Sickularism ... gets more shocks....Global players, Chinese media laud PM Modi's launch of New Parliament

 ‘New India’: ...a country capable of maintaining its ancient heritage and restoring its spiritual and cultural glory ......

"From the beating heart of Israel's democracy in Jerusalem to the beating heart of the world's largest democracy in New Delhi, congratulations to my friends @ombirlakota (LS Speaker) and @VPIndia (Rajya Sabha Chairman) on the inauguration of the beautiful new parliament building," tweeted Speaker of Israeli Parliament Amir Ohana.

New Parliament Building in the colors of the national tri-color on  eve of its inauguration 

'Global Times' -- the popular Chinese media says:

"In recent years, the Modi government has devoted itself to presenting an image of a rising India that engages in decolonization and emphasizes independent confidence. India has also undertaken large-scale actions to remove symbols of colonialism, including renaming and remodeling iconic buildings, changing budget practices associated with colonial history, decreasing the official use of English and increasing the use of the Hindi language. 

As a society that was also bullied by Western colonists and is dedicated to achieving national modernization, China can clearly empathize with India's desire to uphold national dignity and pursue a more independent status."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country's new parliament building on Sunday. The old parliament, built almost a century ago during the British colonial era, will be converted into a museum. 

The new building is considered the core project of the Modi administration's Central Vista Redevelopment Project, aimed at freeing the Indian capital from colonial-era traces. In his speech, Modi said that "the new parliament isn't just a building" and will witness "the sunrise of a self-reliant India."

'Global Times' link

There is already big controversy related to Sengol

What is a ‘Sengol’

Basically, it is a sceptre/staff/wand with a royal or imperial insignia signifying sovereign authority, justice, power and good governance, etc. Sengol is the Tamil word for sceptre.

A king's dharma is to run the kingdom well and Sengol is the reminder of that dharma.

Incidentally, a sceptre has been a part of monarchy and ruling dynasties across the world including in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Greco-Roman and post-Christianity. “With the advent of Christianity, the sceptre was often tipped with a cross instead of an eagle. However, during the Middle Ages, the finials on the top of the sceptre varied considerably,” according to reports.  

Time magazine - 

"Political analysts have described the Central Vista project as the “capstone project” of Modi’s second term in power, calling it his attempt to reclaim India’s physical footprint from its colonial past by bolstering his own brand of Hindu nationalism, as well as transforming it from the India ruled by the Congress Party for 49 years since India’s independence.

Ahead of next year’s elections, Modi has frequently talked about how the Central Vista project incorporates numerous Hindu motifs like the peacock, the lotus flower, and the banyan tree, and boasted about the construction of new Hindu temples across the country as a way of delivering his Hindutva mandate.

Some have argued it is also an effort to demonstrate a ‘New India’: “a country capable of maintaining its ancient heritage and restoring its spiritual and cultural glory while simultaneously making advancements towards its modern aspirations.”

Nine years, Nine mistakes on Nagaland and by Nagaland

(this blog had the unique distinction of being commented upon by veteran Naga leader S C Jamir) 

New Delhi 

"Do not shrink from the truth for fear of offending men in high places". - Dr S. Radhakrishnan 

Nagaland has a unique mannerism of following a wrong trajectory. Last nine years could well be proof of it. In Nagaland, levels and prospects of development, governance and science and technology are discussed mostly in terms of 'what's my benefit'. In other words the emphasis is on how much cash inflow is there and how efficiently one can tap those for individual and family benefits. 

'Nagaland Page'

One former MP says the money that comes in vis-a-vis corruption etc are also ill-spent as in most cases the easy availability of cash has given offshoots to various vices around the alphabet W. Children go haywire. 

There is also growing influence of Drugs; and a key aspect the society is neglecting is the Brain-drain.

Now comes the last nine years of the Modi government and the hype around BJP's claims that India has leapfrogged into a new era. From Rahul Gandhi to Kewekhape Therie and Mamata Banerjee to Arvind Kejriwal, of course they have different versions. But each four have different reasons to look back. Let us leave that for another day.

About the mistakes committed by Nagaland and mistakes committed by stakeholders and New Delhi on Nagaland, one can say the first mistake has been that all discussions and debate about the state and the people have been divorced from pragmatism and harsh political and economic reality.

If Naga leaders still remained in a psychic 'tug of war' on whether - should they continue peace parleys and yet keep the Solution at a distance, for Delhi the mistake was too close and yet too far. Then comes a gentleman called Himanta Biswa Sarma and why and how some leaders sought to draw 'personal benefits' causing immense harm to the long term vision for the state. 

What's going around in Manipur could be a trailer for what can happen to the rest of northeast.

Second mistake has been around New Delhi's indecisiveness. Narendra Modi has been a decisive man and does not shy away from taking risks, but with regard Naga peace talks his government behaved like Narasimha Rao's -- "not to take decision was the real decision". 

