1. Perhaps no other speech that Narendra Modi has made since he became Prime Minister in 2014 has been so widely appreciated as the one he delivered at the meeting of the newly elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance on Saturday in the Central Hall of parliament. It indicated that he wants to change the substance, idiom and image of his second term in office. 2. Both admirers and critics could see the difference between Campaigner Modi and Captain Modi. After all, he had led the most polarising campaign in the history of parliamentary elections. But having won the renewed mandate, Modi, who will be sworn in as India's PM for a new five-year term on Thursday, has struck a new, distinctly de-polarising tone. 3. His speech was truly praiseworthy on many counts - above all, on his new outreach to Indian Muslims. What he said on this count - and, more importantly, whether his actions match his fine words - will determine how history will judge the Modi Legacy.
OPINION
28/05/2019
1808.
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SUB :
1. Perhaps no other speech that Narendra Modi has made since he became Prime Minister in 2014 has been so widely appreciated as the one he delivered at the meeting of the newly elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance on Saturday in the Central Hall of parliament. It indicated that he wants to change the substance, idiom and image of his second term in office.
2. Both admirers and critics could see the difference between Campaigner Modi and Captain Modi. After all, he had led the most polarising campaign in the history of parliamentary elections. But having won the renewed mandate, Modi, who will be sworn in as India's PM for a new five-year term on Thursday, has struck a new, distinctly de-polarising tone.
3. His speech was truly praiseworthy on many counts - above all, on his new outreach to Indian Muslims. What he said on this count - and, more importantly, whether his actions match his fine words - will determine how history will judge the Modi Legacy.
REF : Modi's Speech His Best So Far, Now He Must Deliver On "Vishwas" : May 27, 2019 11:56 IST : Surendra Kulkarni : NDTV
*(The writer was an aide to India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.)
Perhaps no other speech that Narendra Modi has made since he became Prime Minister in 2014 has been so widely appreciated as the one he delivered at the meeting of the newly elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance on Saturday in the Central Hall of parliament. It indicated that he wants to change the substance, idiom and image of his second term in office.
His speech was truly praiseworthy on many counts - above all, on his new outreach to Indian Muslims. What he said on this count - and, more importantly, whether his actions match his fine words - will determine how history will judge the Modi Legacy.
*PM Modi addressing newly elected members of BJP-led NDA at parliament's Central Hall on Saturday evening
There were two noteworthy points in his message to Muslims. First, he affirmed the need to win the 'vishwas' (trust) of Muslims. "Minorities", he said,"have been deceived in the country through an imaginary fear created for the purpose of vote bank politics. Humein is chhal ka vicchched karna hai. Humein vishwas jeetna hai (We have to pierce this deception. We have to gain trust.)" Second, he sought to drill a hole in a deeply-held belief and prejudice in his own ideological fraternity - namely, that Muslims are not "Us", they are the "Other". He said, "Ab hamara koi paraya nahi ho sakta hai. Jo humein vote dete hain, woh bhi hamare hain; jo hamara ghor virodh karte hain, who bhi hamare hain. (Now we cannot see anyone as an outsider. Those who voted for us are ours. Those who severely oppose us are also ours.)"
Why has Modi undertaken this new and uncharacteristically direct outreach to Muslims? And why now? The second question is easily answered. Now that he has won a bigger and far more emphatic mandate, which is almost entirely a mandate for Modi and not for the BJP, he feels far more self-confident of steering his party and his government in the direction he wants. He does not even feel constrained by the ideological rigidities of the Sangh Parivar in this respect. The Sangh Parivar has to accept his line - and not the other way round. It is worth recalling here that, as Gujarat's three-term Chief Minister, he had tamed the all-powerful Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other affiliates of the RSS in the state.
To know the answer to the first question, we should look at the compulsions as well as opportunities before Modi on both domestic and foreign policy fronts. The domestic compulsion is that with the voters' expectations from him having soared sky-high, he has to perform to their satisfaction - especially on the economic front. The economy is not in a good shape. The demand for employment is pressing and widespread. The distress in agriculture remains unmitigated. And even though price rise was not much of an issue in the just-concluded elections, the likelihood of a spurt in oil prices (due to war-like tensions between USA and Iran) could add to the common people's woes. In this situation, Modi understands the critical need for domestic peace, which can be breached by hardliners among his own supporters, making Muslims feel insecure. His words "Ab hamara koi paraya nahi ho sakta hai" is clearly directed at them.
