Pius Lotha's 1990s to 2022: BJP's pique performance

New Delhi 

This piece can begin like a traditional story. Once upon a time there was a man called Pius Lotha, and he brought the BJP into Nagaland; but now he is forgotten and an ex-saffron leader.

Nagaland BJP's first convener had all the qualities of a shrewd politician who could read the pulse well - years back. But Pius Lotha's problem was perhaps impatience, or nobody understood him well and hence today he is not quite the part of a grand journey of the Lotus party in the state.

'Nagaland Page' 

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My acquaintance with him goes back to the 1990-91 era when the saffron party had started glimpses of its potential at the national level but still was far off in Nagaland - a state which pledges to uphold Christian values. Hence, a pro-Hindutva outfit had no chance to make deeper inroads.

I interviewed him for Kohima-based 'The Weekly Journal' in April 1991. Not many of the present BJP limelight were much concerned about what went in the BJP and even in Nagaland politics those days.

A few questions and Pius Lotha's responses are worth looking back with all nostalgic sentiment.

On the tag 'communal' party on BJP, Pius Lotha had said - "The BJP is not a communal 

party. It has been branded communal because of vested interest of other parties. We are not

against any community. Political mudslinging ....". (The Weekly Journal, Kohima, April 24, 1991)

Among other things, I had asked him - "What are the issues you are taking to the electorate in 

Nagaland?"

Pius responded saying - "In Nagaland, corruption is rampant. We promise to eradicate this cancerous 

problem to foster full-scale development. We are for national integration and against opportunism".

Essentially, not much has changed. One could still be asking the same set of questions. 

Paradoxically, even responses could be almost similar or may be modestly different when it comes to corruption.  The 2023 elections are round the corner and hectic politicking has started. How confident is BJP?

How confident are top leaders and chances of their return? 

About one leader holding a key post, Kohima meeting on Aug 25 in presence of B L Santhosh had a bombshell.

 

Not much should be written as of now except that the 'key leader' is from central Nagaland.

But the Aug 25 deliberations threw in a few important missives. The saffron party should strengthen its organisational structures and once this is ensured the party high command could even oblige those who are against 20:40 formula. 

Presiding over one meeting on Thursday evening, Santhosh did the right thing by asking who among the leaders and intending candidates had joined BJP -- prior to 2010, after 2010 and round 2014-15 and subsequently in 2018.

There was also Supu Jamir from Dimapur II -- who was NDPP candidate in 2018. He was welcomed into BJP on Aug 23.

So, the BJP general secretary, Organisation, had many BJP leaders and 'future ministers'; but how many were 'hard liner politicians' ?

Pressure would mount on the other side. 

An elected CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's 'dangoriya' role could come into play once again.

Journalists and politicians are always strange bedfellows. Our friendship also gets jaundiced.

A few BJP leaders are at times the NDPP's best hope. Late Vamuzo used to smile around when we teased - 'Divide Congress, and Rule'. 

Not much has changed, Ghulam Nabi Azad can oblige Narendra Modi.

Can we replace the word 'Congress' with the BJP to get into Nagaland of 2022 ? 

ends 

"It is time to settle Naga Political solution and not Election" says NNPG :::: Tearing of Ordinance by Rahul led to UPA defeat, says Ghulam Nabi Azad

Peace derailing? NNPG threatens to "revert back to pre-independent position"

