Revisiting the traumatic partition of India and Pakistan in August 1947 author, journalist and expert on South Asian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern Affairs Dilip Hiro evaluates afresh the intractable relationship between the two nuclear neighbours. 

Tensions between the majority Hindus and minority Muslims caused the split in the Indian subcontinent. There were 250 million Hindus and 90 million Muslims in the subcontinent on the eve of partition. 

Hiro chronicles the historically fraught Indo-Pak dispute over Kashmir. His narrative is insightful describing the wars, assassinations, human rights violations coupled with the shared mania for cricket and films.

 Coincidentally there were two lawyers from Gujarat — Father of the nation Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Gujarati speaking Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah — who rose to become titanic public figures in the country’s landscape. Kashmir remains the world’s longest running and most intractable conflict. 

Hiro and his family hailed from the Larkana in Sindh like the Bhuttos. They were refugees from West Pakistan and travelled by ship from Karachi to Okha in Gujarat. He pursued higher education and became an engineer before going on to become a self taught professional writer in London. 

The protracted Kashmir tangle has its roots in the tensions between India and Pakistan dating back eight centuries. The subjugation of the Indian subcontinent by Britain in 1807 gave rise to Indian nationalism within a century. 

Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India in 1915 from South Africa sowed the seed in national politics that would grow into a tree covering much political space. His rivalry with Jinnah would come to dominate subcontinental politics for three decades. 

Gandhi made an alliance with the Muslim leaders of the Khilafat movement which was committed to the caliphate based in Istanbul that had come under threat after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire by the Allied Powers in 1918. Jinnah returned from London to take up the leadership of the Muslim League and his articulation of the two nation theory. 

Though the league performed poorly in the 1937 elections, the policies of the Congress ministries, composed almost wholly of Hindus, gave a preview of the insensitivity of Congress officials towards the beliefs and mores of Muslims. In the 1945-46 elections, the League won 73 per cent of the Muslim votes, a giant leap from the previous five per cent. 

Britain’s decision to quit India after World War II intensified the rivalry between the Congress and the League: the former wished to inherit a united India from the British, and the latter resolved to establish a homeland for Muslims by partitioning the subcontinent. 

On August 14-15, 1947 the communal bloodbath which engulfed India and Pakistan subsided after a few months. The dispute over Kashmir broke soon thereafter and has continued to vitiate relations between the two neighbours. Indeed the subsequent chronology has been peppered with so many challenges, crises, proxy wars, ongoing attempts to covertly exploit ethnic and other fault lines in their respective societies, hot wars and threats of nuclear strikes that as a historian Hiro encapsulates Indo-Pak relations as “the longest August”. 

Democracy based on multi-party system and universal suffrage took hold in India. By contrast political life deteriorated in Pakistan to the extent that General Mohammad Ayub Khan imposed military rule in 1958. His efforts to seek a satisfactory solution to the Kashmir problem in consultation with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru got nowhere. As China had occupied a part of Jammu and Kashmir, Nehru had to deal with the Chinese government which independently disputed the border delineating northeastern India from the Tibet region of China. 

When Nehru tried to assert India’s claim by making military moves, war broke out between India and China in October 1962. It ended a month later with China having proved its military superiority declaring a unilateral ceasefire and withdrawing its forces to prewar positions. 

Overall Nehru’s inflexible stance on Kashmir for 17 years stoked frustration among Pakistani leaders. When they failed they tried to change the status quo through force. Given India’s military superiority these attempts failed. The setbacks in Kashmir changed Pakistan’s history radically. 

Nehru was suffused with self-righteousness. This attitude had its merits in sticking to progressive concepts as secularism and democracy in India. But it was ill suited to diplomacy where give and take is the universally accepted currency. This became apparent in his dealings with Pakistan on Kashmir and then with China on the border issue. 

The war that Pakistan had started in Jammu and Kashmir (Indian held Kashmir as Hiro says) in September 1965 failed to deliver what the neighbour had hoped: destruction of the status quo in Kashmir. Its failure in the war led to the toppling of Ayub Khan and then to the secession of East Pakistan. 

The week long Bangladesh war in 1971 led to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi slewing the two nation theory of Jinnah. 

This showed that ethnicity overrides religion which was also a setback for Muslim separatists in J and K. 

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto salvaged West Pakistan. Even though he held weak cards in his negotiations with Gandhi in Shimla in June 1972, he managed to deprive her in bringing the Kashmir issue to an official closure. 

