Specials http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials.rss en Wed Nov 02 10:29:21 IST 2022 climate-migrants-from-delhi-could-endanger-uttarakhand <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/03/02/climate-migrants-from-delhi-could-endanger-uttarakhand.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/3/2/34-There-is-a-spurt-in-people-from-the-NCR-investing-in-realty-in-Dehradun.jpg" /> <p>Chartered accountant Sanjeev Tiwari moved to Dehradun three years ago because his two children had developed breathing problems in polluted Delhi. Alok Shankar and wife Ankita came from Gurugram during Covid-19 and did not want to go back to the chaos of the National Capital Region. Deepak Longani gave up his footwear business in Delhi and has become used to the quiet and peace of the valley.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>They are among several families from the NCR who now merrily dwell in Imperial Heights, a multi-storey residential society on Mussoorie Road, Dehradun.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“There are two primary factors for migration to cities in Uttarakhand, accessibility and climate,” says Subhash Pokhriyal, sales manager, Imperial Heights, who himself reverse migrated from Ghaziabad to give his family a better life. “There is a spurt in people from Delhi and NCR investing in Uttarakhand, especially since Covid-19. Many who bought flats in this society are non-residents.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A similar pattern is evident in and around other cities on the Himalayan foothills like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Kathgodam, Corbett and Haldwani. Investments in middle and higher reaches of Uttarakhand are also on the rise, but the numbers are low compared with the foothills.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A LocalCircles survey, with nearly 9,000 responses from Delhi, Gurugram and Noida recently found that 44 per cent of the respondents face various health issues. A survey by health care provider Pristyn Care in November 2023 found that six of 10 residents of Delhi and Mumbai are considering relocation because of pollution. According to a 2021 Knight Frank report, two in five respondents, across income segmaents, showed interest in buying a second home. The report highlighted that people were valuing air quality, proximity to green areas and access to good health care more.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rakesh Ranjan, a developer in Uttarakhand, thinks that places like Dehradun fulfil most of the conditions that such buyers are looking for. “People are investing [in greener and affordable avenues] away from the capital, but within 300km,” he says. “This has inflated demand and the realty market in Uttarakhand is at its peak.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Shalin Raina, managing director, residential services, Cushman &amp; Wakefield, a global property consultant firm, says that the market in places like Dehradun have grown exponentially. “It has good health care, educational institutions and retail brands,” he says. “Enhanced connectivity and accessibility through roads and airport also make it viable for Delhiites to own property there.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to district records, there are nearly 2,500 government-run schools and 30 higher education institutes in the city. There are also around 100 private schools and approximately 20 private higher education institutions. Similarly, there are five top hospitals in or around Dehradun―AIIMS Rishikesh (around an hour away), the Government Doon Medical School &amp; Hospital, the Coronation Hospital, the Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital and the Combined Institute of Medical Science &amp; Research. Less than a year ago, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for a new 500-bed hospital under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“Potential in crucial sectors is huge,” says Pokhriyal. “The government must leverage it by creating necessary infrastructure.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Urban areas are not the only places being increasingly inhabited by climate migrants. Doon Heights, about 25km from the city, is a residential colony in Dunga village. A serene patch of residential plots overlooking the Himalayan range, Doon Heights is surrounded by lush greenery and the Sone river is just half a kilometre away.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>R.R. Verma, who retired from the environment ministry, stays there with his family. He says that most of the land owners there are from the NCR. “In the past one-and-a-half years alone, plottings have increased manifold in this area,” he says. “Most plot sizes in this area are around 250sqm-400sqm, and are bought by people who want an alternative from busy city lives. Of late, a lot of construction has also started.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Property dealers attest to the increase in demand and land prices. Babu Rawat, a local dealer says: “In my 20 years, I have not seen so many people from NCR investing so heavily in Uttarakhand. Land that was being sold for Rs8,000-Rs9,000/sqm till a year ago has now gone up to Rs14,000 to Rs15,000.” The prices get higher closer to the city, he says, ranging from Rs20,000/sqm to Rs30,000/sqm. “Most importantly, people are willing to pay,” he says. Siddharth Dhiman, a local architect adds: “I am being contacted by a lot of people from outside for design approvals from the local authority.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The promise of good returns on property is also driving people to invest more. “From an investment point of view the market is more viable as buyers can invest their money in bigger properties,” says Raina. Adds Rashmi Narula, sales executive of LA City, a luxury society on the Manduwala-Dunga road, “The prices for independent villas start from Rs1.1 crore whereas 1,500sqft-apartments range from Rs70 lakh to Rs90 lakh.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The sudden influx of “outsiders” has not gone unnoticed by the local populace and ecologists. Says S.C. Arya, whose ancestral house is in Almora: “Land availability for local people is shrinking by the day. The demography, environment and the character of the state is changing. In the long run, it may not bode well for our children.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ecology experts also have concerns. Mashhood Alam, senior research associate, BRCG Research and Development Foundation, says that the rapid urbanisation and commercial development in Uttarakhand raise numerous environmental concerns. “Clearing forests for infrastructure, expanding urban areas and escalating pollution levels endanger essential habitats, fragmenting natural environment and depleting valuable resources,” he says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Hemant Dhyani, member-coordinator of Ganga Ahvaan―an NGO working for conservation of rivers―is against the flourishing consumption-based economy in Uttarakhand. “Resource management comes naturally to local people who know the importance of a sustainable life,” he says. “They know how to respect nature, use its resources judiciously. But, people from outside who buy land to make big resorts and societies have only consumptive attitude and mindset. They are not sensitive to the sacrosanctity of the region. This will have an adverse effect on the socioculture and environmental fabric of the Himalayan state.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anoop Nautiyal, founder of the Social Development for Communities Foundation in Uttarakhand, says that the unabated, uncontrolled and unregulated urbanisation is the result of years of dilution of land laws in the state. “Dehradun has become a ticking time-bomb from where the developmental fault lines are [originating],” he says. “The situation is full of red herrings and has been acknowledged by the government also. It has also been flagged in the he Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority’s (MDDA) draft master plan 2041.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The population of Dehradun has increased from around 5.5 lakh in the early 2000s to 17 lakh in 2022. “Dehradun is being sandwiched between migration from upper reaches as well as plains,” says Nautiyal. “A mere observation indicates that it has far exceeded its carrying capacity.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mallika Bhanot, an independent environmentalist working on the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone adds: “The rapid influx of people from outside is going to massively affect the state, especially the resort construction that has been taken up at a scale not commensurate with the carrying capacity of the place. This will lead to overburden. Issues like dumping of solid waste, parking, electricity and water will spring up in a big way in the coming days. It is hoped that new laws will address these concerns.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The first ever limit on land purchase by non-residents was brought by chief minister N.D. Tiwari in 2003 who capped it at 500sqm. This was further reduced to 250sqm by the BJP-led government of B.C. Khanduri. But, these restrictions were lifted by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in 2017 to foster economic progress. This led to widespread investment into the state, especially on agricultural land. “The pretext of employment generation and economic progress is a myth,” Dhyani. “What [local people] get is fourth-grade employment (like cleaners and security guards). I do not think people want that.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>An agitation in December 2023 by a group of social organisations brought the issue of migration to the forefront. They took out a march demanding stricter land laws and a stop to large-scale sale of lands to “outsiders”. Concerns were also raised about issuing domicile certificates to non-residents. A singer, Narendra Singh Negi, penned a song ‘Utha Jaga Uttarakhandiyo’ to mobilise locals and said that the issue concerned the future of their children.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Uttarakhand government was quick to respond. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami immediately formed a five-member committee to study the 2022 draft report that recommended amendments to the state’s land laws. One of the most important recommendations of the draft was the introduction of an essentiality clause like in Himachal Pradesh. In the essentiality test, necessity of the purchase by non-agriculturists and non-residents is gauged before issuing approvals.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The government, for now, has put a ban on sale of agricultural land. The MDDA has started a campaign against illegal plottings, which are now listed on its website. The environmentalists and locals are hopeful that strict restrictions will follow. “While there should be a blanket ban in the upper reaches of Himalayas, which are highly eco-sensitive, the capping in lower areas should be as low as possible for long-term sustainability of entire region,” says Dhyani.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“We understand that we live by our Constitution that allows anyone to buy property anywhere as common citizens of the country,” says Nautiyal. But, if action is not taken now, Bhanot contends, “the entire local ecosystem will be compromised”. To strike a balance, it is time, Mashhood suggests “to promote responsible investing in the region”.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/03/02/climate-migrants-from-delhi-could-endanger-uttarakhand.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/03/02/climate-migrants-from-delhi-could-endanger-uttarakhand.html Sat Mar 02 12:56:04 IST 2024 sharenting-can-have-lasting-implications-on-a-child-s-life <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/03/02/sharenting-can-have-lasting-implications-on-a-child-s-life.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/3/2/54-sharenting.jpg" /> <p><i><b>75% of parents have shared a picture, stories or videos of their children on social media.</b></i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i><b>80% and more parents have used real names.</b></i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i>source <b>security.org</b></i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Amid the incessant sharing and virtual documentation of our existence, a perilous trend has emerged. A seemingly innocuous act, akin to leaving a door ajar, actually exposes the vulnerability of young lives to prying eyes and potential dangers lurking in the virtual shadows. It is like unwittingly handing over the keys to a child’s bedroom to a stranger on the internet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In an age dominated by social media, the practice of ‘sharenting’ has become ubiquitous. A portmanteau of parenting and sharing, sharenting is defined as parents oversharing content about their children on social media. This includes photos, videos and personal stories. While this apparently allows parents to connect, celebrate milestones and share the joys of parenting, sharenting exposes children to the darker side of the digital world. Momentarily alleviating social isolation and bringing about perceived social validation can have perilous consequences for the child.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to a survey by security.org, 75 per cent of parents have shared a picture, stories or videos of their children on social media, and more than 80 per cent parents have used real names. A study by Barclays Bank predicts that by 2030, annual occurrences of identity fraud associated with sharenting could lead to damages up to $900 million.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In today’s influencer culture, vlogger parents also use their kids for creating social media content, putting their child’s life and future at risk. These parents not only broadcast their own lives, but also that of their children to the world. The consequences of such forms of sharenting, influencer or otherwise, can be far-reaching, with potential risks ranging from digital kidnapping to cyberbullying to emotional scarring of the child and sextortion, possibly hurting even future prospects. People tend to miss the latent issue with sharenting, which is surveillance and privacy issues that come with exposing data and not envisaging worst-case scenarios.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Digital kidnapping, grooming and cyberbullying</b></p> <p>One of the gravest risks associated with sharenting is digital kidnapping. Malicious individuals can exploit the shared images and information to create false online identities, falsely claiming the child as their own. This distressing phenomenon not only violates the child’s privacy but can also cause emotional turmoil for the entire family. Sharenting also opens the door for potential predators who may use the information shared online to identify and groom children. Establishing a relationship with a child through the details disclosed on social media, predators may groom, exploit or abuse children offline. Additionally, children’s images and personal details can be misused by peers for cyberbullying, leading to emotional distress and potential harm to the child’s well-being.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Sextortion, AI-based image manipulation and identity theft</b></p> <p>The risk of sextortion, where perpetrators threaten to share compromising content unless the child complies with their demands, is another alarming consequence of sharenting. Sharing personal information, such as full names, birthdates and locations, increases the risk of identity theft. Criminals may use this information for fraudulent activities.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Advances in technology are making it easier for malicious actors to manipulate images using AI tools, creating fake or altered content that can damage a child’s reputation and privacy. While sharenting itself poses multiple risks for the safety of our children, the integration of AI can exacerbate these dangers, leading to serious consequences. Deep fake tech enables the manipulation and morphing of images with unprecedented realism. The creation of fake or altered content featuring children could make it difficult to discern between real and manipulated images, and it can potentially put children in compromising situations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Convincingly fabricated false narratives and scenarios involving children can lead to grave consequences, ranging from emotional trauma, cyberbullying to even the creation of explicit content using a child’s face. Responsible sharing practices, prioritising privacy and staying informed about evolving technologies help mitigate these dangers and protect the safety of our children in the digital landscape.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Violation of privacy and safeguarding children</b></p> <p>Children have a fundamental right to privacy, and sharing a child’s images and personal details without their consent infringes upon this right. Exposing children to the digital world without their consent also robs them of the choice not to be on social media. Parents need to consider long-term repercussions, while the potential for harm continues to increase daily.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>To mitigate these risks, parents should minimise sharing data on social media and enable privacy settings. Please do not share full names, ages, dates of birth, home addresses, names of schools, names of pets or even favourite places and photographs. Sensitive information that could compromise a child’s safety and mental well-being should never be disclosed online.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Keeping it vague is another strategy to maintain a safe environment for sharing content. If sharing pictures is deemed necessary, consider images that don’t show the child’s face or disclose specific details about their parents or guardians.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Legal framework and child rights on the internet</b></p> <p>Kidfluencing―influencer culture using children―is a matter of great concern, given how young kids are used (read misused) against their consent. The realm of child social media influencers can prove extremely profitable, as their earnings soar through advertising agreements and merchandise transactions. According to Forbes, children below the age of 10 feature among the top earning influencers in the world. One of them is eight-year-old American Ryan Kaji, whose toy review channel raked in $27 million in 2021. The commodification of a child’s innocence, fuelled by unregulated influencer space, is impacting the privacy and safety of children. Scholars now argue that this kidfluencing culture is akin to child labour.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Legal safeguards for child rights and protection on the internet have begun emerging. France has passed a legislation to prevent parents from sharing photos of their children online. This is the first-ever legal safeguard by any country specifically addressing the concerns of sharenting. Recently, Illinois became the first state in the US to pass a law safeguarding child social media influencers, used by their parents to mint money. The law aims to prevent parents who would attempt to take advantage of their child’s talents and use them for their own financial gain. Similarly, the Digital Service Act (DSA) passed by the European Union in 2022 aims to contain the spread of harmful content and create a mechanism that can easily detect and punish illegal content featuring children.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted General Comment No 25 in February 2021, emphasising children’s rights within the digital landscape. This landmark document underscores that the principles of human rights extend to children both in the physical and digital realms. By acknowledging the significance of the digital environment, the UNCRC reinforces the idea that children deserve protection, dignity and equal rights online.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Educating stakeholders through digital literacy programmes</b></p> <p>Raising awareness about the potential risks associated with sharenting is essential. Encouraging responsible online behaviour that prioritises safety helps create a supportive online environment for children. Implementing digital literacy is yet another proactive step. Assam Police’s groundbreaking awareness campaign―#DontBeASharent―stands out as a beacon in this domain. Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, the campaign strategically employed AI-generated visuals to highlight the potential hazards of sharenting. The innovative approach not only garnered widespread attention but also earned the campaign international acclaim, receiving accolades and extensive media coverage across the globe. A research conducted by Real Research after our viral campaign was launched found that the “tweet by Assam Police served as an eye-opener, as 52.67 per cent found sharenting concerning, 38.03 per cent were somewhat concerned, 5.04 per cent were not so much, and 4.26 per cent were not concerned at all”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sharenting comes with significant risks that can impact a child’s well-being and privacy. By prioritising privacy, obtaining consent and implementing digital literacy programmes, we can navigate the challenges of sharenting and create a safer online environment for our children. It is time to recognise that children are not social media content, but individuals deserving of protection and respect in the digital age. The time to address the evolving challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age while emphasising the need to ensure a safe and inclusive digital space for the younger generation is right now.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Harmeet Singh</b> is special director general of police, Assam, and in-charge, Assam Police Smart Social Media Centre-Nagrik Mitra. <b>Salik Khan</b> is creative consultant, Assam Police Smart Social Media Centre-Nagrik Mitra.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/03/02/sharenting-can-have-lasting-implications-on-a-child-s-life.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/03/02/sharenting-can-have-lasting-implications-on-a-child-s-life.html Sat Mar 02 12:02:34 IST 2024 justice-madan-lokur-about-indian-jurist-fali-s-nariman <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/justice-madan-lokur-about-indian-jurist-fali-s-nariman.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/24/23-Madan-Lokur-and-Fali-Nariman.jpg" /> <p><b>FALI S. NARIMAN [1929-2024]</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>IN THE PASSING</b> away of Fali Nariman, the country has lost not only an outstanding lawyer, but also a pillar of strength and a conscience keeper of the legal fraternity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Soon after Emergency was declared in 1975, Fali (as he was popularly known) resigned as additional solicitor general of India, finding it impossible to represent an authoritarian regime. In those days, few would have dared take such a step, sending out a clear signal to the government of the day that suspension of our fundamental freedoms was unacceptable. That was Fali.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As a law student in Delhi, I had heard a lot about Fali’s court craft, presentation of submissions before the court, his legal acumen as well as his clarity of thought. It was a couple of years after joining the bar that an opportunity presented itself when I could actually watch Fali in action. It was a case having complicated facts and raised complex legal questions. Fali painstakingly took the court through the maze of facts and then expounded on the law with great lucidity. My senior (later a judge of the Supreme Court) who was opposing him, told me after the day’s hearing had concluded that he had yet to witness such a virtuoso performance. For the record, we lost the case.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In later years, I had the occasion to brief Fali in a couple of cases and also oppose him. On each occasion, I came home much wiser having learnt not only the law, but also how to prepare a case.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>One advice that Fali often gave young lawyers was to sit in court and watch cases being argued. This would not only expose young members of the bar to different disciplines of the law, but also teach them how to argue a case and how not to argue a case. Equally importantly, it would enable the lawyers to understand the judges through their reactions. A few years ago, I was surprised to learn from Fali that when he does not have a case (which was seldom), or he is waiting for his case to be called out, he would follow his advice and spend time sitting in court and educating himself by watching the proceedings. Imagine.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fali was not only highly respected as a lawyer, but was also loved and respected as a human being. He was kind and considerate to young lawyers and gracious to his colleagues at the bar, enquiring about their welfare and praising them for their achievements. I have not known of Fali criticising anybody; as he would say, everyone is entitled to their point of view.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I had the good fortune to hear Fali for a few days when he argued the challenge to the Constitutional amendment introducing the National Judicial Appointments Commission. He placed his submissions from all possible perspectives, emphasising, time and again, the importance of judicial independence. Now on the other side of the bar, I realised how outstanding and articulate a lawyer was Fali.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fali’s fame was not confined to our country. Many lawyers and judges from different parts of the world expressed their respect for him on several occasions, and some actually held him in awe. I recall a senior judge emeritus from California holding him in very high esteem and frequently asking about him. A few others, whom I am in touch with, would invariably ask about his welfare and request to convey their regards to him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There can be no doubt that we have lost a wonderful human being and an outstanding lawyer. May his soul rest in peace.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Lokur</b> is a former Supreme Court judge.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/justice-madan-lokur-about-indian-jurist-fali-s-nariman.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/justice-madan-lokur-about-indian-jurist-fali-s-nariman.html Sat Feb 24 12:41:45 IST 2024 narendra-modi-s-likely-third-term-could-see-an-omnipotent-centre-that-holds-all-the-cards <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/narendra-modi-s-likely-third-term-could-see-an-omnipotent-centre-that-holds-all-the-cards.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/24/53-A-bulldozer-demolishes-the-house.jpg" /> <p><b>PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI</b> exuded confidence while speaking on the ‘Motion of Thanks’ for the president’s address recently in Parliament. He said the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance would cross their past majorities, and that his party would win 370 seats of the likely NDA tally of 400. The miscalculations of the Congress and its inability to bring together the INDIA bloc could well presage a long period of uninterrupted BJP rule and the breakup of the Congress.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Back in 2004, I saw the massive ‘India Shining’ campaign of the Vajpayee government from the Alpine heights of Geneva, and its collapse. Of course, that campaign would pale into insignificance beside the gaudy G20 glitz, the sengol veneration and the opulent Ram Mandir. The election results will show whether the lowest quarter of our population is impressed by this chutzpah. But what next?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The home minister has already announced that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will become a reality before the election. Aadhaar cards may have to come in two colours―one for the citizens and the other for the rest. Or else, a separate citizenship card may have to be introduced. The Uniform Civil Code may be introduced across the country, creating tension in some areas.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The delimitation of parliamentary constituencies will occur in 2026, based on the postponed 2021 census, resulting in a shift in political balance between states. The states that have faithfully followed policies initiated by the government for family planning will stand to lose political power. Once more, language issues may arise; there could be efforts to strengthen the use of Hindi, thus reducing the national presence of non-Hindi-speaking people.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>New farm laws, which had to be hastily withdrawn on the cusp of the Uttar Pradesh elections, could be introduced. With the possible introduction of the ‘one nation, one election’ plan, there will be enough time to enforce farm laws without the nuisance of an intervening state election. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, recognising this possibility, is once again at the borders of Delhi. The imposition of income tax on farmers may not occur as most of the wealthy farmers are in the Hindi heartland. Labour laws may not be changed across the country. Differential labour laws and their enforcement may benefit some states and handicap others. In education, rewriting history may gather pace and free thinking may be discouraged.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The second term of the Modi government was also marked by increased activism by governors and lieutenant governors in opposition-ruled states. This may increase in the third term, and new provisions could be introduced in the Constitution to give them more powers over elected sub-federal governments, as was done in the case of the Delhi Services Act.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The judiciary’s role has been changing, and recent judgments seem to treat the letter of the law as given. No new jurisprudence, as was created by the Bommai case and the Kesavananda Bharati case, may sprout to scrutinise new laws in the light of the spirit of the Constitution. The independence of the judiciary, particularly the [trial] courts, has been in doubt, and the Supreme Court has taken serious note of it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Investigative and regulatory agencies have been given a free hand to wield the big stick against select corporations and individuals. The use of bulldozers to suppress agitations will probably continue in the northern states. The media have been largely brought to heel, and the outliers may be under threat in the next stretch. Control over social media and the telecom networks may grow. The westward tilt in foreign policy would continue, while Kautilya’s Mandala theory (the neighbour’s neighbour is your friend) may guide relations with neighbours.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The unitary elements of the Constitution have been gaining prominence. The flexibility given to states by the 14th Finance Commission by raising their share in allocable resources has been taken away by reducing the Central share in centrally-sponsored schemes. At the same time, centrally-sponsored schemes have multiplied, which are helpful to certain states, but not to others. Cesses and surcharges, which are not shared with states, have gone up in number and volume. The Centre and certain Central public sector undertakings have been borrowing freely from the markets, while putting constraints on the states. Financial stress of states, particularly some of them, has been growing, and a situation may arise when the use of Article 360 (invoking financial emergency), with the Centre taking over financial powers, may become inevitable.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There is little doubt that the economic policy of the government will be heavily tilted towards the corporates as it is now, with some sops to the very poor. The poor are grateful and will respond positively to a pittance while the rich grows richer and income inequality rises. The middle class has been largely ignored. While corporate tax rates were brought down by 10 per cent in October 2019, there has been no relief for the middle classes, which also labour under the burden of inflation, high fuel prices and job uncertainty. They will hope for a change in approach. The pressure on corporations to locate their new plants in certain states and to use corporate social responsibility funds for specified purposes may intensify.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thus, we are moving swiftly towards a new concept of India. The economy will undoubtedly grow unless there are unanticipated financial shocks, as happened in 2008-2009 during the great recession and in 2019-2021 during the pandemic. Yet, the Indian economy is unlikely to deviate from the track set in 1991, and it has acquired the resilience to weather storms, slowly spread its wings, and scale new heights without the government’s support. The growth of infrastructure, unquestionably an outstanding contribution made by the Modi government, will further strengthen the development of Indian industry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Will there be an opposition resurgence in the remaining few weeks before polls? “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success,” said Henry Ford. The opposition parties do not seem to have even started “coming together”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>The author</b> is former Union cabinet secretary.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/narendra-modi-s-likely-third-term-could-see-an-omnipotent-centre-that-holds-all-the-cards.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/narendra-modi-s-likely-third-term-could-see-an-omnipotent-centre-that-holds-all-the-cards.html Sat Feb 24 11:48:21 IST 2024 uae-continue-to-inspire-the-world-with-their-commitment-to-religious-freedom-and-pluralism <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/uae-continue-to-inspire-the-world-with-their-commitment-to-religious-freedom-and-pluralism.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/24/55-Visitors-at-the-BAPS-Hindu-Mandir-in-Abu-Dhabi.jpg" /> <p><b>A MYRIAD THOUGHTS</b> and memories flashed through my mind as I watched on television the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was in early 2007 that I reached Dubai to serve as India’s consul general. The Hindu temple in Dubai was one of the first places of importance I visited. It was a small, nondescript temple which functioned from 1958 in the first floor of a building that housed shops in the heart of the old city. The building was located right next to the main mosque and the ruler’s court, and it housed a Shiva temple, a Krishna temple and a gurdwara.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Migration of Indians to Dubai can be traced to its days as a trading hub and centre for pearl fishing, much before the discovery of oil and the birth of the UAE as a nation. Sheikh Rashid, father of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the UAE), was a hero to the Indian community. It was thanks to the welcome extended by him that Indians in Dubai grew in numbers and flourished. I heard many stories of how Sheikh Rashid used to be a regular at Diwali celebrations. Sheikh Rashid embodied secular governance at its best. A telling story was how some conservatives protested the permission granted to the Hindu temple and its location right next to the mosque. They asked him to take back his decision. Sheikh Rashid’s response was that all people are welcome to practise their religion in Dubai and visit a temple or mosque as they please. However, they will all obey the law. Anyone breaking the law will go to jail, irrespective of whether they are Hindu or Muslim. That is why a jail is situated between the mosque and the temple.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Indian community was grateful for the religious freedom they enjoyed, but was concerned about the lack of space and facilities in overcrowded Bur Dubai, especially with the Indian population continuing to grow rapidly. I recall being invited to the temple on Shivaratri to see the long, snaking lines of devotees and how a small group of volunteers and a handful of policemen would struggle to regulate them. Land for a large temple with sufficient parking was a request repeatedly voiced by the community from much before my time in Dubai. I conveyed the same to the leadership in Dubai and Abu Dhabi many times and so did our ambassadors and visiting leaders from India.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, senior member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and the UAE’s minister for tolerance, was the most important ally of the Indian community in this effort. It was befitting that Sheikh Nahyan represented the UAE government at the opening of the BAPS Hindu Mandir. Known in the UAE as the “People’s Sheikh” for his friendly and accessible nature, Sheikh Nahyan championed the idea of land for a new temple and recommended the same to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE. It is on the foundation of Sheikh Nahyan’s efforts that Prime Minister Modi built his religious diplomacy and the temple became an important subject of official exchanges.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sheikh Nahyan is a living example of the UAE’s commitment to religious tolerance and pluralism. He takes great joy in meeting spiritual leaders from all over the world. There is probably no prominent spiritual leader from India who has not been welcomed to his majlis. While Sheikh Nahyan enjoys great love and respect within the country and abroad, India and Indians have always had a special place in his heart.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Religious freedom and pluralism in the UAE owe a lot to Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi, the father of the nation and the founder president who ensured that it was embedded into the social fabric and was made a constitutional guarantee from 1971 when the nation was born. Generous offers of free land have been made to many religious communities. Dubai witnessed the construction of St Mary’s Catholic Church in 1966, Bur Dubai Church in 1975 and the Jumeirah Presbyterian Church in 1979. Today, Dubai has over 80 churches catering to various Christian denominations. Abu Dhabi is home to the Abrahamic Family House, opened last year, which combines a church, a mosque and a synagogue. A spacious Guru Nanak Durbar opened in the Jebel Ali area of Dubai in 2012 and an equally large and beautiful Hindu temple was built next to the gurdwara in 2022. The Shiva mandir and the gurdwara in the old Bur Dubai temple were relocated to the new temple, while the Krishna mandir continues to function in the old location.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Offering land and support for the BAPS Hindu Mandir is yet another important step taken by the UAE to promote inclusivity and religious diversity. President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed deserves accolades for his bold decision to permit the temple to be built in traditional Indian style with sculptures and carvings on the outside. Considering the conservative views that still exist in UAE society and the conflict and polarisation in the world, this is a revolutionary step. It reflects the determination of the leaders to reinforce the message that Islam can coexist with religious diversity and the UAE will continue to strengthen its character as a modern, liberal and progressive state.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>BAPS deserves the highest of praise for having raised the resources and built this great stone temple in record time. The temple will not just serve the spiritual needs of the Indian community, but will also act as a cultural landmark and forum for inter-religious discourse. Prime Minister Modi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed also deserve praise for their personal attention and support for the project which has fulfilled a longstanding dream and need of the Indian community. Since 2015, the two leaders have imbued the relationship with rich personal and political content. Historic ties, geographical proximity, people-to-people contacts and trade and economic relations have always closely bound the two nations and its people.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For the UAE, the BAPS Hindu Mandir represents yet another milestone in a continuous and consistent journey and celebration of pluralism. The UAE’s model of religious tolerance stands as a beacon of hope in a world yearning for end to strife and peaceful coexistence.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>―<b>The writer</b> is a former career diplomat who served as consul general of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010 and is the author of the book, <i>India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship. </i>He is currently professor of diplomatic practice at O.P. Jindal Global University.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/uae-continue-to-inspire-the-world-with-their-commitment-to-religious-freedom-and-pluralism.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/uae-continue-to-inspire-the-world-with-their-commitment-to-religious-freedom-and-pluralism.html Sun Feb 25 12:58:33 IST 2024 how-a-one-of-it-s-kind-avian-focused-veterinary-hospital-in-kerala-is-giving-a-healing-touch-to-exotic-birds-and-pets <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/how-a-one-of-it-s-kind-avian-focused-veterinary-hospital-in-kerala-is-giving-a-healing-touch-to-exotic-birds-and-pets.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/24/56-Dr-Rani.jpg" /> <p>Mittu was weak, nauseous and struggling to breathe when she was brought to Dr Rani Maria Thomas’s hospital in the coastal village of Thumpoly in Kerala’s Alappuzha district. Mittu’s panic-stricken caregivers had little hope as Rani and her team rushed her to the ICU for oxygen therapy. After Mittu calmed down, they took an X-ray, and found out that she had ingested a piece of lead. To avoid reaction between lead and gastric juices, they crop-fed her medicine via a tube. Mittu recovered gradually and was discharged within a week, after the lead was out of her system.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This was not a regular hospital case―Mittu is a grey parrot and Rani, 32, is an avian veterinarian. Her 2,000sqft veterinary hospital, Sara’s Birds and Exotic Animal Hospital, has facilities that rival many hospitals for humans. The hospital, located on NH66, is an oasis of rare plants and trees caressed by sea breeze. The air is filled with high-pitched shrieks of sun conures and rainbow lorikeets, chirps of finches, the coos of diamond doves and nun pigeons, the witty retorts of human-imitating macaws and cockatoos, the barks of golden retrievers and Labradors, the yawns of sulcata tortoises and the hermit-like silence of iguanas.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rani’s parents live next to the hospital. It was there that she grew up along with her elder sister and ‘siblings’ from different species―just like Mowgli in <i>The Jungle Book</i>. The family runs Sara’s Exotic Pet Farm, a collection of 70 species of exotic birds and pets that is named, like the hospital, after Rani’s grandmother. Among the pets, Rani’s favourite is Ginger, a golden retriever who she says is her “brother”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Besides the pet incubator ICU unit, diagnostic lab and pharmacy, the hospital has equipment to carry out endoscopy, X-ray, radiographs, microscopy, ultrasound scan, blood transfusion and inhalant anaesthesia. “For example, the serum machine can measure liver and kidney values. And the progesterone machine helps check calcium, thyroid and vitamin D levels in sulcata tortoise, monkeys and iguanas, while the CBC (complete blood count) machine can take RBC, WBC, haemoglobin and platelet counts,” she says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The hospital also has a grooming centre and a pet spa for dogs and cats. Another attraction is a pet shop selling imported toys and accessories. The hospital also offers a boarding facility for pets whose owners are travelling. When Mittu was under treatment, her owner was in constant touch with her via video calls.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was during her externship at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital in 2016 that Rani was introduced to the state-of-the-art equipment and expert care provided to the raptors treated there. This inspired her to replicate them in her hospital. “The sheikhs would bring hundreds of falcons for checkup before they went out hunting. These birds of prey would undergo all sorts of tests to ensure they are healthy. I couldn’t lower my standards after the externship. If you ask me to use injectable anaesthesia on birds, I am not comfortable with it. Instead I use inhalant anaesthesia, which is the best way to sedate birds and it helps with speedy recovery,” says Rani.