“Having become a nominated BJP Rajya Sabha member recently, the maverick Subramanian Swamy can be more than a handful as a trouble shooter. He manages to remain in the limelight and revels in particularly targeting the dynastic Nehru-Gandhi family of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi along with daughter Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra. This eminently suits the BJP’s top leadership who have no love lost for the country’s first political family.Ironically, he has been a friend of Sonia Gandhi and a bitter enemy of the BJP in the past. He has the dubious distinction of pulling down the Atal Behari Vajpayee government in 1999 when he brought Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and Sonia Gandhi together over coffee. His rabid anti-Congressism has secured him a seat in the Rajya Sabha recently at the end of April.When the irrepressible Swamy gets close to anyone as evidenced with Jayalalithaa not very long back, her trouble began with cases of corruption being launched against her. It is an entirely different matter that he has suddenly gone quiet on that front perhaps on account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amma being close friends.Dr Swamy is associated with a lobby in the saffron brigade gunning for Arun Jaitley’s head since he became the union Finance minister in the Modi government. It is, therefore, not surprising when Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is thinking aloud if Swamy, an economist to boot, is angling for the Finance portfolio in union council of ministers even if that is unlikely to happen.Mr. Modi is not Vajpayee and is unlikely to bat an eyelid in sidelining Swamy or sending him to the cooler if he becomes overambitious or even remotely poses a threat to the present regime. A case in point is how BJP elder statesman and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani as well as Murli Manohar Joshi being summarily sidelined and pushed to a corner as “”marg darshak”” or revered advisors.Dr. Swamy may have attacked Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan demanding his dismissal and the Modi government looked the other way without coming to his defence. Even before Rajan took up the the job of RBI Governor during the Congress led UPA regime, he had made it abundantly clear he was here for the short haul as he desired returning to academia. He resigned in keeping with his plans and will call it quits on fourth of September when his three-year-term ends.Dr. Swamy then launched an attack against NDA government’s chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian from “”Washington DC””. Jaitley wasted no time in backing the CEA rebuffing Swamy suitably. That is not going to deter Swamy who has made his intentions clear that he would soon be demanding the head of 27 others holding senior positions in the government who are not serving the interests of the country. Simply put, Swamy believes these officers are not in sync with the policies of the Modi government. There is unlikely to be a dull moment for the NDA government with Swamy working overtime to haul over the coals those who are inimical to the Modi government.Swamy reacted quickly saying it did not matter what Jaitley says as he is directly in touch with the Prime Minister and BJP president Amit Shah when required. Be that as it may, the quickfire announcements made on June 20 is aimed at lessening the blow of Rajan’s resignation which was not unexpected in the wake of the personal attacks against him by the Sangh Parivar. This is the second opening up exercise of the economy since November last year.Foreign investors are interested in India is evident with a 23 per cent surge in FDI touching a record $ 55 billion. Many in the corporate sector and opposition parties felt Rajan deserved a second term. Rajan had made it clear at the very beginning that he was not in this country for the long haul.Nobody is indispensable in public life and the need of the hour is to find a successor able to retain the credibility that Rajan had brought to the RBI. As the world integrates financial instability is a huge challenge. Before bidding adieu he hopes to complete “”unfinished tasks”” on hand.  His achievements are manifold. Inflation has halved. His role in stabilising the Rupee in September 2013 when the Indian economy faced a 2001 like foreign exchange crisis was noteworthy.The long overdue cleaning up of bank balance sheets has got underway. Foreign exchange reserves have shot up to help this country deal with global shocks. The significance of what has been done in the last three years during his stewardship of the central bank cannot be undermined. The Modi government’s uneasiness stems from its monetary policy which it believes is an important reason for the economy not taking off as fast as it could have. The slow pace of interest rate cuts was another irritant for the Modi regime. Although RBI cut rates by 1.5 percentage points since last year, private investment is just not happening. The RBI forcing others to acknowledge had loans rather than dabbling in giving away more good money has led to record losses since 2015 across the public sector banking system. This has been a source of friction between the government and Rajan.His exit is another instance of brilliance being pushed over by mediocrity. Lip service in undertaking reforms is one thing but actually getting down to the cleansing job is bound to create a delicate situation for the government. FDI investors had found India to be the best destination globally. One wonders if that will continue to remain so when Rajan bids adieu to the RBI in September. Among his tasks is making public the list of wilful defaulters. “”The list is being drawn up and we hope to put it on our website where everyone can see it,”” he said in a television interview.He cautioned that the RBI would have to be careful about the names on the list because not all loan defaulters are wilful or involved in any sort of malfeasance. “”Business had hit a wall because of the economic downturn and unable to pay back loans would not be named and shamed.””The RBI has flagged the challenges for sustaining India’s economic momentum: global growth is uneven and struggling to gain traction, world trade is floundering for want of demand, the US is weighed down by contracting industrial activity as exports, deflationary pressures are building in Japan, and the slowdown in China shows no signs of reversing. Besides if Britain leaves the European Union there is a real risk of “”some turmoil in the financial markets.””Eventually the central bank can only do so much in the end. Amid all this there is talk of increasing the term of RBI Governors from the existing three years to at least five years if not more. The argument is if the Lok Sabha has a five year term as also the the government at the centre and those in the states, then the RBI Governor’s term should also be for at least five years.In this a pointer to the Modi government facing a certain talent crunch inhibiting it from delivering its development goals even after completing two years in office. There is discernible frustration in the government as the the much touted slogan of “”aache din aane wale hai”” seems like a mirage even after it completed two years in office.(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. Views are personal.)“