One can link replacement of R N Ravi as the Governor in this context. And Naga leaders will also regret that Ravi's battle against a folly in the system was taken as a challenge to an individual's ego. Worse was the farewell boycott at Kohima.

RN Ravi: Made genuine progress in parleys

The third mistake was the help provided by the BJP central leadership to "legitimize NDPP's faulty policy". While Chingwang Konyak could have been little more assertive in his politics at this age; the admirers of genuine regionalism politics (like this journo) have been let down by the silence of good soul Shurhozelie. 

A man with an eye for details went absolutely off the target. A costly mistake by NPF and they continue to do so, maybe. 

Fourth, the people should own their responsibility. A great mistake in treating elections as money-making seasons --- polls after polls. Less we speak on this, it is better. The election machinery too can be blamed.

But on this most interesting quote has come from a Northern Angami II voter -- "Who says there is money in election, we did not get even bus fare". Reportedly one AAP leader later remarked, "I did not want to counter that poor fellow".

Fifth - on the socio-education sector and career building. The society also needs to strike a balance between religion and science. Neglect of science. How many science cities and institutes as against religious buildings have come up in last nine years? The society needs to promote science more. 

Sixth, what about the agri front? The joke is the moment the news spread that each farmer can earn Rs 6000, the numbers of 'farmers officially' increased. Can Nagaland raise its food production? Bhoot Jhalokia has reached London -- but is that confined to PM Modi's tweet. 

What about the spread of modern agri knowledge?

Seventh, the pressure groups and NGOs allegedly surrendered to political bosses. NTC was an exception and GB Federation was almost forced to silence with a notice from Commissioner. And when these organisations wanted to put pressure, the 'efficient' political leadership of NDPP-BJP regime has landed in the Supreme Court. The challenge now - as Governor La Ganesan told 'Nagaland Page' - one has to kill the snake but save the stick too. 

Eighth, there is no realisation that not being practical and not being grounded on economy is a roadmap to hara-kiri. Even Deng Xiaoping at one point believed that without economic growth, his communist party will collapse. 

Here the question of existence relates to the society as a whole and its overall simpleton population. The people here still love merry making and to lay down large table for guests. It is ironic that such an open and lionhearted society today stands at crossroads. 

Last week's 'Nagaland Page' headline -- 'Paiwang Konyak Meets FM ~ Hat & Bowl In Hand' sums up the paradox of prosperity.

And finally, the ninth -- the human capital and man-woman relationship. A man who instigated the tremor of 2017 knows in 2023 where the shoe can pinch. A 'good democracy' has a strong element of competition; it cannot be based on mere participation and yet keeping one group always on the driving seat. 

If one wants to decide what will be cooked in the kitchen for a weekend dinner, the same man has to be 'democratic' enough in allowing the other person to decide which mall or market one can do the window shopping.

Disregarding the productive potential of one formidable section that is the 50 percent is a costly game. I often display MCP characteristics. But for public good, this "male chauvinist' scribe can always send his daughter to conquer mars to moon - provided she deserves it and is hard working enough.

  

ends 

1. Dream Merchants and Debates divorced from Reality

2. Indecisive Delhi - Shunting out of Governor R N Ravi 

3. BJP helped NDPP legitimizing its faulty policy 

4. Making elections - money-making seasons

5. Neglect of science. 

6. What about agri crisis?

7. Pressure groups and NGOs surrender to political bosses.

8. No focus on economy

9. Not Unleashing women power 

blogger's Ma with her grand daughter

If one is in northeast, he could be a man ‘divided against himself’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held wide range of discussions with Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, top army brass, the police, and other stakeholders during his ongoing visit to the ethnic violence-hit northeastern state.

Matters pertaining to those who mattered in the appointment of former IPS officer Kudeep Singh as the security advisor to the state have also come in for closer scrutiny.

Over 70 people have been killed while scores of others have been injured in the violent clashes that broke out in the state since May 3. Thousands have fled Manipur with over 7,000 people now taking shelter in Mizoram. Kukis share ethnic bonding with the Mizos and hence the demand for Greater Mizoram has also been rekindled.

In many places, common people have accused Manipur Police with failures, and also that they have been partial towards the Meiteis.

Maybe a former army man would have done the job better, more so because a man in olive green can command more respect from the foot soldiers. In Manipur itself, ex-military officers are available and their services could be enlisted. 

It is also high time that the people concerned appreciate that the officers and soldiers of Assam Rifles played key roles during the initial phase when the trouble started.

IANS  Opinion piece

One can say that the state of Manipur as a whole, and the three segments of the society -- the Meiteis, the Kukis and Nagas -- cannot be seen flirting dangerously with civil unrest. The northeastern region has seen enough of such clashes and enough of so-called ethnic 'cleansing'. Biharis, Bengali Hindus and Gorkhalis have been at the receiving end in Shillong, and people have left for good.