New Delhi

The 'delay' in finalising a solution to the decades old complex Naga issue could derail the hard won Peace parleys. "If a negotiated solution is to be kept undeclared and prolonged, disrespecting and hurting the Naga people's sentiment, the aggrieved Nagas have every right to revert back to pre-independent India position and status of 1929 memorandum,"the NNPG said in a hard hitting statement from its camp near Dimapur. The reference to 1929 is significant as it was that year that a Naga delegation had submitted a memorandum tothe Simon Commission (as appointed by the colonial British rulers) stating that the community would liketo stay 'independent'. "The right to self-determination is not an exclusive right of strong and powerful nations alone", said the umbrella organisation of seven Naga militant groups operating in Nagaland. Toughening its stance on the vexed issue, the NNPG media cell said -"Anti-solution elements hijacking Naga political solution for personal aggrandizement shall be solely responsible for any eventuality."  Virtually rejecting the political process in the state as political parties have gone hyper active recently,the NNPG stated - "The right to self-determination is not an exclusive right of strong and powerful nations alone" Issuing a stern warning the statement said - "It is time for the Government of India to be forthcoming".  It also said - "NNPGs will adhere to the pioneering revolutionary leaders and respond to anti-solution elements as deemed appropriate".  The Naga peace talks had commenced in 1997 during I K Gujara's tenure as PM; and later onlyPM Narendra Modi gave it a definite push and signed a preliminary pact first with NSCN -IM in 2015and an Agreed Position  with NNPG in 2017.

"The antagonists should understand that the delay is neither in the interest of the Govt of India nor of Nagas. The question to Honorable Prime Minister of India is, If the GoI was not determined to solve the Naga issue, why was official invitation extended to Naga entities?"

The NNPG aso said that the Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had the "courage and guts to depute trusted interlocutor Mr. R.N Ravi to interlocute with the Naga groups. The same Hon'ble Prime Minister is still at the helm, he began the talks, he must conclude it." --- "Why begin something if it cannot be concluded? Naga people and their history cannot be held hostage for cheap political gains for cheap selfish leader," the statement said. Significantly, the statement said: "The antagonists should understand that the delay is neither in the interest of the Govt of India nor of Nagas. The question to Honorable Prime Minister of India is, If the GoI was not determined to solve the Naga issue, why was official invitation extended to Naga entities? The Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had the courage and guts to depute trusted interlocutor Mr. R.N Ravi to interlocute with the Naga groups. The same Hon'ble Prime Minister is still at the helm, he began the talks, he must conclude it." --- "Why begin something if it cannot be concluded? Naga people and their history cannot be held hostage for cheap political gains for cheap selfish leaders," it said. Both the umbrella platform NNPG and its leader N Kitovi Zhimomi have been strong proponents ofsolution and hence the statement issued  must be taken with seriousness.  Significantly the statement came hours after BJP general secretary, Organisation, B L Santhosh kickedoff the election preparedness process in Nagaland. The regional party, NDPP and BJP are in power in the state and the ruling dispensation also enjoyssupport of another regional party, NPF. The BJP has also inked a 20:40 seat share formula with NDPP- a pact that has been resented by several BJP workers and leaders. The NNP statement blamed the state government saying, "Today, the opposition-less government in Nagaland is creating so much friction within Naga tribes. The Govt of India is being misinformed on matters on the ground. The overwhelming demand of the people for early solutions is being ignored".  It also said, "The narrative is shrewdly being manipulated to electoral narrative from political solution.  Government of India (GoI) representatives and inner circle of Nagaland's elected representatives are visibly saying one thing one day and doing the opposite the next day, playing havoc with the sentiment of the Naga people".  The NNPG also said - "The four point resolution adopted by 60 MLAs on 16th July 2022 gave a clear lucid signal to the GoI that the Naga tribes, state government, apex civil societies and common people were prepared for a political solution. However, the resolution was not meant to officially reach the PMO or the office of Hon'ble Home Minister of India".  "It was a mere exercise to fool the Naga people. On 26th July 2022, the NDPP and BJP betrayed the Naga people with a 40-20 pre-poll alliance,' the NNPG stated. ends   (Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books, 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views are personal)

"It is time to settle Naga Political solution and not Election" -- says NNPG

"NNPGs will adhere to the pioneering revolutionary leaders and respond to anti-solution elements as deemed appropriate.

The antagonists should understand that the delay is neither in the interest of Govt of India nor of Nagas. The question to Honorable Prime Minister of India is, If the GoI was not determined to solve the Naga issue, why was official invitation extended to Naga entities?

The Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had the courage and guts to depute trusted interlocutor Mr. R.N Ravi to interlocute with the Naga groups. The same Hon'ble Prime Minister is still at the helm, he began the talks, he must conclude it."

