National Political Mirror

18 CAN THE BJP WREST ODISHA FROM NAVEEN PATNAIK’S BJD?

21 RAJINI’S PLUNGE INTO POLITICAL ARENA

30 NEWSMAKER WITH MR. ABHISHEK VERMA, OLIALIA

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n the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won an impressive 336 seats, with the BJP crossing the halfway mark on its own by winning 282 seats. The next general elections are to be held before the term of this government ends on May 26, 2019. However, it seems that all is not well between the BJP and its allies as party President Amit Shah recently asked party workers in Mumbai to be prepared for 2019 Lok Sabha Assembly polls without any alliance in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena, an ally in BJP-led governments at the Centre and the state, has announced officially that it would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra alone.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) walked out of the NDA after the Narendra Modi-led government had refused to grant the state special category status. In Bihar, in 2014, the BJP had won 23 of 40 Lok Sabha seats and its allies — LJP and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) — had won six and three seats, respectively. JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar is reportedly uncomfortable over seat-sharing issue with BJP for the next Lok Sabha elections. JD (U) and BJP contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, sharing 25-15 seats and 26-14 seats in 2004.

Ram Vilas Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president and Union Food Minister, said that his party’s support to the BJP is issue-based.

Ram Vilas Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president and Union Food Minister, said that his party’s support to the BJP is issue-based as it sought a law to restore the stringent measures of an Act on atrocities against Dalits and removal of NGT Chairman A. K. Goel by August 9.

However, there is nothing new for him as he had done same thing with NDAled Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2002 and joined Congress-led UPA-1 in 2004. In 2009 Lok Sabha Polls, Paswan had snapped ties with the Congressled UPA and joined hands with the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal but he was defeated by Ram Sundar Das of the JD U) by over 25,000 votes and his party could not win even a single seat. After losing 2009 Lok Sabha and 2010 assembly polls, his political career almost dead, but, (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav came to rescue Paswan and sent him to Rajya Sabha in 2010.

Earlier, RLSP chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha demanded a decision on distribution of seats among the allies for the parliamentary elections.

Analysts say that such demands may spell trouble for the BJP-led NDA in Bihar.

Only silver lining for the BJP is its alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab. However, in the coming Lok Sabha, the NDA is not counting on doing considerably well in the state as the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are now emerged as the two major forces here.

Sanjeeb Kumar

Editor-In-Chief |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR|

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COVER STORY

NATIONAL

POLITICAL MIRROR Volume: 4, Issue: 8 , August, 2018

THE CONGRESS’ OUTREACH PLAN: WILL RAHUL GANDHI’S MOVE PAY ANY DIVIDENDS?

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SANJEEB KUMAR Editor-in-Chief ACHYUT NATH JHA Executive Editor DEEPSHIKHA SINGH Assitant Editor ROBIN KHAN Business & Marketing Head RITESH KUMAR IT Head UMESH CHAUHAN Sr. IT Executive HARI OM SHARMA Sr. Photo Journalist NIRMALA SINGH RANA President ANWARUL HAQUE Design Head SUMIT KUMAR Legal Advisor Owned, Edited, Printed and Published

by Sanjeeb Kumar published from House Number-34, Gali Number-10, South Ganesh Nagar, New Delhi110092 Printed By Modest Graphic (P) Ltd, C-52-53, DDA Shades, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi-110020 All disputes to be settled in Delhi Courts only. All rights reserved. No responsibility in taken for returning unsolicited manuscripts unless a self-address stamped envelope is enclosed. Views express in articles in National Political Mirror do not necessarily those of the editorial.

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NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR

NEWS HIMACHAL PRADESH TO BUY ELECTRICITY FROM SMALL POWER PROJECTS

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Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) will purchase power produced by small power projects of up to 25 MW capacity in order to help the producers and attract more investment in energy sector, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. The chief minister was speaking while presiding over a seminar on ‘Speedy Development of Hydro Electric Projects in Himachal Pradesh’.

POLITICAL STORY CWC AUTHORISES RAHUL GANDHI TO FORGE ALLIANCES FOR 2019

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Head office: House Number-34, Gali Number-10, South Ganesh Nagar, New Delhi-110092 M.: 8527577849 (WhatsApp) |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| FEBRUARY 2018| A JN Media Publication 4Email: politicalmirror93@gmail.com

While projecting Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial face for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the extended Congress Working Committee authorising him to forge alliances with “likeminded” political parties to take on the ruling BJP.

SPECIAL STORY WILL KAMAL HASAN WIN ENOUGH SUPPORT TO CHANGE THE CORRUPT POLITICAL CULTURE OF TAMIL NADU? The event was celebrated at his party office at Alwarpet in Chennai in a milestone event since he launched his outfit in February this year. With this flag hoisting attended by his fans, mostly youngsters, the veteran actor has announced that he has politically arrived to challenge the powers that be.

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TELECOM High Definition (HD) mobile video consumption is growing at a phenomenal rate. By November 2018, HD video on mobile networks is likely to be at least 50% of total video traffic. HD can take up to three to four times more bandwidth than Standard Definition.

This can adversely impact operators. And as video quality is more important than voice calls, operators face increasing churn if subscribers experience poor QoE.

32 FILM/THEATRE

BOLLYWOOD BIOPICS : ONE TREND, MANY MOVIES

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Reel and real is a deadly combination in Bollywood. It almost always works with the audience, especially now when the audience is more evolved and hungry for good content. And thus you have a slew of “biopics” (as they are called; biographical + picture= biopic) lined up for release in the coming months.

ART & CULTURE DO SACRED COLOURS AND SYMBOLS LOOK INTIMIDATING NOW?

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In every religion, some colours command greater significance. In Hinduism and Buddhism, saffron has that reverence and respect and, among Muslims, it is green, black and white (as we have seen the flag of the most dreaded group at present on the earth as it has been projected by the Western Media, ISIS).

CONTENTS

WE AIM TO EMPOWER INDIAN TELECOM OPERATORS: OPENWAVE MOBILITY

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NEWS/SNIPPETS

Himachal Pradesh to buy electricity from small power projects Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) will purchase power produced by small power projects of up to 25 MW capacity in order to help the producers and attract more investment in energy sector, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. The chief minister was speaking while presiding over a seminar on ‘Speedy Development of Hydro Electric Projects in Himachal Pradesh’. The event was organised by Bonafide Himachalis Hydro Power Developers and Himalaya Power Producers Association in collaboration with Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Thakur said the state has identified potential of over 27,000 MW, which once fully harnessed have the potential to transform the economy of Himachal Pradesh.

Till date only 10,547 MW potential stands harnessed. The state government has set a target to harness about 182 MW potential during the current year by active participation of private and public sectors, for which it was providing several incentives to the power producers. He also said the power produc-

ers will be independent to sell the electricity generated by them to other interested buyers and a committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of Power Minister to look into the issues raised by the power producers of the state. The CM also indicated that efforts will be made to simplify procedures for giving clearances for setting up of power projects.l

TMC planning meeting of Opposition leaders in December In a bid to pitch for a ‘Federal Front’ ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that the TMC would organise a meeting of opposition leaders in Kolkata in December this year. Addressing reporters in Siliguri, Mamata said, “We are planning to hold a meeting of opposition parties at the Brigade Parade ground in December where we will invite opposition leaders from across the country. It will be a mega rally where many parties will be present. We cannot do it now as monsoon has set in…we will do it later this year.” The TMC chief has often spoken in favour of a ‘Federal Front’ to oust the BJP-led NDA government from power and has held talks with regional party leaders in this regard.

Akhilesh Yadav to contest from Kannauj, Mulayam Singh from Mainpuri Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, which is represented at present by wife Dimple Yadav, while his father Mulayam Singh Yadav will contest from Mainpuri. He said : "I will contest from Kannauj while Netaji (Mulayam) will contest from Mainpuri." He said that the opposition has charged the SP with 'pariwarwad' (nepotism) due to which his wife Dimple Yadav will not contest the election this time.

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Manohar Lal Khattar launches 'Paudhagiri' campaign in Haryana Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the 'Paudhagiri' campaign, aimed at increasing the green cover in the state. Under this campaign, 22 lakh students from class 6 to 12 of all government and private schools in Haryana will plant a sapling each during three months of monsoon -- July, August and September, said the chief minister. Mr Khattar launched the 'Paudhagiri' campaign by planting a 'maulsari' sapling in the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex premises of Gurgaon, according to an official release. He talked about the positive effects of plantation on the environment and said that every student will get a sapling from the Forest department and they can plant it either in the courtyard of their house, field or park or school or at any open space available in their proximity.

They can name the plant according to their likes, maybe after the name of great personalities of the country, free-

dom fighters or after the name of any of their family members or their ancestors. Every student planting a sapling will have to take care of it for the next three years.

Congress in talks with JMM, JVM for 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Model schools at all district headquarters for Divyangs: Jharkhand

The Congress is in talks with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) to form a grand alliance for the next Lok Sabha polls there, the AICC in-charge of the state has said. Asserting that the party wants to forge partnerships on a state-bystate basis, AICC in-charge of Jharkhand R P N Singh said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that the Congress would be looking at alliances at state-level with like minded parties to take on the BJP in 2019. Singh said a grand alliance was on the cards in Jharkhand for the Lok Sabha polls and talks were on to “firm up things”. “We are in talks with JMM, we are in talks with JVM. We would like a grand alliance in Jharkhand… with the JMM, JVM, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and other like-minded parties. We are in talks with all political parties and those things needed to be firmed up,” the former Union minister said.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has said model schools will be set up at all the district headquarters for Divyangs. These model schools will help the Divyangs prepare for their overall development, skill development and employment, he said. Reviewing the work of the Jharkhand State Disability Commission, Das said for those who are completely crippled, a large centre for making artificial hands and feet will be opened in Ranchi.

Those with artificial hands and feet will be given employment after skill development, an official release said quoting Das. The chief minister said that on arrival of any elderly or Divyang in the state secretariat, a helper should bring them in a wheelchair and after completion of their work the helper should take them with respect to the main gate. He gave instructions to start the system as soon as possible. Das also gave directions to facilitate the easy loan of Rs 50,000 without any guarantor to Divyangs. |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR|

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NEWS/SNIPPETS

Make Chandigarh Punjab’s capital: Amarinder Singh to Rajnath Singh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reiterating his demand for making Chandigarh the capital of the state. The Union Territory of Chandigarh– the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab– remains one of the most contentious and long-standing issues between the two neighbouring states. In his letter to the Home Minister, Singh said the pending territorial dispute should be solved by restoring Chandigarh to Punjab, being its legitimate and original capital. Chandigarh undoubtedly was an integral part of Punjab, the chief minister said, adding that being Punjab’s capital, no other state can stake claim over it. Nevertheless, subsequent to the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, territorial dispute remains

unresolved, Singh said as he sought Rajnath Singh’s intervention to ensure the “fine balance” of sharing of resources between Haryana and Punjab is not disturbed.

Congress closes doors on Ajit Jogi

Prime Minister inaugurates projects worth Rs 2100 crore in Rajasthan Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited Jaipur to launch more than a dozen projects worth Rs 2,100crore. These projects include drinking water supply, sewerage schemes, constructing elevated roads and various other aids. Among the schemes which were inaugurated

by Modi include the Integrated Structural Planning in Udaipur and schemes for Ajmer, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Sikar and Mount Abu. All these projects aim at developing better and smart facilities in the cities and towns of Rajasthan. Be it for getting rid of the problem of traffic jam or a better sewage management system, all these projects are going to make life better in all these cities.

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P.L. Punia, the Congress in-charge of Chhattisgarh, has dismissed speculation that former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi could return to the party ahead of the State Assembly elections.

Punia, who was an aide of Mayawati when she was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, also claimed that there can be no alliance between Jogi and the Bahujan Samaj Party. He blamed Jogi and BJP for circulating “this rumour”, saying they are “experts in spreading rumours”. “In the 2013 Naxal attack in Jiram Valley in Bastar district, our top leadership in Chhattisgarh was liquidated. Jogi was accused of being behind the attack and these accusations are in public domain.

This cannot be forgiven. The doors are closed for him,” Punia told in an interview.

