1. FESTIVALS: Sarvapitri Amavasya or Mahalay Amavasya which falls on Bhadrapad / Ashwin Amavasya (September 23 this year) is the last day of Pitru Paksha when people pay ceremonial homage to their ancestors especially through food offerings.
Annadaana ("Donation of
food") is a central part of the rituals during this fortnight. On all these
days, offerings are made to the departed, including those whose names or
manner of death are not known. On these days tarpan, shraaddha and pinda
daan are performed daily according to the procedures under the guidance of a
priest. Although these rites are to be carried out daily in this fortnight,
Sarvapitri amavasya is intended for all ancestors, and rites performed on
this day are extremely important and sacred.
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2.
PLACES OF DRINKING WATER, WORSHIP AND CREMATION SHOULD BE ’EQUAL AND OPEN’
FOR ALL HINDUS: DR. BHAGWAT: Addressing
a huge gathering on the occasion of golden jubilee celebration of the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad on 16th August
in Mumbai, RSS SarSanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said, "Hindustan is a Hindu
nation...Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can
incorporate others (religions) in itself."
“In coming 5 years,
places of drinking water, worship and cremation should be ’equal and open’
for all Hindus" said the RSS Chief. He added that social equality, cultural
invasion, strengthening social projects and active work for deprived in
society should become a family goal of each Hindu family.
Starting his speech
stating that “Hindusthan is a Hindu Nation and Hidutva is nation's
identity”, Bhagwat suggested that the implementation the real meaning of
Hindu philosophy that is “Hindave Sahodara Sarve” (All Hindus are brethrens)
should start from our homes. It should become family system.
Hailing VHP’s work in
national life Bhagwat stated that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is an
organization not because it is working for Hindus, but the whole world will
get directions from the mission of this organization in coming days that’s
why it is a Vishwa (universal) Hindu Parishad. Others who spoke during the
celebrations were Dharmadhikari of the Dharmasthala Virendra Hegde, who was
selected as the president of the core committee for the VHP golden jubilee
year, noted space scientist and former chairman of ISRO, Dr. G Madhavan
Nair, Spiritual leaders like Jain guru Nayapadmasagar, Sikh guru Shree
Gurucharan Singh Gil, Buddhist leader Bhadant Rahul Bodhi, Govind Dev Giri
Maharaj, Vishveshwara Teerth Maharaj, Vidyabhaskar Maharaj shared their
thoughts on the occasion explaining the need for Hindu society to be united
shedding all kind of evils destabilizing the Hindu society.
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3.
REKINDLE HOPE FOR ‘SAMARTH BHARAT’ - DATTATREY HOSABALE: “We
need to rekindle the hope that Bharat can be a great nation once again and
instill confidence amongst the masses to work towards achieving this goal
through the conventions like ‘Samartha Bharat’, appealed Dattatreya Hosabale,
Sah-Sarkaryawah of RSS on 24th August.
He was addressing the
valedictory function of ‘Samartha Bharat’- the two-day mega convention of
nationalist volunteers at Palace Grounds, Bangalore. Over 3000 new
volunteers, including womenfolk, who were contacted during the recent mass
awareness campaign and expressed the desire to continue working for RSS
attended the unique overnight event. .
Welcoming the
participants who have come to convention to build ‘Samartha Bharat’ the RSS
leader said that this convention has re-affirmed the hope of swayamsevaks
that we can indeed build ‘Samartha Bharat’ soon.
Venkatram, Karnataka
Dakshin Pranth Sanghachalak and Pranth Karyavaha, Tippeswamy were also
present on the dais. Two senior Pracharaks of RSS, Na Krishnappa and Shri.
Mai Cha Jayadev were present on the occasion.
-Top
4.
‘YOGA SAVED IYENGAR’S LIFE, CAN SAVE MANY MORE’: by Deepak Natarajan :
Yoga guru BKS Iyenger, who passed away a few days ago at 96, had very
appropriately said in an interview that "Yoga saved my life". Iyenger had
discovered its power as a teenager, when yoga helped him recover from the
ravages of tuberculosis, typhoid and malaria.
