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Confident Manmohan Singh says India headed to ‘new glory’

STRIKING A POSITIVE note on India’s 63rd Independence Day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that Indians had immense faith and confidence in themselves and the world’s largest democracy was headed to a “new glory”.

In his sixth consecutive address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the prime minister sought to allay fears emanating from the global economic meltdown, unending terrorism and the swine flu to assert that India had the strength and resilience to overcome all obstacles.

“Some people question whether India will ever be able to attain its true potential,” Manmohan Singh said, as a slight drizzle accompanied his first Red Fort speech since he was voted back to office in May. “I have no doubt about this. We are rapidly moving forward. We have faith in ourselves. We have political stability. Our democracy is an example for the whole world. We are gaining in economic strength. Most importantly, we have confidence in our youth... I am sure that they will take our country to a new glory.”

Speaking in Hindi from a prepared text, the 76-year-old scholar-politician referred to a wide range of issues from climate change and water shortage to economy, terrorism and a new world order. But his tone was positive and he vowed to return India to a 9 percent annual growth.

Around 700 invitees, including school children attired in the national tricolour as well as political VIPs and diplomats, packed the seated and open enclosure facing the Red Fort, the majestic Mughal-built 17th century monument that is at the heart of independence day celebrations.

The prime minister said India was confident of returning to its 9 percent growth path despite the global economic crisis and also of achieving a 4 percent annual growth in agriculture in five years. He urged people not to let swine flu, which has killed 23 Indians, disrupt their lives.

Pointing out that India’s economic growth slid to 6.7 percent in 2008-09, he said “it is only a result of our policies that the global crisis has affected us to a lesser extent than many other countries”.

“Restoring our growth rate to 9 percent is the greatest challenge we face,” he said. “We expect there will be an improvement in the situation by the end of this year.”

An economist of repute, Manmohan Singh said the time had come for India to unleash another Green Revolution to dramatically boost its food output.

He said the country needed to embrace more modern means to succeed in agriculture and make more efficient use of its scarce land and water resources.

“The country needs another Green Revolution and we will try our best to make it possible,” he said. He admitted that deficit rains this year would have “some adverse impact on our crops” and promised to help farmers in distress.

Manmohan Singh made a reference to swine flu that has killed 23 people and affected 1,400. He said while the central and state governments would do everything to contain the disease, “the situation doesn’t warrant a disruption of our daily lives because of fear and anxiety”.

Perhaps for the first time in recent years, the prime minister made no reference to Pakistan by name even as he addressed issues related to South Asia, terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir.

Describing terrorism as a global threat, Manmohan Singh said there was no place in Indian democracy to those who resorted to violence to voice their disagreement. “The government will deal firmly with such people.”

He said India’s security forces and intelligence agencies were being strengthened following the audacious terror attack on Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists that left nearly 170 people dead last year. “I am sure that with cooperation from all sections of our society, we will be successful in eliminating terrorism.”

Manmohan Singh said his government was committed to eradicating backwardness and unemployment and reduce disparities in income and wealth so as to combat the Maoist appeal.

The prime minister promised to assist the Jammu and Kashmir government to improve governance in the state where thousands have died in a separatist campaign for which New Delhi blames Islamabad.

“It will be our endeavour to ensure that human rights are respected in the state and all its citizens are able to lead a life of peace and dignity in an environment of safety and security,” he said.

Manmohan Singh said India wished to tackle the problem of climate change along with other countries.

India also desired to live in peace with all its neighbours, he said, raising questions about the effectiveness of the multilateral institutions without New Delhi’s active participation.

Making promises to bring about sweeping changes in the lives of millions of Indians in the economic, educational and social sectors, Manmohan Singh said his Congress-led coalition had won “a mandate for starting a new era of cooperation and harmony in our national life”.

• PM announces new measures for women, housing, energy, education

PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN Singh has announced a series of new schemes for women and for the housing, energy and education sectors.

“Our government will make sustained efforts for social and economic empowerment of women. We have decided to launch a National Female Literacy Mission, through which female illiteracy will be reduced by half in the next three years,” he said in his Independence Day address to the nation.

Noting that the government had started the Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for the urban areas, he lamented that “lakhs of our citizens live in slums which lack basic amenities”.