India urges investors to invest for development of Sports

India’s Youth Affairs and sports and Information and Broadcasting Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore has urged the investors to invest for the development of sports in the country. Addressing SCORECARD 2018 here today, he called upon all stakeholders to come together to take sports to a greater height in the country.Col. Rathore said Sports ministry is trying to create a system wherein local potential is recognized, nurtured and taken to international podium. He said Khelo India scheme launched by the government is very promising for nurturing talent and the concept has been received well by people. He said the government is working on a project that will identify the potential and hone the skills of 8 to 10 years of age in the country and provide them scholarships. He said, the government will partner

with school boards, state governments and the armed forces to identify and map the physical fitness of 8-10-yearolds based on a simple test. After the first test has been carried out the number of student will be narrowed to 5000 children followed by 1000 students on which super advance tests will be conducted. The right physical talent for the right sport will be identified and Rs 5 lakh scholarship will be given to them for eight years so that by the time the child is 16 years he is ready to be a champion. The minister emphasised that no athlete will have to hesitate before asking for funds as there is no dearth of money for sportspersons. Col. Rathore said for the elite sportsmen, TOP (Target Olympic Podium) Scheme has been formulated within the overall ambit of National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for Olympic Games. The minister said National Sports University, Imphal, Manipur will be the first of its kind to promote sports education for select sports disciplines by adopting best international practices. Col. Rathore said that his ministry is also planning a manufacturers’ summit later this year, where international companies along with their Indian counterparts will come together and tell the government what policy modifications are required to start manufacturing sport equipment in India. l

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister lays foundation stone of mega sports complex Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has laid the foundation stone of a Rs 60 crore mega sports complex in Vijayawada. The Amaravati International Sports Complex will be built on 8.9 acres of land. There will be two swimming pools with the size of 50×20 metres and 20×20 metres, multipurpose indoor hall, outdoor synthetic track and a G+2 clubhouse in the complex. The headquarters of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) will be shifted to this complex. While attending the event, Chandrababu Naidu said, “Doesn’t India has the capability to host Olympics? I demand the central government to bid for

Olympics to be held in Amaravati. We will develop Amaravati as a sports hub.” The Andhra Pradesh government had decided to develop Amaravati, Vizag and Tirupati as sports cities.

They will be spending Rs 54 crore and the Centre will provide a grant of Rs 6

crore for the sports complex. The work has been handed over to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the project is set to be completed in 10 months. Similarly, the state government is implementing Panchajanya sports scheme to develop sports in the state. Accordingly, 303 schools in the state were identified by Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh to promote sports.

Out of which, 100 schools will be selected to provide basic infrastructure facilities like 200 metres running track and various courts etc.l

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COVER STORY

THE CONGRESS’ OUTREACH PLAN: WILL RAHUL GANDHI’S MOVE PAY ANY DIVIDENDS?

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COVER STORY

By Achyut Nath Jha

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he Congress president Rahul Gandhi on July 11 met a dozen Muslim intellectuals and activists as part of the Grand Old Party’ plans to reach out to professionals, industrialists, civil society and all those who “influence public opinion” and “are aligned to the party’s ideology” ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The meeting came in the backdrop of the Congress party’s efforts to carve out a wider “secular and democratic alliance”.

Those who attended the interaction with Gandhi included economist Abusaleh Sharif, former Planning Commission member Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, New Delhi-based historian S Irfan Habib, activist Farah Naqvi, educationists Rakhshanda Jalil and Ilyas Malik apart from Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Nadeem Javed.

Coming as it was before the crucial Assembly elections in States like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh and the next Lok Sabha, the exercise is similar to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Sampark for Samarthan (Contact for Support) initiative launched on May 29 to mark the completion of four years of the Narendra Modi government.

In his interaction, Gandhi is believed to have told them that his party would adopt an inclusive approach for all sections of society with an agenda to provide justice to all, allaying their fears that it was adopting a 'softHindutva' agenda. They told Gandhi that the community was feeling threatened and asked what agenda the Congress had for them. As expected, BJP pointed to the Congress party’s “politics of Muslim appeasement”. The

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After becoming party chief last year Rahul Gandhi, who had overtly visited temples during the Gujarat campaign and later in Karnataka, recently hosted an Iftar party two years after the regular event was hosted by former party chief Sonia Gandhi.

party, however, downplayed the meeting saying the Congress believed in development for all, inclusion of all and equality for all. Party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi clarified that the party was not going by religious credentials and the Congress leaders had interacted with all sections of people, including intellectuals, and it should not be connected with any religion. “The outreach will continue,” said a senior AICC functionary, as the party faced criticism why it kept the interaction a hush-hush affair.

After becoming party chief last year Rahul Gandhi, who had overtly visited temples during the Gujarat campaign and later in Karnataka, recently hosted an Iftar party two years after the regular event was hosted by for-

mer party chief Sonia Gandhi. Sources said the party strategists are aware that the BJP tries every trick in the book to brand the Congress as pro-Muslim party, but the grand old party was somehow lacking in its response to counter the misinformation campaign, despite championing the cause of the minorities. A case in point was the Triple Talaq or instant divorce issue the ruling BJP came out with leaving the Congress struggling to articulate a uniform and considered view.

Former Union Minister and veteran leader Salman Khurshid’s view that the party had blood of Muslims on its hands, a desperate attempt to placate an agitated student of the AMU some months back, also painted the party in a negative shade. Acknowledging the party’s voter support base among the minorities had shrunk significantly across the country, party managers said they were hopeful that the situation would be reversed in the run up to the 2019 national elections.

However, some analysts opine that the Congress seems to be falling into the BJP’s trap of mixing religion with politics. There is a sense of disquiet in the party as senior leaders lack unity over the use of religion for electoral gains. With the country getting ready for an|AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 13

COVER STORY other cycle of elections as the BJP president Amit Shah kicked off the party campaign for the Madhya Pradesh polls at Ujjain's Mahakal temple, the Congress also seems to be following the BJP's primacy to religion in the electoral battle. Rahul Gandhi's move to engage "Muslim intellectuals", senior party leader Shashi Tharoor's apprehension of India turning into a "Hindu Pakistan" if the BJP gets voted to power in 2019 General Elections and Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief's letter to the Mahakal deity, seeking divine intervention to end BJP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's "misrule", are all pointers towards the Congress' bid to mix religion with politics.

However, unlike the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, its parent organization, the Congress lacks a sense of purpose and unanimity to use religion for its electoral gains.

Within the Congress, there is disquiet and unease over Tharoor's pronouncements. A senior party leader of

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Madhya Pradesh has criticized Tharoor. He disagreed with Tharoor's formulation that electoral victory in 2019 would help the BJP push its "Hindu agenda." By overemphasizing and generalizing this issue and bringing in discussion the “Pakistan’ discourse before the forthcoming general elections, Tharoor has offered the saffron party yet another uncalled-for opportunity before the electorates.

Significantly, MPCC chief Kamal Nath, too, thinks that Tharoor's remarks are "illtimed" and have the potential of being misconstrued as 'antiHindu.' Nath, who is heading the MPCC for the November Assembly polls, has been temple-hopping — from Mahakal in Ujjain, to a Shakti Peeth in Datia. In his constituency of Chhindwara, Nath has played an active role in the installation of the 101-foot statue of Hanuman.

Over the past week, controversies have been raised with debates on politics over the Hindu-Muslim divide. It took the purported omission of one

Significantly, MPCC chief Kamal Nath, too, thinks that Tharoor's remarks are "ill-timed" and have the potential of being misconstrued as 'anti-Hindu.' Nath, who is heading the MPCC for the November Assembly polls, has been templehopping — from Mahakal in Ujjain, to a Shakti Peeth in Datia. In his constituency of Chhindwara, Nath has played an active role in the installation of the 101-foot statue of Hanuman. word from a report in an Urdu daily to trigger this narrative. On 12 July, Urdu newspaper The Inquilab published an article on Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with Muslim intellectuals and activists on 11 July, as part of the party’s outreach programme before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “If the BJP says that Congress is a party of Muslims, it is fine. Congress is a party of Muslims because Muslims are weak, and Congress always stands with the weak” — this is what the newspaper reported.

As could be expected, the BJP used the report as fodder

to target the Congress, accusing it of minority appeasement.

This controversy was kept ablaze by the BJP. Several party leaders took the opportunity to target the Congress president, even though the party had clarified that there was no truth to the angle being spun. After multiple denials from the Congress senior leaders, Rahul in a tweet said, "I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted.

Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me. I seek out those in pain and embrace them.

I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress." A day after The Inquilab published the report, Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that the Congress wanted to fight the 2019 General Elections on religious lines.

“You cannot be ‘janeu dhari’ (a thread-wearing Brahmin) at one point and Muslim-dhari at another...,” media quoted her as saying. “This is playing with people’s trust.” However, the Muslim intellectuals who attended the meeting with Rahul Gandhi denied that he made any divisive comments. Historian Irfan Habib, also an attendee at the meeting, tweeted that he was “taken aback” when he heard the reports. I was “taken aback to hear that Rahul Gandhi is being accused of calling the Congress a Muslim party in a meeting where I was present. It seems to have malicious intent, no such issue came up at all.”

As an analyst puts it, “Historically, too, the Congress' bid to mix religion in its political campaign has remained problematic”. A section of Congress leaders wonders why the Congress is not focusing on the rise in fuel prices, farm crisis and unemployment, crime against women and children and poll promises that have remained unfulfilled by the Narendra Modi government. In the poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, there is the anti-incumbency factor against Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Dr Raman Singh, respectively that could be exploited. l |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 15

POLITICAL STORY

CWC AUTHORISES RAHUL GANDHI TO FORGE ALLIANCES FOR 2019

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hile projecting Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial face for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the extended Congress Working Committee authorising him to forge alliances with “like-minded” political parties to take on the ruling BJP. The decision to authorise Gandhi was taken at an over five-hour meeting of the extended working committee attended by CWC members, Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi also warned leaders at the CWC to abstain

from making “irrelevant” statements in public that could derail its political discourse and harm the party’s prospects.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi claimed “reverse countdown” had begun for the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and said people of the country had to be “rescued from a dangerous regime” that was “compromising” with India’s democracy.

Manmohan Singh rejected what he called the “culture of constant selfpraise and jumlas” and underlined the need for a solid policy framework to address the issues facing the country.

Singh said he would support Rahul Gandhi in the task of “restoring” India’s social harmony and economic development.

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Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said after elaborate discussions, the CWC identified some core issues that affect people of the country and the party will be building a mass movement by launching a ‘Jan Andolan’ unitedly across India by building a consensus on it with other parties.

He said the party sounded its poll bugle for next year’s general election.

AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said the CWC authorised Rahul Gandhi to take a decision on forging alliances with other parties and to form a committee, which the Congress chief later said “would be formed soon”.

He claimed that atmosphere of distrust was being created in the

country due to the politics of hate and anger. The CWC decision indicates the opposition party will forge alliances on state-to-state basis and will project Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial face for the next election as the party expects to better its 2004 performance. “The Congress will fight this election under the stewardship, under the leadership and putting forward our leader Rahul Gandhi. On that we neither have doubt nor we have any second thoughts,” he said on Rahul Gandhi being projected as the PM face.

Surjewala said though the people of India will decide, but once the Congress becomes a single largest party touching a figure of 200 or more. “But naturally, the Congress party will be leading the alliance and the Congress president will be the only face to be projected,” he said.

Giving a clear warning to party leaders not to make “loose remarks” and toe the party line while making utterance on key issues in public, “Rahul Gandhi gave a friendly advice to partymen that in view of the larger goal – 2019 elections, they will maintain discipline in both their language and their conduct,” Surjewala told reporters.

He said party leaders should main-

tain a balance of decorum and dignity of language and their conduct. Surjewala said Rahul Gandhi told partymen to not loose sight of the goal and of peoples issues and their pains and sufferings and not be guided by a “failed” prime minister and his government, “which has nothing to offer, except for the poisonous, venomous, divide and rule policy”. “That is why he said gravitas of language and conduct is expected by the people of this country of Congress leaders and they should adhere to it,” he said. Certain comments of Congress leaders have embarrassed the party in the past and harmed its interests at the hustings.