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The United Nation has announced Zubaida Bai from India as one of the 10 Local SDG Pioneers for Safe and Healthy Birth. The announcement was made at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2016 in New York. Zubaida Bai, founder and CEO of ayzh, was recognized for her efforts that align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on Good Health and Well Being. Over 600 nominations were received from 100 countries between February and April 2016.

Launched in 2016 as part of the UN Global Compact’s Making Global Goals Local Business campaign, the Local SDG Pioneers programme seeks out individuals who are demonstrating how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can enable business to unlock economic, social, and environmental gains for the world. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit – officially came into force on 1 January 2016. Over the next fifteen years with these new goals that universally apply to all, countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

“Each of the 2016 Local SDG Pioneers exemplifies how business can be a force for good in addressing the challenges we face as a global society,” said Lise Kingo, UN Global Compact Executive Director. “Ms. Bai is dedicated to assuring healthcare for women in India. She has developed an affordable product and successful business model that is making a critical difference in the lives of mothers, children, and families across her country. She is a pioneer for safe and healthy birth.”

The Pioneers are made up of entrepreneurs who are championing sustainability through their business models and change makers who are mobilizing the business community broadly to take action in support of the SDGs. A Pioneers Selection Group, comprised of experts from the UN, academia, civil society and the private sector, ranked the nominees based on a set of criteria, resulting in the ten 2016 Global Compact Local SDG Pioneers. In the years to come, the Global Compact’s Pioneers programme will become a vital part of the organization’s priority to make global goals local business.

“I’m honored to be a part of the inaugural class of 2016 Local SDG Pioneers and wish to thank the UN Global Compact for this prestigious recognition,” said Ms. Bai. “The SDGs provide strategic roadmap for improving the health and wellbeing of mothers and their newborns. We are excited to advance the role of the private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development goals as they relate to the entire reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) continuum. We also hope to impact SDG 5 (gender equality), 9 (resilient infrastructure), and 17 (partnerships for the goals) with our work.”

Ms. Bai founded ayzh in India, based on the belief that every woman has the right to a safe birth as well as affordable and dignified healthcare. Since 2010, Zubaida has attracted clients and strategic partners from around the world, putting over 240,000 kits out into the market, all while putting health products into the hands of the women who need them the most.

The UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2016 is a two-day gathering of the private sector, UN, Government and civil society to jump-start action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Together, over 800 leaders from around the world are gathered in New York to identify how to unleash the business activities, thinking, and innovation required for a new era of sustainability.

The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, calling on companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. In India, over 300 companies and non-business organization have joined the initiative, and the Global Compact Network India has supported their efforts to advance sustainable business practices since 2003.

Ayzh (pronounced ‘eyes’) is a social enterprise that develops and distributes low-cost, appropriate technology designed to meet the unique needs of women and health institutions in low-resource settings, targeting the time around childbirth. Through the sale of our customizable “kit style” products (namely our janma Clean Birth Kit), our sustainable and scalable model increases availability and access to proven health commodities, while providing economic opportunity to local Indian women who package and assemble our products. Our expanding product suite addresses the critical continuum of maternal health, namely newborn care, post partum care, and menstrual hygiene. ayzh has a diverse, dynamic, and passionate management team with expertise and synergy, who naturally foster integrated innovation across the fields of global health, business, and technology.”

