian Sassanids out of Mesopotamia, nor of Ismail I who from 1501 AD started the progressive transformation of Persia into a Shi'ite state, thus imparting to traditional Arab-Persian ethno-linguistic rivalry the sectarian complexion of a Sunni-Shia confrontation whose historical roots go back to the succession to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). 

The emotional consequences of the assassination of the Prophet's son-in-law, Ali, in 661 AD in the Grand Mosque of al-Kufa, and the military defeat of his sons, Hussein and Hassan, at the hands of the Ummayad Caliph, Yazd's army, at the Battle of Karbala, 680 AD, reverberate down to the 21st century, never more strongly than the present when US intervention in Iraq has brought Shia Iran cheek-by-jowl with Sunni-Wahabi Saudi Arabia and the Sunni Emirates of the western coast of the Gulf that they share with Shia Iran on the other side of the same narrow waterway.

Till almost exactly a hundred years ago, Iran's Shi'ism was principally pitted against the Sunni Turkish Empire of the Ottomans and the Sunni Kingdoms of Central Asia. The dismantling of the Ottoman Empire as a result of their defeat in the First World War led to the emergence of a number of Arab nations generally under the Mandate of Britain or France. Britain got Iraq and the modern history of Iraq begins in 1932 with King Feisal I being placed on the throne of Harun al-Rashid but as a vassal of the British Empire. (As an aside I cannot resist recalling that under the Mandate, Iraq was administered as a district of the Bombay Presidency. So, when on arrival in Baghdad, I asked my Ambassador, the gracious Romesh Bhandari, what were our "larger goals'" in Iraq, he punctured my pompous question by remarking, with a wicked gleam in his eye, that our larger goal was to re-establish that position!)

But to return to our narrative, the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown in 1958 and a decade later the Ba'ath Party under Saddam Hussein established its murderous rule. Murderous it might have been but it was also modernizing and secular. Shia and Sunni both were to be found in high office in the Baghdad where I served, both at the ministerial and civil servant level. The presence of numerous women in universities as unveiled teachers and students, as also in high public sector positions, was truly impressive. Any number of minorities, including the Christian number two to Saddam, Tariq Aziz, even the wretched Armenians, were given respect and security (provided, of course, they hailed the Leader). The Iraqis were especially proud of preserving and pointing out to Indian visitors the precincts where Guru Nanak is said to have meditated on returning from Mecca to India via Baghdad. For Saddam, India was so much the secular exemplar to follow, even as India to him was Indira (which is why he held a mass rally in Baghdad in support of her Emergency!) that when she was defeated in the elections of 1977, I saw several Iraqi officials wearing a black band of mourning on their upper arms in the expectation that in India, as in Iraq, the leader would be hanged when their government fell!

My closest encounter with the secular Iraqi state came from being required from time to time to visit Najf and Karbala on the Euphrates to distribute largesse from a fund set up by the Nawab of Rampur in the thirties to support Indian Shias resident in these holy places. After Independence, the administration of the fund had devolved on the Indian government and through it to the Embassy. That too was when I discovered the extent of Sunni-Shia rivalry for the temperature would be hovering near 50 degrees centigrade but Azmi, our English-Hindi-Arabic interpreter, would drink no water. I asked him discreetly whether he was not thirsty and he solemnly warned that since his name gave him away as a Sunni, he feared the Shias would spit in his glass before they served it to him!

All this changed with the ascendance of Ayatollah Khomeini (who, in fact, had spent 14 years of his exile in Najf under the benevolent secular protection of Saddam Hussein, the Sunni). By mid-1978, as my posting was drawing to a close, it became clear that the Shah of Iran's days were numbered. At this, Saddam startled the world by inviting the Shah's sister, the notorious Princess Ashrafi, to make a state visit to Baghdad. All stops were pulled out to make the visit a really grand affair (including all private house-owners with villas on the banks of the Tigris being ordered to vacate their homes to make these available to Princess Ashrafi's large suite) in order the better to signal the Ayatollah that the triumph of a clerico-political Shia order in Iran would be fiercely resisted by the Ba'athist regime in neighbouring Iraq. This reflected the millennial paranoia of the Iraqi Sunni that were the Sh'ia Iranians from in front and the Shias of the Euphrates (Farhat) from behind to clamp their jaws together, the Sunnis on the Tigris (Dijla), to whom Saddam and a large part of his cohort belonged, would simply be snapped up as so much carrion.  

When the Ayatollah took over, and the US hostage crisis began, the Americans (specifically Donald Rumsfeld) saw in Saddam their surrogate who would win for them their war against the Ayatollah. That is when secular Iraq crumbled. Invoking the Battle of Qadisseyah, Saddam, with massive and unremitting US backing, went in to invade Iran. Meretriciously, he called this the Second Battle of Qadisseyah. While the war with Iran ended in a draw (and the worst blood-letting since the Second World War), the Nineties brought on the first Gulf War, followed a decade later by the second, under respectively the two Bush's, father and son. Iraq as a shared home of Sunni and Shia, and a secular buffer state between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, was destroyed. The latest ISIS capture of almost all of Iraq north of Baghdad definitively smashes the buffer and brings Shia and Sunni into eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation over Baghdad. Worse, with US power exposed as hollow and non-sustainable, the field has been cleared for a resumption of the seventh-century Battle of Qadissiyeh, backed respectively by the Sunni Wahabis of Saudi Arabia and the Shia clergy of Iran.

This has been the disastrous long-term outcome of the vacuous American intervention that began with their encouraging Iraq to invade Iran in the Eighties - and all that has since followed. While we might rely on the excellence of our Foreign Service officers to rescue the Indians caught in someone else's war, as they did so magnificently in the two previous Gulf wars and more recently in Libya, what of our political leadership?

From Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, the careful cultivation of Arab friendships made us the most influential outsider in the Arab world. We began siding with Israel and cozying up to the Americans in Narasimha Rao's time (who, I often think, was perhaps our first BJP Prime Minister). By neglecting our relationship with the Arabs for the better part of the last twenty years, we are now virtually without a voice in a region from where we import 70% of our oil and is host to some 7 million expatriate Indians whose remittances fill our coffers. 

What little influence we had left is now reduced to nil by an inaugural President's Address that studiously and insultingly ignores West Asia and a Prime Minister who does not know the difference between Bhutan and Nepal or Ladakh and Thimpu. How then can we expect him to tell between the Farhat and the Dijla? In this gathering darkness, all we have to rely on is the ever-reliable Indian Foreign Service to which I once had the proud honour of belonging. Allah preserve us from the saffronisation of the Indian Foreign Service. 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Read More

Makka Masjid-run academy student Mohammed Ashraf cracks IAS exam. Congratulations

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/makka-masjidrun-academy-student-cracks-ias-exam/article6110302.ece


SRUTHISAGAR YAMUNAN

Mohammad Ashraf

The effort of the Islamic Literacy Movement of India (ILMI) to improve the number of Muslims entering the civil service in Tamil Nadu bore its first fruit on Thursday with a student of its academy functioning at the Makka Masjid on Anna Salai acing the UPSC examinations.

Hailing from Karaikudi, Mohammad Ashraf cleared the examination in his first attempt securing the 1032 rank.

Christened Azhagiya Kadan IAS Academy, the institute, which offers residential training for Muslim youth began in 2012 with a batch of 28 students.

Chief Imam Moulana S. Shamsudeen Qasinin of the Makka Masjid, where the academy is housed, said the idea for the institute stemmed from a realisation that political mobilisation alone will not help the Muslim community forge ahead in the society.

Various committee reports over the years, he said, have pointed to the need for better education in the community. “We believe more Muslims in the civil service would help,” he pointed out. More than 40 awareness drives were conducted across the State to motivate Muslim youth to join the academy, currently sustained fully by donations.

Mr. Ashraf, a former civil engineer with the Chennai Metro Rail Limited, said the environment at the academy, where he studied with many equally motivated individuals, helped him immensely. Administrative officer of the academy, Arif Ahamed, said the academy is set to expand and will take in 100 students for the next batch.

Read More

NDA GOVT. WOULD PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO DALITS,TRIBAL PEOPLE AND MUSLIMS

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-strikes-conciliatory-note/article6105273.ece?homepage=true

PM strikes conciliatory note

VARGHESE K. GEORGESMITA GUPTA

• 
  PTIPrime Minister Narendra Modi
• 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to the Opposition on Wednesday, saying he sought their cooperation in turning development into a social movement.

In a bid to be conciliatory, he said — as he made his first speech to both Houses of Parliament responding to the debate on the President’s address — that he welcomed the criticism that had emanated from the Opposition benches as it would ensure that the government did not succumb to arrogance: it also meant that that there were great expectations of his government. “Without your support, my mandate is incomplete. So I will seek your support and guidance as we proceed,” Mr. Modi said in the Rajya Sabha, recalling that it was A.B. Vajpayee who led an Indian-delegation to the U.N. when P.V. Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister.

Occasionally in the course of his 45-minute speech, delivered in Hindi, he struck a lighter note: “One year is more than enough to do politics. “Let’s work together in the first four years and do politics in the last year.”

Speaking at length on the need to tackle poverty, he said his government would pay special attention to Dalits, tribal people and Muslims — this should not be considered as appeasement: “I believe if one organ of the body remains weak, the whole can’t be called healthy? We are committed to this [progress of minorities]. We don’t see it as appeasement.”

Responding to the Congress’s criticism of the slogan Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat , he gave the decades-old slogan of India being a land of unity in diversity a new spin, saying it meant people and parties should exchange the language of division for the language of unity.

In his speech, he invoked the names of several freedom fighters, promising to build an India of their dreams. If Gandhiji’s name was taken repeatedly, with a promise to commemorate the Mahatma’s 150th birth anniversary in 2019 with a “Swacch Bharat (Clean India), Bhagat Singh and Rajguru, too, were mentioned: “By 2022, there should be nobody in the country who does not have a house with water, electricity, toilet. This is the minimum we can do.”

(Courtesy: The Hindu dated 12th June 2014)

Read More

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA , SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE TO PARLIAMENT

http://presidentofindia.nic.in/sp090614.html

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE TO PARLIAMENT

Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi: 09-06-2014

Honourable Members

I am delighted to address this first session of both Houses of Parliament after the elections to the 16th Lok Sabha. Let me begin by extending warm greetings to my fellow citizens, who participated in large numbers in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. We should never forget that we are here because of them. Serving them should be our first priority. I also felicitate the members of the new Lok Sabha. You have successfully obtained the mandate from the electorate and now you represent their hopes, aspirations and dreams. I extend a warm welcome to all of you and hope that the sessions ahead with heavy legislative agenda will be productive and useful.

2. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the recent general elections were smooth and largely peaceful. I would like to congratulate the Election Commission of India and the official machinery for conducting these elections successfully. The unprecedented interest shown by the people of India in the elections is a sign of progressive deepening of our vibrant democracy. Before I dwell upon the tasks ahead of us, I would like to express my solidarity with the families of all those who lost their lives during the election process.

3. I congratulate the new Speaker of the Lok Sabha on her unanimous election to this august office. By successively electing women Speakers, the Lok Sabha has re-affirmed our age-old belief in the importance of women in our society.

