Get them in!

Encourage foreign film makers

Nothing kills a bad product faster than great promotion. Conversely, to ensure that a great product never delivers to its potential, do ensure that your promotions are benchmarks in disgrace!

The product in question is India… we mean as a destination for movie production. In this regard, our slow progress is quite surprising since the country is known far and wide for its natural beauty as well as for its diversity. We have done a lot for foreign locations. The forays of the Yash Chopra banner have had a lot to do with the increase in Indian tourist traffic to Switzerland by almost 30%. Even Rakesh Roshan was honoured by the New Zealand PM for promoting tourism. Recently, Tarun Mansukhani, director of Dostana, was invited by the Government of Thailand to be a part of their Thailand entertainment expo.

King Khan himself has just been signed on as a cultural ambassador by the Korean Tourism Organisation to promote tourism and lure movie makers. Numerous south Asian countries are also devising strategies to lure movie-makers. The Singapore Tourism Board invested $6.3 million under its ‘Film in Singapore’ scheme and will subsidise international film productions by up to 50%. Fiji is ready to give a payback of 35%. Unfortunately, Incredible India continues to lag in this regard. Just around 90 foreign film productions have been cleared for shooting in India over the last 3 years. The biggest predicament is the lengthy paper work required by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Multiple clearances with different departments continue to discourage foreign film producers. Also, local authorities create hurdles and ask for bribes before giving clearance at local levels.

Slumdog Millionaire has been the most successful foreign film foray into India, but not for the right reasons. Rather than being restricted to a global image of widespread poverty and destitution, it’s time that India stands for much more on the global front. And making it more easier for foreign film makers could be a vital step in that direction.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Let us work together for peace...

Though cultural and religious ties between India and Sri Lanka are very old, it was only until recently that both started developing good relations. An exclusive conversation with Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, senior Embassy official in India testified that Sri Lanka is more worried about India’s vulnerable relations with China and Pakistan than others. Some excerpts:

“5 things Sri Lanka appreciates about India...”

HARMONY IN RELATIONS: 30-40 years back, relations were limited to political contacts, religio-cultural tourism. Relations were also hindered by the ramifications of the ethnic conflict. But now there is harmony in the relationship with the political leadership of both countries staying in close contact. The relationship has also become multifaceted with increased trade, aviation links, tourism and people to people contact.

TRADE RELATIONS: It is very progressive. India and Sri Lanka were the first to initiate a Free Trade Agreement in the region. Trade volumes also went up from just $600 million to $3 billion. Many Indian MNCs have set up businesses in Sri Lanka in oil and lubricants, telecom, healthcare etc. Aviation has seen a sea change.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP: The relationship has also reached a level where top level political leadership does not need to go through cumbersome bureaucratic procedures. India’s political leadership directly contacts top level Sri Lankan political leadership bypassing bureaucratic channels today.

JOINT INITIATIVES AGAINST TERRORISM: Both the countries initiated many joint anti-terror initiatives. India provides training to around 1,500 members of the Sri Lankan armed forces annually, the largest foreign contingent. India has also provided a few naval vessels to the Sri Lankan navy.


“And the 5 things we dislike...”

SECURITY ISSUES: Though infiltration is not a big problem today as the LTTE is destroyed, it is possible that remnants of the LTTE may try to regroup using Tamil Nadu, with support of pro-LTTE elements there. Sri Lanka wants India to maintain a continuous vigil of its maritime borders.

INVOLVEMENT OF CHINA: The issue of China’s involvement in Sri Lanka is a sensitive issue in India. Media or academic think-tanks are slightly to blame as they often over-hype issues. For example, many analyse China’s investment in developing Hambantota Port as a step to use Sri Lanka against India. However, Sri Lanka’s position is that it will never allow a third party to use its territory against India. Its engagement with China is purely commercial in nature.

SETHUSAMUDRAM ISSUE: India wanted to dredge a Channel in the Palk Straits and Adams Bridge area as it would give vessels a shorter route. Sri Lanka’s stand is that since it is an environmentally sensitive area, both should work to jointly manage the environmental repercussions.

NON-TARIFF TRADE BARRIERS (NTBS): Many Sri Lankan exporters and Indian importers have expressed concerns over the non-tariff import burdens from India. The concern is that NTBs have contributed to widening the trade gap in favour of India.