Following the rigged elections in Pakistan in March 1977, Bhutto faced huge protests. Islamist Army chief Muhammad Zia ul Haq overthrew the government and returned Pakistan to military administration. It lasted till August 1988 when Zia Islamised the state moving Pakistan away from a secular India. The Soviet Union’s military involvement in Afghanistan turned Pakistan into a frontline state in the cold war helping Zia ul Haq accelerate the nuclear weapons programme in which China provided Pakistan with vital assistance. In 1984 it tested an atom bomb assembled in Pakistan. 

Rajiv Gandhi’s succession following his mother Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her bodyguards in October 1984 was smooth. He found a congenial political partner in Benazir Bhutto, a daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, after her election as Prime Minister of Pakistan in December 1988. 

The bonhomie dissipated as separatist insurgency in Kashmir intensified from 1989 onwards. During the Prime Ministership of P V Narasima Rao after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991, the international scene changed radically. The disintegration of the Soviet Union in December 1991 signalled the victory of the United States in the Cold War. 

New Delhi strengthened its links with Washington. Rao accelerated India’s nuclear arms programme but his plan to test three nuclear devices in late 1995 was thwarted by U S President Bill Clinton. 

In a bid to consolidate his thin majority in Parliament, Atal Behari Vajpayee, leader of the Hindu Nationalist BJP, ordered the testing of nuclear bombs in May 1999. Two weeks later Pakistan followed suit. With that Pakistan acquired parity with India in its power of military deterrence thus offsetting its military inferiority in the conventional sphere. 

A reassured Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif welcomed Vajpayee in Lahore in February 1999. Three months later Pakistan army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf tried to capture Kargil region of J and K by stealth. He failed. But his surreptitious unveiling of nuclear tipped missiles was detected by Clinton who then intervened. 

With Congress Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assuming office in 2004, he and Musharraf set up backchannel parleys to reach an accord on Kashmir. Their personal envoys forged a plan which Musharraf unveiled in 2006. 

Musharraf had to step down as President in 2008 to avoid being impeached by Parliament. As though the Kashmir deadlock was not enough, the rivalry between Pakistan and India for dominant influence in Afghanistan intensified as the US led Nato forces prepared to leave that country by December 2014. 

The book is a must read to understand the predilections of the Hindu leaders in India and their Muslim counterparts in Pakistan which has deepened the trust deficit leading to a deadens. Or has it!!! 

NEW DELHI: In a bid to usher in a new culture of governance and put an end to VIP culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet on Wednesday decided to ban red flashing lights on the cars of of ministers, chief ministers, officials and judges. 

Come May 1, even Prime Minister Modi and other ministers will not use beacons or “lal battis” anymore. Only emergency vehicles will be permitted to use blue beacons. As a step to show the way, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari removed the “lal batti” from his own car and told reporters that the Modi government “is a government of common masses and has decided to abolish VIP culture of sirens and beacon lights” 

Later, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that no one at the Centre or in states can announce any exceptions to the new rule.  “Blue lights, used often for the escort car preceding VIPs, will be allowed only for emergency vehicles,” he said. 

Mr. Gadkari said the government was of the view that beacons had been perceived by the people as being symbols of VIP culture and have not place in a healthy democratic set up in the country. 

However, vehicles like ambulances, fire service, relief and emergency services will be allowed to have beacons. A detailed notification in this regard will be issued soon by the government. 

Recently, Prime Minister Modi had driven down to the Delhi airport to receive Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and his restricted convoy moved in “normal traffic” with no restrictions throughout the route from his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence to the airport. As per provisions of the Blue Book on VVIP security, police puts up barricades and block route that the top dignitaries take. Often common people have to wait for a long time for normality to be restored on the roads. Many a times ambulances and children rushing to their examination centres have been put to inconvenience. Social media videos of such incidents have evoked anger and resentment from the people.

The Cabinet has given its nod to Election Commission’s proposal for procurement of new 16 lakh 15 thousand new Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while briefing media said, the machines, if ordered in this month can be supplied by the manufacturers by September 2018. He said, through this voter will come to know whether his or her vote has been registered correctly or not.

Mr Jaitley said, the total estimated cost would be three thousand one hundred seventy three crore rupees excluding taxes and freight. The decision will enable use of VVPAT units in all polling booths in General Election of 2019. The Supreme Court had in October 2013 said every voter has a right to know whether his vote has been registered correctly.

VVPAT will prove as an additional layer of transparency for the satisfaction of voters and allay any apprehension in the minds of voters regarding non-temperability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Machines will be purchased during the current fiscal and next financial year from Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Cooperation of India.

The demand for VVPAT has been made vociferously by several opposition parties after recent Assembly polls. The opposition had blamed that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were manipulated in the elections. The Election Commission had recently once again written to the Law Commission for procurement of VVPAT machines.