Honourable Members

4. This has been an election of Hope. It marks a turning point in the evolution of our democratic polity. The surge in aspirations and the belief that these could be realized through democratic processes, has been amply reflected in the record 66.4% participation by voters, and a clear verdict in favour of a single political party after a gap of nearly 30 years. The electorate transcended the boundaries of caste, creed, region and religion to come together and vote decisively in favour of Development through Good Governance.

5. The country needed a strong and stable government that could provide effective leadership. In my Republic Day speech earlier this year, I had hoped for 2014 to be a year of healing after the fractured and contentious politics of the previous years. Standing here today, I applaud the wisdom of my fellow citizens for having voted for stability, honesty and development in a resurgent India in which corruption will have no place. They have voted for a united, strong, and modern India - “Ek Bharat - Shreshtha Bharat”. My government will work to fulfill these aspirations; with the involvement of all the 125 crore people of this great country.

6. My government is committed to nurturing the right environment for actualizing this mandate of the people. For this, it pledges itself to the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’; which can be fulfilled only through your active participation. We will work together to re-establish the credibility of the institutions of democracy. My government will function on the mantra of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’. In all our actions, we will be guided by the core values of our great civilization.

Honourable Members

7. My Government is dedicated to the poor. Poverty has no religion, hunger has no creed, and despair has no geography. The greatest challenge before us is to end the curse of poverty in India. My government will not be satisfied with mere “poverty alleviation”; and commits itself to the goal of “poverty elimination”. With a firm belief that the first claim on development belongs to the poor; the government will focus its attention on those who need the basic necessities of life most urgently. It will take necessary steps to provide security in its entirety to all citizens; through empathy, support and empowerment.

8. Containing food inflation will be the topmost priority for my government. There would be an emphasis on improving the supply side of various agro and agro-based products. My government will take effective steps to prevent hoarding and black marketing. It will reform the Public Distribution System, incorporating best practices from the States. My government is alert about the possibility of a subnormal monsoon this year and contingency plans are being prepared.

9. Despite more than two-thirds of our people living in rural areas; we have not been able to provide adequate public amenities and livelihood opportunities to them. My government is committed to improving the quality of life in our villages, through empowered Panchayati Raj institutions. A substantial part of investment will focus on creating community assets and improving basic infrastructure such as roads, shelter, power and drinking water. My government will strive to end the rural-urban divide guided by the idea of Rurban; providing urban amenities to rural areas while preserving the ethos of the villages.

10. Agriculture is the source of livelihood for majority of our people. In the recent past, our farmers have been under severe stress with hopelessness driving some of them to suicides. My government is committed to reversing this unfortunate trend. It will increase investment in agriculture, both public and private, especially in Agri-infrastructure. Steps will be taken to convert farming into a profitable venture through scientific practices and Agro-technology. My government will address issues pertaining to pricing and procurement of agricultural produce, crop insurance and post-harvest management. Productivity of Animal Husbandry will be increased. My government will incentivize the setting up of food processing industries. Existing cooperative sector laws will be reviewed to remove anomalies and lacunae. My government will adopt a National Land Use Policy which will facilitate scientific identification of non-cultivable land and its strategic development.

11. Each drop of water is precious. My government is committed to giving high priority to water security. It will complete the long pending irrigation projects on priority and launch the ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana’ with the motto of ‘Har Khet Ko Paani’. There is a need for seriously considering all options including linking of rivers, where feasible; for ensuring optimal use of our water resources to prevent the recurrence of floods and drought. By harnessing rain water through ‘Jal Sanchay’ and ‘Jal Sinchan’, we will nurture water conservation and ground water recharge. Micro irrigation will be popularised to ensure ‘Per drop-More crop’.

Honourable Members

12. India is the world’s oldest civilization. Today it is also a country with the largest population of the youth. We must equip and nurture our youth with the right kind of education, skill-set and opportunity to reap this demographic dividend. My government will strive to transition from Youth Development to Youth-led Development. It will set up Massive Open Online Courses and virtual classrooms. It will formulate a National Education Policy aimed at meeting the challenges posed by lack of quality, research and innovation in our educational institutions. We will set up IITs and IIMs in every state. In order to empower school teachers and students, a national e-library will be established. With the motto of “Har Haath Ko Hunar”, my government will strive to break the barriers between formal education and skill development, and put in place a mechanism to give academic equivalence to vocational qualifications. With the goal of Skilled India, my government will also launch a National Multi-skill Mission.

13. The children and youth of the country need avenues of recreation that develop them constructively and keep them fit. My government will launch a ‘National Sports Talent Search System’. It will facilitate development and promotion of Indian sports, particularly rural sports. Sports will be popularised by making it an integral part of the school curriculum and providing educational incentives.

14. Our country needs a holistic health care system that is universally accessible, affordable and effective. To achieve this objective, my government will formulate a New Health Policy and roll out a National Health Assurance Mission. It will promote Yoga and AYUSH. To address the shortfall of health care professionals, health education and training will be transformed. AIIMS like institutes will be established in every State in a phased manner.

15. We must not tolerate the indignity of homes without toilets and public spaces littered with garbage. For ensuring hygiene, waste management and sanitation across the nation a “Swachh Bharat Mission” will be launched. This will be our tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary to be celebrated in the year 2019.

16. Keeping in mind welfare of the people belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the weaker sections of our society; my government will take steps to create an enabling eco-system of equal opportunity in education, health and livelihood. My Government is committed to see that those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes are able to avail emerging opportunities. For the Scheduled Tribes, my government will launch a dedicated “Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana”. Electrification of tribal hamlets and connecting them with all-weather roads will be a priority area.

17. It is unfortunate that even after several decades of independence, sections of minority communities continue to suffer from poverty, as benefits of government schemes do not reach them. My government is committed to making all minorities equal partners in India’s progress. The government will especially strengthen measures to spread modern and technical education among minority communities and a National Madarsa Modernization Programme will be initiated.