“We wish to make our country slum free as early as possible. In the next five years, we will provide better housing facilities to slum dwellers through a new scheme, Rajiv Awas Yojana,” the prime minister said.

To increase the use of solar energy and to make it affordable, Manmohan Singh said, “We will launch the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission on 14th November of this year”.

Secondary education will be expanded through a programme that will ensure that every child in the country gets its benefit, the prime minister said.

“We will endeavour to provide bank loans and scholarships to the maximum possible number of students to support their education. A new scheme will be started to help students from economically weaker sections of society by way of reduced interest rate on their education loans. This will benefit about five lakh students in getting technical and professional education,” Manmohan Singh said.

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Bollywood icon SRK detained in US, send fans into a tizzy

BOLLYWOOD ICON SHAH Rukh Khan was detained and questioned by immigration officials at a US airport for more than two hours on arrival to take part in a function to mark India’s Independence Day, sending his fans into a tizzy.

But hours after being detained at the Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, Khan participated at an event advertised as a “Dinner with Shah Rukh Khan” at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino.

Though he jokingly referred to the incident during his performance, SRK spoke out strongly against his treatment at the airport after the event, saying “it was not a good feeling” when the security officials took him to a separate room for questioning.

“I appreciated my independence a million times more today, I wish I was in India on Independence Day,” said Khan who was on way to Chicago to take part in an Independence Day event.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vishnu Prakash said India had taken up the issue with the US embassy.

“The matter was taken up with the US embassy,” Prakash said.

In a statement, US Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer said: “We are trying to ascertain the facts of the case - to understand what took place.”

Shah Rukh is a “global icon” and “he is a very welcome guest in the United States. Many Americans love his films,” the envoy added.

The Indian consulate in New York said by the time they were informed about the incident and contacted the superstar, Khan said the incident was already over.

“I was taken to a room for questioning. They said my name kept popping up on the computer,” Khan was quoted as saying. Immigration officers wanted to know why Khan was visiting the US after his name appeared on a computer screen at a counter.

“Khan is a Muslim name, and I think the name is common on their checklist,” the actor said. “I was waiting for my bags. I thought it was nice of them to take me to another room, but that was apparently a second check. I had my papers in order.”

“I was really hassled at the airport because of my name being Khan...The couple of hours of interrogation wanting to know if I know anyone in America while all around people were vouching for me from India and Pakistan (sic),” the Bollywood superstar said in a statement.

“Only these guys just would not let me through. Finally they allowed me to make a call, which I did and the Indian Consulate helped me through.”

“It was absolutely uncalled for I think, me having just finished working there for more than a month...just a couple of weeks ago. They said I have a common name which is causing the delay...checked my bags...I felt angry and humiliated,” Khan said.

He said after about an hour, he asked the officials if he could make a call. “They said it was not allowed from here but they could make an exception. I called a friend who contacted an Indian embassy official who came and vouched for me,” Khan said.

“I am assuming this country is paranoid with a certain section of religion in the world. This has happened to me before. This is not the first time.”

Khan’s latest film My Name is Khan produced by Khan and director Karan Johar is set against the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and examines their impact on an Indian Muslim living in the US.

The film, shot largely in the US, is near completion and US-based Fox Star Studios has secured the global distribution rights for a deal which industry insiders estimate to be about 20 million dollars.

• India will get back to 9 percent growth soon: PM

INDIA WILL SOON return to a high growth path of over 9 percent with the economy expected to completely rebound by the year-end, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.

“Going back to a 9 percent growth path is our greatest challenge. For this, we will take whatever steps required,” the prime minister said in his Independence Day address from the majestic Red Fort in the city’s old quarters.

“By the end of the year, I am confident there will be a major change,” the prime minister said in the 40-minute speech as he laid down the agenda for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that returned to power in May.

“Till then, we all have to cope with the situation,” he said in the speech delivered in Hindi, adding: “I appeal to business leaders and industrialists to work together in this endeavour and meet their social obligations and responsibilities.”

According to Manmohan Singh, it was because of his UPA government’s policies that the country was able to grow at 6.7 percent in the last fiscal when the world was facing one of the worst downturns in eight decades.

He said steps will be taken to ensure adequate spending on development projects to boost growth further and capital will be sought not only from domestic sources but from overseas as well.

“India can progress only when each Indian makes a contribution. Our endeavour has been to reach the fruits of development to every citizen. I know we have a long way to go.”

