1. FESTIVALS: Vietnamese
celebrate New Year at Hindu temple: More than 50,000 Vietnamese, almost all Buddhists,
prayed at the Mariammam Temple, in Ho Chi Minh City through the day and the
entire night during the Vietnamese New Year on January 22 as a part of 7-day
Tet festival. "Vietnamese believe that worshiping at this temple during
the New Year festival will bring good luck," Atul Kumar, a businessmen who
has been in HCMC since the 1980s said.
Ho Chi Minh City with three
Hindu temples, all built nearly 150 years back, presently has less than 1,000
resident Bharatiyas. The Mariammam temple draws the maximum number of local
worshippers.
Devotees observed both Hindu
and Buddhist rituals to please the gods at the temple. They believed that Hindu gods are generous about
granting the wishes of worshippers. Food offerings were made to idols of
Lakshmi, Muruga and Ganesha besides the main idol of goddess Mariammam.
2. FESTIVAL FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE: “Vishishtarigagi Vishishta
Mela,” was organised by Asha Jyothi, the forum for the challenged and their
parents, on January 22 at the Canara High School ground at Dongerkeri in
Mangalore. The kids enjoyed all the fun activities, educative programmes and
the free refreshments and food. The fest was conducted to encourage the
differently abled people and to create awareness among the parents and public
about the developments in treatments and about the different beneficial
programmes and schemes for the differently abled. Seva Bharathi Trustee Dr U V
Shenoy said that though the government is announcing many schemes, the
institution has not received any government help and is being run with the help
from donors.
The special day began with a
procession from the Loyola Hall at St Aloysius PU College to the venue at
Canara High School.
“The fact that we are
challenged is not a curse, but instead it helps us to show what all talents we
have with us,” said State Rajyotsava awardee Sabita Monis who does not have
both hands. “All the people are talented in one or the other way. Finding out
that talent and giving proper encouragement on time is the most important
thing,” she added.
Sabita Monis, Special
Olympics winners Pramila Pinto, Dhanya Rao, Roy Pinto, Anil Mendonca and their
trainers Mahesh, Lakshminarayana Upadhayaya, Narayan S, Vasanth S were
felicitated on the occasion.
3. Hindu Shakti Sangama-2012: The 3 day mammoth convention
of RSS Swayamsevaks, Hindu Shakti Sangama-2012 was held at outskirts of Hubli
North- Karnataka. From Jan 27 to Jan 29 near Tarihar bypass off Gokul Road
named 'Vijayanagar', remembering the glorious legacy of Vijayanagar Dynasty
Kingdom of Hampi.
Inaugurating the Sangama RSS
Sarkaryavah Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi said ‘Whenever our society witnessed attacks
from foreign invaders and imbroglio within the country, the Hindu society has
shown its potentiality to digest such challenges. The Hindu Shakti Sangama
reminds us the potentiality of Hindu Society.’
D V Sadananda Gowda, Chief
Minister of Karnataka, Sri Rajayogeendra Swamiji of 3-thousand Mutt -Hubli, RSS
Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Dr Satish Jagajinni, Justice Parvat
Rao alongwith several sangh adhikaris and socio-religious leaders were present on the
occasion.
21,554 swayamsevaks from
1894 villages of 13 districts of North Karnataka participated in this 3 day
residential camp. Around 2000 swayamsevaks
worked as Prabandhaks The Hindu Shakti Sangama was held to commemorate 75th
anniversary of visit of RSS founder Dr Keshava Baliram Hedgewar to Chikkodi of
North Karnataka on January 16, 1937 from where RSS activities began in
Karnataka.
RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan
Bhagvat while addressing the concluding function put emphasis on the strength
(of the society), saying that the moral character should be accompanied by the
strength, to bring about the positive change to the world.
“As said by Dr Kalam we forgot the worship of
power, due to which, we were under slavery for thousand years. We need to
regain the power, make our society stable. RSS is doing this job of making the
countrymen stronger to regain the power to make a strong and prosperous Bharat
(India).” Citing some quotes from the autobiography of Dr.Vergese Kurien, which
criticise the mindset of people for entirely remain dependant on the
Governnment, he said that this attitude still persists and is harmful for the
nation building.