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The hospital was established in August 2021. It also conducts major and minor surgeries, avian DNA sexing, skin disease treatment, vaccination and anti-snake venom treatment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Despite securing a rank of 2012 for MBBS admission, Rani traded the coveted seat for a bachelor’s in veterinary medicine at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, Wayanad, in 2010. “I am glad I didn’t opt for MBBS, because this is a more relaxed and happy profession for me. I’m at peace now,” she says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was her father, K.T. Thomas, 67, who suggested that she become an avian veterinarian, pointing to the dearth of medics treating birds. Thomas and his wife, Beena, have been parents of exotic pets for about four decades. A former coir exporter, he had hoped that either of his two daughters would become a veterinarian and is glad that Rani has chosen the road less taken. “My inspiration and guidance comes from my parents,” says Rani. “And my husband, Mathan John, is equally supportive and is a pet lover, too. He is an applications engineer who was based in Kuwait, but is currently working from home. He accompanies me whenever I have to travel abroad and makes sure that I have all the help I need.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Talking about her professional struggles in becoming a doctor for winged patients, Rani says, “In the vet school, you don’t study much about birds or exotic [animals]. Whether it is anatomy or physiology, it’s just two pages. In India, we don’t have courses focused on avian veterinary, but there are places where we can work with birds. And now there are lots of veterinary associations that are providing online courses. In my clinic, too, we are conducting an avian orthopaedic training course in March. So, I am also doing what I can to contribute to this field.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rani completed her masters in veterinary epidemiology and preventive medicine in 2019. She also has postgraduate diplomas in One Health (an integrated approach to optmise health of people, animals and ecosystems) and the therapeutic management of pet animals and birds. “It’s a continuous learning process. Even now I am doing online and offline courses to keep myself updated,” she says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rani is irked by veterinarians who just click photos with birds and call themselves avian doctors on social media. “I have seen some vets who just prescribe antibiotics without proper diagnosis. Whether it’s an infection or internal injury or even flu, birds display similar symptoms like getting fluffed up and not eating food. So if you administer antibiotics indiscriminately, the bird may not survive. That’s one reason I got all this equipment, so that I can ensure proper prognosis.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>She says that only those who specialise in avian endoscopy can be a complete avian doctor. “Endoscopy allows breeders to find out if a bird is a male or female at a young age. It can also help understand if the bird is ready to breed. The technique also helps in assessing the conditions of internal organs, including heart, lungs, air sacs, liver, kidneys, spleen and intestine. So, if one wants to be an avian vet, they should be well-versed in endoscopy,” says Rani, who practised avian endoscopy at the Dubai-based sports club F3 Falcon, where raptors are bred for falcon racing. She also practised orthopaedics at Vet Plus Centre in Sharjah.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Her future plans include setting up a CT scan and laser treatment facility for birds. She is also considering opening a facility near Kochi, which has a strong community of breeders of exotic animals and a high density of pet population.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Becoming a pet parent, says Rani, is like having a baby. “Don’t buy an exotic bird because your neighbour has one, or just because you can afford it. This is not just about those who buy exotic birds, but about pet parents in general. Buy pets only if you have time to invest, if you can take them to a vet, or a grooming centre or for a walk. It is like having a baby. Research a lot before you buy them.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a name="__DdeLink__20_1328407715" id="__DdeLink__20_1328407715"></a>When Rani decided to become a veterinarian, she was determined to set up her own hospital. Rani says she had to shell out around Rs60 lakh for facilities and equipment, most of which were procured from Delhi. “The endoscopy machine alone cost around Rs15 lakh, and the X-ray equipment Rs10 lakh. I paid around Rs7 lakh each for the CBC and serum machines,” she says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Many people were pessimistic. “Alappuzha is a slow town,” says Rani. “Some said I won’t get enough patients and will have to wind up in a few months. But I was confident, and so were my parents. I was ready to run the hospital without profit for the first few years. But we soon started getting patients from all over Kerala. Now, we have birds and animals being brought from Coimbatore, Salem, Hogenakkal, Chennai, Bengaluru and even Kolkata.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Momo, an umbrella cockatoo with deformities on upper and lower beaks, was couriered from Kolkata via Chennai, while another breeder couple and their children drove down from Kolkata to get their three macaws treated.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rani says she does not charge exorbitantly. For example, Mittu’s one-week treatment cost Rs5,000, while Momo’s surgery cost Rs15,000. Rani holds monthly consults in Delhi and Kolkata and she often volunteers in Jaipur during the kite festival and takes classes for students and local residents. In 2017, while volunteering with the Jaipur-based NGO Raksha during the annual kite festival in 2017, she recalled how she encountered thousands of birds injured by glass powder-laced manja strings during Makar Sankranti.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“As a child, I was surrounded by happy birds. But when I went to Jaipur, I came across thousands of suffering birds cut by manja. It was January and cold. Those birds were bleeding, and it was really stressful for me. For three weeks, we would start the surgeries early in the morning and continue till midnight,” she says. “That was a sad experience. But in the end, I feel fulfilled that I could travel there and help those birds.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/how-a-one-of-it-s-kind-avian-focused-veterinary-hospital-in-kerala-is-giving-a-healing-touch-to-exotic-birds-and-pets.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/24/how-a-one-of-it-s-kind-avian-focused-veterinary-hospital-in-kerala-is-giving-a-healing-touch-to-exotic-birds-and-pets.html Sat Feb 24 15:52:27 IST 2024 milan-a-biennial-congregation-of-world-navies-complements-india-s-maritime-vision <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/16/milan-a-biennial-congregation-of-world-navies-complements-india-s-maritime-vision.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/16/50-A-meeting-of-minds.jpg" /> <p><b>THE NAVY IS</b> sometimes called the strategic service. This moniker is not easily applied to the other two services, the Army and the Air Force since their influence is often limited by geography and scale of interaction. The Indian Navy, on the other hand, is a truly global force which is distinctly international in character. This is not a new phenomenon. The characteristics of naval forces make them eminently suited for tasks well beyond the horizon, carrying friendships across the oceans and, if necessary, delivering lethal power to engage adversaries far away from own shores or assisting people in need such as our own diaspora in times of crises.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Besides being the primary manifestation of national maritime power, the Navy’s contribution in furthering the nation’s foreign policy has been stellar. Of the major roles of the Navy, its diplomatic role is the most visible and effective in the international maritime arena. From humble beginnings, this role has steadily grown in tandem with our ever-expanding global influence and diplomatic outreach. MILAN, a biennial maritime congregation of world navies, conducted by the Indian Navy, is a manifestation of this reality.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>MILAN, as the name suggests, is a meeting of sorts. The idea germinated in the early 1990s, when a small conclave of navies of the eastern littoral of the Indian Ocean met once every two years at Port Blair. Just four regional navies participated in the first edition in 1995, represented by a small delegation. Later, one or two ships from friendly navies would call at Port Blair to coincide with the event. It was then more an ‘ice-breaking’ event with little operational content. MILAN steadily grew in strength and stature, with increasing participation by regional navies and much richer content. In 2018, 17 navies congregated at Port Blair. The normally harbour-based interactions expanded to include a sea phase of exercises.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With increasing participation and content, MILAN shifted to the picturesque port city of Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command. This was done for ease of logistics on the mainland. MILAN 2020 was planned on a large scale, but was called off because of the pandemic. MILAN 2022 saw a tectonic shift in the complexion of the event with 39 foreign navies, 13 foreign warships and one foreign maritime patrol aircraft participating, besides high-level delegations, many led by chiefs of navies. Apart from a rich operational content, there was a vibrant cultural exchange, city parades, exhibitions and much pageantry. It altered the perception of the Indian Navy to one that had ‘arrived’ on the world stage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>MILAN 2024 promises to be a ‘never before’ event. A nine-day interaction among world navies from February 19 expects to witness 50 navies in attendance with 15 ships and one aircraft from friendly countries, along with more than 20 Indian naval platforms, including both aircraft carriers, Vikramaditya and Vikrant. The scope and complexity of the interaction will see an exponential enrichment. A defence technology expo, cultural events, seminars and public interaction including a city parade will also be integral components of this global naval interaction.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>MILAN, which started as a small meeting of a few navies, has metamorphosed into a signature event that has paid the nation rich diplomatic and maritime dividends. It has cemented the Indian Navy’s reputation as a prominent force that stands for cooperation, peace and good order at sea, in keeping with the nation’s maritime vision and aspirations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>The author is former commander-in-chief of the Eastern Naval Command.</b></p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/16/milan-a-biennial-congregation-of-world-navies-complements-india-s-maritime-vision.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/16/milan-a-biennial-congregation-of-world-navies-complements-india-s-maritime-vision.html Fri Feb 16 15:23:53 IST 2024 the-adventures-of-an-intrepid-space-scientist-who-wanted-to-experience-all-that-he-had-learnt <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/16/the-adventures-of-an-intrepid-space-scientist-who-wanted-to-experience-all-that-he-had-learnt.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/16/58-Suresh-Kumar.jpg" /> <p>He gazed out at the curvature of the earth. Below him was what looked like a blue fog covering the surface of the earth. Above him, the dark sky was sprinkled with stars, in the middle of the day. A short while ago, he had been in Russia. Now, he was in the stratosphere.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As India celebrated its 68th Independence Day, an Indian was getting into the back seat of a MiG-29. At 11:30am, local time, the fighter jet carrying T.N. Suresh Kumar took off from the Sokol airbase in Nizhny Novgorod. Land fell away rapidly. Kumar was mesmerised, taking in every second of the awe-inspiring experience. Soon, the jet was shooting through the sky at a speed of around 2,000kmph (Mach 1.7). And Kumar, even in a G-suit, felt the staggering force of 7G―gravity pulling him back to earth with a force seven times his body weight. But, no force could break his will. For he had dreamed about this for too long.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was in 2006 that Kumar, an Indian Space Research Organisation scientist, first heard about the edge-of-space flight in Russia being offered to civilians. The MiG could go as high as 20km-22km, depending on weather and temperature, but, 17km was guaranteed. Technically, that is a flight to the stratosphere (approximately 12km-50km above the earth’s surface). The delineation used by most scientists for the edge of space―the Karman line―is 100km above the earth’s surface. However, only astronauts and cosmonauts had ever gone higher than the Russian edge-of-space flights which were taking tourists.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When he heard about the opportunity, Kumar had just returned from Antarctica. But, he jumped upon the chance and made inquiries in Russia. The excitement though was shortlived―the experience would cost Rs47 lakh. He could not afford it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar had cherished a lifelong aspiration to behold the earth from the vantage point of space. In fact, he came close to getting on a flight to space―ISRO had planned a manned mission to space in the mid-1980s, in collaboration with NASA. Kumar signed up for selection and made it to the final four from 800-odd aspirants. But, after NASA’s Challenger broke apart killing all seven crew members, the ISRO mission was called off.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Two decades later, it seemed like Kumar’s hope of reaching at least the stratosphere had been crushed by the cost. But, space-related tourism grew fast and the costs came down. And, at long last, he made the trip in 2014, becoming the first Indian to do so. He shelled out Rs15 lakh and chose August 15 for the flight.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>However, the trip was by no means as easy as paying the fee and choosing a date. “It required lot of documentation and paper work, clearance from ISRO and the Russian embassy,” Kumar told THE WEEK. “The procedure took six months, including pre-flight training.” Kumar lost his mother around two months before the flight. He put in a request seeking permission to carry his mother’s photograph during the flight, along with the Indian flag. His chosen date and requests were approved.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar had undergone a few medical tests in India. But, when he reached Russia, he had to repeat many of them. Apart from physical and mental fitness, those aspiring to be on the flight must also have basic aerospace knowledge. The aspirants’ height must not be more than 6’5”, as that may lead to their head hitting the canopy of the cockpit during in-flight manoeuvres. They also should not have spinal and cardiac problems or prior surgeries. “People who do not qualify are sent back,” said Kumar, who had to sign an indemnity bond before the flight.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After the medical tests and documentation, Kumar was introduced to the pilot Sergei Sara, who gave him additional training for around five days. As Kumar was not a fighter pilot, the focus was on how to eject in case of an emergency. “One has to get adjusted to the Mach speed of the aircraft,” said Kumar. “During the flight, the pilot is always mindful of the tourist’s safety.” He said the flight was one of greatest experiences of his life. “At 10,000 metres, the pilot even allowed me to manoeuvre the MiG-29 and after returning to the troposphere, we did many manoeuvres such as rolls, inverted flight and nose down,” said Kumar, excited at the memory. The flight lasted 48 minutes from take-off to landing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Six months after the flight to the stratosphere, he came to know of the zero-gravity flight, which was being offered from the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Centre in Moscow. The cost was around Rs6 lakh. The flight, called Aerolab, used the 46.59m-long Il-76 MDK aircraft. During the flight, the interiors simulated zero-gravity conditions. This was done by flying to a height of around 9,000m and then curving downward. The tourists would feel weightlessness at the upper point of the parabola. This state would last up to 30 seconds and could be recreated 15 times in one flight of around one-and-a-half hours. So, of the total 5,400 seconds, zero gravity could be experienced for about 450 seconds. The interiors were padded to protect the floating tourists.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar said when he went on the zero-gravity flight, it had 15 people from various countries. “I was the only Indian on board,” he said. “One doctor was also with us. People started doing different things; one person did yoga. But, many people started experiencing nausea and vomiting. With change in gravity, the body experiences a lot of changes like dehydration. Before the flight, the Russian team had explained about the manoeuvres and the changes the body experiences.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He said there were specialists on board to help the participants float in various poses. “I requested for the <i>padmasana</i> yoga posture,” he said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience as we don’t have this facility in India for the common man.” On this flight, too, he carried the Indian flag and his mother’s photo.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Though the flight to the stratosphere and the zero-gravity flight were related to the space scientist’s profession, his trips are not limited to space-related adventures. The travel enthusiast has been to 167 countries and all seven continents. The 66-year-old, whose travels started in 1998, said that he gets rejuvenated by travel. At his villa, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, he has a whole set of jumbo passport booklets with visa stamps from all the countries he has travelled to.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The trip to Antarctica in 2006 was when he completed visiting seven continents. He said that he had always been fascinated by icebergs and how big some of them are. He had not seen snowfall, snow-laden mountains and icebergs.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Though there are stations in Antarctica set up by the Indian government, he did not want to go through all the procedures and approvals which were required to visit them. “I wanted to travel as an individual,” he said. “I had options. From India, it takes 66 days, from New Zealand it takes 22 days and from South America, it takes 21 days. So, I decided to go through South America. I went to France, then to Brazil and from there I travelled in a ship to Antarctica. He said he remained on the ship, but enjoyed seeing seals and penguins and the imposing mass of ice. “We touched other islands, too,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar retired from ISRO around six years ago, after more than 40 years of service. He was from a humble background and his parents were not well educated. But they did not let the same happen to their son. Kumar started his career at ISRO’s space application centre in Ahmedabad in 1978 and later shifted to Hassan, Karnataka. He worked on the Bhaskara and Apple communication satellites and was involved with the missions for more than 32 satellites, including INSAT, GSAT and IRNSS. As flight director, Kumar performed station-keeping orbit manoeuvres for satellites and also worked as a spacecraft power expert during satellite operations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar was involved in setting up the earth station for the GE Americom satellite and was deputed by ISRO to Canada for mission operations of INSAT-3B. He was also a fly-by coordinator and liaised with international space agencies during ISRO satellite missions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After ISRO’s manned mission to space was cancelled in the mid-1980s, Kumar was highly disappointed. He had sleepless nights as he really wanted to go to space. But, he found a way to cope. “Since I could not go to space, I thought why not travel across the world and explore all the countries,” he said. “My wife encouraged me and that motivated me to move ahead in life. But, at that point it seemed difficult because of the huge amount of money required. Gradually, we started saving for the overseas trips. The pay commission money helped me save more.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He added that since both he and his wife, Geetha, were scientists at ISRO, they got many benefits. “We got quarters and we used to get subsidised food in the office,” he said. “Besides, we lived in Hassan, where the cost of living was not as high as in the metros. My daughter’s schooling was in Kendriya Vidyalaya, which has a subsidised fee structure.” He added that he and his wife do not spend on luxury items or costly clothes. “Our aim is to save money and explore the world,” he added. “I accumulated leave and took them in one go for the travel.” Geetha has accompanied him on trips to 70 countries. His daughter, Raksha, who now works in Bengaluru for a UK-based company, has been to 53 countries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A factor that has helped Kumar reduce the cost of travel is the fact that he carries ready-to-eat food packets from India. This is because he is a vegetarian and it is, at times, tough to find vegetarian food to his taste during travels. A favourite is the Gujarati flatbread <i>thepla</i>, as it can be stored for many days. He also carries a rice cooker. Moreover, he does not spend on expensive hotels, preferring home stays, budget hotels and rentals with a kitchen. He does not buy clothes, expensive artefacts and luxury items during the trips. As he reiterates, the trips are geared towards seeing, not buying.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>His scientific temperament often takes over during his travels. He cited his visits to Africa. “I cherish my travels in Africa,” he said. “Everything is different. We have tall buildings here, there are tall trees in Africa. I like meeting people, understanding their culture, talking to them. Till date, I have had no problems while travelling. In Africa, for instance, I have lived in small huts. I came to know that North Africa’s landscape had many similarities with Mars. I got a first-hand feel of various things during my trip to North Africa, like rock formations, and different types of snakes.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar also has a keen interest in active volcanoes. Since India does not have any, he has travelled to see them, to countries such as Congo (Mount Nyiragongo), Vanuatu (Mount Yasur), Nicaragua (Masaya Volcano) and Guatemala (Pacaya).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Age has not diminished his enthusiasm. He went sky diving after retirement. When he gets time, he shares insights with students from NITs and IITs and other institutes and motivates them to become space scientists. He also wants to keep exploring the world. However, his next trip will be within India and he definitely will not have to pack <i>theplas</i>―he is planning a 10-day visit to Gujarat to explore the state fully.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I am a firm believer of science and nature,” he said. “I do not believe that there is a next life, hence I want to experience every geographical aspect of mother earth. What I learnt in school, I wish to experience. I have experienced icebergs, the midnight sun, the northern lights, jungles of Africa and the Amazon, and the Coriolis effect at the equator.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So, after travelling to the edge of space and the bottom of the ocean (in a submarine in Indonesia), and all seven continents, what was next? “I wish to complete the remaining few countries in the next few years,” he said.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/16/the-adventures-of-an-intrepid-space-scientist-who-wanted-to-experience-all-that-he-had-learnt.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/16/the-adventures-of-an-intrepid-space-scientist-who-wanted-to-experience-all-that-he-had-learnt.html Sat Feb 17 10:21:13 IST 2024 the-feud-between-zelensky-and-ukraine-army-chief-zaluzhnyi-explained <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/09/the-feud-between-zelensky-and-ukraine-army-chief-zaluzhnyi-explained.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/9/53-General-Valeriy-Zaluzhnyi-with-President-Zelensky.jpg" /> <p>For a week from January 29, speculation was rife regarding the removal of Ukraine's commander-in-chief, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. There were anonymous quotes and leaks, especially in news and analysis from western media—most of it from military journalists, bloggers, MPs and politicians. The names of the two contenders to replace Zaluzhnyi were mentioned—army chief General Oleksandr Syrskiy, who was instrumental in liberating Kharkiv and Kherson in 2022, and military intelligence head, General Kyrylo Budanov. But it was reported that both of them refused. Zaluzhnyi was reportedly offered the chair of the National Security Council, which he turned down. While the people of Ukraine anxiously watched, initial statements from presidential spokespersons refuted all speculation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>No sooner had the debate calmed down than it rose again, when Zelensky broke his silence. On February 5, he told Italian radio Rai 1 that he wanted to change some leading figures in the country, not only in the army. His statement broadened the horizon of the changes and the first change came that day itself with the resignation of the minister in charge of veterans’ affairs, Yulia Laputina, who was appointed in 2020. Finally, on February 8, Zelensky announced Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal and named Syrskiy as his successor.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Among the possible reasons for the dismissal of Zaluzhnyi are the differences regarding the war strategy and Zaluzhnyi’s growing popularity, with ratings above 90 per cent. Zaluzhnyi was appointed in 2021 before the war, and he rose to prominence after 2022, as the war progressed. While the Ukrainian political leadership failed to anticipate the attack and to ask people to evacuate, Zaluzhnyi and his team tried their best to conduct trainings and to manage fortifications. They also made attempts to protect their fighter planes and to hide crucial resources. That gave Ukraine its first signs of resilience as Russia failed to get Kyiv “in three days” and also the northeast.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Zaluzhnyi became one of Time&nbsp;magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2022. His popularity has not waned, although the much promised counteroffensive in 2023 did not yield the desired results. This was primarily because Ukraine's allies did not supply the required military aid. In an article in the&nbsp;Economist&nbsp;in November 2023, Zaluzhnyi described these points, his perceptions and the mistakes in detail, concluding that the war had reached a stalemate. This was criticised by Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the president’s office. Zaluzhnyi’s media exposures led to apprehensions that he might be harbouring political ambitions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On November 20, in an interview with&nbsp;The Sun, Zelensky expressed his dissatisfaction: “With all due respect to General Zaluzhnyi and all commanders on the battlefield, there is a clear understanding of the hierarchy. It is singular, according to the law, and during the war, it cannot even be discussed. [Questioning] it does not lead to national unity.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Soon afterwards, the issue of a rift between the political and military leaderships came up. Opposition politicians, notably former president Petro Poroshenko, said dismissing Zaluzhnyi might harm national unity. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko also supported Zaluzhnyi and said that his dismissal when the war was going on was not judicious. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko also voiced similar concerns.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But, we know from history that generals were dismissed during wars, either because of poor performance or for showing signs of defiance. General Douglas MacArthur was fired by president Harry S. Truman during the Korean War; during the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln grew frustrated with General George McClellan and fired him. In Zaluzhnyi’s case, it is neither poor performance, nor defiance, rather some differences. Therefore, on February 5, Zelensky, referring to these controversial issues, said, “A reset and a new beginning is necessary. I am thinking about the change (without specifically mentioning the name of Zaluzhnyi), it is true. This is related to the whole management which is at the helm of the country.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>These statements have caused a ripple of reactions among the Ukrainian citizens. We must never forget that people—although they do not hold the reins of power—like “to feel the pulse”, always. The war has only deepened their commitment. The communication on this issue between the political leadership and the people was not timely and well-managed, to say the least.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We know that all international armed conflicts are information warfare. The Russians have not left a single stone unturned to use propaganda to their benefit, both at home and abroad, meticulously catering to respective target groups and regions with their vertical chain of command. Ukraine being a democratic country is facing a bigger dilemma with its merits and vulnerabilities. Information in Ukraine is never vertically controlled. Despite the unified nationwide news service, cable channels operate freely, not to speak of blogs and social networks. The Ukrainian media holds the key. Alina, a journalist working for a local media outlet, asked, “Why do we have to learn about our internal news from foreign news sources?” Ukraine’s blogosphere echoed her remarks manifold. Journalists are visibly upset.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The war brought sweeping changes in the world of statecraft. It has also shown what ordinary people can do for their country. It has proved that whatever political decisions are taken, people have to bear the consequences. Zelensky’s desire to reset has added more responsibility and challenge on his shoulders. One such challenge is that his track record of being an excellent communicator now needs some fine-tuning. He should be able to instil confidence among people, who still doubt the rationale of his decision.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After Zaluzhnyi's dismissal and Syrskiy’s appointment as commander-in-chief was formally announced by Zelensky, more reserved remarks emerged—calling for calm and stating that the main idea and strategy of the war will never change. Zaluzhnyi's ouster should not mean a 180-degree reversal, or any change at all. Rotation of military officers is a regular phenomenon. However, the task of getting resources, funding the war and carving the path to victory would get longer and complicated. I thought it must be tough for the soldiers themselves. I hesitated, but still asked my acquaintance Olexiy, who fought at the front, and was on leave for 10 days, about Zaluzhnyi's dismissal. Olexiy was calm, and told me, “I have seen so much there. Life in the trenches, in open fields, firing from all sides. I know for certain: change is life. Let people change. Our aim should not change. We have to fight and win, as the proverb goes, à la guerre comme à la guerre.” This literally means, to be at war is at war, that is, one must make the best of each situation. The fine line is how change will ensure uninterrupted continuity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Mridula Ghosh,</b> formerly with the UN, is based in Kyiv, and teaches at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/09/the-feud-between-zelensky-and-ukraine-army-chief-zaluzhnyi-explained.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/09/the-feud-between-zelensky-and-ukraine-army-chief-zaluzhnyi-explained.html Mon Feb 12 10:39:38 IST 2024 inclusys-org-foundation-training-and-employing-neurodivergent-individuals-for-it-companies <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/09/inclusys-org-foundation-training-and-employing-neurodivergent-individuals-for-it-companies.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/9/56-Amal-Joshy.jpg" /> <p>He is at work, wearing a red shirt with a Chinese collar. Through his thick glasses, he peers at his screen to check whether his keystrokes are accurate. Pings from his teammates in Bengaluru occasionally flash on screen; every now and then, his guide Jincy helps him better understand the tasks. Commitment defines his work―there is no room for idle chatter, cigarette breaks or water-cooler chats. A lunch-break at precisely 1pm punctuates his workday; an hour later, the afternoon session starts and goes on till 4:30pm.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“My name is Don Thomas Punnoose,” he says. “I am 31 years old, and I work for Crayon, a company based in Bangalore.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Don’s voice is soft, and he does not make eye contact. He has overcome Down syndrome to become an adept IT professional at Crayon, a multinational firm specialising in software, cloud, data and AI solutions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Crayon hired him after a three-round selection process. “I was very happy when I got selected. Because they said, ‘You have a good command of English,” says Don.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>His mother, Laila Punnoose, is happy and proud. “On January 31, Don completed one year at Crayon, and the company extended his contract for another year,” she says. “Last Christmas, he gifted some money to his elder sister and told her, ‘Buy whatever you want.’ In the past, his sisters used to offer him pocket money; but this time, he did.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Don was born when Laila was 39, as the youngest of her three children. A former teacher in Bahrain, she lost her husband 15 years ago. “Seven years ago, after my retirement, we returned to our hometown in Kerala. It was not easy for Don, who had been in Bahrain his entire life,” says Laila. “He had completed O-level in the British curriculum, and he was good in geography. But after we returned to Kerala, I was worried about what he would do. He stayed home for close to two years, before undergoing some vocational training. Then came an organisation named Inclusys. Their training [in IT skills] helped him get a job, lifting a major worry from my heart.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Currently, Don works remotely from a development and training hub run by Inclusys Org Foundation, which works to enhance the lives of “neurodivergent” individuals like Don by equipping them with skills in fields such as AI, data annotation and no-code software development.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A non-medical term, ‘neurodivergence’ characterises people whose brains develop, or function, differently from a typical one for various reasons. It serves as an umbrella term for conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities. In India, neurodivergent individuals often find it difficult to get jobs, particularly in corporate settings, because of stigma, bias and the dynamic nature of workplaces.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“However, neurodivergent individuals often possess specific qualities that are advantageous in fields like IT,” says Smitha George, skilling and delivery head, Inclusys. “For example, a number of them exhibit attention to detail and the ability to perform repetitive tasks without boredom. Additionally, their work etiquette, discipline and commitment are noteworthy. We established this organisation because we recognised that targeted skill development can significantly enhance their employment readiness in the IT industry.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Inclusys is a not-for-profit company founded in 2022 by Robin Tommy, a digital technology strategist who heads TCS Rapid Labs, and Joseph Koluthuvallil, a Catholic priest who has extensive experience in the social welfare space. “Compared with many other sections of differently abled people, neurodivergent individuals receive less support from the government and other agencies,” says Joseph. “Robin, who has worked and researched neurodivergent individuals for over a decade, shared insights into the scenario and job opportunities in the IT sector. This led us to create this initiative, which has surpassed our expectations.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Inclusys has trained more than 150 neurodivergent individuals for IT companies. Says Reshmi Ravindranathan, associate consultant at TCS and mentor-facilitator at Inclusys: “Those who complete training engage in foundational tasks such as data cleaning, data segmentation, data transcription, data annotation and even video annotation and transcription―areas where they excel.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Inclusys aims to train more than 500 neurodivergent individuals in Kerala by 2025, and plans to extend the initiative to other parts of India. “Among the 150-plus individuals we have trained, 18 have been employed by companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, FedServ, Crayon, and Fragomen Solutions,” says Smitha.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The organisation has established nine skilling and development centres across seven districts in Kerala, in collaboration with various NGOs and vocational training centres.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Don has been undergoing vocational training at St Alphonsa Vocational Training Centre at Angamaly in Ernakulam district. He joined the Inclusys programme a year and a half ago. According to Sr Roncy Tom, a Catholic nun and special educator at the Angamaly centre, only those neurodivergent individuals who have the ability to successfully complete training are initiated into the Inclusys programme. When THE WEEK visited the centre, two neurodivergent individuals were undergoing a typing exercise to determine their suitability for the Inclusys programme.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Inclusys offers a six-month curriculum in four phases―generic IT skilling, advanced IT skilling, capstone projects and internships. The training process, says Roncy, involves many recap sessions of lessons. THE WEEK witnessed a session in which Roncy, assisted by Levin Eldose, a neurodivergent individual who was part of the first Inclusys batch at Angamaly, taught candidates to annotate individual elements in a video frame. Levin was initially shy to address the class in the presence of THE WEEK, but with a bit of encouragement he did a brief session.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Another neurodivergent individual, Anal Varghese, did a system demo. Throughout the session, the steps for annotating elements in individual frames in the video were reiterated multiple times. “Recap and repetition are crucial when formulating a pedagogy for training neurodivergent individuals,” says Sr Roncy. “Importantly, we focus not only on technical skills, but also on enhancing the communication skills of these boys and girls.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mercy Eldose, Levin’s mother, says the Inclusys training had remarkably improved her son’s communication skills. “He started mingling more and became a lot more active,” she says. “A lot of people ask me, ‘How did this change happen in such a short span?’”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Levin has been epileptic since he was three. Despite attending a regular school, he had trouble comprehending most subjects because of a learning disability. But, with the help of a scribe, he successfully passed Class 10 and 12 exams. “However, it was at Inclusys that Levin discovered subjects that fascinated him, and he was granted the freedom to learn at his own pace,” she says. Levin faced challenges understanding theory, but excelled on the practical side. “Once he understands a pattern, he can quickly follow it,” she explains.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mercy, too, attended training sessions with her son. “All the parents were encouraged to attend sessions, because parents could easily assist them and address their doubts even at home,” she says. Both Levin and Anal are now freelance IT professionals at Inclusys Neuro Org, an IT-gig economy startup established as a sister concern of Inclusys Foundation. Supported by the Kerala Startup Mission and Startup India Mission, this one-of-its-kind organisation assigns neurodivergent freelancers to AI and data-related projects. “Inclusys Neuro Org is also involved in developing assistive technology for education, skilling and rehabilitation of people with disabilities,” says Robin.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Smitha explained the reason for establishing a separate startup. “It may not be easy for every neurodivergent individual to secure a position in an IT company and navigate a corporate environment. They encounter multiple challenges, including locomotive issues, physical disabilities and other mental pressures. The corporate world may not always be accommodating as well. To address both these issues, we thought, why not start a startup exclusively for neurodivergent individuals?”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Inclusys Neuro Org has more than 40 neurodivergent individuals working on a variety of IT projects for various governmental and nongovernmental organisations. Upon completing training, most neurodivergent associates of Inclusys Foundation undertake internships at Inclusys Neuro Org, although there have been instances where they interned outside.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“At the very core of Inclusys Org Foundation is a unique, homegrown framework called SHIFT, which stands for sensing, harmonising, and transforming,” explains Rashmi. “Through sensing, we understand the problem statements; harmonising involves bringing them together with technology, and we use this process to transform the lives of our customers as well as that of the neurodivergent associates.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Companies such as UST Global, FedServ and Abhasoft, along with government agencies like Kerala Knowledge Mission, have conducted campus visits to Inclusys Foundation. At Infopark in Kochi, THE WEEK met Majo Philip and Aby Antoo, two Inclusys-trained neurodivergent individuals recruited by FedServ. Majo is on the Down syndrome spectrum, while Aby has an intellectual disability and an auditory processing disorder. Both are now junior process executives at FedServ, mostly handling data entry projects.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“Four of us from Inclusys were initially on the [FedServ] list; two of us got selected,” says Majo, 25. The company gave them two weeks of generic training, followed by on-the-job training. According to Majo, he now receives more assistance in the workplace than he ever did while studying in regular school. “There are a lot of people to explain things and help us with tasks,” he says. “I can do a lot of things on my own now…. I made many friends at this company.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anoop Sasi, Majo and Aby’s team lead, says both of them were “a little shy” initially. “But they started to hang out with us, and they are now an integral part of our team,” he says. “Of course, it was a little tough for them to grasp and find things initially, and they had many apprehensions. But we all supported them, and now both of them consistently meet assigned targets. I can definitely say that they are not the same individuals who joined this company almost a year and a half ago.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sumesh Nair, associate vice president at Federal Bank (FedServ’s parent company), says both Majo and Aby are now assigned “equal tasks, equal opportunities, and equal activities”, just like any other employee in their team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“They are on par with their teammates now, and are given all activities, including critical tasks,” he says. “And, of course, they are performing very well.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The training duration for neurodivergent individuals varies across IT companies. For instance, Amal Joshy and Anna Shaji, trained by Inclusys and placed in one of India’s leading IT services firms, have been undergoing training for over a month now. Amal says the current training regimen is more challenging than the one in Inclusys. Both of them, however, are confident of securing a position in the company.