18. The welfare and rehabilitation of specially-abled people is integral to my government’s vision of a caring society. It will take steps to provide dignity of life to them by facilitating their participation in all walks of life. Steps will be taken to identify their special needs and to provide institutional care to them.

19. My government recognizes the important role our women play in the development of our society and growth of the nation. It is committed to providing 33 per cent reservation to them in the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. With a commitment of “Beti Bachao - Beti Padhao”, my government will launch a mass campaign for saving the girl child and enabling her education. It will structure a comprehensive scheme, incorporating best practices from States in this regard. In the recent past, the country has witnessed some grue some incidents of violence against women. The government will have a policy of zero tolerance for violence against women, and will strengthen the criminal justice system for its effective implementation.

Honourable Members

20. India is a federal polity. But, over the years, the federal spirit has been diluted. The States and the Centre should function as an organic Team India. In order to actively engage with the States on national issues, my government will reinvigorate fora like the National Development Council and the Inter-State Council. The Centre will be an enabler in the rapid progress of States through Cooperative Federalism. State-specific development models will be developed taking into account the special needs and unique problems of Coastal, Hilly and Desert areas. Highest priority will be accorded to bring eastern region of the country on par with western region in terms of physical and social infrastructure. My government is committed to addressing the issues relating to development of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The government will lay special emphasis on improving the intra-region connectivity and border infrastructure in the Northeast as well as in Jammu & Kashmir. The issue of infiltration and illegal immigrants in the Northeast region will be tackled on priority and all pending fencing work along the Northeast border will be completed. Special efforts will be made to ensure that Kashmiri Pandits return to the land of their ancestors with full dignity, security and assured livelihood.

21. My government is committed to providing a clean and efficient administration focussed on delivery. The institution of Lok Pal is important to curb corruption and my government will endeavour to formulate rules in conformity with the Act. My government will take steps to build the confidence and morale of our bureaucracy; enabling it with the freedom to work, and welcoming innovative ideas. The government will stress on putting in place transparent systems and timebound delivery of government services. Government systems and processes will be revisited to make them citizen friendly, corruption free and accountable. Efforts will be made to eliminate obsolete laws, regulations, administrative structures and practices. Rationalization and convergence among Ministries, Departments and other arms of the government will be ensured to have focussed delivery. Digitization of government records will be done for improving accessibility.

22. E-governance brings empowerment, equity and efficiency. It has the power to transform peoples’ lives. The backbone of my government’s new ways of working will be a Digital India. IT will be used to drive re-engineering of government processes to improve service delivery and programme implementation. We will strive to provide Wi-Fi zones in critical public areas in the next five years. My government will rollout broad band highway to reach every village and make all schools e-enabled in a phased manner. Technology will be used to prepare our children for a knowledge society. The National e-governance plan will be expanded to cover every government office from the centre to the Panchayat; to provide a wide variety of services to citizens. Emerging technologies like Social Media will be used as a tool for; participative governance, directly engaging the people in policy making and administration.

23. My government is determined to rid the country of the scourge of corruption and the menace of black money. As a first step in this direction, the government has already constituted a SIT to unearth black money stashed abroad. This will be followed up vigorously by proactively engaging with foreign governments.

24. Keeping in mind that justice delayed is justice denied, my government will adopt a multi-pronged approach to address the problem of high pendency of cases in our judicial system. It will progressively modernize the courts to improve their operational efficiency, and start reform of the criminal justice system to make dispensation of justice simpler, quicker and more effective. It will initiate a mission mode project for filling vacancies in the judiciary and for doubling the number of courts and judges in the subordinate judiciary in a phased manner. The government will give special emphasis to the development of Alternate Dispute Resolution mechanisms.

Honourable Members

25. On the economic front, we are passing through an extremely difficult phase. For two consecutive years, our GDP growth has been less than 5 per cent. Tax collection has declined. Inflation continues to be at an unacceptable level. Thus, putting the Indian economy back on track is paramount for my government. We will work together to usher our economy into a high growth path, rein in inflation, reignite the investment cycle, accelerate job creation and restore the confidence of the domestic as well as international community in our economy.

26. My government will create a policy environment which is predictable, transparent and fair. It will embark on rationalisation and simplification of the tax regime to make it non-adversarial and conducive to investment, enterprise and growth. My government will make every effort to introduce the GST while addressing the concerns of States. Reforms will be undertaken to enhance the ease of doing business. My government will follow a policy of encouraging investments, including through FDI; which will be allowed in sectors that help create jobs and assets.

27. For rapid creation of jobs in the manufacturing sector, the government will strategically promote labour-intensive manufacturing. Employment opportunities will also be expanded by promoting tourism and agro-based industries. My government will transform Employment Exchanges into Career Centres - connecting our youth with job opportunities in a transparent and effective manner through the use of technology as well as through counselling and training. The government will strengthen the pension and health insurance safety nets for labour force of all categories and would provide them access to modern financial services.

28. We need to transform ourselves into a globally competitive manufacturing hub powered by Skill, Scale and Speed. To this end, the government will set up world class investment and industrial regions, particularly along the Dedicated Freight Corridors and Industrial Corridors spanning the country. My Government will encourage the domestic industry to innovate and collaborate internationally. It will strive to move towards a single-window system of clearances both at the Centre and at the States through a hub-spoke model.

29. To strengthen our share in global trade, procedures will be simplified and trade infrastructure strengthened so as to reduce transaction time and costs. The SSI and Handicraft sectors will be encouraged by providing them enhanced technological, marketing and investment support. Export potential of this sector will be encouraged. My government will make every effort to improve the working conditions of our weavers in particular. It will also set up a task force to review and revive our MSME sector.