DIRTY POLITICS: Tamil Nadu politicians use Sri Lanka in vote garnering exercises. Political support to LTTE and Jayalalithaa’s call to retrieve Katchativu are prominent examples. These measures tend to vitiate an otherwise friendly relationship between the people of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Did this ‘Tortoise’ beat that ‘Hare’?

Both K. V. Kamath and Deepak Parekh won’t be around as ceos in 2010. Manish K. Pandey, Deepak Ranjan Patra and Angshuman Paul talk to people in the financial services industry to compare the legacies of the titans

Both started their careers when India Inc. was reeling under a tidal wave of nationalisation and ‘hard’ socialism of the early 1970s that all but smothered entrepreneurship in the country. Both belong to ‘communities’ that have acquired considerable fame for their entrepreneurial skills; one is from Mangalore while the other is of course a Gujarati. You could say that one of them had banking in his genes; his grandfather and father were both bankers. The other ‘discovered’ himself through banking. One was already part of India’s ‘elite’ while growing up, did his chartered accountancy from London and started his career with Ernst & Young in New York. The other came from far off Mangalore from a middle class family and chased his aspirational El Dorado by pursuing an MBA in IIM, Ahmedabad after an engineering degree from a government college. While the first was flying high in New York, the other quietly joined a public sector development lending institution called ICICI. A few years later, even as the man from Mangalore was gradually moving up the public sector ladder, his contemporary was persuaded by a maternal uncle to come and work for an Indian organisation. The maternal uncle happened to be the founder of HDFC.

Of course you have guessed the identities of the two by now. The man from Mangalore is none other than K. V. Kamath, who retired this year as the Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank. The chartered accountant who went on to work for his uncle is Deepak Parekh who is all set to step down as the Executive Chairman of HDFC. For the last two decades, the two have towered over the financial services industry in India like titans. There is not a shadow of doubt that both Parekh and Kamath have been unparalleled game changers and that their exit leaves a void that no individual can yet fill. Sure there is Chanda Kochhar who replaced Kamath at ICICI; sure there is Keki Mistry who will replace Parekh. Then there is Shikha Sharma, formerly of ICICI who is now duplicating her former employer’s unbridled aggression at Axis Bank. Then there is – according to many – the unheralded Aditya Puri who heads HDFC Bank and also the understated Renu Karnad, who will now be the Managing Director of HDFC. But virtually everyone in the financial services industry agrees that Kamath and Parekh are in a league of their own. There is a complete consensus in the industry that the two have left corporate legacies and institutions that will endure for a long, long time.

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An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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A walk in the wild...

Although Vatavaran, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival was not exactly that, it was nothing short of one either!!

Amidst the crowd of film festivals, fashion weeks and star-studded events, the quiet yet stimulating CMS Vatavaran, Environment & Wildlife Festival held in the capital was a one-of-a-kind event which did win quite an applause too. It often happens that amidst the popularity of the aggressively marketed commercial cinema and documentaries and much-hyped apparel showcasing, subjects like wildlife and environment, which need attention, get ignored. So this five-day long festival was organised with a purpose to provide a platform to those who have dedicated their lives to the survival of endangered species as well as those battling to give planet earth a longer life.

Being a wildlife enthusiast, when browsing through the schedule of events, I had picked my days of visit according to the screening of interesting wildlife films. And so there I was on the second day of the event, excited to watch some environment and wildlife documentaries. To my surprise, the event was not only meant to showcase films, but was also a large-scale attempt to create awareness regarding the two subjects. Immediately after registration, I made my way to the film-screening halls, which had back-to-back screenings of movies by filmmakers from around the world, and it was a pleasant surprise to see that a lot of Indian filmmakers figured in the list. While some movies lacked the ‘gripping factor’, others enthralled many an audience. A Norwegian filmmaker’s Saved by a Lioness, which told the story of the survival of a wildebeest and the perils that they face during The Great Migration, and also presented the beauty of wild Africa. There were other eye-opening films on environment, especially about the contamination of the Ganges and about the climatic effects of global warming, which were not only interesting but also managed to drive home a certain message. “Our only concern is to sensitise people about the reality of climatic changes and about the existence of endangered species.

Awareness generation is the first step toward bringing about action. And people will take action only if they are aware of the situation, whether it is about the harm that global warming might cause to the world tomorrow or it is about the fact that some species might be washed away for good”, explained an organiser of the Film Festival.

