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8 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
>
MUMBAI | THURSDAY 30 MAY 2019
> CHINESE WHISPERS

A flight that wasn’t that a list of around 20 persons had been
drawn up for lookout circulars, based on
transaction frauds and origin of funds, and
that the Goyals were part of the list.
despite the CBI circular being in place.
So much for a lookout circular, that
by definition, is a letter used by authori-
ties to check whether a travelling person
How did Naresh Goyal and his wife clear immigration at the A second scenario, as to why the is wanted by the police. The circular is Fanboy moment
Goyals were allowed to cross the immi- typically used at immigration checks at
Mumbai airport if there was a lookout circular? gration and board the flight to Dubai, is international borders like airports or sea
not completely unbelievable either. ports to monitor entry and exit of people
to Jet Airways Founder Naresh Goyal cular, cleared them and the duo got into That is, the SFIO lookout circular required by law enforcement authorities.
and his wife getting off-boarded from their first class cabin on the plane. After against the Goyals was already in place Whether or not the immigration officers
an Emirates flight to Dubai holds a mys- the Goyals cleared the immigration, an but the immigration failed to spot the are aware, a lookout circular comes with
tery that hasn’t been unravelled. alert, either at the airport or on the flight, names. Such errors do happen routine- an expiry date. According to the guide-
How did Goyal and his wife clear the would have been sent to top government ly, it seems. For example, a top banker lines prepared by the Ministry of Home
immigration at Mumbai airport if there officials, resulting in a flurry of activity was stopped a few months ago at an Affairs, validity of a circular is stated by
was a lookout circular, on the basis of on the ground including giving the final Indian airport on his return from a trip the originating law enforcement agency.
which they were told to get off the plane touches to the lookout circular. By the abroad. He was asked how he had man- Unless specified, it is valid for a period of
some minutes later? With no clear time the Goyals returned to the Mumbai aged to travel overseas because there one year but it can be extended in case
answer to the question from the author- airport after being de-boarded from the was a lookout circular against him. The there’s a request. That implies that a look-
ities, there are two possibilities that may Emirates flight, the authorities were pos- stunned executive, who’s part of a list out circular stands suspended beyond There are many first-time Members of
NOT FOR PROFIT have played out last Saturday when sibly ready with the lookout circular of bankers under the scrutiny of the one year, unless the validity is extended Parliament this time and most of them
Goyal, an NRI, almost left for Dubai issued by the Serious Fraud Investigation Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or specified. are in the news for some reason or the
NIVEDITA MOOKERJI where he has a residence, and may have Office (SFIO), stopping them from trav- for loans given to the now defunct Vijay Now that elections are over and other. Shankar Lalwani (pictured) from
wanted to proceed to London from there. elling overseas. It is not known who at Mallya-founded Kingfisher Airlines, results are out, the government would Indore is one of them. When he
The first and the most likely scenario the Mumbai airport or from the Emirates tried to explain that the immigration like to be seen as coming down hard on reached Delhi to attend a meeting of
the NDA parliamentary board, he noted
A
powerful business tycoon being a deconstruction of the event throws up flight raised an alarm that Goyal and his did not stop him when he was leaving industrialists, who are under the scan-
deplaned and stopped from fly- is that there was no lookout circular for wife, with unpaid dues of more than the country and that he had no clue ner. In that backdrop, the lookout circu- that actor and fellow MP Hema Malini
ing out of the country could any the Goyals but it may have been in the ~8,500 crore, were leaving the country. there was a lookout circular against lar against the Goyals is just a beginning, was also present at the meeting.
day be a scene from a racy thriller. But making. That’s why the immigration, Functionaries in the SFIO, under the him. In that case too, the immigration despite the mystery of the immigration Without wasting time, he clicked a
the dramatic sequence of events leading which had no evidence of a lookout cir- Ministry of Corporate Affairs, later clarified probably didn’t catch the name right giving them an all clear. selfie with the actor in the background.
The selfie went viral in no time. When
he returned to Indore and local leaders
asked him about the picture, an
Switching from slow to fast track

embarrassed Lalwani backtracked: "I
was just clicking a selfie. I had no idea
who was sitting behind me," he told
his party colleagues.
After languishing for over a decade, the DFC corridor

All eyes on Raveendranath
now has a new deadline. And it’s a race against time The All India Anna
Dravida Munnetra
SHINE JACOB try’s overall freight basket from 33 per Kazhagam won
cent to around 50 per cent by 2030. just one of the 38
I
n January 2004, Australia commis- Studies conducted by the World Bank, seats in Tamil
sioned what is regarded as one of which is funding the Eastern DFC with Nadu in the just
the most difficult railway lines to be a loan of $2.360 billion, and Japan concluded Lok
ever built in the world — across the International Cooperation Agency, Sabha election.
inhospitable terrain from Alice Spring which offering ~38,722 crore for the But the party is
in the north to the deepwater port of Western DFC, traffic flow is set to reach hopeful of getting
Darwin in the south. Around the same 264 MT for eastern corridor and 284 MT a plum post in the
time, the Railway Board in India, head- for the western corridor in 20 years. to-be-formed
ed by Chairman R K Singh, was working
on pulling off a similar feat with a ded-
The corridor is a massive logistical
exercise for the Railways. So far, the
FREIGHT National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
government at the centre, said minister
icated track for freight to speed up traf-
fic flow.
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation
of India (DFCCIL) — a special purpose
MOVEMENT Kadambur Raju. OP Raveendranath
(pictured), son of state Deputy Chief
The project was shelved after initial vehicle for the project incorporated in Total Distance: Minister and AIADMK coordinator O
deliberations citing cost effectiveness, 2006 — has awarded all contracts for
Maximum speed: Panneerselvam, is the only winner from
Land acquired:
but was given a fresh lease of life in
2006. But since it received the final go-
construction to begin, except for sys-
tem contracts for Khurja-Dadri and
3,560 km 100 Kmph 98.5 % the party and he is known to share a
warm relationship with the Bharatiya
ahead, the Dedicated Freight Khurja-Ludhiana sections of Janata Party leadership at the centre. All
Corridor (DFC) has been the eastern corridor. eyes, therefore, are on the 39-year-old.
stumbling over hurdles — Land acquisition was ini- Eastern Dedicated Freight Western Dedicated
from land acquisition issues tially a big hurdle but by
INVESTMENT
Corridor: Freight Corridor:
to cost escalation and delay
in implementation.
February this year, nearly
98.5 per cent of the land has LUDHIANA TO DANKUNI JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TOTAL ~ 81,459 CRORE Physical Coming soon: Chambers’ PC
Nearly a decade and a half been acquired — except for 1,856 Kms Of this, 538 PORT TERMINAL (JNPT)
Expenditure incurred so far: progress:
43,000 crore 55 %
later, however, DFC may the Sonnagar to Dankuni Kms from Sonnagar to TO DADRI
finally see the light of day section, which is in the pro-
Dankuni are under PPP 1,504 Kms Over ~
with the Narendra Modi gov- cess of being acquired,
ernment planning to com- according to a senior DFC-
plete it by December 2021, CIL official.
ahead of India’s 75th But the construction 2015 pegged it at ~81,459 crore — fac- on time. “Though started work in 2007, All these projects are important to
Independence day in 2022. work is only half way through and toring in price escalation and interest the DFCs were initially expected to be increase the Railways' freight and pas-
According to multiple sources close meeting the target is a race against during construction. on track by 2011. However, due to senger traffic as well to help it compete
to the development, completion of time. On August 15 last year, the “DFC was initially conceptualised speeding up of work in last three years, efficiently with other means of trans-
Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Railways had conducted its first suc- with a lower axle load, which was later we will be able to deliver it by December port. The DFC, for instance, will not just
corridors by 2021 will be one of the key cessful trial run of the western corridor increased to a heavier 32.5 tonnes sub- 2021,” said another official. increase the freight volume, but also
priorities of the Modi government dur- covering a 190-km stretch from Ateli structure axle load and superstructure What's of concern though is that land increase the average pace of freight traf-
ing its second tenure. “The western and to Phulera. This was followed by two with axle load of 25 tonnes, that natu- acquisition woes and project delays are fic in the country. According to the Not many remember that the various
eastern dedicated freight corridors, more trials between Badan and Khurja rally increased the cost of the project. not rare for the Railways. According to Railways, the average speed in DFC will business chambers did not hold the
covering 3,360 km of track across nine (194 km of the eastern corridor in In addition to this, cost of land, available data, at least 505 projects — be around 75 kmph, compared to the traditional press conferences (PCs) by
states, are vital to increase the total traf- November) and Madar and change of scope of the project and including 263 doubling of lines, 185 new existing 25 kmph. One advantage for their incoming presidents this year. The
fic of the Railways by at least 144 mil- Kishangarh Balawas (306 km on the some other technical requirements lines and 57 gauge conversion — are consumers will be the cost effective- appointments were over by April but
lion tonne (mt) by 2022,” said an official eastern corridor). also added to the cost,” said R under various stages of execution. Of ness, as it is expected to cut the unit the PCs had been postponed to ensure
close to developments. The delay has of course not been Sivadasan, former finance commis- this, several projects are facing a cost cost of transport by at least 40 per cent. they are heard by the new government.
In a strategic vision document pre- without consequences for the Railways. sioner with the railways. overrun — owing to issues like acquisi- DFCCIL also expects savings of 457 MT Wait for the announcements about
pared in March, the Railways’ has set a Though the initial cost of the project After the renewed focus, the tion of land, shifting of utilities and of CO2 emission over a period of 30 those PCs soon.
target to increase its share in the coun- was ~28,181 crore, a revised estimate in Railways seem confident of finishing it delay in various statutory clearances. years, once the project is on track.
INNOCOLUMN > LETTERS
Competitor obsession promotes hubris ILLUSTRATIONS BY BINAY SINHA

