Friday 10 July 2015

Make In India

Make in India is launched by GOI with lots of grandeur and fanfare is deemed as game changer for ailing manufacturing sector in India. Governments impetus on manufacturing augurs well for masses as manufacturing is the biggest source of employment after agricultural sector for unskilled and semiskilled workforce. Indian economy is incredibly diverse with more intrinsically inclined then dependent on exports .Government efforts to improve overall businesses environment is encouraging, transparent auctioning of mines,spectrum etc, cutting down on red tapism, quick redressal of projects stuck in green tribunals are steps in right direction but still woefully short of major transformation when it comes to investment in the country. Indian economy has many impediments that needs to be firmly addressed before gaining confidence of investors , major reforms have to be implemented to bring in investments that India needs. Halfhearted attempts by govt to push for clearing basic bills like GST stuck in parliament logjam , repeatedly bringing ordinance on land doesn't lend much confidence among investors thus squandering the momentum and hope built on economic reforms.
          63% of GDP is services sector that grew tremendously through 90's with liberalization and reforms ushered during that time, yet the stupendous growth of services sector has one drawback it employs just 28 % of Indian workforce. IT enabled services, such as Business Process Outsourcing, have grown rapidly in the recent years and will continue to rise but is over dependent on the vagaries of world economic fluctuations.Tourism and hospitality is another sub sector that's discarded till recently and only now some steps are initiated as its growth holds promise for job creation .The biggest job creator is the agricultural sector employing  more then 53% of workforce but it accounts for just 17% of Indian GDP.Indian farm sector is still largely dependent on the climatic conditions with one or two droughts causes havoc. It is this discrepancy that needs immediate attention.We have to redeploy manpower from agriculture towards manufacturing .Recent govt impetus on building food processing industries(Food Parks) and cold storage parks ensures confidence. Food processing will help in value addition and cutting on agricultural wastages that's highest in the world .The over dependence of population on single sector has devastating consequences with maximum poverty stricken and debt ridden class emanating in rural India as is evident from recently published reports from Government .Finally, the Industry sector makes up 20 %of India’s GDP and employs around 19% of the labour force. Among the major sub-industries include textiles (the largest industry in terms of employment), chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery and pharmaceuticals.Govt initiatives to develop industrial corridors (SEZ)for industries to setup investments by providing world class infrastructure, tax breaks is a prudent step
            Another bold concept is the planning to develop smart cities across India. This single scheme has the huge potential to provide jobs on mass scale for unskilled and semiskilled labor force besides providing required residential dwellings for population . The worst affected and the most distressed class will eventually have financial security and stability as  construction is the biggest creator of jobs for the poor. It has the potential to alleviate poverty and transform India on an unprecedented scale but the bottleneck here is the unavailability of land under government. This drawback can be mitigated by prudent planning and creating consensus among stakeholders for mutual benefit of all. Any faltering on government parts can only lead to more inequality and unending loop towards obscurity for masses to end

Monday 6 July 2015

Changing Aspirations Of Kashmiri Youth

          There seems to be a strong undercurrent among youths in J&K to somehow get associated and become part of national mainstream that too defying all odds and prejudices inculcated against country.Visible signs are the increasing participation of youths in all India competitive examinations which were earlier a taboo as it was considered serving India. There were times when only KAS was considered as viable option but increasing number of successful applicants each year paints a different picture pleasant to all. The ever increasing euphoria to participate and serve country is extremely positive development for the nationalist forces. There had been a concerted effort and malicious propaganda to defame India and create a wedge in people's physique ongoing for decades. The radical forces who tries to force there writ on common Kashmiris won't be pleased to see such bridges of hope and reconciliation. It only strengthens the belief to directly increase engagement with masses rather then the chosen few impersonating as leaders with unknown and untested popularity. It's however funny and paradoxical, the same impersonators(leaders) are themselves shamelessly & silently receiving the generosity offered by GOI as revealed by AS Dulat in his recent book.While preaching sacrifice to locals in valley stalwarts of Hurriyat like SAS Geelani or Yaseen Malik have no hesitation in accepting money incurred on medicare by GOI . What's most startling, the gem of all is the revelation on Syed Salahuddin who seek favor to get his son into Medical College in Srinagar .These separatists who are hailed as heroes by few and Pakistan belligerently propagate contempt, inducing youths to blatantly oppose India even justifying violence to achieve there nefarious goals.
      The same separatists who provoke youths to prepare themselves for supreme sacrifice seek completely different treatment for themselves and there families,it reminds me of a George Orwell's book "Animal Farm" where governance through "seven principles (also termed as seven commandments) of animalism" (one of which was all animals are equal ) was to be executed, which gradually gets reduced to single principle i.e single commandment in the end reading "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others "
     The dolt in the picture is known for abusing and accusing Indian Army for all the ills in Kashmir, giving provocative speeches from Azadi to stopping Amarnath yatra. He is engineer Rashid, MLA from Langate.
      It is in this context we must applaud the open defiance of youths who have now finally started to see through and refused to toe the line of separatists.It is heartening to see a paradigm shift among the youth a new aspiring generation that refused to participate in the path towards abyss and destruction but towards the path of peace and prosperity.This generation shift isn't confined to urban places but all across Kashmir even in terrorism prone areas. On political stage people like Sajjad lone, Hina Bhat, Farooq Khan are the new voices emerging from valley with inclusive ideology that's never heard before are welcome signs of exuberant future of Kashmir .