Forget tribals-non tribals; episodes like the Reang-Mizo differences and Naga-Kuki issues of the 1990s were really unfortunate. It is time sanity prevails and the 'sincerity' displayed by all becomes important achievements; and more so for the government(s) of the day, both in Imphal and in New Delhi.

One is aware of the strong elements of 'us' and 'them' syndromes in the region. 

Some years back while working on these inherent issues between two and more communities in another northeastern state (not Manipur), I was told by an expert that the 'logic of us and the ideology of others' motivates the root cause of identity politics in the northeast.

And here lies the real challenge.

Today, the Nagas and the Meiteis stand together despite tribal-non tribal differences. The Nagas have their own issues with Kukis, and in the past they "could not trust" each other. In the mid-nineties, the Naga-Kuki clashes used to be a nightmare both in Nagaland and in Manipur. In 2001, when the Naga ceasefire was extended to parts of Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, the Imphal valley burnt for days.

In other words, when it comes to 'integrity' of Naga contiguous areas, there is mutual distrust between the Nagas and the Meiteis. There were some inherent conflicts also. While the NSCN-IM led by Thuingaleng Muivah always stood for Nagalim or Greater Nagalan, former Chief Minister of Manipur late Rishang Keishing (also a Tangkhul Naga) was all along a 'nationalist' pro-India, who was part of the resolution of Manipur Assembly that 'not an inch' of Manipur state could be compromised.

Therefore, under the given situation, Nagas ought to be given credit for keeping things cool when they could have gotten emotional and excited.

"In this season of rumour mongering and intense provocation, there are people among Nagas in Manipur and rights organisations who have understood the gravity of the situation and displayed maturity," said a source.

This is, therefore, certainly a sign of maturity displayed during a crisis situation.

Observers also believe that though ground situations are different, even Kukis and Meiteis will have to display 'maturity' and a kind of 'calmness'.

There is yet another issue of governance or the lack of it. A deep divide in Manipur police on ethnic lines became very evident in the ongoing conflict. Of course, sources maintain that this has made "the task of the Army, Assam Rifles and other CAPF units even more difficult".

Over 1,350 automatic weapons have been looted from the police during the ongoing unrest and this certainly does not augur well for the state administration. Moreover, the roles of two organisations -- Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun -- have surfaced lately and these ought to be looked into.

Past experiences elsewhere suggest the internal security scenario and an environment under 'unified headquarters mechanism' as in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam have been very helpful and such mechanisms should be put in place in Manipur at the earliest. The ongoing violence and communal tension in Manipur are also causes of setback to the overall development journey of Manipur. And this 'distraction' from the developmental journey is also a setback for Kukis, Nagas and other tribals in the state. One cannot draw a consolation that let Meiteis alone suffer.

Emerging as an 'island of peace' for sometime, Manipur under the double-engine government has experienced a lot of positive developments, including pumping in of investments.

In August 2022, Manipur had hosted the prestigious Durand Cup football tournament, Asia's oldest soccer tourney. Nandini Gupta from Rajasthan was crowned the Femina Miss India 2023 title at the starry grand finale held in Manipur.

In other words, the good works and achievements of the Biren Singh government too have been jeopardised.

Efforts have been made by certain quarters that Kukis and Nagas can do business together as both are tribals and are also Christians. And as Meiteis are Hindu majority, there were narratives in circulation vis-a-vis the religion angle the Hindu-Christian divide. But here too, the Nagas have maintained a safe distance.

As tribals, the Nagas of Manipur could sympathise with Kukis but they will have their own independent road map vis-a-vis their relations with Imphal on the twin fronts of administration and also people to people relationships.

In all these chaotic scenes and hard work involved to prevent things from deteriorating further, the governance and politico-administrative decisions also come into play. There is a merit in believing that it may not be wise to force Biren Singh to resign, as he could emerge as a 'martyr' to the cause of Meiteis.

An old management theory is to keep the 'same man/woman at the top' who is responsible for creating the mess, and let him or her resolve the problem.

Wrap up

It is one of the paradoxes of our times and the northeast region which the policy makers ought to comprehend effectively. As of April 2023, as many as 8,000 insurgents surrendered in the northeast since 2014 and joined 'mainstream society', says the Government of India, yet none can deny the violence and multi-pronged troubles the state of Manipur has witnessed.

Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Manipur also coincides with the Modi government completing nine years in office, and also an obvious fact that in less than a year the country will plunge into electoral mode.

A question was asked in 2019 -- Can India afford another five years of Modi regime? This can be asked again.

There are other statistics on the positive contributions of the Modi-led dispensation. Let us take a glance.

Seven airports were built in the last nine years in the northeast, 4,016 km of road projects are currently ongoing and around 2,000 projects worth Rs 22,000 crore have been sanctioned for the region since 2014. Waterways have been given a mega boost and 19 new waterways have been added as the lifelines of commute and trade, eight additional airports operationalised and 100 per cent broad gauge electrified under North East Frontier Railways.