These include Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “chai-walla” and “neech aadmi” barbs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party had also distanced itself from Shashi Tharoor’s recent “Hindu Pakistan” remark. Surjewala said in 2019 polls, the fight for the party is not against any individual, but against an ideology of suppression and subjugation, denigration and humiliation, both of institutions and sections of people.

“That ideology must be fought and India must be put back on the path of progress, peaceful co-existence, mutual cohabitation and harmony,” he

said. Surjewala said wherever an alliance is to be formed, there will be “real-time negotiations” and “some give and take”, as alliances can never be fought on rigidity or on absolute stands and “that is why the Congress president will decide on this and take a call”. “We are committed to make alliances work and we are all with Congress president Rahul Gandhi in this endeavour. We have to rescue our people from a dangerous regime that is compromising the democracy of India,” Sonia Gandhi said in her address. “Expansion of our party vote base is one of our biggest tasks. In each constituency, we have to find people who have not voted for us and develop a strategy to reach out to them and win back their trust,” Rahul Gandhi said at the meeting. Congress leader P Chidambaram gave a detailed presentation on how the party can be strengthened with the help of allies in various states.

Party sources said Chidambaram highlighted that the Congress is strong in 12 states and it can triple its current strength of 48 members in Lok Sabha with help from allies and can even touch the 300-mark if it forms formidable alliances. l

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IN FOCUS

CAN THE BJP WREST ODISHA FROM NAVEEN PATNAIK’S BJD? The BJP may be expanding its footprint all over the country, but it will find it difficult to beat a politician like Naveen, who after four terms in office, has an unsullied reputation.

By Achyut Nath Jha

A

s the 2019 Lok Sabha is fast approaching, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is focusing on the eastern front as it knows very well that replicating its performance in the north and west will be difficult. The east front comprising West Bengal, Odisha and seven northeastern states contributes 88 seats to Lok Sabha, out of which the BJP won only 11 seats. A key aspect of the BJP’s electoral strategy is now to expand its footprint in West Bengal and Odisha in the East where entrenched regional satraps, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik, rule with virtually no rivals.

For the record, Odisha, which went to polls simultaneously along with the Lok Sabha election in 2014, weathered the Narendra Modi storm, with BJP winning just one Lok Sabha seat. On the other hand, the Naveen Patnaikled Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 20 out of 21 seats in Odisha. BJD also won a massive majority of 112 out of 147 seats in the Odisha assembly.

Presently, the BJD has 118 MLAs, while the Congress and the BJP have 15 and 10 legislators, respectively.

If we look at the BJD’s consis-

tent performance during last two decades of electoral politics, the regional party reversed the national trend. In 2004, when Vajpayee-led NDA was ousted from power in Centre, BJD-BJP front won both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. In 2009, though there was no alliance and the Congress-led UPA came to power at the Centre for the second time, BJD alone got maximum seats in both Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Odisha. Interestingly, after breaking away from BJP, Naveen got more seats in both 2009 and 2014 assembly elections than what the alliance had got earlier. In 2014 also, when the Modi wave was engulfing the whole country, it was completely reverse in Odisha.

BJD got 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. It also got more seats in assembly.

However, in the past few years, the BJP has made consid-

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erable inroads and performed well in the panchayat polls. In the national executive held in April last year, Modi named Odisha as his party’s next battleground. Modi’s assessment would have stemmed from the result in panchayat polls two months’ back in February when the BJP fortunes changed after it increased its vote share from 15% to 32%. A nine-fold jump in zila parishad

seats and a drubbing of the JD, led by Naveen Patnaik in tribal districts were enough to signal the arrival of the BJP as the main opposition. Juxtaposed against the assembly and Lok Sabha seats, the panchayat poll results would have meant that the BJP can win 7 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 45 of the 147 Assembly seats. Buoyed by this victory, Shah outlined the party’s

game-plan when he unveiled the Mission 120 plan (winning 120 of the 147 assembly seats). The party started poaching leaders from both the BJD and the Congress and tried expanding its base with help of new turncoats.

However, it was Bijepur, an assembly constituency in the western Odisha district of Bargarh which showcased why Patnaik stands in the way of

|AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 19

IN FOCUS the BJP’s expansion drive. The BJD won by a massive margin of around 42,000 votes and forced a resurgent BJP to look for other means to defeat this regional powerhouse in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. At the same time, without showing any complacency, Patnaik has stepped up his efforts to connect to the masses.

After the Karnataka fiasco that resulted in the formation of government

by JD(S)-Congress coalition despite emerging as the single largest party in assembly elections, the BJP has intensified its focus on Odisha. As the Congress is relegated to the third position, the real electoral battle is between the BJP and the BJD, the state’s ruling party.

BJP president Amit Shah has begun his campaign for 2019. Shah's visit comes as part of an agenda to strengthen the party's voter base in Odisha, ahead of the upcoming elections in the state, as well as the general elections next year. Shah undertook a day-long visit on July 1 to Odisha and claimed that party would 'sweep' the forthcoming Odisha Assembly polls in 2019 Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen Cuttack as the venue of his rally to mark the completion of four years of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. By projecting the central government’s achievements before the people of Odisha, Modi sounded the poll bugle.

In the last couple of years, the battle lines between the BJD and BJP have grown sharper. The BJP leadership has given Dharmendra Pradhan, senior party leader and Union petroleum, natural gas and skill development minister, a free rein to chalk out a plan of action to boost the party’s prospects in the state. The objective is to pose a serious challenge. The BJP plans to launch a highly aggressive campaign as assembly polls draw near in the coming months. The strategy is to demolish Naveen Patnaik’s carefully crafted image. “He is no saint and he

Interview with Dr. Damodar Rout

Representing Paradip constituency in the current Assembly, 75-year-old Damodar Rout, the late Biju Patnaik confidant, is the seven-time MLA of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The veteran leader of Odisha found a place in all four ministries headed by Naveen Patnaik. Strangely enough, he could not complete a full term as minister in any of the tenures. In an interview with National Political Mirror, Rout speaks on numerous issues including the party’s preparedness to face a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party.

has presided over mega scams and the decline of the state. We will expose him for what he is,” says Pradhan.

But this is easier said than done.

The BJD’s success in the recent Bijepur by-election, followed by two wins in the local body elections of Hindol and Atabira, both traditional BJP bastions, seem to vindicate BJD’s claims of being the number one party in the state ‘with no near rivals’.

According to a BJD leader who fell out with Naveen Patnaik over various issues and has been suspended from the party, “A major reason behind Patnaik’s successive electoral successes is the aura of stability that he successfully projected. Odisha was wracked by political instability — frequent changes of chief minister by the Congress - and corruption, but Naveen has been able to provide stable

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governance.”

Even today, Patnaik is largely seen as a simple person who was thrust into the hurly-burly of politics after the death of his father Biju Patnaik, who is widely respected as the architect of modern-day Odisha. He stays in the simple ‘Naveen Niwas’ and has a spartan lifestyle.

Since parting ways with the BJP in 2009, Patnaik has never really relished being in any group and has always reveled in his splendid isolation. Perhaps he knows he is sitting pretty and tying up with other parties would only mean sacrificing a few seats that his party is good enough to win. BJD doctrine of ‘equi-distant from BJP and Congress is a ploy to keep his options open with either of the two national parties. This also explains away his absence in Bengaluru in HD

Naveen Patnaik will form government again in 2019 —Dr. Damodar Rout Senior BJD leader and Former Minister

Dr Rout: Everything is smooth here, and Naveen Patnaik will form government again in 2019.

Currently, the BJD has 20 Lok Sabha Seats out of 21. Will the party succeed in retaining all those seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections?

Dr Rout: I can’t predict now, but we will be in comfortable positions.

Excerpts: Odisha is the next target of the BJP to bring this eastern state within its fold. The party has recently held a big rally by Narendra Modi in Cuttack. Do you think that Modi magic will impact the forthcoming polls in the state?

Damodar Rout: No, the BJP has no presence in Odisha and party is only campaigning in Media and social media. In the 2014 elections, party has managed to win only 10 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat despite Modi’s visit in state. For the last 18 years, Naveen Patnaik is Chief Minister and his popularity is increasing elections after elections.

The public will rise against Modi and the BJP due to Mahanadhi issue. The BJP-led Chhattisgarh government has closed all the 66 gates of Kalma barrage on the upper catchment of Mahanadi River leading to acute drinking water crisis in Western Odisha districts.

Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony where who’ who from the Opposition had gathered.

The BJP may be expanding its footprint all over the country, but it will find it difficult to beat a politician like Naveen who after four terms in office has an unsullied reputation. However, Patnaik is aware of the BJP’s rise in the panchayat polls and the saffron party’s game plan. He has been on a peopleconnect drive, regularly interacting with panchayat functionaries through a programme called Ama Gaon Ama Vikash (My village, my development).

And then there are the various welfare schemes that the state government launches from time to time, like rice at one Re 1 a kilo, shoes, umbrellas, bicycles, uniforms, free books, free medicines, sanitary napkins and many more, plus doles to farmers, pregnant

How are you looking at 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly election in Odisha?

In case there is a fractured mandate, will your party help to form new government at Centre?

Dr Rout: Naveen Patnaik had maintained that BJD will remain equidistant from both the BJP and Congress. As for supporting a new government at centre, I can’t say about Naveen Babu’s stand if Opposition is united against the BJP. But in Odisha, there is no question of any alliance with Congress.

Why did Naveen Patnaik not attend Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru? Is there any specific reason?

Dr Rout: No, there was no specific reason as during the period, from 16th to 25th May, chief minister Naveen Patnaik was leading 'Mahanadi Surakhya Yatra'. He was busy holding rally to make people of Odisha aware of its dispute with the neighbouring BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi water sharing issue.

women, aged and for funerals. These have created a huge support base for Naveen Patnaik in Odisha.

Chief Minister’s initiative to sanction funds for development works on-the-spot seems to be a hit with the people. Patnaik has also been routinely overseeing development works and is constantly checking the progress of his pet projects in housing and road infrastructure. Similarly, through a government-funded initiative, ‘Biju Yuva Vahini’ for promoting youth at the grassroots level, the party is using its workers to reach out to people. The BJD sources say that in the run-up to the 2019 polls, the party will start a Mahanadi Suraksha rally from May 16 covering 15 districts, many of them in western Odisha, where its MPs, MLAs and panchayat-level functionaries would do a soft campaign for

the party. Party’s formidable election machinery in 2019 will ensure the party can stop any possible resurgence of BJP. “They may get Modi to campaign in Odisha and get media mileage through press conferences, but do they have even 147 candidates for the assembly polls? We have functionaries at the lowest levels. Besides, who would they project as chief minister?” asks a senior party leader.

However, KV Singh Deo, leader of BJP Legislature Party, says that party is working on a narrative that would appeal to the masses.

The Congress, marginalized since the BJP’s resurgence in the state, could also play a spoilsport for any anti-BJD effort. There’s the change of guard in the State Congress. The party last month made former state minister Niranjan Patnaik, the state chief. If the

|AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 21

IN FOCUS

new PCC chief can stem the exodus of Congress votes to rival parties, as happened in Bijepur by-poll, it may hurt BJP more than BJD. If the Congress emerges stronger in the coming months, it may lead to triangular contests in tribal and coastal areas, thus dividing the anti-BJD votes and checking the growth of the BJP. However, if the BJP can work on its organisational weakness, it would pose a huge challenge for the BJD. Naveen Patnaik is no stranger to BJP's methods but has a tough task at hand with public perception also building up against 'tainted' BJD legislators and MPs, and a high-voltage campaign against his party and government.

Ruling uninterruptedly for four terms, the party finds itself on the backfoot with controversies like the chit fund and mining scams, deteriorating law and order situation, increasing farmer suicides and continued migration casting a shadow over it.

The BJP is now going all out to revive and expand its support base in the state. In addition, the BJD govern-

The BJP may be expanding its footprint all over the country, but it will find it difficult to beat a politician like Naveen who after four terms in office has an unsullied reputation. However, Patnaik is aware of the BJP’s rise in the panchayat polls and the saffron party’s game plan.