Although films were the biggest draw at this event, eventually, it was not just the documentaries that brought people to CMS Vatavaran. There were also seminars and panel discussions by wildlife experts and environmentalists. Besides, there were workshops on wildlife filmmaking conducted by renowned wildlife filmmakers – the Bedi Brothers (Ajay and Vijay Bedi) for budding and aspiring wildlife filmmakers. Recognising this platform that addressed alarming issues through films and discussions, Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit graced the occasion to reinforce the message, while filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt gave away the award for the Best Documentary Film of the event.

“Through this event, we aim to capture young minds and create awareness about these alarming issues, so that they become guardians of the world tomorrow”, mentioned a panellist, filmmaker and wildlife activist, Rita Banerji. And indeed, inspiring and inciting, the CMS Vatavaran, Environment & Wildlife Film Festival would have surely left an indelible impression on all minds, young and old.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Solar Energy in Spain

Spain is forging ahead with plans to build concentrating solar power plants, establishing the country and Spanish companies as world leaders in the emerging field. At the same time, the number of installed photovoltaic systems is growing exponentially, and researchers continue to explore new ways to promote and improve solar power. This is the seventh in an eight-part series highlighting new technologies in Spain and is produced by Technology Review, Inc.’s custom-publishing division in partnership with the Trade Commission of Spain.

From the road to the Solúcar solar plant outside Seville, drivers can see what appear to be glowing white rays emanating from a tower, piercing the dry air, and alighting upon the upturned faces of the tilted mirror panels below. Appearances, though, are deceiving: those upturned mirrors are actually tracking the sun and radiating its energy onto a blindingly white square at the top of the tower, creating the equivalent of the power of 600 suns. That power is used to vaporize water into steam to power a turbine.

This tower plant uses concentrating solar technology with a central receiver. It’s the first commercial central-receiver system in the world.

Spanish companies and research centers are taking the lead in the recent revival of concentrating solar power (CSP), a type of solar thermal power; expanses of mirrors are being assembled around the country. At the same time, Spanish companies are investing in huge photovoltaic (PV) fields, as companies dramatically increase production of PV panels and investigate the next generation of this technology. Spain is already fourth in the world in its use of solar power, and second in Europe, with more than 120 megawatts in about 8,300 installations. Within only the past 10 years, the number of companies working in solar energy has leapt from a couple of dozen to a few hundred. Power from the Sun’s Heat Southern Spain, a region known the world over for its abundant sun and scarce rain, provides an ideal landscape for solar thermal power. The tower outside Seville, built and operated by Solúcar, an Abengoa company, is the first of a number of solar thermal plants and will provide about 10 megawatts of power. The company Sener is completing Andasol 1, the first parabolic-trough plant in Europe—a 50-megawatt system outside Granada that will begin operation in the summer of 2008. Unlike photovoltaic panels, which harness the movement of electrons between layers of a solar cell when the sun strikes the material, solar thermal power works by utilizing the heat of the sun. CSP has until recently cost nearly twice as much as traditional natural gas or coal power plants, and it is effective only on a large scale.

“You need a very large budget to set up a concentrated solar power system,” says Eduardo Zarza, director of concentrating solar research at the Solar Platform of Almería (PSA in Spanish), a research, development, and testing center. “You need a great deal of land, a steam turbine, an electricity generator, power equipment, people in the control room, staff to run the system.” The costs are also front-loaded, unlike those of traditional plants: the fuel is free, unlike oil, gas, or coal, but the up-front development expense is significantly higher. During and immediately following the energy crisis of the 1970s, nine solar thermal plants were built in California to produce a total of 350 megawatts, but until this year no new commercial plant had been built, anywhere in the world, for 15 years.

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From fire to food

Delhi-Tel Aviv tech cooperation goes much beyond arms deals, Consulting Editor Tathagata Bhattacharya writes

As the 4X4 tyres eat up the tarmac that cuts through the Judean Desert, south of Jerusalem, my eyes get alternatively transfixed on the Dead Sea to my left and the stony, rugged terrain to my right. Less than 50 mm rain, highest salinity level in the world and virtually no soil to till – the conjunction of these factors point to the impossibility of survival of plant life. But then, the steed takes a sharp right turn and at the head of the turnpike leading to Kibbutz En Gadi, I meet Ron Meir. Over the next one hour, he takes me through a crash course on ‘greening a desert’ as we walk past some 5000 plants belonging to 1,000 species, some of them like the Amazonian Ceiba reaching a few hundred feet into the sky. The whole world has taken note of the greening achievements of Israel and India is going a step further, trying to rope in that expertise to maximise agricultural output and by trying horticulture and plantation projects in the arid and semi-arid tracts of the country.