The prime minister said he was also aware that high commodity prices were causing hardship to citizens, especially the poor. “We have enough food stocks. Every

“Our goal is four percent annual growth in agriculture. I am confident we will be able to achieve this in five years.”

• Delhi to be slum free in next four years: Dikshit

THE DELHI GOVERNMENT is all set to allot around 10,000 low-cost houses to the poor and to make the national capital a slum-free city within the next three to four years, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

“The vulnerable families would become proud owners of their houses with a respectable address in welldeveloped colonies,” she announced at the Independence Day function at Ambedkar Stadium.

Dikshit also asked people to make rational use of electricity and water to curtail consumption by 10 percent as this would contribution in this regard,” she added. While referring to the social sector, Dikshit pointed to the success of the “Laadli Scheme”.

“The number of registrations of the girl child has overtaken registration of boys in the capital, which is a shining example of a change which was effected due to the Laadli Scheme,” she maintained.

Dikshit, who hosted the flag for the 11th consecutive time, inspected the parade which comprised contingents from Delhi Police, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Delhi Fire Services, three wings of NCC and school children.

She presented a service medal for meritorious service to Deputy Inspector General of Prisons C.R. Garg for his outstanding contribution in bringing a positive changes in the Tihar jail complex.

Indian envoys’ meet to focus on Pakistan, economic diplomacy

WITH INDIA’S neighbourhood seething in turmoil and major multilateral summits in the offing, the external affairs ministry has called around 120 Indian envoys later this month for a conclave in New Delhi to brainstorm on key foreign policy challenges.

This will be the first such exercise after the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) returned to power in May.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the opening session of the threeday conference that begins Aug 24, official sources said.

The prime minister is expected to focus on building stronger relations with neighbours, sustaining momentum in ties with major powers like the US and Russia, and pitch for a more vigorous economic diplomacy in multilateral fora.

He is also likely to explain to diplomats his reasons for embarking on ‘trust but verify’ policy vis-a-vis Pakistan and address their concerns over his Sharm-el-Sheikh joint statement with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The July 16 joint statement delinks Pakistan’s actions against terrorism from the composite dialogue process and includes the first reference to Balochistan in a bilateral document that has not gone down well with sections of India’s foreign office.

possible step will be taken to bring down prices,” he said.

At the same time, he appealed to all state governments to use all administrative and legislative measures at their disposal to ensure that prices of essential commodities like cereals and pulses are brought down.

In this regard he also promised to deliver a food security law under which every family that is below the poverty line will get a fixed amount of foodgrain every month at a discount over market rates.

The prime minister said it was equally imperative for the country’s farm sector to grow faster and said the country needed another Green Revolution in order to emhance productivity further.

“More attention will have to be paid to the needs of those farmers who do not have means for irrigation,” he said, adding: go a long way in ending power outages and drinking water shortages.

The chief minister said that her government has been vigorously taking steps to accelerate regularisation of unauthorised colonies and is duty-bound to bring a visible change in such colonies.

“We have been provided an opportunity to transform Delhi into a world-class city as we are concentrating our efforts in making the Commonwealth Games successful and memorable. The infrastructure which is being developed for the Games would continue to be a permanent part of the legacy of the city,” she said.

“We shall be requiring better civic sense and dedicated volunteers to present our etiquette and courtesy during the Games. The school children and college students would be able to render a constructive

A host of cabinet ministers, including External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor are expected to address the envoys.

They will discuss India’s neighbourhood policy, ties with Pakistan that continue to be under stress after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and recent strains in bilateral ties with China, the sources said.

The envoys will also brainstorm on emerging foreign policy and strategic challenges like climate change to fine-tune India’s position for the Copenhagen summit that is expected to find a successor to the Kyoto protocol for fixing new targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

The global economic downturn will also figure prominently in the meeting that will take place a month before the G20 summit in Pittsburgh Sep 24.

Continued on page 30

With the external affairs ministry focusing on re-organisation and expansion of the Indian foreign office, issues relating to housekeeping will also figure in the conclave.

The last such conclave was held here in December against the backdrop of India’s diplomatic offensive post 26/11 Mumbai carnage

•

Raje refuses to quit, BJP summons her to Delhi

THE BHARATIYA JANATA Party (BJP) has summoned to Delhi a defiant former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje after she refused to step down as leader of opposition in the state assembly, while over 50 legislators trooped into the capital in a virtual show of her strength.