Saturday 4 July 2015

Uncle Sam Don't Preach ,, Part - 2

  In my earlier post i have focused on perversely USCIRF panel report on deteriorating condition for minorities in India under proclaimed Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi . Though data compiled & provided by Delhi police although is a small sample size clearly indicates no upsurge in desecration of minority religious places under present govt as claimed ,thus indicates the mischief mongers trying to incite communal hatred in complicity with few individuals and NGOs.
 Some churches were vandalized and an unfortunate savage act of rape in West Bengal was also conveniently blamed on some Hindu outfits thus deliberately questioning Modi govt's conviction for not reigning in on such outfits merely on hearsay. After thorough investigations such attacks were found to be handiwork of disgruntled Christians (Bangaluru,Mumbai,Delhi) and in one case in Agra of jilted lover,the rapists were arrested and were identified as illegal Bangladeshi vandals.
  "“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." 
                                                                                                       -- Joseph Goebbels 

 What's disgusting is the despicable flaunting of fake concerns for minorities by vested groups in USA to tarnish and destabilize India through fallacious concocted stories. It's astonishing that America itself is riddled with zenith number of problems ranging from Islamophobia to racial murders of blacks in ever increasing number doesn't raise eyebrows anymore .The racial profiling of Asians is acceptable there, leading to ever increasing acts of senseless violence against minorities both linguistic and religious. Stereotyping of minorities and subsequent attack on gurdwara, mosques are not rare. There had been numerous incidents of turban hand searches of Sikhs, Muslims too are victims of profiling and are increasingly targeted by christian bigots in the name of free speech.Graduating from vandalizing Sikh places of worship in California to Wisconsin gurdwara massacre, vandalizing Hindu temples in Texas, Kent and Bothell  are not isolated incidents. There are numerous incidents of mosque attacks and vandalism across USA that quoting a few would be injustice. Data related to desecration of minority sanctum sanctorum is readily available on net.  Worst still the special treatment seems to be reserved for the sizable black community who are routinely murdered by Whites and law enforcers usually on trivial reasons .
  

"Forget Hitler - it was America that snubbed black Olympian "
                                                                 Jesse Owens 

From 1936 racial discrimination to present day racially motivated attacks on Black population is continuing without abatement . There are unprovoked attacks on black across all age groups ,teenagers without discrimination of gender both girls and boys are not only subjected to verbal but physical abuses too,web is filled with such videos. There's an upsurge in mindless acts of violence against all communities in USA & hatred towards compatriots seems to have been inculcated down generations, thus not even congregation of worshipers at Black Church in The Charleston, South Carolina were spared they were butchered by a 21-year-old Dylann Roof, a white man is a recent case .  As recently as the 1990's, a wave of fire-bombings hit black churches routinely throughout USA. In 2013, the most recent year for which federal data is available, the FBI identified 3,563 victims of racially motivated hate crimes. Black victims constituted 66 percent of the total. 21 percent were victims of anti-white bias. 4.6 percent were victims of anti-Asian bias. And 4.5 percent were victims of  anti-Native American bias. Under such horrendous track record of blatant human rights abuse and minority violence perpetrated inside USA may i ask what moral authority does USA have to preach the world at large and India in particular . "Religious intolerance in India would have shocked Gandhi as stated by Obama doesn't therefore shouldn't be taken seriously in context of India. I am however not sure what Martin Luther King, Jr. would have thought about prevailing american condition but as the great man said never accept the tyranny and injustice lying down.
It would be prudent for panelists of USCIRF to do soul searching before pointing fingers at others. It's true there are some fanatical elements in our society who try to provoke and foment trouble but the administrative and social fabric in India has withstood the test of time & is capable enough to effectively deal with such hate mongers without sermons from west.