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>An aspect that most neurodivergent individuals find challenging is the dynamic nature of workplace relations or assignments. For instance, says Laila, Don struggled to cope with the departure of Delvy, his former guide who left Inclusys to join another company some months ago. “He still says that he misses her,” she says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As a mother, though, Laila is happier than ever―as a successful young professional, Don is no longer as dependent on her as he had once been.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/09/inclusys-org-foundation-training-and-employing-neurodivergent-individuals-for-it-companies.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/09/inclusys-org-foundation-training-and-employing-neurodivergent-individuals-for-it-companies.html Sat Feb 10 15:06:10 IST 2024 neuralink-chip-elon-musk-significance-in-beating-brain-deficits <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/03/neuralink-chip-elon-musk-significance-in-beating-brain-deficits.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/3/41-A-Neuralink-logo-featuring-Elon-Musk.jpg" /> <p><i>Interview/ Prof Hardik J. Pandya, IISc Bengaluru &amp; Dr Shabari Girishan K.V., Ramaiah Memorial hospital, Bengaluru</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>ON JANUARY 30,</b> tech billionaire Elon Musk claimed that his company Neuralink successfully implanted one of its wireless chips inside a human brain. In a post on X, Musk said “promising” brain activity had been detected after the procedure and the patient was “recovering well”. The procedure is expected to help attain the goal of “connecting human brains to computers to help tackle complex neurological conditions”. In an interview with THE WEEK, Dr Hardik J. Pandya of the department of electronic systems engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Dr Shabari Girishan K.V., consultant neurosurgeon and associate professor at Ramaiah Memorial hospital, Bengaluru, explained the significance of Neuralink’s achievement in the area of neurosurgery and in the larger realm of mind mapping, brain fingerprinting and further technological advancements. The duo, part of a larger team leading cutting-edge research in brain co-processor chips in India, said it was indeed a milestone for neurological sciences.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Excerpts from the interview:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What is your take on the significance of Neuralink’s achievement?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Pandya: </b>At IISc, we have been working on implantable devices that can be placed inside human bodies. Along with IIT Kanpur, we are also into indigenous fabrication of these kinds of devices. So, it is indeed very exciting that Neuralink has been able to achieve this feat of installing a chip inside the human brain. This is remarkable and revolutionary in problem areas relating to motor skills, vision and epilepsy because these implantable devices are really the only solution we have right now. However, the challenging part for us here is that we don’t know exactly which area they have implanted the chip into, how many electrodes are there and what the tech really looks like. As of now, all we know is that the patient in whom the chip has been placed is in the recovery stage. Unless we are able to generate data from the patient that spans a considerable period of time, we will not know the effectiveness of this technology. But such a device that can be used to help human beings overcome some of the deficits in the brain is really exciting.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Implantation in the human brain has been going on for a long time. What is new here?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Shabari Girishan:</b> The procedure is not new; we have been performing DBS (deep brain stimulation) for years. What is novel is the size of the device and its functionality. The device is very flexible and small, which is very helpful for surgeons to implant in the brain. It is supposedly a hair-like sensor, going into the brain substance. The major advantage is that this device can be implanted directly in any part of the eloquent region in the brain (a very important area which controls motor and sensory functions). So once we implant, the data that can be gathered can be vast. It could be motor functional data or visual data or cognitive data. So the applications are going to be numerous.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What is particularly concerning regarding this chip?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Shabari Girishan:</b> It is a very small device and you are trying to simplify the brain function too much because one function is not really part of just one single area. Considering the size of the device, they need to look at the implantation of multiple areas. I guess an important role of the device is to enable communication with the external appliances for patients who really cannot use them because of various neurological deficits. We are working to improve this technology further and make some indigenous electrodes in India itself that are affordable.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Before Neuralink, there have been other companies that made similar advancements. Is it good marketing that brought Neuralink into focus?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Pandya:</b> A lot of companies such as Meta, Synchron and Kernel are coming up with medical applications like motor assistance, prosthetics, communication and wheelchairs. Or it can be non-medical applications like education, VR (virtual reality) gaming, physical amplification, memory augmentation, lie detection. The way Musk approaches the problem is what makes Neuralink different. It all depends on the team. There is a team of engineers, scientists and doctors to get the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approvals. The stronger the team, the easier it is to achieve success. Of course, Musk’s idea, his vision and his zeal to invest in such technological advances is something worth applauding. We require people like him and hopefully we will have many like him from India some day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Are we working towards developing even more advanced technologies here in India so that we can have Neuralink come down to collaborate with us?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Pandya:</b> Of course, that is the aim. There are companies in India, particularly when you talk about innovative technologies. But very few fabricate neural implants. We don’t develop devices, although we have the capability to do that, only because we don’t have the right set of collaborators to work with. Now with funding available from Pratiksha Trust, a charitable trust founded by Kris Gopalakrishnan (co-founder, Infosys Technologies) and Sudha Gopalakrishnan, we, at the IISc, are working on a Brain Computational Data Sciences Moonshot Project. We are developing not only non-invasive technologies, but also invasive technologies to address a challenging problem in the area of neural engineering. And in five to ten years, a lot of things will be made indigenously.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>All these technologies that are currently available are not affordable. So what we require is not only philanthropist investment, but also bigger funding on neural engineering technology development from the government, so that many institutes can come together and work on larger projects.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/03/neuralink-chip-elon-musk-significance-in-beating-brain-deficits.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/03/neuralink-chip-elon-musk-significance-in-beating-brain-deficits.html Sat Feb 03 12:11:26 IST 2024 inside-ookhu-the-pencil-village-of-india <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/03/inside-ookhu-the-pencil-village-of-india.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/2/3/60-Poplar-trees-from-Kashmir-are-widely-used.jpg" /> <p>Nestled along the meandering banks of the Jhelum River is the village of Ookhu at Kakpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, 26km from Srinagar. Ookhu has earned itself the title of ‘pencil village of India’, and rightly so. It has beaten competition from China and Germany to become a major supplier of raw materials to leading pencil manufacturers in India.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Manzoor Ahmad Allaie lives in one of the 250 quaint homes that comprise the village. He was born into the timber trade. As a young boy, he watched his father―a small-time timber trader―toil hard to provide for his wife, two sons and a daughter. After he finished schooling in 1996, Allaie persuaded his father to sell some land to buy a bandsaw mill and set up Jhelum Agro Industries. He began by making poplar boxes to transport Kashmir’s famed blood-red apples.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The mill improved the family’s finances, but Allaie had bigger dreams. In 2012, he travelled to Jammu and convinced Hindustan Pencils, India’s top pencil maker, that Jhelum Agro Industries could meet their raw material needs. It first supplied poplar logs and then shifted to slats―5.2mm thick wooden blocks that could be used to make four pencils. That was a decisive move, as demand for slats soared. Allaie hired 15 people, secured a bank loan to buy a machine to make slats and a generator to power the machine during power cuts. “Making a slat is half the job done,” explains Allaie. “We succeeded in that and the business took off.” His success inspired his neighbour Feroz Ahmed, owner of Barkat Saw Mills, to follow suit and provide raw materials to pencil manufacturers outside Kashmir.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But their success story would be incomplete without stressing on the role of poplars. India has nine varieties of poplar, four of which are endemic and the rest exotic. In Kashmir, the exotic <i>P. deltoids</i>, locally called <i>roosi phras</i>, has nearly replaced the indigenous <i>kashur phras</i> (Kashmir poplar), which takes around 40 years to mature. <i>Roosi phras</i>, which matures at 15 years, was introduced in Kashmir in 1982 as part of a World Bank-aided project. <i>Roosi Phras</i> is erroneously called Russian poplar. But it has nothing to do with Russia; it is American. Roosi also sounds similar to the Urdu word for dandruff. Some experts say that the name must have come from the pollen that its fluffy seeds shed. No matter the variety, the poplars in Kashmir provide top-notch timber and are cheaper than the German and Chinese varieties. There are reportedly 10 million to 20 million poplars in Kashmir, and they are the second largest source of income, after apples.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ookhu and other villages are now supplying slats to leading pencil makers like Hindustan Pencils and DOMS. Presently, there are 14 prominent slat-producing units in Kashmir; 13 of them are in south Kashmir (predominantly in Pulwama) and one in Srinagar’s Parimpora. These units collectively employ around 3,000 people, encompassing a diverse workforce that includes local men and women as well as migrant workers. The yearly turnover is around Rs150 crore.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Jhelum Agro Industries employs nearly 150 people during the winter months. From band saw drivers to plank cutters and machine handlers, their skill set is varied. Workers are also needed to sort and grade slats by hand. During summer, the workforce expands to 180 as migrant workers stream in from various parts of India, mainly the north. The work hours are from 9am to 5pm.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sami Rasool is among the 24 young girls from neighbouring villages employed at the unit. “Our job is to collect the slats, make bundles of them and remove the defective ones,” she says. Her colleague Shazia Jan is grateful for the pickup-and-drop facility provided by Jhelum Agro Industries. All workers enjoy a day off every week, and wages are paid on time, say the workers. Migrant workers who continue through the winter receive free accommodation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The one-acre plot that houses the unit also has Allaie’s residence. When his business grew, he had to acquire more land to store raw material and sawdust. In winter, slats are dried in hot rooms at another facility, located in the industrial estate at Lassipora, some 18km away.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Lassipora has proven to be an ideal location for several slat manufacturers to expand their business, thanks to the land, electricity and improved connectivity provided by the government. Some of these units go the extra mile by offering conveyance and free lodging to workers from outside Kashmir.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Shabir Ahmed, owner of Shabir Agro, one of the largest units in Lassipora, says that his unit provides 7,000 bags of slats per month (800 slats per bag) to Hindustan Pencils. He currently employs 125 people. Some workers, like Umar Ahmed Mir and Anil Kumar, are contract workers who are paid based on the number of bags they fill. Umar says he earns about Rs25,000 per month. Shabir Ahmed has also hired some skilled workers from outside Kashmir to operate six machines.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Imtiyaz Ahmed Dar of Soft Wood, who transitioned from timber trade to slat production in 2017, has two machines at his unit and a drying facility. He says pencil companies lease machines used for slat production and the slats they make are exclusively supplied to these companies. He wants the government to help buy the machines, as it would increase production and create more employment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With all that government assistance and availability of skilled labour, why not make the finished product in Kashmir? Muhammad Younis, proprietor of Hycon, has the answer: “Even if all the necessary resources were available, the core of the pencil, made from graphite powder, poses a significant challenge owing to its explosive nature.” Younis used to supply undressed poplar logs to Hindustan Pencils before transitioning to slat production. “Because of security concerns, the prospect of producing pencils as a finished product appears remote.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>However, slat makers hope that as the security situation in Kashmir is improving, the government would allow the production of pencils in the region. A slat producer points out that stone quarries in Kashmir also require explosives for rock blasting, so why restrict the use of graphite?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended Pulwama in one of his Mann Ki Baat sessions, emphasising that nearly 90 per cent of the country’s demand for pencil slats is fulfilled by Kashmir, with Pulwama playing a substantial role.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Despite the notable achievements of the relatively new industry, there are lingering challenges. A recent government directive has called for the felling of poplar trees in Kashmir, as the pollen they release in spring causes allergies. The directive has raised concerns about a potential shortage of poplars in the future. Post revocation of Article 370, the government’s decision to remove encroachments on grasslands and wetlands―significant sources of poplar trees―has further intensified apprehensions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The government must acknowledge our concerns and take proactive measures to ensure the sustainability of poplar plantations,” stresses Allaie. “It is imperative that people be allowed to plant on the land from which they have been evicted.” He expressed concern over the inability of the departments of irrigation and social forestry to grasp the potential impact that the scarcity of poplars could have on the industry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Younis is worried about the already reduced profit margins owing to inflation and taxes; a shortage of raw materials would negatively impact an industry with unexplored potential, he says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dar points out that some timber traders are selling undressed poplar core to factories in Punjab, a practice that should be banned. “This will further impact the availability of poplars for slat making,” he says. Poplars also play a crucial role in making plywood, which is then sold to dealers outside Kashmir, he adds. “We are not against that, as it is a finished product and provides jobs, helping the local economy,” he says.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/03/inside-ookhu-the-pencil-village-of-india.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/02/03/inside-ookhu-the-pencil-village-of-india.html Sat Feb 03 11:33:29 IST 2024 modi-govt-s-plan-to-disband-cantonments-consequences <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/modi-govt-s-plan-to-disband-cantonments-consequences.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/32-Landour-cantonment-in-Mussoorie-Uttarakhand.jpg" /> <p>Cantonments, those vast stretches dotted with ‘grant bungalows’, Gothic churches and green meadows across which military men march in misty mornings or sweat it out in sultry afternoons, will vanish soon. The military will keep their stations and camping grounds; the civilian part of the cantonments will be merged with neighbouring municipalities or give rise to civil towns. With that will end an institution that took birth with British rule in India, and lasted more than 250 years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Civilians often confuse cantonments with military stations. Military stations―more than 200 in India―are secured areas where the armed forces run their establishments. You can be shot―and no questions asked―if you enter those places without a pass, permit or invitation. Cantonments―there are 62―are semi-civilian local bodies, much like the municipalities with regular politics, protests and polls.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>One can trace the rise and spread of British power in India if one follows the chronology of cantonments. The British began their rule in India after Robert Clive defeated Bengal Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula at Plassey in 1757. So as to quell any challenge to their authority, the British set up the first ‘cantonment’, a place where the troops were cantoned, in Barrackpore near their fort in Calcutta in 1764.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The East India Company acquired tax collection rights over Bihar, Bengal and Odisha, too, in 1765, after Hector Munro defeated the combined armies of the Mughal emperor, the raja of Benaras, the nawab of Bengal and the nawab of Awadh at Buxar. The second cantonment came up in Danapur in Bihar in 1765. Following the Regulating Act of 1773, the English parliament resolved all the lands that came into the possession of the East India Company, and later the colonial government, by trade, intrigue or conquest, would be the property of the government in Calcutta.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A need was felt to station troops near towns. The idea was to locate them away from major towns so that they would not get ‘polluted’ by local politics, but not too far so that they could quickly march in to quell unrests. There would, of course, be several civilians, originally camp-followers such as servants, cooks, carpenters, masons, ostlers, grooms, barbers, paramedics and prostitutes in or near the cantonments who were to service the army and its troops. Provisions were made for them to set up shops and homes, and loyal local worthies granted land to build bungalows―still known as ‘grant bungalows’.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Soon, the Marathas captured Delhi and made the emperor their forced ally. In 1803, Lord Lake defeated their combined forces, making the British the overlords of most of the Gangetic plain. Cantonments sprouted all acorss the Gangetic plain, starting with Meerut in 1803 and Agra in 1805. As the chieftains of Bundelkhand, Rohilkhand, Awadh and the neighbouring regions continued to be restive, cantonments sprouted in Bareilly (1811) and Varanasi (1811). When the British marched into Nepal to crush the Gurkha power in 1815, they set up the Almora cantonment on the way.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thrown out of the Gangetic plain, the Maratha chiefs took up stand across central India. As the British marched into the Deccan and central India against them, they set up cantonments in Kirkee (1817), Pune (1817), Jabalpur (1818), Kamptee (1812), Sagar (1835) and other places.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Having conquered most of north and central India, they looked to the northwest. As the Sikh empire declined after the death of the illustrious Ranjit Singh, there arose border clashes with the company’s domains. Punjab was annexed after three Anglo-Sikh wars, and cantonments set up in Jalandhar (1848), Amritsar (1856) and Dalhousie (1867). The great revolt of 1857 shook the faith of the British in the loyalty of the natives of the Gangetic plain and the adjoining hills. So a chain of cantonments was set up including Allahabad (1857) and Lansdowne (1887).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Most cantonment laws evolved in the 19th century. As the British resident in the Satara kingdom, Sir Bartle Frere set up committees that collected funds and kept the town clean in the 1860s. As Indian towns were found to be filthy, laws were made to empower cantonments to build drains and set up clinics. In 1882, Lord Ripon allowed local self-government in cantonments, too.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The 20th century cantonments are spread out across the country―Ahmedabad (1905), Dehradun (1913), one near the new capital in Delhi (1914), one in Mhow towards the end of World War I (1918), Wellington (1924), and Belgaum (1932), and then during World War II in Cannanore (1938), Clement Town (1941), Ramgarh (1941) and the last one at Khasyol (1942).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Following the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms which introduced diarchy, a new Cantonments Act 1924 was passed, allowing elected civilian representation, levy of taxes, and regulation of building and trade. Elected civilians and nominated army men were made equals and equal in number. Troops were exempted from taxes. This scheme survived even the Government of India Act of 1935 and the Constitution of 1950. After the first Kashmir war, free India set up cantonments in Badamibagh in Srinagar and Jammu (both 1954), Morar (1956), Dehu Road (1958), Babina (1959) and Ajmer (1962).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Cantonments Act, 2006, introduced more democracy, with more powers to civil members. Narasimha Rao’s 74th Amendment to the Constitution gave a third of the elected seats to women. Larger cantonment boards were allowed up to 16 members, eight of them politically elected. The local MP and MLA were made special invitees to board meetings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>All the same, the ex-officio head is the local station commander, and a civilian officer from the defence ministry’s estate office is always the chief executive and member secretary. Thus, the civilians say, there is no way for the elected reps to have their say or way, even when the military blocks roads or switches off lights.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The civilian citizens say they are doubly discriminated. One, within the cantonments, the military gets preference on scarce resources including right of way through roads. (Remember the hullabaloo when Nirmala Sitharaman as defence minister ordered a few cantonment roads to be opened?) Two, since the boards do not have norms to determine APL or BPL, cantonment citizens are denied of most central, state or municipal welfare schemes. Moreover, the cumbersome lease and ceiling laws lead to delays in land transfer, house building or opening businesses, leaving cantonment denizens poorer than their town cousins.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The British had also given away cantonments like Bangalore to civilian control. Now independent India is following suit―well, full suit. But critics of the civilian drive have another point―that if the boards go, land sharks will despoil the vast virgin lands and raise concrete jungles there.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At stake are a million or more green acres.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/modi-govt-s-plan-to-disband-cantonments-consequences.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/modi-govt-s-plan-to-disband-cantonments-consequences.html Sat Jan 27 16:14:56 IST 2024 lucknow-cantonment-embodies-melancholy-beauty <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/lucknow-cantonment-embodies-melancholy-beauty.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/36-The-gun-mounted-jeep-named.jpg" /> <p>For many of us, it is a goosebump-inducing sight to drive by the gun-mounted jeep named after Param Vir Chakra awardee Abdul Hamid. The jeep was used by infantry troops to destroy the enemy’s Patton tanks in the 1965 India-Pakistan war. ‘Vir’, the sobriquet Hamid earned, destroyed eight of these.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It is equally pride-inducing to read the billboard about Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat, the Victoria Cross recipient, named the ‘saviour of Lucknow’ for his brilliant plan to plunge boulder-laden trucks into the Gomti when it flooded in 1971, thus plugging a potential highly destructive breach.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Lucknow Cantonment, which holds these and many other reminders of the country’s bravest and finest, is so located that no one en route to the airport (from most parts of the city) can miss it. The <i>Lucknow Gazetteer</i> puts the area of this settlement at 6,700 acres. Among its many distinctions is India’s longest racecourse (3.5km) and the Kothi Bibiapur (a country residence built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula), which has the country’s first serpentine wooden staircase. There are features it shares with other cities―such as the Top Khana (a place for storing artillery) bazaar and a quaint club named Mohammed Bagh, where little bells are still used to summon servers. It also includes some head scratchers―among them, a Gun Factory area, despite the fact that no such factory existed in the cantonment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bhavana Singh, principal director, Directorate Defence Estates, Central Command, speaks about the rich history of the cantonment, harking back to the time of India’s First War of Independence. It was after that war that the British established their new cantonment in the Dilkusha area―a plateau that overlooks the Gomti.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The earlier cantonment, at Mandiyaon, was on the north of the Gomti. It posed a challenge of access from the residency―the residence of the British Resident General in Awadh―as the river had to be crossed, by what one text (<i>History of Cantonment</i> produced by the Headquarters Central Command) describes as a “crazy” bridge of boats. It was also perilously placed as it put the European population in close proximity to the ‘natives’, thus making them vulnerable in case of an attack.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dilkusha―meaning alluring or enchanting in Urdu―was a hunting lodge-cum-retreat built by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. It lies to the east of the city. It was from here that General Colin Campbell would launch an operation for the recapture of the settlements held by the ‘rebels’ in 1857.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The ruins of Dilkusha and the well-laid gardens around it still whisper the sounds of the shells fired at it. What remains of the lodge, modelled on the Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland, England, from the rebellion and later neglect are some pierced walls and crumbling edifices. It was only in 1862 that the entire cantonment around it would be laid out and notified. To Singh, in its ruins, is a melancholy beauty that offers one the opportunity to reconnect with oneself. Its expansive parks―among them Kasturba and Dilkusha―provide “respite to the weary urbanite”, she says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Singh, who joined the Indian Defence Estate Service in 1993, has been posted at various cantonments in different capacities. (The Central Command, the estates of which she holds charge now, covers seven Indian states.) But it is in Lucknow, where she is posted currently, that she finds a “beautiful symmetry” unlike others. “It is a very well-laid-out cantonment, be it the roads or crossings,” she says. “There is a clear distinction between civil and military areas, which makes it convenient for us to administer it.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The administration of the cantonment has changed with the demands of time, says Singh. “The cantonment board is comprised of both officers of the armed forces and representatives of civilians,” she says. “The administration thus protects the interests of both the populations in the correct perspective.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Lucknow Cantonment is also an assembly constituency. In 2017, Aparna Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger daughter-in-law, had contested the election from here, losing by a small margin to BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Yadav, who is now with the BJP, believes that the government’s decision to sever military areas from their civilian parts, and merging the latter with urban local bodies is a much-needed “good change”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“It will be difficult to believe that there are no sewer lines in the civilian areas of the cantonment,” she says. “How will the prime minister’s vision of Swacch Bharat ever reach these places?”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>During her vigorous campaign and much after that as Yadav researched and built connections across the constituency, she concluded that depriving cantonment areas of basic facilities was akin to an abandonment of “moral responsibility”. “No one is saying let us build multistorey buildings in the area and jeopardise the security of the armed forces. No one is in favour of killing the green cover,” says Yadav. “Our contention is that civilians have just as much right to basic facilities like roads, street lights and drinking water. On paper, the cantonment board might offer balanced representation, but decisions invariably get stalled due to resistance by the armed forces.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Till cantonments continue to function in their present manner, Yadav believes it shall be like being under a double-edged sword. “And that can never be a good thing,” she says.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/lucknow-cantonment-embodies-melancholy-beauty.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/lucknow-cantonment-embodies-melancholy-beauty.html Sat Jan 27 16:16:15 IST 2024 meerut-cantonment-is-now-battling-surging-population-and-large-scale-encroachments <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/meerut-cantonment-is-now-battling-surging-population-and-large-scale-encroachments.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/38-A-view-of-the-Meerut-cantonment.jpg" /> <p>A red sandstone memorial, with a weathered plaque, in Meerut says, “Here stood the Officers’ Mess of the Native Infantry Regiments. Sepoys of these regiments revolted on the eve of the 10th of May 1857 in the First War of Indian Independence.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Near the memorial, and reclining on a charpoy, is an elderly man who appears to be from a slum. He is sunning himself after hanging his clothes to dry on the memorial’s iron grill.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“<i>Bhai,”</i> someone bawls out, <i>“kapra utha lijiye. Yeh sahi nahi hai; aisa kabhi bhi nahi hona chahiye.”</i> (Brother, take your clothes away. This is not right; this should never happen.)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The scene is an apt metaphor for the state of the cantonment in Meerut, once considered the military centre of the British Empire in north India. Few cantonments have been so overwhelmed by civilians as much as the one in Meerut. There is no clear boundary demarcating the cantonment from the city.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Established in 1803, the cantonment comprises 3,568.06 hectares―a civil area of 149.51 hectares and a bungalow area of 3,418.55 hectares. “From 1816, the East India Company in Meerut had three regiments stationed in a large area [that was] cleared by displacing two villages and located slightly away from the city. It was the military headquarters of the company and the launchpad of operations,” says Amit Pathak, senior fellow, Centre of Military History and Conflict Studies.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Meerut was chosen because of many reasons. It was a vantage point for the British to foray into Afghanistan, Persia and Central Asia, which was the plan before the 1857 revolt erupted. Located between the Ganga and the Yamuna, Meerut had ample water supply. It was also close to the mountains up north, where the climate was much more pleasant.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I have such good memories of Meerut, when the cantonment was many times better off than civilian areas,” says Pathak. “It was beautiful and spotless. Rules were strictly applied to any type of construction. Things were meticulously kept. There were trees lining all roads. It was a beautiful place to live.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The British had initially planned the cantonment to be outside the city. But over time, the garrison grew into a bustling centre frequented by merchants and mercenaries, and centres for recreation and entertainment came up. As boundaries faded, the city and the cantonment gradually became a connected whole. Meerut’s main bazaars are now within the cantonment area, where about two lakh people live.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Interestingly, the civilian residents in the cantonment do not have land ownership rights. The East India Company had framed rules in such a way that all land was owned by the company. Civilians have long been demanding land rights and are willing to pay for it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Meerut cantonment has been deteriorating since the 1970s, when the rapid rise in civilian population and large-scale encroachments began. Litigations have since risen exponentially, and the courts are clogged with cantonment-related cases.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to Pathak, the government’s decision to reduce cantonments to military stations “is 100 per cent essential”. “It has been the experience of the past 200 years that the armed forces should be completely segregated from the civilian areas. And the interaction between these two segments should be purely official,” he said. “The old-world charm is gone in most cantonments. So something should be done urgently before things become worse.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/meerut-cantonment-is-now-battling-surging-population-and-large-scale-encroachments.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/meerut-cantonment-is-now-battling-surging-population-and-large-scale-encroachments.html Sat Jan 27 16:17:46 IST 2024 deolali-cantonment-retains-its-charm <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/deolali-cantonment-retains-its-charm.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/41-Children-walk-past-the-Deolali-cantonment-board.jpg" /> <p>Simon Bhandare has worked at the Deolali cantonment for 40 years. While a lot has changed in that time, he says, the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful weather of Deolali remain the same.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I come from neighbouring Nashik, and the changes in the weather there are not visible here,” he says. “The atmosphere in Deolali today is just as it was 40 years ago, thanks to the green surroundings.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The pleasant weather, perhaps, was the reason why the British set up base here. Deolali is perched on a 2,000ft high plateau on the banks of the river Darna. It was established as a class one cantonment in 1869. A year later, the Deolali camp was opened as a main depot for the arrival and departure of troops.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The temperature in Deolali is moderate through the year,” notes Rahul Gajbhiye, CEO of the Deolali Cantonment Board. “Deolali was set up as a transit camp for British troops, who would acclimatise themselves here before being deputed to various places around the country.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The place some called ‘Doolally’ back then also served as the departure port for the British military, with soldiers waiting for days and months for their next ship home. Several sanatoriums were also built here for exhausted and ailing soldiers, who were suffering from, as the British called it, ‘Doolally <i>tap’. Tap</i> means fever in Marathi. As you enter Deolali, its main Lam Road is still dotted with sanatoriums, many of them built by the Gujarati and the Parsi communities. Usually, the elderly or those with various ailments come here to relax and recuperate. “Especially, patients suffering from tuberculosis used to be treated here,” recalls Bhandare. The number of sanatoriums over the years has only increased, he says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Deolali was also a training hub for British troops during World War I. In 1905, the Army Staff College was set up here. A few years later, it was moved to Quetta in Pakistan. After partition, India’s Defence Services Staff College was set up at Wellington in the Nilgiri mountains. However, the School of Artillery is still located in Deolali. A premier institution of the Army, it offers various diploma, degree and postgraduate courses in subjects such as weapon systems. It also evaluates new equipment for induction and develops new doctrine for application of artillery fire.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Over time, a lot of civilians came and settled here, in part providing support and services to the military camp. As per the 2011 census, Deolali had a population of 54,000. Of these, 14,000 are military personnel, says Gajbhiye.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Over the last few decades, the nearby Nashik city has developed and expanded fast, with several companies like Mahindra &amp; Mahindra setting up shop. It also has the government’s currency printing press, and is known for its wine. Over time, farm lands have given way to constructions, and Nashik is now almost at the doorstep of Deolali.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But, the Deolali cantonment still retains its charm. One reason is the restrictions on large constructions. “Our FSI (floor space index) is very low, 0.5 only,” says Gajbhiye. “So, if you have a 1,000sqft plot, you can only construct over 500sqft. There are height restrictions here as well, mainly due to the presence of the military camp.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Deolali may well change in the future, what with the Union government’s proposal to separate military and civilian areas. The people of Deolali await their fate. “The proposal is to hand over the administration of the civilian areas of Deolali to the state,” says Gajbhiye. “This proposal is pending with the state government.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Whether Deolali is merged into the Nashik Municipal Corporation or whether a separate local body is created needs to be seen. All that the residents here hope for is that the charm and peaceful life that Deolali has retained over many decades continue in the future.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/deolali-cantonment-retains-its-charm.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/deolali-cantonment-retains-its-charm.html Sat Jan 27 16:19:02 IST 2024 landour-cantonment-is-less-quaint-and-more-crowded-now <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/landour-cantonment-is-less-quaint-and-more-crowded-now.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/42-Ganesh-Saili.jpg" /> <p>Anjenie’s love story is what romance novellas are made of.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A Gujarati from Mumbai, she met the man of her dreams when she was in her 20s at the Standard Grand skating rink near the cantonment town of Landour in the early 1960s. Prem Dutt Bijalwan, a strapping mountain man, was the ice skating champ. Love blossomed and culminated in marriage in the face of stiff parental opposition. Even after 60 years, Anjenie’s eyes well up when she remembers the days gone by.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“They say love marriages don’t last, mine did,” says Anjenie. “Every day, we worked together shoulder to shoulder. And we were so happy.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Her earliest memories of Landour, about 35km from Dehradun, are vivid and every moment tied to her late husband. “The Landour military cantonment was such a beautiful place,” recalls Anjenie. “The streets and drains were clean, everything was spic and span. It was a sleepy hamlet where everyone knew everyone.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But the times have changed, so has the cantonment. “In the last 25 years, it has become horrible and messy,” says Anjenie. “I find it difficult to step out from my front gate to go buy vegetables. There is dirt all around. It is messy and the crowds have invaded. There are vehicles every minute ferrying excited tourists up the hill. Now I don’t even know my neighbours. Many have left, new people have come.” And, there are no more skating rinks, she says, wistfully.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anjenie lives in an old stone house that her in-laws had bought from the British in the early 1960s. It needs renovation, but being inside a cantonment area, Anjenie will need permission from the cantonment authorities before making any changes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>She is in two minds over the government’s move to disband cantonments. “I have heard there will be smaller military stations,” says Anjenie. “I just don’t know whether it is for better or worse. In Landour, we have only known the cantonment board. We do not know how the civilian municipality will function. We have heard that there will be a plethora of taxes―for water, for power, for everything. But permissions to build bigger buildings and hotels will be easier. The beauty of Landour, of whatever remains, will vanish.” Anjenie’s two grandsons have brought out a book of poems on the Landour that was.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Named after a small Welsh town Llanddowror, Landour saw its first permanent building being built by the British in 1825. All of 1,040 acres with 86 houses that pay tax, Landour is a small cantonment on a comparative scale. Of the 62 cantonments in the downsizing list across the country, nine are in Uttarakhand. Of these nine, seven are on the de-notified list. The two exceptions as of now are Landour and Chakrata, about 90km northwest of Dehradun.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The bazaar gossip is that the cantonment is being wound up,” says Ganesh Saili, author, photographer and illustrator. “As far as Landour is concerned, I don’t think it really is a good idea.” Saili has been in Landour all his life after his father, a cantonment employee, built a home on a hillside. “I was born here in 1948,” he says. “These are the roads where I have walked with my father.… The times we saw were simple times, of simpler people.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Even then, a sense of community prevails in the town. “It is also a melting pot of cultures,” says Saili. “There are students from 29 nationalities that are studying in Woodstock school.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Close to Saili’s beautiful home, Victoria, a young lady from Nagaland, and her husband have set up a cozy food joint serving Naga and Korean food.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The once sleepy town is slowly waking up to a new reality.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/landour-cantonment-is-less-quaint-and-more-crowded-now.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/landour-cantonment-is-less-quaint-and-more-crowded-now.html Sat Jan 27 16:20:16 IST 2024 delhi-cantonment-houses-two-starkly-different-worlds-that-are-still-learning-to-coexist <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/delhi-cantonment-houses-two-starkly-different-worlds-that-are-still-learning-to-coexist.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/44-A-Kargil-War-memorial-in-the-Delhi-cantonment.jpg" /> <p>Lt Gen (retd) Rajendra Ramrao Nimbhorkar first saw the Delhi cantonment in 1979. A hero of the Indian Army’s 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Nimbhorkar had three stints as a cantonment resident.