--- "Why begin something if it cannot be concluded? Naga people and their history cannot be held hostage for cheap political gains for cheap selfish leaders.

However"It is time to settle Naga Political solution and not Election".

#NNPG toughens stance against 'delay' for #Solution to #Peace talks...says: "Anti-solution elements hijacking #Naga political solution for personal aggrandizement shall be solely responsible for any eventuality."

"It is time for Govt of India to be forthcoming. If a negotiated solution is to be kept undeclared and prolonged, disrespecting and hurting the Naga people's sentiment, the aggrieved Nagas have every right to revert back to pre-independent India position and status of 1929 memo. The right to self-determination is not an exclusive right of strong and powerful nations alone".

First generation Naga UG leaders and commanders

Tearing of Ordinance by Rahul Gandhi chiefly led to UPA defeat in in 2014 : Ghulam Nabi Azad

Tearing of Ordinance by #RahulGandhi was " more than anything else contributed significantly to the defeat of the UPA Government in 2014 which was at the receiving end of a campaign of calumny" - #GhulamNabiAzad

 

“The entire organisational election process is a farce and a sham. At no place anywhere in the country have elections been held at any level of the organisation. Handpicked lieutenants of the AICC have been coerced to sign on lists prepared by the coterie that runs the AICC sitting in 24 Akbar Road,” Azad said.

 

“.....the entire consultative mechanism which existed earlier was demolished by him”.

“All senior and experienced leaders were sidelined and new coterie of inexperienced sycophants started running the affairs of the party".

“Under your stewardship (Sonia Gandhi's) since 2014 and subsequently that of Rahul Gandhi, the INC has lost two Lok Sabha elections in a humiliating manner. It has lost 39 out of the 49 assembly elections held between 2014-2022. 

The party only won four state elections and was able to get into a coalition situation in six instances. Unfortunately, today, the INC is ruling in only two states and is a very marginal coalition partner in two other states. 

“Since the 2019 elections, the situation in the party has only worsened. After Rahul Gandhi stepped down in a huff and not before insulting all the senior party functionaries who have given their lives to the party in a meeting of the extended Working Committee, you took over as interim president. A position that you have continue to hold even today for the past three years. 

Worse still, the ‘remote control model’ that demolished the institutional integrity of the UPA government now got applied to the Indian National Congress. While you are just a nominal figurehead, all the important decisions were being taken by Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guard’s and PA’s,” Azad added. 

“In the August of 2020 when I and 22 other senior colleagues including former Union Ministers and Chief Ministers wrote to you to flag the abysmal drift in the party, the coterie chose to unleash its sycophants on us and got us attacked, vilified and humiliated in the most crude manner possible. 

In fact, on the directions of the coterie that runs the AICC today, my mock funeral procession was taken out in Jammu. Those who committed this indiscipline were feted in Delhi by the General Secretaries of the AICC and Rahul Gandhi personally. 

Subsequently the same coterie unleashed its goondas to physically attack the residence of a former ministerial colleague Kapil Sibal, who incidentally was defending you and your kin in the courts of law for your alleged attacks of omission and commission,” Azad said.

“The only crime committed by the 23 senior leaders who wrote that letter out of concern for the party is that they pointed out both the reasons for the weaknesses in the party and the remedies thereof. Unfortunately, instead of taking those views on board in a constructive and cooperative manner, we were abused, humiliated, insulted and vilified in a specially summoned meeting of the extended CWC meeting.

In defence of 20:40 seat share in Nagaland, BJP may replace Seven MLAs : High Command wants to win 'all 20'

"Message of pre-poll season is if the BJP wins 19-20 seats, we may have own Chief Minister in 2023" 

New Delhi 

Give us the 'maximum' out of minimum 20 we got to contest in the ensuing elections - is the message for Nagaland unit from the BJP central leadership.

The state unit leaders have been told to be 'practical' about ground reality -- in Kerala too, there is much enthusiasm but when it comes to winnability - the strike rate is not good.

In Nagaland, the BJP's strike rate (12 out of 20) in 2018 was better than NDPP's (18 out of 40). So posed with the big question on 'why' BJP accepted only 20 seats in the seat share bargaining with Neiphiu Rio-led NDPP; the high command's message is -- "All of you show unity of purpose and work harder. 