Thursday 2 July 2015

Uncle Sam Don't Preach ,, Part -1

       Obama's rhetoric on growing religious intolerance had indirectly targeted Modi govt. It's not just the President but seems some vested groups are also engrossed in singling out new dispensation at helm,the case in point is the latest report by  United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).  The USCIRF annual report-2015, largely based on the accounts of minority leaders and NGOs propagates half truths as gospel. The panel based its report on the whims and fancies of certain individuals and certain NGOs whose credentials are unknown. Group of NGOs are notoriously known now to be tax evaders, allegations of sexual assaults, tarnishing and targeting infrastructure projects isn't surprising anymore and thus Modi govt has rightly banned 4470 NGOs to the discomfort and chagrin of foreign donors.Government has cancelled their licences for a variety of reasons ranging from non-filing of returns or non-compliance with Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).Some of these organizations have now moved over from manufacturing opinions to directly funding political outfits for reasons beyond welfare of society is a new reality that govt confronted. The recent NGO under the scrutiny is US-based Ford Foundation that has funded a political party and profit making organisations "illegally" which has resulted in the foreign outfit coming under the Home Ministry scanner and put on the "watch list". Interestingly,Gujarat government had asked the Home Ministry to take action against Ford Foundation, alleging that the US-based organisation was "interfering in internal affairs" of the country and also "abetting communal disharmony" through an NGO run by social activist Teesta Setalvad. The action against Ford Foundation came weeks after the Home Ministry froze seven bank accounts of Greenpeace India and barred it from receiving foreign funds for allegedly violating FCRA and "prejudicially" affecting the country's public and economic interests.
         So its not surprising the person who's now running the govt efficiently is being hounded by vested interests who's ulterior objectives are hastily cut short. One can't smudge Modi for corruption or nepotism, his categorical views on development and peaceful coexistence not withstanding one can always tarnish him for minority insecurity. No matter he's clear of any indulgence or hobnobbing with perpetrators of Gujarat violence and is justly exonerated by SIT constituted by Apex court but few people wouldn't like to believe the truth, they would continue to browbeat on manufactured lies often with some media cohorts. It's somewhat becoming increasingly difficult for few to digest.  a confident, pragmatic,assertive, administrator who's fervent Hindu nationalist. The report was frivolous as pretexts like the minority community  complained about some Indian states violating their religious freedom by banning cow slaughter, "which is required for Eid-al-Adha" is nothing short of mischievous concocted lies as panel conveniently didn't check the facts like in India the animal traditionally sacrificed for Eid-al-Adha in India is the goat. USCIRF also laments that Sikhs were being denied benefit of reservation available to other religious minorities and Scheduled Castes, Sikhs were refrained from following there religious practices, such report don't deserve debate on merit as Sikhs enjoy all religious freedom and also benefits of reservations.When report is based on such shocking lies,complicity of certain individuals and NGOs with anti national formidable forces can't be brushed aside. There's been a lurking fear of gullible people falling to such blatant lies is ever increasing. We are a country of 125 ethnic groups and 127 spoken languages and nobody is persecuted or forbidden from following there religious rituals. One such Modi baiter turned supporter is editor and author MJ Akbar said and i quote ""It has been a long time that I left the Congress and I must look ahead now. Right now there is only one man in the country who can deliver and drive the country out of its current mess -- Narendra Modi"
This data is produced by Delhi police and is evidently clear from it, all hullabaloo (panel report )about minorities under attack in India is unsubstantiated ,frivolous lies out to defame Government and tarnish Indian majority and Modi government.