Some benefits too could be measured. Officials claim that around one crore tourists arrived in 2022 to the region and the factors being attributed are better connectivity.

The northeast region has been propelled as a gateway to Southeast Asia due to its unique offerings in tourism, horticulture, handloom and sports, goes another line of assertion and campaign.

In order to respect public opinion and appreciate the native sentiments, something considered overdue was done. There have been were noteworthy instances of recognition of hitherto unsung heroes, including Lachit Borphukan and Rani Gaidinliu.

In terms of connectivity, the Bogeebil rail-cum-road bridge, the longest such project in India, has been achieved. What has definitely excited the people of Manipur is the Jiribam-Imphal rail line, the world's tallest girder rail bridge, which has also been taken up.

Another such milestone has been the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge, which is India's longest bridge.

Officials also claim good progress in organic farming in Meghalaya while the agro-based products of Nagaland, including 'Bhoot Jholokia' (hot green chilly), have reached London.

The Sangai Festival of Manipur and the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland too have been encouraged. PM Modi himself inaugurated the Hornbill Fest of Nagas in 2014 within months of assuming office.

The sum and substance, why we are still complaining? Why people still do not hesitate to burn effigies of central leaders over minor to major controversies and issues?

Actually, these contradictions are not puzzles per se. They are the real messages. Come and try to understand our problems in detail and sympathetically before anyone can claim that you have mastered the knowledge about northeast and have fallen in love with this region.

One message is people's confusion. Can I be a 'nationalist' - that is committed to India - and yet be a good native Naga or a Mizo? Or do I have to give up being a good Kuki, Sema or Angami and then become a good Naga or a good 'citizen of Manipur'? The policy makers and the Indian 'mainstream' intellectuals have to come out of the old legacy. They have to give a convincing message that no man need to fear that by becoming a nationalist, he will make himself an anti-Mizo or anti-Naga.

In his masterpiece 'The Conquest of Happiness', Bertrand Russel says: "The man divided against himself looks for excitement and distraction... he loves strong passion." Russel further explains that "passion" takes the man "outside himself".

This applies to human kind at the global stage, but it applies more to the people of the northeast.

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of the books 'The Talking Guns: North East India', and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views expressed are personal)

Snap: Imphal Free Press 

"Foreign puppet Rahul Gandhi yet again abuses Hindus and India on foreign soil" - BJP Karnataka

Rahul Gandhi keeping wooing Modi critics and 'firangis' during his US sojourn !

He mocked at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ritual of 'Pranam' the latter had conducted during the inauguration of the New Parliament Building. Showing disrespect to culture and Hindu tradition, yet again he compared that to 'lying down' and ridiculously said - "Aren’t you happy that I am not lying down?" 

Rahul Gandhi's remarks were in reference to PM Modi's prostration - a good old Hindu and Indian tradition - during the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

"Foreign puppet Rahul Gandhi yet again abuses Hindus and India on foreign soil. The 'Disqualified MP' calls inauguration of new parliament a 'distraction,' & discredits the Dharmic 'Sengol' by terming it a 'drama'. This is a testament to Congress hatred for the Idea of India, its millennia-old traditions & its cultural reawakening," BJP Karnataka tweeted. 

"Narendra Modi is Synonymous with Dharma whereas Rahul Gandhi represents Drama!" 

Blogger 

Union Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said. When PM Modi visits abroad, he meets the PMs and the Presidents of other countries. Australian PM called PM Modi 'Boss'; probably Rahul Gandhi could not digest this," 

"Rahul Gandhi aims to insult PM Modi but ends up hurting India. He does not even consider India as a country but as a union of states. What does Rahul Gandhi want to achieve by doing all this? See the difference." 

Another BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala also took a dig at Congress party's Tamil Nadu ally DMK. 

"No less than the DMK govt document spoke of Sengol history and relevance but those who love symbols of Gulaami cannot digest this.. in their hatred for BJP they attack Bharatiya symbols, way of life itself !! Does the DMK agree with Rahul on the Sengol installation being called a drama?" Shehzad tweeted. 

Meanwhile 'sickular' media game continues. 'The Hindu' newspaper - the only thing 'Hindu' about the paper is its name....the Chennai-headquartered publication contradicts itself on Sengol vis-a-vis new parliament building, --- now claims "govt’s version is baseless" after publishing the same. 

In an article titled “The Sengol — A historic sceptre with a deep Tamil Nadu connection”, the newspaper had written that the Sengol “was specially commissioned by the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam and was handed over to the soon-to-be Prime Minister Nehru before his historic speech, ‘Tryst with Destiny’, given in the Constituent Assembly to announce the birth of the nation freed from British rule.”