Static, not dynamic
Please refer to the article, “Average tax
Sachin Mampatta responds:
Unfortunately there is no way to find out the
rate at which an MP's asset might grow in the
able companies. Remember, it is not payer 346 years behind MPs” (May 29) by future, or the quantum by which the average
the incurring of losses that is incorrect. Sachin Mampatta. It says that the average tax payer will fall behind. The availability of
How come losses work for some, and assets of an MP are now 345.8 times that such estimates may well prove the reader's
not for others? Winners are consumer- of the annual income of a tax filing indi- point that the gap will worsen. In their
focused, not competitor-focused. vidual. This is fine. But when in the next absence however, we can only wait for 2024.
Companies like Microsoft, Amazon and sentence he says that “this means that it
Apple, which invested in deep tech- will take the average taxpayer 345.8 years Right assessment
nologies behaved differently from the to earn the equivalent of the assets of an
undifferentiated, copycat companies average Lok Sabha MP”, he has commit- The column “Why monetary transmission
that simply out-advertise competitors. ted the mistake of assuming that the is not easy in India” (May 29) by Hasmukh
In my book, CRASH: lessons from income of the MPs will stay put. In terms Adhia was worth reading. The writer has
the rise and exit of CEOs, I have of economics, he has committed the mis- identified a number of reasons for ineffec-
R GOPALAKRISHNAN reviewed the pernicious and damaging take of a ceteris paribus assumption tive monetary policy transmission. The
effects of power on leaders. The sup- which means, “other things remaining journey to bring in different yardsticks
pression of the empathy neurons in the the same”. The correct assumption is such as prime lending rate to benchmark
brain results in an over-assessment of called mutatis mutandis, which means prime lending rate and from base rate to
M
any Indian startups, their capabilities — recall how “other things changing”. He has made a marginal cost of funds based lending rate,
designed on Silicon Valley Napoleon invaded Russia foolishly in static assumption rather than a dynamic has not facilitated the desired level of
principles, appear to be aim- 1812 when he famously said that product experience emerges with fawning reviews, so did the pink press. assumption. What will change is that the transmission so far. Besides the reasons
ing to destroy the enemy and to grab Impossible is a word found only in a effectiveness. A technique known as Patanjali has lost its way amidst its own rich will become richer at a much faster narrated by the writer that are posing hur-
the prize of winner takes all. In the pro- fool's dictionary. Such an arrogant and TRIZ is used by experts. competitor obsession. rate than the poor. Thomas Piketty, in his dles in effective transmission of monetary
cess, they are drowning in a dangerous self-preening leader would be least An institution that is competitor- It is not only companies, but other famous book, Capital in the Twenty-First policy, one major risk that banks face is
ocean of swirling losses. I cannot aware of the effect of power on his or focused to a fault comes through as institutions as well that should avoid Century, has proved this thesis. The most the “mismatch risk” — between its assets
understand why so many Indian uni- her behaviour. self-preening and over-confident, competitor-obsession. Among politi- quoted Piketty theory is, "... that no one, and liabilities. The writer is correct in say-
corns are eulogised for business savvy As argued in some writings (Mark especially when a firm has enjoyed a cal parties, history suggests that if to my knowledge, has questioned: that 60 ing there is a need to address the inherent
and growth even though they incur Bonchek and Gene Corfield, Harvard winning spree. During the onslaught communications to the voter ooze per cent of the increase in US national compulsions that stop banks from passing
every year a loss of three to four times Business Review, April 28, 2016), cus- of Nirma on Hindustan Unilever’s with self-praise and obsessive derision income in the 30 years after 1977 went to on rate cut benefits to borrowers.
their revenue. tomers are individuals, who are sort of detergent business from 1970s to mid- of the competition, unexpected just the top 1 per cent of earners. The only Saagar Soni Gandhinagar
Commenting on Silicon Valley, The tiny enterprises. Individually, con- 1980s, there were many internal dis- results can emerge. As examples, section of the US population that has
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
Economist (April 20, 2019) reported sumers are changing faster than the cussions about the unfair tactics of the recall the self-preening behaviour of done better than the top 1 per cent is the The Editor, Business Standard
that 12 or so American unicorns that company; their needs are quite liquid, competitor. When the company waded the then ruling political parties that top 10th of that 1 per cent. The top 100th Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
have listed are likely to post combined and they are concerned with the ser- from ankle-deep into hip-deep hot lost elections in India in 1977 of the 1 per cent have done best of all". So New Delhi 110 002
losses of $14 billion for the last year, vice that suits them, not with the ser- water, a spirited chairman and vice- (Congress) and in 2004 (Bharatiya the average man will never ever catch up Fax: (011) 23720201 · E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
with cumulative losses of $49 billion. vice provider or the technology. chairman (Ashok Ganguly and Susim Janata Party); think of the superbly with the rich MPs. All letters must have a postal address and telephone
number
The poster boy startup for stupidity in Changing consumer preference is the Datta) massively aligned the company confident Yahya Khan before the Sukumar Mukhopadhyay via email
funding and management preoccupa- reason why getting a management’s back to consumer-focus, creating Pakistani elections of 1970, resulting
tion with valuations is Theranos. eye off consumer-orientation produces Wheel. Wheel detergent played a car- in the East Pakistan revolt.
Among well-established companies, unintended consequences. dinal role in restoring the company’s Arrogant, self-centered, competitor
> HAMBONE
Xerox's inability to read emerging con- Modern design thinking lays great focus and became a valuable brand for obsession is more than likely to fail —
sumer needs has been well document- emphasis on the role of empathy. This HLL over time. whether a company, a political party
ed as a case of losing focus. is quite foundational and requires you Patanjali Ayurved started with huge or any other institution.
Cycles of human folly have played to put yourself in the hearts of people bluster, captured through the personal
out for centuries, so why would people and experience the feelings of the oth- image of Baba Ramdev. It was highly The writer is a corporate advisor and
not continue withe their foolish acts? er person. When the voice of the prod- competitor-focused. The company distinguished professor of IIT Kharagpur.
On the flip side, there are magnificent uct, the voice of the system and the pretended to be in national service, During his career, he was a director of Tata
startups that invested heavily, incurred voice of the process are all heard and about to blast MNCs off their prof- Sons and a vice chairman of Hindustan
losses but built up unbelievably valu- together, then an infinitely superior it-sucking ways. Equity analysts wrote Unilever. Email: rgopal@themindworks.me
https://t.me/SSC4Exams https://t.me/Banking4Exams https://t.me/UPSC4Exams

https://t.me/TheHindu_Zone_official
>
OPINION 9
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Volume XXIII Number 205

MUMBAI | THURSDAY, 30 MAY 2019
Disciplining NBFCs
It’s about high-quality jobs
RBI’s draft rules will help reboot the sector We need millions of high-quality jobs to become a developed nation
ILLUSTRATION: BINAY SINHA
I
he Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) proposal to introduce liquidity buffers n earlier articles, “It’s about jobs” (Business
T for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) may restrict their ability

to lend, but this short-term pain is necessary to make the sector more
responsible. NBFCs did play a critical role by partially filling the vacuum
created by the trouble in public sector banks (PSBs) and increasing their geographical
reach via swift adoption of new technologies. As a result, the share of NBFCs in
Standard, 1st April and 29th April), I argued that
India’s essential need is to create millions of
high-quality jobs. That requires us to get the supply
of quality talent right — improving our skilling pro-
gramme, school quality, and female participation
in the workforce. In the second article, I argued that
total loans rose to 23 per cent in FY19 from just 13 per cent in FY12 — a period that millions of good jobs in manufacturing companies
could absorb the supply of well-educated and trained
saw a sharp erosion in PSB lending. However, reckless lending practices and wide
women and men — but this required labour reform.
asset-liability mismatch (ALM) due to borrowing short-term and lending long-term This concluding article is about why high-quality
have caused a huge liquidity shortage. The stringent guidelines, which are expected jobs are so important, and how tourism is the essen-
to improve liquidity management in NBFCs and cushion them against crises that tial service sector that can add to a jobs boom in
arise from asset-liability mismatches, are necessary as the IL&FS crisis caused a lot manufacturing.
of pain, especially among banks and mutual funds. For debt mutual funds, defaults The great Stanford sociologist Alex Inkeles was
a seminal contributor to modernisation theory.
in repayments have led to erosion in net asset values. With another ~1.3 trillion
Modernisation theory argues that the development
NBFC papers set to mature in the next few months, mutual funds are expected to of a country is built on the development of its people.
reduce their exposure to the sector significantly. Against this backdrop, cleaning In particular, as a society modernises, people adopt
up of books and a clear idea of the asset-liability situation will give more confidence a set of more modern attitudes. These include “a ductive. And decision-making requires data, valuing diversity (with everything from Mughal forts and
to lenders and make the sector healthy in the long run. sense of personal efficacy; openness to new experi- a scientific temper over superstition. tombs to Hindu temples and the colonial grandeur
RBI’s proposals include maintaining a liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) equal to ence; respect for science and technology; acceptance It is for these reasons that manufacturing jobs of New Delhi), unmatched natural beauty (from the
of the need for strict scheduling of time; and a pos- matter. But why not service jobs? Formal service backwaters of Kerala to the beauty of the Kashmir
30 days of net cash outflows for all systemically important NBFCs. LCR, maintained
itive orientation toward planning ahead”. These jobs can be powerful modernisers — our challenge Valley), and a richer diversity of culture than in any
in high-quality liquid assets, ensures that financial institutions have enough liquidity modern attitudes are the essential building blocks is that most formal service occupations require high other country (there is no such thing as Indian dress
to fall back on for 30 days in case of a significant liquidity stress. If implemented, of an advanced society — and indeed an advanced levels of education, and there aren’t that many of or Indian food — we have dozens of distinct dress
the process will start from 2020 with LCR at 60 per cent, and end in 2024 at 100 per economy. Not only do they make the individual them. Take our most successful industry — the IT styles and even more cuisines). With all this to offer,
cent. The central bank has also granulated the one- to 30-day maturity bucket into modern, but they also make for participant citizens sector. An industry that has boomed for over 30 why are we at No 25 in the world tourism rankings?
three buckets — one to seven days, eight to 14 days, and 15-30 days buckets. This — with interest in the news and a sense of national years employs 4 million people directly today. And Why can’t we match the No 1 country, France, with
identity that rises above religious and local ties. So some of those directly employed, and most of those 83 million annual tourist arrivals instead of our cur-
maximum ALM has been capped at 10-20 per cent in the buckets running up to a
how does an individual become modern? indirectly employed, are informal occupations — rent 15 million (half of whom are NRIs)? A first step
year — a relief as ALM guidelines were expected to be more stringent at 5 per cent Alex Inkeles’ classic book, Becoming Modern, drivers, and security services, and domestic staff — would be to match Thailand’s 33 million.
from the current 15 per cent. reported the results of a major multi-year six country that are not “schools for modernity”. A country of The alternative to hundreds of millions of formal
The move has its detractors, too, who say the central bank is proposing “liquidity (that included India) research project. The key con- 1.3 billion, with a workforce of 500 million growing high-quality jobs — in manufacturing or tourism —
management” at a time when there is no liquidity in the system. Also, the LCR tribution was to provide an empirical scale of moder- at 20 million a year, needs a lot more. is one of millions of informal marginally employed
requirement margin will impact NBFCs with longer-term products. For example, nity that applied universally, and to establish its There is a big exception: Tourism. Tourism can drivers and cleaners and delivery boys. T N Ninan’s
source. The two key sources of be as effective a school for moder- insightful and thought-provoking edit in Business
commercial and other vehicle financiers with product durations of three to five
modernity were the school and the nity as the factory — indeed, done Standard many years ago on the horrendous
years would feel the pinch, and housing finance companies will be impacted the factory, with one year in school worth right it can be even better. One of Nirbhaya rape has always haunted me. He pointed
most, as their asset maturity is the highest at seven to eight years. They also argue roughly two in a factory. Nothing else my favourite resorts anywhere in out how different the victim and rapists were in
that credit is likely to slow down in the medium-term and margins will get crimped came close — not family background, the world is the Shillim resort. their paths of modernity. The victim and her friend
due to investments in low-yielding assets, thereby hitting profits. or the friends one has, or what one Shillim is in the middle of a thor- were educated, and with good job prospects in for-
A possible consequence of these measures is that weaker NBFCs with poor reads, or mass media, or the speeches oughly rural area, 30 km from the mal occupations. The rapists were all in informal,
of political or religious leaders. The nearest town, Lonavla, which is unstable occupations — with nothing that either
liquidity management will get absorbed into their larger counterparts to comply
school one can understand — devel- itself no metropolis. Shillim today taught them modern attitudes nor gave them a stake
with the RBI’s liquidity buffer norms. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the oping the individual is what it is there directly employs around 450 peo- in the existing system. The difference was not where
NBFC sector has too many players without the required scale. In a way, this is for. But a factory employs people not ple. A policy of recruiting locally the victims and rapists had come from, but the edu-
inevitable as even the staunchest supporters of NBFCs can’t deny the fact that a to develop them, but to produce has created two hundred jobs for cation, exposure and employment of their families.
large number of such companies have been slipshod in implementing prudential things. Why was it such a powerful INDIA’S WORLD? young men and women from the A modern future for India requires that we do all
norms or risk mitigation standards. moderniser, in Inkeles’ words, “a nearby villages that have a popu- that is necessary — labour reform to unleash labour-
school for modernity”?
NAUSHAD FORBES lation of around 1,000. These intensive manufacturing, policies to promote gar-
A factory is about production. But young people are taught all those ments and footwear and food-processing, and a
Water woes the way a factory is organised inherently develops things that make people modern. An intensive train-
the individual. People work to a manufacturing ing programme teaches everything from hospitality
schedule; this teaches planning. One sees a direct domain skills to the soft skills essential to success
tourism Czar with the power to work across min-
istries and state governments to attract 80 million
annual tourists to India in the term of this govern-
Crop diversification is the need of the hour connection between work and output — so it isn’t in a luxury resort. In the eight years since Shillim ment. The alternative could condemn us, in
luck that delivers results but learning and using opened, hundreds of lives have been transformed, Trotsky’s words, to the ash heap of history.
aryana’s decision to incentivise diversion of cropland from water-
H
skills. That fosters efficacy. Any decent factory has and with it the fortunes of their families in the next
guzzling paddy to less water-consuming crops like maize, pulses and a focus on efficiency — that directly connects using generation. The writer is co-chairman of Forbes Marshall, past
others is a welcome step towards mitigating the high-water footprint time productively to output. Change is the norm in Shillim needs to become India writ large. Tourism president of CII, and chairman of the Centre for Technology,
of its agriculture. Widespread rice cultivation is deemed the chief factories, so new experience is valued. Technology is our greatest untapped opportunity. No country Innovation and Economic Research (CTIER)
is all around one, making the individual more pro- can match us in the combination of architectural Email: ndforbes@forbesmarshall.com
cause of rapid decline in groundwater in nearly 75 per cent of the state. Paddy,
especially non-Basmati paddy, has not been the traditional crop of this inherently
water-stressed state. It was introduced chiefly to meet the needs of the other
Pluralism lives
food-deficit regions, most of which are now growing enough rice on their own.
Haryana, therefore, need not expend its scarce water on cultivating non-Basmati
rice, each kilogram of which takes a massive 3,000 to 3,500 litres of water to
grow. The sops mooted to spur changes in cropping pattern include ~2,000 per
providing bijli, paani, schools and health to the
L
utyens’ liberals and sundry “sickular” ana- paign, in case you missed the memo) made no
acre as cash, free seeds of the alternative crops, full reimbursement of crop insur- lysts have been dumbfounded by the election urban poor, Bihar and Odisha on development, sense at all. Ill-conceived warnings of Muslims
ance premium and assured procurement of the output at the minimum support results that handed Narendra Modi’s West Bengal on protecting land rights (until being killed en-masse if the BJP came to power
prices fixed by the Centre. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) an unanticipated Mamata Banerjee inexplicably opted for communal even as the Congress offered soft Hindutva imagery
Haryana, indeed, is not the only state that needs crop diversification of this majority in the Lok Sabha. The elite intellectual appeasement), and Chhattisgarh, MP and via multiple temple visits only confused the signals
kind to ensure sustainable use of water. Its adjoining areas of Punjab, western discourse since then has eddied around the xeno- Rajasthan on widespread farmer unrest, to offer for the average voter. Although it is possible to
phobic and communal content of the campaign, some examples. debate the wisdom or otherwise of the income sup-
Uttar Pradesh and eastern Rajasthan, as also parts of southern states like Andhra
which appears to have trumped the myriad non- Mr Modi’s 2014 majority owed much to the non- port programme NYAY, it came far too late and
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, need to modify their cropping achievements of Mr Modi’s 2014 promises. So casteist, job-creating development plank on which was poorly propagated. The irony is that the
systems to conserve water. Though, arguably, fiscal incentives-based crop diver- should we pronounce the funeral oration for plural, he campaigned convincingly and energetically. His Congress has an entrenched grassroots organisa-
sification can worsen the already strained state finances, this burden would seem inclusive India? vision of a red-tape— and corruption-free India, of tion and capable state satraps that Mr Gandhi did
trivial when weighed against the consequences of inaction on this front. Going The past five years offer clues to why the answer efficient administration with plentiful jobs and a not leverage judiciously. His performance has only
by the reckoning of the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, can as well be no. fast-growing economy — a stark served to validate Mr Modi’s sneers at the inade-
Critics of Mr Modi have attribut- contrast to the tired, venal alliance quate “dynast”.
the lives and livelihood of millions of Indians are in jeopardy due to water depri-
ed his almost single-handed victory in power — encouraged many vot- In contrast, Messrs Modi and Shah had some-
vation. About 600 million people are already facing high to extremely high water to his undoubted charisma, money ers steeped in India’s foundational thing Mr Gandhi, two decades younger, lacked: the
stress and 200,000 of them die every year due to inadequate access to it. The power, youthful muscle power and values to press the button next to zealots’ vitality to mobilise the people and craft a
consequential economic losses are anticipated by the NITI Aayog to mount to a command over the national broad- the lotus symbol. narrative that is guaranteed to resonate when times
worth around 6 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050. casting apparatus. All these advan- Thus, presented with an ener- are bad. Generating fear of an inchoate Other —
Moreover, with business as usual, the demand of water is projected to surge tages multiplied from 2014 onwards getic, credible competing vision Pakistan, Islamic terrorists, issues that it single-
— in fact, Mr Modi’s All India Radio of progress that is not necessarily handedly revived in Jammu & Kashmir after a
to twice the availability by as early as 2030. The water level in about 54 per cent talk show Mann Ki Baat was consid- predicated on religion and nation- decade of relative peace — is a handy alibi when
of wells across the country is receding at a worrisome pace due to withdrawals ered a potent electoral tool. Yet his alism, it is just as possible for elec- an economy stagnates and foreign investors seek
exceeding the annual recharge. Worse still, the quality of nearly 70 per cent of party lost eight seats in Lok Sabha torates to respond positively. It is other pastures. Mr Modi’s detractors compare him
the available water is rather poor, thanks to rampant contamination, rendering bypolls and several key state elec- SWOT easy to forget now that at the start with Indira Gandhi in his authoritarianism and dis-
it unfit for domestic uses and, in some cases, even for irrigation. Unsurprisingly, tions in the past five years. In the of 2019, Mr Modi’s poor perfor- regard for institutions and constitutional norms.
India ranks 120 among 122 countries in the global water quality index. 20-odd Assembly polls since then, KANIKA DATTA mance on the economic front had His regime’s similarities with West Bengal’s defunct
non-BJP parties won almost as often raised prospect of a comeback but Left Front are also striking. Just as the Left Front’s
The potential advantages of crop diversification, on the other hand, can be many. as the BJP, though the exigencies of power politics with a significantly reduced number of seats. That success with land redistribution rooted its three
Apart from saving water, it can stave off the demand for power and diesel needed for induced two of them to tie up subsequently with the Congress was unable to offer voters a credible decades in power, the initial triumphs of schemes
running irrigation equipment. Besides, it can help improve environment by cutting the saffron party and the party broke ground in nationwide alternative vision at all had as much to such as Jan Dhan and Ujjwala exposed the aam
down emissions of greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide which are the north-east. do with the oblique nature of its campaign when aadmi outside Gujarat to Mr Modi’s capabilities.
spewed routinely from the flooded paddy fields and the smoke generated by burning For evidence recall: The Assembly elections of compared with Mr Modi and Amit Shah subliminal Just as the Left Front found a useful recruiting base
Delhi and Bihar (2015), Odisha (in 2014 and 2019), messaging. among unemployed youth — the result of its own
paddy stubbles. Most importantly, inclusion of legumes (pulses) in the cropping sys-
West Bengal (in 2016) and the Big Three of 2018 in Rahul Gandhi’s distance from the aam aadmi anti-industry policies — record youth unemploy-
tems can restore soil health by fixing nitrogen into it, thus diminishing the fertiliser Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the way of thinking caused him to focus on issues that ment provided Mr Modi with a large cohort of polit-
requirement of the subsequent crops. It is, therefore, imperative to economise the UP Assembly by-elections in Gorakhpur and have little resonance for them. Whether Mr Modi ical foot soldiers.
use of water in agriculture through measures like crop diversifications, strict regulation Phulpur in 2018. made money on the Rafale deal (especially when Mr Modi, in permanent campaign mode, is plan-
of groundwater extraction and pricing water in accordance with its scarcity value. The Hindutva tide was no weaker then than it there was no evidence of this) is irrelevant when ning his strategies for various elections in 2020. Time
is today. But all of these wins came on the back of livelihoods are at stake. Mr Gandhi’s mawkish big for his secular opponents to get their act together
down-to-earth bread-and-butter issues: Delhi on message of Love (as against the BJP’s hate cam- asap, you would think.
BJP’s ‘Chanakya’ unplugged family and his political journey. The