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The issue of child trafficking is complex and not limited to just the legal aspect but also relates to social and economic issues, was the verdict of a three member jury on child trafficking. The verdict came out following a public hearing on child trafficking organized by child rights group HAQ in collaboration with several other civil society groups working on the issue.

After hearing the depositions and reading the stories of those who were unable to depose due to emotionalreasons, the jury observed that the issue of child trafficking has to be tackled at its root and there has to be an environment created to prevent trafficking by empowering urban/rural communities, creating awareness and providing education to families and children. Moreover, providing opportunities of employment and security within the community in collaboration with local government, NGOs and police is the need of the hour.

The jury comprising Lushin Dubey, Siddharth Luthra and Om Thanvi said the next stage is of community response which must be calibrated with necessary and relevant education and training to act both as a preventive measure, and to enable adequate rehabilitation measures and acceptance of children as victims of crime needing special care within the community. This requires proactive change at both the government and social level.

Importantly, the jury felt that the all the concerned stakeholders, including NGOs and particularly survivors, should be properly consulted before the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2016, which has been put out by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for inviting suggestions, is given a final shape.

There are different categories of trafficking — whether through coercion, kidnapping or with the consent of parents– all of which need to be dealt with in their distinct forms. The legal framework also needs to be reviewed to ensure complete coverage. This review must happen on a 5/10 yearly basis by viewing the impact on the menace, it said.

Reporting of crime is an issue which has to be dealt with by the law enforcement agencies and perhaps units akin to economic crime/ crime against women (CAW) and children cell which carry out pre-investigative enquiries. This would ensure that from the time of reporting, even if an FIR is to be deferred, the police machinery begins their work immediately.

Lack of coordination between state police agencies, anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs) and other agencies tasked with child care has to be legislatively and administratively streamlined, and the investigation has to be specialized, made efficacious and standardized procedures need to be adopted put throughout the country to avoid state-wise variations in procedure which despite the presence of central substantive and procedural laws, the jury said.

Recommending special prosecution efforts to be taken keeping in view the nature of crime, the jury said the process needs to be expedited and there should be timely review by the High Court.Investigation must be comprehensive as it often has inter-state ramifications and cannot be limited to one or the other aspect alone merely because of the convenience of the police. Integrity of police investigation and efforts need to be provided for and improved. A review mechanism should be created within each state since police is a state subject, the jury members said.

On post investigation and prosecution, the jury said there have to adequate standardized measures for rehabilitation and compensation, including medical treatment, to ensure that all victims are provided proper relief and assistance at state cost for their rehabilitation first within the community and then in the society at large. The victims should also be able to access their right to education, including vocational training, as part of the rehabilitation programme.”

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The Ministry of Women and Child Development has announced several facilities and incentives to the Anganwadi Workers to improve their conditions of service. The government has waived off the Anganwadi Workers share of Rs 80 for Anganwadi Karyakartri Bima Yojana. The Anganwadi Workers have been provided an insurance cover under Anganwadi Karyakartri Bima Yojana. The annual premium for this is Rs.280 out of which Rs.100 is paid by the Central Government, Rs.100 is paid by the Ministry of Finance and Rs.80 which is supposed to be paid by the Anganwadi Workers. This has been waived off.

The Anganwadi Worker is also provided 180 days of maternity leave. She is also sanctioned two saris as uniform every year. Scholarship benefit is also provided to the Anganwadi Workers @ Rs. 300 per quarter for their children studying in classes 9th to 12th. In order to improve their career prospects, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has ordered that 50% of the posts of Supervisors should be reserved for the Anganwadi Workers. Anganwadi Workers with 10 years of experience are eligible for appointment as Supervisor against this 50% quota.”

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The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to withdraw the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha onprevious government on August 29, 2013. Instead, the government has now decided to comprehensively review the existing law to facilitate the ease of doing business and substantially enhance the quality and efficacy of pharmaceutical products. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will soon notify separate rules under the existing Act for regulating medical devices; and bring out a separate legislation for regulating medical devices and drugs and cosmetics.