He has been on a people-connect drive, regularly interacting with panchayat functionaries through a programme called Ama Gaon Ama Vikash (My village, my development). ment’s image has taken a beating following the arrest of some of its MPs and MLAs and a string of summons issued by the CBI and the ED against some legislators. A recent case being the Enforcement Directorate summoning and questioning Pranab Balabantaray, legislator from Dharmasal (Jeypore), about his alleged clandestine deal with Cuttack’s notorious

22 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| AUGUST, 2018|

Dhalasamanta brothers.

Earlier, Mayurbhanj MP Ramachandra Hansda and former Keonjhar MLA Subarna Nayak – both belonging to the BJD – and former BJP MLA Hitesh Kumar Bagartti, were arrested for defrauding investors in the Naba Diganta Capital Services.

These arrests come close on the heels of the arrest of Pravat Tripathy, another BJD MLA from Banki. Tripathy was accused of having links to the Artha Tatwa Group scam. One of the main planks of its campaign is to highlight the Patnaik government’s 18-year tenure of ‘misgovernance’.

The Odisha chief minister has launched a multipronged strategy to meet the political challenge posed by BJP. An important part of BJD’s campaign is to emphasise the Modi government’s’ indifference’ to resolving the Mahanadi river water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha and rejecting the state’s genuine demand for ‘Special Category’ status. Yet, there’s no doubt that since its inception in 1997, the BJD currently seems to be facing its toughest challenge from the combined opposition of Congress and BJP. Consider, for instance, the BJP’s improved performance and revival as the second largest party in last year’s panchayat polls. In fact, the BJP’s aggression has pushed Patnaik to adopt multiple strategies to counter the party’s growing influence.

Of late, 100 new projects have been sanctioned.

With Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state approaching near, Naveen Patnaik has a tough task at hand – he will have to fight the public perception battle about tainted party legislators as well as counter the BJP’s high-voltage campaign against his party and government. l

SPECIAL STORY

RAJNIKANT’S PLUNGE INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA Superstar Rajnikanth has made his decision to take his much-awaited political plunge into the political arena and the launch of his political outfit is much awaited by his fans with bated breath.

By: Bharath Umapathy

O

f course, the pertinent question surrounding his entry his political entry is..

Will the Superstar be a real political force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu politics and be an agent of change for which Tamil nadu is primed now. The actor is presently busy restructuring Rajni Makkal Mandram, his fan club and meeting his fan club members as he is preparing himself to take the plunge into the rough and tumble of politics. The decision to enter politics has not come easy to the shy actor that he is, and his fans had to wait for decades before the actor decided to try his hand in politics. According to political pundits the the superstar has scripted his political entry perfectly, even as there exists a lot of political space for him to manoeuvre his moves, as the tall leaders of the past, who have dominated Tamil Nadu politics including AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa and DMK’s M. Karunanidhi are no longer there to pose any challenge to his political ambitions.

“While the former is dead and gone, the latter has gone into retirement due to his age-related ailments,” the political pundits say. Indeed the time is ripe for the reluctant politician in him to make the move.

With clean image and relative naiveté of a budding politician, Rajnikanth has started to actively participate and express his opinions on major issues including the Cauvery row and Thoothukudi firings as he is readying himself to be a full-time politician of late. While his comments on Thoothukudi firings misfired even as he pointed to anti-social elements as being the prime cause for the riot-like situation which prevailed on the fateful day, which resulted in the police firings which claimed 13 lives, as his statement was viewed through the prism of people movement and critics blamed the actor for demeaning a people’s movement with his insensitive remarks. On the other hand, his open support for Tamil nadu farmer’s cause in Cauvery issue landed him up in trouble with Kannadigas. His latest film “Kaala” faced

|AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 23

SPECIAL STORY roadblocks prior to its release in Karnataka, the home state of the superstar. “True the box office king is taking only child steps in the realm of politics where the stakes are high and he has a long way to go and grow as a politician.” say political pundits However, the entry of the 68- year old actor would be a great occasion for his wide fan base, who have been waiting for the red –letter day for decades. The actor has announced his decision to enter the political arena when his fans were already resigned to the fact that he would never ever make his move in that direction.

A famous dialogue lipped by him in one of his films goes like this, “ Nobody could guess when or how I would arrive but I would arrive at the right moment.”

“The actor had done just that, by arriving at the right time, when there is no great challenge to his political ambitions and he has every chance to make it big in Tamil nadu politics, as the people are alienated with both the DMK and AIADMK, who between them ruled the state for five decades” say his supporters . Is Rajnikanth the real alternative Tamil nadu is looking for and will he rise to the occasion to capture the imagination of the people in a big way and go to rule the people like MGR did in the past.

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It may be difficult to answer these questions now as the actor has not even formed his outfit and only he is in preparation mode. While some continue to see hin as a political novice, others applaud his new brand of politics which he has promised to deliver. The superstar has chosen to call it “spiritual politics”, which has been given various interpretation since he mouthed it in front of his fans. However, his critics have not taken kindly to the brand of politics he is proposing to advocate in the Dravidian heartland of Tamil Nadu .

Some of the critics ask “What is the connection between spirituality and politics. Is it not two different entities? Indeed the two Dravidian majors namely DMK and AIADMK see the actor as a real threat to their political existence and Dravidian legacy. DMK Working President M. K. Stalin. who saw a real threat in the shape of Rajnikanth. dubbed his planned entry as a non-event and the party men boldly claim that his entry would not affect DMK’s prospects in elections and the party’s bid to return to power.

Stalin was quick to dub the entry of actors into politics and he chose to call both Rajnikanth and Kamal

The political acumen and leadership qualities of Rajnikanth is yet to take the litmus test and most of his film friends have reserved their comment for the future when Rajnikanth comes out with his manifesto for the welfare of Tamilnadu. “Rajnikanth may be a reluctant politician in contrast to the thickskinned political class of Tamilnadu but is he up to the task ?” demand his detractors.

Hasan who has already started his own outfit Makkal Needhi Maiyam as “ paper flowers” meaning that they have no real value and would not last long in the rough and tumble of politics. Rajnikanth’s recent statement that there exists a "Political vacuum" in Tamil nadu and his entry is aimed to fill in the vacuum was also met with stiff resistance by both DMK and AIADMK, who though arch-rivals themselves are united in their opposition to Rajnikanth.

“Yes. There exists a political vacuum in Tamil nadu and I am entering politics to fill up that vacuum” thundered the Superstar to the loud applause of his thousands of fans who have come to meet the star on the given day.

The political acumen and leadership qualities of Rajnikanth is yet to take the litmus test and most of his film friends have reserved their comment for the future when Rajnikanth comes out with his manifesto for the welfare of Tamil nadu . “Rajnikanth may be a reluctant politician in contrast to the thick-skinned political class of Tamil nadu but is he up to the task ?” demand his detractors.

Unlike MGR and Jayalalithaa who made it big in Tamil

nadu politics, Rajnikanth has not received any apprenticeship in politics and could be called a political novice. Until the other day, he kept himself away from politics except for a couple of rare occasions in which he had opposed former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa as he did in 1996 and openly declared that “ Even “Gods couldn’t save Tamil nadu if Jayalalithaa is voted back to power” But thereafter he was seen pandering both to M.Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa and played safe as he prioritized his film career over his political ambitions. According to Gurumurthy, the RSS ideologue, if Rajnikanth strikes up an electoral alliance with BJP in Tamil nadu he could win as many seats and go to form the government in Tamil nadu . With assembly elections slated for 2021, the actor has enough time to consolidate himself as a political force and throw his towel in the ring.

“Rajnikanth might go to lead the third front in Tamil nadu after striking up an alliance with the like-minded parties and whether he would win in his bid to capture power or not is a million dollar question,” say political pundits. l

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SPECIAL STORY

By Bharath Umapathy

Will

KAMAL HASAN WIN ENOUGH SUPPORT TO CHANGE THE CORRUPT

Political Culture of Tamil Nadu?

Actor–Politician Kamal Hasan, founder of Makkal Needhi Maiyam has formally hoisted his party’s flag after his political outfit got formally recognized by Election Commission of India.

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T

he event was celebrated at his party office at Alwarpet in Chennai in a milestone event since he launched his outfit in February this year. With this flag hoisting attended by his fans, mostly youngsters, the veteran actor has announced that he has politically arrived to challenge the powers that be.

The veteran actor’s calendar is busy these days as he is actively seen touring and meeting both national leaders of repute, cutting across party lines and drumming up support among cadres in heartland Tamil Nadu for his fledgling party. An avowed netizen that Kamal Hasan, is he has been using the cyberspace to a larger extent to keep in touch with his fan base and the general public. He has kickstarted the enrolment drive on February 23 and managed to enlist the support of only 10,000 cadres from every district.

“Kamal Hasan being a suave actor

politics with him and in his own words received the leader’s “blessings” for his own fledgling outfit.

When the actor in his earnestness to gain political currency met Karnataka Chief minister H.D.Kumaraswamy after his swearing-in ceremony and raked up the Cauvery issue with him he was attacked from all sides. The actor found himself at the receiving end for raising the sensitive Cauvery issue which had already been settled by the Supreme court of India with the new Chief Minister of Karnataka. K.

mostly appealed to the urban audience, and he lacks the cadre base in rural Tamil Nadu and so there is no overwhelming response witnessed for the drive,” say his fan club members.

Kamal Hasan also exploited the web medium and sent out millions of invites to personal email ids across Tamil Nadu soliciting support for his party. At the height of the enrollment drive , Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan too got an email invite from Kamal Hasan’ new outfit soliciting her support and to join the party Kamal Hasan, who launched his outfit in February 22 this year after visiting the ancestral house of Dr. Abdul Kalam in Rameshwaram, later addressed a massive rally which was organized in Madurai, the heartland of Tamil Nadu on the same day. Sharing the dais with him was none other than Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had earlier visited Kamal Hasan at his Chennai house in September 2017 hoping to rope in veteran actor into Aam Admi party.

Later on, Kamal Hasan also met up with the Pinayari Vijayan, the veteran left leader and Chief Minister of Kerala to discuss

Veeramani of Dravidar Kazhagam issued a statement criticizing the actor for not knowing the “Length, breadth and depth of Cauvery water row” and blamed him for his temerity.

However, Kamal Hasan who also identifies himself as a “rationalist” was quick to clear the air and said “ I met Kumarasamy as one of seven crore Tamils and their aspirations. If farmers sit across the table and resolve the issue, politicians have no role in it” Above all, his recent meeting with Congress President Rahul Gandhi, when he is said to have discussed politics with the Prince Charming caught the attention of many. “ Is Kamal Hasan a go-between for the anti-BJP alliance which is taking shape in the nation before it goes to polls in 2019?” his critics ask. “My party would take a decision on joining the larger national alliance at an appropriate time” Kamal Hasan told the media after his meeting with Rahul Gandhi.

The loud anti-corruption rhetoric which propelled Kamal Hasan and the recent political heft he is garnering for himself and his party by meeting up with political biggies including left-center leaders |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 27

SPECIAL STORY and politicians speaks volumes about his political course and philosophy. “ Kamal Hasan would be a part of the Congress-led larger alliance during the national polls which are around the corner in 2019 and who knows he might be a major alliance partners of Congress in Tamil Nadu, if the age-old party is given a raw deal from DMK in seat sharing during Parliamentary polls and later, the TN assembly polls” say political pundits.

Kamal Hasan appeals to the urban youth and commands a huge following in Twitter and lately he has emerged as the most talked about male celebrity from Tamil Nadu as per the data culled by Twitter India for the period the first six months of 2018. The big boss hosts knew how to keep his fans in the loop by tweeting on hot issues.

Also, the actor is seen as someone representing the aspirations of a new generation of urban voters who are against freebie culture, cash for votes phenomenon, and systemic corruption. But he doesn’t have the same appeal

28 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| AUGUST, 2018|

like Rajnikanth when it comes to rural voters.