authors quote an unnamed BJP leader
who was pleasantly surprised to find Mr
Shah sitting with his five-month-old
Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. The rest of
the story is known widely enough for it to
be recounted here.
The authors say Mr Shah does not like
only meant to dump the dirt that others
generate?...She needed to be saved,” the
authors write, stressing how the experience
“left a deep imprint on his psyche”.
granddaughter Rudri, “repeatedly look- to travel abroad. He has keen interest in The authors write that there was then
Sheikh encounter case. Four years later, Mr believe, have never had access to actual ing at her in deep compassion and smil- cricket and chess and his last visit abroad no possibility of Modi becoming the party’s
Shah was the BJP chief. He debuted in the information. ing, while humming the Mahatma’s was to Munich when he headed the chess prime ministerial candidate. “Yet Shah’s
Rajya Sabha by 2017, and BJP MPs were The writers state that their several meet- favourite bhajan.” association of Gujarat and has a good grasp heart had hitched itself to the city, the
soon turning to him for advice on the par- ings with BJP chief “busted” the “false and Mr Shah was born in 1964 to a wealthy of astrology. The authors write that Mr Shah thought of its plight was gnawing at him
ty’s floor strategy instead of Leader of the often peddled descriptions” of Mr Shah’s Nagar-Vaishnav family of Gujarat. His refused to discuss his interest as it was “per- from within. It was as if he had to replay a
House Arun Jaitley. Mr Shah is now a Lok style being “corporate and isolated”. “Shah grandfather relocated the family to their sonal and therefore inconsequential while debt to the city of Kashi. Shah told one of
BOOK REVIEW Sabha member, having won his election came across as very earthy and hands-on, ancestral home in Gujarat’s Mansa from emphasising that astrology is a completely his confidantes, ‘As soon as I get a chance,
from Gandhinagar, and thought of as the someone who has risen through the ranks Mumbai. Shah’s great-grandfather and scientific subject.” I will do something for this city and this
ARCHIS MOHAN natural successor to Mr Modi post-2025. and, more importantly, has not forgotten grandfather were nagarsheth of the prince- The book has an interesting episode state’. His usually rock solid demeanour
In Amit Shah and The March of BJP, his roots and past,” the authors write. ly state of Mansa. According to his family from Mr Shah’s life when the courts had melted like wax at the site of Varanasi, his
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi will authors Anirban Ganguly and Shiwanand The book provides, for the benefit of its lore, Arvind Ghose, later known as Sri externed him from Gujarat in 2010. experience had been a transformative one;
take the oath of office for his sec- Dwivedi, both associated with a BJP think readers, “selected video links with QR Aurobindo, visited the family once and it In September 2010, Mr Shah was on his willpower and resolve had strength-
ond term, with his council of min- tank, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee codes” of 15 of Mr Shah’s speeches. There still preserves the chair that saint sat on. his first visit to Varanasi. One evening he ened,” the authors write.
isters, on Thursday. There is anticipation Research Foundation, are effusive in their is a separate eight-page section titled “Amit The authors say Mr Shah’s family was rich joined the Ganga aarti and had an Is it too much to ask of a prestigious
that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) presi- praise of the BJP’s “Chanakya” as a master Shah’s Thoughts”. These include Mr Shah’s but prepared him for a life of hard work. epiphany. “Shah felt strange ripples rising international publisher such as
dent Amit Shah would be a member of political strategist. praise of khadi, his simple lifestyle, com- While his sisters would go to school in a within himself, these were waves of Bloomsbury to come up with biographies
the cabinet committee on security, repris- The book, the authors state in the intro- mitment to “garib kalyan”, or welfare of horse-drawn carriage, Mr Shah had to walk thoughts, of a deep inward rumination that are a tad more dispassionate?
ing his role as home minister, a portfolio duction, is an attempt at recording the story the poor, his paeans to India’s cultural her- to the school. of which he had no inkling, it was in a
he held in Gujarat when Mr Modi was of Mr Shah’s years at the BJP’s helm “relying itage and so on. Shah started his political work as a 13- state of being which he had never expe- AMIT SHAH AND THE MARCH OF BJP
chief minister. on authentic sources, material and infor- More interesting are some of the per- year-old in 1977 when he stuck posters for rienced before,” the authors write.
Mr Shah has had a meteoric rise in mation” since most of the available material sonal details. Janata Party candidates from Mehsana, “Certain questions began haunting him:
Anirban Ganguly &
national politics. In mid-2010, Mr Shah on the man is based “on speculations, sur- The chapter, “Rising Through the Maniben Patel, the daughter of Sardar Why is this immortal city in such a state of Shiwanand Dwivedi
spent time in jail in the Sohrabuddin mises and assumptions” by people, they Ranks”, has details on Mr Shah’s ancestral Vallabhbhai Patel. Later, he joined the Akhil degeneration? Is the lap of Mother Ganga Bloomsbury; 296 pages, ~399

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EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
10 EDITORIAL DELHI
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019