According to party sources, Raje was summoned to Delhi by party’s top leadership which was determined that she stepped down from her post after the BJP’s poor show in the April-May elections in the state.

Raje, on the other hand, stuck to her guns arguing that she alone could not be held accountable for the poll debacle that took the BJP down to an apologetic four Lok Sabha seats from the 21 it won in the 2004 polls out of total 25 in the state.

The former chief minister was asked to step down by BJP president Raj Nath Singh.

The BJP, however, was yet to spell out its views on the Rajasthan poll debacle nor had it even said that Raje had been asked to go. Despite repeated attempts, no BJP leader concerned with Rajasthan developments was willing to speak on record. The only official version from party spokesperson Ravi Shanker Prasad, when IANS contacted him, was: “No comments.”

Earlier Friday morning, some 57 BJP legislators from Rajasthan trooped to the house of senior party leader L.K. Advani to express solidarity with Raje.

The legislators drove in here to protest the leadership’s decision to remove Raje from the post. They first met Rajnath Singh and later went to the residence of Advani, who snubbed them by declining to meet them without a proper appointment.

This provoked the legislators to raise slogans in support of Raje. One of the legislators later said, on condition of anonymity, that Advani subsequently refused an appointment to them.

Rajendra Kumar Rathore, BJP MLA from Taranagar constituency, who was also part of the delegation, said: “All MLAs want that Vasundhra Raje should continue as leader of opposition. And we have come here to request the party for this.”

They are believed to have conveyed to the party leadership that a majority of the 78 BJP legislators in the state support Raje.

north India’s vanishing water

UNSUSTAINABLE USE OF water in India’s northern states threatens farm output and can fuel the spectre of a major water crisis, distressing 114 million people living there, warns a new study.

Human activity like irrigation has pushed groundwater levels in India’s north down by as much as one foot per year over the past seven years, says the study by scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

More than 26 cubic miles of groundwater vanished from aquifers in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory of Delhi since 2002, says the study that has used NASA’s satellite data.

“The amount lost is double the capacity of India’s largest surface-water reservoir, the Upper Wainganga, and almost three times the capacity of Lake Mead in Nevada, the largest reservoir in the US,” says the study, which has been published in the Nature magazine.

The team of hydrologists found that the underground water supply was being pumped and consumed by human activities such as irrigating cropland and was draining the aquifers faster than natural processes can replenish them.

The finding is based on data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace) twin satellites, which sense changes in the distribution of Earth’s mass and gravity field distribution, including water masses stored above or below the surface.

“As the twin satellites orbit 300 miles above Earth’s surface, their positions change relative to each other in response to variations in the pull of gravity,” said the magazine.

The scientists said data provided by India’s ministry of water resources for the study suggested groundwater use across India was far exceeding natural replenishment, but the regional rate of depletion was unknown.

“We don’t know the absolute volume of water in the northern Indian aquifers, but Grace provides strong evidence that current rates of water extraction are not sustainable,” said the study leader and NASA scientist Matt Rodell.

“The region has become dependent on irrigation to maximize farm output,” said Rodell.

“If measures are not taken to ensure sustainable groundwater usage, the consequences for the 114 million residents of the region may include a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortages of potable water.”

Although less than a third of farmland there is irrigated, crop irrigation accounts for up to 95 percent of groundwater use. “If farmers could shift away from waterintensive crops, such as rice, and implement more efficient irrigation methods, that would help.”

The researchers examined data and models of soil moisture, lake and reservoir storage, vegetation and glaciers in the nearby Himalayas in order to confirm that the apparent groundwater trend was real. The loss was particularly alarming because it occurred when there was no unusual trend in rainfall. In fact, rainfall was slightly above normal for the period.

The only influence they couldn’t rule out was human.

Changes in underground water mass affect gravity enough to provide a signal that can be measured by the Grace spacecraft. After accounting for other variations, such changes in gravity are translated into an equivalent change in water.

• Rehabilitating poster artists of a bygone era

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY may have taken away the jobs of Bollywood poster painters, but designer Nida Mahmood has hunted them out in the dingy lanes of the capital and teamed up with them for her latest collection.