*The BJP scored 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha in the national election and along with its allies, won a remarkable tally of 353
Modi has also created another compulsion for himself by adding "Sabka Vishwas" (trust of all) to his earlier slogan "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas"(together with all, development of all). It is plain as daylight that neither Modi nor his party has so far won the trust of nearly 20 crore Indian Muslims. His newly discovered virtue in "inclusive development" for an "inclusive India" would ring hollow if our country's second-largest religious community feels excluded by the ruling dispensation. In his 'victory speech' at the BJP headquarters on May 23, Modi had rightly stated that even though elections are won on the principle of "Bahamut" (majority), the government can be run and the country can march ahead only on the principle of "Sarvamat" (consensus and cooperation of all). But wouldn't "Sarvamat" become like another "jumla" (empty phrase) if Muslim voices are not heard, and if Muslims are not properly represented in the institutions of power? Modi is already facing scorching questions on this score. Why isn't there a single Muslim among the 303 MPs of the BJP in the new Lok Sabha? This being the case, can the BJP be called a truly national party? Yes, it is almost pan-Indian in terms of its geographical footprint, but is its social footprint pan-Indian?
Modi also has foreign policy compulsions for attempting an outreach to Indian Muslims. Both on account of his own efforts and due to changes in the global situation, India's relations with certain important Muslim nations - Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, in particular - have become stronger in the past few years. Both countries had played a key role in cooling down tensions between India and Pakistan after the terrorist attack on CRPF soldiers at Pulwama. The UAE had even announced its highest civilian honour for Modi when the election process in India had already begun. India's closer cooperation with the Muslim world will be undermined if communal divisions within India become manifest violently.
It is also almost certain that Modi will begin dialogue with Imran Khan for normalising India-Pakistan relations on a wide range of issues. I have heard that he has also opened lines of communication with the military establishment in Islamabad. I strongly hope that he does not fritter away the opportunity of his new mandate and uses it to make a breakthrough in what is undoubtedly the most important foreign policy challenge before India. However, in order to succeed in this difficult task, Modi has to first demonstrate that he has gained the 'vishwas' of not only Hindus, but also of Muslims in India.
*PM Modi said, "We have worked for sabka saath, sabka vikas, now sabka vishwas is our mantra" (File photo)
Yes, Modi's outreach to Muslims must be welcomed by all, for it can strengthen India's democracy, development and national integration. However, he and his party would be making a huge mistake if they believe that Muslims' bharosa can be won by words alone - or by simply criticising secular parties for having created a fear psychosis among them. True, anti-BJP parties are guilty of this to some extent, and they have done so to use the 'Muslim vote bank' for their electoral benefit. But haven't Modi and the BJP also contributed to the widespread and deeply entrenched fear, sense of disempowerment, alienation and even suppressed anger among Muslims?
Therefore, if Modi is really sincere about beginning his new innings on an inclusive note, he has to introspect on a lot of things. He also has to force the BJP and the Sangh Parivar as a whole to toe his new line. He must proactively invite influential and respected representatives of the Muslim community, including those who have been strongly critical of him, for regular interactions - and also give them a stake in India's democratic power structure at various levels. Instead of simply blaming the Congress and other parties for the deprivation of Muslims in education, employment and equal opportunities in civil service and security forces - a reality starkly highlighted by the Sachar Committee Report - Modi will have to demonstrate with concrete policy and programmatic measures that he is committed to the 'tarakki' (progress) of Muslims. In this regard, I strongly recommend that he read an excellent new book on this subject which I released in Mumbai recently - Denial and Deprivation: Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission Reports, authored by Abdur Rahman, a serving IPS officer in Maharashtra.
"To sum up, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi-ji, I wholeheartedly commend your hope-giving speech at the NDA meet. Now, along with crores of patriotic Indians (non-Muslims as well as Muslims), permit me to urge you: Walk the Talk."
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NOTE : VIDEO
PM Shri Narendra Modi's address at Central Hall of Parliament : 25 May 2019
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SPECIAL NOTE : 1.
1. Ref : BIMSTEC leaders to attend PM Modi’s swearing in on May 30 : May 27, 2019 20:18 IST- hindustantimes
The BIMSTEC member states are: Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan and India.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) :
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and South East Asia, housing 1.5 billion people and having a combined gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion (2018). The BIMSTEC member states—Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand , Nepal and Bhutan —are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
Fourteen priority sectors of cooperation have been identified and several BIMSTEC centres have been established to focus on those sectors. A BIMSTEC free trade agreement is under negotiation (c. 2018).