At the heart of the Israeli success story has been the contribution of Bezalel Eliahu who migrated to the Promised Land in 1954 from Kerala. He pioneered the concept of ‘fertigation,’ which means using drip irrigation to reach both water and food to the plant’s roots. “Plants need to eat and drink. So we mix liquid fertiliser with water and reach the mixture at its base. Since the plant gets all the nutrients at its base, the roots don’t grow out much. This allows more intensive planting. In India, since there is abundant rainfall and a lot of alluvial soil, we don’t respect these aspects. But with climate change and the realisation that a lot of land is actually lying fallow, change will come. In Israel, when we came, we were faced with the harshest conditions. So we became kings of innovation. India can certainly benefit from our expertise,” he says.

The Indian government is on an overdrive to rope in Israeli technologies. Farm secretary T. Nanda Kumar is expected to visit Israel in February to hasten the technology transfer process. The efforts are bearing fruit. A pilot project on olive plantation in Rajasthan, near Jaipur, is currently underway on 210 hectares. The Rajasthan government is partnering Israeli firm Indolive Limited and an Indian company, Plastro Plasson Industries, for the project which saw 50,000 saplings planted. The test run, if successful, can lead to greening of the Thar desert, apart from generating livelihood for locals.

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The recent mass demonstration by sugar producers

The recent mass demonstration by sugar producers could just be the tip of the iceberg that is about to slam India’s economic ship.

In fact, the current year’s Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI) is likely to end at 7 per cent or more. But the real yardstick to measure the affordability of the common man, the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) might again reach the debilitating range of 12-13% as it did around two years ago. Not just this, with a sudden splurge in the capital markets by revived influx of foreign investors and the excessive overpricing of stocks and IPOs is leading to a scenario where an asset price bubble could form pushing the overall inflation further. In fact, according to Dr Mukesh Anand, Senior Economist, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), “Especially at a time when per capita (disposable) incomes are also rising, over-capacity in key (core manufacturing) sectors has led to burgeoning costs pushing prices up.” And one factor that would definitely make the ground more slippery for UPA regime would be the global oil prices pushing hard to relive ‘glory days’ of early 2008. With crude already near the $80 mark, this is one slippery terrain which can derail the growth engine once again.

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An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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IIPM News - 115 MW from the heart of the sun

Rs 1500 cr Central funding for alternative energy project

Dailies, nationwide, headlined the infamous blackout at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Days after the incident, power failed at the Calcutta University Centenary Hall as well with the chief minister still on stage, putting his Z-plus security in a tizzy. No wonder, the state has decided to generate 115 MW through solar energy. It will set up an exclusive manufacturing hub for solar energy components at an expected investment of Rs 1500 crore.

“The state generates only 15 MW of electricity through solar energy. But in the next three years, it will churn out an additional 115 MW,” according to the MD of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd, Dr S P Gon Chowdhury. By 2013, India will generate 1300 MW of solar power. That’s the target for the first phase of the National Solar Mission of the Ministry of New Renewable Energy (MNRE). By 2013, West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan together plan to generate about 30 per cent of the national target of 1300 MW of solar energy. Gujarat will pitch in with 130 MW and Rajasthan with 110 MW. The Centre will allocate the projects to the states on January 11. Chowdhury told TSI that the state will promote rooftop solar panels in a big way. So much so, that five MW of the state’s targeted output will come from rooftop solar power panels itself. The rest, he said, will be generated over large swathes of land statewide. He also said the generated power will fetch a tariff of between Rs 15 and Rs 17 per unit. He added that the NTPC’s newly created company, Bidyut Vapyar Nigam Ltd, will buy that power and push it into the national grid. In fact, it was acclaimed film director and former Rajya Sabha MP Mrinal Sen who is said to have shown the way. As an MP, he had donated a part of his MPLAD Fund for setting up of India’s first Energy Park. This has not only demonstrated ways of generating alternative and green energy but also shown alternatives like pump storage or even producing energy through paddle power.