“This country is not just a
piece of land for us. It is worshipped as motherland since time immemorial. Our
ancestors called it Mrunmayi. The society should remember 3 things, first - the
concept of Mathrubhoomi, Second - proud of our Culture and third - respect
towards our ancestors. The one who always respects his ancestors and their
contributions and values is a Hindu” opined the RSS Chief.
Prior to the speech of
Sarasanghachalak, spectacular demonstrations of various Sangh physical
exercises by swayamseavaks, attracted the gathering.
In his presidential speech
veteran scientist Lt.Gen. Dr V J Sundaram said “Bharat got political freedom in
1947, but it was not economical. We had problem in several sectors, later we
successfully achieved green, white and technological revolution. Bharat has
proved its potentiality in technology; our missile technology is one of the
best on the world. While constructing Pruthvi Missile, I realised the strength
of Bharat. “ The event was blessed by Sri
Rajayogeendra Mahaswamy ji.
4. BHARAT
CREATES VIVEKANANDA CHAIR AT CHICAGO VARSITY: Throwing open a new opportunity for the West to know Bharat,
New Delhi on Jan 29 created a faculty chair — named after Swami Vivekananda —
at the University of Chicago. Supported by a $1.5 million endowment grant from
the ministry of culture, the University of Chicago will establish “the Bharatiya
Ministry of Culture Vivekananda Visiting Professorship” for Bharatiya studies.
According
to a University of Chicago release, “The one-quarter visiting professorship
will be given to distinguished scholars from a variety of disciplines with an
interest in the fields of study most relevant to the teachings and philosophies
of the Swami, such as Indian philosophy, politics and social movements.”
Dedicating
a plaque of Vivekananda at the AIC, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said,
“Swami Vivekanda was practically Bharat’s first cultural ambassador to United
States.” He also inaugurated an art exhibition of Rabindranath Tagore at AIC.
In
a release, university president Robert J. Zimmer said, “The ministry’s generous
support will allow us to expand on the university’s tradition of rigorous
scholarship in Bharatiya studies.”
5. Surya
Namaskar Yajna 2012: Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) concluded its sixth annual Yogathon on January
29th. The 16-day event that began on January 14th saw the participation of over
11,000 participants from 37 US states and these Yoga enthusiasts have reported
completion of over 1 million repetitions of the sun salutation .
The
Surya Namaskar Yajna (Yogathon) is an open-to-all program, designed to create
awareness about Yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind and
spirit.
Like
every year, this unique “Health for Humanity Yogathon” saw the participation of
community groups, Yoga centers, school and college students, and several
government officials. Mayors from 19 cities signed proclamations in support of
the event, while 2 Congressmen provided letters of support to the program. Hon.
Governer of the State of Colorado - John Hickenlooper proclaimed Jan 14th to
29th the Health for Humanity Yogathon weeks.
6. AGNI-IV, C-130J, IAF WOMAN OFFICER
AMONG FIRSTS AT R-DAY PARADE: The latest nuclear capable Agni-IV missile,
its C-130J special operations plane, and a woman officer leading the IAF unit
on Rajpath were among the firsts at the 63rd Republic Day parade on January 26. Agni-IV, successfully tested in November
2011, was on display as part of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) tableau. A potent and technologically advanced arsenal,
Agni-IV, which can hit targets 3,500 km away, adds a new dimension to the
country's capabilities in strategic deterrence. The DRDO also showcased the new
tactical battlefield support high-speed missile Prahaar and the medium altitude
long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle Rustom-I. Indian Air Force's (IAF)
latest acquisition, the US Lockheed Martin C-130J transport plane, made its
debut at the parade.
Three C-130Js were part of
the IAF's 29 aircraft fly past, including three Su-30MKIs and MiG-29s.
India bought six C-130Js
from the US for over $1 billion. Ft Lt Sneha Shekhawat made history when she
led the IAF contingent down Rajpath, becoming the first woman officer to do so.
7. SEWA USA Helps Flood Victims
in Pakistan: Sewa USA led a multi-group effort with Hindu American Foundation (HAF) to
raise funds for Pakistan’s flood victims . Sewa funded Hare Rama Foundation in
December to help start the relief efforts for the extremely poor and desolate
flood victims in Pakistan’s Sindh province.“We are really encouraged by the
reports we received from the Hare Rama Foundation (HRF) in Pakistan. Donors’
money is put to good use by the foundation” said Professor Sree Sreenath,
President, Sewa International USA.