While the Hindu on 25 May claimed that Nehru and others didn’t consider the Sengol as a symbol of the transfer of power, on 24 May it had said that handing over of a sceptre to denote the transfer of power has been in practice for nearly 2,000 years since the Sangam Age. 

Quoting a well-known historian and researcher of Sangam Literature, the Hindu had written that the use of Sengol has been mentioned in texts such as the Purananooru, Kurunthogai, Perumpaanatrupadai, and Kalithogai.

The article on 25 also claimed that there is no evidence that C. Rajagopalachari had suggested Nehru to use the Sengol as a ceremonial gesture, a day after making the same claim. 

In the 24 May article, the Hindu wrote, “it was freedom fighter Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) who suggested to Nehru the ceremonial gesture, a tradition found to have been documented even in the Chola-era as a symbol of the transfer of power to a new king, according to sources in the Adheenam.”

Why is Sickular army angry?

Basically it was the way the journey/history of this particular Sengol is being depicted—as “another example of Jawaharlal Nehru’s failures to safeguard India's tradition and history”.   

According to the Thiruvavaduthurai Aadeenam, it was a “matter of pride” for Tamil Nadu that Sengol is being installed in the new Parliament building. 

Thiruvavaduthurai Aadeenam Ambalavana Desika Paramacharya Swami has underlined the BJP’s assertion that India’s last Viceroy Lord Mountbatten had given the Sengol, which will be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, to Nehru in 1947.

 

India always was waiting to become a 'more honest society' and Namo regime has made it happen to a large extent

For the first time in the history of India, ministers are compelled to visit the other side of jails -- they have to walk inside.  Partha Chatterjee and Manish Sisodia -- two powerful ministers in West Bengal and Delhi ae cooling their heels --- this was unthinkable once upon a time. 

Honesty is the best policy was in theory. Corruption was regarded as a way of life and perhaps still it it. But in the big picture image India was waiting as a nation to become a more honest society.  A previous India made life comfortable for elites. 

Politicians and Babus had unlimited powers of discretion, and that is why a significant section is uncomfortable with the basic idea of 'New India' that discards nepotism. The government(s) - including states and even PSU authorities - were all powerful. 

Blogger 

From taxation point of view - prior to 2014 - Indians loved to be non-compliant. A large part of Indian economy was black or parallel economy. This banked on cash dealings and no accountability. On the other hand, poor people stayed away from banks. But PM Modi's Jan Dhan scheme has enabled millions of 'unbanked'  families to enter the formal economy with "no-frills" bank accounts. 

But between 2014 and now, 2023, the systems by and large have become more transparent.

Thus, Modi is the first Indian prime minister to leverage technology so much for his welfare programmes and he also revolutinised a system called digital payment. 

The government's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has revolutionised India's economy by facilitating digital payments even in villages and even for vegetable vendors and milk booths. Behind the huge digital payments infrastructure that has come up in India is India Stack, a set of open APIs and digital public goods that aim to unlock the economic potential of identity, data, and payments at population scale, such as Aadhaar, UPI, Digilocker. 

Even the CoWin Vaccination Platform has proved successful and result oriented.  

Challenges in Manipur have not disappeared. It will take some time : Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, May 30, visited Churachandpur, the scene of some of the worst rioting in the recent ethnic conflict which broke out in Manipur earlier and held talks with Kuki civil society leaders.

"The situation now in Manipur is not insurgency-related but is a clash between two ethnicities. It’s a law and order situation that we are helping the state government with. Armed forces and Assam rifles have done an excellent job and may have saved a large number of lives. 

Challenges in Manipur have not disappeared. It will take some time. Hopefully, this will settle and the state government will be able to do the job with the help of CAPF etc, " CDS, Gen Anil Chauhan said.

Answering a question on the situation in Manipur during an interaction with the media, the CDS said, “Before 2020, there was Army, there was Assam Rifles, all deployed in the state of Manipur for counterinsurgency operations. Since the challenges of the Northern borders were far more, we were able to withdraw the Army. Since the insurgency situation had normalised, we were able to do that. 

Meanwhile, on the second day of his visit to the violence-hit state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted to say that he has "instructed" security forces to strictly deal with any activities disturbing the peace.

"Reviewed the security situation in Manipur in a meeting with senior officials of the Manipur Police, CAPFs and the Indian Army in Imphal. Peace and prosperity of Manipur is our top priority, instructed them to strictly deal with any activities disturbing the peace," he wrote. 

The Manipur government has announced that it will not allow social media platforms to host any information that it identifies as “fake, lies, rumours or misinformation,” which can worsen the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

An order issued by the State Home department warned that the government would not hesitate to act as per law against those found involved in such activities.

The measure is being taken following reports that a number of individuals in responsible positions with large followings on social media were observed to be directly involved in generating or sharing information found to be fake news, lies, rumours or misinformation in connection with the ongoing law and order situation in Manipur.