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He has fond memories. “Till the 1980s, the cantonment was a far-off place from Delhi. It was isolated, and life was peaceful,” he says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The downside, according to Nimbhorkar, was the lack of proper transport facilities. “Public transport was inconvenient and unreliable. There were few taxis from the railway station to the cantonment. Yet, I would very much like to go back to that life.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The core area of the cantonment has not changed much. Tidy roads lined by shady trees, immaculate sidewalks, vast open spaces, signposts placed with military precision, landscaped lawns of the officers’ bungalows, and so on. But, that is just the core area of the cantonment. Not far from it is the chaos of the polluted and bustling national capital.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The arterial National Highway 8, which connects Delhi to Gurugram in Haryana, cuts the cantonment into two. But it seems the sense of order in the core cantonment area is infectious. Traffic in the neighbourhood is smooth, and surprisingly quiet―unlike the maddening one in Delhi. Adding to the serenity is the fort-like St Martin’s Church, built in typical Indo-British style. About three and a half million bricks, sourced locally, were used to build it in 1929.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Not far from the church is the Delhi War Cemetery, built in 1951. Set up by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the cemetery has close to 1,000 graves of soldiers from across the commonwealth countries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Delhi Metro has a station inside the cantonment―the Shankar Vihar stop, which is bound by military laws. If you are a civilian with no business in Shankar Vihar, you cannot step out of the station. At 10,452 acres, the cantonment is still learning to coexist with the invasive urbanisation fuelled by the burgeoning population.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The British set it up in 1914. Like others, the Delhi cantonment was also established away from the city centre. Over time, civilians trooped in to offer services for soldiers. It is now a ‘category I’ cantonment, with a civilian population of more than 50,000. It houses schools, hospitals, air bases, the Army’s Delhi area headquarters, the Directorate of General Defence Estates, and the Controller General of Defence Accounts.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Between the cantonment’s orderly core military area and chaotic civilian sections such as the Gopinath Bazar and Sadar Bazar, there is a world of difference. Perhaps it is the reason why authorities rarely talk of the Delhi cantonment as a composite whole.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“In the military, even the mess menu is a secret,” goes an old joke among journalists that pokes fun at the military’s excessive emphasis on maintaining confidentiality even in cases where it is not required. Clearly, it seems to have rubbed on to the bureaucrats in the civilian fold manning the Delhi Cantonment Board.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/delhi-cantonment-houses-two-starkly-different-worlds-that-are-still-learning-to-coexist.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/delhi-cantonment-houses-two-starkly-different-worlds-that-are-still-learning-to-coexist.html Sat Jan 27 16:21:25 IST 2024 shillong-cantonment-has-remained-small-even-as-others-have-grown-in-strategic-importance <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/shillong-cantonment-has-remained-small-even-as-others-have-grown-in-strategic-importance.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/46-The-office-of-the-Shillong-Cantonment-Board.jpg" /> <p>Known as the ‘Scotland of the East’, Meghalaya’s capital Shillong has a distinct colonial character. It was just a small village of the Khasi tribe till 1864, when it became a British administrative centre. It was the capital of undivided Assam till Meghalaya was hived off in 1972. Shillong’s military cantonment, set up in 1885, has been the only one in the northeast. It will soon be shrunk into a military station.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The cantonment was set up away from the hustle and bustle of the administrative centre. But it is now surrounded by municipal areas and territories of the local Khasi chieftain, as per local laws.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The first thing that strikes you upon entering town is the cantonment area, and how it intermingles with the civilian areas,” said Wing Commander (retd) Tarun Kumar Singha, who had three stints in the city from 1987 to 2018. “Unlike many other cantonments in India, the Shillong cantonment was always very open to civilian movement. There were plush bungalows on the left and right. We would always envy the owners.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Singha has happy memories of the place. “The Garrison Ground, the fetes, the ‘melas’ where all of Shillong would congregate. Pine trees lined up, greenery in the heart of the town…. Unlike in many other places, there was less politics in the cantonment board,” he said. “But during my last visit, I saw that a lot of the cantonment’s beauty had gone, with road construction and other activities on.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Cantonments in India were set up for various reasons. The one in Shillong was established because its invigorating climate reminded the British of Scotland. The cantonment did not have much military value, so it has remained relatively small even as others have grown in strategic importance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Among the few military installations in Shillong, the most prominent is the military hospital. But it has fewer footfalls now, as many services have been transferred to the military hospital in Guwahati, which is easier to access for patients from neighbouring states.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The cantonment has two sections. One comprising the hospital, signal units and the National Cadet Corps office, and the other housing military barracks outside the town. “My father would talk about American troops stationed in the Shillong cantonment during World War II,” said Manas Choudhuri, who was editor of the <i>Shillong Times</i> for 30 years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Few people have so closely observed Shillong’s evolution as Choudhuri has. He was born and brought up in the city, which his father made home in 1928, and was a minister. “The cantonment is now located in the heart of the town,” said Choudhuri. “Since it was not very big, it did not occupy much space in public imagination.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There is not much nostalgia for it either, apparently. “Old people have mostly left, and the city is experiencing a peculiar reverse migration phenomenon because of a number of issues,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Unlike the areas housing military installations and officers’ bungalows, the cantonment’s civilian segment remains congested. Choudhuri said he had devised a master plan to address the civic issues.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“But the cantonment board never took proper care of the civilian areas within, nor did military officers show much interest in developing them. The indifference was stark,” he said. “As a result, facilities became very rudimentary. It compares very poorly with other cantonments in the country.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/shillong-cantonment-has-remained-small-even-as-others-have-grown-in-strategic-importance.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/shillong-cantonment-has-remained-small-even-as-others-have-grown-in-strategic-importance.html Sat Jan 27 16:22:54 IST 2024 transcendental-meditation-programme-by-the-global-union-of-scientists-for-peace-in-hyderabad <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/transcendental-meditation-programme-by-the-global-union-of-scientists-for-peace-in-hyderabad.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/65-Ukrainian-Transcendental-Meditation-expert-Vadym-Bykovets.jpg" /> <p><b>IN EARLY 2005,</b> security checkpoints at the Abu Ghraib prison complex in Iraq―notorious for torture and abuse of its inmates―were overrun by armed militants. The surprise attack met with strong resistance from US coalition forces guarding the site. Several American soldiers suffered injuries, and many militants lost their lives. Brian Rees, a doctor with the US military, remembers rushing out to treat civilian casualties. Whenever he got a chance, he said, he would retreat to a corner and meditate.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rees has learned to find peace among chaos. He meditates twice a day―20 minutes each in the morning and in the evening. Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been a source of strength for him while serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan. It helped him beat long periods of boredom and to cope with the shocking sights of blood and gore. “I felt I could use TM to reset. It kept me resilient on the ground. It is important to maintain a healthy rhythm or things can go very wrong,” said the veteran about the benefits of meditation in a war zone.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rees has introduced hundreds of US veterans to TM in the last 10 years, helping them return to normalcy after stressful missions. He still remembers a veteran telling him just two minutes after attending a session that TM was going to save his life. “The veterans have a lot of questions on why this is happening. But they have no answers,” said Rees. “TM will really help them see hope and remove negative aspects.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Nearly 4,000 TM practitioners from outside India like Rees and 6,000 Indians took part in a residential meditation programme organised by the Global Union of Scientists for Peace (GUSP), a group that works to carry forward the legacy of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was held for two weeks from December 29 at the Kanha Shanti Vanam ashram near Hyderabad. The programme was intended to trigger a world peace field based on a theory propagated by the Maharishi.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Tony Nader, chairman of GUSP, explained the idea behind getting 10,000 people at one place. “The research is based on findings of 50 years that when one per cent of the total population practises Transcendental Meditation in any city, there is a reduction in crime, conflict, hospital admission and road accidents. One per cent of the world population today would be 81 million and it is a big number to bring together for meditation. The Maharishi produced a new technique, which is based on Patanjali yoga sutras, where it was found that the square root of one per cent of the population is enough to achieve the desired effect. It means that instead of 81 million, its square root―9,000―could be used. The number 10,000 was selected to have the safety factor on top of the needed number.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Nader, who leads TM-related organisations in more than 100 countries, hails from conflict-ridden Lebanon and credits meditation for helping him survive the horrors of the civil war in the 1970s. The 14-day programme saw participants practise basic TM, yoga sutras and flying sutras. Frederick Travis, director of the Centre for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition, Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, used a special device fitted with 19 sensors on a participant to study the impact of group meditation on the brain. He recorded a high coherence in the brain as a result of meditation practised by thousands in the vicinity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Alex Kutai, a theatre actor-turned PR professional from Israel, said meditation was an antidote to war. Kutai, an active TM teacher, was drawn to the movement after the 1973 Yom Kippur war. “After every war, the interest in TM becomes high. Thousands learned TM after the Yom Kippur war. I thought it could support my well-being,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kutai said many people were suffering from trauma, depression and pain because of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. “When people along the Gaza Strip had to be evacuated, we taught them meditation so that they could cope with the loss. We are also teaching TM for free to those who are suffering from the loss of lives of close ones,” he said. Kutai lives in Hararit, a village near the Lebanon border which was created by a community of TM members in the 1980s. Though he has not taught TM to Palestinians, Kutai said he was willing to teach friendly Arabs who reside around his village.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Another participant in the programme was Vadym Bykovets, a Ukrainian who nurses war wounds even though he is not physically involved in the war with Russia. The 49-year-old lives in Lithuania and works in the private sector. He counts his friends and acquaintances among those who died or were seriously wounded. He encourages fellow Ukrainians to practise meditation. “I feel that they are emotionally wounded and stressed. Without meditation, they would feel terrible. They are even scared of loud sounds.” How does meditation help him? “War is a painful topic. Regardless of what information I get from back home, I meditate,” he said. “It cleans my mind and soul, and I do not feel involved in that situation.” The reason Bykovets came all the way to Hyderabad is to support the belief that meditation is the right medium to achieve global peace.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/transcendental-meditation-programme-by-the-global-union-of-scientists-for-peace-in-hyderabad.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/transcendental-meditation-programme-by-the-global-union-of-scientists-for-peace-in-hyderabad.html Sat Jan 27 15:49:42 IST 2024 manipal-hospitals-ceo-and-managing-director-dilip-jose-interview <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/manipal-hospitals-ceo-and-managing-director-dilip-jose-interview.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/27/68-Dilip-Jose.jpg" /> <p><i>Interview/ Dilip Jose, managing director and CEO, Manipal Hospitals</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Bengaluru-based Manipal Health Enterprises Private Ltd, also known as Manipal Hospitals, is India’s second biggest hospital network, with 33 facilities and more than 9,500 beds and 6,000 doctors. Every year, Manipal Hospitals serves more than five million patients.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Last year, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings bought a majority stake in Manipal Hospitals for $2 billion. Manipal is now on expansion mode. Under managing director and CEO Dilip Jose, it has completed the acquisition of Kolkata-based AMRI Hospitals, and is exploring greenfield and brownfield opportunities. Jose has more than 32 years of experience across sectors, including 18 in leadership positions in health care. Before joining Manipal, he was the group CEO of CARE Hospitals, managing a network of tertiary care facilities.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In an exclusive interview, Jose speaks about his expansion plans and the current strategy with Temasek controlling the majority stake.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ How have been things post Temasek acquiring a majority stake?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Temasek has been an investor in Manipal Hospitals for over six years. They raised their stake from 18 per cent to 59 per cent. Dr Ranjan Pai now holds 30 per cent.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>From our perspective, it is the same set of investors. There is continuity, because all investors are familiar with the company and the health care sector in India. There is continuity in management and governance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We already have a national footprint and want to be in under-served areas of the country. With Temasek’s investments, we would be able to pursue our aspirations smoothly. We are doing well, and have seen a 6 to 8 per cent increase in the number of patients. Our revenues have grown by 15 to 17 per cent in the past one year―well above pre-Covid levels.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Manipal Hospitals has been on an aggressive expansion mode. What is your strategy?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> We are keen to enhance our reach within our existing geographies as well as in newer areas. For instance, in Bengaluru alone we are building three greenfield hospitals, and two of them will become functional in the next 12 months. The third one will be ready in the next 24 months. Another greenfield project―a 350-bed tertiary care hospital―is coming up in Raipur in Chhattisgarh. We feel that central India is an under-served market and Raipur as a town can cater to surrounding regions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We will continue to look at brownfield opportunities, too. In north India, we have three hospitals―one each in Delhi, Gurugram and Ghaziabad. We are looking at acquiring two more facilities in Delhi, as we would require 250- to 300-bed hospitals in the National Capital Region. We would focus on brownfield opportunities in the region, as greenfield ones take longer to complete. Hyderabad is another city that we are very keen on, along with Visakhapatnam, for brownfield growth.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What size of hospitals will you be looking at for brownfield expansion?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Our understanding is that a 250- to 350-bed hospital is ideal. [It] would be able to cater to a population living around [a radius of] eight to 10 kilometres. I feel the time for 600 to 700-bed hospitals is not there anymore.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What are the parameters you look for before you acquire a hospital?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>There are multiple parameters. Geography is one of the most important. The second key concern is the cultural fit of the hospital. When we acquire a brownfield hospital, it comes with a whole set of doctors and staff. A cultural fit with that team is very important [for] the integration of that asset. Cultural fit is in the way we look at the patient, and the way we treat them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Broadly, there are three filters through which we look at different acquisitions―clinical excellence, patient centricity and ethical practices. By ethical practices, I mean that the hospital should be transparent in its processes and communication. It should be known for its ethics.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ How has the AMRI acquisition helped you?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> AMRI was always a well-known, multi-specialty, tertiary-care hospital in Kolkata. It fitted very well with our thought process. The acquisition took 15 to 18 months, and we spent around Rs2,400 crore. We added around 1,200 doctors.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Eastern India is where we always wanted to be; we cannot be a national player without having a substantial presence in the east. Before AMRI, we only had a single hospital in Kolkata, which came to us through the acquisition of Columbia Asia Hospitals. It is only a 100-bed hospital. Though it gave us a foothold, it did not give us an opportunity to tap into the east fully.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Post the AMRI acquisition, we have four hospitals in Kolkata and one in Bhubaneswar. We have over 1,200 beds. We also have a 500-bed hospital in Gangtok.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With our presence in Kolkata firmly established, we are looking at tier-II cities in the region. We will pursue more hospitals in the region, including in the northeast. We believe that it is a region that is still very much under-penetrated. Even now, many people travel from Kolkata to our hospitals in Delhi and Bengaluru.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What about expansion in other parts of the country?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> We are already present in the western region. We have two hospitals in Pune, including one in Baner. It is doing very well. We would like to have one more hospital in Pune. Mumbai is also of keen interest to us, but building a greenfield hospital there is very difficult.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Our hospital in Goa is the largest private hospital in the state, and the only complete oncology centre in the state. We also do transplants there. In Rajasthan, we have a large hospital in Jaipur. The 350-bed hospital is doing very well. In the south, Kerala is a place we are very much interested in. Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam are two other places we are looking at. Our expansion in Pune is our immediate priority.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What is your hiring strategy?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Every year, we add 80 to 100 doctors, in addition to filling vacancies and meeting requirements in new hospitals. The hiring of doctors every year creates a talent pipeline for the future. We believe investing in talent as we invest in technology. We also keep adding nurses, and their number is linked to the number of beds we operate. High quality nurses are in short supply these days, but we try to maintain a bench.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What are the challenges you face?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> The primary challenge is people. There is a constant need to get good doctors and talented managers. There are supply-side issues we need to keep addressing. Many global supply-side issues are now stabilising post Covid. Earlier, the supply of medical equipment for CT and MRI [scans] and cath labs was a concern. The supply is now stabilising.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Any new specialisations you are looking at?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> We have had all super specialties for many years. Currently we are adding transplants. We have added cancer and robotic treatment in several of our hospitals in the last one year. We procure robotic technologies. We have orthopaedic and spine robots.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ You are collaborating with Fujifilm India.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>Last year, we entered into an agreement with Fujifilm India for storing sensitive medical documents and images. Under the longterm agreement, Fujifilm India will provide us a large-scale ‘picture archiving and communication system’. PACS eliminates the need for manually storing, retrieving and sending sensitive information. The next-generation system will also enable the storage of medical documents and images on secure off-site servers, while the PACS software will ensure that such sensitive medical data can be accessed via mobile devices and workstations from anywhere in the world. The deployment will cover our 23 hospitals and 45 tele-radiology facilities.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A Radiology Information System PACS has also been developed. It is now available for radiology and cardiology specialties, and is scalable to more clinical specialties. It currently covers three million studies a year. RIS PACS will provide our patients quick access to medical images from any of our hospitals, digital access to reports, and diagnosis from radiologists and cardiologists across the country.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/manipal-hospitals-ceo-and-managing-director-dilip-jose-interview.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/27/manipal-hospitals-ceo-and-managing-director-dilip-jose-interview.html Sat Jan 27 15:40:02 IST 2024 ram-idol-sculptor-arun-yogiraj-is-a-master-at-bringing-his-imagination-to-life <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/19/ram-idol-sculptor-arun-yogiraj-is-a-master-at-bringing-his-imagination-to-life.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/19/60-Saraswati.jpg" /> <p><b>ARUN YOGIRAJ, 38, </b>has carved himself a special place in history. His sculpture of the lord Ram will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya for <i>pran prathishthan</i> (consecration) on January 22.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversaw temple construction, had commissioned two other sculptors also for the main idol, G.L. Bhat of Bengaluru and Satyanarayan Pandey of Rajasthan. Arun’s work was finally chosen: a 51-inch idol of Ram as a five-year-old, standing and holding a bow and arrow.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The rare honour has Mysuru celebrating. People have been thronging Arun’s residence-cum-workshop in the heart of Mysuru, called Kashyapa Shilpakala Niketana, even though the sculptor is yet to return from Ayodhya.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I am so proud of Arun; he has divine blessings,” said his mother, Saraswati. “I feel humbled that he got the opportunity to sculpt lord Ram’s idol at Ayodhya. I wish his father were alive to see this day.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Arun is the youngest of three children of the famous sculptor Yogiraj Shilpi, whose father, B.S. Basavanna Shilpi, was a disciple of Shilpi Siddanti Siddalingaswamy, the sculptor and ‘rajguru’ of Mysuru kings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Arun, who follows the Hoysala style of sculpting, has been carving idols for two decades. People admire his dedication, craftsmanship and the “divine charm” of his creations. He is an MBA.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He first received national attention for a 12ft statue of Adi Shankaracharya, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled at Kedarnath in November 2021. It was again Modi who unveiled Arun’s 28ft black granite sculpture of Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate in 2022. Arun gifted Modi a miniature of the statue at the event.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The family has to its credit an impressive list of sculptures, such as the Ramakrishna Paramahamsa statue at Andolana Circle in Mysuru; the goddess Rajarajeshwari idol, Mumbai; the Shivakumaraswami idol at Siddaganga Mutt, Tumakuru; the Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar statue in Mysuru; the monolithic stone sculpture of Hanuman at Chunchunakatte; a white marble sculpture of B.R. Ambedkar in Mysuru; and a stone sculpture based on the “creation of creation” concept at the University of Mysore. The Ayodhya project, however, was the most cherished, according to the family.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In January 2023, Arun received a call from the Union ministry of culture asking him to make a PowerPoint presentation on the Ayodhya statue. After he and two other artists were selected, he reached Ayodhya in June and began work in a tent assigned to his team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“He left for Ayodhya with five others,” said his wife, Vijetha M. Rao. “He had meticulously prepared for the project. He studied thousands of photographs of five-year-olds… He wanted the sculpture of young Ram to be both authentic and divine, as Ram was no ordinary child. I believe Arun saw a divine manifestation of the face of young Ram. It is the feeling people get when they look at idols carved by Arun.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The family lives in a sprawling, old-fashioned house that Mysuru maharaja Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar gifted to Basavanna Shilpi. Pointing to an idol of lord Ganesh in the living room, Saraswati said, “The idol was sculpted by my father-in-law. Many people, enamoured by its beauty and intricacy, offered him huge sums for it. But my father-in-law declined, saying he wanted to keep it to inspire his descendants.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Basavanna was just 11 when he became a disciple of Shilpi Siddalingaswamy and began working for the royal family. His son Yogiraj, too, followed in his footsteps. Yogiraj trained many sculptors, including his two sons. A taskmaster and perfectionist, he was hard to impress. “For the first time, my father-in-law had tears in his eyes the day Arun completed the Shankaracharya sculpture,” recalled Vijetha.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Tragedy struck the family after Arun left for Kedarnath to instal the statue. “His father met with a fatal accident while returning from our farm,” said Saraswati. “He should have been alive to see this day.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Arun had grown studying Yogiraj at work. “As a little boy, he would rush to the workshop every morning and marvel at how stone changed its form each day as his father worked on it,” said Saraswati.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Vijetha said Arun would lose himself in his work for hours at a stretch. “He is married to his art,” she said. “During his frequent visits to temples he would sit quietly, watching the architecture and people and their expressions.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Animals, too. “He brings home abandoned animals, especially dogs,” she said. “Once, when he was sculpting a Nandi idol, he brought home a cow that was being taken to a slaughterhouse. He took very good care of it, and when the family insisted on giving it up, he started crying.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Arun is a master at bringing his imagination to life. “He likes to work alone, especially in the <i>brahma muhurta</i> (early morning), when he finally sculpts the face of the idol,” said Surya Prakash, his brother. “People are spellbound to see the finishing, as the facial expression of the idol evokes a sense of divinity.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On several occasions, he said, Arun himself was mesmerised by the divine charm of his sculptures. Said Vijetha: “Idols of the goddess Tripura Sundari and Adi Shankaracharya, which he carved with his father, are his favourites for emotional reasons.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Arun enjoys teaching sculpting to youngsters. Every year, the Kashyapa Shilpakala Niketana takes in five students, providing them free food, accommodation and training.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I have been learning under Arun sir for the past five years,” said Ajay Kumar, a 19-year-old who joined the workshop soon after completing class 10. “He tells me to do the finishing in such way that the idol looks divine from every angle. He advises us to spend as much time as possible with the stone to develop a bond.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/19/ram-idol-sculptor-arun-yogiraj-is-a-master-at-bringing-his-imagination-to-life.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/19/ram-idol-sculptor-arun-yogiraj-is-a-master-at-bringing-his-imagination-to-life.html Sat Jan 20 12:37:55 IST 2024 bilkis-bano-case-supreme-court-verdict-analysis <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/13/bilkis-bano-case-supreme-court-verdict-analysis.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/13/31-A-demonstration-against-the-release.jpg" /> <p><b>THE SUPREME COURT</b> judgment on the Bilkis Bano case is welcome. It is a great judgment from the apex court, sending all the convicts back to prison. It sends a good message to the people of India, particularly the women of the country. Their dignity and honour has to be respected by the courts and it has been done.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Bilkis Bano case has been a historic one. It has gone on for so long and so many people have supported her. So, that is iconic. And the incident in itself was so horrid and it stands out in history―for three days the police were on the rampage. They were killing people and raping women. So, for that, justice has to be there and it has been delivered with this judgment. Also, it is not only about Bilkis Bano―they have killed so many people.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Supreme Court could have been more careful in hearing the review petition filed by Bilkis Bano against the May 2022 judgment, which was dismissed in December 2022. This could have prevented the convicts from getting out. She was not heard when the convicts were granted remission. The Supreme Court has now said that she was not heard and her security was not taken into consideration at all. The top court also said that the order passed by it in May 2022 was nullified as the petitioner had suppressed facts and misled the court.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The statement released by Bilkis Bano after the Supreme Court judgment, which says that she can “breathe again, have wept tears of relief and smiled for the first time in over a year and half”, is moving and true. She has been in hiding and she was so scared when those convicts were released. She was afraid what they might do to her. And the way those convicts were welcomed―they were garlanded, people touched their feet and it was said that they were Brahmins and <i>sanskaris</i> (cultured)―sent such a wrong signal.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some political parties such as the Congress are saying that within the two weeks time given by the apex court for the convicts to go back to jail, the present dispensation may try to do something which can prevent them from doing so. I doubt that can happen as it is a Supreme Court judgment. It is unlikely that in two weeks any other court will do anything. I am not sure what the Gujarat government can do. There is some apprehension, but I hope nothing happens.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>My only concern is that questions were raised at the time of remission. There was moral indignation that how can remission be granted for such a serious offence. The Supreme Court has rightly commented that the Gujarat High Court did not have the jurisdiction and that it was not the appropriate [forum] to decide on the remission plea of all the men convicted for the “grotesque and diabolical crime… driven by communal hatred”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Supreme Court also said that the Maharashtra government had the jurisdiction to make that decision, but the act of remission has not been condemned. That is of concern to me. The court said Gujarat did not have the jurisdiction, but it never said anything about the act of remission itself.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>As told to Mohit Sharma.</b></p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/13/bilkis-bano-case-supreme-court-verdict-analysis.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/13/bilkis-bano-case-supreme-court-verdict-analysis.html Sat Jan 13 12:22:46 IST 2024 how-a-govt-hospital-is-giving-corporate-ones-a-run-for-their-money <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/13/how-a-govt-hospital-is-giving-corporate-ones-a-run-for-their-money.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2024/1/13/58-Manjunath-director-of-the-Sri-Jayadeva-Institute.jpg" /> <p>The Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru is known for not just multinational tech giants and malls, but also for big corporate hospitals. A swanky building nestled in a vast plot of lush gardens in Jayanagar is very likely to be mistaken for a private hospital, but the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research is a government-run autonomous institute, the largest centre for heart care in southeast Asia.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As you step inside, there is a serpentine queue in the waiting lounge, but the admission desk and the billing counter do not seem like a barrier to access treatment. At least 80 per cent of the patients are treated free as they are covered under government health insurance schemes or by the hospital’s corpus fund. Known popularly as Jayadeva hospital (named after the family deity of the land donor), this research centre with 1,150 beds, located on a sprawling 13-acre campus, is a major landmark in the IT city. With campuses in Mysuru and Kalaburagi as well, Jayadeva now has around 2,000 beds exclusively for heart care.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to the latest reports, Jayadeva had 6.55 lakh outpatients and 68,902 admissions last year. It performed 5,500 open heart surgeries and 3.78 lakh echocardiograms―the highest in the world. The success story of the public heart institute began with a doctor’s dream of scaling up a government hospital into a “five-star” hospital. Dr C.N. Manjunath, 66, is the man behind the dream, transforming Jayadeva into one of Asia’s leading cardiology centres. Manjunath graduated from Mysore Medical College, did his post graduation from Bangalore Medical College and doctorate of medicine in cardiology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. He joined Jayadeva in 1989 and was elevated to the post of director in 2006.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“It was not just about physical infrastructure like the building and equipment, but about nurturing talent and developing a culture of hard work and discipline,” said Manjunath, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2007. “We mean every word of our three slogans: ‘Treatment first, payment next’, ‘Life is more important than the file’ and ‘Humanity is priority’.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Jayadeva employs 120 cardiologists, 48 cardiothoracic surgeons, 40 cardiac anaesthetists and six vascular surgeons who run its 18 cath labs and 17 operation theatres. The hospital sees 1,500 to 1,700 walk-in patients every day and 80 per cent of them are below poverty line. ‘The poor families with no BPL cards or [those who] have lost the cards should still get treatment. But the rule book says the card is a must. I raised the issue in the governing council way back in 2007 and sought to authorise the director to identify the poor for free treatment. My eyeball assessment has only grown stronger as I see poverty and helplessness in their eyes before I see their ailing heart,” said Manjunath.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He still remembers the case of an elderly man who needed a pacemaker. “His son had borrowed Rs78,000 for the procedure and they had no BPL card,” said Manjunath. “When he learnt that the pacemaker would cost more than what he had, he decided to take his father back to the village. We absorbed the cost and performed the surgery as we had a corpus fund to fall back on.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When he took over as director, Manjunath had a plan to build a corpus fund. He requested his employees for a day’s salary before requesting help from government organisations and NGOs. He also asked his staff to withdraw all cases against the hospital on salary and service issues. The hospital then put in place an incentive system to enhance employee productivity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>An audit by the accountant general lauded the hospital for being a great model for internal finance management and resource mobilisation despite a 37 per cent deficit in grants allocation by the government. “Ayushman Bharat and Arogya Karnataka insurance schemes are benefiting the poor. But they do not cover many procedures and the rates are not scientifically revised from time to time. The entire patient load falls on the government hospitals,” said Manjunath. He managed to raise a corpus of Rs150 crore to provide free treatment to the poor, who could not be covered under the government health insurance schemes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The 400-bed hospital in Mysuru (started in August 2018), the 350-bed Infosys Foundation block (November 2021) and the upcoming 350-bed hospital complex on the new Jayadeva campus at Kalaburagi have helped the hospital achieve a rare feat―a staggering 2,000-bed dedicated facility for heart care.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On December 24, 2018, Infosys founder and chairman emeritus N.R. Narayana Murthy visited the hospital and said he was impressed with the hygiene and the quality of service. But he noticed the long queue at the outpatient department and also found that the wards were full. A day later, Manjunath got a call from Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty. “She told me that she wanted to build a 200-bed facility on the existing campus. But after her team of architects and engineers inspected the hospital complex, she called in to say that they decided to build a 350-bed hospital block. In November 2021, the Infosys wing became fully functional with two cardiac cath labs, two operation theatres, 100 ICCU (intensive coronary care unit) beds and 250 general [beds],” said Manjunath.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Kalaburagi hospital serves Kalyana Karnataka, among the most backward regions in the state. Before Jayadeva opened its facility there, patients had to travel more than 700km to Bengaluru or to neighbouring states to receive cardiac care. When the new hospital came up in Kalaburagi, the first task was to recruit and train people to help them adapt to Jayadeva’s patient-centric work culture. “We selected 110 new recruits from Kalaburagi for the posts of nurses, technicians and doctors. Some recruits asked me whether the working hours were only till 1pm, which was the practice in the Kalyana Karnataka region, owing to the extreme heat in the afternoon. I inducted them in our Bengaluru main hospital three months in advance and drove them back to Kalaburagi on a bus on the day of the inauguration. In Bengaluru, they had first-hand experience of working in a hospital where the constant flow of patients can be overwhelming and exhausting. But the team realised the importance of the organisation in serving the needy,” said Manjunath.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) was set up in 2019 in collaboration with the Needy Heart Foundation and the Bangalore Indiranagar Rotary Trust, to help cardiac patients make lifestyle modifications. “Often, we see patients living in fear after suffering a heart attack. They feel depressed and anxious over not being able to go back to their routines. The CRC team visits the ward before the patients are discharged and counsels them on healthy lifestyle, diet, exercise and medicines,” said Dr S.P. Shankar Sira, who heads the CRC.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The newer additions to the growing list of specialisations in the institute are paediatric cardiology, vascular surgery and electrophysiology. Dr K.S. Ravindranath, professor of cardiology and chief academic officer, said, “We are now treating the highest number of rheumatic heart disease patients in South Asia. Doctors from western countries come to us for observership.” NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers) accreditation is a rare honour for a public hospital and Manjunath took it up as a challenge to upgrade Jayadeva on par with corporate hospitals, making it patient-centric, competitive and with world-class service. In 2015, Jayadeva became the first public heart institute to get NABH accreditation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“For private hospitals, accreditation might work like a marketing tool. But we are already handling a huge patient load and would like uniformity in care and focus on the standards and compliance which help us streamline the system. It brings everyone in the hierarchy on the same page and builds accountability to safeguard our trust and credibility,” said Ramesh Shivanna, quality coordinator of the hospital.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Attrition or brain-drain can cripple health care institutions. But Jayadeva has been fortunate to have low attrition rates, despite the lure of corporate hospital jobs. Dr Karthik Raghuram, who did his DM in cardiology from Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, joined Jayadeva two years ago, opting for a government hospital as it offered a great learning experience. “It makes you feel good to serve the poor who might not have health insurance. Our equipment, imaging technology, valves, balloons or procedures are comparable to that of world-class hospitals,” said Karthik, who sees around hundred patients a day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dr Seetharama Bhat, senior consultant and professor of cardiac surgery, said the best part of working at Jayadeva was that doctors enjoyed a free hand to decide the course of treatment without worrying about the cost, the case-sheet and the reimbursement procedures. “Dr Manjunath has consistently raised funds to treat the poor and most donors are still with us only because of the rapport and respect they have for him,” said Bhat.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Till date, Manjunath has performed around 55,000 cardiac interventions. He innovated a new technique of balloon mitral valvuloplasty (an intervention to open up a thickened heart valve) which is now called ‘Manjunath’s technique’. The left atrial thrombus classification is done according to a scheme proposed by Manjunath, called ‘Manjunath classification’. He has trained cardiologists from the US, France, the UK, China and Vietnam in valvuloplasty procedures.