Congress has welcomed the government’s decision to allot money to procure paper trail machines (VVPATs) for their use during future elections. In a tweet, senior party leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram said, it is a clear victory for the Congress, other opposition parties and democracy as a whole.

Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, MM Joshi and Uma Bharti will face trial in the Ayodhya disputed structure case as the Supreme Court today allowed the CBI plea and restored criminal conspiracy charges against them. The court also clubbed the trial in the matter pending against the leaders and karsevaks and said the proceedings should be completed in two years.
A bench comprising Justices PC Ghose and RF Nariman noted that Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh enjoys Constitutional immunity and can be tried only after he ceases to hold the office. Kalyan Singh was the chief minister of UP in 1992. More from our correspondent: 
Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Ritambara, Satish Pradhan, Champat Rai Bansal and Late Giriraj Kishore are among others who will face criminal conspiracy in the case. The court also gave significant directions including that separate trials being conducted in trial courts at Raebareli and Lucknow will be clubbed and conducted in the Lucknow only. It also said that the trial judge of Lucknow shall not be transferred till conclusion and delivery of judgment in the sensational case. 
The court further said that no party shall be granted adjournment without the sessions judge being satisfied of the reasons for it and conduct day-to-day trial. It also directed CBI to ensure that prosecution witnesses appear on each and every date for recording of evidence in the case and the trial court should start the proceedings within four weeks from today.
It, however, clarified that there would be no fresh trial in the matter. The bench also directed that its order should be followed in letter and spirit and granted liberty to the parties to approach it if its directions are not followed. 
There were two sets of cases relating to the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992. The first involved unnamed ‘karsevaks’, the trial of which is taking place in a Lucknow court, while the second set of cases relate to the leaders is in a Raebareli court.

The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict today on a plea seeking restoration of conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders, including Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti in the demolition of a disputed structure case in Ayodhya. A bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and R F Nariman is scheduled to pronounce the judgement.

There were two sets of cases relating to the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992. 

The first involved unnamed ‘karsevaks’, the trial of which is taking place in a Lucknow court, while the second set of cases relate to important personalities in a Rae Bareli court.

On April 6 this year, the bench had indicated that they may order holding of joint trial of the two sets of cases by transferring the trial from Rae Bareli to the Lucknow court.

The apex court had also said since 25 years have already passed, in the interest of justice, it would consider ordering time-bound trial on day-to-day basis, to be completed preferably within two years.

Expressing concern over the increasing incidence of diabetes among the young population, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh has called for focus on controlling the disease and said that this was not only a health priority but also a national priority considering the invaluable potential of the youth energy in the making of “New India”. 

Addressing a National Consultation on “Optimising the Skills of Health Workers To Tackle NCDs in India’’, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the disease spectrum in India, over the last few decades, had shifted from Communicable to Non-Communicable Diseases as a result of which, Type 2 Diabetes mellitus, heart disease and cancer had occupied the centre stage. This has, at the same time, also resulted in huge social and economic burden on society which has more than 65% of population below the age of 45 and, therefore, cannot afford any drainage or wastage of valuable youth potential. 

Dr Jitendra Singh cautioned that more than the rapidly spreading epidemic of Diabetes, the more serious concern is upsurge of Diabetes in younger age groups and among hitherto lesser affected sections of the society and lesser affected parts of the country including rural areas and village folk. This, he said, is also, to a great extent, because of the breakdown of the rural-urban divide resulting in unhealthy lifestyle changes across all sections of society. 

Making a strong plea for engaging in public-private partnership (PPP) modules, Dr Singh said the government agencies, social scientists and health professionals will have to work in tandem to devise strategies for control and prevention of Diabetes before it appears. 

Underlining the Central Government’s concern and priority for health issues, Dr Singh referred to the recent decision of the Government to streamline and control the prices of cardiac stents used for heart patients. He also referred to the Government’s move for use of generic medicines and to introduce a comprehensive health policy under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Considering the topography of some of the far-flung and inaccessible areas of the country, Dr Singh said, he had also proposed the idea of having “Air-Clinic” set up inside a helicopter with a specialist and requisite equipment as well as paramedics which could be used as an OPD at more than one places on a single day. 

The Consultation, organized by Project Hope, drew experts from the government, corporate, senior endocrinologists ad diabetologists, civil society, academia and international donor agencies, was aimed at providing a platform for presenting and discussing the most recent innovations, promising practices, trends, challenges and solutions adopted to improve the skills of health workers in the field of NCDs.