The actor, now doubt is proposing new ideas and he was applauded when he announced that “I will not give Rs 6, 000 for a vote. Because I don’t have that money. But even if I did I won’t give it to you” Earlier during the R.K. Nagar by poll (assembly seat vacated by Jayalalithaa due to her sudden demise) which was won by TTV Dinakaran allegedly after widespread bribing of voters, Kamal Hasan famously said that the “people have been reduced to the level of beggars in R.K. Nagar bypoll” Kamal Hasan sounded idealistic when he said that he would not give freebies; instead, raise the living standards of common folk and adopt villages to bring about changes at the grass root level. The actor is also particular about his party members participating in the local body and panchayat polls which is long overdue and winning it in order to win people’s confidence by working for them at the grassroots level. Unlike superstar Rajnikanth who has been plotting his political entry for decades and is still to announce his party name, flag or philosophy, Kamal

Hasan has fast-tracked everything and took the plunge without the second thought and he is way ahead of Rajnikanth in this respect.

“I never ever thought that Kamal Hasan would enter politics” observed Rajnikanth a bit shocked the speed with which Kamal Hasan took to politics like fish to water, while Rajnikanth is still twiddling his fingers whether to enter politics or not. The two actors though share a great personal equation are poles apart when it comes to political preferences.

While Rajnikanth is proposing a new brand of “spiritual politics” as his new political philosophy, Kamal Hasan is seen as more left- Centre oriented, and all of it is evident from the fact to whom he is warming up to since his debut in to the rough and tumble of politics since his Madurai rally.

“I don’t think that the colour of Rajnikanth’s political leanings are “saffron,” said Kamal Hasan when asked whether he would tie up with his arch-rival and friend

rhetoric when AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa was very much alive.

Kamal Hasan sounded “Kamal Hasan did not utter a sinidealistic when he said gle word against the corruption in that he would not give public life when Madam Jayalalithaa was alive. He is doing so now because freebies; instead, raise she is no more and he has smelt an opthe living standards of portunity to enter politics where film common folk and adopt stars from glamor world are always villages to bring about welcome” say his die-hard critics. changes at the grass root While Rajnikanth has been branded as a B- team of BJP in Tamil Nadu Kamal level. The actor is also Hasan is seen as a “force” to root out particular about his Dravidian legacy and politics from party members particiTamilnadu by Thirumurugan Gandhi, pating in the local body of May 7 movement and a Tamil naand panchayat polls tionalist.

Kamal Hasan recently created a which is long overdue storm among Brahmin community and winning it in order to members to which he belonged to win people’s confidence when he openly said that the only by working for them at “nool” (denoting both a book and a the grassroots level. sacred thread in Tamil) he shunned was the “nool” worn by higher castes.

“I did away with wearing the caste symbol from a young age “claimed the actor giving strength to Dravidian credentials and in his bid to silence his critics for his Brahmin origins. While some see Kamal Hasan as “son of the soil” in relation to Rajnikanth who is said to be an “outsider “others question his atheist and Dravidian credentials, based on the fact that he belonged to a higher caste.

Kamal Hasan is sure charting out his political path in a new fashion and unlike Rajnikanth who is busy restructuring his fan clubs, Kamal has only appointed members to important posts such as Vice-president, General Secretary and Treasures for his party Makkal Needhi Maiyam only on July 12.

“Here also Kamal Hasan differs a lot from Rajnikanth. While the latter is busy restructuring the district units of his fan club and appointing core team members including booth committee members, Kamal Hasan has adopted a top-down approach.” Say, political pundits. But the veteran actor is doing it at least now.

Only time will tell, who among the two, on a broad political platform in the days to come to collec- Kamal Hasan or Rajnikanth is going to pip at the post and tively take on the Dravidian majors namely, the DMK and win the collective imagination of Tamils and Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK. The critics of Kamal Hasan though call him a which is presumably at the cusp of political change in the “coward” and cite his reticence to rake up anti-corruption days and months to come. l |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 29

NEWSMAKER

AS OF NOW, WE ARE ONLY ENTERING THE FMCG MARKET IN INDIA —Mr. Abhishek Verma, Olialia World Chief Evangelist In an email-interview with National Political Mirror, Mr. Abhishek Verma exchanges his views on Olialia World’s present and future business strategies, its foray into Indian market and building of Olialia International Airport in Maldives. Excerpt:

30 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| AUGUST, 2018|

Can you share with us in brief Olialia World's mantra of success?

Olialia’s mantra of success is the fact that we are offering a product of high quality at a lower price. It’s like experiencing the comfort of a Rolls Royce at the price of a Fiat.

Which of your company's product is best suited for Indian consumers?

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Share with us Olialia India's market capitalization since it forayed into Indian market.

Olialia’s market cap worldwide is over $2bn and we are launching the brand in India as well as other parts of Asia-Pacific.

What about Olialia's big investment in Luxury Properties and Hospitality?

Olialia World always had a dream to build their own Island Resort in the Maldives. We are simply implementing their plans and have also been invited by the Govt. of Maldives to build an International Airport which will be called Olialia International Airport Maldives.

Are you planning to invest in Indian states the same way as you are doing in Maldives?

We are only entering the FMCG market with our Olialia products as of now in India.

There is a buzz around your beer products. Where do you see Olialia Beer which is being launched globally in 2018?

The Beer industry has been growing on an average by 5-6% per year per country each year since 2010. Today, its not only Strong and Light but even a range of Wheat and Stout based Beer. We are currently working towards the launch of Olialia Beer in Maldives and hope to launch very soon in India as well.

Five years down the line, where do you see the Olialia brand?

We see the brand in five years with a market cap of minimum $10bn. l |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 31

TELECOM

WE AIM TO EMPOWER INDIAN TELECOM OPERATORS: OPENWAVE MOBILITY In a conversation with Telecom Mirror, Indranil Chatterjee, Sr. Vice President and Kishor Panpaliya, VP of Americas and APAC – Openwave Mobility, elaborated on how the company is helping Telecom Operators optimize their traffic and its various solutions to mobile operators.

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Telecom Mirror: Mobile video accounts for a very high percentage of all traffic on mobile networks. How does Openwave Mobility help operators manage & monetise mobile video and ensure the best customer video experience?

Indranil Chatterjee and Kishor Panpaliya: High Definition (HD) mobile video consumption is growing at a phenomenal rate. By November 2018, HD video on mobile networks is likely to be at least 50% of total video traffic. HD can take up to three to four times more bandwidth than Standard Definition. This can adversely impact operators.

moreover, 80% of that video traffic is encrypted, complicating the task of ensuring subscriber Quality of Experience (QoE).

In fact, according to recent surveys, subscribers say they would consider abandoning their network provider if a video buffers for 6 seconds. By deploying Virtual Network Function (VNF) components that offer the agility to distinguish flows, monitor real time QoE, and optimize the use of RAN resources, operators in India and worldwide can realize significant network traffic optimization. For example, a mobile operator in EMEA was able to deliver 30% more DVD quality mobile videos to subscribers, reduced video stall times by 75% and saved 30% on bandwidth.

Openwave Mobility is a leader in virtual Gi-LAN offering with more than 13 NFV/SDN deployments at network operators worldwide. We have also invested time in effort in integrating our VNFs with leading packet core vendors and their vEPC offering.

Kishor Panpaliya And as video quality is more important than voice calls, operators face increasing churn if subscribers experience poor QoE. Added to this complexity is the growing use of encryption by OTTs. Owing to this, operators are unable to manage subscriber QoE with traditional optimization techniques.

Openwave Mobility’s traffic management solutions enable operators to manage QoE and monetize mobile data. Our solutions also provide new application-based price plans so operators can launch “video as a service” and notify users of time-critical events and notifications, including purchases etc.

Telecom Mirror: How does Openwave Mobility help operators utilize SDN/NFV on their network? How can Indian telecom operators leverage Openwave Mobility’s expertise?

Indranil Chatterjee and Kishor Panpaliya: For some operators, the key driver is to enable network slicing for the transition to 5G. However, there are several ways that SDN/NFV can improve quality of service (QoS), service agility and revenue generation, as well as helping to reduce subscriber churn. For example, video QoS is becoming the primary measurement that subscribers use to discern network quality. Today at least 76% of network traffic is video and that percentage is increasing daily;

We have also published a NFV Playbook which offers mobile operators a practical guide towards progressing and justifying NFV based solutions. Given our 20+ years of expertise, Openwave Mobility is in a unique position to deliver a mature and proven cloud-based Gi-LAN solution, Integra, providing scalable, best in class performance on a software, service orchestration platform. Integra offers a modular NFV platform, encrypted application classification, and dynamic NFV service chaining enabling operators to manage the fastchanging world of OTT formats and roll out new innovative services in 30 days, or less.

Telecom Mirror: In this era of encrypted content and monetising subscriber data, how is Openwave Mobility helping mobile operator customers around the world?

Indranil Chatterjee and Kishor Panpaliya: Encryption protocols from Google, Facebook and others continue to darken mobile networks for mobile operators. Yet, at any given point, operators need to ascertain quickly if the content on their networks is from Netflix, Amazon, YouTube or any other source to manage QoE. Operators need to know: the definition of the video. Is it a live stream or download? What codec is being used to deliver the video and to what device? Operators can’t manage what they can’t see. They need much more than conventional traffic management technology to gather data and make informed decisions.

To gain insight with analytics, operators need to abandon the old appliance-based Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) approach and adopt pure software solutions, like Openwave Mobility’s Video Traffic Management solution. Our solutions are designed to be software-based, agile and virtualized so they can be easily deployed in the cloud, with heuristics for |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 33

TELECOM encrypted video. Moreover this technology allows operators to glean data for application-based metering plans or promotional add-on services to secure additional revenue generating opportunities.

Telecom Mirror: Who are the key customers of Openwave Mobility and what are the key solutions Openwave Mobility offers that helps operators deliver outstanding QoE? Indranil Chatterjee and Kishor Panpaliya: We are proud to be associated with some of the major Tier-1 telecom groups worldwide including Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange, Zain, Softbank and AT&T. We have recently deployed our Traffic Management solution at a major Tier-1 Indian telecom operator and we are witnessing impressive results.

An insatiable appetite for video has raised the bar for subscribers’ overall QoE expectations, putting pressure on mobile operators’ ability to maintain QoS. However, while it is true that subscribers hold operators responsible for video quality, research shows that subscribers also are willing to pay more for good quality video.

We have proven QoE management and monetization solutions such as Secure Traffic Manager, TCP Acceleration, IP Traffic Filtering and SmartIDM built on our award-winning Integra NFV platform. In addition to that, we provide a comprehensive software-based DPI for encrypted and unencrypted traffic as well as Traffic Analysis dashboards to understand the traffic profile and gain actionable insights for the marketing and operations teams.

Telecom Mirror: What are Openwave Mobility’s plans for the Indian market?

Indranil Chatterjee and Kishor Panpaliya: We have invested heavily in building a self-sufficient centre of excellence in Pune, Maharashtra, where we have cross-functional expertise includ-

ing sales, pre-sales, product management, engineering, professional services and global customer support teams. A Tier-1 operator in India has already experienced the benefits of deploying our Video Traffic Management & TCP Acceleration solution, and we are engaging with other Indian telcos by successfully conducting large-scale trials.

Our penetration strategy for the Indian market is two-fold.

Firstly, we intend to leverage our global Tier 1 deployment expertise and our major local presence to create a win-win scenario for Indian network operators through our tested and proven All-IP Traffic Management and Subscriber Data Management solutions. Secondly, we have mature OEM relationships with major network infrastructure vendors who have significant market share in India and are actively engaged in migrating the packet core domain to NFV. Openwave Mobility solutions have been pre-integrated and certified as VNFs within their platforms, offering our Indian operator customers an alternate choice of procuring our solutions.

There is a price war going on in India between operators involving free or incentivized data, which is causing a hockey stick type of growth in mobile data consumption. Approximately 70% of this data consumption is streaming video traffic amounting to more than 1.65 billion hours per month. On occasions such as a IPL final, almost 10+ million concurrent streaming users on mobile networks can cause congestion and video buffering – which adversely impacts subscriber QoE. What makes managing this data even more complicated is that it’s all encrypted! We aim to empower Indian telecom operators so they can prepare and manage the growing tide of encrypted data and maintain QoE and profitability. We are the market leaders in our domain with more than 40+ Tier 1 mobile operators worldwide and can leverage that expertise in India.l (The interview was taken from telecommirror.com published by same group)

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TELECOM NEWS

BSNL joins hands with NEC Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and NEC Technologies India (NECTI) have announced a purchase order has been placed by BSNL for NECTI to design, engineer, supply, install, test and implement an optical submarine cable system connecting Chennai and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N Islands). As part of this deal, NEC Corporation will manufacture the optical submarine cable and provide technical assistance during the turnkey implementation.