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“Dr Manjunath’s zeal to teach, his simplicity, his respect for other points of view and his ability to take everyone along make him a leader,” said Ravindranath, who took Manjunath on board as a syndicate member when he was vice chancellor of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bengaluru.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Manjunath has defied the myth that clinicians do not make good administrators. He got the idea of building a “five-star” hospital after visiting the University of Alabama Medical School. But he gratefully acknowledges the loving nudge he got at home to do better each day from his wife Anusuya, daughter of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda. “She constantly reminds me that my profession is my first wife and she, the second.” But lakhs of cardiac patients will thank the couple for their selfless service.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/13/how-a-govt-hospital-is-giving-corporate-ones-a-run-for-their-money.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2024/01/13/how-a-govt-hospital-is-giving-corporate-ones-a-run-for-their-money.html Sat Jan 13 11:52:53 IST 2024 laws-for-stray-dogs-are-good-on-paper-but-lack-proper-implementation-and-regular-monitoring <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/laws-for-stray-dogs-are-good-on-paper-but-lack-proper-implementation-and-regular-monitoring.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/29/50-Stray-dogs-in-Delhi.jpg" /> <p><b>IN 48 HOURS,</b> Sushma Kushwaha lost two sons, aged six and seven. Both were mauled to death by street dogs in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj in March. The postmortem found the cause of death to be dog bites on neck and abdomen. Not taking chances with the safety of her nine-year-old son Ansh, she sent him to her mother’s home in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. “I feel scared for him, too,” she said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kushwaha’s fear is not misplaced. Delhi sees 1,345 dog bites a month. It is no better across India. More than 27.5 lakh people were bitten by dogs across India in 2023. This includes an 11-year-old autistic boy, who died after being bitten by stray dogs in Muzhappilangad in Kerala’s Kannur district in June. In February, a pack of dogs mauled a four-year-old in Hyderabad. Shahwala village in Punjab rose up in anger following a boy’s death, demanding strong action against the stray dog menace.</p> <p>“The situation has come to a point where parents are now scared to send their children out to play,” said Pranav Singh, secretary, residents’ welfare association (RWA), Urban Homes, Aditya Walled City, Ghaziabad. “We are doing everything at our end but the problem does not seem to abate.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Here’s the biting truth: dog bites and rabies are emerging as serious public health and safety concerns. According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for more than one third of the world’s rabies deaths, with 18,000 to 20,000 people dying every year. The barks have reached the Parliament, too. On December 5, Parshottam Rupala, minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, told the Lok Sabha, “There are sporadic reports of dog attacks happening in various parts of the country. Number of dog bites reported in 2021, 2022 and 2023 are 17,01,133, 21,80,185 and 24,77,936 (till October) respectively.” Clearly, there has been an increase in the last three years. “India’s laws have made it difficult to control the stray dog population and ensure that all dogs are vaccinated,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, founder and president of One Health Trust, a public health research organisation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Union ministry-run Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which implements the recently amended Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, mandates “de-worming, immunisation and sterilisation by municipalities and panchayats to reduce the stray dog population in India”. Culling of stray dogs, which was permitted under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, was banned in 2001 when the Union culture ministry, with Maneka Gandhi as its minister of state, notified the first ABC Rules. These were superseded by ABC Rules, 2023, with not many changes in the process to be followed for animal birth control. The new rules, however, stress on more effective implementation and monitoring. Municipalities are advised to “hire own staff” for sterilisations and instal CCTVs “in places where animals are housed, including operation theatres”. This is a significant departure from the past when local bodies delegated the task to NGOs to execute the ABC programme.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The role of NGOs has been questioned by many. “There is huge corruption in NGOs involved in sterilisation work,” said Vijay Goel, former BJP minister, who is now running a campaign on the stray dog problem through his socio-cultural organisation Lok Abhiyan.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Even the RWAs are of the view that no one, including the NGOs, is doing anything significant to control the stray dog population, which is now estimated to be more than 60 million in the country. “NGOs play a negative role and do not contribute in resolving the problem,” said G.L. Mahajan, member, Saraswati Apartments RWA, Vasant Kunj. Added Yash Bhalla, 80, secretary, RWA, Saket, Delhi, “Senior citizens form 90 per cent of the population in our area. Dog bite cases have become very common. We call the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) but no one listens to us and the issue remains unaddressed.”</p> <p>People working on ground, however, claim that their hands are tied owing to lack of funds. “NGOs do not have the capacity as they cannot meet the financial requirement, especially of arranging space to undertake sterilisation and vaccination,” said Abodh Aras of Mumbai-based Welfare of Stray Dogs. “NGOs have to depend on municipalities for budgets and the financial grants are very little. Municipalities should ensure that appropriate space is given for ABC programmes to run effectively. In Mumbai, there are only three spaces given by the civic body for such programmes, which explains the situation.” Agreed environmentalist Sonya Ghosh, who saves abandoned dogs in Delhi, “There can be a marked difference if we use about 77 animal husbandry hospitals and about 20-22 MCD-run hospitals in Delhi as dedicated spaces to properly sterilise the dogs in a sustained manner.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The argument does hold merit. As per the 2022-2023 annual report of the ministry for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, which is the nodal ministry for animal birth control, NGOs and local bodies are eligible for a financial assistance of Rs370 per dog for pre- and post-operative care, including medicines and anti-rabies vaccine, and Rs75 per dog for catching and relocation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The new rules seem to ask too much of the usually under-funded, understaffed and overworked district administrations. Ghosh believes that the new rules do not address the important issue of willingness and capacity of the local administrations to undertake this mammoth task. “The new rules by themselves are not going to help. Municipal corporations have been in charge since 2001 but not much has been done so far,” she said. “If you go to a MCD hospital, you can see that the doctors have not been trained.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Among the many facets of the issue is the role solid waste plays. Kerala saw a 1,486 per cent rise in dog bite cases in 2023. Some attribute this to the banning of waste disposal in public places. “As we are moving towards cleaner cities, the food sources of strays are shrinking,” said Aras. “That is where the role of community feeders becomes important. It is like a balance that has to be maintained on grounds of compassion.” Ghosh sees these factors as “lateral arguments” and reiterates that sterilisation is the main problem. “If the basics are adhered to, the situation which we are facing today will not even arise,” she said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Proper sterilisation is, indeed, a common ask. Lok Sabha MP Maneka Gandhi strongly believes that the “simple solution, which is also clear from ABC Rules, is to sterilise the dogs and put them back at the same place. If you sterilise the dogs and put them back, slowly the population will come down”. Aras cites his NGO’s experience of proper sterilisation programmes showing drastic reduction in dog bites. “Sterilisation breaks packs,” he explained. “If the packs are not there, dog bites will automatically come down as seen in places like Chennai, Mumbai, Goa and Sikkim.” Aras added that people, especially children, should be made aware about why and when a dog bites―it is usually when they are in heat or with their litter―so that such incidents can be prevented.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I would suggest a national drive to spay and neuter all stray dogs of reproductive age, vaccinate them against rabies and other diseases, and allow for animal control to remove dogs that bite people,” said Laxminarayan. Agreed Goel, who inaugurated a Centre for Stray Dog Problems in Delhi. “Sterilisation is very important and is one of our demands besides vaccination and compensation,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In a significant ruling, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently held the state “primarily responsible” for paying compensation. It ruled that a compensation be paid, from a minimum of Rs10,000 per teeth mark and Rs20,000 per 0.2cm of wound if the flesh has been pulled off.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Supreme Court has begun hearing the stray dog issue after a bunch of pleas were filed, including by the Kerala government. The next hearing is on January 10. The apex court also took on a plea by Kannur district panchayat to euthanise “suspected rabid” and extremely “dangerous dogs”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>People in India have coexisted with stray dogs for generations. This coexistence is rooted in India’s Constitution, which beseeches compassion for animals and protects them through strict laws. Still, we seem to have reached a point where there are sufferers on both sides of the spectrum. “It is possible to have laws that balance animal rights and human rights, and the current laws serve neither dogs nor humans,” said Laxminarayan.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There is an underlying consensus that proper implementation and regular monitoring are key to get the desired results. Well-coordinated, well-monitored, well-funded and a wilful approach is needed to manage this peculiar human-animal conflict that is affecting several lives.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/laws-for-stray-dogs-are-good-on-paper-but-lack-proper-implementation-and-regular-monitoring.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/laws-for-stray-dogs-are-good-on-paper-but-lack-proper-implementation-and-regular-monitoring.html Fri Dec 29 16:05:41 IST 2023 lok-sabha-mp-maneka-gandhi-interview <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/lok-sabha-mp-maneka-gandhi-interview.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/29/52-Maneka-Gandhi.jpg" /> <p><i>Interview/ Maneka Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP and chairperson of People for Animals</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>According to recent data, dog bite incidents have increased in the past three years. You helmed the notification of Animal Birth Control (Rules) 2001. What do you think are the reasons behind the stray dog issue?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There are a number of reasons. First, there is very little money being put into this programme. When we got rid of polio, Rs700 crore was spent every month. The amount being spent for the stray dog issue is nothing in comparison. There is a serious lack of funds. Second, there is no training by Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for NGOs. There are several NGOs that are illegal and should have been banned but are still getting the contracts. Plus, the NGOs who are capable of doing good work get meagre amount of money to undertake the process required. Third, the tender system is destroying the programme as there is no transparency. As a result of these factors, sterilisation of dogs is not happening properly, which is one of the main reasons for increasing population of dogs. Fourth, relocation of dogs is being done secretly and inappropriately, which only compounds the problem as new dogs take the place of old dogs.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>So, existing rules are not being executed properly?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Absolutely. You cannot blame the programme and say that it is not working if you do not follow the rules. Each person must do his/her job effectively to make this work. There are cases where money has been taken but not even a single dog has been sterilised. Dogs are treated badly at several locations. The infrastructure is in a bad shape across the country. Municipal corporations are giving contracts to NGOs who are not at all equipped to do the task. Apart from Tamil Nadu, no other state has an animal welfare board, which is supposed to monitor the execution. There is absolutely no monitoring. It has been 23 years since the notification of ABC Rules 2001 but hardly anything has happened. Whose fault is this? There is total confusion!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>What do you think is the solution?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The simple solution, which is also clear from the ABC Rules, is to sterilise the dogs and put them back at the same place. If you sterilise the dogs and put them back, slowly the population will come down. This is also prescribed by the World Health Organization and has given results in many countries across the world. There is massive confusion over relocation as well. AWBI should make a new list of NGOs that are registered with them and only those NGOs should get the contracts. The tendering process should not be based only on the financials but on technical merit as well. There has to be a monitoring committee for each and every NGO hired by municipal authorities. Action should be taken against illegal NGOs. There should be proper infrastructure―running the programme and sterilising the dogs in toilets, garages, old broken school buildings, etc is not going to work and is unacceptable. The health ministry should be involved more on this issue. Switching the ministry handling the programme may also be considered.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Do you think people are bearing the brunt of poor implementation of the programme?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Yes, they are. Animal birth control is the only logical and scientific answer to reducing the dog population. You have to deal with the problem. Killing of dogs did not work for so many years and it is never going to work. Proper implementation of the programme has to be the solution.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/lok-sabha-mp-maneka-gandhi-interview.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/lok-sabha-mp-maneka-gandhi-interview.html Fri Dec 29 15:56:58 IST 2023 bhootada-kola-dance-of-the-demigods-photo-feature <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/bhootada-kola-dance-of-the-demigods-photo-feature.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/29/54-A-2002-photograph-of-a-bhoota-performer.jpg" /> <p>A midnight memory from 20 years ago flickers into focus.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Koyyuru, a small village near Belthangady taluk in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district, is clothed in darkness. Even the forest enveloping it loses all shape and colour― a verdant green―not wanting to give itself away. Sleep, too, flees. Anticipation is in the air. The rhythmic notes of the clarinet and the beating of drums spice it up. The only light comes from the amber mantles of petromax lanterns, and in its dancing glow emerges the yellow visage of Panjurli <i>daiva</i>. The demigod has descended, taking a human form. He dances fiercely as part of a ritualistic art form called Bhootada Kola. The performance takes place during the Nemotsava, an annual event in coastal Karnataka where spirits and demigods like the much-dreaded and revered Panjurli are invoked.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The <i>bhootas</i> protect villages and bring prosperity and good health. Entire villages, or at times wealthy families, organise the Nemotsava, where supernatural spirits are summoned to reveal the family’s or village’s prospects. Not everyone can be a bhoota’s medium―they are trained performers and usually belong to the lower castes in the Tulu-speaking region like the Paravas, Nalikes and Pambadas. They are dressed in an elaborate attire, with floral garlands, ornamental headgear and a skirt made of tender palm leaves.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bhootada Kola used to be exclusively performed during the dry months, from November to May, and was not much known beyond the borders of Karnataka. But today, smartphones and social media have given it global recognition and made it available all-season. What propelled its popularity was the success of <i>Kantara</i>, the Kannada film based on a Bhootada Kola performer. And, it is visible on my recent visit to a Nemotsava at Badakodi village near Moodbidri taluk. The roads are brightly lit and there are signboards giving directions to the location of the performance―a family is hosting the Nemotsava here. There is neither enigma nor drama. The LED lights flatten the colours on the face and attire of the <i>bhootas</i>. Even the air of anticipation feels different―it looks as if the village is awaiting an alien spaceship’s landing more than a demigod’s descent. Except the host family, everyone else is busy recording reels of the performance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But all these changes have not affected its core. K. Chinnappa Gowda, an expert who has studied the Bhootada Kola art form for four decades, says, “It is normal for a folk art form to change with the times, like the skirts at some events now only have images of the tender palm leaves printed on them. Though the outer aspects of this art form have changed, its core sanctity has not.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>And for that, the bhoota performers should be credited. Despite the increase in popularity, they refuse to be in the limelight. Many turned down interview requests from THE WEEK. “<i>Bhootas</i> should be exclusively viewed and performed during the invocation events, not on mobile and theatre screens,” says Prashanth, a Guliga (a deity like Panjurli) bhoota performer at Badakodi village.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For, reels can seldom capture the surreal for real.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/bhootada-kola-dance-of-the-demigods-photo-feature.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/29/bhootada-kola-dance-of-the-demigods-photo-feature.html Sat Dec 30 10:55:36 IST 2023 psephologists-cut-a-sorry-figure-pitching-predictions-and-rolling-with-the-punches <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/psephologists-cut-a-sorry-figure-pitching-predictions-and-rolling-with-the-punches.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/6-Capt-G-R-Gopinath.jpg" /> <p><b>INDIAN PSEPHOLOGISTS</b> remind me of the R.K. Narayan story An <i>Astrologer’s Day.</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The astrologer, his forehead smeared with sacred ash and vermillion, sits under a tamarind tree every day on a path milling with people. Spread in front of him are cowrie shells and mystic charts. His eyes sparkle with a penetrating gleam, which was the result of a constant search for customers, but people mistook it for a prophetic light. He knew no more of the future of others than he knew what would befall him next minute. “He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said things which pleased and astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice and shrewd guesswork.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He had left home suddenly without telling anyone years ago and taken refuge in a small town a few hundred miles away, and with practice developed a knack for analysing the tangles of human ties. He would ask: “Is there any woman in your family who is…?” Or say, “Most of your trouble are due to your nature. How can you be otherwise with Saturn where he is?”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Most people tended to agree with him. He never opened his mouth until the customer had given him enough clues for a dozen answers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>One evening, when he was about to wind up the day’s business, he senses a client standing in front of him and presses him to sit. The client thrusts his palm, and throws a coin and a challenge: if the astrologer fails to answer his questions correctly he must return the money with interest. The astrologer demands eight times the amount if the answers are correct, and later doubles the stake. He mumbles some mumbo jumbo and starts, “There’s a woman…”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The client asks him to cut out that nonsense.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The astrologer then asks, “You were left for dead? Am I right?”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“Ah, tell me more.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i>Continued on Page 10</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>You were knifed, says the astrologer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The man bares his chest and shows the scar.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“And then you were pushed into a well and left for dead,” says the astrologer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“When shall I get at him?” asks the man.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“In the next world,” says the astrologer. “He died four months ago… crushed under a lorry.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He asks the man to go back home and not to leave his village again, for danger lurks in his stars. The man gives him a handful of coins, and vanishes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The astrologer goes home and after dinner tells his wife that the man whom he thought he had killed in his youth is alive. That night he sleeps well.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As the results of the assembly election came out in December, one thing was clear: our psephologists are as credible as our astrologers. And as clueless about foreseeing the outcome of any election or the future of any politician. Most of them perhaps did not sleep well on the night of the results. Those who got it right through guesswork were lionised for their perceptive analysis of data and extrapolations of caste and freebie factors. But some of those psephologists who ventured into electoral politics themselves realised what a blind man’s buff their game of statistics was. If you hold a hot iron rod in one hand and an ice cube in the other, our statistician will tell you that your average temperature is normal. But your left hand is burnt and the right has frostbite.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>They prophesied that Narendra Modi would easily win Karnataka elections, earlier this year. They bet on his charisma, his astuteness, his invoking of Hanuman and Amit Shah’s strategising brilliance. They ridiculed Rahul Gandhi as a dilettante and said he brought good luck to the BJP.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i>Continued on Page 14</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But the Congress had a landslide victory. The psephologists failed in divining the mind of the voter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After the Karnataka results, many left-leaning intellectuals wrote that the Modi charm has lost its lustre. They said thanks to the success of Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and the creation of the INDIA bloc, the tide is turning against the BJP. But in December the BJP rode to power even more spectacularly in three states in the Hindi belt. Most polls had given two of these states to the Congress and predicted a close finish in Madhya Pradesh, which actually saw a landslide.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Once again the cognoscenti of the election space who are masters of spin are trying in vain to unravel the googly bowled by the voter. Those leaning to the right are heralding the inexorable march of Modi to victory in 2024 elections. But they forget that the voters voted for the Congress in 2018 in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election in 2019.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>They are now crying hoarse that Rahul does not have it in him to break into the BJP citadels in the Hindi heartland. And that the INDIA bloc is disparate and will dissipate, disillusioned as they are with the Congress.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If Rahul could win the same three states of the Hindi belt five years ago, do well in Maharashtra, and win Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, how can he turn incompetent overnight!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Other liberal analysts are putting forth a bizarre argument: the Congress vote share in all three states it just lost dipped only very marginally, and if you extrapolate it to parliament elections, the party will win more parliament seats. A miss is as good as a mile. It is like the <i>pehalwan</i> who, after being thrown in the mud, says I fell but my moustache is not soiled.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Two decades ago I contested Karnataka assembly elections from a rural constituency in Hassan. My party colleagues convinced me that I must visit the temple of a very powerful female deity before I commenced my campaign and seek her blessings, sacrifice a goat and victory was assured. I complied even though I was an agnostic. Looking at the prognosis from gods, godmen and local psephologists, and sure of victory, I began dreaming myself as a legislator. I lost miserably. I was told that candidates from the Congress and the Janata Party―one of them won―also sought blessing from the same goddess.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Only one thing is certain. None of us can penetrate the inscrutable mind of the simple Indian voter. Godmen and astrologers will continue to con us. But psephologists will do well to present only their statistical data and findings, and leave it to the voters to decide their future. They must restrict themselves to honest analysis after the people’s verdict.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As someone said, “Never make predictions, especially about the future.”</p> <p><b>Capt. G.R. Gopinath </b>is a soldier, farmer and entrepreneur.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/psephologists-cut-a-sorry-figure-pitching-predictions-and-rolling-with-the-punches.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/psephologists-cut-a-sorry-figure-pitching-predictions-and-rolling-with-the-punches.html Sat Dec 23 19:52:02 IST 2023 salman-rushdie-owned-property-case-in-the-delhi-high-court <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/salman-rushdie-owned-property-case-in-the-delhi-high-court.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/16-Naren-Bhiku-Ram-Jain.jpg" /> <p>A longing for the past and the lost homeland has inspired much of Salman Rushdie’s writing. Returning to where it all began and picking up the pieces of fragmented memories is a theme that permeates the acclaimed author’s works.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In ‘Imaginary Homelands’―the title piece in a collection of essays originally published in the <i>London Review of Books</i> on October 7, 1982―Rushdie begins by describing an old photograph that hangs on the wall of the room in London where he worked. It is a picture of his house in the city that was then Bombay, he writes. The sepia-toned photo was taken a year before he was born―1946. A few years before he wrote the essay, he had visited the house. Overwhelmed by the sight of it, he wanted to restore the past to himself and reclaim a history he felt was his despite the many years spent abroad.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Around the time the picture of the Mumbai home was taken, his father Anis Ahmed Rushdie had bought another house in the Civil Lines area of Delhi. Unlike the Mumbai home, Rushdie probably has little memory of the Delhi house. He never lived there. However, it is a house with its own story to tell―a property suit that has dragged on for close to five decades, which could very well be the oldest civil suit in the Delhi High Court.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Down to the deed</b></p> <p>Four Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines, is a sprawling property spread over 5,373 square yards in what was originally a British township in Delhi. It was built in 1904, before Delhi became the capital of India. Anis had purchased the house from one Daulet Ram Gupta on January 31, 1945. A single-storey villa built in the Indo-European style with 16ft-high ceilings, it has an enormous front lawn and a smaller sit-out area at the back. Remnants of the colonial past still exist on its ceiling―there are slots for huge punkahs or hand-pulled fans, comprising long wooden frames covered with ornate cloth and pulled by a person sitting outside.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Behind tall gates, the house leads a quiet existence right next to a politically significant address―the official residence of the Delhi chief minister. It has retained much of its original Indo-European design. This could be because of the ongoing case. The nameplate on the gate reads ‘4 Bhiku Ram Jain House’, named so after the man who had originally entered into an agreement with Anis to buy the house.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On December 22, 1970, Anis, who had by then left India with his family, entered into an agreement with Bhiku Ram Jain, a prominent Congress leader, to sell the entire property, comprising the main building, outhouses and lawns, for Rs3.75 lakh. An advance of Rs50,000 was paid to Anis by Bhiku Ram, who was then a tenant in the house, and the rest was to be paid over 15 months.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bhiku Ram’s son Naren remembers the meetings Anis had with his father in late 1970, first to rent the house to him and later to sell it to him. “I was 16 years old and was present in the meeting between Anis Ahmed Rushdie and my father when he agreed to give the house to us on rent,” said Naren. “I remember taking his passport to see what the British passport looked like.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>One half of the Rushdie house was already rented to one Nanak Chand for Rs259 per month, and the other half was rented to the Jains for Rs300 per month. The Jains and the Chands continue to reside at the house as tenants, with a hedge on the front lawn demarcating their respective turfs.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to Naren, shortly after his family had first moved into the house, Anis had suggested to his father that he buy the house. Anis had said that he was not planning on returning to India and hence wanted to sell the house. However, the agreement to sell was not executed. Bhiku Ram approached the Delhi High Court in 1977 with a petition seeking that the sale deed be executed.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to court documents, the sale was stuck owing to a dispute between the two sides. To sell the property, Anis had to procure the income tax clearance within 12 months. Bhiku Ram was then, within three months, expected to pay the remainder of the price to Anis.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As per the agreement, Bhiku Ram was to pay the income tax department an amount not exceeding the total sale consideration to help Anis obtain the tax clearance certificate. Differences cropped up between Anis and Bhiku Ram over Anis’s purported letter asking Bhiku Ram to pay him Rs1 lakh towards securing the tax certificate. Bhiku Ram’s contention before the court was that he had agreed to deposit the money with the taxmen; giving it to Anis was not part of the deal.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On October 5, 1983, a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of the Jains, asking Anis to execute the 1970 sale deed. However, in 1984, Anis appealed against the order in the high court. On October 31, 2011, a division bench of the high court set aside the 1983 order and dismissed the suit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bhiku Ram passed away in 2006, and as per court documents, his children―including his sons and co-plaintiffs in the case Naren and Arvind Jain―now represent his interests in court. On the other side, Anis, who was the sole defendant, had died in 1987, and was substituted in the case by his heirs―son Salman Rushdie and daughters Nabeelah S. Shah, Nevid Hartenstein and Samin Rushdie Momen. The last amended memo of parties in the case on record is of December 12, 2012. Also, Anis had on January 9, 1984, purportedly made a will, bequeathing the Civil Lines house to Samin, more popularly known as Sameen Rushdie. Sameen, who is settled in the UK, had come out with <i>Indian Cookery</i> (1988), a cookbook containing recipes from the Rushdie family kitchen―considered a classic in the genre.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Jains challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court. The apex court delivered its judgment on December 3, 2012, directing that the sale deed be executed. But the top court took into account the time that had passed since the agreement was first signed, and said the property was to be sold to the Jains at 2012 prices. The court also directed the Delhi High Court to determine the market price expeditiously.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In its order passed on December 24, 2019, a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court said that it had determined the market price of the house, as on December 3, 2012, at Rs130 crore. The Jains went back to the high court in appeal against the order. The high court reserved its order over the appeal on May 8 this year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This December 5, a two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court gave its order on the Jains’ appeal. It set aside the order of the single judge bench, faulting it for the manner in which it had gone about in determining the market price. It sent back the matter to the single judge to determine the value of the property based on the directions issued by the Supreme Court.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Murkier and messier</b></p> <p>Over time, the protracted court battle has turned into a many layered, convoluted tangle. While the original property suit is at the centre of it, complicating matters are allegations of fake deals, questions about a will drawn up by Anis pertaining to the house and accusations about the role of some of the lawyers who have represented the Rushdies in the case.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On December 18, 2012, an FIR was filed with the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police by one Naresh Chopra, director of M/s Chopra Marketing Pvt Ltd, on behalf of the firm, in which he accused the lawyers representing the Rushdies of executing three agreements between May 2005 and October 2005 to sell the house on behalf of Salman Rushdie for 18 crore.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In his complaint, Chopra alleged that the lawyers―H.P. Singh and Vijay S.T. Shankardass―told him that Rushdie was the sole inheritor of the property and was authorised to sell it. He claimed that he made cash payments of 12.5 crore and 11 crore by way of two demand drafts in the name of Salman Rushdie. As per the complaint, on October 27, 2010, Chopra Marketing received a notice to cancel the agreement issued allegedly on behalf of Samin Abdul Momen (the complaint mentions her so). Chopra Marketing claimed that in the intervening period, Anis’s will naming Samin Abdul Momen as the sole inheritor of the property had come to light.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In the chargesheet that the police filed in the case before the Tis Hazari Court in Delhi, it claimed that Sameen had executed a power of attorney in favour of Shankardass on December 17, 1996, to sell the property. But the power of attorney, it said, was stamped and attested on September 25, 2000. It further said that Sameen had executed another power of attorney in favour of H.P. Singh to sell the property on September 29, 2006. Hence, as per the chargesheet, when Singh signed the first agreement with Chopra Marketing on May 9, 2005, he was not holding Sameen’s power of attorney.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The police further said that both Singh and Shankardass, being lawyers in the Rushdie appeal filed in the Delhi High Court in 1984, were aware that it was Sameen and not Rushdie who had inherited the home. According to the chargesheet, neither Singh nor Shankardass held Rushdie’s power of attorney in connection with the property.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The police produced bank statements of Sameen and Rushdie which showed that Rushdie transferred Rs1.08 crore to Sameen’s account by demand drafts between 2005 and 2008. The police said that the transfer of money has been acknowledged by both of them in the letters purportedly exchanged between them. While copies of these letters were placed on record, the police said, their veracity could not be confirmed as the Rushdie siblings could not be examined in the case.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to the police, the bank accounts in Rushdie’s and Sameen’s names were opened by Shankardass exclusively to deposit the money received from the agreements. The police said that Rushdie’s account in Bank of Rajasthan―now ICICI, Janpath, New Delhi―was operated by Shankardass as his attorney. He is also the nominee and authorised signatory of Sameen’s account in the Bank of Rajasthan, Janpath, New Delhi, the police said in the chargesheet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In the course of the police investigation, Anis’s will which named Sameen as the inheritor of the house also came into question. According to the chargesheet, during the probe, the authenticity of the will dated January 9, 1984 (registered on January 16, 1984) became suspect as Ramesh Chand Pandey, the witness of the will, denied his signature and said that he had never met or seen Anis. According to the chargesheet, advocate R.B. Gupta, a second witness of the will, also stated that he had never met Anis and the will was not written or signed in his presence. He said he had got the will registered in good faith on the reference of an advocate named Wadhwani.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Singh was arrested on June 15, 2016, and was released on bail the same day. Shankardass died during the course of investigation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“It is completely out of order to state that my late father was involved in the making of any agreement that was fraudulent in nature or involved in any wrongdoing in the matter,” said Shankardass’s son Anirudh. “All the paperwork and agreements were carried out following the appropriate procedure. There is no justification for an allegation of this kind. No court has found fault with any agreement carried out by him.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The police conveyed to the court that there was not sufficient evidence to chargesheet Rushdie. “Mr Salman Rushdie had neither authorised the accused person for this deal nor used this money or bank account. Hence, no sufficient evidence has come on record to chargesheet him in the case,” said the police in the chargesheet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It said there was not enough evidence to chargesheet Sameen either, and pointed out that the money that was transferred to her account as part of the deal had not been used by her.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Meanwhile, on November 4, 2010, Shankardass and Singh had entered into an agreement with Fine Properties to sell the house on Sameen’s behalf for 14.5 crore. Fine Properties had then entered the frame, stepping into Sameen’s shoes in the case, claiming that Sameen had through a registered general power of attorney transferred all her rights and interest in the suit property in its favour. The Jains have, however, raised questions about the bone fides of Fine Properties and described it as “interlopers” and have even doubted the veracity of the general power of attorney.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Chopra Marketing also had, in its police complaint, raised questions about the role of Fine Properties in the matter, and named its directors as accused. One of the directors of Fine Properties, Ajay Gupta, was arrested in connection with the case on July 13, 2013, and was released on bail two days later. The police said in its chargesheet that they had not come across sufficient evidence to chargesheet two other functionaries of Fine Properties― Rajendra Prasad Jain and Abhishek Gupta.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fine Properties further sold 1,500 square yards of the land to Rahul Jain, Amit Jain and Aruna Jain (not related to Bhiku Ram Jain) after the high court’s judgment in October 2011, which was in favour of the Rushdies.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rahul Jain, Amit Jain and Aruna Jain had approached the Supreme Court in 2013, seeking impleadment in the case, arguing that they had been sold 1,500 square yards of the property while the special leave petition filed by Bhiku Ram’s family was being heard by the apex court. They had also sought clarification of the court’s judgment to mean that Sameen had been left with ownership of only 3,873 square yards of the property. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the petition, stating that the facts on the basis of which the petition was made were not before the court at the time the judgment was rendered. It also said the applicants sought to reopen concluded issues and alteration of consequential directions which had attained finality. It said such a course of action was not permissible. Rahul Jain, Amit Jain and Aruna Jain then moved the Delhi High Court the same year, with a similar plea. However, the high court, too, rejected their petition through its order dated January 10, 2014, noting that “this application is misconceived and is gross abuse of process of law”. Chopra Marketing, too, approached the Delhi High Court in 2014, seeking that the agreement to sale signed with it in 2005 be honoured, and the case continues to be heard.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Advocate Sanjay Sharma Darmora, who has represented Sameen in the case since 2010 and is the lawyer for Fine Properties, too, in the matter, accused the Jains of raising doubts about the deal with Fine Properties as a tactic to delay the case proceedings. “The Jains themselves, in a review petition filed in the Supreme Court, acknowledged that Sameen had transferred her ownership rights to Fine Properties,” said Darmora. “She had filed an affidavit before the Delhi High Court in 2013 where she made it clear that she has nothing to do with the property since she had sold her rights to Fine Properties.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As for Anis’s will, Darmora said, “The Jains have no locus standi to question the veracity of the will. If at all, the other legal heirs should raise an issue. But the will is genuine and the other legal heirs have given their NOCs.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With regard to the Chopra cheating case, he said it was a “frivolous complaint”, and further asked how the allegations had any bearing on the question of determining the market value of the house. “The Jains can deposit the money and get the house transferred in their name. The court can determine if the title of Fine Properties is alright,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Silence and an appearance</b></p> <p>The Rushdies have all along maintained an abiding silence with regard to the developments in the case, even seeking to distance themselves from the property in the rare comments that have emanated from their side.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The only time Sameen appeared before the Delhi High Court in the matter was on September 4 this year, and it was to provide proof of life. Also, it was after several orders were passed by the court seeking Sameen’s presence that she finally appeared before it through videoconference. In the last such order passed on August 25 this year, Justice Jyoti Singh of the high court had refused to accept the contention of Sameen’s lawyers that she had not appeared before the court as she feared for her life and had security issues.