As an interventional
cardiologist, I've seen too many patients rushing into emergency rooms of
hospitals with heart attacks, chest pain, heart failure, severe hypertension
and strokes leading to permanent paralysis. A substantial number of these
patients either die or become disabled for life. Most of this mortality/
morbidity could have been prevented by a simple lifestyle modification
technique which has been with us for thousands of years.
A recent study published
in the Journal of American College of Cardiology followed more than 55,000
adults, divided into runners and non-runners, (mean age 44 years) for an
average of 15 years. The study recorded a stunning 45% reduction in risk of
death due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people who ran as little as
5-10 minutes a day and as slow as 6 miles/hour, as compared to non-runners.
One would intuitively presume that yoga discovered right here in India would
be as effective as running in the prevention of hypertension and heart
disease. But there is little or no buzz at all on the preventive and
therapeutic advantages of a few minutes of yoga. There are numerous
anecdotal data and small observational studies but little evidence based
upon large long-term randomized trials on the benefits of yoga in the
prevention and treatment of hypertension and heart disease.
Astonishingly, more than
30% of urban adults in India suffer from hypertension. Heart attacks are
regularly seen in people as young as 25-30 years in big cities, largely due
to ignorance and faulty lifestyles. A majority of people dying from heart
attacks belong to low and middle income nations. It is therefore of vital
importance that we examine evidence on the efficacy of yoga to combat raised
blood pressure and heart disease.
A Cochrane review (the
gold standard of medical research) demonstrated, based upon 11 randomized
studies, that yoga improved blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
levels (the good cholesterol) and triglycerides. Yoga practiced for an hour
bi-weekly for as little as 5-6 months has been found in another randomized
study to significantly reduce episodes of symptomatic and asymptomatic
paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety and
depression. There is data that yoga rectifies the inflammatory state in the
body and is useful in the management of lower back ache, multiple sclerosis,
stress and depression, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
pulmonary tuberculosis, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoarthritis.
Yoga would prove to be
effective in the management of hypertension keeping in mind that there are
more than a billion people suffering from hypertension in the world. There
are in the US alone about 22 million patients with mild hypertension; there
could be 5-10 times that number in India. A meta-analysis and review
published in the American Journal of Hypertension in May 2014 concluded that
yoga is a useful in the treatment of hypertensive patients.
Yoga attempts to
integrate and balance the human body, mind and spirit by execution of 'Asanas'
(position), 'Pranayama' (breathing) and 'Dhyan' (meditation). An individual
practicing a particular posture will improve muscular strength and
flexibility. Improved cardio-respiratory fitness can also be achieved by
continuous posture and breathing exercises. The metabolic costs of Hatha
Yoga represent low level of physical activity (walking on a treadmill at 3.2
km/h), but incorporating sun salutation and practicing yoga exercises for
more than half hour a day should contribute to an adequately intense
physical activity equivalent or more than 5-10 minutes of jogging a day.
There is an urgent need
for large, adequately powered long-term follow-up randomized trials that
confirm the many salutatory effects of yoga in the management of
hypertension and heart disease. It is also imperative that a national policy
on yoga is adopted, which ensures that yoga is taught in schools, colleges
and offices and wherever possible by certified yoga therapists. The public
must be informed of the huge burden of heart disease in this country and the
role of yoga in its prevention. (The
writer is an interventional cardiologist, Aug 24, 2014, Times of India)
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5.
RAKSHA BANDHAN AT OHIO STATE UNIV: As
a part of Raksha Bandhan celebrations, volunteers of Hindu YUVA OSU and HSS
Columbus met Prof Brian Joseph of Linguistics on Tue Aug 12, 2014. Prof
Joseph has been teaching linguistics for 35 years at OSU, and his areas of
interest include study of Sanskrit among other languages. The concept of
Raksha Bandhan was explained to him and also how HSS is extending the idea
of sister-brother love to vasudhaiva kutumbakam and global harmony. He asked
about the activities of Hindu YUVA on campus, and was interested in knowing
about various Bharat-related organizations. Aloso discussed were various
activities of HSS across the nation, and its collaboration with
organizations such as Sanskrit Bharati, Sewa International and Ekal.
-Top
6.
WORLD’S FIRST ‘GREEN’ HINDU TEMPLE OPENED IN UK: A
Hindu temple, claimed to be the world’s first ‘eco-temple’ featuring solar
panels and a rainwater harvesting system, has been opened in northwest
London in the UK.