The contract is for a system that includes a segment with repeaters from Chennai to Port Blair and seven segments without repeaters between the islands of Havelock, Little Andaman (Hutbay), Car Nicobar, Kamorta, the Great Nicobar Islands, Long Island and Rangat. The total cable length will be approximately 2,300km and carry 100Gb/s optical waves. The cable system will provide the A&N Islands with sufficient bandwidth for supporting voice and data connectivity that enable the implementation of e-Governance initiatives, such as the establishment of enterprises and ecommerce facilities. The system will also assist educational

institutes in the sharing of knowledge and will play a significant role in driving the “Digital India” vision, a campaign launched by the Government of India to ensure that Government services are made available to citizens electronically.

BSNL starts first internet telephony service in India State-owned BSNL has unveiled the country’s first internet telephony service that will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its mobile app, starting from July 25.

The company launched the app ‘Wings’ that will allow customers to make unlimited calls by paying annual fee of Rs 1,099 and by using internet service or wi-fi of any telecom operator, to any phone number. Currently, voice calls can be made through mobile apps by users of the same app. Telecom Commission, highest decision making body of Department of Telecom, had earlier allowed companies who hold valid telecom licence, to provide app-based calling service even by using wi-fi connection. The service provider will be required to comply with all the interception and monitoring related requirements and calls will be charged by telecom operators.

All rules related to normal calls will be applicable on them.

Telecom Commission approves net neutrality, new telecom policy The Telecom Commission has approved net neutrality rules which bar service providers from discriminating against Internet content and services by blocking, throttling or granting them higher speed access. Some mission critical applications or services like remote surgery and autonomous cars will however be kept out of the purview of net neutrality framework. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had recommended restrictions on service providers from entering into agreements which lead to discriminatory treatment of content on the Internet. TC also approved the new telecom policy — National Digital Communications Policy 2018 — for seeking approval of the Union Cabinet, Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told reporters here. An official, who was part of the meeting, said that the TC has approved installation of around 12.5 lakh WiFi hotspot in all gram panchayats with viability gap funding of around Rs 6,000 crore by December 2018. |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 35

TELECOM NEWS

Infosys foundation signs MoU with Bangalore Metro Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Infosys, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) towards the construction of a station at Konappana Agrahara, in Electronics City.

This station is under the second phase of Bangalore Metro’s expansion plans and the Foundation has committed to maintaining this station for the next 30 years.

The MoU, which was signed in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Deputy Chief Minister, G. Parameshwara, also mentions the following: The station, to be named Infosys Foundation – Konappana Agrahara Metro Station, will be spread over two lakh square feet A 3,000 square feet space within the station will be dedicated to Infosys Foundation which will provide local craftsmen and artisans a platform to showcase their talent, and also host exhibitions The roof

of the station will be designed to support solar panels that will provide power for lighting, making this station a sustainable building.

COAI welcomes approval of NDCP 2018, net neutrality recommendations by TRAI

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said that it has welcomed the approval of the NDCP 2018, as it is a forward-looking policy that promises to usher India into a new era of digital communications, thereby making the Prime Minister’s Digital India dream a reality. On 11th July 2018, the Telecom Commission, the highest decision-making body in the telecom sector, approved the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018 and the Net Neutrality recommendations by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The new telecom policy with the aim of creating new jobs

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and inviting investments worth $100 billion by 2022 now awaits the final approval from the cabinet. “Where the Net Neutrality recommendations are concerned, we have already expressed our support on issues pertaining to non-discriminatory use of the Internet, including no blocking, no throttling and adoption of same servicesame rules. That said, we reiterate our earlier position that a light touch Regulatory approach should be adopted so that innovation is not hampered by the Net Neutrality rules,” said Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI. “Many of the 5G applications will have stringent data communication requirements, such as high reliability or minimal delay which require traffic management techniques. We have urged the Government to review industry practices with respect to traffic prioritisation to foster 5G-enabled applications and eco-system in India,” he added. “Now that the commission has approved the recommendations, which are before the Cabinet for approval, we hope that the Cabinet will consider the concerns raised by the industry so that the Net Neutrality rules that are adopted in India benefit the consumers, incentivise innovation and adoption of new technologies, and enable the seamless spread of state of the art networks and service,” Mathews added.

Airtel to rollout 10,000 new mobile sites in West Bengal Bharti Airtel today said that it will make significant investments to expand its high speed network footprint across West Bengal as part of its network transformation initiative – Project Leap. During FY18-19, Airtel plans to rollout 10,000 new mobile sites across West Bengal to significantly boost network capacity for high speed data and voice services. The roll-out would translate to the addition of one new mobile site per hour to Airtel’s futureready network in West Bengal. Airtel will also start deploying Pre-5G Massive MIMO technology in Kolkata to offer a superior high speed data experience to customers. Massive MIMO technology, which will be deployed at major business hubs and residential locations in the city, will expand network capacity by 5-7 times over the same spectrum, and delivers superfast data speeds despite large number of concurrent users at the same loca-

tion. Airtel had recently deployed the solution at Eden Gardens during the IPL 2018 and received extremely positive customer feedback.

Rajya Sabha now Wi-Fi enabled The Rajya Sabha is now Wi-Fi enabled, offering law makers of the Upper House access to Internet for browsing government and Parliament websites, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said. Present rules allows MPs to carry mobile phones, laptops and tabs inside the Rajya Sabha chamber but the devices were not connected to the Parliament Wi-Di. Parliament Wi-Fi was available to members in lobbies and other parts of the Parliament House complex. The Wi-Fi, he said, can be used to browse only government websites including those of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on any mobile, laptop or tab inside the House.

Walmart signs five years agreement with Microsoft Walmart has announced it is establishing a strategic partnership with Microsoft Corp to further accelerate Walmart’s digital transformation in retail, empower its associates worldwide and make shopping faster and easier for millions of customers around the world. Through this partnership, Walmart has chosen Microsoft as its preferred and strategic cloud provider tapping into the full range of Microsoft’s cloud solutions. Walmart is already using Microsoft services for critical applications and workloads and is now embarking on a broad set of cloud innovation projects that leverage machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data platform solutions for a wide range of external customer-facing services and internal business applications. |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 37

IN FOCUS NEWS TELECOM

Completed prelim enquiry intoRs 1,000-crore BSNL case: CBI to Delhi High Court The CBI has told the Delhi High Court that it has completed its preliminary enquiry into allegations that some BSNL officials caused a loss of about Rs 1,000 crore to the exchequer by releasing unauthorised payment to a subsidiary of a Chinese firm by fabricating documents. The agency told a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar that the investigating officer was yet to submit his findings to his superiors and sought more time to file a report regarding its enquiry. The court gave six weeks to the CBI to file a status report and listed the matter for further hearing on October 22. On March 6, the CBI had told the court that its preliminary enquiry into the allegations against BSNL was at an advanced stage. BSNL has refuted the allegations. The court was hearing a plea by NGO Telecom

Watchdog, which has claimed that it was a huge case of corruption involving about Rs 1,000 crore.

Narendra Modi, Korean President inaugurate Samsung’s mobile manufacturing facility in Noida

The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, and the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, today jointly inaugurated a large mobile manufacturing facility of Samsung India Electronics at Noida. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister described the occasion as a special one, in the journey to make India a global manufacturing hub. He said the investment of about Rs. 5000 crore, would not only strengthen Samsung’s business links with India, but is also significant in the context of the relationship between India and Korea. He said the ‘Make in India’ initiative

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is not just an economic policy measure, but also a resolve of better ties with friendly nations such as South Korea. The Prime Minister noted that India now ranks second, globally, in the manufacture of mobile phones, with the number of mobile phone manufacturing factories rising from just 2, to 120, in about four years’ time. He said this has created lakhs of employment opportunities. Samsung India also launched its ‘Make for the World’ initiative, whereby it aims to export mobile handsets produced in India, to overseas markets. With this new facility, Samsung will double its current capacity for mobile phones in Noida from 68 million units a year to 120 million units a year, in a phase-wise expansion that will be completed by 2020. Samsung has been manufacturing mobile phones in India since 2007, and is the only brand that is truly made in India.

Samsung India has been populating Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) right from its inception and is aligned with the Government of India’s Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) goals. On June 7, 2017, Samsung had announced an investment of Rs 4,915 crore to add new capacity at the Noida plant, under the Uttar Pradesh government’s Mega Policy.

Indian Telecom service providers invests Rs 9,27,000 crore for infrastructure Indian Telecom service providers (TSPs) have invested about Rs 9,27,000 crore while Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the telecom industry has increased from Rs 20,000 crore in FY’15-16 to approximately Rs 67,000 crore in the first three quarters of FY’16-17, contributing towards building an efficient infrastructure to provide accessible and affordable service to customers, according to an ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study. Telecom service providers (TSP) play a vital role in providing major support services required for swift growth and transformation of multiple sectors such as IT, insurance, education, health, public sector, etc, reveals the study. A fairly conducive regulatory environment has been created for TSPs through implementation of new policies and regulatory framework by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) TSPs gross

revenue stood at approximately Rs188,000 crore with a decline of 2.68 per cent in 2016-17, noted joint study.

BSNL to roll out 5G service with global launch The state-owned telecom firm BSNL expects to start 5G services in the country together with its global launch, a senior official said. “The moment 5G is launched anywhere in the world, most probably 5G will be launched in India also. I can use the word “nobody before BSNL will launch [5G services] in the country”, BSNL Chief General Manager Anil Jain told. Asked on the timeline, he said “we can’t give any timeline. Though, world over people are talking to launch 5G by June 2020. But, there aresome expectations that we may see 5G (launch) in 2019 itself,” he said. . “We have missed the 4G bus.. BSNL doesn’t want to miss the 5G bus in the entire country,” he said. As far as 5G is concerned, Jain said BSNL has taken a lead in this and pointed out that “to do the learning and testing on the ground and making our system compatible with 5G, BSNL has signed agreement with several international operators including Nokia, NTT Advance Technology.”

Official web portal of Dargah Khwaja Sahib Ajmer launched India’s Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has emphasised that the philosophy of Sufism spreads the thoughts of peace and harmony. While launching the official web portal of Dargah Khwaja Sahib Ajmer here,Naqvi said that the present government is doing efforts for inclusive growth of every section of the society. He said that in the last four years the government has worked with the resolve of development without discrimination. |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 39

FILM/THEATRE

Bollywood Biopics

ONE TREND, MANY MOVIES

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By Shambhu Sahu

R

eel and real is a deadly combination in Bollywood. It almost always works with the audience, especially now when the audience is more evolved and hungry for good content.

And thus you have a slew of “biopics” (as they are called; biographical + picture= biopic) lined up for release in the coming months. Rajkumar Hirani’s “Sanju”, an authorised biographical film on actor Sanjay Dutt, is the latest example. The film has broken all recent records at the box-office (B.O.) and is so far the most successful film of 2018. The film is on its way to cross 300 crores within two weeks. It was 265cr on its 10-day of run at the B.O. But this is not an absolutely recent phenomenon. One of the first biopics to be made in Bollywood was V. Shantaram’s “Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani” (1946).

The film written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and VP Sathe, was based on the life of an Indian doctor Dwarkanath Kotnis, who worked in China during the World War II. Since then there have been biopics coming and going, but it never emerged as a major trend in Bollywood, except for phases where a few films came in the same year. Like 1994 saw two films being made on real life characters – Shekhar Kapur’s gritty “Bandit Queen” based on the life of exploit-turned-Bandit Phoolan Devi; and Shyam Benegal’s “Sardar”, based on the life of Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, essayed on screen by Paresh Rawal.

One year that saw maddening rush to make biopic was 2002 when at least three films were made on the life of Shahid Bhagat Singh, one the youngest Indian freedom fighters. These include Rajkumar Santoshi’s “The legend of Bhagat Singh” with Ajay Devgn in the lead role; “23rd March 1931: Shaheed”, with Bobby Deol, and “Shaheed-e-Azam”, with Sonu Sood. This despite the fact that Manoj Kumar had already made a film on the same subject titled “Shahid” in 1965.