According to Dr Laxmikant Palo, Regional Director for Project Hope South-East Asia, the quality of NCDs related health outcomes was inextricably dependent on the availability of skilled, motivated and well-supported health workforce and adequate health infrastructure. The public and private sectors need to invest more for continuous improvement of the skills of health workforce to effectively respond to the growing burden of NCDs in India, he added.

Shortly after the arrest of liquor baron and India’s one of the biggest defaulters Vijay Mallya, Westminster Magistrate Court granted him bail. Vijay Mallya tweeted, “Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in court started today as expected.”  
Soon after the arrest internet started trending with the hashtags of #VijayMallya. 
Loans from Banks, Rupees in crore:
State Bank of India- 1600 Punjab National Bank- 800 IDBI- 800Bank of India- 650United Bank of India- 430Central Bank of India- 410UCO Bank- 320Corporation Bank- 310State Bank of Mysore- 150Indian Overseas Bank- 140Federal Bank – 90Punjab & Sindh Bank- 60Axis Bank- 50

Downfall of Kingfisher Airlines
Kingfisher Airlines was founded in 2003 under the parent company of United Breweries Group. It made its maiden commercial flight on May 9th 2005. In June 2009, Mallya bought Air Deccan and in November it recorded a net loss of 418.77 crore. This loss laid off more than 100 pilots of Kingfisher. In 2011, Mumbai International Airport sent notice to the Mallya to pay 90 crore outstanding amount. Later on, Vijay Mallya repeatedly asked the government for a bailout package to pay the debt of the banks. The then government denied any such package and then he fled to London after failing to pay the loan to banks. Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley had also appealed to British Prime Minister Theresa May in February 2017 to give access to extradite Mallya. It looks like the consistent effort of the NDA government behind the arrest of Vijay Mallya. Now, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will appeal in the British court to extradite Mallya to India. 

In an endeavor to provide smooth travel experience to the railway travelers, Indian Railways have taken various initiatives for improved passenger experience. Considering the peak season during summers, Indian Railways is poised to offer convenient travel to the passengers without upsetting their plans. 
To ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation, following initiatives have been undertaken by Indian Railways:-
i) Finalization of first reservation chart at least 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
ii) After preparation of first reservation chart, current ticket booking facility provided through any reserved ticket booking window as well as on internet till preparation of second reservation chart.
iii) Transfer of vacant available accommodation after preparation of second reservation chart to next remote location.
iv) Following facilities are also provided online through IRCTC website:
a) Waitlisted passengers given the option of accommodation in any other train without payment of any difference of fare or grant of refund thereon under VIKALP scheme. This facility can also be availed for e tickets booked prior to 01.04.2017
b) Tickets booked across reserved ticket booking window can be cancelled through IRCTC website or through 139.
c) In case of e tickets, boarding points can be changed through IRCTC website at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
d) The facility of online booking of wheel chair provided free of cost to passengers.
e) The facility of online booking of retiring rooms through IRCTC website has been introduced.
f) Disposable bedrolls can be purchased through IRCTC website.
g) E Catering introduced to increase food options available with passengers.

NEW DELHI: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya who had left for London on March 2 last year has been arrested there by the Scotland Yard. 
Mr. Mallya had launched with great fanfare Kingfisher airlines which could not survive has been accused of defaulting in paying back his bank loans worth Rs. 9000 crores. 
The NDA government, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been making efforts to get Mr. Mallya extradited from London to join the probe by investigating agencies here and face charges of wrongdoing, financial bungling and defaulting on loan repayment to banks, including leading public sector bank State Bank of India. Recently, his villa in picturesque coastal State of Goa was auctioned for Rs. 73 crores.  
Known for  his extravagant and flamboyant life style, Mr, Mallya is also a former independent Rajya Sabha member and his family owned the liquor giant UB group, headquartered in Bengaluru. His group also supports a number of sporting activities and beauty pageants.  
There was no immediate word from official circles on his arrest but agency reports from London indicated that after  his arrest Mr. Mallya has been taken to a court there. Since extradition is a long drawn judicial process, it is often seen that such requests fail to fructify and the proceedings take a long time in competent court.   

NEW DELHI:The visiting U.S. National Security Advisor (NSA) Lt. Gen H. R. McMaster called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Tuesday. . 
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster conveyed the greetings of President Donald Trump to the Prime Minister. Mr. Modi recalled his positive telephonic conversations with President Trump that reaffirmed the importance attached by both sides to the strategic partnership and to stepping up India-U.S. engagement across the board. 
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster shared his perspective with Prime Minister on the security situation in the extended region, including in Afghanistan, West Asia and North Korea. During the conversation, they exchanged views on how both countries can work together to effectively address the challenge of terrorism and to advance regional peace, security and stability, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.