Floods in 2010 and heavy
monsoon downpour last year caused extensive damage in Sindh province in
Pakistan. Millions of displaced people are hungry, homeless and desperately
seeking help. Sewa USA is working through Hare Rama Foundation, a local,
registered non-profit organization based in Punjab, Pakistan.
The Hare Rama Foundation
works very closely with marginalized sections of the Pakistani society. Registered
with the Government of Pakistan as a non-governmental and non-profit
organization, the Hare Rama Foundation focuses on providing education in rural
areas, creating awareness on gender and women rights and building interfaith
harmony.
8.
DRDO LAB TESTS UAVs: The Aeronautical Development Establishment
(ADE) — a lab under DRDO — has flight demonstrated three Micro Air Vehicles
named Black Kite, Golden Hawk & Pushpak with sizes ranging from 300 to 450
mm with a maximum ‘all up’ weight of 300 gms to 500 gms having an endurance of
30 minutes and carrying a miniature daylight video camera as payload that
relays the imagery of the gaming area to ground control during its flight. The
vehicles are designed and developed to meet requirements including countering
low intensity conflicts, counter terrorism and for rescue operations during
natural calamities. These small vehicles are capable of flying in full
autonomous mode and transmitting live day and night video to the portable
Ground Control Station (GCS) in real time. Two mini UAVs categorised under 2 Kg
class vehicles with endurance of 1 hour were also demonstrated.
9. SOLID BRONZE CAST SHIVA STATUE IN AMSTERDAM
MUSEUM:
Prestigious Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam recently conducted an X-ray of its
thousand-year-old monumental Shiva-Nataraja statue as a part of research and
was surprised to know that it was cast in solid bronze.
This Dancing Shiva statue
was X-rayed using high-energy digital radiation, along with the lorry
transporting it, in the most powerful X-ray tunnel for containers of the
Rotterdam customs authority. It is said to be the first research of its kind on
a museological masterpiece.
At 153 cm x 114.5 cm, this
300 kilograms Shiva statue is claimed to be the largest known bronze statue
from the Chola Dynasty kept in a museological collection outside Bharat.
"This solid bronze Shiva is evidence of a high level of mastery of bronze
casting", a Museum release says.
10. NATIONAL
YUVA VARG, HOUSTON, 2012: The 4th National Yuva Varg of HSS USA was held Jan 14- 16 in
Camp Woodmen in Bellville, TX. 54 yuvas from 17 US universities attended the
camp. After Ish Chintan and parichay, Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak, Saumitra Gokhale
explained how Sangh is planning to celebrate Swami Vivekanand’s150th birth
anniversary in 2013. They also learnt about experiments tried out in different
campuses to run a successful yuva shakha. The night Katha session by Yelloji was
on Eknath Ranade and Vivekanand Rock Memorial.
Feedback sessions were held on how to run different model yuva shakhas: i.e.,
of graduate students, undergrads, grad and undergrads and young professionals.
Philip Goldberg from LA talked
about influence of Hindu Dharma on the American society. Dr. Ram Vaidya, Saha
Samyojak Vishwa Vibhag talked about Integral Humanism and Sangh vision in the
Samarop Bauddhik.
11. VIVEKANANDA
STONE COT CONSECRATED IN SAMSKRITI BHAVAN:
On January 11 evening, after
puja and aarati by Swami Thathwaroopananda of Ramakrishna Ashram, the Shila
Manch (cot) was placed in a Rath and accompanied by traditional Kerala
Panchavadyam, Thalapoli and hundreds of youth in cars and bikes, it started its
journey towards Samskriti Bhavan.
The Rath arrived at the
Martyrs Square at 5.45 pm where former Union Minister O Rajagopal offered puja
and in a procession led by him and VHP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan, it
proceeded to Samskriti Bhavan. There BVK Director Padmasri P Parameswaran
performed aarati and the Shila Manch was placed on specially made granite
pedestal.
On January 12, Swamiji’s
birth day, a huge youth rally with thousands of students in Vivekananda
inscribed T Shirts, was inaugurated in front of Kerala University headquarters
by cricketer Sreeshanth, Kerala Sports
Council President and Asiad Gold Medaller Padmini Thomas and Asiad Medaller
Selvam.