Last nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have seen a paradigm shift in Indian agriculture

 The last nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have seen a paradigm shift in Indian agriculture sector, making it modern, scientific and prosperous. 

There have been challenges and saboteurs. Three farm reform bills should have come. Thanks to politicization and involvement of middlemen. Electoral politics and the 'compulsions' associated with it -- the reform strategies were derailed. 

But it still goes to the credit of policy makers that today, the Indian farmer is not just cultivating for India, but is confidently eyeing the world as a marketplace for its wide-ranging products. 

 

Sikkim attained the stature of the first state in the world to become fully organic in farming in 2018," an official source said. In the last nine years, Indian agriculture has received new impetus, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Beej Se Bazaar Tak” approach which stands out for its comprehensiveness. 

On the big scale yet again, India has emerged as the fifth largest economy in the world. It can be safely crownedas a moment of glory for an emerging market country to beat an economic power like the UK.

As many as 3.5 crore pucca house have been constructed for the country's poor, the FM pointed out. In this regard, she also made mention of the large-scale construction of toilets across the country.

This is the first time in India's history when the poor have security as well as dignity, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Every paisa of tax money is being directed towards serving India's poor, the vaccine programme being a classic example. 

Officials also claim of good progress in organic farming in Meghalaya and agro-based products of Nagaland including Bhoot Jhaolkiia (hot green chilly) has reached London. 

The government has extended income support with PM Kisan with an assured cash transfer of  Rs. 6,000 per year through Direct Benefit Transfer. This supplemental income received through regular installments has cut out intermediaries and enabled even small and marginal farmers to purchase better quality inputs, improve their land productivity, and increase their income. 

 

For first time, Tripura found a place in Union Council of Ministers ::: Highest-ever representation Union Govt from North East -- two cabinet, and three ministers of state

Northeast India witnessed an unprecedented jump in the number of airports. Between 2014 and 2023, in North Eastern Region number of airports rose from nine to 16, and the number of flights have increased from about 900 before 2014 to around 1900. 

Some northeastern states have made their way into India’s railways’ map for the first time and efforts are being made to expand the waterways also.

Connectivity: The major ongoing Capital Road Connectivity projects in NER include an alternate two-lane highway from Bagrakote to Pakyong (NH-717A) (152 km) in the Sikkim-Kalimpong-Darjeeling region, four laning of Imphal–Moreh section of NH-39 (20 km), two laning of 75.4 km in Manipur, four laning of Dimapur-Kohima Road (62.9 km) in Nagaland, four laning of Nagaon bypass to Holongi (167 km) in Arunachal Pradesh and two laning of Aizawl–Tuipang NH-54 (351 km) in Mizoram.

Decline in Insurgency: In the past 9 years, Northeast India has seen a major dip in incidents of insurgency. According to the reports, there has been a dip of 80 percent in such incidences.

AFSPA: The central government has withdrawn the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from 60 percent areas of Assam. In Manipur’s six districts, AFSPA’s operation is limited to 15 police stations. In Arunachal Pradesh, only one district remains covered under AFSPA. In Nagaland, it has been lifted from seven districts and in Tripura and Meghalaya, AFSPA has been completely lifted.

5G Connectivity: The Modi government is working relentlessly on improving digital connectivity in the northeast by increasing the optical fibre network. The 5G will help a pivotal role in the development of the start-up ecosystem and the service sector among others in the region.

Rising Stature of NE India: Northeast India, today, has the highest-ever representation in the Union Council of Ministers wherein there are two cabinet ministers and three ministers of state. For the first time, a Member of Parliament from Tripura has found a place in the Council of Ministers.

8,000 insurgents surrender in north east since 2014 yet Manipur burning

  New Delhi 

  It is one of the paradoxes of our times and the north east region, the policy makers ought to comprehend effectively.  As of April 2023, as many as 8,000 insurgents surrendered and joined 'mainstream society', says the Government of India yet none can deny the violence and multi-prnged troubles the state of Manipur has landed.

  Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Manipur coincides with the Modi government completing nine years in office and also an obvious fact that in less than a year the country will plunge into electoral mode. A question asked in 2019 -- Can India afford another five years of Modi regime - will be asked again.

  There are other statistics around on positive contributions of Modi-led dispensation.

   Let us take a glance.

   Seven airports built in the last 9 years in the northeast, 4,016 km of road projects are currently ongoing and around 2,000 projects worth Rs 22,000 crore sanctioned for the region since 2014.

 

'Nagaland Page'

 Waterways have been given a mega boost and 19 new waterways added as the lifelines of commute and trade, 8 additional airports operationalised and 100 percent Broad Gauge electrified under North East Frontier railways. 

 Some benefits too could be measured. Officials claim around one crore tourists arrived in 2022 to the region and the factors being attributed are better connectivity. 

The Northeast India has been propelled as gateway to Southeast Asia due to its unique offerings in tourism, horticulture, handloom and sports, goes another line of assertion and campaign.