Honourable Members

30. Lack of robust infrastructure is one of India’s major impediments. The government will chalk out an ambitious infrastructure development programme to be implemented in the next 10 years. A fast-track, investment friendly and predictable PPP mechanism will be put in place. Modernization and revamping of Railways is on top of the infrastructure agenda. My government will launch a Diamond Quadrilateral project of high speed trains. The country will have a network of freight corridors with specialised Agri-Rail networks for perishable agricultural products. Investment in railways will be increased using innovative financing methods. Expansion of railways in Hilly States and Northeast region and modernization of rail safety systems will be prime focus areas. We will encourage R&D and high level local manufacturing for railway systems. A fast, time-bound and well monitored programme for execution of the National Highways programme will be initiated, to overcome the stagnancy of the past few years. Low cost airports will be developed to promote air connectivity to smaller towns. The government will evolve a model of Port-led development. Our long coastline will become the gateway for India’s prosperity. My government will facilitate modernization of existing ports on one hand, and development of new world class ports on the other. Stringing together the Sagar Mala project we will connect the ports with the hinterland through road and rail. Inland and coastal waterways will be developed as major transport routes.

31. My government will come out with a comprehensive National Energy Policy and focus on development of energy related infrastructure, human resource and technology. The aim of the government will be to substantially augment electricity generation capacity through judicious mix of conventional and non-conventional sources. It will expand the national solar mission and connect households and industries with gas-grids. Reforms in the coal sector will be pursued with urgency for attracting private investment in a transparent manner. The international civil nuclear agreements will be operationalized and nuclear power projects for civilian purposes will be developed.

32. My government is conscious of the fact that our urban infrastructure is under severe stress. Soon, 50 per cent of our population would be residing in urban areas. Taking urbanization as an opportunity rather than a challenge, the government will build 100 Cities focussed on specialized domains and equipped with world class amenities. Integrated infrastructure will be rolled out in model towns to focus on cleanliness and sanitation. By the time the nation completes 75 years of its Independence, every family will have a pucca house with water connection, toilet facilities, 24x7 electricity supply and access.

Honourable Members

33. While putting the country on a high growth path, my government will keep sustainability at the core of our planning process. My government strongly believes that environmental conservation can go hand in hand with development. To achieve this, environment and forest clearance systems will be made more predictable, transparent and time-bound. Simultaneously, an effective system will be developed for sound appraisal processes and strict compliance of clearance conditions, especially those relating to rehabilitation of displaced communities and regeneration of forests. Cleaner fuels will be promoted to bring down pollution levels in our cities. The government will earnestly take up mitigation works to meet the challenges posed by climate change and will closely work with the global community in this regard. Conservation of Himalayan ecology will be a priority area for my government. A National Mission on Himalayas will be launched.

34. In the recent past, serious concerns have been expressed regarding use of discretionary powers in allocation of our precious natural resources. The government will formulate clear and transparent policies on allocation of critical natural resources such as coal, minerals and spectrum.

35. River Ganga is a part of our rich cultural heritage, a symbol of faith and the lifeline for millions. However, Ganga continues to remain polluted with many stretches of the river becoming dry in lean season. My government will take all necessary steps to ensure a perennial, clean and pristine Ganga.

36. Our rich cultural heritage is the very foundation on which rests the unity of our diverse nation. Indian languages are repositories of our rich literature, history, culture, art and other achievements. My government will launch a national mission “e-Bhasha” that will develop digital vernacular content and disseminate our classic literature in different languages. My government will also provide the required resources for the maintenance and restoration of national heritage sites.

37. India has a vast untapped potential for tourism which can play a special role in our socio-economic progress. The government will initiate a mission mode project to create 50 tourist circuits that are built around specific themes. With a view to encouraging pilgrimage tourism, a National Mission for beautifying and improving the amenities and infrastructure at pilgrimage centres of all faiths will be launched.

38. My government recognises the central role of Science and Technology in raising the quality of life. It will encourage and incentivise private sector investments, both domestic and foreign, in science and technology and in high-end research aimed at nurturing innovation. My government will build world class research centres in the fields of nanotechnology, material sciences, thorium technology, brain research, stem cells, etc. The government will also establish institutes of Technology for Rural Development and a Central University of Himalayan Studies.

Honourable Members

39. The government will maintain utmost vigil in the area of internal security. A policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, extremism, riots and crime will be pursued. The States will be assisted for modernizing police infrastructure and equipment to tackle new forms of terrorism including narco terrorism and cyber threats. A national plan will be chalked out in consultation with the state governments to effectively curb incidents of communal violence and the challenges posed by left wing extremism. My government will take steps to equip the security forces with the latest technology and to improve their working conditions.

40. My Government will carry out reforms in defence procurement to increase efficiency and economy. It will encourage domestic industry, including the private sector; to have a larger share in design and production of defence equipment. We will introduce policies to strengthen technology transfer, including through liberalised FDI in defence production. With readily available skilled human resource, India can emerge as a global platform for defence manufacturing including software, which will strengthen our defence and spur industrial development as well as exports.

41. The country is proud of its Armed Forces. They serve the nation with professionalism, dedication and valour; securing our nation and supporting relief and rescue operations in the wake of disasters and calamities. We will strengthen defence preparedness by modernising our Armed Forces and addressing the shortage of manpower on priority. Recognising the importance of coastal security, my government will set up a National Maritime Authority.

42. My government will do everything to repay the debt of our brave and selfless soldiers. It will appoint a Veterans Commission to address their grievances, so that they know that we don’t stop caring for them when they retire from active service. The government will build a National War Memorial to honour the gallantry of our soldiers. One Rank, One Pension scheme will be implemented.