12. REPORT:
TIBET RIGHTS SITUATION WORSENS: The human rights situation in Tibet has deteriorated
as the Chinese government has “increased its repressive policies towards the
political, religious and cultural rights of the Tibetan people”.
These allegations have been
levelled in a 108-page annual report of the Tibetan Centre of Human Rights and
Democracy (TCHRD), an NGO based at Dharamsala, which was released on Jan 24 in
Dharmashala.
The report says the Chinese
government follows highly repressive policies in ethnic minority areas such as
Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.
The situation throughout
Tibet remained tense in 2011 following a massive crackdown on protests that
swept the plateau in 2008. The Chinese security forces maintain a heavy
presence and the authorities continue to restrict access and travel to Tibetan
areas, particularly for journalists and foreign visitors.
The report further alleges
that the Chinese government continues to build a “new socialist countryside” by
relocating the Tibet population, including nomads.
13. 2 IAF women fly high,
break altitude barrier: Two officers of the Indian Air Force have created history by becoming the
first woman pilots to land their aircraft on two of the world’s most difficult
runways — Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip on the Sino-Indian border, which is at an
altitude of 16,200 feet, and the 10,600-feet-from-sea level Leh airfield.
Squadron Leaders Teji Uppal and Veena Saharan performed the feat last month,
Air Force officials said Jan 24. Uppal, who has piloted aircraft to the
advanced landing grounds of Mechuka and Vijaynagar in the Northeast, landed her
An-32 at the strategic Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip in Ladakh.
Saharan landed an IL-76
military transport aircraft, the largest in the Air Force’s fleet, at the Leh
airfield.
14. YOGA ROOM OPENS AT SFO: 50-sft public yoga studio
for passengers, possibly the world’s first inside and airport was inaugurated
at San Francisco International Airport on January 26th with a performance of Surya
Namaskar by the Airport Director John Martin, a yogi of 18 years. The Yoga
Room, as it's called, is located beyond the security check point in Terminal 2,
and so is only open to flyers. There's no teacher or TV inside, just a few
chairs and some yoga mats. It cost between $15-20,000 to build and was born of
the idea from a visitor to the terminal, said Martin. It's a self-service
operation where silence is appreciated as per rules.
15. PU.
RAJJUBHAYYA REMEMBERED AT PRAYAG: A
memorial speech was organized by ‘ Prof. Rajendra Singh Memorial Trust’ at
prayag on the occasion of 89th birth anniversary of Late Pujjya Rajendra Singh
(Rajju Bhaiyya) the 4th Sanghsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh. Shri
Tarjun Vijay, senior journalist and Rajya Shaba Member delivered speech on the
occasion at Prayag on 26th Jaunary in the premises of Jawala Devi Saraswati
Inter College, Civil lines. He said Rajju Bhaiya was a true patriot and his
charismatic personality attracted the masses. Presiding over the program, Pujya
Sanhkaracharya Shri Badrkashram Peeth said that Rajju Bhaiyaa was a ‘Samajik Sant’. The dignatries
present in the program were ex minister Dr. Narendra Kumar Sainh Gaur,
Virendra Kumar Singh Choudhary and others. .
16. US SENATORS SUPPORT SOUGHT: A group of Bharatiya
American IT professionals have asked US Senators to support a key immigration
reform legislation, which will drastically reduce the "Green Card"
waiting period for highly skilled workers from countries like Bharat and China.
"This as an important step in the effort to reform immigration policy in
response to the changing global situation," said Khanderao Kand of the
Global Indian Technology Professionals Association (GITPRO) on January 23. Currently
pending the Congress, Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act proposes to
eliminate the per nation cap on employment-based visas in favour of a more
fair, "first come, first serve" system, and to increase per-country
limits from seven to 15 per cent in the family based immigration system.
17. BHARAT BECOMES 6TH NATION TO JOIN ELITE
NUCLEAR SUBMARINE CLUB: Bharat on January 23 became the world's sixth country after the US,
Russia, France, the UK and China to operate nuclear-powered submarines when the
Russian Akula-II class submarine `K-152 Nerpa' was commissioned into Bharatiya
Navy as INS Chakra on a 10-year lease under a secretive almost $1-billion
contract inked in 2004.