While, after extensive discussions with all stakeholders, the draft rules for regulating medical devices have been prepared and will be draft notified shortly, work on drafting the new legislation has also commenced. The Amendment Bill had been examined by the Standing Committee of Parliament which had made a number of recommendations for changing the provisions of the Bill.India is one of the largest manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in the world. The annual production of such products is in excess of Rs. 2 lakh crore. Out of this, over 55% is exported to over 200 countries/economies of the world including the developed countries. As such, the pharmaceutical sector in India plays a vital role in managing the public health in large number countries at a substantially lower cost.The regulatory framework for ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products including the medicines, medical devices, in-vitro medical devices, stem cells, regenerative medicines, and clinical trial/investigation is provided for in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

The Cabinet has, keeping in view the role of the sector in managing public health, decided that it will not be appropriate to carry out further amendments in the present Act especially as newer areas of biological, stem cells and regenerative medicines, medical devices and clinical trial/investigation cannot be effectively regulated under the existing law.In order to leverage the comparative cost advantage, the demographic dividend and the advantage in information technology, the Indian medical products sector is poised for exponential growth in the near future and it would besides meeting the domestic demand, has the potential to become an international hub for manufacturing these products and attracting investment in the sector.”

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The Communist Party of India (Marxist’s) loss in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections has claimed its first victim with the senior leader from Haryana, Jagmati Sangwan resigning from the primary membership of the party to register her protest against the party’s decision to ally with the Congress in the State.

However, the party claimed that Jagmati Sangwan had been `expelled’ for gross indiscipline. This announcement was made at the ongoing Central Committee meeting of the CPI (M) in New Delhi. Ms Sangwan, member of the Central Committee, who had been associated with the party since 1968, had boycotted the Central Committee meeting as a mark of protest against the decision of the West Bengal government to tie up with the Congress in the just concluded Assembly election even though the Central Committee was against this decision.

An emotional Ms Sangwan, who was the face of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) in Haryana, told reporters that she announced her decision to the party. She said she had opposed the West Bengal unit’s decision and made her opposition clear. In a statement issued at the conclusion of the three day meeting, the CPI (M) said that the electoral tactics adopted in West Bengal were not in consonance with the Central Committee decision not to have an alliance or understanding with the Congress.

Other than saluting its voters, the statement said the West Bengal elections were held in very difficult conditions for the CPI (M) and the Left Front. During the course of last five years, the terror unleashed by the Trinamool Congress CPI (M) had, even before the campaign began, claimed the lives of 176 comrades apart from internally displacing 60,000 families of CPI(M) members, and sympathizers. Pointing out that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had come to power in Assam for the first time and made substantial gains in Kerala, and West Bengal, the statement said the party had undertaken a very aggressive campaign in Kerala and “”mounted serious post-poll violence against the CPI(M). Overall, the Congress suffered a setback in this round of elections.

On its win in Kerala, the party said the CPI(M)-led LDF had taken a strong stand against corporatization, corruption and communalism. The LDF victory in the Assembly elections is recognition for the policy of building up Left and democratic alternative to the BJP and the Congress. Describing its performance in Tamil Nadu as disappointing, the party said the six-party alliance could not win any seat and that a major feature of the Tamil Nadu elections had been the use of money power in a big with both the AIADK and DMK distributing cash to the voters in most of the constituencies on an unprecendented scale.

Suggesting that in Tamil Nadu and Assam, where the alliance could not win even a single seat, the emphasis should be on building the independent strength of the party through class and mass struggles, and taking steps to rally all the Left and democratic forces, the statement said the Left parties in Assam had appealed to the voters to oust the Congress from power, defeat the BJP and elect the Left candidates for strengthening the unity of the people and ensuring all-round development of the State.”

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India’s membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has hit a massive roadblock with China stoutly opposing it. It has emphasised such a move will be against its national interests. The state-run Global Times went public last Tuesday that this country’s bid for NSG membership for the first time will touch a “”raw nerve”” in Pakistan and lead to a nuclear arms race in the region. China’s hardline approach is to send an unambiguous message to the United States and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that their lobbying for New Delhi being part of the NSG can come unstuck.