The biopic trend has taken off in a major way in the re-

cent past in Bollywood, and sports drama form a large part of this. Sensing the demand of “real” content and buoyed by the success of real life sports dramas like “Chak De! India”, “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, “Paan Singh Tomar”, “MS Dhoni”, “Dangal”, etc., the filmmakers have lined up over a dozen biopics for release in near future. From Kangana Ranaut’s “Manikarnika-The Rani of Jhansi” to Reema Kagti’s “Gold”, to Karan Johar’s “Kesari”, to Kabir Khan’s “1983”, a biopic of cricket legend Kapil Dev, and many more getting ready to enthral audiences with real stories, drama, and patriotism.

Biopic Goes Mainstream One most important trend to be noted within this trend is that biopics as a genre was earlier explore mostly by the so called art film directors, is now finding favours among the |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 41

FILM/THEATRE mainstream commercial filmmakers. If one looks at the biopics made in Bollywood so far, it is clear that this genre was exploited largely by the so called art directors, while the mainstream commercial directors remained confined to their masala films. It was Shyam Benegal who brought stories of Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra and singer and courtesan Sardari Begam on screen in his films “Sardar” (1994), “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero” (1998), and Sardari Begum (1996). Vinay Shukla’s “Godmother” (1999) was reportedly based on the life of a lady don from Porbandar, Gujarat, who ran the Mafia operations and later turned politician. Shabana Azmi played the lead role. So far, it was for “art filmmakers” to sell such real stories. One major exception perhaps was Shekhar Kapur who could make a sensitive cinema (“Masoom”) as well as a potboiler (“Mr. India”) and also a hard hitting biopic “Bandit Queen” Things kind of changed a bit around 2002 when many mainstream filmmakers rushed to make films on the life of Bhagat Singh, even though many received flack for commercialising the story. Nonetheless, at least mainstream cinema was creating space for new and real story against the usual song-anddance romance flicks. The trend seems to have matured now, as you have the very mainstream occupying the space of biopics and all major stars are playing the lead role in this change. Be it Aamir Khan with his “Dangal” (2016) or Akshay Kumar with his many films based on real stories like “Airlift”, “PadMan”, “Rustom”, and upcoming “Kesari”, etc. A look at the line-up of the biopics and their producers, and it is clear that it’s all mainstream filmmakers who are pumping monies in the genre and hoping to make money, and entertaining audiences.

Film stars as Subjects “Sanju” as a film is as flawed as the protagonist of its story – Sanjay Dutt. It is flawed yet lovable – and a large part of the credit goes to Ranbir Kapoor who has successfully managed to bring Sanjay Dutt alive on screen. While the film works at one level, it doesn’t at another. It works more as an independent story of a man who is burdened by the illustrious personalities of his parents (In this case, Sunil Dutt and Nargis, both much respected and successful filmstars).

The film could have been a story independent of Sanjay Dutt, and with Ranbir Kapoor’s brilliant acting as it was in “Sanju”, the film might just have worked.

But for a mainstream cinema, it needed the fact that it’s

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based on Sanjay Dutt’s life, to be told on the proverbial 70mm silver screen. And that’s exactly where it doesn’t work–as an authorised biography of Sanjay Dutt, the film doesn’t touch many personal aspects of his life, especially his three marriages and rumoured affairs, and impact his drug addiction and the court cases had on his films. If a biopic is meant to depict on screen the life of a known or remarkable person and as truthfully as possible, then “Sanju” is not a true biopic. The film misses out on several aspects of Sanjay Dutt’s troubled and controversial life which is available on the internet.

But he wasn’t the only star kid being launched by his super successful father. Kumar Gaurav, son of another hugely popular star Rajendra Kumar (and later Sanjay Dutt’s brother-in-law), also made his debut in 1981 with

“Love Story”. Sanjay Dutt’s debut film “Rocky” also released in the same year. But Sanjay Dutt’s story is different, and perhaps more human and close to life than surreal celebrity life. It inspires both shock and awe in audiences mind.

He went through things in life that a star kid is not supposed to. His was perhaps of the first major case involving a star kid being tried for grievous charges and judged for his ‘socially erratic behaviour’ in full public view. That’s where the script for a Bollywood blockbuster lied.

Before “Sanju”, there was 'The Dirty Picture’, a film on life of southern actor Silk Smitha, known for her sensual onscreen avatar. Silk Smitha (originally Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati) was brought alive on screen by a gutsy performance by Vidya Balan, for which she won a National Film Award. But that was in 2011. In 2019, T-Series is bringing alive on screen the story of its founder and “cassette king” Gulshan Kumar in “Mogul-The Gulshan Kumar Story”. The role is likely to be essayed by none other than Akshay Kumar who is known for his real-life-inspired characters in his film

of late.

Much before these, there were two attempts to bring alive the life and story of the father of Indian film cinema Dadasaheb Phalke. First was Paresh Mokashi’s “Harishchandrachi Factory” (2009, Marathi), which focused on his

Dadasaheb Phalke’s struggle in making India's first feature film “Raja Harishchandra” (1913). Then there was Films Division’s ‘Rangbhoomi’ (2013), an-hour-and-a-half long documentary based on a semi-autobiographical play written by Dadasaheb Phalke.

Stories of Extraordinary Common Men Though there have been few attempts to make films in the life of common people, not sure if they pull enough audience to theatre. Omung Kumar, who made “Mary Kom”, also made another biopic on Sarabjit Singh, who was accused of being an Indian spy in Pakistan and was sentenced to death. Randeep Hooda played the lead role and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan his sister who fought relentlessly for his release from the Pakistani prison. But it didn’t work at the B.O. But that’s not deterring Vikas Behl from making a film on the life of renowned mathematician Anand Kumar, who has a tremendous success rate as a coach who teaches underprivileged children for engineer-

ing entrance exam under initiative ‘Super 30’. Superstar Hrithik Roshan is playing the role which is a testimony to acceptance of the trend among the Bollywood biggies.

Before this there have been some noteworthy biographical films. Like Hansal Mehta’s “Shahid” (2012), based on the life of lawyer Shahid Azmi who was apparently killed for offering his services to terror accused; Ketan Mehta’s “Manjhi: The Mountain Man” (2015), about a man in Bihar who single-handedly carves out a way through the mountain using just a hammer and chisel in two decades. “Manjunath” (2014) was based on life of S. Manjunath, an executive of a reputed petroleum company who was killed in Uttar Pradesh by goons who didn’t like his objecting to their adulteration of diesel.

Hansal Mehta’s deeply moving “Aligarh” (2015) was based on a true story of Professor Dr. S. Ramchandra Siras who was suspended from university due to his sexual orientation. This has one of Manoj Bajpajee’s finest performances in recent times. Similarly, Sonam Kapoor have her career best performance in Ram Madhvani’s “Neerja” (2016). The film was based on the life of airhostess Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the hijacked Pan Am flight 73 in 1986.

Ram Gopal Varma’s came back from a hiatus “Veerappan” (2016), the life story of brigand Veerappan and how he was killed eventually by the Special Task Force.

Then there were also “Hawaizaada” (2015) on an Indian scientist Shivkar Bapuji Talpade who is believed to have made India's first unmanned plane, and also a biopic on Anna Hazare. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan too has made a handful of films on real stories like “Sindhu Tai Sakpal” and “Gour Hari Dastaan: The Freedom File” based on the lives of two extraordinary citizens.

Political and Historical Biopics Now, a film is being made on the tenure of former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh titled “The Accidental Prime Minister”. The main lead is being played by veteran actor Anupam Kher who surprisingly looks the part. The film is said to be based on Dr Sanjaya Baru’s bestselling book by the same name. Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and are the earlier popular leaders on whom films have been made. The genre of historical films in popular cinema domain has been exploited well by Aamir Khan’s “Mangal Pandey” (2005), Ashutosh Gowarikar’s “Jodha Akbar”, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Bajirao Mastani” and “Padmaavat”. Bhansali perhaps has been most successful with this genre. Kangana is coming with a |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 43

FILM/THEATRE

latest offering in this space with her historical “ManikarnikaThe Rani of Jhansi”, based on the one of the earliest Indian freedom fighters, Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.

Negative is Positively In Negative stories have found takers among the filmmakers who wanted to tell their stories or their inside stories. From “Bandit Queen” to “Once upon a time in Mumbai” to “Veerappan” to “Haseena”, there have been enough negative personalities that have been depicted on screen.

One of the earliest such films is Vinay Shukla’s “Godmother” based on the life of real lady don-turned-politician from Gujarat. Of late, the focus has been on the Mumbai underworld. Latest in the series is Apoorva Lakhia’s “Haseena” (2017), based on the life of Haseena Parker, sister of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. In the same league is Arjun Rampal playing gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli in Ashim Ahluwalia’s “Daddy” (2017). But again this particular segment has not worked as much as the sports dramas have.

Sports Drama – The next big fad?

Coming back to the recent trend of biopic, films on famous sportsperson’s lives seem to dominate the cinema world.

Sports biopics are ultimate recipe for a guaranteed success at the BO. They have twist and turns and also a heavy dose of patriotism – which works for the audiences and film makers alike. Look at the success Shimit Amin’s sports drama “Chak De! India” (2007) received. Still Shah Rukh Khan's one of the finest performances. Then there was Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra’s “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” (2013), an authorised biography of renowned athlete Milkha Singh,

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which became a blockbuster. An over dramatized depiction of Milkha’s life, but people loved it. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s “Paan Singh Tomar” (2012), another sports biopic on an award winning sprinter-turned-dacoit by the same name, was critically acclaimed but comparatively a moderate success. While Farhan Akhtar went all out to bring alive Milkha on screen and was successful, Irrfan Khan was impressive as always in his depiction of Paan Singh Tomar, an Indian army sportsman who frustrated with the system

becomes a dacoit. In 2014, Priyanka Chopra essayed the role of Olympic boxing champion Mary Kom, titled by the same name and directed by Omung Kumar. The film had a reasonable success at the box office.

In “Dangal” (2016), superstar Aamir Khan played former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat who braves societal criticism and trains his two wrestler daughters who went on to win laurels at the Commonwealth Games 2012. The same year, three more biopics released of which two were on cricket. “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story” (2016) was an authorised biographical film on the life captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s and it did very well at the B.O. “Azhar”, based on the life of another former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, played by Emraan Hashmi, too fared well. Third was the “Budhia Singh: Born to Run”, which was based on the life of world's youngest marathon runner Budhia Singh and his coached played

by Manoj Bajpayee.

Now, we have a slew of films lined up which are based on sports personalities. Cricket always in the forefront in

India so there is a biopic which is making lot of news: Kabir Khan’s biopic on Kapil Dev’s career, so far known as “1983”, where Ranveer Singh plays the legendary cricketer. The story of Indian Women Cricket Team Captain, Mithali Raj, who led the team to the finals in the World Cup in 2017, will also be depicted on big screen. She apparently wants Priyanka Chopra to play her on screen.

However, it is heartening to see other sports getting

Now, a film is being made on the tenure of former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh titled “The Accidental Prime Minister”. The main lead is being played by veteran actor Anupam Kher who surprisingly looks the part. The film is said to be based on Dr Sanjaya Baru’s bestselling book by the same name. Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and are the earlier popular leaders on whom films have been made. equally prominent space. After “Chak De! India”, hockey seems to have caught Bollywood’s fancy. From Daljit Dosanj’s “Soorma” (on the life of former hockey captain Sandeep Singh) to Reema Kagti’s “Gold” (based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh who along with his team helped India win first gold medal). The current king of realistic cinema, Akshay Kumar plays the lead in “Gold” and he looks impressive in the trailer. The film released on Independence Day this year. Then there are reports of a film being made on Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand (better late than never, in this case).

Tennis is the next big thing it seems as far as cinema is concerned. Almost all three current favourites – Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sandhu, and their coach P. Gopichand – seems to have scored a point with filmmakers as a separate biopic on each of them is either confirmed on in the news. Star shuttler Saina Nehwal, who a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, will be played by Shraddha Kapoor. Both of them exchanged tweets announcing the untitled film.