Mahmood along with her partner, Raul Chandra, launched New India Bioscope Company - a fashion and design conglomerate that is trying to rehabilitate these poster artists.

“This is our first project – we are designing old posters of the Bollywood masala movies in a new format,” Mahmood explained. The collection encapsulates the drama of Bollywood, with the flamboyant and dramatic imagery of hand-painted posters and hoardings captured in a kitschy manner.

“I have not picked up any original poster for my collection. I just pick up elements,” she added.

People, faces, dialogues, conversations, posters and hoardings are her basic elements that come alive in the bold choice of colours. These are put on clothes, bags, diaries and home decor elements.

The collection is divided into two lines, one affordable and one for collectors.

As always, Mahmood’s work is inspired by the mundane things of life. “I like very basic things that people don’t observe or don’t care about. Small, insignificant things inspire me. I like to dramatise very boring things of life and turn them into something significant and bold. This is my forte.”

• Kashmir wooing Bollywood back

SPArklIng rIverS, regal Chinar trees, flowering meadows and snowcapped peaks - the beauty of kashmir had been depicted in several hit Hindi movies like Aarzoo, Kashmir Ki Kali and Betaab until insurgency hit the valley. After a long hiatus, filmmakers are once again going there and Piyush Jha’s Sikandar is the latest to capture the state’s picturesque landscape.

releasing Aug 21, Sikandar stars Sanjay Suri, who visited the place after 18 years to shoot for the film. The actor, who was born and brought up in kashmir, feels more and more films should be shot in the valley.

“I hope more films can go to Kashmir and be made there. I hope the local authorities can provide enough facilities so that people can come and go without any fear. It will also bring a lot of employment and prosperity and films are no doubt a great medium for that,” Sanjay told IAnS.

“I’d love to go back to kashmir again. There are not many films being made on kashmir; so some day I just might make one myself,” added the actor, who has teamed up with child stars Parzan Dastur and Ayesha kapoor in the movie.

With the start of insurgency in 1989, kashmir ceased to be a preferred location among Bollywood producers and they stopped going there due to security reasons.

“Producers and filmmakers are keen to shoot in kashmir even now. But when it comes to taking their unit there, then the security problem is always on their minds,” Gautam Kaul, noted film historian, told IAnS.

“The government of the state is extremely welcoming and want more films to be shot there, but filmmakers are still doubtful and only a handful have been shot in the valley in the last 20 years,” he added.

In the last two decades a few films like Mission Kashmir, Yahaan, Tahaan Shaurya have been shot in the valley.

But in earlier decades, kashmir was the perfect backdrop for Hindi films like Jab Jab Phool Khile, Do Badan, Aap Aaye Bahar Aaye, Junglee, Kashmir Ki Kali, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila and Rocky among others.

But as shooting movies in became impossible due to militancy, foreign locations attracted filmmakers and they shifted their attention to the Alps in Switzerland.

Apart from Jha, acclaimed director Jagmohan Mundhra recently went to Srinagar and Sonamarg to shoot a song for his forthcoming actioner Chase.

“A lot of people told us that dangerous and we shouldn’t go there. When I was young, most of the songs used to be picturised in kashmir... but now not many films are being shot there. People have forgotten kashmir. So we wanted to show the paradise on earth to audiences through this song,” said Mundhra.

“We didn’t face any problems during the shooting. The government was very supportive. It was actually a pleasure to be in such a beautiful place,” he added.

Jha, who did thorough research in Kashmir to find the best locations to shoot for Sikandar, says support from locals made his work easier.

“People in kashmir want the industry to come back and thus are very welcoming. The kind of support I got from the locals was inspiring. It’s a beautiful place and shooting there is just not a problem,” he said.

Commenting upon the locals’ attitude to movies being shot there, k you make films that are not about Kashmir and only dance-drama routines or for that matter serious stories where kashmir is only in the backdrop as a beautiful location, then you will face no problem shooting there. But if you try to make a film that deals with the people there, then protests are bound (to happen). Just like problems faced by Rahul Dholakia’s film Lamha.”

Starring Bipasha Basu and Sanjay Dutt, Lamha is essentially a love story that also depicts the pain and suffering of kashmiris.

In november last year, the director had to cancel the shoot due to protests by locals but he returned to the valley early this year to complete the film.