Speaking to TSI, Sen said, “Being inspired by then power minister Sankar Sen’s initiative, I first donated some amount of money for setting up a solar power plant at a remote village of Birbhum district. That charged me and I donated the entire amount in three installments to the minister and Chowdhury for that Energy Park." He added, “MPs should allocate their MPLAD funds for such projects instead of misusing them." West Bengal plans to set up a dedicated hub at Andal in Burdwan district to manufacture components for solar energy units. Spread over 100 acres, it is likely to attract an investment of Rs 1000 crore by 2013. “Four companies are already generating power under this project,” Gon Chowdhury told TSI.

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An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Cinema, with distinction

Rajkumar Hirani may seem to have the box office midas touch, but his real secret is his ability to bring cinema to life with a human touch. Tareque Laskar gets behind the scenes...

Most film directors would be happy just to be able to entertain. But Rajkumar Hirani is a different and rare breed. He takes on the challenge of entertaining, educating and perhaps even enlightening his audience with his work. In an age where even the entertainment standards are plunging faster and further than the neckline of actresses in item numbers, it is hard to find even a decently entertaining film, let alone one that delivers more than that. But if Hirani's films are any yardstick, then the success of the Munnabhai series and now "3 Idiots" proves that balancing commercial and critical acclaim while delivering profound messages without being heavy handed has become this man's signature and his forte. A Rajkumar Hirani film is a kind of parallel education by itself, whether you are trying to make sense of Gandhigiri or looking at the potential shortcomings of our education system. Hirani seems to have his finger on the pulse of the viewer at large and that's why he's always focused on making sure the preaching's not too heavy and the proceedings on screen never dull, remaining profound and playful in the same frame.

His journey began with “Munnabhai MBBS”, a film that resurrected Sanjay Dutt’s career, but more critically gave us all the jadoo ki jhappi. It was a surprise move from Vidhu Vinod Chopra to greenlight a comedy, but Hirani’s unique heartfelt style, Dutt’s brilliant acting, and Arshad Warsi’s unforgettable ‘Circuit’ all combined to give us a great dose of the best medicine – laughter. But behind the guffaws was the message that drew from Rajkumar Hirani’s friends who had studied in medical college. It highlighted the foibles of the medical system in a manner so heartwarming that the whole nation embraced Munna and his antics.

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The Dynastic Duds

Talent isn’t necessarily passed down the generations; here are some of the dudes & dolls from Bollywood families who just didn’t make it!

Let’s be realistic about this. Who would cast Uday Chopra in the lead opposite Priyanka Chopra (no they aren’t siblings, thankfully!) except Uday’s dad Yash Chopra in the forthcoming film “Pyar Impossible”? That should read Pair Impossible. Who but the powerful Yash Chopra would convince the hot-and-saleable Priyanka to star opposite a non-happening Uday?

Talented as he is, Arshad Warsi (with no filmy connections) finds it hard to get any big leading lady to accompany him on screen. Recently, Lara Dutta said no to an offer with Arshad. Maybe he should’ve married into a film family. Maybe the rules for sons apply to sons-in-law too?

At the moment the dynasties rule Bollywood. Whether it’s the supremely talented Ranbir Kapoor or the deadpan Imran Khan, they all belong to distinguished film families. But being from a film family doesn’t necessarily qualify you for stardom. Neither of the legendary Raj Kumar’s sons Puru or Panini made any headway in films. Puru was launched in style by Prakash Mehra in “Bal Bramhachari”. The film bombed. Puru struggled on for a bit before he quit.

Before him there was the other legend, Dev Anand’s son Suniel Anand. Dad Anand cast himself as Suniel’s dad in their home production, predictably titled “Anand Aur Anand”. Suniel soon realised there was no anand for him in the industry.


Dev’s daughter Devina didn’t even try to get into movies. Daughters are generally kept away from a film career, the only exceptions being Randhir and Babita’s Karishma and Kareena, and Tanuja’s Kajol and Tanissha. But has anyone seen even a picture of Dharmendra’s (younger) daughter?

Speaking of Tanuja, her mythic sister Nutan’s son Mohnish never got beyond a point. Mom even broke her rule on non-nepotism to star with Mohnish in a long-forgotten yarn “Yeh Kaisa Farz”. But the talented Behl was relegated to side roles.