There is always a room for improvement even for the 2018 strike rate...so if we can win 19-20 seats, we can be in a position to have Chief Minister of our own".

'Nagaland Page'

Link

BJP Organisation general secretary, B L Santhosh on a three-day visit to Nagaland interacted with party leaders and others at Kohima on Thursday, Aug 25.

Sources declined to comment on what transpired at the meetings saying, "We in the BJP never violate our code of conduct and oath of secrecy....These meetings are not for media".

Meanwhile, another source insisted that 'internal channels' have suggested that there are strong anti-incumbency mood in at least seven constituencies now held by the BJP.

"These have to be looked into....if things do not change on ground and in approach; a few of the sitting legislators will be named as well".

Corruption and Deficit:

High command is concerned about corruption issue in Nagaland and also matters pertaining to deficits. 

It is astonishing and almost 'self-defeating' for the BJP that even as it was in power in the state since 2018, the Nagaland government now has a deficit of about Rs 2213 crore. There is a total liability of Rs 15,620 crore.

The state government, the BJP high command is aware, is unable to pay salaries regularly for a whopping 1,25,000 employees. Who is to be blamed? If NDPP gets its share; some accountability falls on BJP as well !

Around 2003, the Vajpayee government had wiped off about Rs 360 crore deficit, the state budget started on 'zero deficit'-- so what has happened on financial management all these years.

One refrain so far is also vital -- the BJP state unit has 'failed to deliver' ; and it may be relevant to do some soul searching as well. 

Does it imply the call for replacement of 'state leadership' ... and with polls round the corner are things still premature?

Insets:

# Anti-incumbency mood in seven BJP constituencies.

# BJP high command is aware that the state is unable to pay salaries regularly for a whopping 12,500 employees. NDPP/NPF (prior to 2018) may be blamed, but some accountability falls on BJP as well.

# Several state leaders reportedly told Santhosh, there is a strong anti-incumbency wave against NDPP. But common Naga voters have high expectations from the BJP especially on Peace and Development.

Tough task financial management - Nagaland story

# The grant-in-aid for FY 2022-23 is also estimated at Rs 9720.

The Finance Commission Grant from the Centre to Nagaland are budgeted to be Rs 4773 crore in 2022-23, a significant increase over  Rs 1283 crore that was released in 2009-10, she stated.

In addition, a total of Rs 455 crore and Rs 1600 crore has been allotted to Nagaland under Special Assistance to States for capital expenditure, the FM highlighted.

Citing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Audit report, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that between 2014-19, the grant-in-aid from the Government of India has reached Rs 29, 483 crore, up by 41.66% from Rs 20, 812 granted between 2009-14.

Thereafter, tax devolution till 2022-23 is Rs 16, 188 crore while grants-in-aid till 2022-23 is estimated at Rs 30,202 crore.

Under tax devolution, so far in this financial year up to June 26, a sum of Rs 812 crore has been transferred to the State out of Rs 4647 crore estimated for 2022-23, she said.

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Image conscious Narendra Modi: What's BJP's 'Nagaland strategy' ?

 

All eyes are on B L Santhosh's ongoing Nagaland visit !

Image conscious Prime Minister Narendra Modi has his own style of functioning, taking decisions and exercising his authority. 

Sometimes these are called 'autocratic', at times whimsical and sometimes even unpredictable.

The nomination of former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, now Union Minister, to the BJP Parliamentary Board had a few messages which not many people could appreciate. Sonowal has rightly thanked the Prime Minister.

In the past there have been such peculiar instances too. The sudden rise of two women politicians Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman in 2014 would not have happened if not due to Late Sushma Swaraj and Uma Bharti.

In Modi's scheme of things, the 'two senior BJP old hats' were probable trouble makers. Uma Bharti has been a mass leader on her own right once and had the right caste equation in her favour for doing politics in northern and central India.