Nuclear-powered submarines
are stealthy since they can operate underwater at long ranges for months unlike
diesel-electric submarines that need to surface every few days to get oxygen to
recharge their batteries and have limited endurance due to fuel requirements.
INS Chakra will be armed with the 300-km range Klub-S
land-attack cruise missiles, which Bharat deploys on its Kilo-class
conventional submarines and other missiles and advanced torpedoes.
18. NZ school teaches
Sanskrit and claims it helps children understand English: Ficino School in Mt Eden
area of Auckland (New Zealand), calls itself a 'values-based academic
institution' and offers education for girls and boys from year one to eight. It
says about Sanskrit: "It has a wonderful system of sound and grammar, which
gives the child an excellent base for the study of any language. Children love
its order and beauty."
According to Peter Crompton,
principal of this school founded in 1997, where curriculum includes "food
for the mind, food for the spirit, food for the body", "Sanskrit with
its almost perfect grammatical system...provides children with a roadmap for
understanding English." Sanskrit not only gives young learners a clear
understanding of the structure of language, it also heightens their awareness
of the process of speech, creating a greater understanding of and ability to,
enunciate words clearly, Crompton adds.
19. BHARAT 6th on innovative
list: Study:
Bharat has been ranked the sixth most "innovative" country in the
world in multinational conglomerate GE's Annual Global Innovation Barometer.
The report, based on a
survey of 2,800 senior business executives in 22 countries, including 200
respondents in Bharat, identifies the top enablers for innovation in the
country as talent ('creative' talent and people with technical expertise),
financial support from public authorities and long-term support from investors.
20. Rs 1.50 crore diamond crown donated to Meenakshi
temple: A diamond crown, costing Rs.1.50 crore, was donated to the Meenakshi
temple. Temple joint commissioner Jayarman said the crown had been made from
pure emerald, diamond and 1.5 kg of gold. The crown had been donated by an
industrialist.
21. SARASWATI PUJA RINGS IN SPRING IN
DHAKA: Heralding the season of Spring, Saraswati Puja
is being celebrated across Bangladesh with Dhaka University's Fine Arts faculty
students claiming their 35-foot idol is the biggest in the world. A Hindu
festival meant to seek the blessings of Saraswati, students and educationists
cutting across religious divide join in the festivities to honor the deity of
wisdom, education, fine arts and performing arts. The puja is held on the day
of Vasant Panchami every year. Like other years, students of DU's Fine Arts
Faculty have created Jagannath Hall's Saraswati idol this year, too. Made of
jute, it has been placed in the hall's pond. "Thirty-five people worked
daily for a month to create the idol," DU Fine Arts student Chanchal
Karmakar said.
22. SABARIMALA PILGRIMAGE CONCLUDES: The 66-day annual Mandalam-Makara Vilakku pilgrimage
at the Lord Ayyappa temple among Kerala’s Sabarimala mountains concluded on Jan
21 with the closure of the sanctum sanctorum in the morning. The shrine will
reopen on February 13 for the monthly rituals.
The
special concluding poojas started with a Ganapati Homan held at 5 pm under the
temple’s traditional chief priest, Tanthri Kantararu Maheswararu. After this,
the Thiruvabharanam (holy attires) put on the idol of the deity on the occasion
of Makara Jyoti on January 15 was taken down the 18 holy steps that led to the
shrine.
By
6.30 am, Kaippuzha Koyikkal Hari Varma, representative of the Raja of Pandalam
Palace, Lord Ayyappa’s ancestral home as per the legend, had darshan at the
shrine.
23.
KASHMIRI
PANDITS PROTEST OUTSIDE RAJ BHAWAN ON 22ND ‘HOLOCAUST DAY’: Hundreds of displaced
Kashmiri Hindus under the banner of different organisations demonstrated
outside Jammu & Kashmir Governor residence on Holocaust Day in the winter
capital of the state on January 19. The protestors wearing black badges and
carrying placards in their hands raised slogans against terrorism and
Government’s pro-separatist policies.