It is apparent that Beijing is working in tandem with its all weather friend Pakistan along with cautioning the lone super power that its gambit to contain Beijing’s aggressive regional policy and expansionist designs is unlikely to work. The South China Sea has been a major irritant between the US and China with the former maintaining that international maritime conventions cannot be given a go by. Even as the three-nation naval exercise among India, US and Japan was being held close to the South China Sea, a Chinese spy ship kept a close watch on their manoeuverings. It is argued by Beijing that Islamabad is not willing to see an enlarging gap in nuclear power with India having the portends of a nuclear race breaking out between the two neighbours jeopardising regional security. “”India musn’t let its nuclear ambitions blind itself,”” the article added.

On his part Modi has been actively lobbying for support in the wake of Beijing’s outright refusal to consider New Delhi becoming a new addition to the 48-member NSG. This adds a new dimension to India’s vigorous efforts with Modi visiting Switzerland and Mexico during his recent five-nation tour to seek their backing. After his return home following his third Summit with President Barrack Obama in Washington along with addressing a joint sitting of the Congress earlier this month, Modi wasted no time in telephoning Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. He is believed to have impressed on Putin to use his good offices with China so that any hurdles connected with India’s membership of the NSG are overcome. The Kremlin issued a statement that the “”discussion focussed on practical issues of bilateral cooperation including top level contacts to be held shortly.”” Moscow has consistently backed India’s membership of the NSG.

At the India-US summit a fresh push was given to the strategic relationship crucial for the two sides to balance China’s growth as a major power. What did not escape universal notice was the joint statement’s studied silence on the controversial South China Sea (SCS). Modi’s address to the Congress was applauded several times with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal  observing that a “”compelling vision was laid out by Modi before the joint session of the US Congress.”” She described Modi’s visit, his fourth to the US since he assumed office as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014, as “”historic”” and said the Obama administration has christened his vision on Indo-US ties that has overcome the “”hesitations of history”” and working for the betterment of the global good as the “”Modi Doctrine””.

Be that as it may, fresh irritants in the India-China relations have come to the  fore with Beijing determined to use its veto in stopping India’s membership of the NSG despite this country’s impeccable record in the nuclear sphere. Even as there can be no comparison between India and Pakistan, China said India’s membership issue did not figure at the meeting of the NSG in Vienna last week. Beijing is now firm that there should be consensus on the matter amid opposition that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). New Delhi has refused to sign the NPT as it has found it to be highly discriminatory. As things stand at this juncture New Delhi’s efforts to be part of the NSG may turn out to be an exercise in futility.

Modi will be travelling to the East later this month where he is expected to meet Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping among others at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tashkent. The final decision is unlikely to be known till the NSG meeting in South Korea on June 23 and 24. Interestingly, the SCO is also going to discuss India as well as Pakistan’s membership of the NSG thus adding a fresh dimension to the matter. The SCO is a grouping of half-a-dozen Central Asian countries and is viewed as a counter to NATO. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz claimed that Islamabad’s credentials for the membership of the NSG is stronger than that of India if the member countries agree to adopt a uniform criteria for NPT states. He said Pakistan has diplomatically engaged numerous countries over a criteria-based approach for non-NPT countries. “”Our strategy is to apply after India did and we would have followed immediately. We have had our application in an advanced state of readiness for the past three months,”” Aziz told a Pakistani newspaper.

China has maintained that non-NPT signatories should not be admitted to the NSG on the grounds that it would undermine efforts to prevent proliferation. It is apparent that China and Pakistan are working overtime to block India’s entry in this grouping or admit both in one stroke. The NSG, set up after India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, regulates the trade of nuclear technology. While India is not a member yet, the NSG had exempted this country from restrictions on civilian nuclear trade. This happened eight years back. With its veto power, China can derail Modi and India’s invigorated campaign can come to nought.

For India the NSG membership conveys legitimacy as an advanced nuclear state and an ability to participate in international governance and decision making on nuclear matters. For China, having India on the NSG table, means its chief strategic rival would be on an equal footing in this club. Even more significantly if New Delhi secures NSG  membership, Pakistan as China’s ally would be shut out from the club entirely because India would reject Islamabad’s application. Membership of the NSG may not bring that many advantages to this country but it could be helpful if India chooses to export more dual use or nuclear specific technology in the future. The question is can the Dragon be pacified to drop its objection to this country’s NSG membership.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said at a conclave in Mumbai Monday last that Indian membership to the NSG will benefit not just New Delhi but the world’s nuclear trade and security. He cited the potential for a dramatic increase in investments in India’s nuclear sector — both from domestic manufacturers and international partners like the US, France, Japan and South Korea. For now becoming a member of the NSG appears to be a losing battle for India as the overarching body takes decisions unanimously.