The ornate 20 million
pounds ‘Shree Swaminarayan Mandir’ in Kingsbury combines traditional
Bharatiya architecture with its intricate carvings and masterful artistry
with green technologies and also features solar panels on the roof and a
rainwater harvesting system.
The opening ceremony was
presided over by the temple’s global spiritual leader, Acharya Swamishree
Maharaj. Mayor of London Boris Johnson described the new temple and
facilities as ‘stunning and impressive’ during his recent visit there.
-Top
7.
70,000 PEOPLE ATTEND EUROPE'S BIGGEST JANMASHTAMI CELEBRATION:
An estimated 70,000
people from all over the UK visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna
Temple in Watford for Europe's biggest and most spectacular Janmashtami
festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna.
One of the major
highlights of the festival held on 17th August
at Watford, northwest of central London, was the recreation of the beautiful
forests of Vrindavan in Bharat where Lord Krishna played when he was growing
up.
Around 1,500 volunteers,
aged from 16 to 94, gave up their time to take part in helping to set up the
grounds for the festival. It took almost a month of planning to get the
venue ready for Janmashtami, and it was without doubt one of the largest
Krishna's birth celebrations outside Bharat.
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8.
DEVNAGRI SCRIPT DOMAIN ‘DOT BHARAT’ LAUNCHED: The
"sunrise period" for which time the registration for devnagri domains will
only be available to trademark holders, is until November.
The "dot bharat" domain
in Devnagri script was finally launched on August 27th. Following
this, one will be able to type in web addresses in Devnagri script — with
"dot bharat" standing in for the currently common "dot in" domain. The
script can cover eight Bharatiya languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Boro,
Dogri, Maithili.
The websites one can
access currently include the Prime Minister's official website available as
pradhanmantri dot sarkar dot bharat, the Centre for Development of Advanced
Computing ( C-DAC) website as seedac dot bharat and a few others.
-Top
9.
ECONOMY BOUNCES BACK TO RECORD 5.7% GROWTH, HIGHEST IN OVER TWO YEARS : Buoyed
by performance of mining, manufacturing and services sector, Bharatiya
economy has bounced back to record a growth rate of 5.7 per cent for the
April- June quarter, highest in the past two-and-half years.
Bharat's gross domestic
product had expanded by 4.7 per cent April-June quarter of the last fiscal
ended March 31.
According to data
released on 29th August
by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), manufacturing sector recorded a
growth of 3.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2014-15 as against a
contraction of 1.2 per cent in Q1, 2013-14.
The mining sector too
grew by 2.1 per cent in April-June quarter compared a decline in production
by 3.9 per cent the year-ago period.
The highest growth rate
during Q1, 2014-15 was recorded by financial services sector at 10.4 per
cent, followed by electricity gas and water supply at 10.2 per cent.
-Top
10.
SAGE ADVICE FROM SC -Tainted lawmakers erode public’s faith in
state: Through
its nuanced and carefully balanced verdict in the Manoj Narula versus the
Union of India case on Wednesday, the Supreme Court has offered sage advice
to the Government, but without stepping into the executive's domain. The
apex court used the opportunity to red-flag the issue of increasing
criminalisation of the political establishment and leveraged its position
and expertise as the final interpreter of the Constitution to provide
valuable context on the appointment of tainted politicians as Ministers.
But, having a strong moral argument for keeping those charged with offenses
involving moral turpitude away from high office, the apex court left the
matter in the hands of the executive. This is as it should be. Two basic
issues lie at the crux of this landmark verdict. First is the Prime
Minister's right to select his Council of Ministers (and similarly, the
Chief Minister's prerogative to pick his colleagues). This revolves around
the operability of Articles 75 and 164 of the Constitution of India which
lay down that Ministers in the Union and State Governments are to be
appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Chief
Ministers respectively. The Articles do not mention if the Prime Minister or
Chief Ministers can be prohibited from appointing to the ministerial council
a politician facing criminal charges — the apex court has decided to keep
this as it is. Some may feel that the apex court has shied away from
tackling head on the problem of criminalisation in the political sphere but
such an argument betrays a shallow understanding of the spirit of the
Constitution. The matter of disqualifying tainted individuals from the
ministerial pool had come up during the Constituent Assembly debates but BR
Ambedkar among others had argued that doing so would undermine the trust and
authority that the Constitution had vested in the Prime Minister. It is not
as if the they were too idealistic; on the contrary, the leaders were
practical enough to know that, as Ambedkar himself observed (and this
section was quoted in the verdict as well), “The working of a Constitution
does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution... The factors on
which the working of those organs of the State depend are the people and the
political parties they will set up...” This puts the onus for ensuring
probity in public life not just on the executive but society at large. After
all, if criminals crowd our Parliament and State Assemblies, it is at least
to some extent because the people voted them to power.