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The Sheikhs OF Ganderbal

For 80 years now, the Abdullahs have influenced the destiny of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, writes Haroon Reshi

This is the valley that the ‘Lion of Kashmir’ once walked, free and fearless. That was when, in the 1930s, Sheikh Abdullah, the ‘Sher-e-Kashmir’, fought for Kashmiris then under Dogra rule. Ganderbal was his lair.

Sheikh Abdullah, the venerated father of Farooq Abdullah, and Omar Abdullah’s grandfather, found his following leading his people against Maharaja Hari Singh during the ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement, a cause for which he founded the Muslim Conference, later converted to National Conference (NC), to give it a more liberal, cosmopolitan face. Ganderbal continues to be the Abdullahs' stronghold for over 35 years now.

“I have seen the cruelty of Dogra rule,” says 85-year-old Peer Noor ud din, a staunch follower of the Abdullahs. “Muslims were not just denied political and religious rights, they were subjected to begaar, a forced labour system that reduced them to a starved lot.” For people such as Noor ud din, Sheikh Abdullah was the saviour. “He was a great leader and the people of Kashmir remember that. And that is why they still vote for the Sheikh’s heirs,” he says.

History, though, was to take its twists and turns before the people were to once again find their leaders in the Abdullahs. At the end of Dogra rule, Sheikh Abdullah initially became Emergency Administrator, and later prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Things hit an abysmal low when he was arrested for demanding an independent Kashmir. The political incarceration lasted 11 long years. “An independent Kashmir was his dream; the politico-economic programme of the Sheikh Abdullah, known as the document of 'Naya Kashmir' was adopted by him in 1944, but could not be implemented entirely in Sheikh’s lifetime,” says Noor ud din.

The lion's roar was to be heard only 22 years later when Sheikh Abdullah returned to electoral politics in 1975. The political terrain of Kashmir had by then changed, and new trails had been trekked by leaders of the valley. The sitting Congress legislator of Ganderbal, Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, left his seat to make way for the Sheikh. He won the bypoll and became chief minister with Congress support. Two years later, at the end of his tenure in 1977, he again chose Ganderbal to contest the polls and won. The lion was to be chief minister till his passing away in 1982.

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A Gandhi family affair

Amethi and Rae Bareli would have been nondescript specks on the map but for their long association with the nation’s premier political dynasty, writes Avinash Misra

Till the Nehru-Gandhis took Rae Bareli under their electoral wings, it was a neglected region. But the relations between the family and the constituency date back to the pre-Independence era when a spirited demonstration against the British by the banks of the Sai river saw many farmers lose their lives. The demonstration was led by Moti Lal Nehru and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru who would often sit with the farmers to understand their problems. Over the years that relationship has been taken forward by the younger generation and except for two occasions, the seat has gone to the Congress.

Post-independence, Nehru asked Feroze Gandhi to fight elections from Rae Bareli. In 1952 and 1957, he entered the Lok Sabha as a Congress candidate. In 1967, Indira Gandhi set her sights on Rae Bareli and won a thumping majority (66 per cent of the votes cast) which sent her to the Prime Ministerial chair. In 1980, she defeated the Janata Party candidate. In 1984, Arun Nehru won the seat with 70 per cent of the votes cast. In 1989 and 1991 it was Shiela Kaul who romped home. Sonia Gandhi took up the fight in 2004. In 2009, she drew 72 per cent of the vote.

Rae Bareli’s golden period extended between 1967 and 1984 when Indira Gandhi brought many projects to her constituency. These included a new railway station and bus terminus, a new post office and the laying of sewers. In 1972, the Indian Telephone Industries set up base in the constituency. The goody bag also included a cement factory, a pilot training academy, and numerous industrial units. Sonia's biggest contribution so far has been the setting up of a railway coach factory at Lalganj. A petroleum institute and a National Institute of Fashion Design have also been set up despite land quibbles with the UP government.

Sampoornanand Misra of Simrota village (Tiloi) says, “The relationship we share with the Gandhis is deeply emotional. Rae Bareli was the stronghold of feudalists but that changed after the Nehru-Gandhis adopted this constituency. The relationship is so intimate that a person from the constituency can have unfettered access to the entire family. Soniaji visits us every month. When she resigned from the Lok Sabha, we were the first ones to know why.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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End of LTTE?