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. Views are personal.)  ”

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book1.png”” alt=””book1.png”” />There is a fallacy of nomenclature in the very use of the terms ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ abstracted as they are from the western context and applied to the Indian historical realities. This, however, does not mean the absence of ideological groups with ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ leanings in the political realm of this country. Leaders in the Indian National Congress like Sardar Patel, C Rajagopachari and Rajendra Prasad among others were the followers of the ‘Right’, while Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, members of the Congress Socialist party preferred Left ideology.

Making these observations in her book — PATEL, PRASAD AND RAJAJI : Myth of the Indian Right — author and historian Neerja Singh observes the three of them being mass leaders in their own independent capacity, not only influenced the thinking of a large number of people but were also at the helm of affairs of the Congress during that period. She takes a relook at the categorisation of ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ and emphasises history is not to be studied through the prism of politics.

The Left intending to take over the reigns of the Congress found them a formidable force to contend with in the pursuit of their objectives. They, therefore, used the nomenclature ‘Right’ to discredit and dislodge them from the position of power and influence. They held that the ‘Right’ concept of social, political and economic regeneration was more metaphysical than material and progressive. This was a ploy that the ‘Left’ used to make the senior leaders accept that the days of their kind of politics were over. The underlying motive was to make them defensive so that they took a rear seat and cleared the way for the new young leadership who were apparently more radical and revolutionary.

In a letter to Nehru on first July 1936, Prasad wrote about the Left’s attempts to control the Congress. “”Apart from all personal considerations we have strongly felt the ideals and policies for which we have stood all these sixteen or seventeen years and which we believe to be the only right one for the country are being assiduously undermined.””

Patel complained to Mahatma Gandhi that the Left leaders were only paying lip service to his advice and looked upon them as worn out leaders who should be listened but not followed. The Left decried in public that their way had proved its inefficacy and impracticability. The term ‘Right’ has a specific connotation. It has its specific European lineage. It appeared as a negative force advocating conservatism, encouraging reactionary forces and delimiting progress, freedom and individualism. It was synonymous with anti-people, anti-democracy, anti-intellectualism and anti- socialism.

The Left leaders never engaged themselves in serious analysis of the policies and programmes of Sardar Patel, Rajagopalachari and Rajendra Prasad before branding them as ‘Right’. In the tradition of Dadabhai  Naoroji, Phirozeshah Mehta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and others, Patel, Rajaji and Prasad believed in a liberal democratic welfare state, anti-colonialism, class adjustment with a pro-poor orientation in the scheme of national building. Like the moderate leaders they also believed in cultural pluralism, religious tolerance and coexistence. They insisted on secular citizenship and placed it above religion, ethnic, caste and class identities.

The Left never called the moderate leaders of the Congress as ‘Right’, despite the fact that they too respected property and never advocated socialism. The ambition of the Left to control the organisation along with their conceptual rigidity and doctrinaire orientation, made them indulge in semantic militancy articulating high sounding programme. Being in a minority within the Congress with hardly any mass base, the strategy the Left adopted was to have the full protection of the Congress, the advantage of its prestige, and yet to attack and criticise it from outside.

The Left hoped that by projecting them as anti-people, anti-kisan, anti-youth and anti-labour they would be able to cut the social base of these leaders and thus they would be in a position to take over control of the Congress, the only mass party. Yet the Left’s attempts in this regard remained one sided. The sole concern of the Left was to turn Congress into a socialist organisation.

Patel, Rajaji and Prasad understood the situation and knew that to make the struggle successful against British imperialism, unity of all views was essential. Socialists like Narendra Dev were aware of this fact. He observed “”the Congress today wields enormous influence both at home and abroad and though we may differ from official policies and acts, it would be the height of a folly to think of breaking it up.”” He also warned the more militant Leftists both within and outside Congress that “”reactionary forces are trying to form a powerful combination in alliance with British imperialism to crush the forces of progress and freedom. They are making the Congress and the national leadership their target. It is foolish to imagine that they are only opposed to the present high command and would gladly join the Congress under a new dispensation. These factors impose a special obligation on us to see that nothing is done that may tend to weaken or disintegrate the Congress.””