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The matter pertained to the question of whether Sameen was dead or alive, which the Delhi High Court dealt with for close to two years. An application was moved in the court in 2022 by Rajendra Prasad Jain, as director of Fine Properties, asserting that Sameen had died. Sameen’s lawyers had informed the court that she was alive and well, but the court insisted on Sameen appearing before it so that the issue of whether she was dead or alive could be settled.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“This court wonders what kind of security threat can one face while appearing through VC. To this Court, it prima facie appears that efforts are being made to evade the orders of the Court and this becomes pronounced since the status of Defendent No 1 (D), as to whether she is dead or alive is already shrouded in mystery,” the court said. It further said it was left with no option but to resort to coercive steps to ensure Sameen’s presence.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>During the videoconference appearance, Sameen told the court that she has nothing to do with nor has she had anything to do with the property in question in over 10 years. The court exempted her from further appearance at this stage, until further orders.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Earlier, the police had informed the Tis Hazari court in the Chopra case that during the course of the investigation, notices under Section 160 (police officer’s power to require attendance of witnesses) and Section 91 (summons to produce a document or any other object necessary for investigation, inquiry or trial) of the CrPC were sent to Rushdie and Sameen through the Union home ministry but they did not respond. It said that further effort was made to examine Rushdie and Sameen and a Letter of Rogatory seeking legal assistance from the UK was sent and according to the reply that was received on September 7, 2016, Sameen had contacted the UK Police and revealed that “she was fully aware of the history of the allegation, going back over 30 years, and stated that as far as she was concerned, the matter is concluded and she would not be willing to provide her statement in the case”. She further revealed that Rushdie now permanently resides in the US.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Delhi High Court, while hearing the suit filed by Chopra Marketing, had issued summons to Rushdie, Sameen and the other legal heirs on more than one occasion since 2015. The court had in 2019 directed the government to publish the summons on the websites of the Indian High Commission in the UK and the Indian Embassy in the US.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Naren Jain said that he had tried to get in touch with Sameen and her daughters, but did not receive any response from them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>THE WEEK sent messages to Sameen on her email address listed in court documents, on Facebook and on Instagram, seeking to get her side of the story. But there was no response. Rushdie was not available for comments, his agent said in reply to THE WEEK’s email seeking a response from him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to a source close to the Rushdies, it was with a heavy heart that they had decided to detach themselves from the property. As the Rushdie siblings get older, it was felt by them that it would be preferable to dissociate the family from the endless legal fight, hence the decision by Sameen to transfer her rights on the house. As far as the Rushdies are concerned, the house is not theirs anymore, the source said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The house in Civil Lines that Anis had bought, meanwhile, continues to be trapped in a legal maze.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/salman-rushdie-owned-property-case-in-the-delhi-high-court.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/salman-rushdie-owned-property-case-in-the-delhi-high-court.html Sat Dec 23 19:45:12 IST 2023 while-the-rushdies-might-be-more-famous-the-jains-are-no-less-prominent <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/while-the-rushdies-might-be-more-famous-the-jains-are-no-less-prominent.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/23-chief-minister-Sheila-Dikshit.jpg" /> <p>In 1970, when Bhiku Ram Jain entered into an agreement to buy a house in Civil Lines from Anis Ahmed Rushdie, he was already an established and well-known politician in Delhi. The Rushdies, on the other hand, were a prosperous yet relatively low-profile family. It was a time when Jain was consolidating his presence in the national capital and Anis was seeking to diminish his Delhi connection. It was also a time when Salman Rushdie, having discovered his calling, was still in the process of finding his moorings and inspiration as a writer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Like Anis, Bhiku Ram lived with his joint family in Old Delhi. The Jains had a house in Sadar Bazar and were business people, mainly dealing in automobile spare parts. They moved to Civil Lines in 1960, where Bhiku Ram shared a house with his brother. But the family was large and the space was inadequate. Bhiku Ram had two daughters and five sons, and his brother A.P. Jain had three daughters and a son.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bhiku Ram went house hunting, and got in touch with Anis. Naren Bhiku Ram Jain recounts the meeting Anis had with his father at their Civil Lines residence―49 Bhiku Ram Jain Marg―a stone’s throw from the Rushdie house. The road, of course, was named after Bhiku Ram much later and was earlier known as Rajpur Road.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I still remember that meeting which took place in my father’s study. After the meeting, we walked up to the suit property, which was about a hundred yards away,” said Naren.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The 1970s, the decade that saw the beginning of the legal fight over the Rushdie house, was also a time when Bhiku Ram firmly established himself as a business leader and was ascending the political ladder.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The lawns of this house have witnessed many august gatherings,” recalled Naren. “My father was an important Congress leader, and he was also a leader in the business fraternity and a respected member of the Jain community.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He rattled off names of dignitaries who visited his house: former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former chief ministers Sheila Dikshit, Madan Lal Khurana and Sahib Singh Verma.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Naren’s brother Arvind and his family live in the house in question at present. “Our children grew up in this house and got married here,” said Naren. “Our grandchildren now play in these lawns.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Jains trace their ancestry to Garhi Harsaru village, located between Bhiwadi and Pataudi in Haryana. Naren said the family had huge tracts of land in the area, and some of it was later donated to build a school and a post office. Bhiku Ram’s father had come to Delhi in 1890, and for many decades, the Jains lived in Sadar Bazar.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The ancestral home of the Jains in Sadar Bazar was later donated to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to run a child and maternity welfare centre.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In 1930, Bhiku Ram was appointed secretary, City District Congress Committee of Delhi. He was active in the freedom struggle and went to jail, too. In 1945, he was elected councillor in pre-independence MCD. In 1980, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chandni Chowk. He held many posts in the Congress party.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Naren describes himself as a man of many interests. He says he is a politician, social worker, green revolutionary, artist, all in one breath. Naren was a member of the Congress and later became associated with the Aam Aadmi Party. He says Arvind Kejriwal used to come to his house next door for meals on weekends regularly. “Now, of course, he does not. He is an important man,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After parting ways with the AAP, Naren got associated with the Azad Samaj Party of dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad. A few months ago, he was at the Union home ministry with a representation for enhancing the security of Azad as shots were fired at him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Besides business and politics, he is active in theatre, where he goes by the name ‘Ubuntu’, an African word which means, “I am because we are”. He has a deep interest in paintings, is an art curator and organises exhibitions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Naren has written a book about his father’s legacy―<i>Bhiku Ram Jain, Ek Jivan Itihas</i>―which was released by prime minister Manmohan Singh.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The legacy of Bhiku Ram continues to be an overarching presence for the Jain family. The legal fight over the Rushdie house is an important aspect of it.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/while-the-rushdies-might-be-more-famous-the-jains-are-no-less-prominent.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/while-the-rushdies-might-be-more-famous-the-jains-are-no-less-prominent.html Sat Dec 23 19:38:24 IST 2023 rushdie-is-emotionally-attached-to-his-ancestral-homes-in-mumbai-and-solan <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/rushdie-is-emotionally-attached-to-his-ancestral-homes-in-mumbai-and-solan.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/27-Windsor-Villa-Salman-Rushdies-childhood-home-in-Mumbai.jpg" /> <p>On his first visit to India as a grownup in 1974, Salman Rushdie watered his roots before he immersed himself in writing. The strands that he wove into <i>Midnight’s Children</i> (1981) were gathered during this trip to Mumbai, Delhi and other places. While the house in Delhi held no sentimental value for him, and he probably never visited it, it was an emotionally overwhelming experience for him to revisit his childhood home in Mumbai.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He had left the house as a 13-year-old in 1961 when his father, Anis, had enrolled him at the Rugby School in England. But he continued to have fond memories of the house and the city, the original home resurfacing time and again as a powerful influence in his writings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He had remembered the address―Windsor Villa, Warden Road, Bombay-26. This is where Anis had settled down with his family after moving from Delhi. He had sold his house in Ballimaran, Old Delhi, to a cousin.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Windsor Villa was among a group of residences bought by rich Indians from the British as they left the country after 1947. The other houses in the complex, the Westfield Estate, were also named after British royal residences, such as Sandringham Villa and Glamis Villa. It is located in the posh Mumbai suburb of Malabar Hill.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anis sold the Mumbai house when he moved with his wife and daughters to Karachi. Salman was extremely hurt at this decision of his parents. In <i>Joseph Anton</i>, his memoir, he called it “the blunder that had deprived him of his home”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If the house in Mumbai continued to have a special place in Rushdie’s heart despite changing hands, there is another family house, this one nestled in the Shimla Hills, which tugged at his heartstrings. His grandfather Khwaja Muhammad Din Khaliqi Dehlavi had built the summer cottage in Solan to escape the Delhi heat. Rushdie had never known his grandfather, who had left the house to Anis. It was a six-room stone cottage on a small plot of land but with a grand view of the Himalayas. Anis later gifted it to Rushdie. However, the property was acquired by the Himachal Pradesh government under the Evacuee Property Act.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rushdie protested, saying that as he had never settled in Pakistan, the Himachal government could not acquire the house as an evacuee property. In 1992, he filed a case in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, claiming that he was the rightful owner of the house.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>His lawyer Vijay S.T. Shankardass fought the case for him to reclaim the house. Shankardass also represented the Rushdies in the suit over the Delhi house and was embroiled in allegations of misrepresenting facts and entering into fraudulent sale deeds regarding the same.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rushdie wrote in <i>Joseph Anton</i> that while Shankardass had managed to establish Anis’s title to the property, his own inheritance of it had not been accepted and the Himachal government had even said curtly that it did not want to be seen as doing favours for him. However, the legal team succeeded in finding a document that won the case for him. It was a document in which a highly placed official in the state government had stated in a sworn affidavit that he knew that Rushdie had become a citizen of Pakistan. This was factually incorrect and hence perjury.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When this document came to the fore, and also the fact that a government official was guilty of perjury, the state government changed its stance, and in April 1997, the house was once again in Rushdie’s name.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rushdie visited the house in Solan with his son Zafar on April 13, 2000. He wrote that it was an emotional moment. It was the first time he was visiting the house since he was 12. But it felt like home. And he thought about how one day it would belong to Zafar and his other son Milan, and they would be the fourth generation of the family to come home to that cottage in Solan.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In contrast, Rushdie and the rest of the family have consistently maintained silence about the house in Delhi. Just about once or twice, when there has been any comment from either him or his sister Sameen, who is the lead defendant in the property case, they have only said that they have nothing to do with the house.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/rushdie-is-emotionally-attached-to-his-ancestral-homes-in-mumbai-and-solan.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/rushdie-is-emotionally-attached-to-his-ancestral-homes-in-mumbai-and-solan.html Sat Dec 23 19:36:17 IST 2023 how-anis-rushdie-came-up-with-his-unique-surname-and-in-a-way-imparted-his-worldview-to-his-son <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/how-anis-rushdie-came-up-with-his-unique-surname-and-in-a-way-imparted-his-worldview-to-his-son.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/31-Salman-Rushdie.jpg" /> <p>Salman Rushdie has written about owing a lot to his father, Anis Ahmed Rushdie, when it comes to ungodliness. He remarked how the two had a similar worldview and thought alike on the larger questions of life. The surname ‘Rushdie’, too, was a gift of his father, whose full significance dawned upon him much later, especially when the author found himself in the eye of the storm over his book <i>The Satanic Verses</i> (1988).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The name Rushdie was Anis’s invention. Rushdie’s grandfather― Khwaja Muhammad Din Khaliqi Dehlavi―had a name that went with his old-world personality. He was an Old Delhi businessman and a part-time essayist, and lived in an old, crumbling haveli in Ballimaran, an area not far from the Red Fort and the Chandni Chowk in Delhi. He had died young and left his son a fortune.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to Rushdie’s memoir <i>Joseph Anton</i>, Anis had adopted the name Rushdie because he admired Ibn Rushd, the 12th century Spanish-Arab philosopher and scholar of Islam who took a rational view of things and questioned Islamic literalism. Rushdie writes that the storm over <i>The Satanic Verses</i> was like a 20th century echo of Rushd’s rational thought.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anis inherited a fortune from his father, who had a flourishing business in textiles. But he lost all that money, and at the time of his death in 1987, all that remained was a small stash of notes in a drawer in his desk.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anis Ahmed Rushdie―BA Cantab., Bar-at-Law, was the nameplate put up on the front door of the Rushdie house in Bombay. He is said to have practised law in Delhi courts and lived in Ballimaran before he moved to the western metropolis. He would often go to Connaught Place in the evenings after finishing the day’s work, and Marina Hotel was among his favourite hangouts there.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He, it is said, had a raging temper and would turn into a very unpleasant person for his family after getting drunk. Rushdie has written about having had a troubled relationship with his father. When Rushdie was 20, he once punched his father on the jaw during one of the latter’s alcoholic rages when his mother had been the target of his father’s ire.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anis’s dreams of becoming a civil servant had met with a rather dishonourable end. According to the documents in The National Archives of the UK, his name was removed from the list of probationers because there was inaccuracy about his stated age. As per the documents held by the archives in Kew, under the section ‘Indian Civil Service examination 1933’ is listed the ‘case of Anis Ahmed Rushdie’, with the entry number ‘I 16295’. It states that the case is about “name removed from the list of probationers on ground of inaccuracy of statement of age”, the proceedings dated ‘1934-1935’. Rushdie has not written about this aspect of his father’s life.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anis had taken a 13-year-old Rushdie to England in January 1961 and got him admitted at the Rugby School. His mother, Negin, had been against the idea of sending him so far from home, but Anis felt it was a great opportunity for him. Rushdie went on to study at Cambridge, and he wrote that he left home for the university in the middle of the 1965 India-Pakistan war.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It is unclear when exactly it happened, but Anis, Negin and Rushdie’s three sisters moved to Pakistan. Rushdie wrote that his parents had, in their old age, sold his childhood home in Bombay and “mysteriously decamped to Karachi”. He recollected in his memoir that they did not enjoy living in Karachi and their stated reason to go there―that they were increasingly feeling alien in India as Muslims―did not ring true. Rushdie was convinced that there must have been business or tax problems or some other real-world issue that made them leave Bombay and go to Karachi.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to court documents in the case pertaining to the house Anis pledged to sell to Bhiku Ram Jain, Anis was residing in London when the agreement of sale was drawn up. It is specified that the buyers, the Jains, could not take any action against him for non-execution of the sale deed since he was living in London. The property dealer who had executed the agreement deposed before the Delhi High Court that when Anis had come to Delhi from London on three to four occasions post 1970, he had requested him to implement the sale deed.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Also, Anis had himself told the court that he had migrated to the UK in 1962 and that he would have to refer to his passport or his notes for specifying the exact date on which he had gone to the income tax office during his visit to India from August 16, 1971 to September 11, 1971. “I came from London to India. My object was to complete the sale, after getting the price and be free from the property,” he told the court.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As per court documents, Anis was residing in London both before and after entering into the agreement. He had acquired British nationality in 1963 and since then he was a resident of the UK.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rushdie is the oldest among four children. Sameen, the main defendant in the Delhi house case, is the oldest among his sisters. Rushdie is very close to her and has described her as his “Irish twin”. He recalled that when they were children, he was the good boy and she the naughty girl. He would get her out of trouble with his parents, while she would beat people up for him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He wrote that the strong bond between him and Sameen was resented by their sister Nevid, who eventually had a fallout with the family and went to California to be far away from all of them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The youngest sibling, Nabeelah, had a tragic life. Rushdie described her in his memoir as a gifted structural engineer who lost her mental balance because of setbacks in her personal life, took to chewing tobacco, abused prescription drugs, became obese, and was found dead in her bed.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/how-anis-rushdie-came-up-with-his-unique-surname-and-in-a-way-imparted-his-worldview-to-his-son.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/how-anis-rushdie-came-up-with-his-unique-surname-and-in-a-way-imparted-his-worldview-to-his-son.html Sat Dec 23 19:33:29 IST 2023 delhi-s-civil-lines-area-has-many-a-historical-imprint-and-continues-to-be-the-seat-of-power-today <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/delhi-s-civil-lines-area-has-many-a-historical-imprint-and-continues-to-be-the-seat-of-power-today.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/33-The-Maidens-Hotel.jpg" /> <p>The Civil Lines area of Delhi has a rich, layered eminence in the existence of the city. From the pre-Mughal and the Mughal era to the colonial and postcolonial growth of the city into a metropolis, the area on the northern limits of the capital bears many imprints of history.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The low-rise residences hidden behind tall gates convey a sense of old money. The broad, leafy avenues manage to remain relatively quiet despite the buzzing bylanes of Old Delhi situated not far away. It is the seat of Delhi’s power, with top functionaries of the state administration living here. The Vidhan Sabha, the chief minister’s residence and the lieutenant governor’s official abode are all here. It is also the repository of Delhi’s engrossing historical heritage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The area had first become important in the British scheme of things when the army of the East India Company defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Patparganj in 1803 and won territory around Delhi. When the British arrived in the northern extremity of Delhi, the monuments that stood out in the vicinity included Firoz Shah’s hunting lodge in the Ridge Forest, the Chauburja Mosque built during the Tughlaq ruler’s reign and the Qudsia Bagh, a garden built by the Mughals on the banks of the Yamuna.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was in this historical backdrop that the British built a settlement that was distinctly European but adapted to Indian conditions. The area almost became the symbol of imperial supremacy, since New Delhi, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and built further south in and around the Raisina Hill, became the seat of power.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“It was in and around this area that the British built their settlements,” said Sohail Hashmi, an expert on Delhi history. “Many of them lived in the Kashmere Gate area in the beginning. They built a church―the St James Church―a market where you would find outfitters, haberdashers and shops selling leather goods or hatboxes. It was like an English township.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The earliest British constructions in the area included a cantonment and a civilian area. Some of the buildings built in the 1800s have endured. These include Sir Thomas Metcalfe’s House, which was built in 1835 and was badly damaged during the 1857 uprising. It was reconstructed in 1913 and now houses the office of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Ludlow Castle is another landmark that is now known more for the label than the actual building. It was the residence of a British surgeon in the 1820s, and served as office and residence of the commissioner of Delhi after 1857. It later housed the British Delhi Club, and after independence, it was converted into a government high school. It was demolished in the 1960s for expansion of the school. Flagstaff Tower was built in 1828 to serve as a signal tower for the cantonment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The 1857 uprising left a deep imprint on the area. The siege of Delhi that lasted a few months and the forceful crushing of the revolt by the British was a crucial turning point in the history of the area as much as of the country. There are reminders of the battle, built by the victors. The British built the Victory Memorial in the Northern Ridge in 1863 in remembrance of their officers and soldiers who helped win Delhi in 1857. They also built the Nicholson Cemetery, where they buried their own who perished in the uprising.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With the railways making an entry into the area in 1864, Hashmi says, the railway line became a sort of a demarcation between the walled city and the European settlements. “To the north of the railway line were the British areas and to the south were the areas where the natives lived,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There was a spurt in construction in the area in the early 20th century. The Vice Regal lodge was built in 1902. It was originally constructed to serve as the circuit house of the cantonment. After 1912, when the British declared the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi, it served as the Vice Regal Lodge. It was in one of the rooms of this building that Lord Mountbatten proposed to Edwina Ashley. It is now the office of the vice chancellor of the Delhi University.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Governor generals worked out of the Old Secretariat building, which was constructed in 1912. The residence of the governor general now houses the Indraprastha College for Women.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Maidens Hotel, one of the few European style hotels built in the area (1903), is still functioning. It was here that Lutyens had stayed when he visited India during his assignment to design New Delhi. There was also Hotel Cecil, which was later converted into a school.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A large number of colonial bungalows were constructed for the British officers. Private individuals also constructed their residences in the area, which was largely a British domain.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Civil Lines was the seat of imperial power and governance in India from 1912 to 1931, from the time the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi till Lutyens Delhi came up. The area attracted Indian aristocracy, as also prosperous Indian traders from the neighbouring walled city. It is one of the two bungalow zones in the capital, where there are restrictions on the height of buildings. No industrial activity is allowed here.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Over the decades, in keeping with the massive growth of Delhi, land parcels have become smaller and many residents have sold their properties to private builders, who have built apartments. However, the area continues to be far less congested and has managed to hold on to its original character.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The changes taking place in Civil Lines are not unique in nature,” said Hashmi. “Even Lutyens Delhi is seeing major changes, with a lot of the old giving way to the new.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/delhi-s-civil-lines-area-has-many-a-historical-imprint-and-continues-to-be-the-seat-of-power-today.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/delhi-s-civil-lines-area-has-many-a-historical-imprint-and-continues-to-be-the-seat-of-power-today.html Sat Dec 23 19:30:33 IST 2023 meet-the-women-jawans-of-bsf-s-camel-contingent-in-rajasthan <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/meet-the-women-jawans-of-bsf-s-camel-contingent-in-rajasthan.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/72-Women-soldiers-patrolling-the-Indo-Pak-border-in-Rajasthan.jpg" /> <p>On January 26, 2023, twelve <i>mahila praharis</i> or women soldiers from the camel contingent of the Border Security Force’s Rajasthan Frontier made their Republic Day parade debut on Kartavya Path in New Delhi. Dressed in the ceremonial uniform designed by Raghavendra Rathore, one of India’s leading designers, the women, astride camels, rode confidently during the parade.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The BSF―the only force in the country with a camel contingent―decided to deploy women soldiers alongside men in border outposts only in 2022. The first batch had 20 women riders, all of whom were trained in Jodhpur.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For Rathore, a Jodhpur boy, the inclusion of women is “a monumental step”. “As this was the first time they were seen riding camels right alongside their male counterparts at the Republic Day parade, it speaks about equality, strength and courage,” he said. He added that a lot of research went into the design of the uniform. “The design has been built on restraint and subtlety,” he said. “Ensuring that women and men are seen from the same perspective was a key consideration, therefore diverging from the tradition of the BSF’s current uniforms in the interest of design was not at all an option.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Also, a pan-India focus had to be maintained even while retaining elements of Rajasthan. “The principal design is inspired by the Jodhpuri bandhgala but the details that form the core of this design have been selected from artisans across the country,” said Rathore.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>And, it was wearing these uniforms that the <i>mahila praharis</i> rode in on their camels at the Republic Day parade. Post the parade, they were posted to different border outposts.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>One such outpost is the Moomal Border Outpost, 150km from Jaisalmer, where four women riders guard the barbed-wire boundary between India and Pakistan. Legend has it that Prince Mahendra Singh of Umarkot (in modern-day Pakistan) was smitten with the beautiful Princess Moomal. He would visit her regularly but failed to turn up one day because of a misunderstanding. She went back heartbroken and met with a tragic death, immortalising the location by lending her name to it. Moomal, meaning exquisite, also finds mention in many a Rajasthani folk song.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Moomal outpost is one of many along the 1,070km-long border that spans four districts in Rajasthan. And, in a sandy expanse, the camel is man’s (and woman’s) best friend. “In the desert, camels are a blessing as they negotiate the topography easily,” said Deputy Commandant S.H. Prabhat.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The women jawans initially found it challenging to train with the camels. But with time, they have bonded well with their rides. Camels, like horses, sense their rider and prefer to have the same person during daily patrolling.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The women soldiers wake up at the crack of dawn to do yoga, following which they groom and exercise the camels. The camel contingent, including men, eats and prays together―lunch and dinner are served in the barracks, and evening puja is a daily ritual. At times, they play volleyball in the evening.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>What binds the women soldiers, who come from not only Rajasthan but also Gujarat and Maharashtra, is the sense of pride. “It is an honour to be able to defend the country against enemies and guard its border,” said Sunita Devi.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The women soldiers are now gearing up for next year’s Republic Day parade, which will have only women participants in contingents, tableaux and other performances.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/meet-the-women-jawans-of-bsf-s-camel-contingent-in-rajasthan.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/meet-the-women-jawans-of-bsf-s-camel-contingent-in-rajasthan.html Sat Dec 23 19:10:49 IST 2023 meet-the-12-shanti-swarup-bhatnagar-awardees-for-2022 <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/meet-the-12-shanti-swarup-bhatnagar-awardees-for-2022.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/114-Science-faction.jpg" /> <p>On September 11, after nearly a year’s delay, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research announced the 2022 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, named after the renowned chemist and its first director-general. The contenders for the award―the biggest in Indian science―are nominated by their institutes, and judged by a panel of eminent scientists. Over the years, the winners have been men and women who have added depth to India’s scientific rigour and have encouraged scientific temper in academia.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There are several threads that unite this time’s awardees, one being their humility. Each one of 12 awardees attributed their success to their PhD/graduate students who worked with them, for five to six years, or even more in some cases. “Science is often done as a team,” said Basudeb Dasgupta, theoretical physicist at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. “You need a team to move a mountain, and so this award must be celebrated as a team achievement.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At the heart of the achievement lies years of patience, the determination to keep going despite failures and their diehard passion for the subject. For instance, Professor Debabrata Maiti, from IIT Bombay’s chemistry department, spent the past 12 years working on a single aspect―developing a cost-, energy- and time-efficient way of transforming simple organic molecules into complex products for use in the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. “In scientific journeys, there are no shortcuts,” he said. “There had been numerous instances when we were frustrated because we were not getting the desired reactions from smaller molecules. This went on for five to seven years. Naturally, my students were more frustrated because it was their career and future.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As the supervisor running the lab, it was crucial for him to make headway, especially because government agencies had put in a lot of money. At one point, the team thought it was better to give up. But Maiti persisted. He told them: “Enjoy the journey. That is more important.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dasgupta also had his tale of perseverance. He kept thinking about neutrino movements as he ate, slept, walked and bathed. It was during Durga Pujo, when he went back home, that the solution hit him like a bolt of lightning. “I had grown up observing a pendulum displayed at a museum,” said the mathematician. “That childhood memory just somehow became an answer to the question I was grappling with. Science is hard. You need to put in a lot of work and you need a fair bit of luck.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>That answer earned him the Bhatnagar award. “The transition between something not working out and then suddenly working out so beautifully is the eureka moment we scientists live for,” he said. “You do it because you love it.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The other threads that connect the 12 awardees―all below 45―are modest beginnings, long periods of confusion, and that nagging feeling that you are not quite as good as your colleagues. But, they kept at it. Dipyaman Ganguly, for instance, narrated the story of how he got into his PhD after his bachelor’s degree. “For some family reasons, I wanted to do my PhD in India,” he said. “Back then, doing a PhD after MBBS was not so easy in India. Few universities allowed it. Also, getting a suitable research lab willing to take me up and also pay me was another challenge. I got a chance at IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology) in Delhi, as an asthma genetics project was looking for medicos in an immunogenetics lab. But I soon found out that genetics was not the domain that interested me in the grander scheme of immunology. That was a great personal dilemma.” That, however, did not stop him from excelling in his field and getting two PhDs, one in India and one from the US.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For Rajnish Kumar from Raipur, the primary hurdle growing up was money. More than half of the awardees went to government schools in villages; they first tasted city air when they moved out for higher education.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar’s father would support a family of five with Rs3,000 a month. “Yet, the priority in the household was getting good grades and not bring in more money,” said the awardee from the department of chemical engineering at IIT Madras.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Interestingly, each of these eminent scientists got offers from some of the best universities in the world, but chose to work for India’s growth and success. “I wanted to come back because, as a student at TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), I had seen the kind of people who had come back before me,” said Dasgupta. “These were young successful scientists who had... returned after leaving their plush jobs at Harvard and other top places. I felt very empowered. And I have never regretted coming back. As long as the government keeps supporting it, I think India is a fantastic place to do science.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>All 12 awardees THE WEEK spoke to echoed one sentiment. They agreed that they wanted to excel in their chosen fields and requested for some reasonable support from the country to keep them going. They also agreed that the US was more conducive to pursuing scientific research; incentives for scientists to work in the US include work-life balance, lucrative money and job security. Yet, they said India was their home and there was joy in serving your nation. “In the US, when it comes to funding for research, it is an all or zero model,” said Maiti. “You either get everything or you get nothing. At least in India that is never the case. Here we get an opportunity as a researcher to do good work because the funds are very well distributed.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But, more needs to be done. For example, a scientist who did not want to be named, said: “My research laboratory will require around Rs1.5 crore a year. Raising that much in India is a really difficult task. Comparatively, if I am good at what I am doing, then in the US I might be able to raise Rs10 crore to Rs15 crore. In India, they do not invest in science seriously. The investment has to be 100 times if you really want to do good, big work.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The scientists also asked for higher investment and patience with results. “Science has its way of giving you returns and history has shown that there is no better investment in people than giving them the tools of modern science,” said Dasgupta.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The other issue, said Kumar, was the lack of youngsters opting for science in India. “For a country of 1.4 billion, why do we have just 12 awardees?” he asked. “The country next door, with the same population, gives thousands of such awards each year.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Another significant question the awardees asked: “Where are the women?” All 12 awardees this time are men. And, since 1958, when the awards were first given out, only 19 of the 583 winners have been women. In 2013, researchers at Yale published a study proving that physicists, chemists and biologists were likely to view a young male scientist more favourably than a female with the same qualifications. Reported <i>The New York Times</i>: “Presented with identical summaries of the accomplishments of two imaginary applicants, professors at six major research institutions were significantly more willing to offer the man a job. If they did hire the woman, they set her salary, on average, nearly $4,000 lower than the man’s. Surprisingly, female scientists were as biased as their male counterparts.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Hopefully, the next Bhatnagar awards will see more diversity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Carbon trapper</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>RAJNISH KUMAR, </b>Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras (Engineering Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>PROFESSOR RAJNISH</b> Kumar―who grew up in a lower middle-class family in Raipur―said his foray into science was a matter of luck. “My parents were never into science; my father had a business that brought in no more than Rs3,000 a month,” he said. “Till class six, I studied in a Hindi-medium government school because the fees was low. But then my father realised that his children should attend an English-medium school. He put all three of us in a convent school where the fees was half of the family’s income. That was the kind of importance he gave to education.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The change, though, was hard, and he failed class seven as he could not understand English. “I would find it difficult to even understand jokes and would often fake laughter to prevent embarrassment in front of my friends,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Today, the professor at IIT Madras, who holds a PhD from Canada, speaks immaculate English and has written 2,000 papers on the decarbonisation of Indian industries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kumar completed his chemical engineering from Raipur and got his master’s degree from Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (2001-2003). “I was very good with maths and science and would always top the class, even in engineering college,” he said. Throughout engineering, he sustained himself and supplemented the family income by taking tuitions after class. Scholarships helped, too, right through to his PhD.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He is currently working on how to trap carbon dioxide and keep it from going back into the atmosphere. “As per data, this costs $30 to $50 per tonne of CO2, and in India we emit three billion tonnes of CO2 every year,” he said. “So, the problem is how to make it affordable. The biggest target for me is for India to become net zero by 2070. It is tough, [but] if we can do that, it would be better than winning a Nobel prize because this way we can save millions of people from devastation due to the rise in sea level.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was in 2010 that Kumar gave up on permanent residency in Canada to come to Pune, where he joined as a senior scientist at CSIR National Chemical Laboratory. When he returned to India, his salary was Rs40,000 a month as against almost $5,000 (around Rs2.2 lakh) in Canada. “But life is richer here,” he said, “and I will not trade it for anything.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Searching supernovae</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>BASUDEB DASGUPTA, </b>Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Physical Sciences<b>)</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>AS A PRECOCIOUS</b> child, Basudeb Dasgupta had both scientific temper and an artistic bent of mind. He would often solve IIT problems for his friends, although he himself was not too keen to apply for the institute. He had, in fact, got into the National Institute of Design in Class 12. However, his intuition told him to go with physics, and he got into Kolkata’s Jadavpur University for his undergraduate degree. He was so gifted that he got into his PhD without having completed his master’s. He joined TIFR in 2003 and, 11 years later, returned as faculty.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ever since his PhD in 2009, Dasgupta had been struggling with the question: how do neutrinos―tiny, nearly massless particles found inside huge exploding stars―oscillate collectively? The answer came to him only 12 years later (he had almost given up on his scientific pursuits), from one of his childhood memories during Durga Pujo in Kolkata. And that answer got him the Bhatnagar award. “All the chemical elements that we are made of―iron in our blood, calcium in our bones, oxygen in our breath―are made inside supernovae,” he said. “The manner in which neutrinos oscillate collectively inside supernovae determines how much of the elements inside our bodies are made.