The second issue here is
the universally accepted principle of jurisprudence that a person is
innocent until proven guilty. If a politician facing criminal charges is
prevented from holding high office, does that mean he or she is being
penalised before being convicted? The proposition seems legally untenable,
which is another reason why the Supreme Court stopped short of keeping out
persons who are under a cloud but not convicted. Moreover, politicians are
routinely subjected to false accusations and spurious charges, and, it can
be argued, that it is unfair to stunt their career growth on these grounds.
However, as the apex court noted, a charge-sheet (unlike, a First
Information Report), is prepared by trained judicial minds on the basis of
prima facie evidence that point's individual wrongdoing. And the top
executive will be well to keep this mind.
(Editorial, Daily
pioneer, 29 August 2014)
-Top
11.
WORDS OF WISDOM GALORE AT IIT CONFERENCE WITH PREZ, PM: Inaugurating
a first of its kind day-long conference of chairmen, board of governors and
directors of IITs at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 22nd August,
President Pranav Mukherjee called upon the Council of IIT’s to draw up a
roadmap for governance in line with the best global practices and implement
it without any delay. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and HRD Minister Smriti
Irani were also present at the conference.
“There is need for soul
searching on what is holding back good governance in institutes of higher
learning. If our institutes of higher learning are to compete with the best
in the world, governance of these institutes must be comparable to the best
in the world,” he said.
The President also
shared the concerns of the Prime Minister over the country’s dependence on
other countries for import of technology despite having technical
capabilities to put satellites of other countries into space.
-Top
12.
VHP CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH PAK HINDUS: Indraprastha
Vishwa Hindu Parishad celebrated Independence Day with the refugees who have
come from Pakistan due to brutal atrocities by the jehadis. Hundreds of
Pakistani Hindus joined the function. International joint general secretary
of VHP Swami Vigyanananda said all Hindus are the sons and daughters of
Bharatmata and they have full right to live here with dignity. He said every
section of the society has to contribute in the welfare of the affected.
VHP’s central secretary Dr Surendra Jain felicitated some Pak Hindus
including Smt Rukma Devi (105), Shri Sonalal (90) for successfully
preserving their way of worship even after facing the atrocities. He assured
them full support in their fight for justice and respect.
-Top
13.
TWO ANCIENT MAYAN CITIES FOUND IN MEXICO JUNGLE: Archaeologists
have unearthed two ancient Mayan cities hidden in thick vegetation in the
Mexican jungle.
The cities were
discovered in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Campeche, in the
heart of Yucatan peninsula.
Expedition leader Ivan
Sprajc, of the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
and his team found the massive remains as they further explored the area
around Chactun, a large Mayan city discovered by the Slovenian archaeologist
in 2013.
One of the newly
discovered cities featured an extraordinary facade with an entrance
representing the open jaws of an earth monster, 'Discovery News' reported.
The site was visited in the 1970s by American archaeologist Eric Von Euw,
who documented the facade and other stone monuments with yet unpublished
drawings.
-Top
14.
DIU TO BECOME BHARAT’S 1st SOLAR
POWER SUFFICIENT UT: Picturesque
Island Diu is all set to become Bharat’s first solar energy sufficient Union
Territory by the end of 2015. Daman, Diu & Dadara Nagar Haveli (Union
Territory) administration is setting up 12 MW solar power plant in Diu at an
estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. Diu known for fabulous beaches and marvelous
architecture and laidback lifestyle, is solely dependent on Gujarat for its
energy requirements.
“Diu’s energy
requirement is around 9-10 MWs. But looking to its future development and
increasing tourist activities, the administration is developing 12 MW power
generation capacity, which would make the district — which houses six
villages — first ever renewable energy sufficient district in the country,”
says Diu Collector Vinod Kavle.