Earlier Pramod Mahajan and Arun Jaitley had gauged the 'danger potentials' of Uma Bharti and this opened the floodgates of fate and opportunities of onetime shy MP, Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

Sitharaman at Kohima Cemetery

(Note: Was Ms Sitharaman embarrassed when as a BJP leader she was asked to impose President's Rule in Nagaland -- where her party is a crucial partner in the ruling alliance? 

Was she not embarrassed when journalists wanted to know whether Nagaland's ill is 'financial mismanagement' or 'under-funding'? Worse, she did not have an answer! 

In 2014 vis-a-vis Lok Sabha polls and the results, Sushma was still being 'ambitious' and at times arrogant.

She had declined to accompany leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari when they had gone to Gandhinagar to call on the 'future PM'.

So, the rise of Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman was surprising but backed by political logic. 

Ms Sitharaman has remained a favourite and chosen colleague of PM Modi since 2014. In 2017, she was made country's first Defence Minister and in 2019 as Jaitley stayed out of the cabinet due to health reason, she was chosen as Finance Minister.

Ms Sitharaman has just wrapped up her visit to Nagaland. It was a good and unique exercise by any Finance Minister for three days. 

The ED comes under the Finance Ministry.

Nagaland's nascent Rising People's Party (RPP) appealed to FM Sitharaman to promulgate President's Rule in the state and cited CAG report to substantiate their demand.

 
The message has been going around even after PM Modi's August 15 speech that in Nagaland 'corruption' is an issue or a way of life! Corruption sustains normal life, politics and insurgency as well. The Prime Minister need not be told these, say key sources. 

After July 26th the BJP-NDPP seat share deal, words spread about resentment in Nagaland unit of the saffron party.

Only a great deal of persuasive skills prevented the fallout so far. 

Here comes the relevance of B L Santhosh's visit to Kohima and other areas including Tuensang.

Important engagement will be the meeting over dinner between BJP national general secretary organisation and Chief Minister Rio.

Now, Sonowal's elevation to the Parliamentary Board - the Lotus outfit's highest policy making body -was in effect a message to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma -- don't do and push things which are not your subject.

In the past, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav was removed and one angle was Nagaland and northeast 'mess up'.

Himanta did his part to seal the 20:40 seat share in favour of the NDPP. Many in BJP ask a simple question -- why? 

If it was to work for Solution in peace parleys, so far no positive outcome. Even on Aug 22 the day Nirmala Sitharaman was urging corporate houses to invest in India, the statement came that Flag and a separate Constitution are still pending issues.   

Things are premature, but from BJP's perspective B L Santhosh's visit is very important.

Will he get the right message? Will the central BJP act accordingly ?

Political challenges do keep coming to political parties as the Indian middle class leap from one problem to the other.

But still some hopes rest on B L Santhosh's visit. Hopes from BJP Karyakartas that the seat alliance announced between BJP and NDPP -- cleared by powerful Amit Shah - would be reviewed, if not revoke it completely. 

Of course it is not for the first time that the BJP in Nagaland is facing such challenges; but the enormity of the current issue is far more serious. It could be called a crisis of serious magnitude, because many say if 2023 'good mood among Nagas' is missed, the saffron party may not get yet another chance to strike back. Modi and his team will do well to note that Nagas are extremely emotional community. 

They also say at least India's ruling party deserves 30 seats !

"Everyone wants a course correction in the state.... and more than everyone is looking towards the BJP to do it. We never said Congress could do it even during its golden era". 

Govt sacks 3 Air Force officials accidentally launching missile in March

New Delhi

The central government and the Indian Air Force on Tuesday sacked three officers for accidentally firing a missile in March.

Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations.

It was a major incident of the calendar year 2022 as India and Pakistan are rival neighbours and have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes.

"A Court of Inquiry, set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile," the Air Force said in a statement.

The BrahMos missile — a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India — was mistakenly fired on March 9.

The government has dismissed the three officers with immediate effect on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on March 15 stated that a high-level probe was ordered into the incident 

that involved the accidental launch of a missile into Pakistani territory.

The BrahMos missile 'got accidentally fired' from an airbase and landed inside Pakistan at a place called Mian Channu. 

