Narendra Modi, India's diplomatic ambitions, and the US Congress speech

India has traditionally been a non-aligned nation. It has neither been a very close friend of any major power, nor has antagonised anyone unnecessarily. However, developments over the past two decades in global politics, especially the Sino-Pakistan all-weather friendship in India's backyard, created serious threats for Indian interests not just in the sub-continent but globally. Hence, the Indian establishment has taken up a proactive global diplomatic relationship-building on multiple fronts. This picked up pace post the inauguration of the Modi government in 2014. 

Namaste, from the emerging superpower

Multiple energetic initiatives followed, not the least of them being Prime Minister Modi leading the global charge personally. Despite constant ridicule he faced at home from a shrill media, and multiple WhatsApp memes, labelling him 'a visiting PM India has', he has continued undaunted. For all that, the results are beginning to show in a big way now, beginning with India gaining a positive edge for MTCR membership, further strengthening its case for a berth in the NSG, vital to our long-term Uranium needs.

In this background, PM Modi delivered a speech to the joint session of the US Congress on 08-June 2016, which summed up his multi-directional efforts. Undoubtedly, to my mind at least, it was one of his best speeches. I share a few pointers as to why it is so -

Munde's Rs.9 crores sets the cat amongst India's white pigeons

In one of those positive-firing-in-my-neurons moments Mr.Gopinath Munde, a senior BJP leader, accepted from a public podium that he spent more than Rs.9 crores in his parliamentary elections, much above the statutory mandated Election Commission limit of Rs.40 lacs. Personally I feel that it must have one of those sanctimonous "Oh, what the heck, why this hyprocrisy" feeling for Mr.Munde when he startled everyone - most of all his opponents (read the Congress) by such a frank admission. His political rivals are ecstatic that he has chosen to say something they would never have (at least not from a public platform)!

Perhaps the gravity of his mistake must have been apparent to him immediately after saying it, as in this nation we reward hyprocrisy and tartar-twisted-two-timing politicians who lie incessantly far more than simple, frank, honest ones. 

(media reports initially suggested 9 crores and 40 lacs as the amounts under debate, which was later rectified to 8 crores and 25 lacs respectively. Snippets from the People's Representation Act 1950 can be seen here)

Some big questions pop up, in the wake of this rather unexpected declaration from Mr Munde.

• Does anyone - ANYONE - believe the spending amounts mentioned in the affidavits filed to the EC, by all winning (and runner-up) candidates, in the parliamentary elections, which declare an expense of around Rs 40 lacs?
• Does even the Election Commission of India really believe any of those documents, so sanctimoniously filed with it, claiming they never breached its hallowed limit of Rs.40 lacs in the whole election?   (I suspect they must be having a long laugh reading those!)
• Do we not know how difficult it is for a politician to really win an election in a typical parliamentary constituency in India? Each one is so big (the constituency, that is), with so many far-flung villages and hamlets, that accessing and influencing them all is impossible in a measly Rs.40 lacs? Even a small meeting of a thousand people will need a lac rupees or more to be well-managed.
• Are we, and the EC, not aware of the unstoppable spikes of inflation that have jacked up the rates for tea, coffee, drinking water (bottled), printing, posters, pamphlets, fuel, jeep rentals, loudspeakers, manpower et al, in the past 20 years at a stretch?

Personally I feel that anyone who has set up an enterprise in India, and is running it, knows it is impossible to run a full-fledged election campaign and spend less than Rs.40 lacs. This is totally ludicrous, at least to me. (You may disagree)

So why the hypocrisy? What is the real problem? Can it not be solved?

Gandhi meets Mao

Competition's results declared. See the post on "ancestors"

01st October is China's 60th Founding Day celebrations. 02nd October is Mahatma Gandhi's anniversary. I put here my feelings, based on what I have studied, about these two great nations who command between themselves more than 35% of humanity! Gandhi speaks first, then Mao Tsetung (the founder of Chinese Communist Party and creator of PRC).
~

Gandhi meets Mao

It was way up in the sky, in the heavens to be precise

That the two great men of Asia met each other

Gandhi and Mao, liberators of nations worldly-wise

To take stock of situation, it was time, high time.

I chose non-violence, said Gandhi, and liberated my 300 million

Leveraging centuries of philosophical wisdom, we stood free from shackles.

So what? gushed Mao, I chose the power at the right end of a gun's barrel

Bang, bang, bang.. here's PRC delivered, and there runs Chiang Kai Shek rattled!

India is free, truly free, my people can speak their hearts out

Fear they may none, neither secret police nor the military's rifles.

That's your folly Gandhi! You give them rope they hang themselves with

We know a thinking populace is unproductive, foolish wasting time over trifles.

My successors have done a good job, they have nurtured democracy

Institutions and elections.. we are the best, second to none.
Of what use? To what end? A poor man with choices is still poor
Look at Deng's reforms - mighty, prosperous and resplendent we have become!

We are flexible, elastic, plastic, we change, we move
The harshest of criticisms we take in our stride and emerge stronger.
It's your mistake Gandhi, you fail to see
We are a monolith - quicker, faster, surer, steadier.

But a monolith is a monolith, strong maybe, but brittle
Of what use is freedom when celebrations arouse fear and suspicion!
Haah! It's not that, my dear, it's just precaution, remember the rogues
The rogues you shelter, we see you do, without compunction.

The Dalai Lama is not a rogue, he is a wise guru of millions
His love can set you free, the pain of decades, oh, sweltering over.
To hell with love, we need hard cash, resources and machines
Global trade knows no love, and we are the prime mover.

What has all this brought us? Global Warming? Hatred? Credit crunch?
Wisdom demands we see it straight, and speak it straight.
What straight? This is as straight as straight can get
We make a 500 kms highway straight, obstacles no bar, homes be razed.

Ahh.. now there you are! People's rights - do they mean nothing?
Uprooting anyone, anywhere, anytime without warning?
Are men above nations, Gandhi? Are they?
And to this lovely freedom of speech you profess, what do your Naxals have to say?

Naxals? They are our own, our brothers and sisters
Historically wronged indeed, they will be part of mainstream for sure.
While you dither Gandhi, we crush, smoothen it out, and move on
Uigurs, Tibetans, you name it, we have permanent peace, 100% pure!

Democracy, the internet, the knowledge highway - it's all there
How long can anyone dam the forces that unleash democracy's waves?
Waves? We'd rather turn them into a theme park, the world's largest (of course)
For history is written by the man the streets of history who paves.

I put man's dignity above everything, he is God's finest creation
His happiness, choice, free-will are civilisations' substrate.
We share the same views Gandhi!
But for man, I substitute the State.

You think our men and women produce little? They are not fecund?
Software and Services you seem to forget, Mao my dear.
Just two, Gandhi? I could name fifty such sectors
The mere mention of "China" where will bring tremble & fear.

Churchill said India will break into pieces upon independence
We proved him wrong, our historical glue too strong.
While you contend with what you had and still treasure
I capture new territories, left, right and centre!

Our debate it seems will go on for ever
Our roads may never meet, I fear.
Really? What if we both relent, a little
From positions we hold so dear.

Together we are 35% of humanity, imagine what we can achieve
If we set aside our differences, hold-hands and synergise
Maybe Hindi-Chini surely can be Bhai-Bhai
The world will shake, when our positive power will arise, awaken and shine!
~