The author draws pointed attention to Patel alluding to his views being different than that of Nehru on some vital matters. He detested imperialism and admitted existence of destructive inequality between the capitalist class and the famishing poor but the answer to it is not in the annihilation of one class for the progress of another. Elaborating Patel said that it was possible to purge capitalism of its hideousness. The three Gandhian leaders were actively engaged in steering the anti-imperialist struggle against the foreign domination.

The Congress emerged as a magic mosaic of diverse views and hues. The democratic character of the Congress witnessed prolonged argumentations among different views and groups at times dictated by the supremacy within the Congress fold. This became much more pronounced with the advent of Left and Left Wing politics in the 1930s. The demarcation of nationalist leadership in terms of ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ was primarily the product of this specific contextual setting. Therefore, historians have to be extra vigilant against the easy proclivity to speak in the language of the “”actors””, cautions Neera Singh.

The Editors of the Sage series in Modern Indian History — Bipin Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee — stressed in their preface they are acutely aware that one swallow does not make a summer. Scholars face problems of going from library to library and city to city and yet not being able to find many of the necessary books. There is paucity of research funding organisations. This has made it difficult to initiate and sustain efforts at publishing a series along the lines of the Cambridge history series or some of the best US and European Universities.

TR

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator.)
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Photo”” alt=””Photo”” />India has joined the select band of a few nations in the world that have women fighter pilots in their Air Forces. History was created on Saturday as the first three women fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force proudly brandished their stripes and wings. The three women fighter pilots — Flying Officers Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh — were conferred with the President’s Commission at the Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal.

The occasion marked the vanguards of the IAF roared into the sky and smeared the sky with tricolor. Each has cleared the first stage of training and has about 150 hours of flying. They will train now for six months on the Advanced Jet Fighter – the British-built Hawk and then will be assigned fighters and their squadrons. The three women are in their mid-20s and have experienced hazards of flying during their initial training.

Avani Chaturvedi said that for pilot it is all about “”split second”” decisions. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar reviewed the Combined Graduation Parade.  Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and other senior IAF officials were present at the ceremony which saw a total of 130 flight cadets, including 22 women trainees, getting commissioned in the IAF as Flying Officers.

It was also indeed a proud moment for 93 young pilots and seven navigators who earned their coveted ‘Wings and Brevets’, along with nine officers of Navy and one officer of Coast Guard, on successful completion of their intricate and vigorous flying training. All the guests were left mesmerised by the breath-taking aerobatics by the highly experienced and skilled pilots of SU-30, ‘Sarang’ the Helicopter Aerobatics Team, and PC 7 MK-II of the IAF. The brave acts of Sky Divers of the ‘Akash Ganga’ Team were also enthralling.

Addressing the parade, the Defence Minister complimented the newly Commissioned ‘Flying Officers’ for the exceptional standard of their parade. Keeping in view the changing geo-political and strategic environment and varied security challenges faced by India, Mr. Parrikar urged the young officers to give their best, as future leaders of the IAF, and take it to next higher level of performance by dynamically adapting to the newer environment.

While pointing out that our country is going through a transformational shift to modernise its forces, he exhorted the young officers to widen their horizon and keep pace with the swiftly advancing technology to exploit the true potential of the Aerospace Power.”