Though the population of
the isle, spread across 40 sq km is little over 52,000, but annually more
than 4,00,000 lakh tourists through to this tiny islet every year that
include nearly 50,000 foreign tourists, mainly from European countries.
First phase of the solar
power project for 3 MW solar panels is expected to complete in next four
months at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.
With an idea to make Diu,
located on the southern tip of Saurashtra – Gujrat , pollution free the
administration is taking series of measures like installing windmills at
strategic locations within the island, use electric buses for local
transportation etc.
-Top
15.
5 BHARATYA FIRMS AMONG FORBES' MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES: Five
Bharatiya companies, including Hindustan Unilever and Tata Consultancy
Services, are among Forbes' list of the world's 100 most innovative
companies that investors think are most likely to "generate big, new growth
ideas".
The annual 'World's Most
Innovative Companies' list, released on 21st August
, has been topped by California-based global cloud computing company
Salesforce for the fourth year in a row.The five Bharatiya companies on the
list are consumer goods company Hindustan Unilever, which is ranked 14th,
followed by IT major Tata Consultancy Services (57), construction services
firm Larsen & Toubro (58), pharma major Sun Pharma Industries (65) and Bajaj
Auto (96).
-Top
16.
WITH EYE ON CHINA, BHARAT DEPLOYS AKASH MISSILES IN NORTHEAST: After
basing its most potent Sukhoi-30MKI fighters at Tezpur and Chabua, Bharat
has now begun deploying six Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) squadrons in
the northeast to deter Chinese jets, helicopters and drones against any
misadventure in the region.
Defence ministry sources
on 28th August said
IAF has started getting deliveries of the six Akash missile squadrons, which
can "neutralize" multiple targets at 25-km interception range in all-weather
conditions, earmarked for the eastern theatre.
The Akash deployment in
the northeast is in tune with the overall plan to progressively achieve
"meaningful and credible deterrence" against China along the 4,057-km Line
of Actual Control (LAC).
-Top
17.
TOP HONOUR FOR BHARATIYA-ORIGIN WOMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA: Bharatiya origin
South African academic Leila Patel has been named the African country's one
of the top women researchers in the annual Women in Science Awards hosted by
the ministry of science and technology.
Patel, who got her PhD
from the University of the Witwatersrand, is currently a professor of social
development studies and director of the Centre for Social Development in
Africa, which she founded in 2002 at the same institution.
Patel undertook
pioneering work in the social welfare field for a post-apartheid country as
the first democratic elections dawned in South Africa in 1994 after the
release of Nelson Mandela.
A year before the
elections, Patel published her book 'Restructuring Social Welfare Options
for South Africa', which eventually informed social welfare legislation
adopted by the new democratic parliament three years later.
-Top
18.
SRI LANKA MUST ENSURE ‘EQUALITY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE AND SELF-RESPECT’ FOR
TAMILS: PM Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on 23rd August
urged Sri Lanka to ensure "equality, dignity, justice and self-respect" for
its Tamil minority when a six-member delegation of the Tamil National
Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka's main Tamil political party, called on him.
"The prime minister
stressed the need for a political solution that addresses the aspirations of
the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self respect within
the framework of a united Sri Lanka," an official statement said. PM Modi
urged "all stakeholders in Sri Lanka to engage constructively, in a spirit
of partnership and mutual accommodation, towards finding a political
solution". This should be built "upon the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan
constitution", he said, referring the Bharatiya-backed amendment of the
1980s which called for devolving autonomous powers to the Tamils.
The delegation, led by
veteran Tamil politician R. Sampanthan, met Bharatiya External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday. The delegation also included Mavai S.
Senathirajah, K. Premachandran, P. Selvarajah, Selvam Adaikkalanathan and
M.A. Sumanthiran, all parliamentarians.
-Top
19.
RSS SWAYAMSEVAKS CLEAN HEBBAL FLY OVER SURROUNDINGS IN BANGALORE:Seva
Vibhag of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS’s Bangalore Unit had organised
‘SEVA Sanghik’ on Sunday August 31 near Hebbal Fly Over Bangalore. Nearly
259 Swayamsevaks of Hebbal zone (Bengaluru) assisted by 50 BBMP workers
together cleaned the surroundings. They also cleaned areas near to railway
track and nearby temples.