The officers terminated included a Group Captain and two Wing Commanders.

According to the US-based Arms Control Association, the BrahMos missile's range is between 300 km (186 miles) and 500 km (310 miles), making it quite a capable tool.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said, “Thankfully, no damage was reported due to the accidental launch of the missile".

He also had stated that the incident occurred during a routine inspection. 

"We later came to know that it had landed in Pakistan. I would like to inform the House that the government has taken serious note of the incident. A formal high-level inquiry has been ordered. The inquiry would determine the exact cause of the said accident,” he had said. 

It may be mentioned here that days after the March 9 'incident', the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had successfully test fired the surface to surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

 

ends 

FM Sitharaman inaugurates Axis Bank branch, launch several schemes in Nagaland

New Delhi

On a three-day visit to Nagaland, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman 
launched various schemes to ensure real benefits and access to financial services for the people the state.

She inaugurated the Axis Bank branch at Mon town on Tuesday, Aug 23. 

The branch will cater the 26,000 strong population directly and is expected to have an extended catchment  area of 2.5 lakh population, an official statement said.

The branch will provide the people of Mon with state-of-the-art services like online banking services, digital products, 

retail loans and improved business opportunities.

This is perhaps the first Union Finance Minister who is spending about 72 hours in Nagaland on 

official duty. 

The Finance Minister also inaugurated three other Axis Bank branches in Demow (Assam), Gohpur (Assam) and 

Madanrting (Meghalaya) virtually from Mon district of Nagaland.

In a tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju lauded the initiatives of the centre for northeastern states.

"PM @narendramodi  is fully ensuring faster growth of NORTH-EAST India," he tweeted.

Ms Sitharaman and Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio jointly launched Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative 

at the state capital Kohima on Tuesday.

The scheme had been approved by the State government to ensure availability of affordable credit for carrying out 

economic activities and aims to enhance farmers’ income by increasing investment in agri and allied sector, 

improve agri-marketing network and infrastructure, promote credit discipline and boost private enterprise.

The eligible beneficiaries for the scheme are farmers, entrepreneurs, self-help groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer 

Organisations (FPOs)/companies and cooperative societies, sources said.

Speaking at Mon while launch of Axis Bank branches, the Finance minister stressed on the importance of financial inclusion, which the Prime Minister very strongly takes up to ensure inclusion for all strata of the society through various schemes. 

She stated that such inclusion provides people access to credit without much security, which is very crucial for 

most people in the bottom layer of the economy, who often fall prey to middlemen who charge exorbitant 

interest rates.

Ms Sitharaman also stressed on the importance of connectivity, both physical and digital connectivity, to ensure access to facility and security.

ends 

75 Years : India remains stable, a key global player: Bangladesh outpaced Pakistan in economy

(Seventy five years has changed things a lot in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. At 25 in 1971, Pakistan was amputated giving birth to Bangladesh. Last few decades show how Pakistan remained locked with its Islamic policies but how India's eastern neighbour has done well in textiles, exports and empowering women.) 

New Delhi 

India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are part of the large sub-continent that was partitioned in 1947 owing to British divide and rule policy and personal ego and ambition combined with mishandling of the situation politically.

History is full of books and scholarly works on partition of India and creation of Pakistan (that had Bangladesh for the first 25 years as East Pakistan). But in 1971 - 25th year since its birth Pakistan was 'amputated' and Bangladesh was born.

Now the paradox - while India has emerged as a critical global power upholding undisturbed and long 75 years of democracy; both Pakistan and Bangladesh have lived with military coups.

In economic terms, Pakistan is faced with multiple crises but the Bangladesh storyline has been different and uniquely creditable.

Here are a few instances that will require closer scrutiny.

The IMF in its report said recently that Bangladesh needs to reduce financial sector vulnerabilities and develop capital markets. While India is way ahead of Bangladesh in capital markets and even money markets, experts say investments Bangladesh have not stopped due to profit potentials. 

Notably, for Bangladesh -- a country born with Indian assistance and all logistic support including housing millions of refugees; its Textile export story is a mega success. 