 In order to respect public opinion and appreciate the native sentiments, something considered overdue was done. They were noteworthy instances of recognition of hitherto unsung heroes including Lachit Borphukan and Rani Gaidinliu. 

In terms of connectivity, the Bogeebil Rail-cum Road Bridge the longest rail cum road" project in India has been achieved.

What has definitely excited the people of Manipur, the Jiribam-Imphal rail line, the world’s tallest girder rail bridge, has also been taken up. 

Another such milestone has been the Dhola -Sadiya Bridge - which is India’s longest bridge. 

"In line with India’s ethos of ‘Swasthya ke Saptrishisi’, Assam will be developed now as South Asia’s largest cancer hospital network and the state of Sikkim attained the stature of the first state in the world to become fully organic in farming in 2018," an official source said.

 

Officials also claim of good progress in organic farming in Meghalaya and agro-based products of Nagaland including Bhoot Jhaolkiia (hot green chilly) has reached London.

 The Sangai Festival of Manipur and Hornbill Festival of Nagaland too have been encouraged. PM Modi himself inaugurated the Hornbill Fest of Nagas in 2014 within months of his taking over. 

 The sum and substance, why we are still complaining. Why people do not hesitate to burn effigies of central leaders over minor to major controversies and issues.

  Home Minister Amit Shah's effigy was burnt after Oting tragic botched up operation in 2021 and more recently Manipuri women did not hesitate to burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also of Amit Shah.

    Actually these contradictions are not puzzles per se. They are the real messages. Come, and try to understand our problems before you claim you have fallen in love with this region. 

One message is people's confusion. Can I be a nationalist and yet be a good native Naga or a Mizo? Or do I have to give up being a good Kuki, Sema or Angami and then become a good Naga or a good 'citizen of Manipur'?

  It is high time the policy makers and the intellectuals give a convincing message that no man need fear that by becoming a nationalist he will make himself an anti-Mizo or anti-Naga.

In his masterpiece 'The Conquest of Happiness' Bertrand Russel says - "The man divided against himself looks for excitement and distraction ..... he loves strong passion". Russel further explains that 'passion' takes the man 'outside himself'. This applies to human kind at the global stage but it applies more to the people of north east.

In the end, we have three terminologies very crucial for north east India -- Different, Separate and Foreign. Often I find these terms intermingling. This is not a generalised statement about the vast region out of nothing. 

Historically, the various ethnic groups have never been together or were they? 

The northeast as a unit is a product of colonial legacy and all stakeholders have to appreciate the gravity of the situation. The destruction/demolition of the Naga Club building at Kohima is a pointer -- could anyone imagine even a decade back that such a thing can happen.

We are in different times. We may look for 'separate' angles to the same thing; and our views may be extremely 'foreign' to each other.

  ends 

    

'Nagaland Page' : A Quality Newspaper and Making the Future happen

New Delhi

India today got a new Parliament Building. Tomorrow, that is May 29th, 2023, 'Nagaland Page' will complete 24 years of operation and will enter the 25th year. Credibility is often called a dream palace, a metropolis --- it is not built in a day.

Editor Monalisa Changkija and her meticulous team comprising Dilip Sharma, Moa Longkumer and Temjenrenba Anichar, non-journalists and office boys and I can name more -- all have done their part over the years to let the show run. One staffer Sumit Chakraborty lost his house in a recent fire mishap. But the show must go on.

Credibility comes much harder in print journalism and more so in a state where advertising revenue is solely dependent on government mercy. I was always fascinated by the manner the paper ran with its modest budget and other resources and the 'manly' manner the challenges were faced. "I will always lead from the front," once cricketer Kapil Dev had said so. The soliloquy can apply to the Editor of this newspaper.

Challenges have been faced in the past. Some were equivalent to life threats, and crises are far from over. There are critics and there are a good number of those who disapprove of the manner the edit/news content is decided. 

My association with the paper might have added more worries to the newspaper and the Edit team. The so-called candid writing and displaying a garb of bravery may be easy from a distance in Delhi; but to publish the news and hard-hitting and below the belt comments on ground zero is a different ball game.

There have been occasions the newspaper and the staff got caution and questioned 'kuun asey etu, (Who is

this... writing all whimsical things from Delhi?)". But the paper never allowed such things to influence the decision

on what to write the next day.

If merely surviving as a print journalist is a 'tough mission' in circa 2023; to be blessed to work for a paper

like 'Nagaland Page' is something one can always cherish. Thanks to the paper that I got back my

readers in Nagaland.

And many Naga friends - ex Babus and politicians and former student leaders - all seem to accept you yet again.

They might differ with you but they appreciate you having a different opinion. Some also express happiness and astonishment that the woman-editor is giving you so much indulgence. It's a man's world - everyone still presumes.