THE HINDU
Breaking out of the middlegrowth orbit
The second Modi government faces a challenging economic agenda — it must back key reforms
is no denying that there is cause middle class which will go out and more to expand capacities, hope
for worry and the new govern spend the extra money in its fully more jobs will be created.
The second coming ment has to move quickly. So

what’s on the plate?
hands. This may also be shrewd
politics as the middle class has
The introduction of Goods and
Services Tax (GST) and demoneti
GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
backed the BJP in this election. In sation were in no small measure
The invitation list for the swearingin signals Rescuing NBFCs fact, this argument can be extend responsible for the slowdown in
the Modi government’s foreign policy focus Raghuvir Srinivasan This should be the first priority for ed by suggesting a cut in corporate the economy. Despite frequent
the new Finance Minister. Even as taxes as well to unleash the animal tweaks to rates, product classifica
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to invite
banks are showing incipient signs spirits in the economy. Remember tions and procedures, the GST re
leaders of the other six BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
A
s the euphoria over a histor of recovery from the nonperform P. Chidambaram’s “dream bud mains a work in progress and
Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Eco ic victory in the general ing assets (NPAs) issue, the non get” of 1997 when he cut personal needs to be streamlined.
nomic Cooperation) countries to the swearingin cere election of 2019 settles and banking financial sector seems to and corporate tax rates sharply The best that the new govern
mony of his Council of Ministers sends out several mes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) be lapsing into trouble. Beginning to a demand slowdown in the eco and how it spurred growth? ment can do is to quickly move to
sages on his new government’s foreign policy focus. To gets down to government forma with the IL&FS collapse, the NBFC nomy. Commercial vehicle offtake In this respect, the outgoing go a set of just three rates from the six
begin with, as the Foreign Ministry’s announcement tion, a challenging economic agen space has been hit by one problem has been in the negative territory vernment — much against its phi now. About 62% of goods and ser
notes, the invitation to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, da awaits the new Finance Minis after another and the thread run for the last few months following a losphical leanings — has behaved vices are now taxed at 18% and
ter. Important economic ning through them all is the drying drop in freight volumes and also more like the previous United Pro above, which is rather high. The
Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand is a continuation of the
indicators are flashing red indicat up of liquidity. tariffs. Passenger car sales, that gressive Alliance governments by median rate should be reduced to
“neighbourhood first” policy behind Mr. Modi’s invite ing a slowdown in the economy. Even wellknown NBFCs and were weak through 201819 with sticking to high tax rates and refus 12% in phases — certainly 16% to
to leaders of South Asia for his 2014 swearingin cere housing finance companies have growth of just 2.7%, actually fell by ing to cut them. Maybe it was start with — given that the GST is a
mony. Second, by not inviting leaders of Afghanistan, Dismal picture been hit by assetliability mis 17% in April, which is the sharpest scalded by the “suitbootkisar regressive tool that taxes the rich
Pakistan and the Maldives on this occasion, the govern The financial sector is gasping un match; they have borrowed short drop in eight years. Twowheeler kar” jibe of the Congress but the and the poor alike. Revenues have
ment is underlining that its regional preferences have der a liquidity crunch. A crisis is term funds and lent them to long sales fell by 17% in 201819. stage is now nicely set for the new stabilised at around ₹1 lakh crore a
shifted from the SAARC grouping to BIMSTEC, given the building up in the NBFC space that term projects leading to cash flow Consumer durable and fast government to try an alternative month now despite a number of
could snowball across the entire problems. As a result, they have moving consumer goods sales economic approach more aligned products being moved to lower tax
logjam at SAARC because of IndiaPakistan tensions.
sector and worse, even the econo been unable to meet commit have been tepid too. Even domes to the BJP’s economic philosophy. slabs over the last few months. It is
Unlike in 2014, when he invited Pakistan Prime Minister my itself. This, even as banks are ments to their own lenders. The tic air traffic growth fell for the first Would it be too much to suggest time to get bold and reduce rates
Nawaz Sharif with an element of hope and a desire to still clawing their way back to NBFCs have been crying hoarse time in six years in April. These that the Prime Minister place faith to spur consumption. Widening
turn the page on bitter bilateral ties, Mr. Modi is signall health after digesting large for liquidity support from the Re trends are validated by the month in the economist Arthur Laffer, the basket and stricter enforce
ing that he does not hold the same optimism in 2019. writeoffs. serve Bank of India (RBI), but the ly factory output data — after a flat, who theorised that lower tax rates ment are better ways to increase
Thailand is not just a member of BIMSTEC but also Making matters worse is the fact regulator has been reluctant to do nogrowth February, output con not only boost revenues but also revenues compared to high rates.
holds the chair of ASEAN this year, and an invitation is that policymaking has been at a the one thing that will help them tracted by 0.1% in March. spur economic growth? Meanwhile, the farm sector is
as much about India’s “Act East” initiative and outreach standstill for more than two the most — open an exclusive fund In an economy such as India’s Cutting taxes will be akin to ad crying out for attention too. The
months since the election sche ing window. excessively dependent on domes ministering a dose of steroids to new government will certainly be
to East Asia. Finally, the separate invitation to the
dule was announced. And, come The central bank may have its tic consumption, a fall in consum private investment, which desper focussing on the crisis in agricul
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation chairperson, Presi May 31, we are likely to see a dis own valid reasons for not conced er spending spells trouble. ately needs a legup. In the 201819 ture, and the outcomes will deter
dent Sooronbay Jeenbekov of Kyrgyzstan, indicates In mal set of fourth quarter GDP ing the demand but the truth is In its first term, the Modi go Budget, Finance Minister Arun mine the health of the rural econo
dia’s commitment to the Central Asian grouping led by numbers being announced by the that there is a real crisis out there vernment did an admirable job in Jaitley cut corporate tax to 25% for my.
China and Russia, with Mr. Modi slated to attend the Central Statistics Office. Going by and a risk that the contagion will pushing public investment to prop companies with a turnover less Mr. Modi expended tremen
SCO summit in June. The other separate invitation to the highfrequency data on the spread. Usually it is the real sec up growth; the new government than ₹250 crore, which account dous political capital in his first
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius, who vi economy, it is likely that GDP tor’s problems that spread to the should, in addition, push con for 99% of those filing returns. It term on measures such as demo
growth in the fourth quarter of financial sector but in this case sumption spending. And the best may not be a bad idea to extend netisation which had questionable
sited India in January this year as chief guest at the Pra
201819 will be below 6.5%; it was there is a real possibility of the re way to do that is to put more mo the concession, at least partly to returns. He should use his re
vasi Bharatiya conference, is an affirmation of the close 6.6% in the third quarter that end verse happening. The new Fi ney in the hands of the people by start with, to the remaining 1% that newed capital now to push
affinity between the two countries. It would be unwise, ed December. At this rate, it might nance Minister will have to work cutting income tax sharply. It re represents the cream of business. through important reforms that
however, to read meanings into Mr. Modi’s choice of in be difficult to touch the 7% mark with the RBI and banks to resolve quires guts and gumption to do will help the economy break out of
ternational dignitaries beyond this symbolism. for fiscal 201819. this issue at the earliest. this though, considering the over Key tasks ahead the shackles of middling growth
India’s engagement with both BIMSTEC and the SCO, The picture is not as bad as it all commitment to maintain fiscal A return of private investment is and push it into a highgrowth
which India joined as an observer in 2005, is at a pro was when Narendra Modi as Drive consumption discipline. crucial to ensure the other impor sphere.
sumed office as Prime Minister for The highfrequency data coming Yet, this may be the muchneed tant objective of this government:
mising but incipient stage. After its formation in 1997,
the first time in May 2014 but there out over the last few months point ed fillip to consumption as it is the creating jobs. As businesses invest raghuvir.s@thehindu.co.in
BIMSTEC made very little progress and didn’t even
have a fully working secretariat until recently. Its delib
erations on subregional connectivity have been delayed
owing to concerns in Bhutan, while Nepal and Thailand
sent only observers to the military exercises last year
Why the integrity of data matters
due to other misgivings. Even so, India sees BIMSTEC as The merger of the NSSO into the Central Statistics Office is a cause for concern
a possible alternative to SAARC, which has failed to tives of State governments. Subject most reliable and comparable ba gree of detail in content and
meet for five years. The SCO, which inducted India and matter specialists in particular sis for discussions in the public, regional disaggregation of esti
Pakistan as full members last year, is yet to demonstrate fields are also brought in. The pro policy and even political arenas. mates. The NSC is fully conscious
GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
its utility for India, but is seen as a possible balancer at a posals are discussed at length This is based on their wellearned of these difficulties. The solutions

time when the U.S. is taking a more aggressive position keeping in view the budget alloca reputation for professionalism, in call for action by the institutions
on trade, sanctions against Iran, Venezuela and Russia, tions, availability of trained field dependence and integrity. Wides responsible for gathering data by
all of which are sources of concern for India. As a result, A. Vaidyanathan staff and supervisors. In doing so, pread apprehensions that the pro investing in continuing research
the conduct of periodic surveys on posed absorption of NSSO into the on improving sampling design,
the attendance at Mr. Modi’s swearingin ceremony on
important issues is also consi CSO could compromise the sur field survey methods and valida
Thursday, and the bilateral meetings that will follow on
T
he announcement that the dered. (It should be noted that veys by subjecting their review tion of data. Correcting these defi
Friday, may represent little by way of actual outcomes. government has decided to budget allocations, and personnel and publication to government ap ciencies is entirely in the domain
Rather, it is a statement of intent on new avenues of In merge the National Sample of the NSSO have always been un the tables to be prepared for publi proval must therefore be allayed of government.
dia’s multilateral engagements. Survey Office (NSSO) into and un der the Department of Statistics.) cation. The tabulated results are promptly in an unqualified man But there are also serious diffi
der the Central Statistics Office After providing for periodic re discussed in detail by the NSC and ner. The existing institutional ar culties inherent in trying to get re
A Cup to win (CSO) has caused both surprise