Leadership is rotated in alphabetical order of country names. The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka.
*President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday designated Modi as the next Prime Minister and asked him to form the new government.(HT)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on Thursday will be attended by leaders from the BIMSTEC member states. The president of Kyrgyztan and the Mauritius prime minister have been invited as well.
The BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, member states are: Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan and India.
“Government of India has invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC Member States for the swearing-in ceremony. This is in line with Government’s focus on its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, who is the current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, who was the Chief Guest at this year’s Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, have also been invited,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
The invitation fits in well with two key policies of the dispensation in New Delhi — “neighbourhood first” and “Act East” — considering that Bimstec member states account for 22% of the world’s population and have a combined Gross Domestic Product of nearly $2.7 trillion.
It is clear that India is looking to the two-decade-old BIMSTEC?to get around the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC0), which has become dysfunctional because of differences between New Delhi and Islamabad, and to counter China’s creeping influence in countries around the Bay of Bengal due to the spread of its Belt and Road Initiative.
The BIMSTEC is a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia. The two Southeast Asian countries in the grouping, Myanmar and Thailand, have a crucial place for India’s ambitious connectivity plans for northeastern region
In 2014, PM Modi had invited all SAARC leaders for his swearing-in ceremony.
“The President will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister and other members of the Union council of ministers at 7pm on May 30, 2019, at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” read the statement issued on Sunday.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday designated Modi as the next Prime Minister and asked him to form the new government.
The NDA has a strength of 353 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha out of which the BJP has a majority of 303 MPs.
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SPECIAL NOTE : 2.
2. BIMSTEC can fill SAARC’s space : Sep 03, 2018 12:44 IST - hindustantimes
It is clear India is looking to the two-decade-old Bimstec to get around the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which has become dysfunctional because of differences between New Delhi and Islamabad, and to counter China’s creeping influence in countries around the Bay of Bengal due to the spread of its Belt and Road Initiative
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*Prime Minister Narendra Modi being received by the Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, at the inaugural session of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu, Nepal, August 30(PTI)
India has made a strong pitch for enhanced connectivity between the seven member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) at the grouping’s summit in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this should include connectivity in trade, economics, transport, digital networks and people-to-people. This fits in well with two key policies of the dispensation in New Delhi — “neighbourhood first” and “Act East” — considering that Bimstec member states account for 22% of the world’s population and have a combined Gross Domestic Product of nearly $2.7 trillion. For the other members, Bimstec holds the potential of gaining access to India’s vast market, while New Delhi sees the grouping as a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia.
It is clear that India is looking to the two-decade-old Bimstec to get around the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which has become dysfunctional because of differences between New Delhi and Islamabad, and to counter China’s creeping influence in countries around the Bay of Bengal due to the spread of its Belt and Road Initiative. Most of the members of Bimstec have either formally signed on for President Xi Jinping’s ambitious plan to build a modern Silk Road or closely aligned their developmental plans and programmes with those of China’s, thanks to investment lavished on infrastructure projects.
India, as the solitary holdout, realises the need to offer its neighbours a viable alternative to the One Belt, One Road project. In this, it is better placed as the neighbours and even outside powers such as the United States and Japan are expected to have no concerns about connectivity projects mooted by India, as these will come without hidden costs.
India’s renewed push for Bimstec, which has held only four summits since it was founded in 1997, has coincided with a sharp downslide in relations with Pakistan. This is largely because policy makers in New Delhi believe it will be easier for India to work through a grouping not affected by the continuous tensions with Pakistan. But India must keep in mind that key players in Bimstec, such as Nepal, have pointed out they see the grouping and Saarc as complementary to each other.
However, the grand connectivity plans mooted by India will require sound planning and considerable funding, an area in which India cannot match the largesse shown by China. India’s ability to fashion more equitable solutions and build a framework that works without violating international norms should go some way in overcoming this handicap.
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OPINION :
1. A BRILLIANT START FROM MAHANAYAK, WE CITIZENS EXTENT OUR FULL SUPPORT TO THIS GREAT NATION LOVING MAHAPURUSH.
2. LORD BLESS HIM AND HIS TEAM IN BUILDING NEW BHARATHAM.
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LAST WORDS :
WE HONEST NATION LOVING CITIZENS, UNDERSTANDING FULLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY, FOLLOW AND PARTICIPATE, THEN CONTRIBUTE OUR SHARE OF NATION BUILDING FAITHFULLY.
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JAY HIND
JAY BHARATHAM
VANDE MATARAM
BHARAT MATA KI JAY
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