Bangladesh has a sound 12 per cent exports-to-GDP ratio; and annual export base is also near $50 billion.

"Amputated at 25, Pakistan is tottering at 75. Every institution is wobbling and governance has descended 

into a farce," wrote Anjum Alraf in Pakistan's leading English daily 'Dawn'.

International journals say besides export, the fiscal prudence and policies such as the empowerment of 

women and girls have allowed Bangladesh to leapfrog. 

In Pakistan, the story is different.

"There are some painful statistics to examine on poverty, mortality, malnutrition, discrimination, pollution, and corruption. But these have long been available and our governments have found ways to ignore, challenge, deny and dispute them with the tools at their disposal," says the 'Dawn' article.

(link: https://www.dawn.com/news/1706004/75-and-tottering)

In all these, India of course has a resilient power and the Reserve Bank of India has used cyclical and 

countercyclical measures along with suitably tailored government policies to manage external shocks.

India has 40 per cent share in American textile imports. But Bangladesh is far better off in the European Union (EU). 

India only has a 10 per cent market share and ranked a relatively distant fourth to sixth, with Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Turkey doing better than India.

However, Bangladesh has also faced problems in the past and in the beginning of 2020,

Bangladesh had to turn towards the IMF for financial stability and survival. India has never

had such challenges and rather, it has played its global and regional role

significantly in the last seven-eight years helping neighbouring countries in crises or even

a number of African and Latin American countries. 

In 2015-16 itself, hardly a year after the Modi government came to power, 

India's preferential treatment to the Least Developed Countries in Trade in Services involves a cost of 

Rs. 6.5 crore annually on account of waiver of visa fees and Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore a year to provide training 

in management and technical consultancy courses to LDC applicants.

Bangladesh never had to shoulder such responsibilities.

In other words, India's growth story and robust development in infrastructure have been commendable.

It is not without good reason that on the Red Letter Day, August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to 

help the suffering Indians out of poverty and turn the country into a developed country in the next quarter-century.

It is also a fact that India’s per capita income is $1,947 and this was primarily due to a reduction in India’s 

economic growth due to Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.

However, Bangladesh's case is different from India's chiefly due to differences in size. 

In terms of GDP growth rates and absolute GDP, India’s economy has mostly been over 10 times 

the size of Bangladesh. Moreover, India's economy has always grown faster every year.

Importantly, one key reason for Bangladesh’s increasingly faster growth rate is because it dramatically 

enhanced itself on various social and political metrics including health, sanitation, financial inclusion and 

women’s political representation.

Union Minister of State (independent charge) for statistics and programme implementation Rao Inderjit Singh 

summed up the paradox between India and Bangladesh well when he told Lok Sabha that though the 

gross domestic growth (GDP) growth rates of India’s economy are less than those of Bangladesh during 

2017-2020, such comparison of economies of significantly different sizes may not be appropriate.

The GDP growth rates of Bangladesh (at constant price) are 7.1%, 7.3%, 7.9%, 8.2% and 2.4% for the years 

2016 to 2020 respectively as per the world bank database.

But India's growth rate has shown more resilience and dynamism.

India’s economy grew 8.3%, 6.8%, 6.5%, 4.0% and -7.3% in FY17, FY18, FY19, FY20 and FY21, 

respectively.

 

In the ultimate, of course, a comparison between Pakistan and Bangladesh in socio-political realms makes

better sense.

After its disintegration, the religion-based foundation of Pakistan was shaken. But it did not learn key lessons.

The Pakistani leadership chose to further Islamise their nation, politics and society. It bolstered the politics of Islamism, gave unquestionable powers to army and pushed terrorism in J&K as a policy.

Bangladesh of course could not continue for long with 'democracy', but in many areas it opened up an opportunity to establish a secular democratic state. 

The present dispensation under Sheikh Hasina has been particularly driving a modern state though in some

areas, Bangladesh also made Islam the state religion and also opted for authoritarian military rule. 

Economic deprivation was a major concern for the Bengalis in united Pakistan;

and Bangladesh has that way outpaced Pakistan in the economic sector.

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