and concern. What exactly the
peat surveys (at quinquennial or
decennial intervals) of some im
are published after its approval.
After considerable hesitation
rangement in which the NSC, as a
professional body independent of
liable and complete information
through the interview method.
‘merger’ means remains unclear. portant aspects (notably consum and prodding, the government de government, has not only func Most respondents do not maintain
It’s anyone’s game at the ICC World Cup,
Recent attempts to question the er expenditure, employment, so cided some years back to put all tioned smoothly but also com any records or accounts of their
but India would fancy its chances veracity of National Sample Sur cial consumption, land holdings, tabulations and the primary data mands confidence and respect transactions. Since most respon
vey (NSS) data and the way the is rural savings and investments), on open access, especially to aca both within the country and dents rely on recall, it is unrealistic
T
he ICC World Cup remains the last word on crick
sue has been handled have given the subjects to be covered in a par demic and other interested users. abroad must be maintained. Any to expect them to provide reliable
et’s hierarchy. There are multiple rankings linked
rise to apprehensions within aca ticular year and the scope of the This decision has stimulated and attempt or even a suggestion that information on the scope and de
to the game’s formats ranging from fiveday Tests demia, State governments and the inquiry are decided. facilitated the use of these data for its substantive work, publication tail sought by questionnaires. Me
to abridged Twenty20s, but when it comes to bragging media about the prospect of radi The tasks of sampling design, intensive analyses by numerous and free dissemination of data are mory lapses and respondent fa
rights about what constitutes the best squad, it is essen cal changes in the present system the scope and content of informa researchers. They have been used subject to the department’s appro tigue lead to high incidence of
tial to have won the World Cup. Debates vanish and the for deciding substantive issues of tion to be collected, design of extensively for monitoring of val will hugely dent the credibility nonresponse, indifferent res
champion unit is allowed its swagger. As the quadren scope, design, scrutiny and valida schedules and protocols of field trends and critical assessment of of the Indian statistical system. ponse and biased response. These
nial event returns to England, with Thursday’s opening tion of the surveys. work are left to be decided by spe several important aspects of the problems are particularly serious
cial working groups. These groups economy and society, such as po Scope for improvement among the more affluent and bet
game pitting the hosts against South Africa at the Oval,
The present system are chaired by experts from acade verty and inequality, consumption Urging this forcefully does not in tereducated sections of respon
it is an opportunity for captains and their teams to resh Under the present system, every mia, and senior officials of the CSO patterns, employment, household any way suggest that the present dents. Increasing the role of CSO
ape their legacies. Interestingly, the inaugural fixture year various departments of go and the NSSO, State government savings and investment, and institutional arrangements are officials in running the NSSO will
features two underachievers in cricket’s showpiece vernment send a list of subjects representatives as well as select healthseeking behaviour. They flawless or that the NSSO is per not solve these problems, but they
event. England and South Africa have often flattered to that they would like to be investi nonofficial experts. These work have spawned intense as well as fect. On the contrary, it is widely can help by providing funds for
deceive. The former failed to get past stronger opposi gated by the NSSO. The requests ing groups are in continuous ses creative controversies over survey recognised that there is scope for specialised research on survey de
tion in some summit clashes while the latter repeatedly are sent to the National Statistical sion from the inception of each methodology, quality of data, and improvement in the functioning of sign and methodology. The neces
Commission (NSC), which has res round through all the subsequent interpretation of structure and the institution and the way data sity and importance of such re
remained a bundle of nerves and choked at climactic
pected economists, subject matter steps. Discussions of concepts, trends. These have played an im are collected. These problems are search calls for far greater
stages. Both now get another shot at correcting these specialists and statisticians from questionnaire design, field work portant role in shaping policy and well known: the NSSO doesn’t attention and resources than they
anomalies, and the first step among many more to fol government, including the head of schedules and supervision are in improving the surveys. have adequate budgetary alloca receive at present.
low will be made on Thursday. A history of underper the CSO and senior officials of the continuous, detailed and highly The NSSO surveys command tions; there is an acute shortage of
formance is not among Australia’s worries as it has five NSSO responsible for technical as professional. Once the field work wide respect among academics, trained field staff; the scale of sur A. Vaidyanathan, an economist, is a
World Cup titles in its kitty. But it needs to wrest back its pects of design and conduct of is over, the groups decide the de State governments and nongo veys is unmanageably large main former member of the Planning
reputation as a standardbearer. Last year’s balltam field work, as well as representa tailed tabulation programme, and vernmental organisations as the ly because the users demand a de Commission and RBI board
pering crisis drove a knife into a proud sporting nation’s
heart; two of the perpetrators, Steve Smith and David LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
Warner, are back in the squad, keen to recover their lost
space and respect. Redemption is not just a yearning, it Political crossovers by transcending caste and power in some States by corruption? Is the BJP’s development. For example, 78 balls in the warmup
is a burning need. The BJP seems to be communal equations. Is it adopting such dubious ‘takeover strategy’ of the projects found detrimental match against Bangladesh at
India, cricket’s commercial heart, steps in under a misusing the landslide necessary and fair on its methods. entire country State by State to agrarian interests should Cardiff shows that he is in
captain who is as combative as ever. Virat Kohli was a verdict of 2019 to develop part, when it is in such a V. Subramanian, underpinned by this? Is this be dropped. Instead of tremendous form. K.L.
the party rather than the strong position, to resort to Chennai what we voted for? continuing to polarise Rahul, with his 108 runs,
rookie when M.S. Dhoni’s men triumphed in the 2011
nation. When it boasts by short cuts to capture power Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, people, development should appears to be key to
World Cup final at Mumbai; now he leads the squad and Faridabad, Haryana
calling itself a principled in Oppositionruled States? ■ There are many who be the main goal. Those resolving the long running
remains batsmansupreme. An experienced batting and patriotic party and Why can’t it allow the cannot forget the statement elected must be given a work discourse over the fourth slot
component, a clutch of allrounders and a fine pace denouncing the Congress’s present regimes to continue made by Prime Minister ■ Lakhs of voters in India schedule to be executed in the Indian batting order.
bowling unit helmed by Jasprit Bumrah are at India’s Emergency day in and day and instead aspire for power Narendra Modi in West have given the mandate to within a stipulated period. The middle order has the
core, and it would be an upset if this squad doesn’t pre out, why is it bent upon through a proper mandate? Bengal while campaigning, the BJP led by Mr. Modi to This is also a great potential to guide the team
vail in the roundrobin league and qualify for the semifi forming its own Poaching through ‘lucrative of 40 Trinamool Congress run the government. It was opportunity for Mr. Modi to to noteworthy totals even if
nals. But this is anyone’s game as Kapil Dev and his men governments in West offers’ makes a mockery of partypersons being in touch not to destabilise elected blossom into a statesman. In there is a chance of the
showed at Lord’s in 1983 while stunning the West Indies Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya the democratic ethos. The with him and ready to desert governments. As far as West the last five years, he was opening partnership failing
Pradesh and Rajasthan act of certain political the TMC. Even more Bengal is concerned, the BJP only a politician. to deliver in some of the
in a gripping World Cup final. That ‘David quelling Go
using questionable means persons who have hitherto shocking is the BJP general should wait for the Assembly Tharcius S. Fernando, World Cup matches (‘Sport’
liath’ tale found many repetitions in subsequent World and in a hurried manner? had a diametrically opposite secretary incharge of West elections in 2021 to win the Chennai page, “No. 4 Rahul, Dhoni
Cups, and any outfit from among Pakistan, New Zea The 2019 mandate was to stand to the policies of the Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya, mandate fair and square. No and spinners bring cheer for
land, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh can be the resolve burning issues such BJP all this while before saying that crossovers would backdoor methods, please. Insights from the field India”, May 29).
worldbeater on its day. There is Afghanistan too as as agrarian distress, bad ‘defecting’ and then continue in seven phases N. Nagarajan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has Tushar Anand,
loans and unemployment changing tack can only be (May 29). If Mr. Modi bowed Secunderabad been the pillar of the Indian Danapur, Bihar
cricket’s latest illustration of its power to be about more
than the competition itself. It is thus disappointing that (Page 1, “3 West Bengal termed a selfish move. before the Constitution while cricket team for years and more letters online:
MLAs, 50 councillors join Unfortunately, the Indian seeking to dispel fears of Turning a statesman his splendid 113 runs off only www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/
driven by commercial considerations, the ICC chose to
BJP”, May 29). National Congress is in dire majoritarianism, why should The thumping majority that
limit the 2019 tournament to just 10 teams. In the end, Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, straits, while for the BJP, it is he not initiate a march the BJP has got should also
corrections & clarifications:
A postpoll survey story titled “BJP irons out 2017 wrinkles in
World Cups are won by captains who believe nothing is Hyderabad an opportune time to fish in towards observing fair and lead to a review of its Gujarat” ( Verdict 2019 page, May 29, 2019 ) erroneously carried a
impossible and lead from the front. India will hope that troubled waters. Such a decent political norms? Why economic policies of the past map of Maharashtra instead of Gujarat.
it will be Kohli when the final concludes on July 14. ■ The BJP achieved practice is not new as the BJP encourage defections, which five years which either failed The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300;
resounding political success has successfully gained are another form of miserably or caused havoc to E-mail:readerseditor@thehindu.co.in
CM A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019
DELHI
VERDICT 2019 11
A mixed bag up north Modi all the way
While the BJP swept Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir saw Deep changes are taking place in the arena of competitive politics
a split verdict and Punjab provided some comfort for the Congress Suhas Palshikar, Sandeep
Shastri & Sanjay Kumar
Sandeep Shastri
Today we report on the smaller One might be tempted to dismiss
States and one Union Territory of the NDA’s feat of winning two par
north India — Haryana, Punjab, Hi liamentary elections in a row by
machal Pradesh, Jammu and Kash pointing out that even the UPA go
mir, and Delhi. Except in Jammu vernment, without a towering
and Kashmir and Punjab, this re Prime Minister, returned to power.
gion saw an electoral landslide in fa Such an assessment would obvious
vour of the Bharatiya Janata Party ly be a mistake. What the BJP has
(BJP). The BJP achieved a 100% achieved, both in 2014 and 2019,
strike rate in these areas. goes much beyond winning parlia
PTI
While the BJP repeated its 2014 mentary majorities. In explaining
performance in terms of seats in Hi the 2014 verdict for the readers of
machal Pradesh and Delhi, it is im The Hindu, the Lokniti team had the TRS won big in the 2018 As men do vote for the BJP a little
portant to note that it secured a described it as a new phase. We sembly election, but had less cause more. Yes, the BJP is on the road to
much higher vote share and won by cannot but overemphasise that to celebrate this time as voters re becoming a party of upper and
a much bigger margin than it did in 2019 has consolidated that phase. turned to a more competitively backward Hindu communities
2014 in these States. Haryana is now What are the features from 2014 shared outcome. Thus, in States propped up by critical support from
an addition to the category of States that have made an impact on this where elections to the State legisla Dalits and Adivasis. But despite
where the BJP won all the seats. In outcome as well? One, clearly the ture are not happening along with these fine points, the big story is in
Jammu and Kashmir, there was a era of singleparty dominance elections to the Lok Sabha, voters the Hindu consolidation that has
split verdict. The BJP won in Jam seems to have stabilised quite com are abruptly shifting away from one been achieved through the out
mu, Udhampur and Ladakh, while fortably. Two, the relation between party and towards another. comes of 2014 and 2019.
the National Conference won in national parties and State parties The second feature of this politi
Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar. continues to be reworked, possibly cal churning has to do with the so A temptation to be avoided
Punjab went against the trend in to the disadvantage of State parties. cial bases of parties. Traditional The BJP’s success in building a
north India and provided some The additional votes polled by the ways of estimating or explaining broad Hindu coalition takes us to
comfort for the Congress party. BJP are at the cost of the State par outcomes on the basis of social de the third feature of the churning
ties rather than the Congress. mographics has (at least temporari brought forward by the outcome of
Implications for State polls Three, the results have left the Con ly) lost its salience. It has also ren 2019: how to read the mandate. Cer
The electoral contest in Delhi had gress in disarray. It may have added dered political strategies of tainly, this feature will keep unfold
garnered a lot of attention in view a few more seats to its total tally this constructing alternative social coali ing as we go along. As our data on
of the moves made by many non time, but the losses in State after tions somewhat ineffective, as ‘issues’ pointed out, the campaign
BJP leaders to ensure a seatsharing State practically make the party in shown by the limited success of the brushed under the carpet many is
arrangement between the Congress effectual. An extraordinary feature SPBSP coalition in Uttar Pradesh. sues which people thought were
and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “The BJP retained all seven seats in the capital by impressive margins of of this election was the fact that eve In a multiparty competition, for critical. Now that the elections are
Such an arrangement, it was felt, victory.” BJP president Amit Shah at the party headquarters in New Delhi. rything began and ended with the BJP to poll 50% of the votes is re over, this allows the victors to inter
would prevent the split of the non *
R.V. MOORTHY Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In markable, more so as the party saw pret the outcome as a mandate for
BJP vote. An alliance was not forged short, the 2019 election was a re many hiccups in the nineties. To something larger than governance
ultimately as both parties were un The BJP had the advantage of facing double its 2014 tally. The National play of the 2014 election — deep properly understand the BJP’s per and wellbeing. The debate over
willing to concede to each other’s a divided Opposition. It launched Democratic Alliance partners, the changes are taking place in the are formance would require many Hindutva is sure to continue, but it
demands. The Congress wanted an an aggressive campaign focusing on Akali Dal and the BJP, were able to na of competitive politics and in the more analytical prisms. Our write would be well for the BJP to remem
exclusive seatsharing arrangement the Prime Minister, the Balakot win only four seats. The AAP was political process generally. ups point to a few trends. One, the ber that however ambiguous it may
for Delhi, while the AAP was in fa strikes and its own ‘idea of India’. In able to retain just one seat. The de geographical expansion of the BJP be, voters identify the party with
vour of a broader ar the recent past, the BJP State go cline of this party is truly the story Churning of the polity has been remarkable. Two, many development. Moreover, the major
rangement that includ vernment too had improved its im of this election as is the revival of This churning of the polity has nonBJP voters were persuaded to itarian tendency among voters has
ed Punjab and age. This helped to boost its pros the Congress’s fortunes in a Lok three dimensions. One, the nature vote for the BJP because of the lea remained fairly stable over the past
Haryana. The BJP re pects. The Union Cabinet’s Sabha election from the State. The of political competition has dership factor. Three, support for five years — the 2019 National Elec
tained all seven seats in approval of 10% reservation for the NDA partners were unable to get changed. This election began with the party got consolidated through tion Study suggests that nearly half
the capital by impres economically backward in the gen their act together. The detailed arti the appearance of a strong fight by the construction of a nationalist the respondents approve of the
sive margins of victory. eral category also made a difference cle on Punjab makes the important the Congress which could have en narrative that did not perhaps be statement that ‘in a democracy, the
What is significant is that the Con in attracting Jat votes. Haryana also point that the AAP vote has shifted sured a somewhat bipolar political come very visible despite the Bala will of the majority community
gress was able to push the AAP to a saw a clean sweep by the BJP. to both the Akali DalBJP combine competition in the future. While the kot issue. should prevail’. So, the BJP will have
distant third position in the electo and the Congress. While the Other Congress failed, the nonBJP allianc But above all else, the BJP is now to take a call on the political direc
ral battle. This will have important Some wins for the Opposition Backward Classes Hindu vote has es too had limited traction, except becoming a new umbrella party re tion to be adopted.
implications for next year’s As Jammu and Kashmir saw distinct re moved to the Congress, the upper in Kerala where the alliance conti plicating the Congress of yeste Comfortable victories always
sembly election. gions of the State voting differently. caste Hindu vote has moved to the nues to work and even barred the ryears — though this umbrella does have the possibility that the victors
The BJP also achieved a clean The BJP retained its monopoly in NDA alliance, more specifically the BJP’s entry. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK not have room for nonHindu sec will read their own dreams as en
sweep in Himachal Pradesh. The the Jammu and Ladakh regions. In BJP. A segment of the Jat Sikh vote alliance worked, but more because tions. As the piece on religious di dorsed in the contingent verdicts
Modi factor and the Balakot strikes the Kashmir Valley, the National seems to have moved from the Akali of the mild assertion of Dravidian vide shows, the rise of the BJP cor produced by weary voters. This is a
played an important role in the par Conference, which was in alliance Dal to the Congress. exceptionalism. This aspect of the responds with a probably temptation that needs to be con
ty’s success. Infighting in the Con with the Congress, was able to beat The articles provided a detailed churning is evident in the increas unprecedented religious polarisa sciously avoided.
gress was a key factor that contri the challenge from the Peoples De outline of the results in the five ing instances of modified ‘ticket tion. Hindus and Muslims polaris
buted to the party’s inability to mocratic Party (PDP) and win all small States and one Union Territo splitting’. While voters in Odisha ing around the BJP and the Con Suhas Palshikar is the co-director of the
open its account in the State. Hima the three seats. This clear divide ry of north India and reflect the di voted more or less similarly overall gress, respectively, is a dangerous Lokniti programme and chief editor of
for Assembly and Lok Sabha elec development that is attendant on ‘Studies in Indian Politics’; Sandeep Shastri
chal Pradesh was also witness to a gains significance as the State pre versity of trends in this region.
is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Jain University,
dual proincumbency sentiment as pares for Assembly polls. This trend tions, in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pra this outcome. Hindu consolidation Bengaluru, and the National Co-ordinator
the government in the State is also a indicates that it could well be a split Sandeep Shastri is the Pro-Vice Chancellor desh and Rajasthan voters quickly in favour of the BJP also means that of the Lokniti network; and Sanjay Kumar
BJP government. verdict like the last time round. of Jain University, Bengaluru, and the shifted to the BJP after having voted apart from the religion factor, the is co-director of the Lokniti programme and
Haryana saw one of the keenest In Punjab the Congress was able national co-ordinator of the Lokniti the Congress to power in last year’s BJP’s voter base lacks any sharp so Director of the Centre for the Study of
electoral contests in this region. to win a majority of the seats, and network Assembly elections. In Telangana, cial character. Yes, young, educated Developing Societies, Delhi
The verdict is a manifestation of the
deepening religious divide in India
A majority of Hindus said they felt close to the BJP. Four of five Muslims said they disliked the party
Shreyas Sardesai larger than what it received in the negative. On the question of Rafale, a
& Vibha Attri 2014 election. Increased Hindu sup plurality of Hindu respondents who
port for the BJP in these States (and had heard of the controversy felt
It would not be an overstatement to elsewhere too) ended up rendering there had been no wrongdoing by
say that the 2019 Lok Sabha election Muslim consolidation behind the the government, but a majority of
verdict and the sheer scale of the Na Congress and other Opposition par Muslims, Christians and Sikh res
tional Democratic Alliace’s victory is ties ineffective again. pondents felt otherwise. Similarly,
in large measure a manifestation of In Assam, the NDA got over two while most Hindus credited either
the deepening religious divide in In thirds of Hindu votes compared to the government or both the govern
dian society. threefifths last time. Consolidation ment and the Indian Air Force (IAF)
of Muslims in favour of the Congress for the Balakot strikes, a majority of
Hindu consolidation in some seats went up from two Muslims, Christians and Sikhs credit
Lokniti’s postpoll survey data clear fifths to twothirds. In Bihar, Hindu ed the IAF alone.
ly find that the BJP’s alltime high support for the NDA increased by 21
vote share of 37.4% has come mostly percentage points, whereas consoli Like or dislike for a party
on the back of an unprecedented dation of Muslims in favour of the Finally, when respondents were
Hindu consolidation around the par RJDCongress alliance went up by 9 asked whether they felt close to any
ty as only a small proportion of reli percentage points. In West Bengal, particular party and, if yes, which
gious minorities supported the BJP. the BJP’s vote share among Hindus party, Hindu respondents (all States
In 2014, 36% of all Hindu voters were went up by 36 percentage points, combined) who felt close to a party
found to have supported the BJP. whereas the consolidation of Mus were three times more likely to feel
This time the number increased to lims in favour of the Trinamool Con close to the BJP than the Congress.
44%. The NDA got 51% votes among gress increased by 30 percentage On the other hand, Muslim respon
Hindus. In the face of such a massive points. In Uttar Pradesh, the NDA got dents who felt close to a party were
consolidation of the majority com tionally ended up voting for the BJP, 60% of Hindu votes, while Muslim five times more likely to feel close to
munity that comprises fourfifths of the same as last time. Christians and support for the mahagathbandhan the Congress than the BJP. When vo
the country’s population, the Oppo Sikhs too largely kept away from the was 73%. ters were asked whether they dis
sition parties stood no chance at all. BJP. Among Christians, 11% voted for In the Lokniti survey, the NDA got liked a party, only one of four Hin
The BJP was able to secure this the party. Among Sikhs, the number 45% of the Hindu votes in sampled dus who said they disliked a party
enormous Hindu support on ac was the same (the Akali Dal, the seats where Muslims are less than took the BJP’s name, whereas four
count of the backing it received from BJP’s ally, got 20%). This lack of en 10% of the population, and 59% of out of five Muslims who said they dis
all Hindu castes and communities, thusiasm for the BJP among the mi the Hindu votes in seats where Mus liked a party identified the BJP.
including Dalits and Adivasis, when nority communities is also evident in lims are between 20% and 40% of Christians and Sikhs too were more
compared to 2014. Support from Da the party not being able to perform the population. likely to name the BJP.
lits went up by 10 percentage points; too well in minorityconcentrated Some claim that religious minori
among Adivasis, it went up by seven States like Kerala, Punjab and Goa. Divided in responses too ties voted in large numbers for the
percentage points. In a sense, the The polarisation of voters on Hin The religious divide in these elec NDA. This is not true, according to
unification of Hindu communities in duMuslim lines seems to have taken tions could be seen in not just how our data. The burden and responsi
the 2014 election not only persisted place in many States, according to people voted, but also in how they bility of this sweeping verdict for
but strengthened further this time. our survey. It was found to be most responded to several survey ques Prime Minister Narendra Modi rests
acute in States where the proportion tions. For instance, on being asked if almost entirely on the majority com
Polarisation of voters of Muslims is high, namely, Assam, the government should return to munity’s shoulders.
If the Hindus were on one side, the Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bi power, over half the Hindus an
minorities were clearly on the other, har. Not only did the BJP get a mas swered in the affirmative, while two Shreyas Sardesai & Vibha Attri work at
indicating a deeply polarised ver sive proportion of Hindu votes in thirds of Muslims and over half the Lokniti, Centre for the Study of Developing
dict. Only 8% of Muslim voters na these States, this share was much Christians and Sikhs replied in the Societies, Delhi
CM A ND-NDE
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08 OPINION THE TRIBUNE

CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 29 MAY 2019
Staring at a slowdown
THE TRIBUNE established in 1881
Financial tightening is the cure for diseased NBFCs, but has its downside
can be only after long nurturing,
have to be put through a process of
resolution that can end in bank-
Pakistan snubbed ruptcy. What this will do to mutual

funds whose money is stuck with
them can only be imagined. And
India firm on no-terror precondition for talks ultimately, the mood among the
I
public who fear for the worth of the
NDIA has taken a tough stand by not inviting Pakistan Prime Minister SUBIR ROY
mutual fund units they own is too
Imran Khan to Narendra Modi’s swearing-in, days after the ex-crick- SENIOR ECONOMIC ANALYST traumatic to contemplate.
eter called up the PM and congratulated him for the resounding victo- There is another way out. The
W
ry in the Lok Sabha elections. The decision indicates that India remains HAT began with the global economy will boom, the Indi-
unconvinced by the neighbour’s claims of containing its non-state assets, default by an IL&FS an economy will again be on top of
especially after the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama. Pakistan, in turn, (Infrastructure Leas- the heap in terms of its growth rate,
has blamed India’s ‘internal politics’ for the glaring omission, convenient- ing and Financial Ser- the general economic buoyance will
ly absolving itself of responsibility for the prevailing trust deficit. vices) subsidiary has over the be a kind of rising tide that will lift
Over the past two decades, beginning with then PM Atal Bihari Vajpay- months spread and gotten worse, all boats, including projects heavily
ee’s bus ride to Lahore in 1999, India’s peace overtures have invariably subjecting the financial system and indebted to NBFCs. But one look at
been followed by Pakistan’s military misadventures. Barely a week after the economy to a downside that is HEAVY PRICE: Since the IL&FS copout, NBFCs’ cost of acquiring funds from the the global economic scene, with a
Modi made a surprise stopover in Lahore and hugged PM Nawaz Sharif highly disturbing, to say the least. market has gone up, casting a shadow over their entire business. US-China trade war looming and oil
Today, the Indian economy, touted prices likely to go up, particularly
on his birthday — he had attended the former’s swearing-in in 2014 — the
till recently as the fastest growing for India whose access to Iranian oil
Pathankot air base was attacked by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in
among the large ones, is staring at a
Non-banking financial companies which can’t be turned stands terminated, courtesy US
January 2016. Terror factories continued to operate from Pakistani terri- clear slowdown. around, or can be only after long nurturing, must be put sanctions, tells us how much of a
tory even after major attacks in India: Parliament (2001), Mumbai (2008) The trouble in a part of the finan- pipe dream this is. Neither the
and Uri (2016). During a meeting in the Egyptian city of Sharm-el-Sheikh cial sector is not the sole cause of through a process of resolution that can end in bankruptcy. slowing Indian economy nor the
in 2009, then Pakistan PM Yousaf Raza Gilani had promised Manmohan the slowdown but it has done its bit. troubled global economy has any
Singh that effective action would be taken against the perpetrators of the What is worse, the medicine that kind of a life jacket ready.
26/11 Mumbai carnage. But the status quo reigned supreme. needs to be swallowed to cure the less than prime borrowers. They are repay their NBFC loans — but the The scenario that we need to con-
After the Pulwama outrage, Pakistan came under incessant pressure malaise — financial tightening for not allowed by the RBI to accept latter will have to redeem the short- template — not too far down the
from the international community to stamp out terrorism. However, the the undeserving — will, if anything, deposits so they issue short-term term paper they have issued — road — is some NBFC bankruptcies
Imran Khan government has largely shied away from taking concrete and dampen sentiment needed for paper which is picked up by, among there is a classic dysfunction. and the economic and social disrup-
visible action. It’s also not clear whether — or to what extent — Pakistan resuming healthy high growth. others, mutual funds which collect The overarching problem is that tion that will follow in their wake.
has enforced the sanctions imposed on JeM chief Masood Azhar after the One medicine suggested which money from you, me and corporates. the banks, which are supposed to be This will be as disruptive as a large
will go a long way in restoring life to Plus NBFCs borrow from banks. solid pillars of financial stability kept bank going belly up.
UN declared him a ‘global terrorist’ a month ago. India has consistently
a half-comatose non-banking finan- Since the IL&FS copout, NBFCs’ under day-to-day watch by the RBI, One way of finding out how to get
taken the line that talks can happen only if Pakistan adopts a zero-toler-
cial sector is the regulator Reserve cost of acquiring funds from the are in too many cases in trouble out of this mess is to look back and
ance approach to terrorism. Imran’s push for peace doesn’t come with Bank of India (RBI) opening a win- market has gone up, casting a shad- themselves. Their bad debts are now figure out how we got into this mess
any commitment to end the proxy war in Kashmir. The massive mandate dow to offer finance to cash-starved ow over their whole business. a matter of history and efforts by the in the first place. When projects get
for Modi opens up the possibility that India will retaliate even more strong- non-banking financial companies The other problem with NBFCs is RBI to get them to recognise their into trouble there has to be a quick
ly if provoked again by the neighbour. If Pakistan genuinely wants to (NBFCs), so that they can again that many of those entities to bad debts, send them for resolution regulatory response to give promot-
resume dialogue, it should first stop playing the cat-and-mouse games. lend to projects and businesses whom they have been lending are and write off the hopeless ones keeps ers some leeway to bring them back
which can revive and do their bit to themselves in trouble, casting a making tortuously slow progress. to health over a period of time. During
boost the growth momentum. shadow over the health of NBFCs. What is to be done? The healthier this period, and this is all important,
But no sooner was this suggestion A key sector that has been borrow- ones among the NBFCs that have the promoters have to bring in addi-
Another toddler raped made than the RBI turned it down. It