Krishnamurthy, RSS
Mahanagar Seva Pramukh of Bangalore requested the public, street merchants,
others to maintain cleanliness at the surroundings. BBMP Yelahanka
Commissioner Virupaksha Mysore, BBMP Member Ashwattha Narayan Gouda, Dr
Jayaprakash, RSS Bangalore Mahanagar Sah-karyavah and others were present
during the SEVA SANGHIK.
-Top
20.
BHARATIYA-ORIGIN STUDENT DISCOVERS MYSTERIOUS BLACK HOLE: A
Bharatiya-origin graduate student has discovered and measured one of the
most elusive and mysterious objects in the Universe — a middling-sized black
hole.
University of Maryland
astronomy graduate student Dheeraj Pasham and two colleagues made the
measurements of the rare black hole which they found hiding in the
well-known galaxy M82, some 12 million light years away from Earth. Their
findings were published online on August 17 in the journal Nature.
The reason why this
discovery and the measurement are considered so significant is that these
intermediate-mass black holes are hard to measure even their existence is
sometimes disputed. Little is known about how they form, a Maryland varsity
statement said. Some astronomers question whether they behave like other
black holes.
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21.
BHARATIYA-ORIGIN MP IN UK APPOINTED SHADOW MINISTER: A
politician of Bharatiya origin has become the Labour Party's first minister
tasked with tackling violence against women and girls.
Labour party leader Ed
Miliband appointed MP Seema Malhotra as the first shadow minister on 25th August
for preventing violence against women and girls besides championing the
needs of all victims of rape, domestic and sexual violence, as well as
forced marriage, trafficking and prostitution.
Malhotra has been also
tasked to play an important role in shaping Labour's Women's Safety
Commission. This will include reforms to the criminal justice system,
measures to improve women's safety and prevention of violence against women
and girls.
She will be the first
Shadow minister for preventing violence against women and girls indicating
the priority that Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper have given to the issue.
Malhotra in response to
her appointment, said "I feel very proud to have been appointed as the
Labour Party's first ever shadow minister for preventing violence against
women and girls.”
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22.
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Ma
Dattatreya ji – sahsarkaryavaha RSS will tour UK and European countries in
Sept – Oct. Ravikumar – sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag returned from his tour to
SE Asian countries. Visitors: Sugendree
and Amith Singh – South Africa, Shrikant Bhave - New Zealand, Virender Kumar
Harit – France.
-Top
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Know
the Self to be sitting in the chariot, the body to be the chariot, the
intellect (buddhi) the charioteer, and the mind the reins. The senses
they call the horses, the objects of the senses their roads. When he (the
Highest Self) is in union with the body, the senses, and the mind, then wise
people call him the Enjoyer - Katha
Upanishad
-Top
JAI SHREE RAM
INDIA LOOKS EAST
INDIA’S restless prime
minister, Narendra Modi, likes to brag that he sleeps for only three or four
hours a night and replenishes his energy with yoga. He will need all the
vigour he can muster in the coming month, during a punishing diplomatic tour
to the rest of Asia. By the end, if he keeps up the pace, Mr Modi may have
clarified what sort of policy he intends for India in a region where it
punches below its weightThe marathon begins in Japan on August 30th, where
India’s leader travels with a delegation of billionaires and industrialists
for a five-day trip. Mr Modi is close to Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe,
a fellow nationalist with whom he shares suspicions of China. He gratefully
visited Mr Abe in 2007 and 2012 as chief minister for Gujarat, even as
Western politicians shunned him after Hindu-Muslim riots in his state in
2002. Gleeful Indian pundits note that social media give a clue to their
friendship. Mr Abe follows only three people on Twitter; one of them is his
eager fellow tweeter, Mr Modi.
The Indian prime minister had been due to visit Japan in July, soon after taking office in late May, as a reciprocal gesture following Mr Abe’s visit to India in January and a rare visit by Emperor Akihito late in 2013. It was put off, say diplomats, so that they could work out some eye-catching deals to announce as a sign of their friendship. Japan, formerly a big donor to China, now counts India as its largest aid recipient and will probably pledge some funds for Indian cities. It will also urge its car and electronics firms to invest more in India, a fillip to Mr Modi’s plans to boost manufacturing at home.