With the death of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran and the decimation of most of its headship, Sri Lanka declared victory in Jaffna. The existence of the LTTE as an organisation that was a “virtual” government in northern Sri Lanka, has come to an end. It made several cardinal mistakes, including the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, expulsion of Commander Karuna and persecution of Moors. By mulishly focussing on ‘all or nothing’ strategy, the it lost everything. It also failed to gauge the global position post 9/11. Sri Lankan diplomacy was adroit and successful in shielding its own pig-headedness and vilified the LTTE. As Sri Lanka built its armed muscle with Chinese and Pakistani aid, the LTTE had to go back to its underground days to stay to battle another day. Instead, it opted for head-on defiance.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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The pros and the cons of a separate Telangana state

Another storm in the T cup
Naresh Nunna seeks to explain the pros and the cons of a separate Telangana state in a politico-historical and socio-cultural context

Chairman Mao had said, “Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.” Well, in Telangana, politics is definitely about shedding blood. In the latest bout of suicides, as many as three dozen youths laid down their lives in an apparent fillip to Telangana’s claim for statehood. Garnering maximum television footage, TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR), the biggest apparent champion of the cause, shed tears remembering the latest martyrs. Ironically, the viewers are sceptical of the credibility of his tears. In the six decades of struggle for a separate Telangana, KCR is not the first leader to be distrusted but definitely the latest.

“He, I suppose, is the luckiest politician of the times. Whenever his integrity is at stake, the Congress, of course unintentionally, comes to his rescue. He owes much to our party,” a vexed Congress leader quipped in distress.

The leader’s reference was to the hasty and imprudent announcement of the Union home minister P. Chidambaram in favour of a separate Telangana. AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed’s ‘confessions’, on the run-up to the announcement, before the media in New Delhi, further augmented the waned glory of KCR. According to Ahmed, the precarious situation prevailing in Telangana with TRS chief KCR’s fast entering the 11th day, propelled the UPA government to issue the midnight statement.

The Union home minister’s announcement led to a constitutional crisis in Andhra Pradesh, as 143 MLAs of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, cutting across party lines, made a beeline before the Speaker with resignation letters. Normal life in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema has been paralysed ever since. Meanwhile, the comments of Ahmed vindicated the obvious ‘pressure’ under which Chidambaram made the announcement. Thus, he spilled the beans before a dozen disparate stakeholders in a new map of India. The message was to shun mere crying but to pick up the kitchen knife threatening either murder or suicide.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Japan the new Iran?

Japan is distancing itself from the US and affirming its own foreign policy. Is this the start of a new political order?

As Yukiya Amano, a Japanese, takes over the Director General’s post in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), what should have been actually a booster shot for America’s fight against renegade nuclear loose cannon countries like Iran and North Korea has become more of a hanging question, with policy circles undecided on whether America actually supports Amano or not – in fact, the question is, does America support Japan anymore or not? The immediate provocation goes back to an article published in Washington Post on October 22, 2009, where a US State Department official was quoted radically stating, “The hardest thing right now [for America] is not China, it’s Japan.”

For a country which has been a staunch ally of US for more than a sixty years and for a country which still calls its armed forces as self defence force, thanks to the stigma of the 2nd World War and the restrictions imposed on it by the Security Council, one might ordinarily find it difficult to gauge as to what might have provoked such a change of heart among the US officials. The growing Chinese military and economic prowess and its hush-hush global ambitions are known to many. But is Japan, the country with the second largest economy in the world and one which till now has deliberately never leveraged its economic prowess for military ambitions, about to change?

To understand the changing paradigm of this relationship, one has to take into account the fact that one of the key aspects of the Japan-US relationship was and is the Japan-US Security Treaty. This treaty signed in 1951 and coming into force in 1952, though going through several reforms, continues to be the pillar of bondage between the world’s top two economies. With changing times, the end of Cold War and a phoenix like rise of China, this relationship too was supposed to go for a change for the positive. In Asia, US had always consistently seen Japan as not only a trusted ally but one which would be of great help to contain China both economically and military. The massive US military base in the Southern Japanese islands of Okinawa, being in the proximity of Taiwan and China, essentially works as a safety valve to keep China and others on leash.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Vijay Tirath - Union minister Krishna Tirath’s Husband

Vijay Tirath is a man of rare mettle. He not only allowed his political mantle to pass to his wife, Union minister for women and child development Krishna Tirath, he also gave up his job to become her 24-hour support system as she went about hers.