The Joint Forum of Kashmiri
Pandit Organisations held the demonstration outside Raj Bhawan to mark the
beginning of the mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir. They recalled the
events of January 19, 1990 that set the process of exodus in motion after the
separatists warned the community to leave the Valley within 24 hours. They said
the government of the state as well as Centre, which watched like a mute
spectator to this entire episode, is now giving clean chit to separatists and
Jehadi forces that waged a war to India.
24. US TV SHOW HOST JAY LENO
SUED: Randeep Dhillon, a
Bharatiya-American has filed a libel suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against
US TV show host Jay Leno for his "racist" comments on the Golden
Temple and ridiculing the entire Sikh community by portraying the holy shrine
as a possible summer home of Mitt Romney, a leading Republican presidential
hopeful. The suit adds that Leno's joke "clearly exposes plaintiff, other
Sikhs and their religion to hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy because it
falsely portrays the holiest place in the Sikh religion as a vacation resort
owned by a non-Sikh." In New York also Sikhs for Justice has filed its complaint with
regulator Federal Communications Commission against Leno.
Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee president
Avtar Singh Makkar terming the unwarranted comments on the Golden Temple as a
'mischevious act' of Jay Leno has exhorted other Sikh organizations of US to
file similar complaints against Leno.
25.
PER CAPITA INCOME CROSSES RS 50,000: “The
per capita income at current prices is estimated at Rs 53,331 in 2010-11, as
against Rs 46,117 for the previous year, depicting a growth of 15.6 per cent,”
said the Quick Estimates of National Income released by the Central Statistical
Office (CSO). The growth in per capita income comes on the back of 8.4 per cent
expansion of the Indian economy during the last fiscal.
26. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors: Priyanka & Dr.Anil
Asthana, Sanjiv Bhakhri AustraliaPravaas:
FOOD
FOR THOUGHT: The tempter masters the lazy and irresolute man who dwells on the
attractive side of thing, ungoverned in his senses, and unrestrained in his
food., like the wind overcomes a rotten tree. But the tempter cannot master a
man who dwells on the distatsteful side of things, self controlled in his
senses, moderate in eating, resolute and full of faith, like the wind cannot
move a mountain crag. – Gautam Buddha
JAI SHREE RAM
Republic
Day: Let's believe in India
APJ Abdul
Kalam
I have seen three Indias in
my life. The first one was the country of my childhood - a nation ruled by a
foreign colonial power. It was a country struggling for independence . That
country had a vision for independence which was led by great mass leaders like
Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
After we got independence in
1947, I witnessed another India. That India was independent but it still
strived for recognition as it recuperated from the injustices of the colonial
rule that lasted for more than a century. It was an India of hopes and dreams.
It was an India that dreamt of having self-sufficiency in food, a strong
economy and a position of respect in the international arena, which it really
deserved. Many leaders, scientists, servicemen and social reformers worked very
hard to build the newly independent nation through economic development coupled
with social equity and democracy.
Then I saw the third phase
of India, an era which belongs to present-day youth. Now, India is a land of
opportunities, growth at previously unimaginable rates, a strong workforce and
technological leadership . Six decades back, few would have dared to imagine
that a nation of such diversity - often termed by some as an experiment in
democracy - would eventually find its place amongst the top economies of the world.
Who would have imagined that one day India would have worldclass educational
institutions and it would be the first country to discover water on the lunar
surface.
The three Indias I have
lived in and witnessed are quite different from each other. We have come a long
way since 1950, when we became a republic. Of course, there are still many
important issues such as poverty , illiteracy and corruption that need to be
addressed.
The Indian economy was
growing at an average of 9% per annum till 2008. In 2009-10 , our economy was
affected by global economic turbulence, but still it managed to grow at more
than 7% at a time when many other countries were facing recession . Even in the
last quarter of 2011, with the economic scenario in the US and Europe looking
quite bleak, India grew at 7%. In the present circumstances, I often ask myself
what type of innovation is needed to enrich the Indian economy and make other
world economies better. I have been talking about this important issue with
many experts including those from the Indian Institutes of Management.