has good reasons for doing so as the
central bank can hardly lend money
ing from them is real estate and
what head winds promoters in this
sector are facing is too well known
run into temporary difficulties
because of what followed after the
IL&FS default can probably qualify
tional equity to fill in the gap created
by equity that has been wiped out.
In the Indian business ethos, this
Swift & strict action against guilty needed to entities which are in anything but to bear repetition. for a restricted RBI window. is absolutely the last thing that is
adequate health against dubious The NBFCs’ other problem — But the real problem is with the likely to happen. On the other
T
HE heinous rape of a four-year-old girl in a private school at Dhuri assets and their IOUs. But the prob- asset liability mismatch — is also rest. What do you do with NBFCs hand, there are news reports that a
in Sangrur district, allegedly by a conductor-cum-helper, once again lem is that the RBI is yet to come up well known. They borrow short with loads of non-performing good number of high-net worth
underscores that our children remain vulnerable to sexual abuse in with a strategy that will breathe new term from banks and mutual funds assets, their owners’ equity as good individuals are leaving the country.
schools. While there are enough rules and regulations to ensure that the life into troubled NBFCs. and lend long term to projects as wiped out and owners unable or China, Russia and India have been
children are provided with a safe environment of learning, incidents such NBFCs, called shadow banks, are which have long gestation periods. unwilling to bring in fresh equity? leading in the growing migration of
as this disturbingly point to the many lapses in the system. The nation- there precisely because they will go Now that many of these projects are The hard truth is that these NBFCs high-net worth individuals over the
wide outrage over the murder of a Class II boy in the restroom of a reput- where banks will not, like lending to themselves in trouble and unable to which cannot be turned around, or past few years!
ed private school of Gurugram in September 2017 jolted the government
and educational boards into issuing fresh guidelines to schools that were
Ugly behind us, look forward now

designed to make the institutes more secure. Safety audit of schools was
made mandatory. But sadly, laxity in the implementation of the well-inten-
tioned measures, such as putting up CCTV cameras, continues to endan-
ger the lives of children in most schools. It not only reflects lack of funds,
but also the skewed priority of establishments towards protecting the kids IP Anand bai’ or a derogatory remark on a that when Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and ensure that the personal discus-
from predators who are quite often present inside. woman’s bindi were not only contested the 1962 election from the sion should be curtailed. On my part,
T
As the frequency of horrifying cases of toddlers’ assault from across HE election process has come obnoxious, but also violative of the Phulpur (UP) constituency against I promise that I would not visit my
the country remained unabated, the government last year introduced to a close. Campaigning code of conduct. the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal constituency even for a single day.’
death penalty for those convicted of raping minors under the age of 12. comes as naturally to elec- Innumerable were the queer Nehru, he wrote a letter to Nehru: I wish our leaders emulate this
In the horrific Dhuri case, though the initial investigation brought to the tions as colours to Holi and decora- quotes, the contents and the plat- ‘In these elections your victory is level of exchange, and focus on
fore that the cameras were not functioning, school officials were arrest- tions to Diwali. The election scene form prohibit one from going into certain. But if certainty turns into issues and concerns pertaining to
ed only after the civil society raised a hue and cry seeking action against would have been monotonous and the details. Not to name any person uncertainty and ultimately your public interest.
the management along with the accused. What is more worrying is the monochromatic sans creative ban- or party in particular, politicians of defeat, I would be extremely happy Let our politicians look forward
ters and digs coming from politi- all hues and identities, ideologies and it would also be beneficial for the and learn from past mistakes.
attempt by the authorities to either mislead or not fully cooperate with
cians. But it became distasteful and doctrines contributed to this country. Then you would get the There is no permanent friend or foe
the law-enforcement agencies in nabbing the culprits.
when the skills of creativity and art malacious campaigning. opportunity to improve yourself and in politics. It is in the fitness of
A thorough probe and swift action against and stringent punishment of oration went astray, breaking the The Election Commission of India become a better person. In the end I things to go by Urdu poet Bashir
to the guilty and those responsible for the child’s safety are required to bounds of decorum and decency. did come into action after it was pray for your long life so that I may Badr’s wise suggestion: Dushmani
deter such crimes. Sensitisation of the staff and students against the Rhetoric of political rivals left one pulled up by the apex court, but cut get the opportunity to reform you.’ jamkar karo, lekin ye gunjaish
threat of sexual assault must be repeatedly reinforced. Otherwise, the and all stupefied. The ‘chowkidar’ little ice. As posited by Plato, good Graciously, Nehru replied: ‘I am rahe/ Jab kabhi hum dost ho jaaen
unfortunate Dhuri toddler will just be another number in our dubious sta- rant; calling an actor-turned-politi- people don’t need laws to tell them happy that a sober person like you is to sharminda na hon (Be rivals but
tistics: one in every 10 children is sexually abused at some point of time. cian ‘naachne-gaane wali’ and to act responsibly, and bad people opposing me... I think in this election, do leave the scope that if ever we
‘Anarkali’ or reference to a will find a way around. the discussion would be centred on become friends, we should not be
respectable woman as a ‘skirt-wali In this regard, it is worth recalling the political programmes. Be cautious ashamed of ourselves).
❝ ❞
thought for the day letters to the editor
There can be economy only where there is efficiency. Make the right moves No regard for fire norms
er, the Indira wave swept in 1971 and with the common man. Their person-
— Benjamin Disraeli Refer to the May 26 report, ‘Modi: Pro- Rajiv sympathy wave was visible in al interests hampered Opposition uni- Sadly, fire tragedies have failed to stir
incumbency wave, we also stand for 1984. In the recent elections, the BJP ty. Rahul Gandhi lost the opportunity owners of commercial buildings
those we need to win over’; Modi’s projected Modi as the sole prime-min- to get administrative as well as politi- (‘Need to enhance fire-safety aware-
meeting with NDA MPs and RSS fra- isterial candidate in contrast to sever- cal experience under Manmohan ness’; May 28). Exercising economy
on this day...50 years ago ternity after the victory sent the right al prime-ministerial aspirants in the Singh. Now there is a serious question by using inferior material, builders
signal. By focusing on the inclusion of ‘Mahagathbandhan’ and conspicu- of the survival of the party. Lack of are throwing fire safety norms to the
all, irrespective of political affiliation, ous indecision in the Congress. People vision and distortion from principles winds. Considering fire outbreaks a
caste or creed, Modi has sent a strong vote for a strong leader, an icon for uni- caused a debacle in the recent polls. remote possibility and being well-
warning which needs to be heeded by ty and security of the country. Only DEEPAK, BY MAIL versed in escaping retribution
RSS’ foot soldiers, BJP and NDA Modi fulfilled these requirements in because of pervasive corruption, oth-
ambala,thursday, may 29, 1969
cadres. PM Modi should try to end people’s perception. In hindsight, the er builders are also emboldened to
what was increasingly becoming a Congress failed to fulfil Mahatma All leaders, no workers disregard laws. The authorities
U.S. Initiative for Indo-Pak Talks On Kashmir Issue polarised society. The renewed man- Gandhi’s dream of poverty allevia- Apropos the editorial ‘Congress should conduct frequent seminars
TEHRAN, May 28 (AP)—The United States is trying to sponsor talks between date gives him another opportunity to tion, removal of caste system and pro- beyond Gandhis’ (May 28), a serious with builders regarding fire safety.
India and Pakistan on Kashmir. U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers is put the record straight and silence his moting cleanliness. It only crafted slo- rot has set in the grand old party. I Offenders must be brought to justice.
believed to have made efforts in this direction during his recent Asian tour in sceptics. All efforts must be made by gans on social evils to win elections. remember in the days of Praja Mandal VIMAL SETHI, KAPURTHALA
pursuance of a policy of United States’ detachment from the conflicts of Asia. It Modi 2.0 government to win back the LR SHARMA, SUNDERNAGAR movement, every individual of the
was the Nixon Administration’s decision to begin detaching U.S. forces by trust of the minorities. A workaholic, party considered himself a worker
peace-making or by replacement with South Vietnamese troops, which helped Modi must know how hard he has to and all worked like a homogeneous We can be world power
determine the nature of Mr. Rogers’ mission through Asia. The decision to cut work if he is to meet the challenges Congress lost the plot group, holding meetings, making India is a resourceful country,
the cost in Viet Nam had raised grave questions in Asian capitals as to whether that await him. For a start, he must dis- Refer to ‘Congress beyond Gandhis’ seating arrangements and setting up including natural resources like
President Nixon had decided to abandon Asia entirely. Mr. Rogers has told the cipline self-appointed vigilantes and (May 28); Nehru-Gandhi scions have sound system. Now the party is a water, solar and wind power, miner-
Asians that his country is cutting its involvement and intends to have no more minority-baiters like Sadhvi Pragya. been running the Congress since changed outfit comprising leaders als and human resource (‘Many a
Viet Nams. He, however, gave an assurance that treaty commitments would be PRAKASH HANSPAUL, BY MAIL Independence. Nehru and Indira’s and leaders alone. The worker cadre hurdle in way to being world power’;
kept. Going beyond the Administration’s Viet Nam peace policy he has begun a image was larger than life. Nobody in has vanished. It is time the party May 28). An iron hand is needed.
process of detachment of the USA from the conflicts of Asia and the promotion the party had the courage to challenge changes its mindset and work culture Insanitary conditions, enchroach-
of a substitute policy of regional self-reliance. Fall was imminent their authority. Consequently, a sec- by way of initiating a vigorous mem- ments and corruption can be
In ‘Paradoxes of mass democracy’ ond line of leadership never bloomed, bership drive to enroll dedicated checked with effective enforcement.
POLICE FIRE ON VIOLENT MOB (May 27), the writer tries to establish which could lead the party in case of a members. This will throw up local Border areas need the best quality
HYDERABAD, May 28 (PTI)—Police opened fire on a riotous crowd believed to that the BJP victory is a cult of narcis- leadership vacuum. Regional party mass leaders enjoying peoples’ trust roads, railway and tunnel infrastruc-
be supporters of separate Telangana at Yadula village in Mahboobnagar district sism and can lead to authoritarianism. leaders like Lalu, Mulayam, Mamata and confidence. It is the bounden ture. Economic world power parity
last night. The 500-strong crowd indulged in stone-throwing in which three I differ with his views. The ‘Modi and Mayawati are streetfighters and duty of the party to give strong a oppo- will be possible only if we reduce
policemen were injured. In Hyderabad city, the house of a municipal councillor, wave’ is not the first in Indian democ- understand the pulse of the public. sition to the country, failing which the anti-dumping duties on imports and
Mr. Yadgiri, who is a supporter of the united Andhra Pradesh, was set on fire by a racy. Nehru/Congress wave dominat- But their parties are now reduced to nation may relapse into autocracy. manufacture at worldwide rates.
crowd, which threw stones, smashed lights and window-panes of the house and ed the first two general elections. Lat- family fiefdoms and have lost touch RM RAMAUL, PAONTA SAHIB ASHOK KUMAR GOEL, PANCHKULA
after breaking open the main door poured petrol on the furniture and set it
ablaze. A four-year-old child and a relative of Mr. Yadgiri were hit by stones. Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com

THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 29 MAY 2019 OPED 09
The Congress problem: Dynasty in the DNA

more than taunts to the Congress Prime Minister saw the same person industry of sycophancy in the party
president on the issue of accounta- as Congress president and PM after which has resulted in the grass root
bility despite the fact that he had 1969, there were a few other presi- worker not getting the due and the
fought a hard battle. dents. They included Dev Kant leadership not getting the clear feed-
In the backdrop of the Congress Barooah who was at the helm in 1975 back. It has also stunted the growth of
debacle, the accusation of the belea- and had famously remarked that powerful regional leaders in the party.
guered party chief might be 100 per ‘Indira is India, India is Indira’. In the days of Nehru, there were
cent correct. But at the same time, it Her son, Rajiv Gandhi, continued umpteen leaders in the states who
SUNIL GATADE
is a fact that the three senior leaders that practice. Rajiv was brought into were leaders in their own right.
SENIOR JOURNALIST have not done anything earthshak- politics by Indira after the accidental In fact, the unwritten philosophy
ing against the interests of the party death of Sanjay Gandhi, who was gen- behind the dynasty culture in the
I
T was not exactly a case of find- where the norm among the leaders eral secretary of the party and a major Congress, lapped up by other parties,
ing scapegoats for the shocking from top to bottom is virtually to influence on his mother during the is that if the son of a doctor becomes
defeat of the Congress in the Lok promote their children, whether Emergency days. doctor and lawyer becomes lawyer,
Sabha elections but to state as to competent or otherwise. Sonia Gandhi has created a record then what is wrong if a leader’s son
what all went wrong in what now In fact, whether right or wrong, the by being at the helm of Congress for becomes a leader. If Dhirubhai
appears to be a badly bungled exer- DNA of the Congress in the last over nearly two decades. She passed on the Ambani’s sons dominate the corpo-
cise. Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath and half a century has become that of the mantle to Rahul some two years back. rate space, then what is wrong in a
P Chidambaram were in the firing dynasty — of pushing the progeny of Rahul brought Priyanka Gandhi Gandhi-Nehru doing so?
line in the just-concluded meeting of the leader, big or small. When Sonia Vadra as party general secretary some If Rahul Gandhi remains adamant
the Congress Working Committee Gandhi was herself confronted with BASIC QUESTION: Rahul has struck at dynasty, which is the root of the matter. three months ago. on his offer of resignation, then the
and rightfully so. the dynasty question some 15 years It is not that the BJP does not have party is in for turbulent times in the
None other than Congress presi-
dent Rahul Gandhi found fault with
back when Rahul was named the Con-
gress candidate from Amethi, the then
The dynasty is both Rajiv Gandhi continued that prac-
tice. Though Sonia Gandhi made
dynasties in Parliament or the state
level, but the spread and the influ-
short term. But such a move would
help the process of metamorphosis of
them for pushing for ticket to their Congress president had somewhat an asset and a liability Manmohan Singh the Prime Minis- ence of the ‘family’ from top to bot- the party at a time when calls for a
children in the Lok Sabha polls angrily countered asking as to why ter from 2004 to 2014, she remained tom in the Congress is something Congress-mukt Bharat are being
despite Gandhi expressing reserva- the media was not questioning vari- for the Congress. The both the Congress president as also which is in another league. The made. Narendra Modi’s ‘naamdar vs
tions due to the larger context. They
were accused of putting the interests
ous regional parties, including the
DMK, on the issue.
Gandhi-Nehru family has the Chairperson of the Congress Par-
liamentary Party. She has been
dynasty is both an asset and a liabili-
ty for the Congress. The Gandhi-
kaamdar’ rhetoric has hurt the grand
old party deeply.
of their sons above the party at a It meant that the party which been the glue which has Chairperson of the UPA since the Nehru family has been the glue Since the issue of dynasty is
time when the Congress was fighting brought freedom to the country from Congress experiment of sharing which has helped maintain the unity inseparable from the Congress cul-
with its back to the wall to keep British rule by mobilising people from helped maintain the unity power at the Centre began in May of the organisation in turbulent ture, Rahul has raised the basic
Narendra Modi out of power.
P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chi-
all walks of life under the leadership
of Mahatma Gandhi was justifying the
of the organisation. 2004. When the question of passing
the baton arose, Sonia thought that
times. Loyalists have often used the
‘elective merit’ argument to justify
question, unafraid to strike on the
root of the matter that had brought
damabaram and Kamal Nath’s son role of the ‘family’ by pointing However, the dynasty has only Rahul fit the bill. the prime role of the family. him to the top. He that is down
Nakul Nath were elected from the con- towards regional parties which are During 1885-1933, the presidency However, the dynasty has made the need fear no fall.
stituencies of Sivaganga in Tamil dime a dozen. made the party increasingly had a term of one year only. Tradi- party increasingly dull and dumb in Rahul is the first Congress leader
Nadu and Chhindwara in Madhya The first family has dominated the dull and dumb in the tionally, the post rotated among the changing political times. It has from the Gandhi-Nehru family in
Pradesh, respectively. However, grand old party for more than 60 prominent members of the party, prevented infusion of fresh blood at Independent India who has had to
Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot years. Indira Gandhi was made Con- changing political times. successive terms for the same per- various levels. Leaders out to promote establish his leadership through strug-
lost the poll from his home turf of gress president in the late 1950s son being frowned upon. Motilal their progeny have gone out of the gle, especially in the past five years. If
Jodhpur. The Congress ended up win- when Jawaharlal Nehru was the
It has prevented infusion Nehru was Congress president in way to harm their detractors within he plays the gamble, things could
ning just 52 seats nationwide, a mere Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi, how- of fresh blood at 1928 and the next year it was the party, leading to nepotism, lighten up for the Congress at a time
eight seats more than its tally in 2014, ever, institutionalised the practice of Jawaharlal Nehru. During groupism, internal tussles and sabo- when the chaiwala narrative has cap-
which was the lowest tally for the having the same person as the party various levels. Nehru’s premiership, he rarely tage, which has often proved a bane tured the public imagination. It will
grand old party since Independence. chief and the Prime Minister after held the presidency of the INC. for the organisation. show there is much fight left in the
From the detractors, there were the second Congress split of 1969. Though Indira Gandhi’s reign as Dynasty has also given rise to the oldest political party in the country.
Strategic autonomy and the looming oil crisis

T
HE new Modi government Meanwhile, the US has rushed the It is a strategist’s nightmare in
will have to speedily contend formidable USS Abraham Lincoln conjuring up a scenario concerning
with a serious foreign policy carrier-borne Task Force to the Per- the ramifications of a war between
challenge on its hands. sian Gulf region and undertaken cer- Iran and the US. The Persian Gulf is
That this ordeal comes in the wake tain prophylactic steps in case war easily one of the world’s critically
of some underplayed serious economy breaks out. significant strategic waterways
problems currently facing the nation The Iranians, too, have mounted through which one-third of the
will compound the problems for India some small-range anti-ship missiles world's oil is transported.
LT GEN KAMAL DAVAR (RETD) which imports over 80 per cent of its on their warships. Iranian President In the event of a war, Iran will defi-
FORMER CHIEF OF DEFENCE burgeoning oil needs. Hassan Rouhani recently said that his nitely close the vital Straits of Hormuz
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Thus, if the looming crisis in the nation is facing acute pressure from for commercial shipping purposes,
Persian Gulf between an arrogant US international sanctions, dubbing it a throwing the region’s economy out of
and an equally defiant Iran does not "war unprecedented in the history of shape — an eventuality which, hope-
Notwithstanding any US get resolved peacefully, ominous the Islamic revolution." fully, should not ever take place.
pressure on India, the ramifications await the region, the
world and all those nations which
The US has also branded Iran's elite
Revolutionary Guards as a foreign
Preoccupied with its General Elec-
tion, India, as a major regional player,
unalterable fact of Iran’s import crude oil from Iran. terrorist organisation. A war of words has so far not reached out to its strate-
The genesis of the current crisis has broken out, with President gic partner, the US, to impress upon it
strategic significance to between the US and Iran has its roots Trump declaring that if “Iran wants to defuse the crisis.
India in the region remains in the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of
Action (JCPOA) which was agreed
to fight, that will be the official end of Recently, the Iranian Foreign Min-
Iran. Never threaten the United ister made a trip to India to explain
beyond question. India upon by Iran and six western nations States again.” their position to India on the cur-
in 2015, led by the US, to curb Iran’s IRAN IS VALUABLE: India need not succumb to US pressure on Iran or take sides. Replying back sternly, Iranian For- rent standoff.
imported 24 million metric nuclear programme, which boils down eign Minister Javad Zarif retorted India, however, need not succumb to
tonnes of crude from Iran in to deterring Iran from developing India as inflation will hit the already di Arabia (11 per cent of a total of that Iranians have stood tall for mil- any US pressures or take sides. India
nuclear weapons. But in May 2018, the strained Indian economy. Over a 10 India’s oil imports). lennia against aggression and that has an adequate financial standing
2018-19. India was Iran’s US, under its mercurial President per cent hike in global oil prices has Additionally, Iranian crude comes “economic terrorism and genocidal and moral stature to play a peacemak-
Donald Trump, chose to renege on already taken place in the last one with a longer credit period and cheap- taunts won’t end Iran.” He added er's role. India must conscientiously
second largest buyer of this treaty as Trump felt that this was month and a crippling escalation in oil er freight owing to Iran’s geographi- that “never threaten an Iranian. Try follow the time-honoured policy of
crude last year, while the “worst deal ever negotiated.” prices ahead is well on the cards. cal proximity to India and, thus, Iran- respect it works.” zealously guarding its strategic
It is also a fact that Iran did not vio- Notwithstanding any US pressure ian oil remains the best option for Importantly, even US allies have autonomy. Respect for India from
Tehran was the third largest late any norms of the law as regards on India, the unalterable fact of India in more ways than one. steered away from of taking any parti- nations even adversarial to each other
this agreement. Iran’s strategic significance to Higher oil prices also make the Indi- san positions with either the US or — as in earlier decades — will follow
supplier to India after Iraq Meanwhile, the US allowed some India in the region remains beyond an rupee weaker, making imports to Iran. Meanwhile, oil-producing automatically and some of India’s
and Saudi Arabia. nations, including India, which question. India imported 24 million India costlier. Importantly, that Iran- nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, economic tribulations will also get
import oil from Iran a six-month waiv- metric tonnes of crude from Iran in India collaboration in the develop- Mexico and the US itself have been simultaneously addressed.
er, which ended on May 2, 2019. As a the 2018-19. India was Iran’s second ment in the vital Chabahar Port in requested to step up their oil produc- Let the new government in New
consequence of the US action, oil largest buyer of crude last year, Iran will give India vital ingress to tion to cater for Iranian oil shortfalls. Delhi bear in mind Iran’s more than
prices the world over have jacked and while Tehran was the third largest Afghanistan and the Central Asian How this oil crisis will shape up to significant strategic value for India
soon its adverse effects will be felt in supplier to India after Iraq and Sau- Republics cannot be understated. meet global demands is anyone’s guess. in the region.
quick crossword su do ku calendar forecast

ACROSS MAY 29, 2019, WEDNESDAY SUNSET: WEDNESDAY 19:19 HRS
1 Meddlesome (9)
8 Become irrational (5) 5 3 ■ Vikrami Samvat 2076
SUNRISE: THURSDAY 05:21 HRS
9 The largest inland sea (7) ■ Shaka Samvat 1941
9 4 8 7
10 Fortified building (6) Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy Rainy Foggy
■ Jyeshtha Shaka 8
11 A humiliating
discourtesy (6) ■ Jyeshtha Parvishte 15 CITY MAX MIN
12 Happy and Chandigarh 41 23
8 7 4 5 9
■ Hijari 1440
contented (2,6) New Delhi 43 23
■ Krishan Paksh Tithi 10, up to 3:21 pm
15 Intimidate (8) PUNJAB
18 Refer (6) ■ Priti Yoga up to 2:15 pm
Amritsar 42 23
20 Ludicrous (6)
21 Impedimenta (7) 8 6 ■ Uttrabhadrpad Nakshatra up to 9.18 pm
■ Moon in Pisces sign

Bathinda
Jalandhar
43
42
26
21
22 Throttle (5)
23 Final intolerable Ludhiana 43 23
3
■ Gandmool starts 9.18 pm
blow (4,5) 2 HARYANA
Bhiwani 44 24
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION
Hisar 43 23
DOWN
2 Physically weak (5) 4 3 3 5 7 2 1 8 4 9 6 Sirsa
HIMACHAL PRADESH
44 26
3 To call in question (6) 9 8 6 3 4 5 7 1 2
4 Passive (8) Dharamsala 32 18
5 Untidy handwriting (6)
6 Prisoner (7)
9 1 7 2 4 1 4 2 7 9 6 5 3 8 Manali 26 09
5 6 8 1 3 7 2 4 9 Shimla 29 18
7 To profane (9) JAMMU & KASHMIR
11 Outward appearance (9)
13 Large waterfall (8) 4 1 7 6 7 3 4 8 2 9 1 6 5 Jammu
Leh
40
20
24
06
2 1 9 5 6 4 8 7 3
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 14 Just to attract
Srinagar 28 10
1
attention (3,4)
Across: 1 Fiction, 4 Degas, 7 Drab, 8 Pristine, 10 Poker-faced, 12 Sloppy, 13 Spooky, 15
On the cards, 18 Outsider, 19 Mire, 20 Tardy, 21 Defunct.
16 Tube of gun (6)
17 Unfortunate situation (6)
7 6
8
7
9
5
3
9
4
8
7
1
2
3
6
2
5
4
1
UTTARAKHAND
Dehradun 39 21
Down: 1 Fed up, 2 Crackpot, 3 Normal, 4 Disrespect, 5 Grim, 6 Specify, 9 Propensity, 11 19 Authoritative Mussoorie 28 17
Coercion, 12 Sell-out, 14 Shrewd, 16 Sleet, 17 Stir. 4 2 1 6 5 3 9 8 7
doctrine (5) V. HARD TEMPERATURE IN OC

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