Honourable Members

43. India’s foreign policy, with its civilizational roots and heritage, is based on the principles of developing peaceful and friendly relations with all countries. We will pursue our international engagement based on enlightened national interest, combining the strength of our values with pragmatism, leading to a doctrine of mutually beneficial relationships. My government is committed to building a strong, self-reliant and self-confident India; regaining its rightful place in the comity of nations.

44. My government sent a unique and bold signal to the South Asian region and the world, by inviting for the first time in independent India, leaders of all South Asian neighbours to the swearing-in ceremony of the new Council of Ministers on May 26. We are grateful to them for accepting the invitation at such a short notice. Their participation, as also the gracious presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius; not only added sheen to the ceremony, but also represented a celebration of democracy in the region and convergence of our shared hopes and aspirations. This shows my government’s commitment and determination to work towards building a peaceful, stable and economically inter-linked neighbourhood which is essential for the collective development and prosperity of the South Asian Region. We will further work together with South Asian leaders to revitalise SAARC as an effective instrument for regional cooperation and as a united voice on global issues.

45. At the same time, we will never shy away from raising issues of concern to us at a bilateral level. We emphasize that the future of shared prosperity can only be built on the foundation of stability in the region, which requires sensitivity to security concerns and an end to export of terrorism to neighbours.

46. My Government will engage energetically with other neighbours in our region, including China, with whom we will work to further develop our Strategic and Cooperative Partnership. We will strive to make progress in the many initiatives that are ongoing with Japan, especially in the field of building modern infrastructure in our country. Russia remains a privileged and strategic partner and my government will build further on the firm foundations of this relationship.

47. India and the United States have made significant progress in developing strategic partnership over the years. My government will bring a renewed vigour to our engagement and intensify it in all areas, including trade, investment, science and technology, energy and education. India also values its broad-based cooperation with Europe. The government will make concerted efforts to achieve progress in key areas with the European Union as well as its leading members.

48. To fully realize our softpower potential; there is a need to integrate it into our external interchange, with particular emphasis on our rich spiritual, cultural and philosophical heritage. The government will revive Brand India riding on our strengths of 5T’s: Tradition, Talent, Tourism, Trade and Technology.

49. Across the world, we have a vibrant, talented and industrious Indian Diaspora that is a source of great pride for us. They have done pioneering work in diverse fields, held the highest public offices and have worked hard to support their localities and families in India. While they have contributed immensely to their adopted country, they also carry a little flame of India in their hearts that can light up the promise of change in our country. A hundred years ago, in 1915, India’s greatest Pravasi Bharatiya, Mahatma Gandhi, returned home and transformed the nation’s destiny. The next Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in January 2015 will thus be a special occasion. As we celebrate the centenary of Gandhiji’s return to India, we would also take steps that would deepen every Pravasi Bharatiya’s connection with India and involve them in India’s development.

Honourable Members

50. The people of India have given a clear mandate. They want to see a vibrant, dynamic and prosperous India. They want to see a resurgent India regaining the admiration and respect of the international community. Brimming with hope and expectation, they want quick results. With three Ds of Democracy, Demography and Demand on our side, India is poised to actualize these aspirations. We must rise to the occasion to fulfill these great expectations. In 60 months from now, we should be able to say with confidence and pride that we have done it.

JAI HIND

Read More

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES 

By V.M. Khaleelur Rahman,

The Chief Justice of India, Mr. K. G. Balakrishnan had said sometime ago that a uniform civil code is a highly sensitive issue in our country where people belonging to different castes, races and communities live and explained it in detail saying that “it took thirty years for Britishers to implement the Indian penal code after its codification in the beginning of 1830”. It is really welcome and appreciable. I feel that his opinion should have pleased the minorities here particularly Muslims and Christians.

In a plural society like India only plural laws can give a strong feeling of nationality. Ours is a country of people belonging to different faiths and cultures and of course they must have the laws of their respective choice. The different personal laws in vogue now should continue to exist for the purpose of unity and solidarity of the country. If a uniform civil code is imposed on the unwilling minorities, it will not only be of no use, but also weaken our country. The best way is to make the different personal laws uniform as much as possible. There is no attempt in this respect by any quarter just because the uncalled for obiter dicta of the Supreme Court is being exploited by communal parties to their selfish political ends and the Muslim intellectuals who have the interest of the community and country at heart have lost their grounds for reforms of the Muslim personal law in the midst of rampant communal atmosphere.

There is an urgent need for creating a right atmosphere in the country where people can feel free to think and decide their issues. Moreover there is mention of a uniform civil code in the Directive Principles of the Constitution and not of a common civil code. It is well known that the Hindu laws are not the same everywhere in the country. The tribals also enjoy their own laws and they continue to receive support from all politicians. As the first step let the Hindu laws be made uniform.

This writer asked many ulemas about this issue. They say in so many words that they cannot oppose a uniform civil code if it is within the framework of the Islamic laws but there is no possibility of this and hence their opposition. It is wrong to say that Muslims oppose a uniform civil code. They only oppose any imposition of unwanted laws on them because they feel and rightly so that Islam provides better laws which are not only for them but for all human beings of all times. On the contrary the laws found in the Indian personal laws are not perfect.

The Muslims should consider that the Holy Quran has given excellent laws about marriage, divorce, inheritance etc. which are indeed far better than the modern laws and so they should adopt them in spirit and letter.

A majority of Muslims oppose the unilateral and instant triple divorce system and prefer the rational Quranic laws. The Ulema (Islamic scholars) belonging to the Ahle-hadees school of thought simply consider this system un-Islamic and invalid. All other Ulema also consider the instant triple system an act of the days of ignorance (Ayyamul Jahiliyya) but "occured" if it is practised even though it is not an approved system in the light of the holy Quran and Ahadees. All Ulema say that divorce should only be as the last resort and there should not be any hasty decision. There are many books written on this subject. Moreover almost all Muslim intellectuals, including Justice V. Khalid, former judge of the Supreme court, disapprove this system and consider it un-Islamic.