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As a theoretical physicist, the blackboard is his lab. “My work is very similar to that of a mathematician except that, unlike them, we are dealing with physical objects,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Born in Rajasthan in a “very low middle-class family”, with both parents working for public sector companies, Dasgupta spent his childhood in boarding schools in Delhi. “I was never pressured to do well, but I was highly self motivated,” he said. He was always in the top five in class and was the first from his family to pursue science.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As we were about to leave, we saw a plethora of landscape paintings and still photography portraits on his computer. “This is what I do when I am not doing what I do,” he said with a wide grin.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Cost-effective chemistry</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>DEBABRATA MAITI, </b>IIT Bombay (Chemical Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>WEEKENDS ARE OFF</b> at IIT Bombay, but professor Debabrata Maiti would rather spend it on campus than anywhere else. This is his sacred space, a sort of meditative workstation. After all, this was where he spent the early 2000s as a master’s student.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Last month, he won the Bhatnagar award for developing a cost-, energy- and time-efficient way of transforming simple organic molecules into complex products mostly used in the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. This work, which Maiti spent the past 12 years on, has long been a challenge for synthetic chemists. Putting small molecules together to make big ones is difficult because molecules are hugely complex, even the smallest of them, and no two are ever alike. At one point, he and his team thought it was better to give up, but Maiti persisted. And then came the eureka moment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This mindset of never giving up was built early. Maiti had a humble, middle-class upbringing in a small village in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district. He was the eldest of three siblings, and his parents placed high importance on academics. “I think having the right atmosphere at home made all the difference,” he said. “Even in moments of fluctuating electricity or long walks to school, we were always happy and positive.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Maiti’s father was a gardener at a government institute; his mother took tuition at home. Maiti was a standout student throughout his life, be it in school, at the Ramakrishna Mission College in Belur, at IIT Bombay or at Johns Hopkins and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he pursued his PhD and postdoc, respectively. Was he not tempted to stay on in the US? “Well, I never applied for a job there,” he said. “Because I knew if I did, the offer would be too good to refuse. I made it very clear to them that I wanted to return.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He returned to Bombay, and his family―wife and two sons, aged 14 and 12―now live with him on the IIT campus. “I’m very happy to be in India,” he said. “We are developing the growth story here and we are acing at it.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Guiding light</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>AKKATTU T. BIJU, </b>Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (Chemical Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A.T. BIJU NEVER</b> thought he would one day become a scientist, let alone win several awards for his contributions to the field of chemical science. It all began when he cleared the National Eligibility Test―a qualifying exam for lectureship in colleges―in his final year of MSc chemistry. He also won the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), becoming the first student in his college to do so. “[Until then] I was happily unaware of what research was and what opportunities it entailed,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Biju’s father ran a tea shop near their village home in Kerala, and although he himself was not highly educated, he made sure to develop scientific thinking in his son. “They created the right background for us; ensuring that we grew up as kind and learned individuals,” said Biju.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In fact, it was at his father’s instance that Biju even applied for a master’s after graduation. “I think I would otherwise be pursuing a job somewhere in Kerala now. At the time, the fact that I was getting a salary was in itself such a huge thing for us,” he said with a chuckle.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He was a senior scientist with the CSIR National Chemical Laboratory in Pune for six years before becoming an associate professor at IISc. Till now, Biju has guided 14 students to their PhDs and is mentoring 12 more. Life as a researcher is not “all comfort”, Biju warned budding scientists. “I leave at 8am and sometimes come back as late as midnight, even though I literally stay right inside the campus,” he said. “And that is where one must recognise the immense support shown by one’s family. I am blessed that my wife and family created the kind of environment one needs when one is deeply engrossed in research. My wife, who is an MSc in physics, declined a PhD seat for my sake. Had she accepted it, it probably would have been a different outcome for the two of us. The full credit for bringing up our two daughters goes to my wife and I am extremely thankful to her for that.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Strong foundation</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>DIPTI RANJAN SAHOO, </b>Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Delhi (Engineering Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>INSIDE THE LECTURE</b> halls of the sprawling IIT Delhi campus, Dipti Ranjan Sahoo is working on steering more people towards a career in science. And he is insightful and frank in this process. Every year, the associate dean tells his new batch of students that failure is central to engineering.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Bhatnagar awardee, and the father of a 13 year old, dedicated his win to his students, who he said formed the backbone of all his work. “Successful engineering is all about understanding how things break or fail,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This also forms the core of his expertise in structural engineering―finding out the point at which a structure can no longer take the brunt of an earthquake.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sahoo first became interested in this branch of engineering after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. “I was shocked at the way those structures were built and how quickly and easily five-storey buildings crumbled like a pack of cards,” he said. From then on, he began to observe infrastructure more carefully; residential infrastructure with plush high-rises in densely populated cities stood out like a sore thumb. “The trend nowadays is to dedicate the lower floors to car parking and all these only have the columns, not the walls,” he said. “Walls begin only from the upper residential floors. So, the very foundation of the structure is shaky. From a structural engineering point of view, these buildings are highly prone to earthquakes and, if one were to go back in time, one would see that it is precisely such construction that is the most vulnerable to seismic movements.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Sahoo grew up in Cuttack. His father worked in the civil engineering section of the PWD department and often took a young Sahoo along to watch how roads and buildings were constructed. That led the young boy to pursue a BTech degree in civil engineering and thereafter a master’s at IIT Kanpur. “I enjoyed the very concept of construction so much that I would often play with cans and boxes as building units,” he said. “I was interested in making tall towers out of tin cans and bridges out of boxes.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>His parents had advised him against structural engineering, citing the lack of jobs, but he insisted. What fuelled this passion? “Self motivation,” he said. “I believe there is absolutely no alternative to being sufficiently motivated or ambitious to work on one’s own initiative without needing direction.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Maths and music</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>APOORVA KHARE, </b>Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Science (Mathematical Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>IN CLASS 11,</b> during the summer vacation, Apoorva Khare wrote his first research paper on divisibility tests. That was his first brush with research and that is also when he knew he wanted to study maths all his life.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Born to a particle physicist father and a nuclear physicist mother, Khare had been clear about the two loves of his life early on―maths and music. He grew up in Bhubaneswar reading a lot of story books and science fiction, and watching his parents discuss atoms and galaxies. A passionate Hindustani classical vocalist, Khare’s induction into the vast world of maths began early, at home. Both he and his sister, now a genetics professor in the US, would be given maths problems to solve, as a leisure activity. “I can go on for hours at end, shutting everything else out and only doing my maths,” he said. “As a researcher, one lives exactly for that eureka moment when you see the entire solution in all its clarity and full detail. That rush is unmatched; you forget thirst, hunger and everything else.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So, what was the longest he worked on a problem? “It has to be the one I was working on during my PhD―the very first problem my supervisor gave me,” he said. “There was this missing part I had to figure out to be able to put it all together; it took me months without any progress. Finally one day, when I was in the lift, the solution just popped in my mind. I was ecstatic.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The work for which Khare won the Bhatnagar prize kicked off at Stanford in 2011. He is now an editor of several journals, father to a seven year old and husband to a techie who is director of AI at Google Cloud.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If not a scientist, who would he be? “I cannot even imagine,” he said. “The sooner you know your calling, the luckier you are. Maybe I would have taken up a teaching job in a school. Either way, it had to be somehow related to maths.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Taming drought</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>VIMAL MISHRA,</b> IIT Gandhinagar (Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Science)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>BORN IN KANNAUJ,</b> Uttar Pradesh, Vimal Mishra spent most of his early student days at a hostel in Kanpur. His parents―both teachers―played a key role in inculcating in him an academic bent of mind. During holidays, he would spend hours at the family’s vast farm lands, observing water flows, irrigation methods, and more. “I grew up observing the role played by water and the impact of droughts and floods caused by climate change on food production,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The 2002 floods that ravaged Europe played a pivotal role in shaping Vimal Mishra’s career. It got him further interested in hydrology and water resources, inspiring him to move to Germany to pursue his postgraduate degree. The course taught him to model river flows and develop a flood forecasting system.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mishra put this specialised knowledge to study the groundwater systems in India; more specifically, the groundwater depletion in north India. He is now Vikram Sarabhai professor of civil engineering at IIT Gandhinagar and his team was the first to develop a groundwater monitoring and forecast system for the country. It is currently being used by several organisations. It provides real-time information on droughts. Earlier, there was no such mechanism to know where droughts might occur, until the crisis became dire. Now, early warnings can be given about areas where droughts could happen. “My research was also related to water availability and so it became the subject of daily conversation with my family,” said Mishra. “I would share climate-related advice and forecasts, which helped them plan accordingly and make their decisions.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mishra’s dedication to the field of study that involves analysing climate change impact on water resources earned him the Bhatnagar award, honouring his insights that eventually helped in addressing larger issues like food security.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Prime-d for success</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>NEERAJ KAYAL,</b> Microsoft Research Lab, Bengaluru (Mathematical Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>IN 2003,</b> when working at IIT Kanpur with his mentor, Manindra Agarwal, Neeraj Kayal solved a well-known problem in computer science. The duo found an algorithm to quickly determine whether a given number is a prime number or not. This, he said, was “completely unfeasible” for the fastest computer. “As they work multiple times faster than a human mind, it seems they are so good,” he said. “But if you ask them to solve complicated problems like higher degree equations, even the fastest computers in the world will take more time than the age of the universe.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was in class seven that Kayal―who grew up in a middle-class family in Guwahati―entered the top 10 in his class for the first time. “That was a sort of discovery that established a causal link between hard work and rewards,” said the son of a chartered accountant father and homemaker mother. “Since then, I have been very good at studies.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He eventually did his PhD at IIT Kanpur; most of his batch mates went to the US. “Even applying to US universities involved money and that would have stretched my family financially,” he said. At the time, he was undecided whether to go into industry or keep working in academia. “The algorithm I followed was to just choose to do what I enjoy rather than caring about money and that has worked well for me,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kayal donated the cash prize from the Bhatnagar award to two organisations he has known since his school days. “One fortunate thing for me is that I work for a industrial research lab where I am better off financially,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kayal always counts his blessings, including his family that includes his wife and 11-year-old daughter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When not working on algorithms at the Microsoft Research Lab, Kayal enjoys a game of badminton. “But otherwise,” he said, “I am shy and introverted, and like to keep to myself most of the time.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Tackling TB</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>ASHWANI KUMAR,</b> Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (Biological Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>IT WAS AS</b> a postgraduate student that Ashwani Kumar first saw tuberculosis in a lab. His professor, clinician Mridula Bose, gave him a simple job―find bacteria in sputum samples and categorise them. One afternoon, as he was going about his work, he noticed that one of the samples had a TB strain that was resistant to all the drugs they had in the lab. Puzzled, he approached his guide, who told him that they could not do anything as the girl from whom the specimen came had died. “That was the day I realised the lethality of TB. It shook me,” said the scientist, who went on to devote his PhD and postdoc in the US to the in-depth study of the disease. He also published an important paper on what makes the bacteria resistant to drugs, which became the most cited in the field.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As a child, Kumar never thought of being a scientist. He simply went with the flow. “I was good at studies,” he said. “Never the topper, but always in the top 20. As time passed, I pursued a BSc in microbiology because that was what others were doing, too.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Currently, his work revolves around the treatment of tuberculosis, and his lab has been one of the pioneers in addressing the problem of long treatment duration. “It extends to six to eight months and, as a result, people opt out of it midway,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A paper he published in the journal Nature in 2016 became a landmark in the field of biofilms―a thin, usually resistant layer of microorganisms that forms on and coats various surfaces―and further enriched the understanding of mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes the disease. Kumar and his team were the first to show that... if one can destruct the biofilms in the lungs, then one could kill mycobacterium tuberculosis faster. “We showed that tuberculosis is a chronic biofilm infection, which will go a long way in India’s goal of eradicating TB because it will shorten the treatment and people will also comply by it,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When not pursuing microbacteria in his lab, Kumar, married to cancer biology professor Sonal Dotta, enjoys reading books on spirituality.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Will to win</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>ANINDYA DAS,</b> Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (Physical Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dr Anindya Das believes that the one aspect that allowed him to achieve what he has become today is his “very humble upbringing”. Das, who heads the quantum transport lab at IISc, Bengaluru, spoke extensively about his childhood days at Garia village in West Bengal’s Midnapore district. There was no electricity at his home till he was 12. He still remembers the huge celebration that erupted when a transformer was installed at the village.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Das was so fascinated by the transformer that he would spend hours observing it, learning and absorbing all that he could about electric current and its dynamics. “It was a revolution when television and electric fan came and that built up a new dream in my mind and an inquisitiveness to learn science. I became aspirational and studied science with great interest,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Born to a schoolteacher father and a homemaker mother, the very first time Das ventured out of his village was to join college. He travelled to Kolkata to study BSc at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandir in Belur. Until then, his dream had been limited to being a teacher, just like his father. “In a village, a schoolteacher is a highly regarded individual and teaching is the noblest profession. I had no idea about discoveries and inventions, as those were limited to books. There was no real exposure to such things in real life.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Das went on to pursue his masters and doctorate from IISc and did his postdoctoral studies in Israel. Today, his group at the IISc works on quantum transport of nano-devices at ultra-low temperatures and high magnetic fields. “I think the hunger to learn and achieve is what really shapes a person,” said Das, who was the first person from his village to earn a PhD. “I had the dream, the desire to walk the extra mile and the belief that I could do it. I think it made all the difference.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Dream and deliver</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>DIPYAMAN GANGULY,</b> Translational Research Unit of Excellence, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (Medical Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>EARLY IN OUR</b> interview, Dipyaman Ganguly, a scientist with two PhDs to his credit, talked about the two aspects of his life which had significantly contributed to his success. The first one was his decision to focus on experimental science instead of being a practising physician, which he was originally trained to be. “This has got a lot to do with a group of my childhood friends who kept on pushing me to gain the maximum of whatever potential I had, as per their understanding,” he said. Ganguly also credited his parents who happily accepted his career decisions. And the second one was his pursuit of scientific research.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I think the most crucial thing in life that made me what I am today is an inherited focus on academic scholarship, instead of focusing on being financially successful. I belong to a not so well-to-do family from a Kolkata suburb, but my parents have always been concerned about me realising my full academic potential, rather climbing up the financial ladder quickly.” Although Ganguly was always fascinated by human biology and modern medical science and wanted to be a doctor, it was clear to him and his family that he was not going to practise medicine. “From the very first year of medical school, all my closest friends knew that I was going for research in immunology. Finally, I have been very open about making friends with people having different interests. My closest friends from childhood till date include an economist, a cinematographer, a poet, a journalist, an astronomer and, of course, a number of very erudite physicians.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ganguly said that it was very important to remain open to new things which helped bring a general cognitive liberation, allowing one to perform better in one’s own domain as well. Unsurprisingly, he is quite popular among his students. “Well, right from my tantrums, my vulnerabilities, my sheer love for night sky gazing, my fascination with Rabindranath Tagore, my love for writing about science for children, they have seen it all,” said Ganguly. “I had a dream of starting small-scale rural science centres in different parts of West Bengal. We started the work towards achieving that, but the pandemic stalled it midway. I hope we can reinitiate the effort.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Protein power</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>MADDIKA SUBBA REDDY,</b> Laboratory of Cell Death and Cell Survival, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad (Biological Sciences)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>MADDIKA SUBBA REDDY’S</b> lab focuses on understanding how proteins talk to each other while executing their functions in cells. Studying interaction partners for different proteins can reveal their function better in cells. This is what Reddy does―finding interaction partners of different proteins, which, in turn, helps in the understanding of human diseases, as any alteration in the interactions between proteins leads to diseases.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Reddy’s group has made several important discoveries in establishing the protein networks required to maintain cellular balance, and this knowledge can provide future therapeutic targets for different diseases. One of the challenging phases of his career came during his PhD days. “I joined a lab in Germany for my PhD where I started making a transgenic mouse (a genetically modified mouse) for a particular gene. After spending a year there, we did not find any phenotype/defects in the mouse, which was disappointing,” he said. Reddy then switched to a different lab with a different research area for his PhD. “I was given the task of identifying a new enzyme that does peptide isomerisation. Again, after spending almost an year, I ended up identifying a fragment of a protein which was known to do this process (instead of a new enzyme).”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With two failed projects in two years, the journey of PhD looked rather difficult. However, unwilling to give up, Reddy moved to Canada and chose another area of specialisation―his current one, cell biology―for which he got the Bhatnagar award. He eventually finished his PhD in less than three years. “The bottom line is that you should not give up easily on your dream,” said Reddy. He now supervises 33 students, including doctoral and postdoctoral scholars and project trainees.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/meet-the-12-shanti-swarup-bhatnagar-awardees-for-2022.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/meet-the-12-shanti-swarup-bhatnagar-awardees-for-2022.html Sat Dec 23 16:03:05 IST 2023 indians-are-pretty-good-at-a-lot-of-games <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/indians-are-pretty-good-at-a-lot-of-games.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/134-Rope-walking.jpg" /> <p>Aiyyo! D-Day November 19 turned into a day of disappointment. But look at the bright side, folks. By losing the World Cup, we have opened the floodgates to a lot of other sports that we are pretty good at, but nobody paid attention. And those who say that India is a ‘one sport country’ had better choose their words with care for they will be eating them soon. Here are the games you should keep an eye out for:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Tightrope walking</b></p> <p>Tightrope walking is game of skill that calls for perfect poise and guidance from head coach S. Jaishankar. Early in October, Hamas ran rampage across the Gaza border and in a feat of daring killed babies in their cribs and the elderly in wheelchairs. We were outraged. Then the Israel Defence Forces responded by doing what they do best―reduce to rubble homes, hospitals, schools… pretty much wherever one brick stood over another. We felt outraged again. Were we more outraged or less than before? Also, if we were to call a spade a spade, what would we call Hamas? We don’t really need to answer that because in the big league of tightrope walkers, inaction speaks louder than words. We tut-tut here, cluck in sympathy there, and tell the world we share everyone’s pain. That will do―until the next outrage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Large format gambling</b></p> <p>In India, betting is bigger and better than batting. It is also older. Long before the Brits taught us cricket, we taught them <i>teen patti</i>―also called flush. (No relative of the convenient toilet appliance but it drains a lot of money.) Does anyone really make big bucks on gambling? Well, the organisers do. The first complaint about the renowned Mahadev app betting case put the scam in the Rs15,000 crore bracket.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But read the safety instructions before you plunge into the next betting trap, er app. Risk A is that you will have to share the spoils with some very important people―actors, pharma heads, sometimes even chief ministers. Risk B is that you may get married. Since you have just won big, you will naturally throw a lavishly humungous wedding party in Dubai that literally sheikhs up the Gulf. That’s going to make the authorities jealous at being left out. Enraged authorities are injurious to health. Game over. You will have plenty of time in jail then to reflect on the theory that life is one huge gamble.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Arm-twisting</b></p> <p>Played to the tune of the hit song of the 1960s <i>‘Aao </i>twist<i> karen, jaag utha mausam’,</i> this game determines how strong your wrist is. The rules are simple. You grab your opposite number by the wrist and begin to twist his arm clockwise. Meanwhile, your opponent is not exactly twiddling his thumbs. He is returning the compliment. This is a close combat sport where nobody knows what is actually happening. It picks up pace only when screams of acute discomfort and pain ring out across the gracious lawns of Raj Bhavan―the usual venue for such games. How far do you go? Well, that question is best answered by the players themselves. Ask your nearest governor or chief minister. If you don’t want to mess with the Indian political class, ask former Sri Lanka cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga. He said his country’s cricket body was ‘pressurised’ (read ‘arm-twisted’) by the BCCI (read Jay Shah).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Infighting</b></p> <p>We are largely a nonviolent people. Except under provocation, we don’t fight our enemies across the border; we rather fight among ourselves. Infighting is a tougher sport than your common or garden variety of fighting because your delight at embracing a long-lost friend could turn into dismay at finding yourself offhandedly back-stabbed. It happens everywhere―Maharashtra (with the old fox Sharad Pawar guiding the moves), Rajasthan, Bihar, Tamil Nadu…. Our national and state leaders rank among the world’s best infighters. They have such long practice.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>The sport of breaking</b></p> <p>A new Olympic sport to be unveiled in Paris next year is called ‘Breaking’. We are not sure what exactly the athletes would be breaking. Breaking up? Well, couples in Bollywood are doing it all the time. Breaking down? We have got tunnels and bridges breaking, and our highways are littered with stalled vehicles. Breaking out? Two years after Covid wreaked havoc, we still have news of other viruses breaking out. Breaking in? Our police records are brimming over with reports of ‘Break Ins’. But none of these breaks are as popular as ‘Breaking News’. Our TV channels will beat every international rival in the field because we believe if it’s not breaking, it is not news.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Holding your breath</b></p> <p>Holding your breath isn’t a new sport. We’ve all played it when we were children. We stop breathing, we let the seconds tick away, until our lungs bang hard against our ribs. Whoever holds his/her breath longest, wins. When we did it as kids, it was just for fun. Now it is a way of life. You play it to save yourself from asthma, asphyxiation, pneumonia (also known as AAP). You have an advantage if you are living in Delhi and other hotspots in the north, which rank high in the honours list of the world’s most polluted cities. You are a veteran compared with rivals from the south who only need to contend with occasional outbreaks of Nipah and of Hindi being spoken. For those who don’t win ‘gold’, the consolation prize is the chance to appear on Coughee with Karan.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Kisko banna hai crorepati?</b></p> <p>Who wants to be a crorepati? That is so yesterday. Who wants to be a crorepatni? Now, that’s Mahua like it. The old method of playing this was to answer a series of questions of increasing difficulty. That’s the dumb way. The smart way is to win big not by answering question but by asking them. That is what Mahua Moitra specialises in, and look at the medals she has bagged. Or more to the point, look at the number of bags she has won. All you need to do is to ask the questions which are mailed by your near and dear ones and pop up on your computer screen. What’s the login ID and password? If you are going to ask such silly questions, you are obviously not savvy enough to dabble in ‘Kaun Bangaya Crorepatni?’ Better stick to old world TV game shows.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Poll vault</b></p> <p>Charity begins outside the polling booth. So, unfailingly before every election, our political leaders suddenly realise that in the rush of things, they have forgotten that charity is a virtue praised by all religions. Our prime minister had forgotten it, too. This time in Chhattisgarh, he made amends. Free rations to be extended for another five years. Soon charity becomes competitive and your rivals are trying to offer more in less time―it’s fastest finger first. Where does the money for all this come from? There is a vault that every party has set aside for just this purpose. Who wins this game? We are not really sure. But we know who loses. You and I, the taxpayers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Running the Murthy marathon</b></p> <p>Narayana Murthy is our IT icon. Nation’s pride, the envy of the rest of the galaxy. But sometimes even icons have their day off. Early in November, he offered a piece of advice to India’s youth. True to form, India’s youth told him what he could do with it. All that Murthy had said was that the nation’s young men and women must work 70 hours a week to put our economy on the fast track. That’s apparently what the Germans and the Japanese did post World War II. Mission impossible? No, with Indian <i>jugaad</i> we go one better than the Japanese, etc. We have found a way to win the Murthy marathon―we convert it into a team sport. We work 70 hours a week―all of us put together.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Playing the fool</b></p> <p>A popular game we love to play is playing the fool. In November, actor-comic Vir Das won the International Emmy Award in the best comedy category. But Das is a professional while we have gifted amateurs galore. We have a political leader who will not qualify as a stand-up comedian only because he rarely stands in one place. We have everyone’s favourite spiritual leader who has set a benchmark for bravery in his daring use of English and the laws of physics. And, finally, we have that ubiquitous common man who has been fooled all along, and still has the grace to wish everyone a happy new year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Balancing the books</b></p> <p>This is an ancient Indian sport where you balance a tall pile of accounts books while all around you are a group of bankmen, auditors and shareholders intent on toppling everything. It’s a game of skill which tests not just your sense of balance but also your ability to smile in the face of people out to jog your elbow. Legendary book balancers from the past include Ramalinga Raju, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya…. All of them were pretty good while they lasted but none of them is as adept, as well connected as the one whom even Hindenburg cannot topple.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/indians-are-pretty-good-at-a-lot-of-games.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/indians-are-pretty-good-at-a-lot-of-games.html Sat Dec 23 15:14:12 IST 2023 amitabh-kant-has-had-good-practice-in-solving-problems <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/amitabh-kant-has-had-good-practice-in-solving-problems.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/12-Amitabh-Kant.jpg" /> <p><b>Early in his career,</b> <b>Amitabh Kant</b>’s skill in rendering complex issues into bullet-point briefs won him a nickname―AK-47. That skill is apparently what made him one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most trusted lieutenants.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As India’s sherpa at the G20 summit in Delhi in September, Kant was instrumental in ironing out differences between member countries and facilitating the drafting of a 34-page joint declaration that many people did not expect to materialise. “The most complex part of the entire G20 was to bring consensus on the geopolitical paras (Russia-Ukraine). This was done over 200 hours of nonstop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, 15 drafts,” he posted on X.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kant has had good practice in solving problems. The 1980-batch IAS officer’s first posting was as sub-collector of Thalassery in Kerala’s trouble-prone Kannur district. (“The best biryani in the world is Thalassery fish biryani from Paris restaurant,” he once tweeted.) Later, as the state’s tourism secretary―“a punishment posting of sorts because Kerala back then was nowhere the tourist haven it is today”―he worked the God’s Own Country branding campaign that famously clicked. As joint secretary of tourism in the A.B. Vajpayee government, Kant also oversaw the Incredible India campaign, which reinvented India’s image in the world tourism sector at a time when the 9/11 attacks in the US, and the subsequent war on terror and financial slowdown, significantly affected growth prospects.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Under Modi, Kant had successful stints as CEO of NITI Aayog and secretary of the department of industrial policy and promotion. The G20 triumph is just the latest in his long list of accolades.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/amitabh-kant-has-had-good-practice-in-solving-problems.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/amitabh-kant-has-had-good-practice-in-solving-problems.html Sat Dec 23 12:14:05 IST 2023 keeravani-s-discography-spans-nearly-200-films-in-half-a-dozen-languages <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/keeravani-s-discography-spans-nearly-200-films-in-half-a-dozen-languages.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/14-Keeravani.jpg" /> <p><b>A FEW DAYS AFTER</b> he received the Oscar for Best Original Song for ‘Naatu Naatu’ from <i>RRR</i>, <b>M.M. Keeravani</b> received the “most wonderful gift from the universe”―a special video from Richard Carpenters of The Carpenters, the band that he had grown up listening to.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Keeravani’s Oscar acceptance speech had been an impromptu song in the tune of the Carpenters song ‘Top of the World’―a gesture that apparently touched Richard. “Heartfelt congratulations on your win for Best Original Song. Here is a little something from our family to you and yours,” Richard posted on Instagram, along with a video of him and his daughters giving a piano-backed rendition of the hit song.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“We’re on top of the world/ for your winning creation/ and we hope you know how proud of you we are. You’re the best there is around/ and we hope you know it now/ your win puts us at the top of the world.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For Keeravani, 62, the journey to the top of the world had taken more than three decades. His discography spans nearly 200 films in half a dozen languages, and his accolades include two National Awards, eight Filmfare Awards, 11 Nandi Awards and a Golden Globe. Surely, Richard’s must have been the most precious gift.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/keeravani-s-discography-spans-nearly-200-films-in-half-a-dozen-languages.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/keeravani-s-discography-spans-nearly-200-films-in-half-a-dozen-languages.html Sat Dec 23 12:11:12 IST 2023 n-biren-singh-has-managed-to-hold-on-to-power-despite-the-barrage-of-criticism-his-government-has-received <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/n-biren-singh-has-managed-to-hold-on-to-power-despite-the-barrage-of-criticism-his-government-has-received.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/14-N-Biren-Singh.jpg" /> <p><b>IN 2021, THE ORGANISER</b> described <b>N. Biren Singh</b> as the Jose Mourinho of Indian politics. “Singh, too, is a maverick,” said the RSS mouthpiece. “Singh, too, is a special one.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A possible comparison, because both Mourinho and the Manipur chief minister were professional footballers in the 1980s. Singh had more on-field success than Mourinho―he thrice represented Manipur in the Santosh Trophy, and was in the Border Security Force team that beat Mohun Bagan to win the Durand Cup in 1981. Mourinho, for his part, could not rise beyond the lower rungs of the Portuguese league.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But “maverick” and “special”? Yes, again. After hanging up his boots in the 1990s, Singh started <i>Naharolgi Thoudang</i> (Duty of the youths), a daily that quickly became known for stories so hard-hitting that he was once arrested and charged with sedition. The arrest was what led him to contest polls in 2002, with his journalist and football pals pooling money to meet expenses.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Since being elected as chief minister in 2017, Singh has been battling one of the world’s longest running insurgencies. This year, which saw deadly ethnic clashes that drew worldwide attention, has been particularly disastrous for him. The only silver lining is that he may have finally proven worthy of the label of being the ‘special one’ in Indian politics. He has managed to hold on to power despite the barrage of criticism his government has received for apparently doing little to contain the clashes that killed around 200 people, injured more than 1,000, and driven more than 70,000 people from their homes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As critics have pointed out, the CM has “no leg to stand on”, but he is still in the play.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/n-biren-singh-has-managed-to-hold-on-to-power-despite-the-barrage-of-criticism-his-government-has-received.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/n-biren-singh-has-managed-to-hold-on-to-power-despite-the-barrage-of-criticism-his-government-has-received.html Sat Dec 23 12:09:20 IST 2023 adani-group-recently-ended-the-first-half-of-the-fiscal-year-by-setting-two-records <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/adani-group-recently-ended-the-first-half-of-the-fiscal-year-by-setting-two-records.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/16-Gautam-Adani.jpg" /> <p><b>IT HAS BEEN A TRULY</b> remarkable year for <b>Gautam Adani</b>. In January, the Adani Group chairman was accused by Hindenburg Research of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud”. Hindenburg said the group had taken on substantial debt through unlawful means, “putting the entire group on precarious financial footing”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The allegation triggered a frantic sell-off that shaved $100 billion off Adani Group shares. Adani began the firefight to win back investor confidence by issuing a 400-page rebuttal of charges, accusing Hindenburg of attacking India and its capital markets. A Supreme Court-appointed committee pitched in, saying it had found no regulatory lapse around the allegation of price manipulation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In May, the group began putting the controversy behind, as shares of its flagship company Adani Ports inched back to pre-Hindenburg level. In August, the Enforcement Directorate found that 12 companies based in tax havens were “top beneficiaries” of short-selling Adani shares. Since naked short-selling (the practice of selling borrowed stock, and buying it back and returning it to the owner at a lower price) is illegal in India, SEBI in December issued show-cause notices to all 12 companies.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Experts now say Hindenburg no longer casts a shadow on Adani. The group continues to close giant deals (the $1.2 billion takeover of Haifa Port in Israel, for instance), and is preparing to undertake new investments worth Rs7 lakh crore over 10 years. The bottom line, too, has never been better. Adani Group recently ended the first half of the fiscal year by setting two records―a combined pre-tax profit of Rs43,688 crore and cash balances of Rs45,895 crore.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/adani-group-recently-ended-the-first-half-of-the-fiscal-year-by-setting-two-records.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/adani-group-recently-ended-the-first-half-of-the-fiscal-year-by-setting-two-records.html Sat Dec 23 12:06:47 IST 2023 two-films-featuring-sharukh-khan-as-the-leading-man-after-a-fiveyear-hiatus-became-blockbusters <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/two-films-featuring-sharukh-khan-as-the-leading-man-after-a-fiveyear-hiatus-became-blockbusters.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/18-Shah-Rukh-Khan.jpg" /> <p>“<b>I ALWAYS TELL</b> everyone: I am an employee of the myth of <b>Shah Rukh Khan</b>. So I work for that myth,” Shah Rukh Khan told talk-show host David Letterman in 2019.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This year has been the best for Khan the myth as well as Khan the employee. Two films featuring him as the leading man after a five-year hiatus became blockbusters, and a third one is expected to better them this month. Released in January, <i>Pathaan</i> had Khan playing, as one reviewer put it, “a kind of James Bond meets Jason Bourne meets Jason Statham meets Fabio”. <i>Jawan</i>, released in September, was <i>Money Heist</i> meeting <i>Squid Game</i> via <i>The Dark Knight Rises.</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The action films not just brought huge paydays for Khan the employee, but also added wholly new layers of meaning to Khan the myth. He is set to complete a trifecta by returning to the familiar turf of comedy-drama with <i>Dunki</i>, set to be released on December 21.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/two-films-featuring-sharukh-khan-as-the-leading-man-after-a-fiveyear-hiatus-became-blockbusters.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/two-films-featuring-sharukh-khan-as-the-leading-man-after-a-fiveyear-hiatus-became-blockbusters.html Sat Dec 23 12:03:57 IST 2023 dy-chandrachud-delivered-a-clutch-of-far-reaching-constitution-bench-judgments <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/dy-chandrachud-delivered-a-clutch-of-far-reaching-constitution-bench-judgments.