The Indian prime minister had been due to visit Japan in July, soon after taking office in late May, as a reciprocal gesture following Mr Abe’s visit to India in January and a rare visit by Emperor Akihito late in 2013. It was put off, say diplomats, so that they could work out some eye-catching deals to announce as a sign of their friendship. Japan, formerly a big donor to China, now counts India as its largest aid recipient and will probably pledge some funds for Indian cities. It will also urge its car and electronics firms to invest more in India, a fillip to Mr Modi’s plans to boost manufacturing at home.
In return, Japan wants
Mr Modi to say, or hint, that Japanese firms and technology will build
India’s first high-speed rail line, stealing a march on cheaper Chinese
rivals. Two security-related matters probably count for more. India wants a
deal, similar to one it struck with America six years ago, that would allow
co-operation between the two countries in the civilian nuclear realm. But
obstacles remain: India is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty,
so it will be difficult for Mr Abe to persuade Japanese lawmakers to agree
to a civil-nuclear pact. And Japan’s nuclear firms look no readier than
American ones to risk India’s burgeoning nuclear-power industry until tough
Indian liability laws, in case of an accident, are rewritten.
Another possible deal, which would be highly significant if it comes off, is the sale of 15 Japanese amphibious US-2 aircraft to India for its navy to use for long-range surveillance, rescue and support. Mr Modi wants joint production of the US-2 in India by local, private and Japanese firms. That would boost manufacturing and serve as a high-profile boost to the defence industry after India said, in July, that foreigners would be allowed to own up to 49% of local ventures. A Japanese official, however, warns that unless India rules out sales to third parties of dual-use civilian-military products, the deal could fail.
Still, the timing for stronger ties between India and Japan is auspicious. Mr Abe looks eager to bind India into broader security co-operation between Asian “middling powers” that are anxious about the military rise of China but doubt that America can be trusted to guarantee their security. Like the Japanese leader, “Mr Modi’s outlook in Asia is more expansive”, argues Bharat Karnad, a hawkish analyst at the Centre for Policy Research, a think-tank in Delhi. With two assertive men in office, he expects fewer worries than under previous regimes about provoking China’s ire.
Australia’s prime minister, Tony Abbott, fits a similar nationalist mould. Shortly after Mr Modi returns from Japan he is due in Delhi, also to talk nuclear. A deal is ready to be signed, allowing Australian uranium exports to India, seven years after John Howard, a predecessor, first tried to lift a ban. That matters for security, as imported uranium can be used for power generation, leaving India’s smaller domestic stocks for military use.
Relations with Australia have also grown warmer of late. The first joint naval exercises are due to be staged next year. Rory Medcalf of the Lowy Institute, a think-tank in Sydney, calls new ties between Australia, India and others in the region a “ballet of hedging and balancing” against China. Mr Modi is due to visit Australia in November.
In that context the visit of China’s Xi Jinping to India, in mid-September, could prove uncomfortable, even if it is likely to focus on Chinese investment and trade ties. Before Mr Modi came to office, some observers speculated that he could try to strike an early deal with China to settle the countries’ long-disputed border in the Himalayas. In fact, rather than accommodating, Mr Modi looks cautiously assertive. In May he welcomed the elected leader of Tibetans in exile, Lobsang Sangay, to his inauguration—though the spiritual Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, was not invited.
Another potential annoyance for China this week was Mr Modi’s dispatch of his foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, on a tour of Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. India’s president, Pranab Mukherjee, will next go to Vietnam, more or less at the same time as Mr Xi is in India. Partly with China in mind, India is strengthening its security ties with South-East Asia. It recently sent warships to visit the Philippines. This month the Indian navy conducted joint exercises in Vietnam off Haiphong in the far north, close to China. Its co-operation with Vietnam has also included training submariners, repairing military aircraft and selling patrol boats. India’s state-run oil company, ONGC, this month saw its rights renewed for two oil blocks off Vietnam’s coast in an area of the South China Sea that is contested with China. India has long spoken of developing a “Look East” policy, but has lagged behind China in forging ties with emerging economies in South-East Asia. In Vietnam though, which is deeply sceptical of China’s ambitions, Mr Modi finds an open door. A Vietnamese diplomat said recently that Vietnam saw India as an “all-weather friend”, a reference to how China describes its close links to Pakistan. Mr Modi might like such language, but he will be careful not to push too far: he does not want to infuriate China. There is little public appetite in India for conflict between the Asian giants.