Islam provides laws for all situations and it is our inability to make use of them properly. And it is this inability of ours which often lands us in trouble. If Muslims follow the Islamic laws in spirit and letter, not only they will be benefited, but even people belonging to other faiths will come forward to follow them because of their fairness.

The Muslim Personal Law should continue to be in existence in our country and of course we can and should make necessary changes in it as time demands.

Read More

SUDHEENDRA KULKARNI INTERPRETS THE EGYPTIAN MANDATE

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/interpreting-the-egyptian-mandate/article6082841.ece

Interpreting the Egyptian mandate

SUDHEENDRA KULKARNI

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s election confirms that Egypt has a military-guided democracy. But this should not make us jump to the conclusion that it is not democracy at all

Egypt has a new President. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was the country’s Army chief and Defence Minister, has won a landslide victory in the presidential election held in the last week of May. He defeated his opponent, Hamdeen Sabahi, by securing 96.91 per cent of the votes polled.

Mr. Sisi, 59, is Egypt’s sixth President (not counting interim heads of state), and the fifth with a military background, since the country became a republic in 1953 following the removal of King Farouk by the Army. The only non-military person ever to become Egypt’s elected President was Mohamed Morsi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and now in jail. Mr. Sisi’s election marks both a closure and, perhaps, partial continuation of the strong socio-political turbulence that has gripped Egypt for over three years. It began with a popular uprising in 2011, known as the January 25 Revolution, which brought Mr. Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year-long dictatorial reign to an end. Mr. Morsi was elected in June 2012, only to be unseated from power in July 2013, when he became the target of an even bigger, popular uprising.

 A majority of Egyptians are against religious extremism and prefer peace, safety and stability. 

The yearning for a strong leader

Mr. Sisi’s victory was a foregone conclusion going by the immense popularity he gained after he, as Army chief, backed the huge countrywide protests against Mr. Morsi. He earned the reputation of being a strong leader when he served Mr. Morsi an ultimatum to resign within 48 hours. When the Muslim Brotherhood protested angrily by staging indefinite sit-ins in Cairo squares, he ordered a crackdown by security forces in which nearly a 1,000 of Mr. Morsi’s supporters were killed. He was the de-facto ruler of Egypt even during the reign of the post-Morsi interim government, when a new Constitution was adopted. This is when the Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed and declared a “terrorist organisation.” In the run-up to the presidential poll, Mr. Sisi went to the extent of saying that the Muslim Brotherhood would cease to exist during his presidency.

His election confirms that Egypt has a military-guided democracy. But this should not make us jump to the conclusion that it is not democracy at all, simply military rule in a civilian garb. This is unlikely to happen. The tumultuous events since the overthrow of the hated Mubarak regime have shown that there has been a democratic awakening and activism on a scale unprecedented in Egypt’s history or even Arab history. This mass awakening cannot be suppressed. After his victory, Mr. Sisi has sought to quash apprehensions on this score by saying, “We know that some people fear a return to the past, but this will not happen, there is no going back and we will move forward.”

Many Indians, who cheered the “Arab Spring” in 2011, in this most populous Arab country, are naturally baffled by the subsequent developments. Why did the largely non-violent anti-Mubarak and pro-democracy mass protests at Cairo’s Tahrir Square herald an era of instability? Why did Egyptians return to the same Tahrir Square in even larger numbers to demand Mr. Morsi’s ouster? Why did an Islamist organisation like the Muslim Brotherhood become unpopular so quickly in a country with a 90 per cent Muslim population? Why did Egyptians begin to lionise an ex-Army chief who was an almost unknown figure even two years ago?

Challenges behind the victory

It is to find answers to some of these questions that I spent a week in Egypt in February this year. What I found is that a majority of Egyptians are against religious extremism (hence their anger against Mr. Morsi’s majoritarian and coercive regime) and prefer peace, safety and stability (hence their faith in a military leader who is tough on Islamism but is not against Islam).

Indeed, what endeared Mr. Sisi to most Egyptians, especially women, is the combination of the hard and the soft in his personality. While he responded to their deep yearning for a strong leader capable of bringing order to a nation convulsed by three years of violence and chaos that has wrecked the national economy on the one hand, he came across as a pious Muslim who could touch the hearts of the common people with his soft-spoken and compassionate talk on the other. Moreover, in a country that regards the Army as the supreme and most reliable patriotic institution, many people saw him as a committed defender of Egyptian nationalism, as against the Brotherhood’s call for Islamic internationalism that marginalises Coptic Christians (who account for 10 per cent of the country’s 85 million population) and rejects the glory of Egypt’s pre-Islamic Pharaonic past.

However, Mr. Sisi’s impressive victory margin cannot hide the harsh challenges that are bound to test his presidency. The mandate he has received is somewhat weakened already by the less-than-expected turnout of voters. This was partly due to the fact that since his victory was a certainty, many voters believed that their individual vote would make no material difference to the poll outcome. In an extraordinary move, the Election Commission, finding the turnout to be low in the scheduled two-day poll, extended polling to the third day. Even then, Mr. Sisi could garner only about 24 million votes, out of 54 million registered voters, which fell short of the target of 40 million votes that he had publicly sought.

The low turnout has again shown that the Egypt that Mr. Sisi will lead remains a divided nation. This has emboldened his critics — the Muslim Brotherhood, which had called for a boycott of the poll, and also many non-Islamist democratic forces that were in the vanguard of the anti-Mubarak uprising and who now fear a return to authoritarian Army rule under Mr. Sisi.