“41nYIJC8-SL”” alt=””41nYIJC8-SL”” />””THE SEVEN SAGES””, a book of selected essays by Ramchandra Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagoplachari, underlines the need for dialogue and inclusive approach to faith in resolving burning issues within and among states rather than waging wars. The father of the nation and a sage Mahatma Gandhi gave non-violence to the world for promoting peace and brotherhood. Ironically he became one among two million innocent human beings led like lambs to the slaughter by the trauma of partition.Along with the Mahatma died the idea of subcontinental India, that vastness of self identity, suggestive of God’s generosity, which had been available to all Indians down the ages regardless of cultural, religious and political differences and divisions. The Mahatma believed India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can atone for this crime against humanity through a symbolic resurrection of subcontinental Indian reality within existing sovereignties, in a region like Jammu and Kashmir which has mercifully kept ‘unfinished’ the vivisectional agenda of partition.He called for a subcontinental cultural Parliament to be inaugurated in the area as a whole to which members will be elected from all of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Men and women of goodwill who would not rule but serve life and nature and all sacred traditions in the region and not majoritarian or minoritarian or anthropocentric vested interests. It was the author’s conviction that the mass of subcontinental humanity would thunderously support such a gesture of atonement for partition.He had no doubt “”two million souls now hovering over their former homelands, waiting to be remembered, would find final release and bless, not curse, in this morally forgetful new century.”” A philosopher, Professor and intellectual, Ramchandra Gandhi (1937-2007) came to be regarded as a top sage in his lifetime. His student at the University of Hyderabad A Raghuramaraju puts together and edits some of his long essays and hitherto unpublished talks and writings on themes ranging from non-violence to karma and swaraj, brahmacharya and modern Indian spirituality.The book provides valuable insight to the manner in which Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom broke the prevailing power of evil and violence; and swaraj being a struggle for the kingdom of self and autonomy and not mere political autonomy. It deals with modern India’s great sages from Ramakrishna Paramhansa to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi providing insights into their lives and ideas. He often repeated the narrative of the non-upper-caste women’s role in the life of Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharishi and Mahatma Gandhi. This is perhaps intended to claim that Advaita is incompatible with caste.In his essay ‘A Himalayan Betrayal’ the author cautioned the Indian government against sending the Indian Peace Keeping Force to Sri Lanka observing this was estranging itself from Theravada Buddhism and keeping itself away from the Tibetan problem further estranging it from Mahayana Buddhism. The Dalai Lama’s peace proposals concern not only the fate of Tibet but also of China and India and the whole world. The sage of Tibet does not insist on sovereignty for Tibet independent of China. He requests China to reverse its invasive settlement of a massive Han population in Tibet which threatens to reduce Tibetans to the status of an endangered species in their own homeland.In 1893 when Swami Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago he was very nervous and kept telling the chairperson, “”I will speak later, I will speak later..”” As a very interesting man of 30 he came up to the stage and said””Brothers and sisters of America’.That is all and there was thunderous applause. For the first time people of the US had been addressed in that way. People always feared America or wanted to flatter it. Swami Vivekananda was the first person to have made a new world sibling and this is quite remarkable historically and politically. So that is a tremendous achievement of Swami Vivekananda.Then in 1939 Mahatma Gandhi called one of his staunch followers Jamnalal Bajaj, who was also the financier of the Congress party, and asked him to visit Ramana Maharshi to absorb some peace. It was a crucial year when the second World began. Bajaj asks many questions and no one has any idea that there is going to be independence in India from foreign rule. Bajaj tells Maharshi ‘well after many years of struggle and sacrifice, freedom is attained, ought we not to be elated?’ Maharshi says ‘certainly not. You are meant to do what is right, what is your duty and not care about results at all, because a greater power than yourself is behind you. “”Do what you are told to do as Gandhi is doing. Don’t worry about results, don’t think of elation or disappointment, because if you think of elation, the first disappointment destroys the struggle, apart from ingratitude.””When Independence came in 1947 only one person in India followed this advice and that was Mahatma Gandhi himself. He was not in Delhi celebrating independence which was won at a tremendous sacrifice of the lives of innocents. Gandhiji was in Noakhali, a thousand miles away trying to save innocent lives. What Maharshi said applies to the world as a whole. As a true sage Maharishi did not take part explicitly in politics. At the same time “”we should look at the remarks of the sages because therein lies true political as well as moral wisdom not only for this world but for the entire world as a whole.”” For Mahatma Gandhi to have won a political victory over Muhammad Ali Jinnah who wanted a separate state for the Muslims, the consequences would have been disastrous. There would have been a hundred divisions of India. The author maintains that Hinduism’s hand was stretched in friendship to Islam and this will be remembered one day when the big revolution within Islam takes place. Ramchandra Gandhi emphasises “”Muslims will remember this saint who did not hate them. People think of Islam as a sort of a monopoly of violence. Mahatma Gandhi saw the essential wisdom, the spiritual truth in Islam and embraced it in love and friendship continuously, regardless of the political consequences.  “”I do think he planted seeds in the soil of time and they will bear fruit. So, that’s the Mohandas Gandhi I think about of the last year who became a sage.”” In his lengthy essays, the author foresees “”Mankind must perish surely without a solution to the problem of war, want and lust. May Sri Krishna, the Buddha and Christ guide us to sanity and safety. “”AUM SHANTIH SHANTIH SHANTIH.””

TR

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator.)
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