Then you have a biopic being made on Saina’s contemporary P.V. Sindhu, who became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal in 2016, reportedly by actorproducer Sonu Sood. How can the coach who trained these two to international glory be left behind? Super coach P. Gopichand may also get a biopic on him, as per some reports. The other major biopics said to be in the pipeline are on the life shooter and Olympic Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra; a film on the life star runner P.T. Usha, who reached Olympics but unfortunately missed a medal, is also on the offing, reportedly with Priyanka Chopra as the lead in the film.

With a sports biopic or drama, you have a sure shot winner. But then you will have to hunt for more such sporting gems from our recent history and tell their stories in most compelling way. Till then, it’s “Sanju” all the way. l |AUGUST, 2018 |NATIONAL POLITICAL MIRROR| 45

ART & CULTURE

DO SACRED COLOURS AND SYMBOLS LOOK INTIMIDATING NOW? Why have we started fearing the sacred colours like saffron, green and black and other religious symbols like beard and skull cap?

By Dr Mohammad Aleem

I

n every religion, some colours command greater significance. In Hinduism and Buddhism, saffron has that reverence and respect and, among Muslims, it is green, black and white (as we have seen the flag of the most dreaded group at present on the earth as it has been projected by the Western Media, ISIS). Likewise, some dresses and flags and the ways of bearing like wearing beard and skull cap, either by a Muslim, or a Jew or a Christian also instil fear among the non-believing people.

It means that these sacred colours have lost its sacredness with the passing of time or the people who wear and use such colours have defiled the sanctity of these colours. Colours can’t be categorised as demonic and barbaric. It is the most beautiful thing gifted by God. But we humans have surely made it dreaded things in the eyes of others.

These things raise another some pertinent questions like, are we living in an age where violence has gained the power to rule over every other thing?

Have we diminished ourselves from a civilised people to a rogue one?

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But who are responsible for such drastic deterioration?

Have our political leaders and religious heads have lost their sanctity to guide us? Recent incidents show the same. Almost, on the daily basis, such news come that zealots and bigots have shown their ugly face near an institution, university, mosque, church and temple. And it seems that they have no fear of any law. We have seen it happening at Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Maulana Azad Urdu University at Hyderabad.

It forces us to ask to ourselves that, is this nation our forefathers had aspired for? Is this our real identity which we carry to the world?

Sometimes, we fight over a portrait of a historical figure. Sometimes, we fight over restoring a place of worship which has lost the glory as a sacred place of worship.

Unfortunately, this is not the case only with our beloved country, India, but violence has its upper hand in almost every part of the globe, either it is so-called civilised nations or noncivilised nations. Is it not a bitter truth that these so called civilised nations have ruined a great part of the Arab world, especially, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia and many others and killed millions of people and displaced many more than that figure?

It is also very surprising and unfortunate that most of these ruined nations are a Muslim one. So, can it be assumed that these Muslim countries have lost their moral and ethical rights to be ruled in a civilised way? Have they forgotten the teachings of their own religion, Islam, which glorifies peace as its core values?

It is not so. Islam will remain as a symbol of peace and love as it was manifested during the holy Prophet’s time. It means that the basic fault line is not with the religion, but with its followers. Likewise, all other great religions like Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism have same core values to embrace love and humanity towards others and discard the animosity and

hatred towards others.

Of late, we see a mass killings and exodus of Muslims in Myanmar and Sri Lanka due to the misrepresentation of the Buddhist teachings. Christians are killing innocent Muslims wherever they find them as an easy prey. The followers of the most peace loving religion, Hinduism have also become wild that they now find pleasure in killing in the name of some irrelevant issues like protecting the cow and other religious symbols and issues. Nobody knows that who will be killed when in the name of these holy signs and so-called holy wars. In Muslim countries, they seek pleasure in butchering themselves in the name of protecting their own bigoted faith, sects and identities.

If the sanity did not prevail and our basic human values couldn't be protected, I fear, we will soon loss the identity of to be called a peace loving nation.

I have also some serious complains against the common people. Have they surrendered themselves completely to their narrow-minded, selfish and arrogant political and religious masters and gods? If we did not become cautious and alert and learn to differentiate between the right and wrong, they will surely keep herding the innocent people towards the perilous destinations without any inhibitions and fears just to serve their own vested interests.

It is also a great irony that in many countries, foolhardy leaders have taken over the charge to rule the country in the faulty system of democracy, where majority voice prevails over all other things. It happened so not only in India,

but in the US and other countries also.

People just get swayed by the charming words of their leaders during the election time. Should it not be so that a leader must be elected on the basis of his or her honesty, integrity and intellect in public life, not on the basis of his or her false promises and deceiving ideas?

Of late, in Patna, a farce was played during the Deen Bachao-Desh Bachao (Save Islam-Save the Nation) rally on 15th April, 2018, where the organisers of the rally took not even a few hours in selling the sentiments of millions of naïve Muslims of Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand to the ruling alliance of the JDU and BJP just to realise a few narrow goals. In almost every rallies and political meetings, our leaders just trick the public with their treacherous and tactful words and sell and buy them with their own convenience in the electoral markets without any shame and dignity and without any fear of repercussion of being caught. Alas! We also look ready, most of the time, either to be sold or bought very easily. We have made ourselves so cheap that our buyers and sellers don’t even hesitate for a second to make our deal. Let's take a pledge that we will make ourselves intellectually matured and sound. It is the sacred duty of every conscious citizen to educate and guide to others also in a proper way, which have no such cognitive power to understand. l (Mohammad Aleem is a well-known novelist, playwright, scriptwriter and journalist, currently attached with the ICN Group, India as the Chief News Editor. He can be reached at mohammad.aleem1@gmail.com)

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SPORTS

Sports Ministry sanctions Rs 5 lakh for former archer Ashok Soren Sports Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs. five lakh to former archer Ashok Soren after it came to light that he had been working as a daily wage labourer to sustain himself. “The financial assistance has been given from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons (PDUNWFS). Shri Soren is currently living in Jamshedpur in indigent conditions,” said the Sports Ministry. It was reported that Soren was working as a labourer under the government’s rural employment guarantee scheme. The 28-year-old Jamshedpur-based former archer had won two gold medals at the 2008 South Asian Games.

The Ministry had earlier approved a similar assistance for Arjuna awardee archer Limba Ram, who is suffering from a neuro generative disease. Beside him, a grant of Rs five lakh was also cleared for ailing archer Gohela Boro. l

734 athletes selected for Khelo India scholarship Following the successful conduct of the Khelo India School Games, Sports Authority of India took another significant step towards the development of sports earlier today, cleared 734 players for a scholarship programme under Khelo India Talent Identification Development scheme. The Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that “transformational changes have been introduced into Indian sports. “Catch them young is no longer a slogan but is visible in our action. We are developing a sports system that connects local potential to global podiums, that encourages every Indian to have sports as a part of their lives for entertainment, education or excellence,” he added. l

Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas breaks own national record Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas broke his own 400m national record at the Cena Noveho Mesta nad Metuji event here on Saturday. The 23-the-old achieved the feat while winning gold with a time of 45.24 seconds in the tournament. The earlier national record of 45.31 seconds was made by the sprinter during the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Queensland.

Meanwhile, in women’s event, Machettira Raju Poovamma won gold for India in the 400m race with a timing of 53.01 seconds. l

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Hima Das becomes first Indian to win gold medal at Athletics Junior World Championships

Hima Das scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships as she clinched to top spot in the women’s 400m final race on the third day of competitions in Tam-

pere. The 18-year-old Das, a pre-tournament favourite favourite, clocked 51.46s to win the gold. She now joins the illustrious company of star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won a gold in Poland in the last edition in 2016 in a world record effort. In fact, Das is the first Indian track athlete to have won a medal in the history of this competition. The previous medal winners at the World Junior Championships were Seema Punia (bronze in discus in 2002) and Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (bronze in discus in 2014). Das was a favourite to win gold as she is the U-20 season leader in this quarter-mile event. Das clocked an Indian U-20 record of 51.32 seconds to finish sixth in the Commonwealth Games 400m final in Gold Coast in April. Since then, she has gone onto improving her timings. She lowered the Indian U20 record in 400m to 51.13 seconds while winning gold in the recent National Inter State Championships in Guwahati. l

Initiative

Every citizen should work for MAA Ganga A National Seminar on “Purification of River water of MAA Ganga” held on 27th July 2018 at India International Center New Delhi. This Seminar was held by “Indian Association of Japan” in association with “Confederation of NGOs of India”. Dr. Bhure Lal chairman of Environment Monitoring Committee, appointed by Supreme Court was the chief guest of the seminar along with Guest of Honor , Dr. Kamal Taori, former IAS officer and Dr, Bhure Lal in his address told in details to the audience about the problems of River Water of MAA Ganga in Ganga.

On this occasion ,Dr. Sanjay Mehrotra, President of Association of Japan. Dr. Mehrotra was accompanied by River scientists & Naofumi Hishinum and Toshiyuki Takeo from Japan and elaborated all about the prima facie. The Japanese Expert presented “Bubble Technology” for natural purification and Rejuvenation of Rivers. This process will purify the water of various rivers in India in a natural way. Sudarshan Sareen, President of Confederation of NGOs of India in his welcome address appreciated the initiative for taking this pious cause of MAA Ganga. Kamal Taori, Patron of Confederation of NGOs of India who presided as the guest of Honour

stressed the need to be practical in this matter and every citizen of India should do this work for MAA Ganga. The seminar was also addressed by Lt General P. K. Sehgal (Retd) call upon to involve Ex-Serviceman of the country in this noble task. The Invited Delegates and guests appreciated the technology very much. The expert proposed to use this technology for cleaning the water of MAA Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati before “Kumb Mela 2019” in Prayag, Allahabad.

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THE MIRROR CORNER

WHY SO MUCH HULLABALOO OVER NRC?

Achyut Nath Jha

A

s per the provision in the 1985 Assam Accord agreed upon by the Centre, the state and the All Assam Students’ Union, at the end of a six-year movement against migration from Bangladesh, National Register of Citizens (NRC) 1951 is being updated in Assam under the Supreme Court’s supervision with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date. The whole process is to solve the state's problem of ‘foreigners’ and ‘illegal immigration.’ The Assam Accord was signed to quell the call for deportation of illegal settlers and has a provision to weed out illegal migrants from the voter lists. For decades, nothing much happened. In 2014, the Supreme Court asked the state to update the 1951 NRC in a time-bound manner.

Last month, on July 30, the final draft of Assam’s NRC was published. Of the 3.29 crore people who had filled their applications for the NRC, 2.89 crore found their names in the draft list while 40 lakh people found their names excluded from the list. NRC state coordinator PrateekHajela clarified that among those names not included as of now, 2.48 lakh people belong to four categories: D-voters, descendants of D (doubtful)-voters, people whose cases are pending at Foreign Tribunals and descendants of these persons. Also, for the people who did not find their names in the list, forms for claims, objections and requests for correction would be available from August 7 at Seva Kendra and could be submitted from August 30 to September 28. The updation would be completed within the period ending December 31, 2018.

However, the assurance from the government did little to pacify the opposition as West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee picked holes in the NRC updation process and the issue echoed in the Parliament. She told that Centre’s NRC move would lead to a “civil war and bloodbath”. Interestingly, 13 years ago in 2005, Ms. Banerjee had said in Lok Sabha that “infiltration into Bengal has become a disaster” and Bangladesh nationals were on the voting list. When denied debate on this “very serious matter” by then Lok Sabha deputy speaker, she rushed to the well and threw papers at him.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government and the state government in Assam for the "tardy" execution of the "critical and highly sensitive exercise" of drafting the NRC. BJP chief Amit Shah’s remark that Congress did not have the courage to implement the NRC despite signing the Assam Accord led to an uproar by the Opposition.

The North East Students’ Organization (NESO), an umbrella body of students of all the north eastern states, lauded the Assam government for preparing the draft NRC and demanded that the exercise be extended to the other states in the region as well.

While both the BJP and the Opposition seem to be engaged in political brinkmanship over the NRC, the apex court clarified that it is a draft and “no coercive action” would be taken against people whose names were excluded. The need of the hour is that they should tread cautiously and not indulge in one-upmanship on the issue of NRC. (The writer of this piece is Executive Editor, National Political Mirror)

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COVER STORY

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