Therefore, the main challenge before Mr. Sisi is to forge what he himself has called a “real national partnership that satisfies all Egyptians.” He has made the assurance that “our arms are open for everyone to build the nation.” No less onerous is the other challenge of quickly reviving the national economy, so that the new President can, in his own words, “calm the young.” They are restive because Egypt is reeling under a 13 per cent unemployment rate, with 800,000 fresh arrivals to the job market each year. He has to fix soaring inflation and a crippling budget deficit, almost 14 per cent of GDP. Tourism, a major revenue earner and job-generator, is down to a fourth of its peak levels. Mr. Sisi has repeatedly stated that tourists will not return to Egypt, and investments cannot be speeded up for economic growth unless protests stop and the country is perceived by the rest of the world to be safe and stable. The government has therefore banned public protests. It has also arrested a large number of both liberal-democratic and pro-Brotherhood activists. This has earned Mr. Sisi many critics, at home as well as abroad. However, the new President obviously thinks that in the current situation in Egypt, stability and development must take precedence over certain democratic freedoms.

Rebooting India-Egypt ties

Many Egyptians believe that the restoration of hope is the need of the hour. They despair that Egypt, despite its past glory, is a poor member of the Arab world today. In his book The Real Story of the Egyptian Revolution, Hassan Elsawaf writes: “The contrast between today’s Egypt and what the country used to be is quite evident in a photograph, taken after World War II, that shows King Farouk seated in a comfortable armchair, dignified and self-assured. Surrounding him is a huge group of the offspring of Saudi and other Gulf rulers, all standing in deference to the Egyptian monarch. They all represent the degree of veneration Egypt enjoyed among Gulf Arabs at the time, having saved them from impending famine with generous donations.”

Today, Egypt has to depend on generous aid, worth billions of dollars, from Saudi Arabia and several Gulf states. Mr. Sisi has said that he wants to change this reality. He can succeed if he strongly and simultaneously pursues five guiding principles — of good governance, development, democratic institution-building, containment of religious extremism, and national reconciliation. As the head of a country with which India has always enjoyed friendly relations, we Indians should wish him and the Egyptian people well.

It is a pity that India-Egypt relations have remained at a very low level. Egyptians have enormous goodwill for India and still remember the warmth of the Nehru-Nasser friendship. In contrast, Egypt — and much of the rest of the Arab world, too — has become distant in the national consciousness of Indians. This must change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a good opportunity to befriend President Sisi now that Egypt has begun increasingly to look for economic and political ties with the non-western countries.

This will also help the Modi government reach out to the larger Muslim world since the march of moderate Islam — of the kind Egypt espouses — will greatly benefit India, our South Asian neighbourhood and the rest of the world.

(Sudheendra Kulkarni was an aide to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee 

(Courtesy: The Hindu) 

Read More

MUSLIM PERSONAL LAW BOARD AND UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

http://www.ummid.com/news/2014/June/03.06.2014/muslim-panel-on-uniform-law.html
Muslim personal law board to start campaign against Uniform Civil Code 

Malegaon: Terming uniform civil code unrealistic and impractical in India, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), an apex body of the India Muslims, has decided to start a campaign against any move to impose the controversial law in the country.


"We firmly believe that uniform civil code is impractical for India – a country so diverse in nature and having so many religions, castes and people owing allegiance to too many faiths. Any move to impose uniform civil code in India will be suicidal. It is actually deadly not only for Muslims but also for the people of other religions and faiths", AIMPLB Asst. Gen Secretary and spokesperson Abdur Raheem Qureshi said while talking to ummid.com on the sidelines of its national convention held in Jalgaon Sunday.

He said the board is in touch with like-minded Hindus and people from other faith and religions in order to garner their support for the campaign the board intends to start to create awareness about the dangers of the common civil code.

"The problem is that people think only Muslims are opposed to the uniform civil code. The fact is that it is equally disadvantageous for other minorities, and also for a good number of Hindu castes", he added.

The board decision is significant as it comes at the time when chairman of the Press Council of India Justice Markandey Katju claimed that one of the reasons for the backwardness of Muslims was that there was no modernization of their personal law.

"The issue of a uniform civil code has recently been raised. I am fully in support of a uniform civil code," Katju, a former Supreme Court judge, said in a recent article.

"The Constitution was made in 1950, and 64 years had passed since it was promulgated, but Article 44 had been totally ignored, "obviously for vote-bank politics", he said, adding that this had contributed to making Muslims backward.

There are however others who believe that the board should refrain from involving itself into such activities, and instead should concentrate on socio-economic and educational empowerment of the community, especially the women.

"The BJP has said in its manifesto that it will bring in the uniform civil code in the country. Now, when it has come into the power, it should explain what will be the basis of this uniform civil code?" Aleem Faizee, convenor of Citizens for Development & Peace (CDP), said.

He said that the board should utilize its energy and resources for other purposes as the government can never have a consensus on a uniform civil code.

"There are a good number of people in the country who will never agree on the common civil code. Let them come out in open and register their opposition. Why the Muslim panel is taking a lead and unnecessarily giving a Hindu-Muslim twist to a national issue", he added.

He said the Muslim community leaders will repeat the same mistake they did during the 2014 election when they played into the hands of the so called secular parties and converted the entire election into a "Muslim vs Modi" war.

"The Muslims should remain vigilant and alert, there is no doubt on this. But they should now realise the fact that any campaign – whether it is against communal forces or uniform civil code or other such issues, it should be spearheaded by secular Hindus. The Muslims should support it. When Muslims try to lead such movements it is counter productive as we saw in the recent election", Aleem Faizee said.

(Courtesy: Ummid.com)

aw.html#sthash.1rF3gHYY.dpuf

Read More