Next month Mr Modi will travel to the United States for the UN General Assembly and a meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington to repair ties that turned frosty under his predecessor, Manmohan Singh. One area of co-operation the two leaders might discuss is joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. After so many state visits, Mr Modi’s head is likely to be left in a yoga-like spin. (The Economist, August 30, 2014) -Top
Another possible deal, which would be highly significant if it comes off, is the sale of 15 Japanese amphibious US-2 aircraft to India for its navy to use for long-range surveillance, rescue and support. Mr Modi wants joint production of the US-2 in India by local, private and Japanese firms. That would boost manufacturing and serve as a high-profile boost to the defence industry after India said, in July, that foreigners would be allowed to own up to 49% of local ventures. A Japanese official, however, warns that unless India rules out sales to third parties of dual-use civilian-military products, the deal could fail.
Still, the timing for stronger ties between India and Japan is auspicious. Mr Abe looks eager to bind India into broader security co-operation between Asian “middling powers” that are anxious about the military rise of China but doubt that America can be trusted to guarantee their security. Like the Japanese leader, “Mr Modi’s outlook in Asia is more expansive”, argues Bharat Karnad, a hawkish analyst at the Centre for Policy Research, a think-tank in Delhi. With two assertive men in office, he expects fewer worries than under previous regimes about provoking China’s ire.
Australia’s prime minister, Tony Abbott, fits a similar nationalist mould. Shortly after Mr Modi returns from Japan he is due in Delhi, also to talk nuclear. A deal is ready to be signed, allowing Australian uranium exports to India, seven years after John Howard, a predecessor, first tried to lift a ban. That matters for security, as imported uranium can be used for power generation, leaving India’s smaller domestic stocks for military use.
Relations with Australia have also grown warmer of late. The first joint naval exercises are due to be staged next year. Rory Medcalf of the Lowy Institute, a think-tank in Sydney, calls new ties between Australia, India and others in the region a “ballet of hedging and balancing” against China. Mr Modi is due to visit Australia in November.
In that context the visit of China’s Xi Jinping to India, in mid-September, could prove uncomfortable, even if it is likely to focus on Chinese investment and trade ties. Before Mr Modi came to office, some observers speculated that he could try to strike an early deal with China to settle the countries’ long-disputed border in the Himalayas. In fact, rather than accommodating, Mr Modi looks cautiously assertive. In May he welcomed the elected leader of Tibetans in exile, Lobsang Sangay, to his inauguration—though the spiritual Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, was not invited.
Another potential annoyance for China this week was Mr Modi’s dispatch of his foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, on a tour of Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. India’s president, Pranab Mukherjee, will next go to Vietnam, more or less at the same time as Mr Xi is in India. Partly with China in mind, India is strengthening its security ties with South-East Asia. It recently sent warships to visit the Philippines. This month the Indian navy conducted joint exercises in Vietnam off Haiphong in the far north, close to China. Its co-operation with Vietnam has also included training submariners, repairing military aircraft and selling patrol boats. India’s state-run oil company, ONGC, this month saw its rights renewed for two oil blocks off Vietnam’s coast in an area of the South China Sea that is contested with China. India has long spoken of developing a “Look East” policy, but has lagged behind China in forging ties with emerging economies in South-East Asia. In Vietnam though, which is deeply sceptical of China’s ambitions, Mr Modi finds an open door. A Vietnamese diplomat said recently that Vietnam saw India as an “all-weather friend”, a reference to how China describes its close links to Pakistan. Mr Modi might like such language, but he will be careful not to push too far: he does not want to infuriate China. There is little public appetite in India for conflict between the Asian giants.
Next month Mr Modi will travel to the United States for the UN General Assembly and a meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington to repair ties that turned frosty under his predecessor, Manmohan Singh. One area of co-operation the two leaders might discuss is joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. After so many state visits, Mr Modi’s head is likely to be left in a yoga-like spin. (The Economist, August 30, 2014) -Top