Mr Tirath’s is a political family. His father, T Sohan Lal, was a freedom fighter and worked with Mahatma Gandhi. After Independence, he became an active member of the Congress. He became the municipal commissioner of Delhi (back then the post was for an elected representative) at the age of 25. He also represented the Karol Bagh LS constituency that voted his daughter-in-law to Parliament.

Vijay Tirath chose to let his wife inherit the mantle. He recalls: “We both had government jobs. I decided to stay put and take care of the family. She decided to resign and get into into politics.”

Krishna Tirath's rise in Delhi's political circles was meteoric. From being a metropolitan councillor, she went on to become an MLA, an MP and a Cabinet Minister. When she became a minister in Sheila Dikshit’s cabinet in 2000, Vijay resigned as a bank manager. He recollects, “I wasn’t able to help her full-time because of the job. Now I can spare time. From political rallies to making poll strategies, I am always with her.”

The husband takes care of each and every detail of her campaign and other responsibilities. He even counsels her at times on political matters. But as far as her ministerial duties are concerned, he keeps a safe distance. His area of expertise, says Mr Tirath, is electoral strategy.

Asked whether he has any regrets that he gave up his natural political inheritance and lost the opportunity to be a Union minister, the soft-spoken Mr Tirath says, “It is our joint venture. Therefore, there is no room for such thoughts.” And has he changed in the wake of his wife’s success? “Not an iota,” he replies.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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The victims’ fight for justice is still on

The victims’ fight for justice is still on, spearheaded by Abdul Jabbar of Bhopal’s Rajendra Nagar. For 25 years, he has been waging a battle under the banner of his ‘Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sanghatan. Jabbarbhai told TSI, “Do you know what Arjun Singh told the SP and District Collector that day? I don’t want to know where these dead bodies will be dumped but you should take care to downplay the number of deaths”.

Policemen and soldiers buried the bodies in Budani jungle, 40 km from Rajendra Nagar, and threw many of the dead into the Narmada. The state acted in collusion with Union Carbide. The government still continues to say that just 3,500 people were killed in the tragedy whereas 8,000 people died on the three days subsequent to the tragedy. The toll has mounted to 25, 000. More than 5 lakh people are injured.

The number of Bhopal gas tragedy victims is five times more than what the government is willing to admit. In 2004, Jabbarbhai filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of compensation to the victims. But in 2007, the Court asked him to go to Bhopal’s welfare court, which the SC said was the ‘proper forum’. As per the order, he filed 1,01,000 petitions on behalf of the victims in the welfare court in 2008. But the Welfare Commissioner in 2009 January, without proper reason, rejected the petitions. So, Jabbarbhai went to the High Court, Jabalpur, which, in turn, directed him to move the Supreme Court again. He says with a sad smile, “It’s just a game. See how big and tough it is…”

Janet Braun Renitz, one of America’s notable mural painters was busy on the day of Bakr-id creating a mural on a wall located in front of the Carbide factory. “It’s been 25 ruthless years and Americans are the sole cause for this tragedy. Even after knowing that truth, Dow Chemicals (the new owners of UCC) and UCC are never ready to accept the moral responsibility is a shame. They are corporate criminals, they have no heart... It’s 100% corporate imperialism. They feel they can do anything” she told TSI.

The Union Carbide plant now resembles a graveyard. A police check post prevents people from entering the premises. The building and rooms are covered with layers of dust. To this day, nearly 8000 metric tonnes of chemical waste contaminates the soil and water around the factory. Various scientific studies, including one released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), have corroborated the reality of water and soil contamination.

The open site, where effluents from the factory (around 10,000 metric tonnes) remains out of the spotlight, is slightly away from the plant. Known as Zahreela Talab (poisonous lake), it spans across 20 acres. Land sharks are eyeing this site. If they move in without detoxification, it could prove to be disastrous.

In 1992, the state government stopped registering people who died due to the effects of the gas leak. In 1994, the Indian government terminated of long-term medical studies of the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research). In 1989, the SC ordered a paltry sum of $470 million as compensation to the victims.

Even after the 2004 SC directive to double the compensation, the average amount received for a single case of death is approximately Rs 1 lakh. Compare this with what the kith and kin of the Uphar cinema hall fire in Delhi received – Rs 15 to 18 lakh per victim. Even in death and bereavement, the Bhopal gas leak victims haven’t been spared the effects of brazen class discrimination.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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