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/18-Chandrachud.jpg" /> <p><b>A YEAR AFTER HE</b> became chief justice of India, and a year to go before he demits office, <b>D.Y. Chandrachud</b> is as busy ever. He has delivered a clutch of far-reaching Constitution bench judgments (on the political crises in Delhi and Maharashtra, the voiding of Article 370, and the right of same-sex couples to marry, etc.), even as he is guiding infrastructure reforms at the Supreme Court.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Under him, the court has been digitising records, translating verdicts into regional languages, e-linking courts across the country, setting up cutting-edge facilities to hear cases online, and establishing advanced e-court centres to make services more accessible. A portal to eradicate long queues and facilitate paperless passes to Supreme Court, called SuSwagatam, is already up. To make courts more gender-sensitive, Chandrachud himself recently unveiled a 30-page leaflet called <i>Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes Against Women</i>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>All these changes are breeding more changes. Recently, a curious viewer who had watched court proceedings online asked Chandrachud during an event in the UK: “Can you tell me why the chairs in the Supreme Court have different heights?” Chandrachud knew that judges usually customised their old chairs as they wished, especially because back problems were an occupational hazard. But the question also had him realising the need for uniformity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Back in India, Chandrachud directed court officials to purchase a new array of ergonomic, adjustable chairs of the same height to replace the old ones. Only the CJI’s chair was made to have a slightly taller backrest. The seating reform has Supreme Court benches now delivering judgments from chairs of uniform height.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/dy-chandrachud-delivered-a-clutch-of-far-reaching-constitution-bench-judgments.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/dy-chandrachud-delivered-a-clutch-of-far-reaching-constitution-bench-judgments.html Sat Dec 23 12:01:06 IST 2023 ajit-pawar-is-a-leader-with-deep-grassroots-links-and-a-formidable-network-of-friends-across-the-political-spectrum <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/ajit-pawar-is-a-leader-with-deep-grassroots-links-and-a-formidable-network-of-friends-across-the-political-spectrum.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/20-Ajit-Pawar.jpg" /> <p>“<b>MAKE MISTAKES</b> of ambition, and not mistakes of sloth,” wrote Niccolo Machiavelli. <b>Ajit Pawar</b> follows the maxim to the hilt.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Pawar has long been openly pursuing his dream of becoming Maharashtra chief minister. Perhaps the closest he came to achieving it was in 2019, when he split the Nationalist Congress Party to form a coalition government with the BJP and the Shiv Sena. His uncle, Nationalist Congress Party national president Sharad Pawar, was against joining hands with the Sena. So he began pulling strings, and the younger Pawar’s decision soon revealed itself as a mistake of ambition.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>No one can accuse Pawar of being a sloth, though. A leader with deep grassroots links and a formidable network of friends across the political spectrum, he has long been the NCP’s organisational lynchpin. In July this year, ambition again prompted Pawar to cock a snook at his uncle. He split the party and joined the BJP-Sena coalition as deputy chief minister―once again reaching a step closer to the chair of his dreams.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I was sworn in as deputy chief minister five times―a record,” he said at the first public meeting after engineering the split in the NCP. “But has the vehicle stopped there? I feel I want to lead the state. I have things I want to implement, and for that, becoming CM is essential.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The need to hold the coalition together has the BJP being rather diplomatic about Pawar’s jockeying. “Whenever the appropriate time comes, we shall have Ajit Pawar as chief minister for a complete five years,” said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has his own ambitions to reclaim the top job.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For his part, the elder Pawar is certain that his nephew has made another mistake. “[Becoming chief minister] will remain as his dream,” he recently said. “It will never happen in reality.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/ajit-pawar-is-a-leader-with-deep-grassroots-links-and-a-formidable-network-of-friends-across-the-political-spectrum.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/ajit-pawar-is-a-leader-with-deep-grassroots-links-and-a-formidable-network-of-friends-across-the-political-spectrum.html Sat Dec 23 11:57:49 IST 2023 mohammed-shami-owes-his-career-to-his-father-a-fast-bowler-turned-farmer <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/mohammed-shami-owes-his-career-to-his-father-a-fast-bowler-turned-farmer.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/22-Mohammed-Shami.jpg" /> <p><b>THE STORY OF</b> <b>Mohammed Shami</b>’s rise as a cricketer is also the story of damaged <i>charpoys</i> in monsoons.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As a boy, Shami used to practise during rains on a specially constructed cement pitch on his father’s farm in Uttar Pradesh’s Sahaspur Alinagar village. He would place the <i>charpoys</i> behind stumps to prevent the ball from going into the field and damaging crops. “His mother often complained that he was damaging the <i>charpoys</i>,” said Badruddin Siddiqui, Shami’s first coach.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Shami owes his career to his father, a fast bowler-turned farmer who first recognised that his son had it in him to make it big. And Shami has, indeed, made it big. He finished as India’s leading wicket-taker in this year’s ICC World Cup―23 wickets from six matches at a stunning 9.13 runs apiece. He also became the fastest bowler to take 50 World Cup wickets.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The outstanding turn has the UP government planning a stadium with an open gym and race tracks at Sahaspur Alinagar. Now, this is a far cry from the situation in 2021, when Shami had come in for vicious online abuse after India lost a T20 World Cup match against Pakistan. The abuse was so prolonged that cricketer Virat Kohli was moved to defend him, saying “attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing a human being can do”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At Sahaspur Alinagar, Shami now has a 60-acre farmhouse with a sprawling mango orchard and multiple pitches surrounded by nets, where he occasionally hosts his teammates and often trains aspiring pacers of the village.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>By all accounts, the <i>charpoys</i> there are safe.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/mohammed-shami-owes-his-career-to-his-father-a-fast-bowler-turned-farmer.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/mohammed-shami-owes-his-career-to-his-father-a-fast-bowler-turned-farmer.html Sat Dec 23 11:55:47 IST 2023 praggnanandhaa-went-down-fighting-to-carlsen-in-rapid-tiebreaks-but-qualified-for-the-candidates-tournament-next-year <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/praggnanandhaa-went-down-fighting-to-carlsen-in-rapid-tiebreaks-but-qualified-for-the-candidates-tournament-next-year.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/22-R-Praggnanandhaa.jpg" /> <p><b>WHEN</b> <b>R. Praggnanandhaa</b> was born in 2005, Magnus Carlsen was already a chess grandmaster. Carlsen had first proved his mettle in 2004, at a prestigious annual tournament held every year in the Dutch village of Wijk aan Zee. By the time Pragg debuted there in 2021, Carlsen had twice accomplished the unprecedented feat of being the chess, rapid and blitz champion in the same year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Wijk aan Zee was where Pragg first found nerves of steel. Soon after he landed, his coach was diagnosed with Covid and was quarantined. Pragg was forced to stay alone and learn cooking while he practised. Worse, he had to go past a graveyard to reach the playing hall. He kept his nerve rather well, becoming the youngest player to defeat Carlsen just months later.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This year saw Pragg become the youngest player―and the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand―to reach the Chess World Cup final. He went down fighting to Carlsen in rapid tie-breaks, but qualified for the Candidates Tournament next year that would decide the challenger for the 2024 World Chess Championship.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At 18, he has become the third youngest Candidate ever―behind only Carlsen and Bobby Fischer. Pragg’s sister Vaishali, too, became grandmaster in December and qualified for the Candidates Tournament. They will be the first brother-sister duo in the tournament.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/praggnanandhaa-went-down-fighting-to-carlsen-in-rapid-tiebreaks-but-qualified-for-the-candidates-tournament-next-year.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/praggnanandhaa-went-down-fighting-to-carlsen-in-rapid-tiebreaks-but-qualified-for-the-candidates-tournament-next-year.html Sat Dec 23 11:53:38 IST 2023 udhayanidhi-s-defining-moment-as-an-actor-turned-politician-came-at-a-book-launch-in-chennai-in-september-this-year <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/udhayanidhi-s-defining-moment-as-an-actor-turned-politician-came-at-a-book-launch-in-chennai-in-september-this-year.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/26-Udhayanidhi-Stalin.jpg" /> <p><b>TAMIL NADU MINISTER</b> <b>Udhayanidhi Stalin</b>’s defining moment as an actor-turned-politician came at a book launch in Chennai in September this year. It was just weeks after the release of his last film, <i>Mamannan</i>, a well-received political revenge drama about dalits and Dravidian politics. The book was titled <i>Indihiya Viduthalai Poril RSS-in Pangalippu</i> (The RSS’s contribution in India’s freedom struggle), a large and weighty tome whose pages were totally blank except for two caricatures―one showing a man licking a boot, and another showing a gun.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As if launching the book wasn’t just enough to anger the saffron brigade, Udhayanidhi threw in a fiery speech for good measure. He declared that the brahminical concept of Sanatana Dharma was against B.R. Ambedkar’s idea of social justice. “Sanatana is like malaria and dengue, and so it must be eradicated, not opposed,” he said.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A firestorm followed. Protests erupted across the country, cases were filed, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself condemned Udhayanidhi’s speech. Social media brimmed with fake news that the Tamil Nadu minister had called for a genocide. Rattled, the INDIA bloc of opposition parties cancelled their planned rally in Bhopal to contain the damage.</p> <p>But Udhayanidhi stood his ground, and matched his critics word for word. “People are being childish when they say that I called for a genocide,” he said. “When PM Modi says ‘Congress-<i>mukt</i> Bharat’, does that mean Congressmen should be killed?”</p> <p>Observers say the controversy has boosted Udhayanidhi’s political heft. One of his friends recently used a cricket analogy to explain how things have changed: “Udhayanidhi is like the sixth bowler in a cricket team who is suddenly being treated like the main bowler by the rival team.”</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/udhayanidhi-s-defining-moment-as-an-actor-turned-politician-came-at-a-book-launch-in-chennai-in-september-this-year.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/udhayanidhi-s-defining-moment-as-an-actor-turned-politician-came-at-a-book-launch-in-chennai-in-september-this-year.html Sat Dec 23 11:51:15 IST 2023 it-has-been-a-phenomenal-year-for-sunny-and-bobby-deol <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/it-has-been-a-phenomenal-year-for-sunny-and-bobby-deol.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/28-Deols.jpg" /> <p><b>IT HAS BEEN A PHENOMENAL</b> year for the <b>Deols</b>. Dharmendra’s turn as wheelchair-bound grandfather in <i>Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani</i> got rave reviews early this year. In August, son Sunny Deol scored the biggest hit of his career with <i>Gadar 2</i>. Pakistanis, understandably, were not impressed. “Twenty-two years ago, you took out the hand pump, which led to water shortage, and now you have removed an electric pole causing power shortage here,” posted one of them on social media, referring to the iconic action scene in <i>Gadar</i> and a comparable version of it in the sequel. In December, Bobby Deol was seen as the mute but menacing gangster in <i>Animal</i>, which became an even bigger success than <i>Gadar</i> <i>2</i>. The Deol character’s entry song, ‘Jamal Kudu’, also became an internet sensation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Considering the year-round celebrations the Deol household has had, another <i>Yamla Pagla Deewana</i> sequel could soon be upon us.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/it-has-been-a-phenomenal-year-for-sunny-and-bobby-deol.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/it-has-been-a-phenomenal-year-for-sunny-and-bobby-deol.html Sat Dec 23 11:49:01 IST 2023 revanth-reddy-s-electoral-career-are-an-affront-to-probability-theory <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/revanth-reddy-s-electoral-career-are-an-affront-to-probability-theory.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/23/34-Revanth-Reddy.jpg" /> <p><b>TAKEN TOGETHER,</b> the twists and turns in <b>Revanth Reddy</b>’s electoral career are an affront to probability theory.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Reddy scored his first big unlikely win in 2009, when Chandrababu Naidu called him at midnight to make him the TDP’s assembly polls candidate from Kodangal. Godspeed, said Naidu, after handing him the requisite ‘B-form’, a sort of party ticket that Reddy had to submit to election officials in the constituency. The problem: Reddy did not know where Kodangal was; it was the last day for filing nominations; only two weeks remained before polling; and the incumbent MLA was a veteran who had twice won the seat.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Still, Reddy managed a victory margin of 7,000 votes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In 2014, the odds against him were greater. Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, and Kodangal became part of Telangana. Reddy was up against the same rival, who had by then joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which was expected to sweep the polls in the new state. Still, Reddy more than doubled his victory margin.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Because of his good work in Kodangal, 2018 was finally meant to be a cakewalk. Reddy had quit the moribund TDP and joined the reviving Congress; his two-time rival had opted out of the race; and the new rival was a rank outsider. Still, Reddy lost by around 10,000 votes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In 2019, Reddy contested from Malkajgiri, whose 32 lakh electors made it India’s largest Lok Sabha constituency. All assembly segments in Malkajgiri were held by the TRS, whose main fight was with the BJP. Voters disillusioned with both the parties were the Congress’s only sliver of hope. Reddy won by around 10,000 votes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This year, Reddy finally took no chances. He contested from Kodangal and, to be safe, also filed papers from Kamareddy, where the Congress has good presence. He expected to win both the seats, and told his partymen to “punish me if the Congress wins less than 80 seats in Telangana”. As it happened, he won Kodangal with a record margin, but came an embarrassing third in Kamareddy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Congress now has 16 seats less than what he predicted (and just four above the majority mark), and a handful of veterans who are quietly raging at Reddy’s appointment as chief minister. Considering the circumstances, this could well be the punishment that Reddy had asked for.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/revanth-reddy-s-electoral-career-are-an-affront-to-probability-theory.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/23/revanth-reddy-s-electoral-career-are-an-affront-to-probability-theory.html Sat Dec 23 11:45:58 IST 2023 kathak-dancer-sharmistha-mukherjee-interview <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/15/kathak-dancer-sharmistha-mukherjee-interview.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/15/20-Sharmistha-Mukherjee.jpg" /> <p><i>Interview/ Sharmistha Mukherjee, dancer, author</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>PRANAB MUKHERJEE</b> wrote in his diary every night. Journalists who knew that the veteran leader kept a diary would speculate about its contents since he had been at the centre of the most momentous political developments in the country. They would wonder how and when they would become public. A senior journalist once asked Mukherjee when he would publish his diaries, and he simply said he would leave the diaries to his daughter, Sharmistha.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He left 51 volumes of his diaries to Sharmistha Mukherjee. The earliest diary dates back to 1973. The diaries have been in Sharmistha’s custody since 2012, when Mukherjee had moved to Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, he forbade her from reading the diaries till he was alive. Three years after Mukherjee’s death, Sharmistha has come out with her book, <i>Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers</i>, that brings to the fore unknown facets of the Congress veteran’s political career, based on the diary entries and also her own conversations with her father.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For 58-year-old Sharmistha, the process of going through her father’s diaries was an emotionally daunting task and she broke down often while reading them. Sharmistha, who has been a Kathak dancer and has had a brief stint in the Congress, says there is a wealth of information in the diaries and not everything could be brought into one book.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In an interview with THE WEEK, Sharmistha talks about some unknown aspects of her father’s politics as gleaned from his diaries, which range from what he thought was the real reason why he could never become prime minister to how he looked at the Gandhi family’s hold over the Congress to his opinion of Rahul Gandhi as a politician and also his rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Edited excerpts:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ You begin by writing about the time Pranab Mukherjee became president. But we know becoming prime minister was his unfulfilled desire.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Yes, definitely. Sometime during UPA (United Progressive Alliance)-I, it was one of those rare evenings when <i>baba</i> was free, I asked him, ‘<i>Baba</i>, do you want to be prime minister one day’? He said, ‘Of course. Every politician of any kind of consequence wants this. But just because I want it doesn’t mean I am going to get it.’ So I said, ‘Why don’t you talk to Sonia Gandhi?’ He said, ‘And say what?’ And then, he changed the subject. Once I asked him, ‘Are you angry with Sonia Gandhi for not making you prime minister?’ He said in the cut-throat world of politics, everyone safeguards their interests, and Sonia was safeguarding her own and her family’s interests. So, she chose somebody who she felt was better suited for the job. She had the power to choose, so what is there to argue about? Then I said, ‘But you would have been a better prime minister.’ He said, ‘That is your subjective opinion. Ask Dr Manmohan Singh’s daughters. They would have a very different opinion.’</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Later on, when I went through his diaries, especially of the later period, I felt that he was quite grateful to God―he was a deeply religious person― for what he got in his life rather than being bitter about what he did not.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ So he had the ability to look very objectively at the issue.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Absolutely. As a result, he did not have any anger towards Sonia Gandhi and absolutely, definitely not towards Dr Manmohan Singh.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ In your book, you have sought to set the record straight about the impression that after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Pranab Mukherjee had expressed the desire to be prime minister, and that haunted him throughout his political career.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> That is why I have written at length about the incident, because I felt that my father definitely would have wanted me to. I found some handwritten notes in his papers. He gave his own reasoning for Rajiv Gandhi’s and later on that of Sonia’s mistrust towards him. He gave his own analysis about why there was mistrust and why Sonia did not make him prime minister. Only Sonia can give the true answer. But that was his analysis, and I tend to agree with it, that this mistrust arose because of my father’s assertive nature. He wrote, ‘When I look back, I think Rajiv was correct in not incorporating me in his cabinet, because he realised that I am a tough nut, I do not toe a line easily.’</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Was your father able to bridge the trust deficit?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>Yes, after being in political wilderness for a few years. By then, Rajiv was also in a position where his old friends left him and there was the Bofors scam. Perhaps Rajiv felt betrayed by the people who he thought were close to him. He said in an interview about my father, and other people like Mr (R.K.) Dhawan that a lot of things which were said about them were not correct. Unfortunately, Rajiv Gandhi died very young. This was my father’s greatest regret, that he could not work closely with Rajiv.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Towards the end, your father wrote that his blind loyalty towards Indira Gandhi was not correct.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> <i>Baba</i> always called his association with Indira Gandhi the golden period of his life. He always said that Indira <i>ji</i> not only taught him the intricacies of politics and the art of diplomacy, but even what kind of clothes to wear and how to behave in Parliament. His admiration for Indira Gandhi never diminished. But after 50 years, especially with the Congress in a state of decline, that made him introspect. He was a great admirer of Indira Gandhi, but he could not overlook the responsibility of Indira <i>ji</i> as having begun the process of centralisation of power, of decimating state leaders, stopping organisational elections and replacing it by nomination culture.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Back in the 1980s, your father had warned about the legislation brought to negate the Shah Bano judgment.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>He was a big admirer of Rajiv Gandhi and he felt he had done some marvellous work in the five-year period he got. But overturning the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano case, and the opening of the Babri Masjid locks, my father felt were absolutely wrong decisions. He felt that trying to balance Hindu votes and Muslim votes did not gel with the Congress ideology. It polarised society even more, and gave the BJP an issue.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ The UPA years were difficult for your father.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> There are many instances where I found that he had resigned. Of course, it was not accepted. Especially during UPA-II, from his diaries I got the feeling that there was a sense of despondency and frustration. Physically also, he was getting tired, because of his age and the immense overload of work. The prime minister’s authority within the government, it was felt, was getting diminished because the chiefs of regional parties did not always adhere to the values of cabinet functioning. There is one incident I read about in my father’s diary. Mamata Banerjee wanted to bring a white paper on the railways in Parliament, but nobody had read it. My father told Mamata that she should show it to the cabinet or at least to the prime minister. <i>Baba</i> wrote that she grumbled and protested. Then she announced that railway workers would be given a bonus, but she did not consult the cabinet, not even the finance ministry. There were all the scams and the Anna Hazare movement. So UPA-II was a tough time for the government, for the Congress, and for my father till he was in the government.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ There was some friction between him and Manmohan Singh. The prime minister did not invite him to lunch with a foreign dignitary, a signal of the tension.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> The US secretary of state Hillary Clinton was invited to lunch. The economic relationship between India and the US was very much on her agenda. <i>Baba</i> was finance minister. When he was not invited, it raised eyebrows. About a month later, <i>baba</i> wrote in the diary that there was a dinner for judges where the law minister was invited, and among the other ministers, only my father was invited. There he referred to the Clinton lunch. He said perhaps he was being included because of the earlier exclusion.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Did he suggest early elections to Sonia Gandhi when UPA-II was besieged by problems?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> The government was not able to take decisions because of the opposition of coalition partners, and there were the scams and everything else. That was the time <i>baba</i> suggested to Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh to dissolve the Parliament and go to the people for a fresh mandate. But nobody listened.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ At that time, there was speculation that Manmohan Singh could be replaced as prime minister.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> He was sure that it was not going to be him. So there is nothing written about this. But before the announcement of presidency, one day, Ahmed Patel (Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary) came to see him. And he told <i>baba</i> that he suggested to Sonia Gandhi to let <i>baba</i> become prime minister and Dr Manmohan Singh could be made president. <i>Baba</i> wrote later in his book, <i>The Presidential Years</i>, that when he went for a meeting with Sonia Gandhi, he had this feeling that she might make him prime minister and elevate Dr Singh as president. My personal guess is that the conversation with Ahmed Patel might have triggered the last hope in him, that he might become prime minister.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ You write that Pranab Mukherjee doubted Rahul Gandhi’s suitability as a politician.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> There are very few mentions in my father’s diaries about him. I don’t think there was too much interaction between them, because <i>baba</i> was far more senior and he was too busy. One of the earliest references I found was at the end of UPA-I. There was a Congress working committee meeting in which Rahul spoke very strongly against coalitions. My father told him that he should elaborate on his ideas and put those more logically. Rahul said that he would come and meet him. Then I read that a couple of times he came and met him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><i>Baba</i> says he is very courteous and full of questions. He took it as a good sign, that he wanted to learn. And whenever Rahul would make a good speech in Parliament, he would be happy about it. I think <i>baba</i>’s faith in him was shaken with the infamous trashing of the ordinance (when Rahul tore a copy of an ordinance that allowed convicts to contest elections).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In another entry―it was after 2014 (Lok Sabha elections defeat)―Rahul came for lunch. <i>Baba</i> wrote that he gave his analysis of the elections in a most detached manner, as an outsider, as if he was not the face of the party, as if it was not his party that faced such a devastating defeat. He was surprised by this lack of attachment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Then he really started getting worried about Rahul’s frequent disappearing acts. After 2014, there were long absences, and there was intense media speculation. For my father, politics was a 24x7, 365 days job. He wrote, ‘Can he revive the Congress? I do not know’.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ It was you who broke to him the news about the ordinance incident.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Oh, yes. And the way he shouted at me, it was as if I had done that.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ You write that you had never seen him that angry.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> I had seen him angry, but never that angry and never for such a long time.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ In this connection, he said Rahul had all the arrogance of a Gandhi-Nehru family [member], but without their political acumen.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>That is something he wrote later at night. He wrote that Rahul had all the arrogance of his Gandhi-Nehru lineage without their political acumen.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ And he also remarked that this was the final nail in the coffin of the Congress.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> That he said to me much later, in 2015. He was telling me why he thought the Congress faced such a devastating defeat. He said if the vice president of your party showed such disdain for his own government’s decisions so publicly, why should people vote for you.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ One of his last diary entries was about the Gandhi family’s impact on the party.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>Yes. He also held himself responsible for this. He said it was because of him and people like him. ‘Aren’t we accountable for the decline of the party by mortgaging the party to the Gandhi family and their interests and by stopping the democratic process of choosing leaders by election?’ But these kind of things can come only in hindsight.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ He had backed the family staunchly.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> His reasoning was that even during PV’s [Narasimha Rao] time, 10 Janpath remained a very strong power centre. Even a seasoned politician like Narasimha Rao could not diminish its importance. So he thought that it was better to make somebody from the family the party president so that the responsibility was channelised along with authority.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ In 2004, did your father expect Sonia Gandhi to decline prime ministership?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> It took him totally by surprise. He mentioned so in his diaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ The book also looks at the uneasy relationship your father had with Mamata Banerjee.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/ </b>From my father’s diaries and from what I have read about Mamata Banerjee, there was an election for [West Bengal state Congress] presidentship. Mamata lost by a very narrow margin to Somen Mitra. Perhaps she held my father responsible for that. Mamata also felt that my father was very soft on the left. The relationship was, I could not find any other word to use, stormy. Also, I don’t understand the political reason for Mamata Banerjee to oppose the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee for the post of president. Finally, she supported him. I would like to thank her for that.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ You write about the warmth in the association between your father and Prime Minister Modi. But they came from very different ideologies.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> Both of them acknowledged that they came from different ideologies. Mr Modi himself told me this―when he went to meet him as prime-minister-designate, he was nervous. My father told him very candidly that they belonged to different ideologies, but people had given him the mandate to govern. ‘Governance is the responsibility of the prime minister and his cabinet, so I am not going to interfere in that. If you need any help in constitutional matters, I will definitely help you,’ <i>baba</i> told him. While narrating this to me, Mr Modi said it was a very big thing for him to say.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>One of the most important reasons why there was no conflict was the personal regard. And my father’s understanding of the constitutional role of the president and the limitations. My father was very clear that he wanted to be a copybook president. He never tried to be an activist president.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ But this was not appreciated by his Congress colleagues.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> His personal relationship with Narendra Modi is not unique in the sense that my father had a good relationship with people across the political divide, whether it is Jyoti Basu or Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who were left leaders, to Arun Jaitley, L.K Advani or Sushma Swaraj who were from the right. He had an excellent relationship with Nitish Kumar, who broke the ranks with the National Democratic Alliance to vote for him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ But he was not comfortable with the way the Modi government has dealt with the legacy of former prime ministers like Nehru.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> He was very unhappy about it. From his diaries, I learned that he advised Mr Modi not to ignore Pandit Nehru’s contributions. But <i>baba</i> was also critical about the way the Rahul-Sonia regime ignored other prime ministers, including Congress prime ministers. He was also very upset with Savarkar bashing. He said it was the Congress that established democracy in this country, so more than any other political party, it was the duty of the Congress to adhere to the ethics of democracy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ Pranab Mukherjee’s term as president was also known for the large number of mercy petitions he rejected. You write the petitions took an emotional toll on him.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> He used to feel very bad about it. There are a couple of criteria he always used. First, the judgment had to be unanimous. And it had to be recommended by the government. But he told me that he could not sleep for nights after this. He felt that except for cases involving crimes against the nation, death penalty should be abolished.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ You were very unhappy when he went to the RSS headquarters.</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> When I look back, it was foolish on my part. He believed that in a democracy, different ideologies had the right to exist. He believed there was nothing wrong in having a dialogue with the RSS, especially considering the fact that the people had chosen an RSS <i>pracharak</i> as prime minister. He actually used the RSS platform to preach Congress ideology. He might have made the current Congress high command or the leaders unhappy, but he truly upheld the Congress ideology.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ When he was conferred Bharat Ratna, the Gandhis stayed away. How did he feel about that?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> When I asked my father, he said Sonia Gandhi did not allow Narasimha Rao’s mortal remains to enter the AICC, despite him being a former Congress president and prime minister. My father had always been very upset about it. He had at that time requested Sonia Gandhi to let the body into [the AICC office], but she remained quiet. Many a time he mentioned that and said that it was wrong and shameful on the part of Sonia Gandhi and her children.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Q/ What kind of response are you getting from the Congress about the book?</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>A/</b> I am not looking at my social media because I know I will be trolled badly. Just today I sent a copy to Sonia Gandhi. I would definitely want her to read it. She would definitely disagree with many things, dislike many things, but there are some things perhaps she would recollect and smile about.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/15/kathak-dancer-sharmistha-mukherjee-interview.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/15/kathak-dancer-sharmistha-mukherjee-interview.html Fri Dec 15 19:35:43 IST 2023 dubai-climate-change-summit-s-final-document-pleases-participants-but-experts-see-red <a href="http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/15/dubai-climate-change-summit-s-final-document-pleases-participants-but-experts-see-red.html"><img border="0" hspace="10" align="left" style="margin-top:3px;margin-right:5px;" src="http://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/magazine/theweek/specials/images/2023/12/15/34-A-protest-demanding-the-phasing-out.jpg" /> <p><b>IT’S A FIRST!</b> The double F word―fossil fuels―found a distinct mention in the final text adopted by nearly 200 countries at the recently concluded Conference of Parties (COP) in Dubai.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The text, for the first time in the history of COP, called for “transition away from fossil fuels” to restrict the global rise in temperatures within 2°C. The UAE Consensus, as it is being called, came after two weeks of exhausting deliberations at COP 28. Until the very end, the energy security paradigms of powerful nations dominated the discourse, undermining concerns of vulnerable nations at one of the most important global climate summits under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The COP 28 climate talks went into overtime early on December 13 as countries worked tirelessly to bridge the gaps on the issue of fossil fuels. The European Union and island nations kept opposing the drafts for lacking any language on phasing out of fossil fuels, which the Arab countries strongly resisted. Finally, the COP 28 delivered a compromise that called for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner”. The UAE Consensus called for “accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050”. The text also recognised that “transitional fuels can play a role in facilitating the energy transition while ensuring energy security”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Experts welcomed the agreement with a word of caution. “It is the first time that there is recognition of transitioning away from fossil fuels in a COP text, essentially meaning slashing not just coal, but also oil and gas,” said Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends. “However, coming alongside an absolute recognition of a warming world and the need to take rapid action within this decade, the outcome text makes real concessions for gas and oil.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International, said that the resolution is “marred by loopholes that offer the fossil fuel industry numerous escape routes, relying on unproven, unsafe technologies”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Controversy had gripped COP 28 even before it started, with the appointment of Sultan al-Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, as the president of the conference. It did not help matters when he said that there was “no science” to justify the phase-out of fossil fuels to restrict global warming to 1.5°C. Matters became worse for the host when a report by Kick Big Polluters Out revealed that 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists were attending the COP 28. The fault lines deepened when a leaked letter from Haitham Al Ghais, secretary general, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, urged 13 of its members to reject any text targeting fossil fuels. Till the last minute, there was no headway on other contentious issues like climate financing and the inaugural Global Stocktake (GST), which is essentially taking stock of where the world stands on climate action, identifying the gaps and working together on solutions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While there was some initial success with the clearance of the loss and damage fund, meant to help countries dealing with the impact of climate change, the spirit of collective action was missing in the developments that followed. “Phasing out of fossil fuels” got a mention in the draft text of the GST, but was diluted to “transition away from fossil fuels” in the final text. Moreover, the overemphasis on coal continued to play the spoiler. This was reflected in the statement of India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who, while supporting the COP document, urged developed countries to “take the lead based on their historical contributions”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The coal vs other fossil fuels debate was the most burning issue of the COP 28. India and China abstained from signing the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, as the draft text directly linked tripling of renewable energy with “phasing down of unabated coal power”. While the US draws only about 20 per cent of its energy from coal, meeting the bulk of its requirements from oil and gas, India, despite its aggressive green push, still depends heavily on coal to meet its energy needs. According to the coal ministry, in the last nine years, India’s overall coal production has gone up by 47 per cent to 893.08 million tonnes, highest in the history of the country, and supply has touched 877.74 million tonnes, recording 45.37 per cent growth. China also relies on coal for more than half of its energy consumption. This explains the Global North’s overemphasis on phasing out coal while remaining silent on other fossil fuels.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“Today’s decision is a cause of celebration for the oil and gas sector,” said Vaibhav Chaturvedi, fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water. “It gives a long rope to fossil energy use by only advocating for a transition and not phase-out. The invisible hand of oil and gas powers has prevailed. Self interest of the developed world has taken over the global interests.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Even the final COP document targeted coal-based economies. “In an effort to please major emitters, the decision gives free pass to gas by terming it ‘transitional’ fuel, regardless of emission contributions that are modelled to come from gas, especially from countries like Russia, the US and the Middle East,” said Khosla.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Agreed Ulka Kelkar, executive director, climate, World Resources Institute, India: “From an Indian perspective, this text displays greater parity between coal and other fossil fuels. But it appears to absolve developed countries of the responsibility of phasing out their fossil fuel use. The reference to transitional fuels explicitly gives gas-producing countries the licence to sell more gas rather than invest in renewable energy.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The efficacy of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, which the Global North has been trying to push for, was also challenged during COP 28 for its financial and practical viability to abate fossil fuel use. A report by Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment found that “a high CCS pathway is expected to cost at least $30 trillion more than a low CCS pathway, roughly $1 trillion per year” whereas the International Energy Agency estimated that only 15 per cent of cumulative reduction in emissions can be achieved by 2070 through CCS.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With the inclusion of fossil fuels in the text, the focus will now shift to implementation, which will require individual interests making way for collective intentionality and action. The differences prevailing on issues such as adaptation, GST and climate financing will require more perseverance to fulfil the climate targets. As Sultan al-Jaber said, the agreement will not serve any purpose if not “turned into tangible actions”.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>That will pretty much decide the fate of our planet.</p> http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/15/dubai-climate-change-summit-s-final-document-pleases-participants-but-experts-see-red.html http://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2023/12/15/dubai-climate-change-summit-s-final-document-pleases-participants-but-experts-see-red.html Fri Dec 15 19:22:10 IST 2023