On the other front we know the state government and those in power have their problems. No government can allow the holes to be exposed. On the other side of the table, we also understand that the state too has its own governance and economic challenges.

Since 1999 when the paper started, the employment opportunities have not grown 'fast and good enough' to absorb the

new entrants to the labour force and the backlog of previous unemployment.

 

The overall economic development has fallen short of the aspirations of the people and every five years they have to

face elections. We - working journalists - will continue to do our job. But a moot point may be underlined that

we can continue to do so when you have a respectful platform. And we know behind all these running and

wrangling we face -- the publication will stand by you. 'Nagaland Page' can face that test.

A newspaper can grow up as a powerful institution in terms of its coverage, reach and influence in shaping public

opinion only when it banks on objectivity and the good old definition of journalism A,B, C -- accuracy, balance and

clarity.

The success is also dependent on another set of ABC -- Ability, Breaks and Courage. Fortunately, yours truly

'Nagaland Page' has all the six elements. Nagaland Governor La Ganesan recorded his appreciation

of the newspaper. One retired army general I interacted with wanted to know, ".... Does that lady still run your

paper". That's a big compliment.

Finally talking about readers-journalists bond, one will pick up a quote read somewhere --

"The love in me salutes the love in you".

 

ends

Modi's plan to 'rebuild' India's parliament drew fierce criticism from the beginning

Writing in the Guardian, the acclaimed Indian-born sculptor Anish Kapoor had earlier described the plans to rebuild the nation’s power corridor as an act of “political fanaticism” by Narendra Modi, "India’s Hindu-nationalist prime minister".

(Hindu priests and rituals at display !! 

Narendra Modi carries a royal golden sceptre to be installed near the chair of the speaker during the inaugural ceremony of the new parliament building, in New Delhi Photograph: AP/The Guardian ) on May 28, 2023 

The £100m parliament project had attracted controversy from the start, with the Modi government accused of rebuilding the corridors of power in its own image as part of a nationalistic political agenda. Launching the project in 2020, Modi had said the building would “become a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India”.

It was built at speed, taking less than three years, with an apparent unspoken deadline to have it completed before the 2024 general election when Modi will be seeking a third term in office.

The overall development, known as the Central Vista project, cost over $2.4bn and involved building a new government secretariat and a new prime minister’s residence and office. It was accused of a lack of transparency after it was awarded to architect Bimal Patel, who is from Modi’s home state of Gujarat and has been granted some of the most high-profile government projects in recent years.

But the government and the project’s architects had argued that the old building, which is almost 100 years old, was no longer fit for purpose and could not be adapted.

The new complex is three times larger than the old one and has room to seat more than 1,200 MPs, over 500 more than the original parliament. Though India now has 800 representatives across the upper and lower house, the numbers are up for review in 2026. Given the increase in India’s population to 1.4 billion people, the number of MPs could be raised.

According to the architect, materials and designs had been brought in from all over India to reflect the country’s cultural diversity and different architectural styles, including marble from Rajasthan and teak from Maharastra.

A sacred Sengol, a gold sceptre from the southern state of Tamil Nadu that is said to have been received by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on independence in 1947, was also placed by Modi in the new parliament chamber.  

Modi tweeted after the ceremony. “May it propel our great nation to new heights of progress.”

The new Parliament complex envisages a new triangular Parliament building next to the existing complex.

Hundreds of members of the opposition parties were conspicuous by their absence. Earlier in the week, they had come together to announce a boycott of the ceremony, arguing it should be the country’s president, who is largely a ceremonial figure, not Modi who inaugurated the parliament building, calling it a violation on the constitution and parliamentary procedure.

Since Modi was elected in 2014, he has been accused of dismantling democracy in India and overseeing an unprecedented centralisation of power. In an open letter, opposition groups described Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government as “authoritarian” and said Modi’s decision “to inaugurate the parliament building by himself, completely sidelining president Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy … When the soul of democracy has been sucked out [of] parliament, we find no value in a new building.”

The BJP hit back, calling on opposition parties not to “politicise” the ceremony.

The long and grassy avenue sweeps down from the India Gate war memorial to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, or president’s residence, with the circular Parliament House building in between. It was designed by British architects Lutyens and Herbert Baker following the 1911 decision to move the capital of the British Raj from Calcutta to Delhi.

The geometric design, with wide avenues and sprawling lawns, was modelled on European capitals such as Paris but was also infused with Indian influences from the architecture of Hindu temples to the red-stoned grandeur of Mughal forts. The vista remains the only area in India designated grade 1 heritage status. 

-- The Guardian  

Everything was flawed, said opponents !!

“Everything about this project has been flawed,” said Anuj Srivastava, an architect who has been part of Lokpath, a group opposing the development. “There has been no transparency, no consultation and they are pushing forward with it so fast just so they can get it done before the next election. It’s clearly nothing but a vanity project for prime minister Modi, to build parliament in his own image, at an unaffordable cost..