On the basis of these
discussions, I believe that our economy will not be affected by the current
financial crisis. India will escape this turbulence because of the following
reasons:
The liberalization process
in India has its checks and balances which are consistent with the unique
social requirements of the country
The Indian banking system
has always been conservative which has protected from the global crisis The
Indian psyche is generally savings oriented and living within one's means is
part of our mindset The purchasing power of the 350-millionstrong Indian middle
class While developed nations are in turmoil, in India sectors such automobile,
cement and financial services have been posting significant gains. We have
reached a level of development where innovation has become part of our
thinking. Now we need to apply this thinking to rejuvenate the agricultural
sector. It's time to make value addition to the agriculture sector and to
small- and mediumscale industries and enterprises so that they can all make
greater contribution to India's growing GDP.
I foresee tremendous
possibilities for creating new markets and jobs. This can be done by tapping
the potential of the rural population and by creating more employment in the
countryside. There is huge potential for what I call public-private-citizen
(PPC) partnerships and international cooperation in these areas.
India's performance in
information technology, pharmaceuticals, small-scale industries and
infrastructure has given a new dimension to our economy. With a credible legal
framework , robust banking and financial system, skilled manpower and a dynamic
600-million-strong workforce , India has become an attractive proposition for
the global order.
At the domestic level, India
is focusing on bringing sustainable development to its people through rural and
urban infrastructure , quality education, healthcare, environmental
upgradation, efficiency in public institutions for better and enhanced delivery
of essential services on time, reforms in the financial system for better
global integration and a proactive regulatory system.
All this is critical to
India becoming a truly global player. More than 60 years of democratic vibrancy
- which has provided good leadership to the nation -- gives us confidence to
manage socio-economic turbulence. It also helps us in providing leadership to
1.2 billion people in a democratic, multicultural, multi-linguistic and
multi-religious environment.
With such a positive outlook,
here is how I visualize India in the year 2020. Eight years from now, India
will be a nation, where The rural-urban divide is reduced to a thin line There
is equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water
Agriculture, industry and service sectors work together in symphony Education
is not denied to any meritorious candidate because of social or economic
discrimination.
(The writer was President of
India from 2002 to 2007. He is the author of 'India 2020: A Vision for the New
Millennium')
- Times of
India, Jan 25, 2012.
MEET TOP JUDGE WHO SAVED PAK FROM MILITARY TAKEOVER
Omer Farooq Khan
Speculation
about military takeover in Pakistan amid escalating political crisis over the
last few months has so far turned out to be false.
Analysts
say Pakistan's assertive judiciary has been among the reasons that have
discouraged generals, who have ruled the country for more than half of its
existence , from staging a coup.
But
the judiciary has not always been like this. Pakistan's 64-year-old chief
justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is seen as the man behind its resurgence . The
judiciary had a dismal record of endorsing military rulers besides being inept
and pliant until November 2007 when Chaudhry took military ruler Pervez
Musharraf on and eventually ensured his ouster a year later.
Chaudhry
issued an order declaring Musharraf 's imposition of emergency as "unconstitutional
and illegal'' for the first time in the country's history in March 2007.
Musharraf
had imposed the emergency to get rid of judges, who gave him sleepless nights.
Chaudhry's courage to stand up to the military strongman brought tens of thousands
of people onto the streets for a movement that ultimately led to return of
exiled leaders, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, elections in February 2008
besides Musharraf 's ouster.
The
ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which came to power in February 2008,
ended the detention of judges that Musharraf had ordered, but was reluctant to
restore many of them including Chaudhry. The government said they can be
restored if they take a fresh oath of office, an offer which many had accepted
but some including Chaudhry had refused.
Chaudhry
and his supporters believed a fresh oath would amount to admitting to the
legality of their sacking . Lawyers led by Chaudhry again started a campaign
for the restoration of judges. The government finally gave in to pressure and
PM Yousaf Raza Gilani restored the judges through an executive order in March
2009.
The
restoration was a win-win situation for the judiciary and Chaudhry's popularity
increased as a judge who stood for justice, rule of law and democracy. People turned
to the apex court for all sorts of things.
But
Chaudhry's restoration proved nightmarish for president Asif Ali Zardari as he
struck down an amnesty law promulgated by Musharraf to pave way for Bhutto's
return to the country.
Chuadhry's
firm stand on reopening of cases against Zardari further enhanced his standing.
He sent a strong message to the military that the judiciary would not approve
any extra constitutional measures to topple the elected government. –Times
of India, Jan 24, 2012
